XXIII. Iron Hands and Future Plans

I finally finished my second Iron Hand Astartes. Yes, it did take far too long. I've been suffering from complete hobby burn out for the last few months, but I realised just a couple of days ago, that the way through it is to force myself to paint.

With the new year looming, I'm in resolution mode and I've been agonising about the future direction of my hobbying. I feel like I need to adopt a more disciplined approach and I'm considering a fresh start.

In the new year I'm almost certainly going to replace this blog with a new one. The main reason is I'm being persuaded that Blogger isn't the best platform around, but I also want to find the discipline to make more regular posts. I think a fresh start will help. I'm aiming for a post a fortnight - if I feel that every two weeks I have to have something worth posting then it'll motivate me to actually do something :)

However, I also feel like I'm at a potential crossroads in subject matter. The truth is I remain torn between the Horus Heresy and more traditional 40k as a setting.

When I look at what Forge World is putting out and compare it with GW's current work, the decision is an easy one. I love FW's models and the quality of those big, black Horus Heresy books is unsurpassed in the entire hobby. However, I find myself missing that part of the 41st millennium that GW seems to (mostly) ignore. Hive worlds, Death Cults, Genestealer covens, Inquisitors, cultists and the Adepta Sororitas. It's a tough choice.

The catalyst that made me start doubting my choices was a novel. Having ploughed through another Horus Heresy novel (and it really did start to feel like a chore reading another 200+ pages about space marines fighting space marines and feeling like the series has just stagnated), I bought the first book in the new Beast Arises series, "I am Slaughter". Halfway through and I'm gripped. The post-Heresy setting is so rich and characterful.

Now, admittedly, I felt the same reaction to the first Horus Heresy novel, "Horus Rising". Perhaps I just like beginnings? But when I made this mini (next thing I intend to paint) some time ago;

I sat back and thought, "That looks a lot more 40k than Heresy". Perhaps I was trying to tell myself something?

XXII. Swordmaster

"There may be a hundred stances and sword positions, but you win with just one"

~Ancient proverb

Not all sons and daughters of Knight Households go on to inherit one of those machines of war. Many a younger son is forced to make his own way and find his own fortune. Some become scholars, some become priests of the Omnissiah; but others, lacking a Knight to be master of, become warriors of a different sort.

XXI. Death Comes

Last weekend I had the absolute joy of attending an Inqvitational event, which was a huge amount of fun and my first introduction to Inquisitor. However, in the rush to get things ready and painted I forgot to post up my finished tech-assassin here. So, here she is.

She was inspired by the Cydonian Sisterhood assassin from the novel Mechanicum, but she'll be a tech-assassin in the employ of House Orasto.

XX. The Emperor Protects

What's better than one guard? Two guards!

I had a few weeks where my job took all the energy and concentration I had, but summer is here and I'm back at my hobby desk.

The second guard was originally going to have a visible face, just like the first one. I even made a head for him but scrapped it after I decided it wasn't up to scratch. Then I hit on the idea that the heads from the Sicarian Ruststalkers would made good Mechanicum issue gas masks.

Other than the different head, he was made in the same way as the first Household Guard; a Solar Auxilia lasrifleman as a base, backpack from a Forge World Chaos Renegade and lots of greenstuff.

As always apologies for the terrible photography, thanks for looking and your comments are massively appreciated.

XIX. Guards, guards!

I seem to have a problem actually finishing miniatures at the moment. Very good at starting new ones, but not very good at finishing ones I've started.

This mini was something of a test. He's one of the foot soldiers of my Knight Household. Converted from a Solar Auxilia rifleman, I wanted to create a fusion of the deiselpunk style of the Solar Auxilia and the Gothic design of Imperial Knights. I'm very happy with the way he's worked out so I'll be making some more to create a small squad.

The foot soldiers of the Household are equipped with armour supplied by their Mechanicum allies and made from salvaged Solar Auxilia suits. Each man goes into battle with the 'Litany of Striving' fastened to their armour, a invocation of the power of the Omnissiah. This man wears a 'virtutis' on his right shoulder, a large medallion awarded for bravery in battle.

XVIII Onward!

It's been a whole month with no news, but I've not been totally idle. I've started painting a couple of minis but, so far, finished neither.

Duke Ko is coming along nicely. I'm delighted with how he manages to look both regal and creepy. I've also started work on my second 'Art Scale' Iron Hand.

XVII. Duke Ko

I must confess that, when I began the ‘Euripides’ project, I had only the vaguest of ideas of what I wanted to do. I certainly had no definite end product in mind. I knew I wanted to explore the Age of Darkness. I also knew that the idea of a rag-tag group of shattered survivors appealed more to me that the full glory of an Astartes Legion in all its strength. Like everyone who starts a project without a plan, I suffered false starts and dead ends, but recently I have begun to feel shapes, structure and themes emerging organically from the chaos.

 

My last finished model, the Astropath Jaysha Kree, now feels like a turning point. She is a miniature that grew and evolved and took on a life of her own. It almost feels like I built her and then worked out what she is. I fear now I may have been slightly wrong in saying she is of the Mechanicum. Time to rewrite history, or at least tinker with it.

In the last few days, I built a new miniature and again, I’ve had to work out what it is I have built. The answer feels like for the first time, I know what I’m doing.

This is Duke Ko, the Herald of Myleth.

The Knight World Orasto was discovered late in the Great Crusade. A Mechanicum Explorator fleet made first contact and were welcomed as long lost brothers. Orasto had been isolated so long that they were surprised to learn that other humans existed. When these new machine-men were able to repair ancient, long dormant knights, surprise turned to delight. Treaties were signed, oaths sworn and the Mechanicum established an embassy in Orasto’s chief city.

 Now, a mere twenty five years later, the Knights of Orasto find themselves caught up in the wars of the Age of Darkness. Their loyalty is to the Omnissiah and they eagerly joined the forces who combat the Traitor. Given the short time that the Mechanicum has been on Orasto, the Knight Houses still enjoy a large degree of independence. Unlike other Mechanicum aligned houses, which have become virtual thralls to their Forge Worlds, the men and women of Orasto regard the Mechanicum as allies and brothers in arms rather than overlords.

 The Euripides found a small group of battered and bloodied Orastian Knights, survivors of a massacre, and rescued them to fight another day. Their leader is Yol Myleth and Duke Ko is his herald. Proudly displaying the colours of his house (now incorporating the symbol of their Mechanicum allies), Duke Ko announces his leader, reciting the litanies of blessing, the lineage of his house and the deeds of notable ancestors: all of this amplified through the speaker of the cyberskull which never leaves his side.

Right now ideas are coming thick and fast of things to build. I feel like I have to get them started, so painting might be put on hold for a while as I concentrate on forming plastic and resin into interesting shapes. I’m really quite excited.