A Bunch of Guys in Search of a Stoush

Here's a few pics to be going on with, notes being added for the elucidation of the interested bystander. All from the collection of one CBW, a most dedicated and appreciative collector and gamer.

Using the Wargames Factory Stormtroopers as a base, I kit-bashed some Russian-inspired troopers. Using Pig Iron heads and equipment packs, and some GW weapons and bits, with resin bases (unsure of provenance), these will soon be joined by at least another five squads. Will go well with Vostroyans, I expect.

Nice sergeant figure with chainsword. There are so many bits and pieces now available out there that you can honestly create anything, giving any army a unique flavour.

And sometimes the oldies are goodies. Early Rhino painted up for the Legio Primus Chapter (own invention) using MarkIII armour for tank commander and added flamer. Simple yet effective.

Centurion of Legio Primus, Mark III armour, transverse crest from GW Ultra officer and added bits. The idea of the Legio Primus is a  throwback Chapter forgotten for centuries and then rediscovered on a backwater world. It has retained its early armour and equipment, now worse for wear. Rediscovery and new supplies of equipment have revitalised the Chapter, but it takes great pains to never forget its years of isolation, and loyalty to the Emperor, and so much of the new equipment is used in conjunction with surviving ordinance and material.

Organisation is based on the old Roman maniple, or unit of five. An operation team can be of any multiple of five, lending a degree of flexibility, and harking back to the times of severe depletion of manpower when units could sometimes consist of only two or three surviving Marines.

I think it helps with fantasy units and figures to have a bit of backstory, in order to inspire my modelling and to give the figures a solid foundation. The units then retain a degree of "reality" within their own universe. Probably a throwback to my background in film and theatre writing, but it seems to work.

A force to be reckoned with.

Legio Primus tribune. A converted piece from one of our eastern European friends. Nice piece, and one can't have too many imposing characters. The Legio Primus symbology is based on the Space Marine aquila, a nice Roman adaptation if ever there was one. What did someone say about being wary of a nation with the eagle as its symbol?

The animals we have as symbols in Australia are the kangaroo and the emu, both on our coat of arms . . . and both found in our restaurants. Food for thought . . .

Another character of undetermined origin, and various usage. Inquisitor, Marine Grandmaster, Rogue Trader - very adaptable. The base is Scibor, the added censer and holster (unseen) from GW.

Grand master for an as yet unnamed Space Marine unit (Lions of Lakedaemonia?). Mainly Scibor, although I did add the pole weapon, and the shield is from Nimix of Spain. This is an instance where again a bit of a backstory helps the figure. It is obviously Greek in origin, and yet it was armed with only the sword blade that I incorporated into the pole weapon, and the shield had wings and was rather dinky. This is a hoplite, a spear-thrusting, hoplon-hefting, bronze-armoured warrior, descendant of Zeus and Herakles, beloved of Athena and Artemis. It needs to look as if it could take on anything. This guy will stand up to Chaos demon princes and Ork mek bosses. And then eat lamb, taramasolata and dolmades and drink from a wineskin made from the flensed flesh of an Eldar exarch, while dancing and smashing crockery.

Finally a couple of Crocodile Games Wendigo, just because I like them.

Cheers
Peter C.