Warpgates and Astramalleus History

I spent a bit of last night putting a basecoat on the warpgates. It's somewhat time consuming because you can't spray paint foamcore. Well, you CAN spray paint it but you better make sure that you seal up any exposed foam because, as I'm sure many of you have figures out, something in the spray paint (I assume it's in the propellant) eats styrofoam. To combat this, I went out and bought some craft paints of several colors I use often (gray for stone, tan for earth/adobe, black, white, and a few others) and I just paint on the base color myself. I prefer Delta Ceramcoat because it goes on well and is cheap. It has one minor annoyance to it, namely that dry Ceramcoat sometimes tries to stick to other dry Ceramcoat, but if that's the worst problem it has, then I'm cool with it. Later today I'm going to hit Hobby Lobby with the gift card I got for Father's Day and look for gems for them. A little dry brushing with bleached bone and a little white and the gems and I think you can call this project done.

I may need to take a couple of days before I go to the next thing, though. You've noticed my little paint station here? Well, this is actually on the coffee table in my living room. I have an actually designated place to paint, but it's covered with containers and bits and Drednoughts and other such. I may take a little while to try to organize and clear it before I start something new. Of course, I may still try to work on the coffee table while I do that clearing...

The Astramalleus or "Star Hammers" are an Ultramarine descended Chapter chartered during the 23rd founding in the fallout of the Age of Apostasy. Because of a change in the fundamental rites and doctrines of a Marine Chapter, a young Captain, aided by many veteran troops, managed to defect. After wandering for years, they managed to find a planet where they could live safely but gave it up to successfully defend a world in the throes of an Ork invasion. They were successful in their efforts but were found by their Chapter and tried by the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. The verdict was that the survivors would found a Chapter of their own and then begin a crusade until the original defectors were all dead.

Once the messengers from Ultramar had delivered their message, the Deathmarch Crusade began. Walach and the remaining original renegades made preparations and the Chapter gave them aid and support. It was decided by Walach that if the original renegades must die, then they should make the best gains for the Astramalleus and the Imperium that they could muster. Walach and his Marines would lead Astramalleus troops in battle and hurl themselves into the thickest and hardest parts thereof. When the renegades fell, the new troops would take advantage of their efforts and finish the job.

The first engagement was the only unplanned attack of the Crusade. En route to the the first planetary target, Walach and his men ran across the space hulk Precept Of Martian Quality, an Adeptus Mechanicus mass hauler that had been reported lost 1500 years before. After clearing the vessel of an infestation of chaos mutated vermin, Walach and his men were awed by the contents of the ship's stores. It had been moving replacement equipment and armor to a Marine Chapter somewhere and was filled with replacement armor, weapons, Predator sponsons and parts and other equipment but the prize was the ten suits of Terminator armor in the main vaults. Such serendipity surely must have been a blessing from the Emperor! The hulk was towed back to Besradine. After determining that the Terminator suits were not tainted in any way, they were consecrated to the Chapter and devoted to the First Squad of the First Company. All ten were armed with thunder hammers (Walach's preferred weapon) and storm shields and the squad was named the Starhammers.

Over the course of six years, Walach and his original Marines traveled from planet to planet destroying demons, eradicating xenos threats and fighting Chaos Marines wherever they were to be found. Each time a few more Marines were lost until only Walach and his guard remained. At first, the worlds surrounding Besradine were targeted and cleared. After the local area had been cleansed, farther threats were chosen for assault until Walach and his Guard were far from the Chapter monastery. When the end seemed nigh, Walach called together the 14 members of the Gerusia to name a successor. What he did not know was that the Gerusia had already met in secret with Walach's guard and made a decision of their own without the Chapter Master's consent. Walach was deemed too important to be thrown away in this fashion...

Walach and his Guard, leading the Scouring of Hessin 6, came face to face with a powerful Demon of Slaanesh. Walach fought with all his might but, wounding the demon badly, was felled himself. His Guard managed to defeat and kill the wounded demon and then sprang into action. Walach was badly wounded but not yet dead. Under the confusion of battle, they spirited his still living body back to his vessel and a secret Drednought sarcophagus under the care of the chief Techmarine. His Guard announced his death at the hands of the demon while the entombing process was carried out. The new Chapter Master knew that if anyone outside of the Chapter ever learned that Walach was still alive, the Astramalleus would be eradicated from the galaxy. Therefore he swore the sitting members of the Gerusia never reveal what had been decided, not even to future members of the Gerusia. The Guard and the members of the First Gerusia would eventually die either in battle or from old age. Only the Chapter Master, Head Chaplain, Head Librarian and Head Techmarine would ever remember the truth of this special Drednought...

Mechanicum and Astramalleus History

So, I continued with the blood red wash on the lower floor panels. A 40K playing friend of mine stopped by for a completely different reason and remarked on the watchtower I had built and was painting. For some reason, even though I put a large floor on the top so that anyone on top would have a commanding view (or at least an impressive one) of the field, for some reason, it never occurred to me that this was a watchtower. Oh well, a good idea is a good idea so I decided to bring a little attention to the upper level of it, too. I did the same wash on the short wall at the top to kind of bring the eye to it and remind people that it was a high place to watch out for. Once I painted the big skulls gold and highlighted with a little more mithril silver to catch the metallic nature of the building, I was as done as I was ever going to be.

Before I get to that Razorback I was talking about before, I think I'm going to paint those warpgates. Tomorrow I'm going to hit the craft store to look for some suitable jewels so it might be nice if I could possibly apply some of them tomorrow after I get home. Besides, the Razorback has waited this long. A couple more days won't hurt anything.

The Astramalleus or "Star Hammers" are an Ultramarine descended Chapter chartered during the 23rd founding in the fallout of the Age of Apostasy. Because of a change in the fundamental rites and doctrines of a Marine Chapter, a young Captain, aided by many veteran troops, managed to steal a Battle Barge and defect. After wandering for years, they managed to find a planet where they could live safely but gave it up to successfully defend a world in the throes of an Ork invasion. They were successful in their efforts but were found by their Chapter and tried by the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. The verdict was that the survivors would found a Chapter of their own and then begin a crusade until the original defectors were all dead.

The first step was the naming of a new Chapter Master. Walach was the unanimous choice. Walach then formed a council of veterans called the Gerusia devoted to discussing and implementing policies for the good continuance of the Astramalleus. The first Gerusia convened with only ten Marines, but Walach, foreseeing the Chapters eventual full strength, set the permanent number at thirty, allowing positions for each of the ten Company Commanders, the head Chaplain, Librarian, Techmarine and Apothecary and the rest of the positions filled by the most senior Sergeants of the Chapter. One of the positions would eventually be permanently assigned to the Sergeant of the First Squad of the First Company. The Gerusia began deliberation on how to grow and perpetuate the Chapter.

With the Verdict of Ultramar began a time referred to in the Annals of the Astramalleus as the Remuneration. As part of the punishment of the original renegades, the newly formed Chapter was bound to return equipment, materiel and geneseed to the Grey Storms with interest. The forms and amounts of repayment were codified along with a schedule intent of completing the return of the debt over the course of one thousand years. The Astramalleus did not wish to wait that long. The nascent Chapter separated the problem into two basic categories: geneseed and materiel. The Gerusia decided that the answer to both problems lay in the native people of Besradine.

To answer the geneseed need, the Chapter began to choose a large number of strong, aggressive young warriors to induct into the Chapter. Higher numbers of inductions meant more Marines who could carry and mature geneseed in the future. They especially focused on young men from families with many siblings. It was thought that families that sired warriors who were receptive to the training and treatments would have a good chance of having more progeny who could undergo the process successfully. Further the Apothecaries were given directions to observe and experiment with ways to increase yield. Whether the methods lowered rejection rates or sped up maturation didn't matter as long as untainted geneseed was generated. In the fullness of time, the apothecaries would find certain combinations of herbs and compounds, both natural and synthesized, which would accomplish both aims. A 6% lower rejection rate and a 4% higher maturation speed would barely be noticed in the early phases but over millenia, it would add up. This would lead to a speedy increase in Marine ranks and, once the Remuneration was completed, a massive Scout Company and ample amounts of geneseed.

The materiel need was solved in a different way. By gaining workers and teachers from Hajic, the Chapter began to build settlements and foundries on Besradine and teaching some of the native peoples how to run them. By bringing the fruits of the Imperium, civilization began to occur on Besradine and as agriculture began to take hold, the populations began to increase, creating more workers and more possible recruits. As the original renegades had taken to scrounging when required, the new Chapter would continue by keeping found equipment. Anything that could be positively identified as belonging to another Marine Chapter would be returned. Anything unidentified and suitable for immediate use would be assigned to the Techmarines for repair. Anything not suitable for immediate use would be broken down for study by the new foundries. At first, the foundries would figure out how to make small parts of basic utility but eventually, their mastery would allow them to build entire weapons and vehicles from scratch, filling the Chapter's armories and replacing equipment officially provided by the Adeptus Mechanicus which would have to be surrendered to the Grey Storms. Eventually, the Astramalleus would only request "replacement" equipment from the Mechanicus too complicated for Besradine's foundries to create themselves.

In the course of 150 years, the new Chapter was off to a solid start and choices made would guarantee its perseverance into the future. And in the 150th year since the Verdict, representatives of the Ultramarines visited Besradine with a message for Walach.

The time of the Crusade had begun...

Mechanicum and Astramalleus History

Didn't really get much of anything done painting wise over the weekend being that it was Father's Day and I was feted from so many directions. Actually, it wasn't that packed. I just spent much of the weekend resting with the wife and family. Among my Father's Day gifts was a gift certificate to Hobby Lobby. I'm thinking that I may use it pick up some suitably elder looking jewel stones for those warpgates I built. I may be painting them a little sooner than I originally thought.

Started on the Mechanicum last night. I didn't have a lot of time so I gave it a quick wash with some boltgun metal and then highlighted some parts with mithril silver. After thinking to myself that it looked a little bland and generic, I decided to water down some blood red and do the outer panels. I guess mecharite red might have been better and more fitting, but I don't use that color enough (or even at all) to justify buying some. Better to use what you have if you ask me. I didn't have time to finish so I'll try to continue tonight, maybe while I'm doing laundry or something.

When I'm done with the Mechanicum, I'm thinking about two mini-projects. One is to assemble a Razorback that I've had for a couple months that I haven't touched. The other is to update my command squads. More to the point, I've never been a big fan of command squads so I never used them much in 4th Ed. even though I made a few. Now that they have changed their makeups slightly, I'm thinking it may be time to update them and get them in line with the current codex. I may never use them, but I'd rather have them and not need them than need them than not have them. I have a couple of Tac Squad boxes sitting around so I'll probably update a few of the guys I'm already using and use a few guys from the new tac squads with some bits to fill out the rest. Or maybe I have enough bits to just build new guys. I'll have to root around a bit and figure out which I need to do. After that, I think I'll do the Predator I have sitting around and then I think I'll return to the Terminator project. When Black Reach came out, I picked up a bunch of Termies and a Termie Assault Squad. I figure I have about 25-30 Termies and Lightning Claws to paint and a handful of metal ones to assemble and paint. That should bring me up to about 75 Termies total. I thought about an entire Terminator Company, but I think I have enough. Add in a few Veteran squads and my First Company is pretty much done. That'll mean I have a First, Second and half of a Third Companies. I think that qualifies as a huge army, but it's certainly not the biggest I've seen. There's one guy here who, last I saw 5 years ago, has seven and a half companies. He was working on an entire Chapter but I'm not sure if he made it considering I saw him a few months back and he said he hadn't even played 5th Ed. I can see how someone might stall out under those conditions. I'm not even sure, assuming I had the money and time, I would even want an entire Chapter. On the other hand, I never seriously considered that I would own two and a half companies either. Go figure…

The Astramalleus or "Star Hammers" are an Ultramarine descended Chapter chartered during the 23rd founding in the fallout of the Age of Apostasy. Because of a change in the fundamental rites and doctrines of a Marine Chapter, a young Captain, aided by many veteran troops, managed to steal a Battle Barge and defect. After wandering for years, they managed to find a planet where they could live safely but gave it up to successfully defend a world in the throes of an Ork invasion. Before they could leave, however, their pursuers found them.

When the Grey Storms arrived and recognized the renegades, they immediately changed their focus from fighting orks to capturing them. While a few of the other Marine Chapters present questioned and criticized the wisdom of the Storms' choice of actions during a wartime situation, none could afford time to investigate or forces to stop them. Walach and his band managed to avoid the Storms for a short period but knew things were about to come to a head. After receiving an ultimatum to surrender to the Storms, Walach took the biggest gamble he ever made. He surrendered himself and his entire band to the Ultramarine Captain. He requested that he and his men be tried by the sitting Lord Macragge. Part of the Grey Storm charges against the renegades maintained that by virtue of the geneseed that made up part of their bodies, the renegades were bound by the law of the Storms. Walach argued that since the Storm geneseed came from Ultramarines stock, by the same logic used by the Storms, it would belong to the Ultramarines and only the Master of the Ultramarines could choose how to dispose of it and them. The Storms disagreed but were not willing to start a fight with the Ultramarines over it so they relented and returned to the campaign as everyone awaited the answer from Ultramar. Everyone was equally surprised when word was received that Lord Macragge would hear the case.

Both sides plead their cases before the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines on Macragge. The renegades maintained that they never broke faith with the Emperor and merely resisted the manipulation of their Chapter by the Ecclesiarchy and that their loyalty during this rebellion was proven by their defense of Hajic. The Storms held that the renegades had not only rebelled against their Chapter but had also stolen materiel, experience and geneseed from them, weakening the Chapter's ability to defend against the Imperium's enemies, and had taken from Imperial worlds, misusing the authority of the Adeptus Astartes. All statements were heard, recorded and considered by Lord Macragge before his judgment was rendered.

Lord Macragge had been wary of the heightening influence of Vandire and had long kept an eye out for any attempt to extend that power over the Adeptus Astartes. With this also in mind, he rendered a judgment that would echo throughout the halls of the Astartes and the Ecclesiarchy. He decided that the renegades had remained loyal to the Emperor and had maintained that loyalty, for many even unto death. Therefore, they were not to be named traitors to the Imperium. Further, without their fortunate placement and swift action, an Imperial world and billions of citizens would be lost to the Orks and their Waagh would have an industrialized base to continue from. Therefore, it would be proper that a new Chapter be started to defend the area from more incursions. The experience and geneseed of the renegades (bolstered by more Ultramarine geneseed) would build the basis of this new Chapter. However, they had rebelled from their Chapter's rightful authority and had stolen from them. Therefore, after a sufficient period of time to train and begin this new Chapter, the original renegade Marines would begin a continual crusade until they were all dead and their Chapter would, over time, return the materiel and geneseed taken from the Grey Storms under terms to be agreed upon.

Walach never imagined an outcome such as this. He was recorded to have said "We have always remained the hammer of the Emperor and, if it is his will, we would smash the stars themselves!" From these words, the first uttered by the newly chosen Chapter Master came the name of the Chapter and so began four thousand years of glorious service to the Imperium. The Storms were not happy with the verdict but accepted it and began their four thousand year grudge...

Final Webway Portals and Astramalleus History

While my wife was out last night, I watched our daughter. And during that time, I managed to finish my final two webway portals. I think they look quite good considering their crude nature. I'm sure once I slap some paint on them, they'll work a little better. In fact, I may do that tonight, but I'm not making any promises. I have a few Father's Day activities I have to participate in so I may not get to it. Besides, I kinda want to start on that Manufactorum I've had sitting around for a month.

Doesn't it just tempt you to do something with it? Note to anyone who wants to do any sort of standing column/pipe/smokestack type of thing: there are baby bottles that are long and thin and mostly used for storage (as far as I can tell) and they're awesome for pipes and tubes. You don't want to buy them brand new because they're expensive as all things related to weddings, babies and funerals are but if you pick some up either used (they were boiled before they'd sell them) or from friends who have extras, you can get them for nothing or next to. Sometimes they're graduated and have numbers and markings on them. If they're raised in the plastic itself, you'll have to strip them off with an exacto knife or something similar but it's not hard. If you can find some that are just printed, more power to you.


So, continuing from before:

The Astramalleus or "Star Hammers" are an Ultramarine descended Chapter chartered during the 23rd founding in the fallout of the Age of Apostasy. Because of a change in the fundamental rites and doctrines of a Marine Chapter, a young Captain, aided by many veteran troops, managed to steal a Battle Barge and defect. After wandering for years scrounging supplies wherever possible, they managed to find a planet with a tribal level of civilization which they chose to make their home. They lived in safety until outside events changed their course forever.

Captain Ullce Walach was alerted to a large spike in Imperial transmissions in the general area. An Ork Waagh had been encountered and was heading for the Imperial hive world of Hajic Secundus. With over 9 billion inhabitants and several large foundry complexes, this was a world the Orks could not be allowed to have. The Waagh was estimated to reach the planet in six days. No significant Imperial reinforcements would be able to arrive for at least a month. Walach and his navigators took calculations and estimated they could be there in ten days. Taking this before the entire assembled Marine force, Walach described the situation and asked for volunteers to travel to Hajic and hold off the Waagh. Every Marine stepped forward. They had rebelled against the changes in their Chapter, not against the Emperor or the Imperium. They painted their gray armor black and began preparations.

Twelve days later, six days after the arrival of the Orks, Angels of Death descended from the skies of Hajic. The beleaguered and overwhelmed Planetary Defense Forces considered it a miracle from the Emperor himself. Marines began devastating assaults on Ork strategic positions and hit-and-run attacks to take pressure off the Defense forces. For 22 days, the Renegades fought with valor and skill against an enemy that hopelessly out numbered them. They fought holding actions to allow time for citizens to be moved or Guard forces to regroup. They attacked captured foundries to keep their building facilities out of Ork hands. On the 21st day, all the remaining Marines on planet gathered to defend the Camarko Pass, the only remaining way into the Valley and Hive City of Camarko, largest city on the planet and home of the Imperial Planetary Governors. Ork blood flowed ankle deep and when the bodies grew too numerous, they fought on top of the bodies. Every Marine lost was a great blow to the defenders, but they were enough. On the twenty-second day, elements of two Marine Chapters arrived and began to fight. Within two more weeks, seven other Marine Chapters, including a contingent of Ultramarines, had responded and and elements of the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Guard and signalled their estimated arrival times.

The renegade forces had paid a heavy cost. of 278 Marines who had made planetfall, only Walach and 63 others had survived. Once it was clear that the arriving forces were enough to the task, Walach made preparations to leave the planet. The other Marine Chapters, seeing the work the renegades had accomplished and knowing the penchant of Marines to keep their own counsels, did not inquire too deeply into their identities or their reasons for leaving before the job was done.

As fate would have it, they were recognized before they could leave. One of the last responding Chapters was the Grey Storms...

Foamcore Webway Portal and Astramalleus History

Last night was a little hectic: late evening at work, very fussy daughter, tired wife and tons of dinner dishes to wash. I only managed to get one more webway portal made, though I did get the templates for two more onto foamcore so that should get done over the weekend.

Since I don't have much to report creation wise or painting wise, I think I'll talk about my Chapter for a few minutes since they are the reason all this is even here. The Astramalleus or "Star Hammers" are an Ultramarine descended Chapter chartered during the 23rd founding in the fallout of the Age of Apostasy. Their success in battle has been well documented but their increasing numbers have been a cause of suspicion to the Inquisition and their materiel supplies have just begun to summon the gaze of the Adeptus Mechanicum.


Their history, though not commonly known to the general public, has been rocky enough to summon the gaze of a few other Imperial institutions. During the Age of Apostasy, the Grey Storms Space Marine Chapter began to change facets of its rituals and doctrines of devotion to the Emperor into a more godlike worship because of subtle influences from the Offices of the Ecclesiarchy. After making a number of what would become hotly contested changes, Brother Captain Albertus of the Grey Storms Chapter, along with many veteran Sergeants and Chaplains decided something must be done. They could not worship the Emperor in this new way as he was a man and not a God, but they could not make the sort of moves within the Chapter that would be required to change things back. In the end, they decided to leave. Over the course of years, they managed to quietly move assignments and postings so that all the Marines who felt the same way would be together in contiguous units. When the time was right, an emergency was manufactured requiring Albertus' units (almost three companies) to sally forth on a Battle Barge to a war zone. Having sabotaged the ships that would chase them, Albertus broadcast their intentions and reasoning the Grey Storms and disappeared into the Warp. For a number of years, the renegade force travelled by scrounging up supplies from whatever sources they could. They convinced Imperial worlds to supply them and raided alien worlds and ships when it was required. Eventually, they settled on a remote and savage world called Besradine and befriended local tribes. Over time, the renegade Marines settled in one area of the planet, ended up quelling the local wars and became hegemons of the planet. To show his friendship with locals, Albertus, casting aside the Marine name he had been given and reverted to his birth name and taking the name of a powerful tribal family, became Ullce Walach. From that day on, the renegades lived safely away from the gaze of the Imperium.

At least they did until the arrival of the Hajic Waagh...

P.S. For those of you who want to make their own Marine Chapter pictures like that, try out the Bolter & Chainsword Space Marine Painter. It's been around a long time and it work pretty well.