Rise of the Tyrant's Legion!

 
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Whilst sick last weekend, I started painting up some Astral Claws for a Tyrant's Legion army. Whilst really a simple color scheme for the most part though my pot of shining gold has gotten gloppy and hard to work with), I was able to crank thru 5 in short order. Its not that my other Marine armies have difficult to paint colors schemes, rather they're all old, 2nd ed. minis. Almost all of which are the same pose. These on the other hand are all different, and thus more of a joy to paint! Thus, I think it's time to dump the rest of the old and unpainted minis. Whether its via ebay, or Kushial and his building an entire chapter project is as yet to be determined.

As for the Tyrant's Legion list itself, I rather like it. More so than the CSM codex which feels a bit uninspired. I'll still use the latter as I have several random contingents of CSMs, and the Tyrant's Legion is very limited in whom it can ally with. Despite appearances, the Tyrant's Legion has a feel more of loyalist marines gone wrong with built in Imperial Guard units than it does of Chaos marines. To that end, most of the DV cultists ('Legion Auxilia') that I have painted, are in colors that will match this army! So no, this isn't a new idea of min

My army will look as though it comes from the later stages of the war (especially considering those cultist models!). Outnumbered, but continuing to desperately fight back against the Imperium, these marines/auxliliaries are beseeching whichever gods will listen for help in their attempts to secure victory. The resulting altered appearance of their wargear as these dubious alliances are made, is only now becoming apparent.

In back you can see my original Astral Claw. He was a repaint of my disgraced Aurora Marines captain. His gun is black rather than blue, but its not enough to warrant a rework, especially as its a different design. My original intent was to use him as a Centurion, but he's since been busted down to a mere grunt. I have a new model in the works which will be used as Arch-Centurion Carnac Commodus. Though it might pose a bit of a fluff conflict as he didn't survive the war (leaving me with a technically short time frame for this army). Oh well, I guess that their 'soon-to-be-treacherous' allies, the Executioners who were possibly turning a blind eye to the obvious until Carnac's actions against their Salamanders POWs finally drove them over the edge…

Further adding to their varied appearance, I painted one as a Tiger Claw. The Tiger Claws, after being denied their right to rebuild, fled to their Promigenators (the Astral Claws) and fought alongside them under false colors thru-out the war. However I'm sure their were at least a few who chose to show their true chapter heraldry before the war's inevitable conclusion. Official word of this treacherous masquerade was only learned thru Inquisitorial interrogation of the a captured Legion apothecary during the war (who turned out to be a Tiger Claw himself). To be honest, I decided to paint this model more or less on a whim. I wanted the bionic arm to stand out, and didn't think it would do so on a silver armored model.

Currently I only four more to go and then they'll be a fieldable unit. Yes 10 is the minimum squad size for Legion Cohorts (not tactical squads) which top out at 20 models. Huron Blackheart had re-styled his chapter on the pattern of the Legions of old and was working on achieving that goal when the war started. I ordered some FW Astral Claw shoulder pads, and will add them to the new recruits to the cause. I have enough CSM bits I think to subtlety alter them accordingly.  I didn't order the FW decal sheet since I had trouble stomaching $20 for a decal sheet (WTF!?!?!). But that's an inevitable purchase I guess.

Regardless, I'm enjoying these guys which has been a first for any of my marine forces in a long time! Now the decision will be whether or not to make the Bikers that I got for Christmas into Storm Wardens as originally planned, or to instead paint them up for the Tyrant's Legion…