Squad Akkirion

'To hear a citizen of the Imperium talk of the Astartes is to hear tales of descending angels, wiping away the heretic, the xenos, the traitor. These fairy tales suit the majority well enough, and for that they should be grateful. I've seen Space Marines fight up close, and to watch the Crimson Shrikes wage war was to gaze upon Death in its purest form.' 

Attributed to Scion Tempestor Uli Honanson, 62nd Harlen World Regiment, post-Shrine War.

'The Ursine...A simple enough epithet do you not think?'

Brother Gyn Wesm, III Company, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes

Here can be seen pic-capture of Squad Akkirion of the Crimson Shrikes IIIrd Company, led by Loe Akkirion. A giant of an Astartes, Loe was deployed in situations where high-level rebel targets were required to be intercepted and captured where possible. A patient hunter, Akkirion would track his targets for weeks remaining undetected. At the right moment, quickly-adapted ambushes would be undertaken by the squad to secure assets, while leaving a trail of devastation in their midst before melting back into the shadows. However, it has been noted that towards the end of the War, these assets would be more likely than not killed during these extractions. This can be attributed to enemy friendly-fire to prevent rebel plans falling into Imperial hands, however with the horrors the Shrikes endured throughout the war, it cannot be ignored that this may have been retaliatory from Sqaud Akkirion for their lost brothers. 

Presented here is the squad's heavy weapons trooper, Gyn Wesm. Brother Wesm can be seen carrying a cut down version of a Multi-Melta, a favoured weapon within IIIrd Company tactical squads. With the role Akkirion were to play, a Mk49 Ryza-pattern short Melta was preferred due to the ease of firing on the move. The pattern is notorious for its extreme short range, even for an melta-class weapon, however this was offset due to Squad Akkriron's tactics allowing for short-range engagaments.

Loe Akkirion, seen carrying a large power maul crafted from the wood of the mega-fauna of the Shrikes' homeworld. For such a large Astartes, Akkirion was famed for his stealth, and indeed was remarked by his brothers to have been a true scion of Corax. Indeed, Akkirion himself would spend many hours in both silent contemplation of his Primarch's teachings, and within the training grounds of the Chapter honing his squad's gueriila tactics. After the War was finished, Squad Akkirion had lost six brothers during operations. However, the bravery and determinism of Akkirion himself was duly noted by his Captain, and he undertook the ritual of 'The Piercing', a trial which he passed. He is currently deployed with the fourth squad of I Company, under the leadership of Sargeant Qilan.

Waltz in Jovian Red

'Machine, heal Thyself' - The Emperor of Mankind.

'The Omnissiah knows all, comprehends all' - Eighth Mysterie of the Cult Mechanicus.

'Below can be seen pic-capture of Techmarine Sehn Muhindos of the Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes with the Thunderfire Cannon 'Waltz in Jovian Red', Muhindos typically supplied short range bombardments during urban warfare in the Shrine War, allowing Shrike kill teams to close range with suppressed rebel forces.

Muhindos was naturally gifted with an eye for the workings of machines, and was an ideal candidate to be sent to Mars for training as a Techmarine. There, he learned the nature of the Emperor-as-Omnissiah and the sacred rites of the Cult Mechanicus. After his return to the chapter, Muhindos was noted as a solitary figure, working alone deep within the Shrikes' fortress-monastery, finding communion with the wargear and vehicles of the chapter.

Muhindos was deployed under the command of Uhre Kutyet, Pater Mechanicum or Father of Machines, the head of the Crimson Shrikes Techmarine order. After Kutyet's death on the Second Day of Woe, Muhindos took nominal control of the position, and continues to lead the tech-order to this day. Rumours speak of a deepening belief of the Cult Mechanicus within the Techmarines of the chapter, and an almost fanatical hatred of the resurgent Necrontyr dynasties due to Muhindos's leadership and influence.'

Intercepted report sent by 'Tristan Ravewind', Inquisitorial agent, under direct command of ++REDACTED++

The Murder WIP

Well, that was a slightly longer break than I expected! Still, time to get back into the swing of painting Shrikes. I'm currently working on...

Demi-Squad Akirion, yet another Tactical Squad. Something about painting these guys really chills me out. I know people dislike painting troops, but to me they're the core of your army, and having thirty of these guys all standing together on a battlefield will look amazing. (Not as cool as forty will look though...:P)

Techmarine Sehn Muhindos. I really dislike Finecast, and couldn't quite understand why my paint jobs on the material looked worse to my eyes than plastics. Of course, when my friend pointed out the rough surface it made a lot more sense. Shame really, as I have another one of these to paint, complete with Thunderfire cannon. I haven't put the first one in this picture as it's just a big silver lump at the moment, but hopefully two will look great side by side.

And finally, as so many people have been asking...

Ancient Joud Friwn, the Murder, Third Shrike-Lord.

I've got a few more things I want to work on after this little lot is painted. Looking at a couple of Bike Squads, another Sternguard unit and maybe a Terminator or ten. Also vehicles, as that's the one thing I need more practice on really. So many decisions...

Bloody Beginnings

So, after that dramatic (pretentious?) opening, it's time to go into some more details. I'm building a small Blood Angels force, based around the remains of the Third Company after Tycho's death. WIthin this framework, I'm also hoping to explore and develop on my favourite unit within the Codex, the Death Company. 

This idea came to me when the last Codex was released. Some of the rumours suggested that there would be a spiritual split within the Chapter, between those who saw the Black Rage as a flaw, and those who would see it as a gift and a weapon from Sanguinius. Although this obviously was something that never quite materialised, the idea stuck with me. With the new releases, and a lot of point drops, I realised I could throw in all the things I wanted without making the army massively ineffective, and so here we are!

Below are the first things I have to work with. I also have about 30 extra Death Company from the last release, and 10 or so Sanguinary Guard. I'm planning to pick up a new Sanguinary Priest, some Rhinos and a Vindicator or two. I'm going to go with what feels right, more than stick to a list, but there will be lots of Death Company. Lots and lots of Death Company...

I've also gone and built my first model, and where better to start than with the new Captain of the Third. There's a little tidying up to do with regards to gaps, but he's basically ready to go. It'll be interesting to paint some gold, especially as I'm not planning to use any gold paint...

'Ah, but rage. Rage is our legacy'

'Sing, goddess, the wrath of Akhillus, the ruinous wrath that brought on the Achaians woes innumerable, and hurled down into Hades many strong souls of heroes…'
Fragment of The Ilyad. Eighth Century B.C. Poem, composed by the Blind Grekian.

'And so the Angel took flight next to the Master of Mankind. He slew the daemon and the heretic, and punished those who had failed the Imperium. Soon, he was to be left with the Great Betrayer, unto which he was rent, throttled by his most beloved brother. Even in death, Sanguinius never left his children. He became part of us, our genetic core altered by that most traumatic ending. 

They call the Rage a curse. Ah, but rage. Rage is our legacy. A final gift from our dying father.'

Sanguinary Priest Erino Callaphen, 'Ruminations on Loss'.

The Twice-Pierced

'I was there on the day Lasker took his second pilgrimage on the Thorns. The Chaplains of the Third and Fifth hoisted him unto those spines, while Master of Sancity Farri began the chants of Knowing. Evek stayed up there for what seemd eternal, while even his Astartes biology began to fail him, the poison washing through him like a tidal wave over and over. His left eye began to disolve within his head, pus seeping out of the socket. But only silence came from him. Silence until the fourteenth day, when he turned to me and whispered one sentence.'

'I am ready.'

'Fourteen days. Unheard of. Impossible. Transhuman biology can only take us so far. It was only the sheer will of Lasker that kept him alive through...that. His single eye looked at me when the Apothecarion carried him away. It was an eye filled with knowledge and wisdom.'

'The wisdom to fight the Shrine War. The knowledge of how he would die.'

Brother-Chaplain Teruis Hpolian, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes.

'It is with regret that I must report the death of Chapter Master Lasker during the Drop Pod Assault on the Tower of Aleph. Reports suggest that Shrike scouts triangulated the position of the Ethnarch to the 72nd floor of the tower, and that a potential decapitation of all rebel command structure would be a possibility. Lasker, taking this chance, ordered a targeted Drop Pod strike into the tower. Lasker, along with five pods of veteran Shrikes, fell into various locations of the structure, and almost immediately into heavy rebel resistance. Lasker's pod, containing himself and Squad Espehren (see pic-record above) smashed into the top levels of the tower, and began the short hunt for the Ethnarch. They instead, from vid-capture, found massive and deadly resistance in the form of Traitor Legion (cross-ref - Black Legion) Terminators, with the warlord known as the Terran-Born at their heart. 

What can only be described as a titanic, yet one-sided battle erupted. Lasker bludgeoning through Terminator plate like paper, while the blades and bullets of the Black Legion tore Squad Espehren to peices. At the last, it appears the Terran-Born and Lasker took to personal combat, wherein Lasker met his death at the end of Ravensbane. 

Lasker's body was later found by Shrike scouts, laid out in the open on an altar of obsidian, his armour repaired, his wounds cleansed. An audio-log found by the body and confirmed to be the voice of the Terran-Born contained only the following message - 

'We return this warrior to you unblemished. This is our gift to those we honour. This is the way of the Old Legions'

The Shrikes have recovered from this blow with surprising speed. Indeed, the rapidness of their response would almost suggest that Lasker had his succession prepared in advance, although this can only lead myself to believe that the Master of Shrikes knew he was going to his death. 

Addendum - The Ethnarch was believed to never have been within the Tower of Aleph. Indeed, sightings seem to confirm with 85.0192% accuracy that he was within a different system at the time. This leads to the question of how the scouts of the Shrikes were led to believe the Ethnarch was within easy grasp. We must begin to expand our information sources and create a web that covers the whole sector, my Lord.

Fate is what we make

'A third eye, turned from the light. A House betrayed. These are the things that the Thorns have shown me, the things that will lead to my death. All I have now is time to make glorious the Shrikes in the eyes of the Emperor. All else is folly.'

Evek Lasker 'The Twice-Pierced', Chapter Master, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes.

+++Futher exload incoming+++

+++Thought for the day - A man makes his own fate+++