'Four years since the death of Calth. Four years. Many have been the nights in Arcology XIX where the words of horror Lorgar's bastard get scream into our comm-net have invaded the thoughts and dreams of both Astartes and mortals trapped down here in the darkness and grime.
I hear them, the cries drowning in blood and ruin. I do not tell the mortals what my warriors and I know, that the screaming is of our fellow Ultramarines being tortured, mutilated and offered up to beings that break all sense of what is possible.
Four years of this. No loyal Astartes ever truly resting, but always guarding against the dark.
This ends today. Their raids for flesh to commit their crimes against the celestial order have decreased. Slowly, of course. But over days, over months, over years, they have slowed. The Urizen is not coming back, and these wretches, these base curs, they know.
Theoretical - I think they've known since the first day. For them this is death.
Practical - Let them die knowing that what happens from here until the end of days and the stars dying is our retribution.'
Praetor Tyron Auxentios, LCVII Company, XV Chapter, XIII Legio 'Ultramarines'
'The death of mortal flesh is not enough in these times of celestial horror. The only assured victory is the annihilation of the soul'
Biblio of the Culex, Chapter XX, Verse CVII.
'Knives in the night are one thing. But to deploy this monster, this aberration of Humanity, is not a step even I would have considered. This is the work of the Culexus, and that which it hunts will die screaming as the darkness reaches out with cold, dread hands.'
Inquisitor Judia Isut.
Subject Theta-Theta-Kappa, 'Sibilant in Jade', as seen in the hive city of Doonwrech.
Deployment order ++Classified, level Alpha-Epsilon++
Targets ++Unknown++
Notable kills ++Black Legion Traitor Psyker - Code Name 'Vermillion Hexatude'++
Current status ++MIA, believed curren....
++WARNING - WARNING - WARNING++
++UNKNOWN INTRUSION++
++AUTO-SERVITORS DEPLOYED, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FLEE++
'The theoreticals always spoke of overwhelming Legio superiority, of war fought glorious, bright and gleaming under the swords of the righteous. The practicals of Calth have taught us that war against a brother can only be won by blood, bare hands and loss. The Legio will survive this. Must survive this. But the Thirteenth will be forever changed.
Praetor Tyron Auxentios, LCVII Company, XV Chapter, XIII Legio 'Ultramarines'
'There is only one way to see that a war is truly won, and it has ever been thus since the first time Man picked up weapon against Man. It is the brutality of close-combat, of sword against sword, that confirms the kill.
The Asymmetrical - Julion Griess, M30.
'The noise those jump-packs make, well, it goes through you like wind on a cold Hel-Winter night. Course it does, it's got to get an Astartes into the sky. The first few times, you could hear the platoon collectively shudder. They started shuddering to different sounds soon enough though. The sound of sorrowful chants and chainblades. The lads were scared, because they knew they'd yet again witness what the Shrikes had done to the rebels...
There are some things that you don't ever leave behind'
Platoon Commander Yeter Kysadrix, Itenyrs IV PDF, post Shrine-War.
Above and below can be seen pic-capture of Assault Squad Veun of the Crimson Shrikes III Company, led by Sergeant Oris Veun.
Even within the role of the Adeptus Astartes as shock troops, Assault Squads have a reputation as line-breakers beyond compare. That close-combat is still the most effective way to cripple enemy morale in an age of planet-killers would be shocking if one had not witnessed the ferocity of transhuman melee. Jump-packs are routinely used to speed the Astartes into close-quarters engagement, and also to provide attack vectors that would ordinarily prove impossible without prior planning and execution. Most Chapters use chainswords, although some of the more ferocious (cross-ref Flesh Tearers) will use the heavier, less-common chainaxe. Regardless, the effect is the same - weapons ,that when used by mortals, are notorious for lethality become terrifying in gene-enhanced hands.
Squad Veun was joined throughout the conflict by III Company's Chaplain, Ptesr Beserides. The honour of being accompanied by such an esteemed figure within the Company, along with the hypno-suggestive, almost mournful chants of Beserides resulted in Squad Veun becoming almost unstoppable within their assigned role. Mortal enemy combatants would either retreat, or be slaughtered under the blades of Veun. The squad had the highest kill ratio of all Shrike units until the insertion of Traitor Legion elements into the War, after which they dropped into guerrilla warfare methodology, using rapid Stormraven deployment to decimate supply chains and sow confusion within enemy lines.
I found my old metal jump pack Chaplain and decided he needed to go into the army as it's such a lovely, evocative model. I also threw in some mark IV jump packs from the Sanguinary Guard kit as they look great, but didn't want to go overboard. The new Assault Marine kit is really nice, and really had a blast putting these guys together.
The Knight twins are getting there too. The shoulder plating is much further on than when this was taken, but I've put them aside for a little while so I don't burnout. They're very straightforward to paint, but they just take ages get nice flat coats of colour.
And finally, I do actually get some games in with the Shrikes. This was back in May against my friend's very red Tzeentch daemons. Was a cracking game, and he had me on the back foot for most of it. The Shrikes fought hard, but fate was not to be on their side this day (I lost by 2 vp's!). Always fun to have a close game though. I really must get the Rhinos and Drop Pods painted as well!
Time for a small update on my two Knights I'm currently painting. Cerulean Invective's carapace is comeplete, while I'm chopping through Celestial Indigo's at the moment. The painting's been stress free, which is always surprising for a model of this size. I've shaded the metal on the carapace of Celestial with Nuln Oil, but Cerulean has been shaded with both Nuln Oil and a subtle point wash of Typhus Corrosion, for reasons that will become clear...
Cerulean Invective. I really enjoyed painting the window port and it's the best gem effect I've ever cranked out so pretty chuffed with it!
Celestial Indigo. I liked the idea of a diagonal stripe running across the top, and hopefully the effect's not come out too bad. It's a little ropey in places, but nothing that distracts the eye so I'm tempted to leave as is instead of constant neatening and potential for mistakes.
These guys should really be painted by the end of next week or the start of the one after. Then all I'll need to do is transfers and weathering with powders.
