James WRR’s Rank & File 4: Veterans of the Long War

With my fourth and final Rank & File month complete, the OWAC finish line is in sight!

My dark, avenging Emperor’s Children army has now been fully realised for games of Rogue Trader. My loyalband of bastards is ready to burn the galaxy and party on the ashes.

I’ve saved the best till last, and all. 

 

This month, I’ve painted up the heaviest hitters of the army — the elites of the elite, the most dastardly of the dastardly, the slimiest of the slimeballs. Ooh, and a true titan of the battlefield as well.

 

Not originally planned for this challenge, I did recently get my hands on one of my “holy grail” miniatures: the Rogue Trader Keeper of Secrets.

This glorious bull-headed beast really completes the Daemonic side of my army, and stands as a lovely centrepiece, alongside the Rhino and Dreadnought.

 

 

Speaking of these mechanical monstrosities, I painted up a Techmarine to accompany them, complete with Servo-Arm (stolen from a second-edition Space Marine and mutated accordingly).

The eagle-eyed among you will notice that this model and the Medic, who also joins the army this month, are those illustrated in the Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness army list. While these sculpts could easily be generic Renegades, I thought they should fulfil their destined role and be painted accordingly. Medics should wear white, of course, even if they are malicious butcher-surgeons from the beyond the stars.

 

Finishing off this cohort of characters is the dread Lord of Slaanesh Ashmodeus Harkonnen. Based on the absolutely beautiful Jes Goodwin sculpt, and gifted a pair of Heroquest Gargoyle wings, Harkonnen was previously painted as the leader of my original Realm of Chaos warband. I like to think he’s had a real glow-up since his first paintjob a decade ago, with a suitably dark and awesome new colour scheme that befits the leader of my new army.

 

Of course, we can’t forget the squad of Old War veterans: the Traitor Terminators.

Not originally featured in Slaves to Darkness, Traitor Terminators were later introduced in White Dwarf and The Lost and the Damned (with a bit of equipment and cost disparity between these publications). I received these models with a mix of Imperial bodies and weapons, so had to do a bit of Green Stuffing to turn them traitorous. Sculpting’s not my greatest skill, but I hope these still look the part in the army!

 

 

I absolutely love these chunky boys. As solid hunks of metal, their mere weight in the hand makes them feel badass, tough and unstoppable. They may not be as dynamic as the latest plastics, or even the second-edition Chaos Terminators, but their stoic poses do give them an air of “Don’t even try reasoning with us. Say your prayers, bucko."

 

There's not all that much to write about the painting process this month, just that I’ve taken time to translate the colour placement of the basic Tactical Marines to the Terminators and characters — and that I’m so, so over all this edge highlighting and trim!

The Keeper of Secrets was an interesting challenge. I knew I wanted to maintain the same vibrancy as the Daemonettes that it leads, but also that I wanted it to look much more mean and brutish. After all, Keepers are Slaanesh’s brute force option for when subterfuge and temptation has failed.

I remember reading, in an old White Dwarf somewhere, that larger models should be painted darker than smaller ones (I think the examples given were Lizardmen Kroxigors and Skinks). I suppose that brighter colours on the big ‘uns would make them stand out far too much when groups of models are standing together.

As such, I chose an overall darker, cooler base colour for the Greater Daemon’s skin, painting some brighter patterns and metallics here and there to bring back the funkiness. Daemons of Slaanesh should be the gaudiest of the gaudy, after all, no matter how mean and tough they are.

And, so, that about wraps it up! Apart from my wildcard month surprise still to come...

 

I’m super pleased to see these guys all together now, painted to the highest of standards that the timing of the challenge would allow.

But, if you’ve been enjoying watching this army grow, don’t worry. I’ve got big plans in the works for the future of my Realm of Chaos collection. And maybe even future challenge attempts…

I ain’t done yet. If you've been inspired at all, join my own personal Chaos cult by chucking me a follow on Instagram at @illuminator_hobby. I'd love to start organising some games and meet-ups in the future!

ARMY LIST

Ashmodeus Harkonnen
Lieutenant Commander
Major Hero, Standard Equipment, Level 2 Psyker
Attributes: Evil Eye, Wings
Gift of Slaanesh: Musk
215 

Ao'akhl'Dharer, the Bull of Abraxis
Keeper of Secrets
Major Hero, Standard Equipment, Level 2 Psyker
Attributes: Alcoholism, Hypnotic Gaze, Razor-Sharp Claws, Powerful Legs, Vividly Coloured Skin, Resilient
900

Caligulus the Hierophant
Chaplain on Steed of Slaanesh
Minor Hero, Basic Equipment
Attributes: Furry
Chaos Gift: Steed of Slaanesh, itself with Vividly Coloured Skin and Poisonous Bite
60

Davus Skrull
Medic
Master of the Apothecarion, Standard Equipment
Attributes: Suckers
Gift of Slaanesh: Ensnaring Tongue
70

Dio Saevus
 
Possessee, host of a Daemonette

Minor Hero, Standard Equipment

Attributes: Tentacles, Horns, Bestial Face, Powerful Legs, Agility, Massive Intellect

280

Neadalus Reborn

Chaos Dreadnought
Heavy Plasma Gun, Claw 

150

Fabian Molder
Techmarine
Standard Equipment
Attributes: Poisonous Bite, Iron Hard Skin
18

6 Daemonettes

Attributes: Tentacles, Bestial Face, Prehensile Tails, Razor-Sharp Claws, Vividly Coloured Skin, Bulbous Eyes
600
 
Squad Fereter
Tactical Squad

Standard Equipment, 1 Meltagun, Scare Gas Grenades
Attributes: Sergeant Franciscus Fereter has Razor-Sharp Claw, Bulbous Eyes
164

Squad Escher
Traitor Terminator Squad

4 Storm Bolters, 1 Assault Cannon 3 Power Gloves, 1 Chain Fist, 1 Power Sword
Attributes: Sergeant Magnus Escher has Skull Face and Magic Immunity
450

Incubus
Rhino
370

Total points
3,277

+++

RENEGADE WARBAND

Sirfell Thrice-Blessed
Human Minor Hero, Renegade dedicated to Slaanesh
Chaos Gifts:
Fiend, itself with Hypnotic Gaze, Cloven Hooves and Scorpion Tail
Daemon Weapon, in the shape of a flail, with the bound Lesser Daemon Tiq’kull’dom’skrell, itself with Temporal Instability, Scorpion Tail, Transparent Skin, Iron Hard Skin
Chaos Armour
Musk
Characteristic Gain
Attributes: Vampire, Overgrown Body Part, Manikin, Warty Skin, Magic Resistant
360

The Void Widow
Human Psyker
Force Rod, Blind Grenade
Attributes: Bestial Face of an Insect, Mane of Hair, Powerful Legs 

40

Slikkit Slakethirst
Chaos Warrior
Shield, Great Axe

Chaos Gift: Face of a Steed of Slaanesh
Attributes: Crest, Iron-Hard Skin, Manic Fighter 

50

Brutus the Stainless
Chaos Warrior
Shield, Great Axe
Chaos Gift: Chaos Armour
Attributes: Albino, Irrational Fear 

40

Leon Gorelove
Chaos Renegade
Bolt Pistol
Gift of Slaanesh: Horns of Slaanesh
Attributes: Prehensile Tail, Beweaponed Extremity
40

His Master’s Hounds
2 Warhounds
Attributes: Vividly Coloured Skin, Poisonous Bite 

40

WAAAGH! Rumppuz
3 Orks
2 Bolt Pistols, 2 Power Axes
Attributes: Tentacles, Magician
50

 

TOTAL WARBAND POINTS: 
620

+++

GRAND TOTAL
3,897