Intro post
Adrian here, reporting in for another OWAC.
This year I’ve finally fallen into another rabbit hole, succumbing to the desires of getting a small Rogue Trader force. But we are not only getting into the ancient times of 80’s punk and gritty Warhammer 40k, this year we will also descend into a RT-esque vision of the Horus Heresy.
I had a squad and a half worth of old metal, plastic and resin 'armour-through-ages' marines that I didn’t knew what to do with them.
I was tempted to go full RT several times, but another 40k army that will be seldomly played… nah, pass it. Then, come HH and beakies are the new black again. I was talking to a friend on how could be the most heretical way that you can get into the Age of Darkness. So why not
A force that can be fielded in both games is not so different for the RT era style and lists. Also, for the OWAC I am limited mostly to the usual marine units, but in my evil masterplan I will expand it toward several of the heresy units that came after old RT artwork, WD conversions and 1st edition of Space Marine.
Now with the background:
0.067.011.M31. Following the arrival of messages from Terra seeking help from remaining loyalist armies across the Imperium, the Imperium Secundus is disbanded and the three Primarch start a campaign to arrive at Terra and reinforce the crown world.
Primarch Sanguinius of the Blood Angels legion prefer a fast approach to the Solar System like his brother Roboute Guilliman. However, while disagreeing with the punishment campaign that will execute his brother Lion El’Johnson, Sanguinius conceded that some sort of sabotage and scorched-earth strategy will be beneficial to relief the besieged terran fortifications when the warmaster forces arrive.
Several small task forces are dispatched to ensure that main supply lines behind traitor lines are disrupted. Several legion high ranking officers hope that this will also ease reinforcement to the also besieged Baal system in the near future if Terra is safe.
Lieutenant commander Lazarus of the 24th Chapter of the Blood Angels is responsible to conduct a campaign of scorched earth in the Calla Bryn sub-sector. His forces are not tasked with getting non-imperial planets into compliance anymore. Instead, any shipyard, supply warehouse, industrial complex or vital location must be annihilated no matter the cost.
The strike force achieved remarkable results in their mission until they encounter a signal of a Emperor’s Children cruiser nearby its next objective, a supply node and agricultural world in the Romeria system.
+++
T-251: Assault on Blaine’s Crane forge world is successful. Several units may undergo repairing and the force couldn’t deploy terminator armours and the heaviest armoured elements in the next mission. Agricultural world in the Romeria system node is marked as the main objective, high command is not worried that the heavy armour will be missed in this easy task. The system is under control of a small Word Bearer garrison and the local forces.
T-199: Arrival at Romeria system seems calm and without major problems. However, ship survey arrays detect a ship with the codes of the Emperor’s Children signature heading towards Romeria IV moon, Uneeda, the secondary objective and starting point of a local rebellion.
T-097: Lexicanum Trent, main librarian of the expedition, get up uneasy from his hyper-sleep with a fatal vision of madness, civilians killing each other, mutants, cultists, undeads and dark rituals. Several signs are familiar and start to rewatch several of his older B-type holo-movies to get informed about the menace of dark forces and the menace of possible reinvigorated corpses.
T-037: Resistance operatives on the moon are not responding. There is no further signs of the traitor forces either. The mission was specifically assisting loyalist freedom-fighters rebelling against the traitor government, destroy any element of the World Bearers and leave the logistic node in total disarray.
World communications give only statics or a cacophony of screams sometimes. Something feels odd for such a massive and busy food supply node in the enemy territory.
The Encarmine, firestorm class strike cruiser, approaching to Romeria IV and its moon.
Lieutenant Commander Lazarus gave the order to be battle ready and check all the available supplies. The marines will be deployed in 36 hours to investigate the moon and accomplish plan B: destroy the logistic capabilities of the system with or without the aid of local forces.
For this trip into the galactic civil war, I used the Space Marine Rogue Trader list. It was a matter of selecting points only, as either if I chose the RT or 2nd Edition lists there are several small deviations I need to consider for creating a force that can be played also in current Horus Heresy 2.0, and all the monthly requirements of miniatures and points are covered with both of them.
Tactical Squad Ramiel – 265 points
As you can see, the small changes are in the special and heavy weapons department. It seems that in the Horus Heresy no fun was allowed for the rank-and-file marine, and everyone should carry the standard pattern good ol’ bolter. I am using the points as per a normal squad because they will be rebalanced with the heavy support.
Tactical Squad Ismail – 265 points.
Same profile. These men haven’t got enough of the newly issued MKVI “beaky” power armours and wear older pattens. The sergeant has a power glove (converted lightning claw).
Assault Squad Zeruel – 255 points
It has been a pain in the *ss to clone all the chainswords because at that time they didn’t come with them, and getting enough rt assault weapon sprues is an impossible mission. This process adds an extra layer to the hate and love for the beakies. You hate assembling them, you love the resulting goofy looks. In this case I haven’t modelled the plasma or flamer pistols not because you cannot play them also in the HH. But because I was lazy after getting all the chainswords (in the picture there are two missings because they were still curing!) and didn’t want to clone those two weapons, but I am still deciding.
Devastator Combat Squad Gabriel – 165 points
A 5 man devastator unit. This is the other difference between HH and all the other versions of Warhammer since the 80’s. These marines follow the rule: “All the fun is allowed”. So, the sergeants also carry a heavy weapon (not shown in picture, still curing).
It simplifies giving orders in the middle of a futuristic battlefield, “nuke the same place I am shooting”.
The Angel’s Tears combat squad – 148 points.
When missions do not involve world compliance to the Empire, you need to deploy weapons of mass destruction instead of the police squads. Sanguinius has an elite cadre for this sole purpose, made from the most unruly and brutal elements, dishonoured men carrying dishonourable weapons. They abandon their previous ranks and names, but the Arch-Erelim of the squad tasked to Lazarus strike force is said to come from the Flesh Eater chapter ranks within the Legion and his past codename is simply as Duke.
Count as 5 man veteran assault marines, armed with a bunch of bolt pistols, death rays, disintegrators and flame pistols. But their trademark is the ill-famous Rad grenades.
Fun to convert, I wanted to match this special Blood Angel HH unit with the goofy aesthetic of the RT era. I am more than pleased, wanting to paint them now.
The strike force also brings some even heavier firepower.
Two transport rhinos – 746 points
The reparation of the flimsy lateral rails with a bit of aluminium wire has been better than initially expected.
Predator tank “Fire Sabre” – 600 points
And finally, the legion command designated for the strike force.
Lieutenant Commander Lazarus of the 23rd Chapter of the Blood Angel legion. Major hero with standard equipment - 115 points.
Lovely miniature.
Lieutenant Bahamut. Minor hero with standard equipment - 69 points
Typical power sword wearing marine
Lexicanum Trent with force sword - 58 points.
The representative of the reinstated librarium and specialist in psychic warfare. As well as avid consumer of B-type ancient holoprojections and literature.
Brother chaplain Giteau. Minor hero - 50 points.
Field Medic dr. Copper, equipped with jump pack – 36 points.
That is a total of 2772 points (thinks skyrocket when you have tanks!), with 45 marines and 3 tanks deployed.
There are also some small scenic elements that will go to the wildcard month as well as some of the tanks.
A mysterious farmhouse I'm working on where some of the action may take place. What was that noise?
Several fortifications. Totally normal for a farmand and nothing suspicious that can point towards a secret laboratory in the middle of nowhere.
The Overlord Offering:
A mysterious figure has been walking by at several places of Romeria IV, spotted just before the visions of horror in the dreams of Lexicanum Trent.
This figure is only known as "The Director".
Our beloved overlord stated that he “LOVES horror and things that go bump in the night, be it in a cemetary or an old derelict spaceship”. You don’t have to choose if its ok for a cemetery or spaceship when none other than George A. Romero himself appear against your party. And you know that things will go really, really bad for your group in any possible scenario.
Let see how this weird, B-rated, OWAC production loosely based on the Horus Heresy ends.
See you in the first month!
Adrián’s out.
