Brass Scorpion
03-25-2010, 09:01 PM
After about twenty years of wanting to create my own custom Space Marine chapter I finally got motivated to do so last year shortly after the latest Codex Space Marines was released. Inspired by the Mechanicus themed tanks I had turned out the summer before, I decided to contstruct a chapter with a similar paint scheme.
The Spears of Ares is a chapter with close connections to the Adeptus Mechanicus and whose names, symbology and history are aligned with what they've been able to learn of classical Greece through the mists of time leading up to the 41st millenium. Ares is of course the Greek god of war and his Roman name is Mars, so my chapter name provides the essential connections to both ancient Greece and the Adeptus Mechanicus that I wanted for this army.
Chapter Master Minos of the Spears Of Ares Space Marine Chapter is armed with a Thunderhammer and Storm Shield. In the classical Greek traditions adopted by the chapter, all Thunderhammers have spear points in place of hammer heads and the shields are round like the Hoplites of old. Terminator troopers have abstract mosaic patterns on their bases while characters have pictures like the bull shown here.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/25/92661_sm-Conversion%2C%20Painting%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%2 0Terminator%20Armor%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.jpg
I converted this Venerable Dreadnought to the Spears Of Ares theme. All the models in this army have mosaic tile basing with tiles of various sizes. For the Dreadnoughts (there are five so far) I've used large tiles on the bases. I used the plain front plates on the Venerable's sarcophagus so that I could customize his decorations. One plate has a Hoplite painted on it, the other the chapter's cog symbol cut from thin plastic card. The skull on the cog was cut from one of the Crux Terminatus symbols that come with the Venerable Dreadnought kit. The Venerable Dreadnought carries a huge spear like the Hoplites of old. The spear is built from plastic rod, thick plastic card and Apoxie Sculpt. The Dreadnought's Greek Corinthian style helmet is converted from the Warriors of Chaos sprue. The molded decorations on the vertical portion of the right shoulder were covered with thin plastic card and then the Greek key pattern was hand painted onto it, white over black. The alternating black and white patterns seen throughout the model are meant to echo the pattern used so often by the Mechanicus on their badges. This model was featured on the March 22, 2010 "What's New Today" post on the Games Workshop website (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=9200023a).
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/23/92278_sm-Dreadnought%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Venerable%2C %20Warhammer%2040%2C000.jpg
The Mechanicus inspired color scheme is played out again throughout these Land Speeders with alternating black and white patterns on control surfaces and areas of the hulls. Drivers have the Mechanicus badge pauldrons from the vehicle accessory sprue. The Hoplite theme plays out in the converted horsehair crests of the drivers and the Greek style pillars and mosaic basing of the flying stands.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/24/92504_sm-Conversion%2C%20Land%20Speeder%2C%20Painting%2C%20 Space%20Marines%2C%20Vehicle%20Squadron%2C%20Warha mmer%2040%2C000.jpg
The cog-like fan housings in the Vindicator kit made it easy to execute the Mechanicus-related paint scheme for my Spears Of Ares Space Marine chapter on this Linebreaker Squadron. Also note how the pattern on the Siege Shields interlocks from vehicle to vehicle when the command vehicle is in the center.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/23/92290_sm-Apocalypse%2C%20Linebreaker%2C%20Space%20Marines%2 C%20Tank%2C%20Vindicator%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000 .jpg
I already have about 3,000 points worth of models painted for this army with a lot more planned. If there is interest, I will post more pictures in the near future. Thanks for looking. Also note that I have a gallery on dakkadakka (http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-13937-5808_Spears%20Of%20Ares%20Space%20Marines.html) for this army and other projects.
The Spears of Ares is a chapter with close connections to the Adeptus Mechanicus and whose names, symbology and history are aligned with what they've been able to learn of classical Greece through the mists of time leading up to the 41st millenium. Ares is of course the Greek god of war and his Roman name is Mars, so my chapter name provides the essential connections to both ancient Greece and the Adeptus Mechanicus that I wanted for this army.
Chapter Master Minos of the Spears Of Ares Space Marine Chapter is armed with a Thunderhammer and Storm Shield. In the classical Greek traditions adopted by the chapter, all Thunderhammers have spear points in place of hammer heads and the shields are round like the Hoplites of old. Terminator troopers have abstract mosaic patterns on their bases while characters have pictures like the bull shown here.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/25/92661_sm-Conversion%2C%20Painting%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%2 0Terminator%20Armor%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.jpg
I converted this Venerable Dreadnought to the Spears Of Ares theme. All the models in this army have mosaic tile basing with tiles of various sizes. For the Dreadnoughts (there are five so far) I've used large tiles on the bases. I used the plain front plates on the Venerable's sarcophagus so that I could customize his decorations. One plate has a Hoplite painted on it, the other the chapter's cog symbol cut from thin plastic card. The skull on the cog was cut from one of the Crux Terminatus symbols that come with the Venerable Dreadnought kit. The Venerable Dreadnought carries a huge spear like the Hoplites of old. The spear is built from plastic rod, thick plastic card and Apoxie Sculpt. The Dreadnought's Greek Corinthian style helmet is converted from the Warriors of Chaos sprue. The molded decorations on the vertical portion of the right shoulder were covered with thin plastic card and then the Greek key pattern was hand painted onto it, white over black. The alternating black and white patterns seen throughout the model are meant to echo the pattern used so often by the Mechanicus on their badges. This model was featured on the March 22, 2010 "What's New Today" post on the Games Workshop website (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=9200023a).
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/23/92278_sm-Dreadnought%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Venerable%2C %20Warhammer%2040%2C000.jpg
The Mechanicus inspired color scheme is played out again throughout these Land Speeders with alternating black and white patterns on control surfaces and areas of the hulls. Drivers have the Mechanicus badge pauldrons from the vehicle accessory sprue. The Hoplite theme plays out in the converted horsehair crests of the drivers and the Greek style pillars and mosaic basing of the flying stands.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/24/92504_sm-Conversion%2C%20Land%20Speeder%2C%20Painting%2C%20 Space%20Marines%2C%20Vehicle%20Squadron%2C%20Warha mmer%2040%2C000.jpg
The cog-like fan housings in the Vindicator kit made it easy to execute the Mechanicus-related paint scheme for my Spears Of Ares Space Marine chapter on this Linebreaker Squadron. Also note how the pattern on the Siege Shields interlocks from vehicle to vehicle when the command vehicle is in the center.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/3/23/92290_sm-Apocalypse%2C%20Linebreaker%2C%20Space%20Marines%2 C%20Tank%2C%20Vindicator%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000 .jpg
I already have about 3,000 points worth of models painted for this army with a lot more planned. If there is interest, I will post more pictures in the near future. Thanks for looking. Also note that I have a gallery on dakkadakka (http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-13937-5808_Spears%20Of%20Ares%20Space%20Marines.html) for this army and other projects.