My Heresy-era Imperial Fists

[YorkNecromancer]

Seeker Squad:
http://img06.deviantart.net/19c8/i/2016/161/f/4/20160206_190058_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkq6.jpg

Destroyer Squad:
http://img12.deviantart.net/fcc6/i/2016/161/6/6/20160206_190114_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkpi.jpg

Comtemptor Dreadnought:
http://pre01.deviantart.net/b481/th/pre/i/2016/161/e/b/20160206_190526_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkp3.jpg

Castraferrum Mortis Dreadnought:
http://pre01.deviantart.net/45ba/th/pre/i/2016/161/e/2/20160206_190657_by_yorknecromancer-da5qknk.jpg
Freehand on weapon mounting:
http://pre08.deviantart.net/866a/th/pre/i/2016/161/b/5/20160206_190705_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkmu.jpg

Recon Marines with sniper-rule Bolters:
http://img13.deviantart.net/21c5/i/2016/161/4/0/20160608_223604_by_yorknecromancer-da5qklo.jpg

Recon Marines with auto-shotguns:
http://img01.deviantart.net/8e7e/i/2016/161/b/5/20160608_223744_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkl0.jpg

Command Squad with jump packs, CCW and combat shields:
http://img00.deviantart.net/a7e9/i/2016/161/7/e/20160608_224327_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkix.jpg

Cataphractii Terminator Squad:
http://img00.deviantart.net/ec2d/i/2016/161/9/6/20160608_224542_by_yorknecromancer-da5qkfd.jpg

Contemptor with dual DCCW/Heavy Flamers and Leviathan Dreadnought (still needs his decals); sergeant is included for size comparison
http://img07.deviantart.net/8fd9/i/2016/161/a/e/20160608_224923_by_yorknecromancer-da5qk9w.jpg

[Mud Duck]

Looking good Yorkie. I'm seeing some mold lines on the Seeker squad weapons, but whatever.

Is that an Inqusitoral Warband back there behind everything?

[YorkNecromancer]

DAMN YOU MOLD LINES!!!

Yeah, those are some Death Cult assassins for my (now-fairly bloody sizable) Inquistorial (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?52149-Inquisitorial-Henchmen-Conversions) Army (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?64957-Inquisitorial-Daemonhosts).

Because I've got a stupidly big Deathwatch Army (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?49607-Deathwatch-Army), as well as a bunch of Sororitas (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?56095-Saint-Celestine-and-Seraphim-bodyguard) so obviously they'll need =][= backup...

[Haighus]

I'm really liking the conversions on these guys! Very characterful. What have you used for the Assault cannon? It looks like the barrel of a Leman Russ Punisher cannon, but I suspect that would be too large, so I'm thinking something from a third-party manufacturer? Certainly looks the part. The use of Scout pistols for the Destroyers and the overall feel of an infiltrator force is generally great.

Also, the war propaganda posters on the Dreadnought bases- truly brilliant! :D

Are those Anvil Industries Reflex sights on the Scout bolt pistols? They look good wherever they are from.

[YorkNecromancer]

The assault cannon barrels come from the dual gatling cannon from the Taurox. :) You get two per Taurox, so my other Terminator Squad has one too. I just got a standard Terminator assault cannon, cut off the extant barrel, glued the Taurox one on, and made an ammo drum from two old-school Leman Russ wheels cut flat and glued together.

As for the Recon scouts, the bodies are Anvil (SO GOOD!) but the bolters are standard-issue 40K Sternguard ones. I had a few knocking around and wasn't using them, so just figured f**k it, might as well put them on my Recon guys to represent the sniper rule. Did the same thing with my as-yet unfinished Veteran Tactical Squad guys.

Basically, one Sternguard squad boxed set gets you all the 2+ Artificer Armour sergeants and special-issue bolters your Heresy-era army could ever need. Which is annoying because of how stupidly expensive the thing is!

[Wolfshade]

Looking good :)

Didn't realise the leviathan dread was quite so big!

[Haighus]

Er, I meant the Reflex sights on the Scout Bolt pistols used by the Destroyers :)
Didn't spot the Anvil bodies until you mentioned them though, they really do just match so well. I have some Anvil pieces myself I'm planning to use on Imperial Fists... :D I'm building a force of Marines built around void warfare and other close confines, so a much less subtle force in many ways than your own. Largely built around Terminators. Hmm, could borrow my brother's camera to actually take some decent pictures and do a P&M thread, but I make such slow progress on builds now-a-days. I don't bring any of my modelling stuff with me to York and go back home rarely.

Ah the Taurox cannon... so that's why it looked like a mini-Punisher cannon! It is a mini-Punisher cannon...

[YorkNecromancer]

No, the reflex sight on the Destroyer pistols is a scratch build. I'd already pinched the scopes for my Deathwatch, and needed something to distract from the slightly weird-looking top of the pistol. :D

And my force isn't really subtle; I've got 20 Breachers and another 10 jump pack combat shield assault boys all almost finished, as well as my Necromundan Militia. I'll get photos of those up in a bit. :)


Looking good :)

Didn't realise the leviathan dread was quite so big!

It is an absolute beast. Wonderful, wonderful model.

[Haighus]

I understand now!

So, sounds like there is a more subtle branch of the force- the Seekers, Destroyers and Recon Marines, and then an anvil of Breachers, Terminators and Dreadnoughts to take the brunt of the enemy attention, allowing the stealthier units to hit them from the flank. At least, that is how it appears to me :)

Necromundan militia? Is the entire force intended to be recruited from there?

[YorkNecromancer]

So, sounds like there is a more subtle branch of the force- the Seekers, Destroyers and Recon Marines, and then an anvil of Breachers, Terminators and Dreadnoughts to take the brunt of the enemy attention, allowing the stealthier units to hit them from the flank. At least, that is how it appears to me :)


Absolutely right. I've got my Spartan to deliver a swarm of Breachers right into the enemy's face, supported by a hard core of Terminators and Dreadnoughts, with the subtler units stalking around the outskirts, wrecking sh*t more tactically.


Necromundan militia? Is the entire force intended to be recruited from there?

My idea was that they're a force that's been recruited from some random forge world, and by the end of the heresy, they've ended up on Necromunda - each unit ends up either forming one of the Great Houses, or else is kind of a thematic precursor to a non-house faction from the Necromunda game.

So: mercenary infantry from Orlock Security Solutions. The company is popular with former members of the Imperial Army who have been either dishonorably discharged and want to make quick cash, or else are no longer young enough to serve, but who know no other trade. Their weapons and armour is highly personalised, often coming from either the Imperial Army itself, or else 'liberated' whilst on campaign.
http://img04.deviantart.net/16c5/i/2016/136/5/8/20160424_221606_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqwp.jpg

Plant workers from the Cawthone and Dorlish Silicates Processing Company. The workers need to wear fully-enclosed cowled rebreathers at all times to avoid death by a variety of horrible lung diseases caused by the inhalation of fine particulates.
http://img05.deviantart.net/c1d5/i/2016/136/d/9/20160424_221420_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqx9.jpg

Plant workers from the Cawthorne and Dorlish Silicates Processing Company carrying firecasters used for dealing with the dangerous vermin that plague the silicate processing facilities.
http://img11.deviantart.net/ee32/i/2016/136/d/e/20160424_221855_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqu6.jpg

Cheaply produced Servitor-Helots used in manufactora across the planet. (Count as Ogryns.)
http://img10.deviantart.net/7e4f/i/2016/136/6/4/20160424_221749_by_yorknecromancer-da2oquu.jpg

Miners from the Esker Mining Corporation. A very rare example of forward-thinking and progressive corporation founded by a former Sororitas who fled her convent for a simpler life, it gives equal chances to both men and women to make a living through hard, honest labour.
http://img08.deviantart.net/abfd/i/2016/136/c/8/20160424_222046_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqs4.jpg

Sump workers from the Van Der Saar Recycling Facilities. The absurdly hostile enviroments of the industrial sumps and the poverty of the Van Der Saar facilities means that workers are largely forced to improvise protective clothing, and that cybernetic replacements for corroded and ruined limbs are frequent. The workers are consequently extremely talented at jury-rigging and improvising solutions.
http://img00.deviantart.net/013b/i/2016/136/4/b/20160424_222153_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqrj.jpg

Close up on a chain-cutter used for removing the large-scale silicate accretions that build up over time in sewage sumps. (Counts as Lascutter).
http://img15.deviantart.net/c3b8/i/2016/136/2/e/20160424_222205_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqqz.jpg

Here's the full Militia force I've prepared so far. In the corner you can see the Gola feral worlders (who I've not finished painting), and at the rear, there's members of the DeLaque organised crime syndicate (who also need finishing off).
http://orig01.deviantart.net/db64/f/2016/136/2/9/20160424_221325_by_yorknecromancer-da2oqxm.jpg

I've also got these bad boys, who count as Sentinels equipped with close combat weapon and Heavy Bolters.
http://orig06.deviantart.net/adef/f/2015/164/3/3/2015_05_31_16_19_00_by_yorknecromancer-d8x4y9l.jpg

The Militia army list is awesome.

[Haighus]

Nice militia models! Also interesting fluff, and a good attempt at creating pre-cursors to each of the Necromunda gangs in Hive Primus. Fits very nicely with an IF force too, with their Necromundan recruitment rights. Although I'm pretty sure you've crafted this overall force based around that link.

[YorkNecromancer]

Mostly my idea was based around 1.) my utter hatred of the Medieval Stasis trope (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?59076-Frodo-Will-Never-Get-To-Go-To-The-Moon) and 2.) the idea of portraying human combatant civilians at the highest point of Imperial culture. So every squad has to clearly link to a Necromunda gang whilst simultaneously not being them. So, for example, I really like the idea taking something like the relatively super-tech Van Saar and having them be the poorest, whilst simultaneously giving them a reason for a culture facility with machinery. I mean, obviously, in real-life, that's probably a change that'd happen over a handful of generations, not ten thousand years, but f**k it, it's 40K , you have to accept that some handwaving of your ideas is always going to be necessary. :)

The models mostly came about because I had a bunch of cultists knocking about, but no idea what to do with them. Then I got some of those AoS Khorne figures, turned them into Servitors, and the rest of it sort of happened organically from there...

[Haighus]

To be fair, technological stasis and even regression is possible within a culture, so long as the culture is both deliberately trying to suppress progress, and isn't in contact with other cultures which are not trying to suppress progress. In the case of most worlds of the Imperium, this is the situation, so technological regression and limited change in technology, is possible. It is probably partly why the IoM is having such trouble with the Tau Empire, not from a military perspective, but from worlds defecting because they have more than one way of doing things being shown to them.

It is also worth noting that, when forced by particularly massive threats, even the IoM is capable of (relatively) rapidly innovating weaponry and tactics to aid in defeating the foe. The biotoxins and so on developed against the Tyranids, and the change in tactics (even the Ultramarines have broken from following the Codex Astartes to the letter and created the Tyranid Hunters...) as an example. I guess if you are screwed anyway, a bit of techno-heresy is the last of your worries...

For a real world example, China often actively suppressed it's own technological advancement at the whim of it's current Emperor, because the Emperor could do so- China was unified as a country very early in history, and had few competitors around it for a long time, so whatever the Emperor said, went, and there was no competition to force a different choice. It is possible that this early unification, and subsequent examples of deliberate technological stasis and regression, is the reason that Europe ended up being the dominant continent in world politics, and not China and the far east.