A Tale of 1 Warden pt.3: Colours of Gisoreux

Having now built my Bretonnia Battalion (and crossing my fingers I won't need more than four stands of defensive stakes for this army because they are an arse to build), I went looking for some inspiration on how to paint the models.

For a start I want to recommend Youtube as a fantastic source of battle reports, especially the Miniwargaming channel's Olde World Wars series which has more Bretonnia videos than I expected as one of their employees (Steve, I believe) actually has a Bretonnia army. Having not touched my old Bretonnia army since the early seventh edition its interesting to see how they play in eighth. Not badly, as it turns out, though I still think the lance is no longer as meaningful a tactical choice as it should be in the age of supporting attacks.

Second, I dug through my old White Dwarfs and found issue 290 which has a guide to painting Bretonnian heraldry. I may bend the rules a little but I think I'll mostly abide by them.

For a start you have a palette of five colours: black, red, blue, white and yellow. You don't use purple because that's royal (and too expensive) and you don't use green because that's a commoner colour (and too cheap). Yellow and white stand in for gold and silver and you don't use them together because they contrast badly.

My army is going to be based at Castle Desfleuve, a holdfast guarding the Bretonnian end of the Gisoreux Gap pass through the Grey Mountains.

This is a selection of heraldry examples for Gisoreux from the 2003 Bretonnia army book. Red and black seem to be the main colours, which are always a good contrast and relatively simple to paint, with white and yellow mainly for devices. That's also good because it means painting as little white as possible. The characters who will form the family deMartrand, the lords of Castle Desfleuve, will have yellow and red as their house colours. I'll be using mostly black and red on the rank and file Gisoreux knights so the characters will stand out. Also, I just like the contrast of black and red, there's a reason Flesh Tearers are my favourite Space Marines.

Also, if I follow these colours and leave blue out of the equation, I can use blue as a visual key to denote units that aren't from Gisoreux like the Questing and Grail Knights. I also have this concept of saving up the Knights of the Realm champion heads, which have stag horns, and creating an entire lance with stag helms to be the personal household of Duke Hagen.

For the moment, though, I'm concentrating on my Peasants and using them to test out colour combinations. I'm currently painting some Archers in the deMartrand red and yellow and Men-At-Arms in the Duke's red and black. Results, one hopes, will be in a fit state for posting by Sunday. 

Konor Background: Vectorum of the Seven Hands of Fate

Tinkering away at my Dark Imperium models and a few other bits, I started piecing together who my Death Guard are and how they operate.

My main idea at the moment is that the background will revolve around “The Seven Hands of Fate”, a sort of small council of the Lord of Contagion and his six most trusted advisors. A sort of Mournival or Nurgle. At the moment the composition of the Hands is the Lord of Contagion; two Malignant Plaguecasters; the Noxious Blightbringer; a Warpsmith; a Chaos Lord of the Purge aka commander of cannon fodder); and, an Alpha Legion sergeant in charge of the army's Traitor Guard and cultist contingent.

The composition of the Hands will vary over time, they won't be all the characters in the army but they represent the ones the Lord of Contagion has the most faith in at that moment. Needless to say, being kicked off the council is not a good sign for one's odds of survival beyond the next battle.

The Librarian leading my small contingent of Fallen is constantly trying to maneuver his way onto the council. Right now he is trying to displace the Alpha Legionnaire. I just like the idea of two representatives of the Most Sneaky Legions in a battle of wills.

The Traitor Guard aren't themselves Nurgelesque but my old Chaos Undivided Lost and the Damned army now working as mercenaries being rented out to the Death Guard by the Alpha Legionnaire.

The Purge are feeling happy to be included and blissfully unaware that the Death Guard consider them mongrels barely suited to a station in life as cannon fodder. On a practical level they just exist so I have an excuse to use some units that don't quite fit the strict theming of the Death Guard. Raptors, basically, I want Raptors and the Death Guard don't do dedicated assault troops. 

Empire Detachments (Reikland army background)

As I've been tinkering away building my little Empire army I've also been tinkering with their background. I do like to have a story behind my armies and this one grew in the telling. What I like about the Empire is that there is such a sense of geography to it: the grand counties and chartered cities have such a sense of character that just deciding where the army is from helps you build its character.

Since the big game I'm building this for will be The Siege Of Altdorf and since Tom and Matt's armies are from Nuln and Nordland respectively, I decided on Reikland just to have some locals in the game. Also, with the advent of a white spray that actually covers a model the colour scheme shouldn't be too hard.

So, here are the detachments that make up my little force and what units they mighty eventually command:

Thelius Umbra and the Altdorf All-College Drinking Society

Battle Wizard Lord, Battle Wizards

The Drinking Society have been characters in my background for a couple of years now but this is the first chance I've had to create them for the tabletop. Thelius Umbra is Patriarch of the Grey College and the Drinking Society are his most trusted off-the-books agents drawn from all eight colleges:

Exiled Bretonnian noblewoman and Bright Wizard Lieutenant the Lady Desfleuves, Sabifa de Martrand; swordswoman and Light College exorcist Erza Drescler; bookish Beasts Wizard Fitz Bernhardt; the mysterious Grey Child Josephine Klein; taciturn Celestial Wizard Dana Mahler; muscular Gold Wizard Guido “The Big Man” Flieshman; gun-toting Jade Wizard Viktor Eisner; and part-time accountant, Amethyst Wizard Andreas Eckermann.

The Society has one further member, the High Elf Loremaster Korando but he's not terribly relevant to matters right now.

The Bogenhafen Longshots

Captain of the Empire, Crossbowmen, Handgunners, Pistoliers, Steam Tank

The main detachment of the army hails from the obscenely wealthy chartered city of Bogenhafen. I love their ridiculously ostentatious cream and purple uniforms. The Longshots, as you can see, are a rifle regiment for no better reason than I love Sharpe. I'll probably have two officers from the Longshots so I can field a General Of The Empire when I don't feel like using Umbra.

The Steam Tank in the Empire Bestiary is actually showing Bogenhafen colours so that's why I've listed the thing here and not with the other war machines.

The Captain is, in fact, a Major and the official commander of the army.

The Reikland Silver Blades

Captain of the Empire with Battle Standard, Warrior Priest, Haberdiers, Spearmen, Swordsmen, Free Company Militia

Basically, all the close combat state troops come from this regiment. As much as the Bogenhafen colour scheme attracts me I do want something rather simpler for the larger state units. With white spray in hand a cream cloth should only take a couple of layers. I've also lumped in the Warrior Priest as the regimental chaplain.

The Free Company are irregulars but they're paid through the Silver Blades.

Markus Wulfhart and his Hunters

Markus Wulfhart, Huntsmen

I have a Markus Wulfhart and ten Huntsmen from when I was planning to do Stirland Outlaws for a Mordheim campaign that never happened. I'm not usually one for special characters but I do rather like Wulfhart and his little band of archers, both in terms of what they do and their background.

The Carroburg Greatswords

Greatswords

Pragmatism, this. The Bogenhafen Captain is the actual army commander but keeping him with one of his own units would be a magnificent waste of time. I don't really see a regiment of riflemen and archers maintaining Greatswords so he'd have to be assigned a bodyguard from another regiment.

And the red cloth and black lacquer armour of the Carroburg regiment has always been my favourite.

The Black Guard of Morr

Grand Master, Witch Hunter, Knightly Orders, Demigryph Knights

Death's own Knightly Order, bane of the undead. I first encountered them in the Tale Of Four Gamers series that ran from White Dwarf #300 and I rather like the purple and black colour scheme. I also have a great idea for giving them albino demgryphs.

Admittedly, the Witch Hunter can't be mounted but I include him in this detachment because it makes sense. He'll be lurking off somewhere else when I field him, possibly with the Huntsmen or in a ranked unit of his own.

The Painted Ladies of Nuln

Master Engineer, Outriders, war machines

Yes, there's an engineering school in Altdorf but I don't like the Altdorf colour scheme (quartered red and blue, ugh). Plus, Tom and I have been talking about linking up his Nuln army and the Society for a while so having a detachment “from” his army will provide that link rather nicely.

They're called The Painted Ladies, incidentally, as a rather crude joke about the soot stains on their faces and, hopefully, because I'll be able to convert a female Master Engineer using one of those Statuesque Heroic Female Heads. 

Rites of Battle: The Blades of Sanguinius

I don't play pen and paper RPGs. I don't have the knack for roleplaying, I come over all self-conscious. However, I find roleplay manuals to be fantastic sources of inspiration, especially the ones for Fantasy Flight Games' Warhammer 40,000 RPGs. Rites Of Battle, for instance, has a wonderful system for creating your own Space Marine chapter.

The following was written using the headings and questions in Rites Of Battle, filling in the details I'd already decided and picking off the menu when I didn't have an answer. Later I'll write this up in a more narrative form, probably as an old-style Index Astartes article, but for now it's just the facts, ma'am.

Chapter Name

The Blades of Sanguinius.

Trials of the Aspirant

Given the options I've decided the chapter tests its aspirants using a mixture of the Exposure Trial and the Knowledge Of Self. The exposure trial takes the form of a trek through a forbidden region of their home world that is supposedly home to the Chapter's fortress-monastery. This is a lie. The chapter is based on a warp-capable star fortress in orbit of their home world and monitors the progress of aspirants from afar, both through technological means and deploying of Battle-Brothers in scout armour.

Those aspirants who survive the forbidden zone's many dangers (ravenous predators, poisonous fauna, the usual...) and show sufficient fortitude in their observer's sole estimation are rescued at the point of near-death and brought to the fortress-monastery. Once aboard the star fort the aspirant is treated for whatever symptoms of exposure and such they are suffering but are kept sedated. In this state they are brought before the chapter's Librarians for the final test. The Librarians induce a dream state within the aspirant with which to test their worth. The nature of the dream depends on the mental qualities of both Librarian and aspirant and may be different every time. Few ever speak of their experiences in the dream state and the Librarian's word on the aspirant's worth is final: to be inducted into the chapter, returned to their home or executed on the spot is entirely up to them.

ORIGINS

When was the Chapter founded?

The chapter was founded in early M38 as part of the 23^rd or “Sentinel” Founding because I like the name. I like the foundings with names and that's the only one I know other than the Dark and Cursed Foundings, neither of which particularly attract me because you have to make the chapter massively flawed for the Cursed Founding and I rather like the Exorcists being the last survivors of the Dark Founding.

Why was the Chapter formed?

Given the name of the Founding I'm going to say the chapter was intended as a Standing Force guarding the Imperium's borders from outside attack. As a standing force they have a certain area of responsibility within which they are required to maintain the Emperor's rule, though their deployment can take them far across the galaxy.

GENE-SEED

How pure is the Chapter's gene-seed?

Let's just go with the standard Sanguinary flaws, the Black Rage and the Red Thirst, with just the usual level of degeneration later founding Blood Angels chapters tend towards. So, more Blades fall to the Rage and they feel the Thirst a bit more strongly than the Blood Angels but they aren't all frothing nutters like the Flesh Tearers or actively craving blood at all time like the Blood Drinkers or Flesh Eaters.

Codex Demeanour

There are a series of these Demeanours in Rites Of Battle and I wasn't going to pick one but I gave them a look and this one really called to me:

Swift As The Wind

The Battle-Brothers of the Chapter may excel at rapid strikes and lightning raids, but the trait extends to every facet of their character. They are as quick to anger as they are to jest. They can be impatient, yet display great personal initiative. Whilst not rash or foolhardy, such a Battle-Brother believes in the value of immediate action over protracted planning, and chafes at the bit to engage the foe.

I love the bit about being quick to anger and jest. I want funny Space Marines.

HOME WORLD

What type of planet if the chapter's home world?

The Blades' home world, which I've decided to call Tsubasa Minoris (Japanese for “wing”), is a planet whose society is about the social and technological level of the Renaissance.

Home world predominant terrain

I have this mental image of huge mountain ranges across the whole planet with vertical cities built up the sides. The different mountain states are in a state of perpetual warfare, exactly the sort of social condition favoured for Space Marine recruitment. Naturally, any attempt to make a lasting peace are thwarted by Scouts from the Blades of Sanguinius with sniper rifles.

Relationship with home world

Aside from the assassinations mentioned above and whatever else is needed to keep the eternal wars of Tsubasa Minoris going, I've decided the chapter maintains a “Stewardship” level of control. By and large the mountain cities are ruled by their own kings, prime ministers and diverse other lords. Each of these rulers acts as a client king to the Chapter-Master, who holds the title and rights of Imperial Governor. Usually there won't be much contact between the chapter and the local lords except for states of planetary emergency and demanding the lords send recruitment candidates to the forbidden zone.

ORGANISATION

How closely does the chapter follow the codex?

Again, the standard Blood Angels divergences: the extra Assault Company, the Sanguinary Guard and Priesthood, the Death Company and unique wargear items. Otherwise they're very much a Codex chapter. I'll probably come up with funky names for individual companies and such but it's just the standard ten company system.

Combat Doctrine

Combined arms with a bias towards close combat. I don't tend to like “specialist” chapters, I think a Space Marine is a Space Marine and they should have the clear damned common sense to train as generalists able to handle any situation. They are Sanguinary, though, so combat and aerial assault are going to highly favoured.

Also I have an idea, given the chapter name, that sergeants and officers will favour power swords over other specialist melee weapons.

Speciality Restrictions

The book gives a list of roles (Apothecary, Techmarine, Assault Marines, Devastators and Librarians) and pick one that the chapter doesn't use. Another option offered is to “pick something truly unusual”, so let's pick something unusual as none of the other options really inspires me...

Given the terrain of their home world the chapter tends to favour Land Speeders and Stormravens for vehicular support. They do maintain an armoured vehicle pool as any chapter would but in small numbers than would be standard.

Beliefs

The chapter, as was common in the background when I started playing but isn't as common now, reveres the Emperor as their creator but not as a literal god. They also venerate the memory of Sanguinius as the sacrifice that secured the future of the Imperium they serve.

Current Status

Nominal. A full chapter of ten almost full strength companies. Their tendency towards lightning hit-and-run engagements lessens the usually high level of attrition Sanguinary chapters tend towards.

Friends and Enemies

Friends: the chapter has strong ties to the local Mechanicus forge worlds because I want to have some Skitarii and Cult Mechanicus detachments in the army. I also prefer the more bellicose, honour culture view of Skitarii from Graham McNeill's novels to the emotionless cyborgs their codex prefers and I think those sorts of Skitarii would get on well with the Blades as I envision them.

Enemies: Like all Blood Angels successors, the Blades have a fraught and cautious relationship with the Inquisition. I'm not sure if the Blades have done anything major to deserve it or if it's just their attitude of edgy caution that have made the Holy Ordos suspicious.

Naturally, I intend to have my Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, his retinue and his Deathwatch Kill-Team teaming up with the chapter for all sorts of happy fun.

Battle Cry

“Blood! Fire! Steel!” chanted in unison as the chapter advances, blared out of helmet and vehicle-mounted vox-casters at maximum volume to terrify the enemy.

Heraldry

The chapter symbol will be a sword, downthrust or, to put it another way, the shoulder pad from the Dark Angels Veteran Squad of which I have ample spares.

Livery

I'm not sure, except that there'll be a lot of red and, I think, some steel to make them look more knightly. I'll have to be careful not to just copy the Knights Of Blood colour scheme. Perhaps through the use of some gold elements and making sure the body is a solid red?

Okay: red torso and shoulder pads; silver arms and legs, gold aquila and pauldron trim unless I think of something better when I come to start painting. Death Company and Sanguinary Guard in their usual colour schemes.

Tomorrow: tying it all together.