Tech Priest

Tech Priest with battle servitors deployed ready for battle.

Green Platoon

Pict capture of elements of the 9th Necromundan F company 3rd platoon, including members of the command section, notably the OiC Lt. Burr and platoon medic.

These troops have been configured for rapid deployment with fully enclosed helmets, and carapace body armour.

Grav chutes appear to have been discarded, which is a common practice amongst units deploying behind enemy lines. The guardsmen are armed with lightweight Ryza pattern lasguns, which appear to have been dramatically overcharged as indicated by the glowing transfer coils underneath the weapons. Unsanctioned modifications such as this render the weapons much more effective, but at a reduced range and increased wear on components, in addition to the higher likelihood of critical malfunction.

Red Platoon Medic

Pict capture of second platoon medic from the 9th Necromundan "Death Blades" F Company. Medics such as these are assigned to the command sections of infantry platoons to improve guardsmen morale, and occasionally reduce battlefield casualties. They are typically found where the fighting is thickest, and this individual has obtained a non standard dueling chain sabre to assist with close quarters engagements and battlefield amputations.
Within the Death Blades medics such as these act as unofficial distributors of combat stimms and other chemical agents, going to great lengths to ensure that supply and distribution within the regiment remains constant. This earns them a certain amount of authority and respect within the regiment, and the position is highly sought after should vacancies arise. Internal disputes with medics are rare, so most vacancies are a result of battlefield attrition or, on occasion, incapacitation due to prolonged substance abuse.

Death Blades Comms Officer

Responsible for communications between F Company Command and other elements of the task force, this comms officer is well trained in the use of the high gain vox unit he carries. Like other communications officers of the 9th Necromundan, and of many other Imperial Guard regiments, the comms officers are seen as a vital link to battlefield re-enforcements, emergency extraction, and resupply. They are also rumored to use their equipment for more nefarious deeds, such as monitoring other communications, allowing certain "off mission" operations to be organised by the company officers, ensuring that unofficial equipment, munitions and supplies can be obtained when needed. Allegations that communications officers within the 9th Necromundan have been organising covert meetings with local gangs for trade and combat drug resupply are, as of yet, unproven.

Death Blades Veterans

The 9th Necromundan Death Blades F Company 1st Veteran Squad (Crossref 22Nec9F11) are made up of the most experienced and competent fighters in the company. Organised into first platoon, and reporting to the company commander they are typically used as forward scouts, observers and often given the most difficult battlefield assignments. Here they are equipped in an anti-armour role, with riflemen providing fire support for melta guns and a lascannon team. Unlike other Death Blades uniforms first squad have camo pattern fatigues, to assist in their covert operations, often deploying forward of the main task force.

Death Blades Veteran Test Model

I have done up a test model for the Death Blades veteran squad to see how I would go with the camo scheme that I had planned.
The intent for this squad is to paint and model them in the black and white striped pattern that was used back in the day.
I also wanted to add in some kill banners and the like to show that these are veterans, and to help them stand out from the rest of the Death Blade crowd.

Death Blades as 30k Imperialis Militia

One of the things that I have been thinking about doing, but haven't actually done yet, is to use my Rogue Trader era Imperial Guard models in a game of 30k.

While the repainting of my guardsmen (into the scheme shown in this old Rogue Trader artwork) isn't complete, I probably have enough done now to play some reasonable sized games. Below are some of the units that I have painted up, and what I might field them as in 30k games.

The Pledge 2016

So at the start of last year I said:
"My pledge for 2015 is:

1. Complete repainting my Death Blades in both 40k and Epic.
2. Figure out what I am doing with my Epic Death Guard and get them done.
3. Finish painting one other army.
4. Commence painting my Old Lead Undead.
5. Roll up and model 40k and WH warbands from ROC:The Lost and the Damned.
6. Play at least one game of Epic, 40k, RoC and Warhammer (hopefully 3rd).
7. Spend no more than $300 on models, paint and other loot."

And lets see how I went...

Interrogator Veritas

Interrogator Viggio Veritas and what remains of his fellow henchmen. 

As the interrogator and possible heir of Inquisitor Het'fjeld, Veritas has access to a varied array of specialised equipment to help him undertake his mandate. He wears a suit of ancient and highly customised power armour, at least partly concealed by the dark grey robes he almost always wears. Here he can be seen retaining the chequered heraldry of his Master, having chosen to display it on his power armour pauldron. On the other pauldron he has the Imperial Aquilla as a symbol of his devotion, and of the authority he has.

Death Blades Red Platoon

9th Necromundan F Company Second Platoon (Nc9F2 or Red Platoon) are a tactical infantry platoon composed of former members of the Death Blade gang of Necromunda. Upon their recruitment into the regiment each guardsman is assigned to a unit, with recruiting officers attempting to retain the original gang structure where possible. 
Red Platoon are composed of standard 10 man infantry squads under the platoon command section (crossref: Nc9F2C), with two such squads shown below.

...to the Rhythm of the War Drums...

As a force composed largely of infantry, and frequently required to garrison areas with minimal support from other detachments, F Company had the potential to be dangerously devoid of close support. To assist in mitigating this shortfall, Blue Platoon were assigned several support weapons.

The quad-launchers and their crews seen here are an example of the firepower assigned to the platoon.

Death Blades Company Commander

Di'Anno was a ruthless gang leader prior to his induction into the guard, and his natural leadership abilities and level head made him an obvious choice for a company commander. His reputation for ending blood feuds quickly ensured that no one challenged his authority as he took command of F Company. Unusually, Di'Anno wears the standard uniform for a captain, complete with officers hat. This is no doubt due to the recent attachment of fresh commissariat officers to the regiment after the deaths of the previous appointments.

Inquisitor Het'Fjeld

A former member of the Ordo Militarium, the Inquisitor has more recently been battling the forces of Chaos as a member of the Ordo Malleus, largely due to the ascension of chaos in the region as a result of the escalating Sicaran War. However the Inquisitor's mandate changed with the return to real-space of a fragment of a space hulk in the sector. Initial analysis was difficult due to chaos ships picketing the hulk, however some components were positively identified as being consistent with those identified in the hulk Sin of Damnation during its famous encounter with the Blood Angels chapter of Astartes. The hulk that entered realspace was clearly a much younger conglomeration of vessels than the Sin of Damnation, and was hypothesised to be an earlier iteration of that famous hulk, from a time in the Imperium's past, potentially causing a paradox should it not return to the warp. 

The walk of Icarus

Flight commander "Icarus" Hayles has the dubious honour of the most shot down living thunderbolt pilot in the task force. Due to frequent rescue efforts by ground forces, the Icarus has become a specialist liaison between naval assets and ground troops. Here he can be seen co-ordinating Thunderbolt operations to assist in the Grav-Chute Deployment of the F Company Assault Platoon. 

I spent a while pondering what to do for a fleet officer for my Death Blades.
I wanted a rogue trader era model that could be used as an officer of the fleet, but would also fit in with the 1980's models that make up the army. For a while I thought about kit-bashing some conventional Cadian and old school plastics, or even using the current officer of the fleet model. That model has a lot of character, and looks the part. However in the end I decided to stick to my self imposed rules of no recent models, and started hunting around for something suitable.

The Smith

Pict capture of 9th Necromunda "Death Blades" F Co. Red Platoon Commanding Officer Lt. Freidrich "The Smith" Adrianus, and attached Command Section.

As a former ganger from Necromunda, The Smith took command of what was to become Red Platoon after challenging and killing the then leader Madcap Stratton during a frenzy of internecine gang fighting that spread through the Death Blades upper echelons upon rumor of their induction into the Imperial Guard. 

What to do with Green Platoon

The Imperial Guard section in the Rogue Trader Compendium, circa 1988(ish) was a fun way to build an Imperial Guard army. The core of the Imperial Guard army was composed of different, customisable platoons, based on one of a couple of basic human platoon types, tactical and assault, which could be upgraded by giving them bikes, horses, land speeders or whatever resulting in either a basic infantry platoon, or a specialised platoon.  The army could then be wielded by a budding general to make a holistic force greater than the sum of its parts. The fact that the myriad of upgrades were made on a platoon level, rather than a squad level, created a flexibility was both limiting and liberating. It was from a time when there was more emphasis on infantry and less on vehicles, so consequently there was such a diversity of upgrades available with the platoon designs. 

I'm currently refreshing and adding to my army of the time, and one of my dilemmas that I'm having is what to do with Green Platoon.

The Oldhammer Community

I have just discovered the growing community of Oldhammer folk.

People like myself, who can remember different times, where back story was important, and miniatures were less detailed, but more creative.

I stumbled upon the oldhammers because I was in the process of converting my Rogue Trader imperial guardsmen back to their original paint scheme.

Rather than start a new blog for a handful of models, (that would get updated about as frequently as this one!) I have decided to roll it into one somewhat related blog. 

My chaos army has old models. My imperial guard army has old models, and are currently being used as muscle by the inquisitor who is after my traitors, so it sort of makes sense. In a loose kind of way. If I ever update my old marines they will make an appearance too.

So in an attempt to keep things ticking along at the lightning pace of 2 updates a year, here is something I have been working on.

Di'Anno was a ruthless gang leader prior to his induction into the guard, and his natural leadership abilities and level head made him an obvious choice for a company commander. His reputation for ending blood feuds quickly ensured that no one challenged his authority as he took command of F Company. Unusually, Di'Anno wears the standard uniform for a captain, complete with officers hat. This is no doubt due to the recent attachment of fresh commissariat officers to the regiment after the deaths of the previous appointments.

So I will need to add to these guys obviously, but have plenty planned. Time on the other hand...