Topic: FFH's 30K Imperial Fist project

[Feanor Fire Heart]

I have always been interested in starting 30K, but living in the DC area, it was tough to find decent places to play, let alone 30k. While house hunting in the Boston area, we stopped at a boardgame pub called "Adventure Pub" and as soon as we stepped foot inside, there was a 30K game in progress. I remember seeing the very impressive White Scar jetbikes fighting some other legion (don't remember his adversary). They seemed like decent fellows so I left my wife at the table to wait for our drinks and talked to them a bit. Apparently there is a 30k Community in the area (they say they mostly meet up in Quincey). My wife wants me to be able to make friends here so I have been thinking of starting up the hobby again and collect 30K.  I have been enamored by the Imperial Fist, mostly because of Rogal Dorn in the TTS series. I've been watching painting tutorials and bat reps. With the COVID-19 thing happening right now, money is tight, so I will not likely be able to start yet. Plus there is still unpacking to do so I can set up a work area.

Has anyone else played yet? It looks like GW is selling the marine armors now, so its a bit cheaper.  You just have to go to FW for the game rules, other units, an other bits.

TTS Dorn's story about the Codex Astartes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGixGV98SWw

[Feanor Fire Heart]

Hello everyone. I was on the fence on starting Horus Heresy Imperial Fists or Sons of Horus. After playing around on an army builder I can honestly say that Imperial Fists was the only one of the two where I felt comfortable with the list I put together. Every time I tried to put together a SoH list, I just wasn’t satisfied with it (maybe I should read the novels and get a better feel of them, idk). With that said, along with my wife loving their painting scheme, I have decided to start a 30k Imperial Fists legion. Due to the pandemic, I haven’t been able to get ahold of any models or paint, but I wanted to put together my “dream list” so I can work towards it when money and models are available. Chances are I’ll start with the praetor and a couple of tactical squads first and work my way to eventually get this list put together over time.
Legion: VII Imperial Fists
Faction: Loyalists
FOC: Crusade

**HQ (490 pts)**
+ Praetor 230 pts
- Artificer Armor
- Bolt Pistol
- Paragon Blade (Master Crafted)
- Iron Halo
- Digital Lasers
- Melta Bombs
- Scimitar Jetbike w/ Heavy Bolter

+ Master of Signal (Or Siege Breaker) 95pts
- Power Armor
- Bolt Pistol
- Chain sword

+ Primus Medicae 165 pts
- Cataphractii Terminator Armor
- Solarite Power Gauntlet
- Vigil Pattern storm shield
- Teleportation transponder

**Elites (1350 pts)**
+ Contemptor Dreadnought Talon 410pts
- Contemptor Dreadnought
- DCCW w/ TL bolter, TL Volkite Culverin, Havoc Launchers
- Contemptor Dreadnought
- DCCW w/ TL bolter, TL Volkite Culverin, Havoc Launchers

+ Templar Brethren 655pts
- 9 Templar Brethren w/ combat shields, melta bombs, Legion vexilla
- 1 Champion w/ master crafted solerite power gauntlet, combat shield
- Land Raider Phobos (DT) w/dozer blades and armored ceramite

+ Terminator Squad 285pts
- 4 Cataphratii armor terminators w/ teleportation transponders
o Vigil Pattern Storm Shield & Power Fist
o Vigil Pattern Storm Shield & Thunder Hammer
o Vigil Pattern Storm Shield & Thunder Hammer
o Chainfist & iliastus Assault Cannon
- 1 Sargent w/ Vigil Pattern Storm Shield & Power Fist

**Troops (1520 pts)**
+ Breacher Squad (590 pts)
- 9 Breachers w/ meltabombs, nuncio-vox, legion vexilla, 2x melta guns (or grav guns, not sure)
- 1 Breacher Sargent w/ Artificier armor, breacher charge, powerfist
- Land Raider Phobos (DT) w/ armored ceramite, dozer blades

+ Tactical Squad (250pts)
- 9 marines w/additional ccw, nuncio-vox, legion vexilla
- 1 Sargent w/ artificier armor, melta bombs, powerfist
- Rhino transport (DT) w/ pintle multi-melta, dozer blades

+ Tactical Squad (250pts)
- 9 marines w/additional ccw, nuncio-vox, legion vexilla
- 1 Sargent w/ artificier armor, melta bombs, powerfist
- Rhino transport (DT) w/ pintle multi-melta, dozer blades

+ Tactical Support Squad (430pts)
- 9 marines w/additional ccw, plasma guns
- 1 Sargent w/ artificier armor, melta bombs, powerfist
- Rhino transport (DT) w/ pintle multi-melta, dozer blades

**Fast Attack (400 pts)**
+ Jetbike Sky Hunter Squadron (400 pts)
- 7 Sky hunters w/ melta bombs, 5 Heavy Bolters, 1 Plasma Cannon, 1 Vulkite Culverin
- 1 Sky hunter Sargent w/ heavy bolter, power sword

**Heavy Support (855 pts)**
+ Artillery Tank Squadron (310 pts)
- 2x Medusas

+ Heavy Support Squad (335 pts)
- 9 marines w/ missile launchers, flak missiles
- 1 Sargent w/ missile launcher, flak missles

+Sicaran Battle Tank (210 pts)
- Lascannon sponsons, dozer blades

**Lord Of War**
+Rogal Dorn (385 pts)

++Army Total: 5,000 pts++

The idea of this list started with an armored spearhead RoW but it eventually evolved into what you see above (with no RoW). The general premise is a hard striking army meant for exploiting gaps made in the line by artillery and then pressing through them. The Breachers and Templars are meant to push forward in their LRs (hopefully taking out some vehicles in the process) to take out enemy squads while the tactical squads move in behind them to support and hold objectives. The jetikes along with my Praetor are meant to be flexible, hitting enemy legion squads (or MEQ) and heavy weapon teams with heavy bolter, vulkite, and plasma, then charge in to finish them off. They are my companion cavalry or hussars. They have melta bombs for any armored vehicle that may get in the way or that the others in the army are having trouble with. Master of Signals (or Siege breaker) will team up with the Heavy Support squad to take out enemy vehicles and flyers or the medusas to assist with softening up enemy squads or taking out vehicles. The Sicaran battle Tank (love the model) is meant to hunt enemy light transports with lascannon sponsons for the tougher heavy transports. Lord A-Dorn-able will stick with the terminators and Medicae in deepstriking near any tough to crack nuts on the battle field, with Dorn splitting off after the deepstrike if needed. The Tactical Support Squad’s main objective is to melt terminators (or TEQ) with a yellow cab to help them get to their targets. All the rhinos have multi-meltas for added anti-light vehicle punch or to melt the occasional enemy legionnaire.

This is meant to be a casual/for fun type of list with a bit of an edge to it. I don’t plan to win tourneys with them but it just seems fun to play and see how a tourney may turn out. Any thoughts or comments? I am pretty flexible with the list seeing as I haven’t bought a model just yet but would like to avoid some rookie pitfalls.

[GamesPoet]

I currently know little about 30K, beyond what I read in the first 3, maybe 4, maybe 5 or 6 (read them so long ago can't recall how far I got?) Horse Heresy books.

However, I always liked the Luna Wolfs logo ... and I managed to nab a full sheet of the OOP decals for them off of Ebay.  Plus I nabbed a whole sheet of their new logo under the name Sons of Horus.  Originally I was contemplating using the Luna decals on some fantasy figures for Border Prince kingdom, and I was contemplating using the Sons decals on a more evil looking force ... O&G, Skaven, Undead, Chaos ... something like that.  I am reconsidering.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

Yeah I've been frequenting the reddit and sadly the Luna Wolves transfer sheets were discontinued.

I took the plunge and ordered a 10 man squad of mkIII space marines to start my fists. Sadly the FW transfer sheets are unavailable since the store has yet to get up and running.
The idea is to go with something like this:


With sergeants having red helmets with a white stripe. Kind of like this breacher:


In fact the squad's armor will look more like that breacher in terms of color use but with the first picture's helmets. Just really want those decals. I'd like to do the painting in sub-assemblies so I can get some of the transfers on the chest and make it a bit easier to get agrax earthshade in those hard to reach recesses.

I know I'll probably get some crap that tactical squads should have all yellow helmets with the sergeant having the stripes, but honestly that looks too bland for me. I may do that for heavy weapon crews and squads, but the tacticals could use a bit of flair.

I'll probably start a new thread for these guys. As for the heresy, I need to figure out what army/rule books to get. I also need to finish treasure island so I can start Horus Rising.

When done I am tempted to get a squad of mkIV and paint them as sons of horus, just so I can see if my wife will play a few rule learning games with me. 

[Gankom]

Sounds pretty impressive! I look forward to seeing the squad in action.

[Artobans Ghost]

Just throwing this in here for the sake of beautiful models. I follow this guy on his blog and most of it is awesome. These 30k space wolves make me want to buy them just because.

https://ttgamingdiary.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/release-the-grey-slayers/

[Gankom]

Those wolves look awesome!

[Artobans Ghost]

Those wolves look awesome!

Incredible for sure. Besides SKS and his positiveness about AoS wayback this guy was the other reason I got into it. He just finished the complete 80 editions of the conquest mags and what they came with. I think maybe only SteveB has a collection of that magnitude. He gave up AoS when they went off there narrative awhile back but at that point had about 70 000 pts of AoS armies (!!).
He’s just getting back into it now.

[Gankom]

I bet he has some pretty good games with that amount of stuff!

[GamesPoet]

Looks like he's done them nicely, yet they don't inspire me.  It is so weird how so much stuff can be quality, but some of it doesn't move me.  I think I ma getting older, and more picky regarding what makes sense for me to be doing wiht what time I might have remaining.

Probably could have been better had I started that sooner.

[KTG17]

Feanor, did you ever play the old Adeptus Titanicus or Space Marine 1st ed back in the day? It was set in the Heresy. Lots of amazing fluff in those old rulebooks.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

I'm afraid not. I started the hobby during 3rd edition (still miss it some times) and I played IG. It was a mix of the old Cadian metal models and Catachan jungle fighters...I also used IG bits on rough riders I made with Empire Knights.
 

Maybe I should ask this in the Brush and Palette, but has anyone used these contrast paint? One suggested method for the IF is to spray base them wraithbone and then use Iyanden yellow contrast paint, followed by an edge or dry bush highlight or either flash gitz, dorn, or phalanx yellow. I decided to get both the traditional and new contrast paints to try it out. Since Lementers Yellow glaze is OOP, some people have suggested making their own by mixing a 6:1 mix of Contrast Medium to Iyanden Yellow.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

This just came in the mail!!



Waiting on paints now. I just watched a great tutorial on painting IF so I'll need to get some additional paints.

[GamesPoet]

Those look like a xmas present to me!

What is the story on the elephant figure in the lower right corner of the picture?

[Gankom]

Looks like a pretty sweet incense holder to me.

The marines are awesome as well! I havn't used contrast paints myself but everyone I know who has swears by them.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

The elephant incense holder was a gift from my brother from when he went to Thailand to meet up with his girlfriend. We also got a wooden elephant lamp that we'll end up putting in the girls room when they are old enough to not break it.

The marines are awesome as well! I havn't used contrast paints myself but everyone I know who has swears by them.

The tutorial I watched used them for the yellow base coat and the end result looks really nice!


So I'll be following his tutorial for the yellow armor. The art for the Fists during the HH usually has them have red eye lenses, but I am thinking of going blue as it may be more striking with the yellow black white and red I'll already be using.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

I renamed the thread since its been pretty much about my project anyway.

Forge World is open again. I just ordered the Imperial Fist transfers. 

I am worried about applying the should pad transfers. Since the shoulder pads are not flat I've heard it can be difficult to apply them. Has any marine players here have trouble doing it or found a worth while method? Doing some research, some people suggest painting the shoulder pad with a gloss varnish to help smooth it out first and then apply a matte one after. I've seen some people use special transfer liquids, hair dryers, etc. Anyone have any tried and true methods that worked for you?

I'm waiting for all the paints to come in. I also bought some urban warfare bases too. Since the Imperial Fists are known for siege-craft and boarding parties, I felt it was in line with their theme. I also got a few heads and I am going to try and paint them like these two IF from the Solar War book cover:



I found a nice dark skin tone painting tutorial and will give it a try...but thats more paint I'll have to buy later.

[Gankom]

Okay i'll say up front that I am hot garbage at applying transfers. That said, its because I have shaky hands and poor coordination. The transfer process themselves is super easy.

[GamesPoet]

This just came in the mail!!



Waiting on paints now. I just watched a great tutorial on painting IF so I'll need to get some additional paints.

How much did these cost you?  They look like a newer product with all that detail.

Are they the new Prmaris Marines, the larger 32mm size? Or what ever they are.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

Nah they're mkIII horus heresy era marines. They're $50 from GW and $42 from amazon. GW also makes mkIV marines too, also from that era (about 10,000 before Primaris were in use).

mkIV:


mkIII:


Fun fact, mkIII was used before Tactical Dreadnought armor (Terminator armor) was developed. Many legions liked it because it had re-enforced protection toward the front of the armor, which is ideal for boarding actions, tunnel fighting, and frontal assaults. The mkIV had better all round protection and was adopted as an all purpose armor. However, some marines kept their mkIII armor and would switch between the two depending on the situation. The mkV was slightly better but had severe maintenance problems, so much so that any cobbled together armor was also referred to as mkV. The mkVI is the famous "Beaky" armor and was quieter which was tested and largely adopted by the Raven Guard whom preferred stealthy battle doctrines. Your typical 40K space marine would be wearing mkVII which was developed near the tail end of the crusades/heresy. Primaris wear mkX

mkV:


mkVI:


mkVII:

Okay i'll say up front that I am hot garbage at applying transfers. That said, its because I have shaky hands and poor coordination. The transfer process themselves is super easy.

I've heard its easy on flat surfaces but marine shoulder pads can be a pain because of the rounded top.

[GamesPoet]

Was the MKV picture left out of that post on purpose?

Thanks for posting all the different ones that you did!

[Feanor Fire Heart]

you dont see the mkV picture? its the 3rd one, he has a jump pack

[GamesPoet]

Not showing up here, I'll check a different way ...

... nope, not here either.

I get 4, followed by 3, no 5, then 6 followed by 7.

[Feanor Fire Heart]

Weird. I just swapped the picture with one from FW's website. see if you see it now.

[GamesPoet]

Got it now.  Thanks!  And ooh, those look ugly.  Forgot about those.