Pics to be put up soon as most of the on-order troops have been delivered and assembled.
And don't forget to leave comments in the comment section of how you think the story and the army are so far. Check my profile/signature for the ongoing WIP blog on the Legion.
Purpose
This page has been set up by myself (ComradePanda/Curtis Taylor) in the hopes that people will read this and enjoy what they see. I will constantly add and update this page as I see fit as new changes or ideas are created. Bear in mind my army was created with the purpose of physical sources for my game development, not W40k play (yet, as I do not know how to play). I hope you all enjoy my work and will take some of my ideas to your own crafting tables.
Pandoran Background
Updates to the story to come.
This backstory to my army is what will drive my game when it is designed, so I hope you enjoy the read.
The world of Pandora was once settled by four different factions. The ensuing war to secure the planet in the sole name of each faction led to the withdrawl of the remaining forces for quite some time, leaving a lot of military and civilian structures and vehicles behind. The ground of Pandora was littered with bodies, tanks, and other creations of mankind, to be forgotten in time. After much deliberation within each faction, the surviving forces decided on a recolonization effort, and began to redeploy forces to the ground. The 13th were one of the first strike forces to deploy and take their original post back from the raiders left on the planet.
Nearby the Legion's position, there are multiple raider camps banding together to make a strike for the Command Bunker and it's attached facilities. Near the fortified position held by the Legion is a recently downed Valkyrie with a few stranded survivors that are in dire need of help as raiders close in for the capture. Also near by are drop pods landing, each containing from a few elite soldiers to heavier weapons platforms, all needing to be reclaimed for the glory of the Imperium.
In order to survive the vicious raider attacks that will ensure, the Legion has called for more fresh recruits, all to be dropped from their orbiting fleet above them. The drop pods landing nearby are the first of their reinforcements and the lives of the original Legion forces may depend on rescuing the fresh-faced drop troopers. Those on the ground can clearly see the flashes of energy weapons being fired from their warships as they defend themselves against the attacks of the other three factions, all still at war with one another.
The war for Pandora has once again been renewed with a fervor equal to that of the previous war. The actions of the 13th Legion will prove invaluable in the claiming of the planet, for themselves and for their allies stationed all around the planet.
Legion Overview
The 13th Pandoran Legion was founded on the principles of the Cadian forces. Favoring high numbers on infantry, a damn good command hierarchy and heavy armor support, this strike force is not to be trifled with. This force was one of the few that managed to get off planet before evacuations were no longer feasible. Now redeployed and bolstered by innumerable ranks of recruits, they will move forth with the singular goal of eliminating all threats they face to claim the planet as their own.
Veteran Troopers
These forces managed to survive the first Pandoran war while their brothers-at-arms fell around them. They have seen more than most infantrymen will have seen in their entire lives, and that fact alone makes them much more battle-capable than those just joining the fight. From unorthodox equipment to vastly experienced leadership to bristling weaponry, the veterans of the Legion are most capable on the battlefield.
Pandoran Command Squad
Having faced a withering hail of fire on their evacuation from the planet, this squad knows how to keep cool in any circumstance. While some members received vicious wounds in the original war, they are more than able to continue the fight with the help of bionic limbs and a well-trained leader. Able to take out enemies from afar as well as up close, this squad may well be the most dangerous infantry squad the 13th has to field.
Heavy Weapons Team
While deployed rather unorthodoxly, the weapons team of the Legion is able to field two heavy weapons (chosen to be a missile launcher and an autocannon) at once, but at the cost of a slower firing rate as each operator must reload the heavy weapon themselves. Their customized camouflage helps counter that delay with their increased ability to avoid incoming enemy fire. Their loadout allows them to be affective against armor and infantry alike, allowing them to added unprecedented firepower to the squad they are attached to.
Pandoran Shock Troops
While most Guardsmen are little more than meatshield sent into the grinder, these Shock Troopers managed to deploy tactics unthought of by other squads in an effort to preserve their lives while keeping the fight of the Imperium alive and well. Adorned still in their battlescarred armor from the first war, they proudly march into battle and help turn the tide in the Legion's favor. Their use of heavier weaponry makes any encouter favorable as they can quickly adapt to what is thrown at them. Their radio troopers and leadership (as the have two sergeants) allow them to split up into two different tactical teams working in tandem to take out whatever threat they encounter.
Leman Russ Punisher
The only remaining armored cav from the original war, this Leman Russ has mown down more enemy troops than all the remaining veterans combined. It's Punisher cannon has spent as many shells as the Imperium of Mas has spent live on this planet, and is now ready to spend more. The presence of the tank commander and his regimental standard provided morale and defensive boosts to those around the tank, effectively giving it a command role on the war-torn fields of Pandora. Over the course of the war, the Leman Russ crew found it fitting to add more weapons to the tank in order to counter whatever reared its ugly head by itself. The added weaponry effectively made this Leman Russ a one tank army, and its service on the battlefield is proof as to why it is still in service today.
Hatched Top Sentinel
Being the eyes and ears of the Legion, the Sentinel squads moved ahead of the main force to report what was to be found. Originally a three walker team, this particular Sentinel is all that remains of the old formation. Now taking on the command role for new Sentinels joining the Legion, it was fitting to adorn it with extra weaponry and armor to increase its survivability. Should the walked fall in battle, its hatch top will ensure its pilot will escape otherwise certain death. An added fuel tank at the back of the walker was added to allow it a few extra busts of speed in case the need of closing a gap was present, and it can also bolster the damage output of the fitted autocannon. Unfortunately, the power requirements to use all this Sentinel's weaponry is too high for the onboard CPU and therefore only one weapon (autocannon, missile pod, or chainsaw) may be used at a time. Enginseers are working around the clock to fix that issue, but have yet to come up with a plan of action.
Units to Add (on order)
Commissar Yarick
Cyclops Demolition Bots
Chimera Armored Transport
Heavy Flamer Team
Shaefer's Last Chancers
Sentinel Walkers
Valkyrie
Enginseer Techpriest
Servitor sets 1 and 2
Basilisk
Leman Russ + varriants
Notable Structures
Pandoran Field Command
Infantry Quarters
Communications Relay
Valkyrie Crash Site
Trench System
Materials Used
For those wondering how some of the things I created were created, hopefully this section will provide a little insight. I may add I am rather cheap as I'm a student still and I just bought a condo with my girlfriend so money is being saved for travel to and from school (gas prices in BC, Canada suck major ass) as well as the mortgage payments.
My paints are from a local craft store, or collected over time by my crafts-worthy parents (who are wicked artists i might add) and the few Citadel paints I have are the few colors I either don't want to keep mixing all the time (Catchan Green) or colors I don't readily find in stores (Boltgun Metal) as well as the washes for the minis (Badab Black, Devlin Mud, Ogryn Flesh). I also have a few Home Depot spray cans of concrete, military green and silver.
The finishes I foolishly used on the original troops was a glossy coat. Since then I have picked up a satin finish which protects less but allows for better pictures to be taken. I have yet to decide on a complete gloss or satin finish for all the model I made in the Legion.
I use decent paintbrushes from Michaels (8-16 dollar ones, quite fine and do the job well enough), though I do on occasion use dollar store brushes for the bigger models (the Leman Russ and Sentinel so far) when applying their base colors.
My mixing pallet for the paints is simply a piece of paper (probably seen in in the background some of my photos).
I have used a little green stuff, but mainly on the buildings I'm creating. I will use it on the models to fill big gaps or add a fuel line or filling to a bit that wouldn't normally be placed somewhere. I have no plasticard whatsoever.
The buildings themselves are all made of styrofoam looted from furniture packaging. Some of them feature prescription bottles and pieces of them, as well as parts from my vast lego collection for added detail.
I have a few craft/xacto knives to help cut piece up and shave off and mould lines, as well as a fine filing set for crafting my own parts if need be (as on my Leman Russ' flag supports) or adding detail to green stuff (comms array interface).
Other than that, that's how I've accomplished what you see so far. Nothing professional but hell, it gets the job done. And decently if I say so myself.
Real Life Origins of the 13th
My original goal for these Imperial Guard miniatures was to use them as a physical source of inspiration when it comes time for me to make 3D models on the computer for my academic goals. Game design is what I'm currently studying and at some point in the near future it will be required of me to make 3D models for one of my many courses. These Guardsmen will also serve well for the game I wish to design in the future when I graduate with the necessary skills to develop my game and a solid team behind me.
The game I plan to make in the future will feature Pandora Black as the main planet, therefore determining the name of my force. Also, I'm a baseball player and my number for the last 6 years has been 13, and it has served me well. Hopefully it will serve these little guys well too.
Note that most of my "veteran" troops were originally made for aesthetic purposes rather than game functionality and are designed rather... poorly (for gameplay) but pretty cool looking (imho). The new additions to the force, those that are on order, will be more game-ready, but still possess a good deal of minor conversions. Those that are already converted were done with relatively few pieces to use as the army was first created on April 28th (less than a full month ago as of today's date), but still manage to get a unique feel to them.
