Pre-Heresy Salamanders: Artellus Numeon

Howdy Guys and Girls :)

Today I want to show you my Artellus Numeon - i liked this character since his first appearance in Promethean Sun - and he has a volkite-spear - who couldn't love him for that!

I won't spoiler too much of his story - if you are interested, he is featured in Promethean Sun, Vulkan Lives and Deathfire.

Artellus Numeon

Lord-Protector of Hesiod, Vulkan's Equerry, Commander of the Pyre Guard

"We have all burned. Down in the fire pits, or from the brander’s iron in the solitorium, we have all touched the fire. It leaves scars, even for us. We carry them proudly, with honour. But the scars we took that day on that battlefield, we bear only with shame and regret. They are a memorial in flesh, a physical reminder of everything we have lost, a burn even we fire-born cannot endure without pain."

- First Captain Artellus Numeon

Born on Terra as opposed to Nocturne, Numeon was a veteran member of the Legion and served as Lord Protector of Hesiod, Captain of the 1st Company Firedrakes, Equerry to the Primarch Vulkan, and commander of the elite Pyre Guard. Following the Drop Site Massacre, Numeon and a sparse number of Salamanders survived, fearing Vulkan dead (or captured) and vowing to exact vengeance on the traitor forces. Numeon organized the retreat of the remaining Salamanders (as well as surviving Raven Guard and Iron Hands) off Isstvan V and onto the warship Fire Ark. His ultimate fate following the events of the Horus Heresy is recorded elsewhere, ...

It was pretty cool to convert Vulkan He'stan - a great model, he makes an awesome base for any power armoured Salamanders Praetor in my opinion. The helmet is from the Mark II command set, the shield from the Firedrake Terminators.

Hope you enjoyed him!

regards,

Lady Atia

Pre-Heresy Salamanders: Pyroclasts; Betrayal at Calth - and some support from Mezoa

Howdy Guys and Girls!

Before I come to my Salamanders, I want to say I'm pretty excited about the upcoming Betrayal at Calth - and will use my two sets to make the core of small Zone Mortalis forces for Word Bearers, Ultramarines, Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors - alongside my ZM board, that's something I'm really looking forward to, and planned since earlier this year. But I know that both Phall and Calth are huge things, and while I'll probably build atleast one set once it arrives to try the board game, the painting will need to wait a few months - Salamanders and Knights wants to be done first!

EDIT:

oh, and another pic of Betrayal at Calth :)

Speaking about the Sons of Vulkan - let's take a look at their organisation and tactics!

Unit Formation and Structure within the XVIIIth Legion

Before the reunification with their Primarch Vulkan, the XVIIIth Legion - or The Fearless, as they were called by allied Exertus Imperialis regiments - had a tendency towards asymmetrical engagements and scattered deployment, utilising Company level detachments numbering 100 to 200 Legiones Astartes under the command of a Captain, with the Legion's senior command acting as a heavy strategic reserve.

When Vulkan took over his Legion, he largely unified his Legion and formed the seven Realms - basically Great Companies. It should be noted that he tried to preserve the spirit of the self-suffiency elements were possible.

The Seven Realms are:
- Hesiod, the Seat of Kings
- Themis, the City of Warlords
- Epithemus, the Jewel City
- Heliosa, the Beacon City
- Aethonion, the Fire Spike
- Clymene, the Merchant's Sprawl
- Skarokk, the Dragonspine

Commanders over the Realms were the Lord-Protectors, below which numerous line companies, each around 120 Legiones Astartes, each under the command of a Captain. Below them were lieutenants, master sergeants, sergeants and legionaries.

Each of the Seven Realms had its own cadre of Firedrakes and Igniax (who were basically the Chaplains of the Salamanders).

The Legion was noted for its superior artifice in the creation of arms, and had a large stock of masterly crafted Dreadnoughts and Terminator armours, aswell as a substantial armoury of heavy vehicles, favouring tanks, boarding rams and gunships over static artillery, light skimmers and rapid attack vehicles - but they never lacked these things in case they might need it.

Destroyers and Pyroclasts

The dreaded Pyroclasts are the burning fury of the Salamanders Legion given material form. Shunning conventional Destroyer units in his Legion, save for a small cadre retained for xenocide operations, due to the tainting and unclean nature of the weapons they wielded, Vulkan created the Pyroclasts to fulfil the role of bringers of utter destruction, creating for them advanced and extremely powerful thermal/incendiary weapons of his own devising. To the Salamanders, fire is more than merely a weapon; it has an almost mystical function and truth, and embodies both purifying destruction and potential for rebirth and redemption. But for renewal to occur, what has gone before must be wiped away; purified by fire. It is this last concept that the Pyroclasts embody, and in battle they are relentless and remorseless, and where they are unleashed there can be no possibility of mercy or reprieve from the fire.

So basically, the Pyroclasts were used instead of Destroyers in most cases - but as far as i see, they still used a pretty small cadre of normal Destroyers too. Sadly the rules forbid you to take Destroyers in your Salamanders Detachment - maybe we will get this option with a new Rite of War?

Support from Mezoa

Hope you enjoyed my post - next week we will take a look at a great hero of the Legion.

Last but not least, i want to show what arrived for my House Vyronii force yesterday :)

regards,

Lady Atia

Pre-Heresy Salamanders: Dreadnoughts

Howdy Guys and Girls :)


I moved this week to my new apartment, that means i have internet problems, so I'll make it short :/

Next week you will get more Salamanders background, how their Legion is organized, and what tactics they use or eschew.

But ... Dreadnoughts I promised, and Dreadnoughts you shall get!

Ancient Grenn

once of the Realm of Epithemus, now attached to the survivors of Cadre Sulphaeon at Dominica Minor, the last Dragon, the Reaper's prey

[pict-capture: Isstvan V massacre and Raid on Dominica Minor]

Once, Ancient Grenn was Consul-Centurion Shar'rac Grenn of the 3rd company of the Realm of Epithemus, well respected in the Legion for his devotion both to duty and the teachings of Vulkan. The honour markings on his kneepads and the embossed seal of Nocturne on his chestplate recall the glories of his long career, which culminated in the brutal fighting on Isstvan V from which he barely escaped, for all that he knew as the last of his kind, alongside a handful of his brethren. It was on Dominica Minor that the tattered survivors heard rumours of Vulkan's death and the total destruction of their Legion, and when the dread fleet of Mortarion appeared in orbit of their refuge, they pledged to die in its defence rather than flee before their gene-father's murderers ...

Ancient Rakarok

The Dragon of Canedis, formerly known as " Rakarok Skyfire"

A Veteran of the Legion's battles before the XVIIIth was united with its Primarch, Rakarok bears a long list of honours and advanced to the rank of Captain of a Devastator-Cohort of the Realm of Hesiod before his mortal wounding at the Siege of Accatran. 

The scales, Deathfire-symbol and tabard are sculpted, I'll make a guide for that in the future :)

Hope you like them :)

regards,

Lady Atia

Pre-Heresy Salamanders: Overview and Firedrakes

Howdy Guys and Girls!

First, this hobby week was pretty red for me, as I made some progress on my Khorne Daemons. I also got a Knight for my Vyronii force and prepared the parts for painting - can't wait to start!

Today I want to give you a little Salamanders overview and what excactly I have planned for them, aswell as a look at my Firedrake Terminators.

Let's start with some quick facts:

"On the Anvil of War are the strong tempered and the weak made to perish, thus are men's souls tested as metal in the forge's fire."

- The Primarch Vulkan

Numeration: The XVIIIth Legion

Primogenitor: Vulkan

Cognomen: informal designation "The Fearless"

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Zone Mortalis Engagements, Planetary Interdiction, Liberation and Defence Operations

Noteworthy Domains: The Nocturne System, Caldera, Battle Station Geryon Deep

Allegiance: Fedelitas Totalis

In the great war of the Horus Heresy, many deeds of infamy and valour were writ upon the bloody stars, and at the centre of this maelstrom lay the Salamanders Legion; betrayed, struck down, laid waste and yet resolute against the foe. There are few Legions who have paid such a high price for their loyalty and honour as the Salamanders. There are fewer still who have so willingly and so often shed their blood in Mankind's defence beyond their measure and due. The Salamanders are such a Legion, and though driven to near-destruction not once, but time and again, they have each time arisen from the ashes of war, stronger and tempered like the peerless steel blades fashioned in the legendary forges of their homeworld: unbroken, undefeated and true to their cause.

Why collecting Salamanders? What have i planned?

I really like the fact that the Salamanders are basically "hard shell, soft core" - they look pretty savage with their scales and dragonbones, have obsidian skin and burning eyes, but are exactly the opposite of bad guys.

They also have a great potential for conversions and sculpting - dragon skulls, scales, teeth aswell as cool glyphs. You can also use some Space Wolve parts, and the Forgeworld upgrade kits are gorgeous. 

I have planned a small elite force so far - representing the Firedrakes of Hesiod, using both Terminators and power armoured Veterans. I also love Dreadnoughts, so i got a Contemptor and a Deredeo. My commander is Artellus Numeon - since i saw his artwork in Vulkan Lifes, I wanted to build my own! Last but not least, I also have bought the Primarch himself - he will be the last model I paint for this force, as a little reward/candy that keeps me motivated :P

Firedrake Terminators

This was the first unit I painted for my Salamanders, and I'm pretty happy with my guys. Hope you like them ^.^

My Sergeants fire-vexilla is from Vulkan Hestan.

The heavy flamer was a pretty simple conversion - i used the one from the Space Wolves Terminator box, removed the Wolves icon and sculpted a little fire rune.

Hope you enjoyed my little post, next week I want to show you my Dreadnoughts :)

regards,

Lady Atia

Vulkan - Model - Wow!

So Simon has his congratulations from me, this model is epic, one of my favourite (if not top) so far. The pose is iconic as it needed to be for him and is perfectly executed. Here is a couple of pics I managed to catch, I hope you all enjoy him as I am now!!

Darko Thane