Panorama of Current Army

Panorama of my current army

Tarot

Episode 66 of The Eye of Horus podcast recently compared the primarchs of the Horus Heresy with major arcana cards of the tarot.  The card compared with Fulgrim was the Empress. 

It does seem a good match for Fulgrim, all things considered.  While it's highly doubtful to me that the similarities are intentional, it certainly might be plausible that the primarchs represent certain indelible archetypes, which the tarot is also likely to tap into.

The Empress is described as sitting on a throne wearing a starry crown, holding a scepter in one hand.  She has the emblem of Venus, a starry crown, a throne in the middle of a field of grain, and a waterfall.

The Empress is a symbol of fertility, growth from the natural world, and what one knows from the heart.  She represents the concepts of:

mothering

• giving birth
• nourishing life
• nurturing and caring for others
• cherishing the world
• expressing tenderness
• working with children

welcoming abundance

• enjoying extravagance
• receiving lavish reward
• luxuriating in plenty
• having more than enough
• feeling rich

experiencing the senses

• giving and receiving pleasure
• focusing on the body
• appreciating beauty
• feeling vibrantly healthy
• being earthy
• doing physical activity

responding to Nature

• relating to plants and animals
• embracing the natural
• feeling connected to the Earth
• going outdoors
• harmonizing with natural rhythms

Artwork of Fulgrim with other Primarchs

Fulgrim and Perturabo

Fulgrim and Mortarion

Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus

28th Expedition

In the 203rd year of the Great Crusade, War Council logs indicated that there were:

• 4,287 expedition fleets engaged in active exploration
• 372 expedition fleets engaged in refit and repair
• 60,000 (approx.) detached compliance groups involved in occupation and colonization

The 28th Expedition Fleet was commanded by Fulgrim. 

The name of the imperial army regiment accompanying the Emperor's Children were the Archite Palatines.  Their uniform consisted of red tunics and silver breastplate.

The Commander of the Archite Palatines was Thaddeus Fayle.  He was a stern man with a horribly scarred face, augmented with a steel plate that obscured the side of his head.  He was a skilled general, a blunt speaker and a ruthless, unforgiving soldier.

Presumably during the heresy the Palatines remained aligned with the Emperor's Children, eventually morphing with their remembrancers into their supporting masses of unaugmented human worshippers of Slaanesh.

Wolf and Sister

Wolf and Sister motion comic!  40K Space Wolves and Sisters of Battle vs. Emperor's Children.

Outriders

The Inadequacies of Being a Space Marine

The Emperor bio-engineered the Space Marines to be the perfect soldiers.  They are immune to fear, untroubled with weaker emotions, and unflinching the face of destruction.  Taken as children at ages ten to fourteen, each Space Marine underwent a grueling trial and process to become the living man weapon that he is today.

What if anything was lost in the process?  Space Marines are no longer strictly speaking human.  They were granted powers and abilities far beyond that of mere mortals.  They do not seem to die by natural processes, are spared the indignity and feebleness of old age, and are immune to normal disease.

Along with the undeniable gifts, the process also expunges many irreplaceable, essential human qualities.  A Space Marine loyal to the Imperium cannot love and cannot feel romantic desire.  He is effectively castrated, and cannot have children.  He is destined to be a killer and a destroyer.  He is not allowed to remain peacefully on his own planet, but is required to raze and conquer other worlds, whose sole sin may be to wish to be left alone and govern themselves.  He must further commit genocide in Terra's name, because his master deems Xenos too different and imperfect to co-exist with in the galaxy.  

He is effectively rendered into a human lab rat, so Apothecaries can mutate his body to sprout additional organs and glands in accordance with a barely understood or controlled science.  In the case of Space Marines with tainted gene seed, they may also be subject to the dark spectre of genetic defects such as the curse of the wulfen or the red thirst.  These choices were effectively taken away from a Space Marine before he was of the age to properly appreciate or consent to the change.  Every Space Marine is essentially a child soldier, preordained through genetic manipulation to be a murderer.  

The Emperor's Children are unusual post heresy insofar as they have chosen to no longer follow the blueprint laid upon them by the false Emperor.  They choose their own desires and plot out their own destinies.  No longer confined to the restraining orbit of the Emperor's pre-programmed pathways for his own benefit, the Emperor's Children are free to seek their own evolution and improvement as they may independently see fit . . . . whether that is in the form of ultimate experiential hedonism, artistic complexity, martial perfection or otherwise.    

La Fenice

Teatro La Fenice (meaning "the Phoenix") was originally an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre", and in the history of opera as a whole. Especially in the 19th century, La Fenice became the site of many famous operatic premieres at which the works of several of the four major bel canto era composers—Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi were performed.

Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of three theatres to fire, the first in 1774 after the city's leading house was destroyed and rebuilt but not opened until 1792; the second fire came in 1836, but rebuilding was completed within a year. However, the third fire was the result of arson. It destroyed the house in 1996 leaving only the exterior walls, but it was rebuilt and re-opened in November 2004.

The La Fenice in Fulgrim's flagship, Pride of the Emperor, is of course a direct reference to the La Fenice in Venice.

http://www.teatrolafenice.it/site/index.php

Army so far

Leviathan Dreadnought

Picking a 30K Army?

Here's a short summary of the Horus Heresy legions, to help newcomers pick an army!

Legion I: Dark Angels

Primarch: Lion El'Johnson
30K Colors: Black
40K Colors: Dark Green
Summary: Knights with mysterious loyalties.

Legion II: Unknown

Legion III: Emperor's Children

Primarch: Fulgrim
30K Colors: Purple
40K Colors: Magenta
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor (Slaanesh)
Summary: Previously elitist aristocracy.  Later lurid hedonists.

Legion IV: Iron Warriors

Primarch: Perturabo
30K Colors: Black and Yellow
40K Colors: Black and Yellow
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor
Summary: Siege specialists.

Legion V: White Scars

Primarch: Jaghatai Khan
30K Colors: White and Red
40K Colors: White and Red
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary: Mongolian bikers.

Legion VI: Space Wolves

Primarch: Leman Russ
30K Colors: Grey
40K Colors: Slate Blue
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Viking Werewolves.

Legion VII: Imperial Fists

Primarch: Rogal Dorn
30K Colors: Yellow
40K Colors: Yellow
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Faithful Guardians.

Legion VIII: Night Lords

Primarch: Konrad Curze
30K Colors: Dark Blue and Red
40K Colors: Dark Blue and Red
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor
Summary:  Psychopathic Batmen.

Legion IX: Blood Angels

Primarch: Sanguinius
30K Colors: Red
40K Colors: Red
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Angelic Vampires.

Legion X: Iron Hands

Primarch: Ferrus Manus
30K Colors: Black
40K Colors: Black
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Grim Cyborgs.

Legion XI: Unknown

Legion XII: World Eaters

Primarch: Angron
30K Colors: White and Blue
40K Colors: Red and Gold
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor (Khorne)
Summary:  Blood thirsty berserkers.
How to Paint

Legion XIII: Ultramarines

Primarch: Roboute Guilliman
30K Colors: Blue
40K Colors: Blue
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Disciplined Strategists.
How to Paint

Legion XIV: Death Guard

Primarch: Mortarion
30K Colors: White and Green
40K Colors: White and Green
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor (Nurgle)
Summary:  Previously stalwart footsoldiers.  Later diseased plague bearers.
How to Paint

Legion XV: Thousand Sons

Primarch: Magnus the Red
30K Colors: Red
40K Colors: Blue and Gold
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor
Summary:  Egyptian wizards.

Legion XVI: Sons of Horus

Primarch: Horus
30K Colors: Sea Green
40K Colors: Black
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor
Summary:  Urban gang members.  Leaders of the Heresy.
How to Paint

Legion XVII: Word Bearers

Primarch: Lorgar
30K Colors: Dark Red
40K Colors: Dark Red
Loyalist or Traitor:  Traitor
Summary:  Religious zealots.
How to Paint

Legion XVIII: Salamanders

Primarch: Vulkan
30K Colors: Green
40K Colors: Green
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Coal skinned optimists from volcanic planet.

Legion XIX: Raven Guard

Primarch: Corax
30K Colors: Black
40K Colors: Black
Loyalist or Traitor:  Loyalist
Summary:  Stealthy strike force.

Legion XX: Alpha Legion

Primarch: Alpharius / Omegon
30K Colors: Blue Green
40K Colors: Blue Green
Loyalist or Traitor: Traitor
Summary:  Deceptive masterminds.

HERE IS THE FORGE WORLD PAGE INTRODUCING THE LEGIONS

Top 5 reasons to pick the Emperor's Children

1. They are sophisticated, refined and aristocratic

Having its origin in the patricians of Europa, the III Legion has always placed an emphasis on aesthetics and nobility.  While remembrancers were generally disliked by the Primarchs and the Astartes during the Great Crusade, the Emperor's Children alone recognized that the development of artistry was as important to the life of a warrior as was training in the arts of war.

2. Fulgrim

Fulgrim is one of the most fascinating and colorful Primarchs in the Horus Heresy.  He was one of the first to flock to Horus' side and one of the first to grasp the infinite possibilities offered by Chaos to humanity, ascending to immortal Daemon Prince status in Amon ny-shak Kaelis.  Brother Primarchs Ferrus Manus and Roboute Guilliman were slain by his hand.

3. Their style of war is elegant and decisive

The III Legion's style of war is unique.  They are decisive on the charge, striking quickly, breaking their foes and slicing them down as they run.

4. They have a compelling story to tell

The story of the Emperor's Children is a tragic one.  The transformation of the Legion is one from nobility and perfection to a lurid host consumed by experiential passion.  From the start of the Heresy the Emperor's Children play a central role, including such iconic moments such as Murder, Isstvan III, Isstvan V, and the Siege of Terra.

5. They provide color and pageantry to a gaming table

The Horus Heresy armies are largely a somewhat drab lot.  Most armies are colored muted shades of black, grey or white.  The Emperor's Children have no such restrictions, and provide their players with unparalleled opportunities for creativity. 

Happy Father's Day

My Draft 1,500 Point List

Emperor's Children 1500 (1500pts)

Legiones Astartes: Crusade Army List (Age of Darkness) (1500pts)

• HQ (205pts)

  • Lord Commander Eidolon (205pts)

    Jump Pack (20pts), Master of the Legion

    Independent Character, Legiones Astartes, Master of the Legion, Thunderous Charge, Warlord's Pride

    Name	Unit Type	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD	Save	Ref
    Lord Commander Eidolon	Infantry (Character)	6	5	4	4	3	5	4	10	2+	HH:LAICL p34

    Name	Description
    Iron Halo	Confers 4++ Invulnerable Save
    Sonic Shrieker	Models with a Sonic Shrieker imposes a -1 WS penalty on enemy models in base contact in assault. Enemies which are immune to Fear are also immune to this effect.	LA:ADL p8

    Name	Range	Strength	AP	Type	Ref
    Archaeotech Pistol	12"	6	3	Pistol, Master-crafted	HH:LACAL p82
    Death Scream	Template	2	-	Assault 1, Rending, Pinning, One Use	HH:LAICL p34

• Troops (360pts)

  • Legion Tactical Squad (180pts)

    9x Legion Tactical Space Marines (90pts), Take an additional Chainsword or Combat Blade (20pts)

    Fury of the Legion, Legiones Astartes

    • Legion Tactical Sergeant (10pts)

      Power Weapon (10pts)

    Name	Unit Type	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD	Save	Ref
    Legion Sergeant	Infantry (Character)	4	4	4	4	1	4	2	9	3+	HH:LACAL p202
    Legion Space Marine	Infantry	4	4	4	4	1	4	1	8	3+	HH:LACAL p202

  • Legion Tactical Squad (180pts)

    9x Legion Tactical Space Marines (90pts), Take an additional Chainsword or Combat Blade (20pts)

    Fury of the Legion, Legiones Astartes

    • Legion Tactical Sergeant (10pts)

      Power Weapon (10pts)

    Name	Unit Type	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD	Save	Ref
    Legion Sergeant	Infantry (Character)	4	4	4	4	1	4	2	9	3+	HH:LACAL p202
    Legion Space Marine	Infantry	4	4	4	4	1	4	1	8	3+	HH:LACAL p202

• Elites (495pts)

  • Palatine Blade Squad (215pts)

    Jump packs (50pts), 4x Palatine Warrior (80pts), 4x Power Sword (20pts)

    Chosen Warriors, Counter-attack, Duellist's Edge, Legiones Astartes

    • Palatine Prefector (10pts)

      Melta Bombs (5pts), Power Sword (5pts)

    Name	Unit Type	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD	Save	Ref
    Palatine Prefector	Infantry (Character)	5	4	4	4	1	4	2	9	2+	HH:LAICL p31
    Palatine Warrior	Infantry	5	4	4	4	1	4	2	8	3+	HH:LAICL p31

    Name	Range	Strength	AP	Type	Ref
    Charnabal Sabre	-	User	-	Melee, Rending, Deullist's Edge	HH:LACAL p86

  • Phoenix Terminator Squad (280pts)

    4x Phoenix Terminators (160pts), Sonic Shriekers (15pts)

    Implacable Advance, Legiones Astartes, Living Icon, Stubborn, Sudden Strike

    Name	Unit Type	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD	Save	Ref
    Phoenix Champion	Infantry (Character)	5	4	4	4	1	4	3	9	2+	LA:ADL p10
    Phoenix Terminators	Infantry	5	4	4	4	1	4	2	8	2+	LA:ADL p10

    Name	Description	Ref
    Sonic Shrieker	Models with a Sonic Shrieker imposes a -1 WS penalty on enemy models in base contact in assault. Enemies which are immune to Fear are also immune to this effect.	LA:ADL p8
    Tartaros Terminator Armour	A model in Terminator armour has the Relentless and Bulky special rules, and is not able to make Sweeping Advance moves unless otherwise specified. They also may not be transported in Rhino APCs. Terminator armour affords a 2+ armour save and a 5+ invulnerable save. In addition to the effects and rules listed previously for Terminator armour, models in Tartaros pattern armour may make Sweeping Advances in combat unlike other patterns of Terminator armour. If a model with Tartaros pattern armour is joined by a character equipped with a different pattern of Terminator armour or vice versa, this ability is lost.	FAQ

    Name	Range	Strength	AP	Type	Ref
    Phoenix Spear	-	+1/User	2/3	Melee, Two-handed	HH:LAICL p28

• Fast Attack (250pts)

  • Legion Storm Eagle Assault Gunship (250pts)

    Two Twin-linked Lascannons (40pts)

    Assault Vehicle, Deep Strike, Machine Spirit

    Name	BS	Front	Side	Rear	HP	Type	Ref
    Legion Storm Eagle Assault Gunship	4	12	12	12	4	Flyer, Hover, Transport	HH1: Betrayal p215

    Name	Range	Strength	AP	Type	Ref
    Vengeance Launcher	48"	5	4	Heavy 2, Large Blast	HH1: Betrayal p215

• Heavy Support (190pts)

  • Sicaran Venator Tank Destroyer (190pts)

    Dangerous Reactor Core, Shock Pulse

    Name	BS	Front	Side	Rear	HP	Type	Ref
    Sicaran Venator Tank Destroyer	4	13	12	12	3	Tank, Fast	HH:LACAL p60

    Name	Range	Strength	AP	Type	Ref
    Neutron Beam Laser	36"	10	1	Ordnance 2, Concussive, Shock Pulse	HH:LACAL p60

• Legion

  • Legion Astartes

    III: Emperor's Children, Traitor

Selection Rules

Assault Vehicle

Chosen Warriors: All models may issue and accept challenges as if Characters. This does not confer any of the other special rules associated with Characters. (HH:LACAL p80)

Counter-attack

Dangerous Reactor Core: An enemy may re-roll a result of a 1 on the Vehicle Damage table against the Sicarian Venator. Explodes results add D3" to radius. (HH:LACAL p60)

Deep Strike

Duellist's Edge: When fighting a challenge, the user of this weapon gains +1 to their initiative value. (HH:LACAL p86)

Fury of the Legion: (HH:LACAL p30)

Implacable Advance: Unit is always counted as a scoring unit where Troops are also counted as scoring units. (HH:LACAL p22)

Independent Character

Legiones Astartes: - Units with this special rules may always attempt to regroup regardless of casualties.
- Additional rules conferred by Legiones Astartes (____) (HH:LACAL p80)

Living Icon: The unit, and all friendly units with at least one model within 6" of it, are considered to be victorious in any assault that would otherwise be a draw. (HH:LAICL p30)

Machine Spirit: Confers the Power of the Machine Spirit special rule. (HH:LACAL p239)

Master of the Legion: (HH:LACAL p15)

Shock Pulse: Any vehicle, including super-heavies, that suffers a penetrating hit may only fire snap shots on the following game turn. (HH:LACAL p60)

Stubborn

Sudden Strike: Units with this rule gain +1 Initiative during any phase when they charge. This is cumulative with other bonuses. (HH:LAICL p107)

Thunderous Charge: On any turn which he charges, he may ignore the effect of Unwieldy with his hammer. (HH:LAICL p34)

Warlord's Pride: If Eidolon is a part of the army, he will always be the warlord unless Fulgrim is present. (HH:LAICL p34)

Statistics

	Units			Models			Upgrades
Legiones Astartes: Crusade Army List (Age of Darkness)	7x	1500pts	100%	21x	405pts	27%	27x	465pts	31%
HQ	1x	205pts	13.66%	1x	205pts	13.66%	2x	20pts	1.33%
Troops	2x	360pts	24%	20x	200pts	13.33%	4x	60pts	4%
Elites	2x	495pts	33%	0x	0pts	0%	17x	345pts	23%
Fast Attack	1x	250pts	16.66%	0x	0pts	0%	1x	40pts	2.66%
Heavy Support	1x	190pts	12.66%	0x	0pts	0%	0x	0pts	0%
Legion	0x	0pts	0%	0x	0pts	0%	3x	0pts	0%
Roster	7x	1500pts	100%	21x	405pts	27%	27x	465pts	31%

Created with BattleScribe

Phoenix Guard

Warhammer License

I found this video interesting, regarding the Warhammer license:

Seven Deadly Sins

Traditional Christianity indicates that there are seven deadly sins that are fatal to spiritual progress.   According the standard list, they are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed, and sloth.

How are the seven deadly sins potentially allocated among the chaos gods?  It seems that Slaanesh takes the lion's share:

Slaanesh

Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities.

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain.

Slannesh sins tend to have a legitimate, achievable good as their goal such as self esteem, satisfaction or wealth.  However, the objective is so seductive in nature that the individual loses control and fails to put reasonable limits on their desire.  Slaanesh is firmly rooted in the material world and seeks to achieve ascension through physicality.

Khorne:

Wrath is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for anger.

Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation which you do not possess and have no reasonable chance of obtaining.  Envy is inherently a destructive trait, because the individual has no chance of achieving what they are envious of for themselves.

Khorne sins tend to be destructive in nature.  The individual looks to cause external destruction to others.   

Nurgle:

Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

Nurgle sins tend to be associated with the failure to achieve any good because satisfaction with the status quo. 

Tzeentch:

None

Tzeentch is perhaps the most interesting deity because he represents an abstract concept.  Change is more of a universal truth rather than an indication of human frailty.  As a result, it doesn't seem that any of the seven deadly sins clearly line up with his domain.