The Vexus Crusade, Imperial Fists
The Vexus Crusade, Imperial Fists
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to yet another project log, this time taking the form of a homage to first founding chapter, the Imperial Fists. I am intending to paint up elements of the 5th, 1st and 10th companies with additions from the Armoury. The reason for using the 5th battle company is basically down to an aesthetic choice stemming from a predilection towards less vibrant colours, i know the darn marines are yellow!
Over the last couple of weeks i have been conversing, in considerable detail, with Eltanko to combine our efforts in re-creating armies of the Sons of Dorn, Eltanko tackling Black Templars and myself Imperial Fists. The plan is to combine our forces theme towards a singular campaign, having the background and story of our armies linked though combat in the name of the Emperor! To this end we have looked to creating a setting, scenario and documentation for a campaign/crusade to retake a system.
Eltanko's mighty Black Templar forces can be found here; The Vexus Crusade, Black Templars
Hopefully, we will progress at a reasonably similar pace, building and painting our armies in unison. For my part i am structuring my initial army around a 1500pts list, as follows:
- Captain Tiberius Vallarn (Pedro Kantor) - Pg4
- Sternguard Squad - Pg4
- Razorback - Pg7
- Venerable Dreadnought & Drop Pod - Pg5
- Tactical Squad - Pg2
- Rhino - Pg7
- Tactical Squad - Pg3
- Rhino - Pg7
- Scout Squad - Pg5
- Land Speeder Squadron - Pg11
- Predator Annihilator - Pg8
- Predator Annihilator - Pg8
Providing all goes well the army may well get far bigger than this initial 1500pts, to this end additional units/models completed will be listed below:
- Objective Marker - Pg9
- Tank Commander - Pg9
Furthermore i will endeavour to keep this list up to date with planned units:
- Assault Squad
- Devastator Squad
- Rhino
- Tactical Squad
- Rhino
- Captain Lysander
- Assault Terminator Squad
- Land Raider
On each of the models in the army, there will be displayed a campaign badge, this badge will be present on both Eltanko's Black Templar and my Imperial Fists. WIP shot of the campaign badge below:
So without further designer ramblings here is the campaign background and introduction, co-written by Eltanko and Myself:
The Vexus Crusade, The Retribution of Sigismund
The Vexus system lies on the outer egde of the Segmentum Obscura. home to 11 habitable worlds of varying climates, most of which are agri-worlds, providing huge swathes of crops for the Imperium. Since the Horus Heresy the systems has been fought over and repeatedly lost and recaptured by the Imperium. The knowledge of its current invasion came about, after a reprasentative from Terra was sent to investigate multiple incidents of failure to pay Imperial Tithe taxes. Upon arrival in the system, the Cruiser Hope of Mordis sent down a transport ship to investigate. After 2 days, they had recieved no contact with the transport ship, and sent down a recconaissance force. Upon theire arrival they were met by heavy fire, and hostile forces overwhelmed them after landing. They had managed to send a vox message back to the Hope of Mordis, who relayed it via astropath, back to holy Terra. The High Lords of Terra then contacted the Imperial Fists Chapter Master with instructions to retake the system.
The capital world of Vexus IV is home to the Fortress of Sigismund, a master piece of defensive engineering, it was designed by Rogal Dorn during the great crusades before the Horus Heresy.
During the aftermath of the heresy the fortress was abandoned as all loyalist forces returned to Terra, since then the fortress, planet and system have been lost to the Imperium, overrun by heretics and traitors. In 981.M41 the Imperial Fists received word that the fortress was now in the hands of the Iron Warriors, this was a deep blasphemy that could not be tolerated, more troubling to the Son's of Dorn was that the vaults deep beneath the fortress are said to contain a great many relics of the chapter, including a library of fortress schematics designed by the primarch.
With much deliberation and preparation the Imperial Fists and Black Templar's proposed a crusade to retake the system primarily for honour to their Primarch, but as far as the High Lords of Terra are concerned, to restore the much needed food supply to the neighbouring Imperial territories. In this the combined might of the Sons of Dorn could secure the fortress of sigismund and the Primarch's relics.
Over the following months the task force was assembled, under the command of Commander Darnath Lysander, Captain of the Imperial Fist's 1st Company, a hero and a legend in his own right. Under his command the Imperial Fists committed the following forces:
- Commander Tiberius Vallarn, Captain or the 5th Battle Company, Master of the Siege.
- 106 Marines of the 5th Battle Company
- 20 Marines of the 1st Veteran Company
- 20 Initiates of the 10th Scout Company
- Armoury Support
Although having a little under 150 combatants the forces committed by the Imperial Fist force pale in comparison to those of the Black Templar's, which sanctioned by High Marshall Helbrecht and under the command of Castellan Morten Throgus, deployed the following:
- Chaplain De'ath Giltine
- 3 Entombed ones, Dreadnoughts
- 250 Marines + Neophytes of Throgus Crusade Company
- Armoury support
The Astartes force would be supported by the Imperial Fleet and over 610,000 guardsmen from the Vandoland Regiments, tasked with the occupation and permanent garrisoning of the system once back in Imperial control.
The overall campaign would be commanded by Captain Lysander overseeing the Fleet, the Imperial Guard Vandoland Regiments and the securing of the sector. Castellan Throgus would be tasked with securing the capital world, destroying all hostile forces and isolating the fortress isle, they would undoubtedly be dealing with the majority of the Chaos threat. Once isolated, the Throgus Campaign Company with the support of Captain Vallarn's 5th company would lay siege to and re-capture the fortress, culminating in the reclamation of the chapter Relics and their lost honour.
As Eltanko and I progress our project logs we will co-write further campaign information and add it in to the logs, sort of forming an Imperial Armour style story, so look out for that we hopefully have a few twists in store. Updates to follow in due course...
Originally Posted by Emilio101
