The Cadian 501st Regiment

[Col_Festus]

Cadian 501st Regiment "Traitors Bane"

Hey guys (and gals)! Let me first thank you for checking out my on going Imperial Guard painting log. I'll be using this first post as a table of contents. I'm slowly updating things as I finally got a new camera lens and want to take professional pictures of everything. Bare with me while I get things in order.

Table of Contents
Fluff
Company Command Squad w/ Advisors and Ministorium Priest
Infantry Squad 1
Infantry Squad 2
Platoon Command Squad
Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Kasrkin Squad 1 (Veterans)
Leman Russ #1 (Magnetized)
Chimera 1 & 2
Banewolf
Valkyrie
Demolisher #1
Leman Russ Executioner (Magnetized)
Hydra Flak Tank

[Col_Festus]

Cadian 501st Regiment "Traitors Bane"

Background:
The history of the Cadian 501st is a short but blood one. They prefer absorbing the attacks of their enemies and grinding them down before launching blistering counter assaults lead by mounted Karskin units. They are lead by the pragmatic Colonel Eruk Von Festus. Preferring to lead from the front, Festus has suffered grevious injuries at the hands of his enemies and as such has had many bionic alterations done to keep him in service. Most of these injuries have been sustained at the hands of the Eldar and most recently the World Eaters Legion.

Currently stationed with the Colonel is the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Victor Einhart. A veteran of the campaign against Craftworld Uthlwe before the invasion of the Cadian sector by Abaddon and his forces. He prefers to take a back seat to the command of the regiment and instead seems more curious with the Uthlwe activity in the area, and the relationships the Pylons have on the Eye of Terror. None the less men are bolstered by the sight of him.

Early in Festus' career he was tasked with investigating increased activity of the Ulthwe craftworld near the Eye of Terror. The 501st was originally raised with this purpose in mind as the activity of the craftworld had seemed to increase as of late. Skirmishes were fought and both sides bloodied as he tried to figure out the method to the Eldar. Being vastly out experienced and outmaneuvered by the Xeno's it was very touch and go. This is when Inquisitor Victor Einhart of the Ordo Xenos was assigned to aid him in his efforts and to investigate the mysterious activities of the Eldar.

Eventually Festus found his forces out numbered by a surge in Ulthwe activity, which we now know, was the craftworld gearing up for the 13th Black Crusade. Inquisitor Einhart suspected something major was a foot when the Avatar of Khaine had been spotted taking the field of battle near the end of the Ulthwe campaign. Festus himself came face to face with the Avatar and was struck down. By the grace of the Emperor he some how survived and was taken from the field of battle by Inquisitor Einhart. The surgeons were able to save the Colonel and his body was retrofitted with bionics and synthskin from the excessive burns received from the confrontation with the Avatar.

When he was able to stand on him own two feet again he requested additional forces to attack the Eldar and drive them from the Cadian sector he was denied and recalled to Cadia to help quell civil uprisings now, known to be caused by the destroyer hive plague unleashed by Typhus. Festus' reluctantly withdrew to his home world and was assigned to guard a Cadian pylon located close to the epicenter of one of these rebellions. He swiftly established a parameter and easily crushed any attempts to take the pylon by rag tag bands of rebels bolstered by decommissioned tanks. The Colonel thought that his career might peter out at this point and be resigned to the many faceless officers that had died in the service to the Imperium. However fate had other plans for the aging colonel.

When the 13th Black Crusade spewed forth from the Eye of Terror like a cancer hell bent on corruption of the entire Cadian system Festus' knew it would be nothing less that all out war. The Imperial forces were eventually beaten back until the Traitors made planet fall on the sacred soil of Cadia herself. The Word Bearers Legion was prepared for Cadia and knew well of it’s geography and crucial area's of interest. It soon became clear what they were planning. Within weeks of planet fall, reports of traitor legions aided by deamons and traitor guard were assaulting pylons and destroying them. With each pylon lost the Eye of Terror surged forward reclaiming a bit of real space and the daemons bolstering the Word Bearers grew.

The importance of his position clear, Festus dug in and prepared for the onslaught of the Word Bearers. Additional units of Kasrkin with their "Traitor's Bane" pattern hellguns were assigned to the regiment to bolster their ranks. Extra plasma weapondry was issued as well as a number of Executioner pattern Leman Russ battle tanks. Heavy artillery was rolled into place and plastisteel bunkers constructed. Over lapping fields of autocannons were positioned to make the traitors pay for each step they took towards the pylon. Razor wire, and minefields were strew across no mans land for miles. Festus was given a personal gift from Creed himself. A Super Heavy Shadowsword Tank that would be retrofitted as his command vehicle, replacing his trusted Salamander.

On the Word Bearers came, their vanguard a warband of World Eater Khorne Berserkers smashing into the Imperial defenses. In the initial assault countless millions of men lost their lives under the whirling chain axes of the attackers, but for every 10 Cadians that fell, 1 traitor marine fell with them. Indiscriminate fire was poured into friend and foe alike as swirling melee's erupted all around the defensive lines. At this moment the traitors played their hand. A massive Warlord Titan festooned with icons of the Dark Gods assaulted the pylon. This is when Festus' threw his grand plan into action. Just as they line's were about to break, and the World Eaters numbers were thinning he unleashed a massive mechanized counter attack of Kasrkin. The attack was signaled by Festus' Shadowsword itself firing and destroying the hulking Warlord Titan. The hellguns of the Kasrkin took a heavy toll on friend and foes alike as the beams indiscriminately cut down both sides. With this the World Eater’s attack was broken, at a terrible cost in Cadian Blood. A bitter sweet victory for the hardened Colonel.

After stalling the attack a bitter stale mate ensued. The skies over Cadia had been reclaimed by the Imperial Fleet and the Word Bearers no longer had access to reinforcements their attack on the pylon ground to a halt. All over Cadia the message was being sent out that the pylons must not fall and as the Imperial fleet reinforced the positions with men, munitions, and equipment. With the Word Bearers cut off from their Dark Masters, and their Vanguard broken both sides settle down for what will be a grueling war of attrition that is sure to last for the foreseeable future.

[Fable]

It's good to see you back with the guard. I look forward to turning them to frappe with my warp spiders.

[Vex]

Stunning paint jobs! Colonel Festus and the standard bearer look great. The detail on the eyes, the highlights, excellant work. I look forward to your next thousand.

[Shadow Nugz]

These are amazingly detailed models.

How long does it take for a single miniature? I'd imagine it'd take quite a while for an entire army!

[Col_Festus]

These are amazingly detailed models.

How long does it take for a single miniature? I'd imagine it'd take quite a while for an entire army!

Thanks guys I'm somewhat of a speed painter, the Colonel took me about 2 hours and the banner about 4. Finished them both yesterday

[Shadow Nugz]

Wow, are you going to paint at the same speed for the entire army? Speaking of which, do you have any plans for an army or is this a "whatever-I-feel-like" army?

[Col_Festus]

I'll probably paint in waves. I'm working on a 1500 point list at the moment for our local gaming group. Working on the rest of the command squad as we speak or type..

[Ariobarzanes]

Suscribed!!! a really really crisp job.
keep feeding us.

[Shinigami]

really nice guard!

bieutifull use of the baneblade commander bits and really clean painting

lookign forward to seeing more of em!

[Shinigami]

really nice guard!

bieutifull use of the baneblade commander bits and really clean painting

lookign forward to seeing more of em!

[er!k]

looks really good. I especially love the skin and the stubble effect. Can't wait to see how this log progresses

[[lexus]]

I love the faces! How did you do them?
Also did you paint the markings on their shoulder pads or did you use the transfer sheet markings?

[Col_Festus]

Thanks for the love guys! Small update... Just finished the Astropath. Here he is.




@Lexus: The skin is fairly simply. I start with a black undercoat and give 2 layers of Tallarn Flesh. Once that is nice and dry I give it a heavy wash of Ogryn flesh. Once that's dry I do the eyes by putting a black slit and then dotting the corners with white. I highlight using a mix of tallarn flesh and morrow white (p3). Once the highlighting is done I take some base tallarn flesh and mix it with water and a bit of adeptus battle grey. This forms a glaze that I put on the chin and cheeks for stubble. Once all of this is complete I take ogryn flesh and go back and pick out some of the recesses to emphasize them. Hope this helps!

[The Laughing God]

Looks great, I really love the eyes on the astropath. You did a great job on the glowing effect.

[Col_Festus]

Finished up infantry Squad #1. Infantry Squad 2 will have a vox and a commissar in it. I hope to get that up this week sometime, as well as the Command HQ squad I've been working on.

[Shadow Nugz]

Wow! An entire squad painted to standards that are stunning! The face painting does not sound altogether hard but somewhat time consuming!

Good job!

[Fable]

You painted at an amazing clip this weekend! You'll have a playable force up and running really fast at this rate.

[Col_Festus]

Commissar is finished. This will be for a blob squad I'm working on of 20 - 30 guardsmen.





Just gave him a simple bolt pistol conversion from the plasma pistol he had.

[Col_Festus]

Platoon Command squad!


These guys will be getting a chimera or a Valk to fly around in =)