Cry Havoc!

Back to Badab we go...

When I started this project, I had a squad of Tactical Marines and a few bits and pieces to play with. The rest has been picked up as cheap secondhand lots on eBay, something which is always a little bit of a lottery.

And it proved to be the case with this little lot.

This is a Devastator Squad, a Space Marine heavy weapons team which I shall be using in my 'definitely not yet' Chaos Space Marine army for the Astral Claws.

In Chaos terms they will be fielded as Havocs, which are pretty much Devastators with a slightly more edgy name; Chaos being the ultimate edge-lord army.

The unit features a Sergeant with a Plasma Gun, and four Marines armed with a Lascannon, a Missile Launcher and two Heavy Bolters.

Technically, to use these as Havocs in the Combat Patrol list I'll be using, one of the Heavy Bolters should be replaced by a Reaper Chaincannon, something regular Marines don't have access to.

It's something I would need to discuss with an opponent, whether they're happy for a slightly different loadout in the unit, or would prefer me to proxy one of the Heavy Bolters as a different weapon. It's no skin off my nose either way.

So where did the lottery element come in?

Well, firstly there is never a guarantee that you'll get everything that you need in a single purchase. For example, I spent ages looking for the right combination of weapons in different lots.

This one won out due to only being a Heavy Bolter out and the fact that the Sergeant was missing a weapon, allowing me to grab a Plasma Gun from my Horus Heresy stash.

Then there's other issues, such as the fact that the guy with the Missile Launcher isn't actually a proper Devastator Marine. He seems to have been cobbled together from spare bits, including a regular backpack (rather than one with an auto-loader)  an Assault Marine body and left arm which leads to a pose where he's nonchalantly dual-wielding a heavy weapon.

Also there's odd stuff as you end up discovering that the person you bought from used some very odd glue, which started giving up as soon as I started spraying sliver paint on them. The Lascannon Marine collapsed, with both arms falling off and others lost limbs in the process.

Although sticking them back together was easy enough, it does make me worry about the long term durability of the models.

Finally there are details like issues with the build of the models.

There were hefty mould lines still in place on the legs and, if you look closely enough, there are points where sprue gates haven't been cleaned very well, and these are things that are tricky to sort once the model has been built.

Another issue I had for some reason was that the transfers kept sliding off. I'm not sure why as I've not done anything different this time to previously, but it did prove a frustrating process.

All in all, I'm happy with how they've turned out, but they won't win me any prizes.

I've now completed the Combat Patrol I was aiming to build using the rules for the now out of print 40k 9th edition Chaos Space Marine Combat Patrol. Technically I need a Marine with a Meltagun (I'm currently proxying a flamer) and the aforementioned Reaper Chaincannon, but it's serviceable.

I'm using Chaos Space Marine rules mainly because it's a more authentic representation of the First Born Marines that are being phased out of the main line. Also, it thematically fits the Astral Claws, who are a chapter already well on their way towards Chaos by the start of the Badab War.

Before moving the force forwards, I need to find out how the project will be organised on Arbitor Ian's YouTube channel. I do have some bits and pieces left over from my purchases, along with some very old models I intend to use, but I'd like a little direction before making any plans.

Acquired: -61
Painted: 365
Lead Mountain: 647