ISSUE 70
30 May 2015

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

2015 is the year the Imperium takes the fight to its enemies with a vengeance. Following the jaw-dropping new miniatures released for the Skitarii, Cult Mechanicus and Imperial Knights come the Angels of Death themselves, the Emperor’s finest, the ultimate rock against which the waves of heresy and alien threat will break. The Space Marines are here, bolstered with brilliant new kits, and they shall know no fear.
Our cover stars this issue are the new Assault Squad, whose members comprise a boxed set overflowing with options and equipment. They’re joined by four upgrade sprues for the Ultramarines, Dark Angels, Space Wolves and Blood Angels – all of which makes for a mind-boggling amount of variety. So much so, in fact, that we’ve penned an epic Sprues and Glue showcasing Space Marines modelling diversity. We hope you enjoy it!

Borne into battle upon plumes of fire, Space Marine Assault Squads are the brutal fists of the Space Marines, hurled into the fray to smash into the enemies of Mankind with the braying scream of chainswords and murderous bark of bolt pistols.

Space Marine Assault Squads strike with the wrath of the Primarchs of old, avenging angels who fall upon the enemy in a ceramite-clad avalanche of chainswords. They are formed of Space Marines who have earned their place in the Chapter through the fires of battle and proven their worth through years, even decades of war.

On the battlefield, Assault Marines are assigned the bloody task of fighting the enemy blade to blade, storming trench lines with roaring flamers and sweeping the foe from strongpoints with bolt pistols and chainswords. When the mission demands it, they don jump packs which enable them to bound towards the enemy in massive, jet-powered leaps, covering ground far faster than warriors on foot. Should the fighting be expected to take them into confined spaces, or require a transport vehicle, they will wear standard power armour backpacks, often travelling in Rhino APCs to avoid incoming fire.

The new Space Marine Assault Squad allows you to build five Assault Marines, launching themselves into the fray. The kit contains a staggering variety of components to help you customise your models – the most obvious of which are the breastplates and backpacks that let you choose whether yours will fight on foot or from the skies, although that is by no means the extent of the variety. There are nine heads in the kit (two bare, seven helmeted), 12 shoulder pads to accommodate different marks of armour, and highly-poseable, two-part pairs of legs offering really dynamic poses.

In terms of weapons, the kit boasts five bolt pistols and chainswords, and a multitude of specialist weapons (deep breath): three plasma pistols, two flamers, a grav pistol, a two-handed eviscerator (the first time we’ve ever seen one in plastic, no less), a power sword, power axe, power fist and lightning claw. After that there are still loads of extras such as purity seals, grenades, a melta bomb and more. One thing is for sure, once you’ve equipped your squad you’ll have loads of spares for your bits box.

Above: As the tendrils of Hive Fleet Leviathan close in on the Cryptus System, the Blood Angels make their stand on the world of Asphodex. In the face of overwhelming numbers, Blood Angels Assault Squad Saerion do the only thing their honour will allow, and charge.

Left: A thunder hammer, ideal for pulping the skulls of aliens and traitors alike.

Left centre: There are two bare heads in the kit, including this one with a snarling face and a stylish mohawk.

Right centre: The combat shield can be attached to any arm

Right: There are five Space Marine backpacks, each of which is unique.

Above: This Blood Angels Assault Marine Sergeant is charging forwards into battle – the kit contains both jump packs and regular backpacks so you can have yours fight on foot or from the skies.

Left: This Dark Angels Sergeant leaps into battle wearing a jump pack.

Right:The power sword has a winged-skull crosspiece.

Left: There are three plasma pistols in the kit, enabling you to deliver super-heated death to armoured enemies.

Right: The kit contains five basing elements, chunks of shattered masonry that you can use to make your Assault Marines look like they are leaping off (or landing on) with their jump packs. Each of them is adorned with spent shell casings, skulls and other battlefield detritus.

Left: This Veteran Sergeant wields an eviscerator.

Right: The eviscerator is a massive two-handed chainsword that can gnaw through even the armoured plates of Helbrutes.

Left: The second of the bare heads in the kit has two service studs riveted into its brow – the warrior is clearly a fearsome Chapter veteran.

Right: The kit contains a ready supply of optional extras, such as purity seals, grenades, a scroll case and this parchment.

Left: Many Assault Squads carry flamers to burn away the enemy hordes.

Right: Bolt pistol and chainsword are the mainstay weapons of Assault Marines, a formidable pairing that provides maximum damage at close range.

Left: Flamers vomit forth a tide of blazing promethium which burns through flesh and armour with ease.

Centre: The bolt pistol is an instrument of the Emperor’s divine wrath, their mass reactive shells meting out his judgement with meat-pulping force.

Right: Space Marine backpacks aren’t just ornamental – they contain a compact power plant and the nutrients to keep a Space Marine fighting for weeks at a time.

Above: An Ultramarines Assault Squad plunges fearlessly into the ranks of the Crimson Slaughter.

The sons of Guilliman take great pride in their armour and wargear. Take your Ultramarines to the next level with this upgrade pack.

The Ultramarines Upgrades frame contains 18 plastic components designed to enhance your Ultramarines collection. All the parts in it are completely compatible with the models in the Space Marines range, and on the frame you’ll find 10 shoulder pads, a breastplate hung with pteruges, four heads (a bare head wearing the laurels of victory, a Captain’s head with transverse crest, a Mk VII helmet with the Ultramarines icon on it and a Veteran’s helmet complete with lateral crest), and there’s also an Ultramarines icon and a pair of swords: one short, one long, both made in the gladius style favoured by the blade masters of Macragge.

Left: This Veteran Sergeant wears a plume and a laurel wreath upon his helmet, marking out his lauded status. On his back he bears the Ultramarines Chapter icon, while in his hand he clutches a gladius in the Macragge style.

Right: The kit enables you to add some fantastic details to your Company Captain, as you can see here. The crested helmet, gladius power sword and breastplate with pteruges are all taken from this new frame.

Left: A simple Ultramarines symbol sets the wearer of this helmet apart.

Centre: The Chapter icon from the reverse angle.

Right: The kit contains 10 unique Ultramarines shoulder pads.

Famed for their skill as artificers, the Blood Angels lavish their armour with gold embellishments and the symbols of their Primarch.

Much like the Ultramarines Upgrades, the Blood Angels kit contains 20 pieces which will work with all the plastic Blood Angels kits, as well as the wider Space Marines range. On the frame you’ll find 10 different shoulder pads, two power armoured breastplates (one with sculpted musculature in the style of the Sanguinary Guard, the other reminiscent of Mephiston, Lord of Death), four heads (a bare head wearing a golden circlet, a helmeted head with a spiked halo, one wearing a death mask and another with a laurel wreath), an iron halo, a Chapter icon back banner, a ceremonial dagger and a blood chalice.

Left: This Captain was made by combining the Space Marine Captain kit with the new Blood Angels Upgrades – he carries a blood chalice and wears a new helmet, iron halo, breastplate and dagger.

Right: This Veteran Sergeant wears the other breastplate in the kit, as well as a new head and a backpack icon.

Left & centre: The kit contains 10 Blood Angels shoulder pads, each subtly different.

Right: A ceremonial chalice – a sacred icon within the Blood Angels Chapter. The component comes with fist attached so you can fix it to the wrist of any of your models.

Want to see everything you get on these upgrade frames, and tips for using them? See Sprues and Glue!

Harness the fury of Fenris with the Space Wolves Upgrades, and make your Space Marines look even more heroic!

The Space Wolves Upgrades have been lovingly put together to provide more cool Fenrisian components to add to those in the Space Wolves Pack and Wolf Guard Terminator boxed sets. The 10 shoulder pads in the kit bear Ragnar Blackmane’s Great Company badge, which is a godsend if you’re collecting the Blackmanes, while the remainder of the kit includes some handy weapons and wargear: a Space Wolves backpack with wolf head vents, a wolf pelt, two Space Wolves icons, a frost axe, a two-bladed chainsword (perfect for use as a frost sword), a snarling wolf head helmet and a bare head with long hair being whipped about by the wind.

Left: This mighty warrior was made by mixing the new Upgrades kit with a Space Wolves Pack kit. He bears a new wolf helmet, Space Wolves icon, chainsword, wolf pelt and shoulder pad.

Right: This hero also wears a new Space Wolves icon and carries a frost axe. His head (with windswept hair) is also from the new Upgrades kit – he looks every inch the heroic Wolf Guard Battle Leader.

Left: The frost axe, complete with Fenrisian runes carved into the blade.

Centre: There are 10 shoulder pads in the Upgrade kit, each bearing the badge of the Blackmane.

Right: Each shoulder pad is different. This one is hung with Fenrisian fetishes.

The Dark Angels are the First Legion among the Adeptus Astartes, proud of their heritage and their ancient iconography.

The Dark Angels also get the upgrade treatment with a plastic frame that includes 20 components, just right for detailing your Dark Angels, whether you are equipping your Tactical Marines with sculpted shoulder pads or customising your Company Master. The kit includes 10 shoulder pads, a Chapter icon, a tilting plate, a dagger and keys (doubtless to a secret dungeon in the Rock), a Dark Angels breastplate, a power sword inscribed with ‘Angels of Death’ and three heads (a Mk VI helmet with the Chapter symbol on the brow, a hooded head with a bionic eye, and a Mk VII head with the iconic Dark Angels wings on the side).

Left: This Tactical Marine has a head and a shoulder pad taken from the new kit.

Right: This Dark Angels Company Master was made by combining a Space Marine Captain with loads of parts from the Upgrades kit: the iconic feathered helm, breastplate, power sword and plasma pistol.

Left: The kit contains 10 Dark Angels shoulder pads. This one is perfect for the very finest warriors in your Dark Angels army.

Centre: This hooded head could be used to mark out a squad Sergeant or a Company Veteran, or just a favourite Space Marine. The Dark Angels icon on his backpack is also from the new Upgrades kit.

Right: Another of the 10 shoulder pads in the kit.

Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, was the creator of the Codex Astartes, which most Space Marine Chapters venerate and adhere to today. This new Ultramarines Transfers sheet has enough transfers to make any Chapter artificer proud.

Loaded to bursting with over 600 separate waterslide transfers, the Ultramarines transfer sheet is one of the most inspiring and useful items ever to grace these pages. It’s the perfect purchase for every hobbyist who loves recreating the heraldry of his army, from tiny transfers for Scouts to campaign markings, vehicle designators and more. With this sheet and your Codex your army will look so great it would make Guilliman himself glow with pride. If you are an Ultramarines collector, you owe it to yourself to get these.

1 - Ultramarines Chapter symbols for shoulder pads. Symbols with a red skull set into them mark the wearer out as a squad Sergeant.

2 - Ultramarines Chapter symbols, intended for use on vehicles. They will also serve nicely on banners and other larger surfaces too.

3 - Company markings for vehicles. These would also work well on personal banners.

4 - Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Veteran shoulder pad markings. There are enough here for four Tactical Squads, two Assault Squads, two Devastator Squads, four Command Squads and two Veteran Squads.

5 - Vehicle designators – these markings show what manner of squad a Rhino, Razorback, Land Raider or Drop Pod is assigned to.

6 - These markings show which squad the vehicle is assigned to.

7 - Chapter markings. These variants reflect the long history of the Chapter, and are often used by Veterans as a mark of honour.

8 - Tyrannic War Veteran badges – these are worn by the elite units formed by Chaplain Cassius.

9 - Squad numbers – each company is made of 10 squads, with up to 10 members in each squad.

10 - Honours such as kill markings and marksmanship badges, and even tiny transfers to go inside auspexes.

11 - Space Marines will wear campaign badges to mark out their participation in protracted operations.

12 - Vehicle livery, used for decorating tanks and drop pods – note the specially-shaped script that fits into the recesses on the hulls of Rhinos and Land Raiders.

13 - Cloak edging: want your Chapter commanders to look perfect, or to add a little trim to your banners? These transfers are for you! Cut them to size before applying.

14 - Company Banners – here you have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies. Note the 3rd Company banner features the impaled Genestealer skull, adopted after Hive Fleet Kraken’s invasion.

Embrace the proud heraldry of Baal with this jam-packed transfer sheet for the Blood Angels.

The ultimate accessory for Blood Angels fans who want to detail their Sons of Baal, the Blood Angels Transfers sheet is packed with more than 700 transfers that cover every eventuality from squad markings (there are 200 of these alone) to company markings, campaign badges, kill markings, and Veteran Chapter markings for your 1st Company heroes.

As with the other transfer sheets released this week, each of the sections is clearly marked up on the sheet itself, making finding what you need an absolute cinch. The transfers are produced in the perfect colours to stand out on your red-armoured Blood Angels, and will also serve perfectly for many – if not all – of their proud Successor Chapters.

All of these transfer sheets are available online only, while stocks last, so be sure not to miss them. You can pre-order them right now direct from the Games Workshop website:
www.games-workshop.com

With this transfer sheet you can recreate the complex heraldry of the Dark Angels Chapter.

The Dark Angels Transfers sheet provides the iconography of the Unforgiven in comprehensive form. With over 700 transfers crammed onto one sheet, covering the Dark Angels Battle Companies, Deathwing and Ravenwing, it’s the kind of hobby accessory that makes you want to add every last possible detail to your models.

The transfer sheet even includes the three Sacred Standards of the Dark Angels Chapter. These seriously iconic banners are incredibly intricate, and the transfers capture them perfectly – they also fit right onto the banner in the Space Marine Command Squad, which will have Dark Angels fans champing at the bit!

These transfer sheets are so large we’ve had to shrink them down to fit them on the pages! In reality, they’re massive – even bigger than the pages of this magazine, in actual fact.

By Nick Kyme
Hardback | 176 pages

The War for Damnos goes ill, and Captain Sicarius is near death. Victory now lies with the big guns.

Spear of Macragge is set upon the war torn world of Damnos, the site of a pair of bloody wars fought between the Ultramarines and the Necrons, and this novel takes place at the fulcrum point of the battle – the legendary Cato Sicarius is injured and command has fallen to Chief Librarian Tigurius. Against this tableau of tragedy comes Antarro Chronus – the greatest tank commander in the Ultramarines Chapter – who leads the massed armour of Macragge against the Necrons in an epic tank battle.

Previously available only as an eBook, or in the Damnos novel, Spear of Macragge has now had the hardback treatment, along with four pages of additional art and background information.

With Ultramarines the order of the day in Spear of Macragge, we would be remiss not to recommend checking out Graham McNeill’s popular Ultramarines series starring Captain Uriel Ventris – the series kicks off with Nightbringer, which is universally considered a Black Library classic. On the other hand, if Nick Kyme’s action-packed narrative strikes a chord within you, why not check out Salamanders: The Omnibus, a shelf-breaking book containing three novels, each starring the heroic Salamanders Chapter.

These Black Library books are also available as eBooks. For more information visit:
www.blacklibrary.com

Undercoat Spray
400 ml

There has been an evolution in the Citadel paint range – Corax White is here to light the darkness.

For two decades Skull White spray has provided painters with a kickstart to painting their models in bright tones. This week, we unveil Corax White – a new spray undercoat specially formulated to suit the evolving Citadel Paint System.

Corax White is designed to offer a smooth finish straight from the can, which is ideal for painters who use Citadel Shades straight over the undercoat. They sit better on Corax White than ever before. It also boasts a slightly off-white tone which makes seeing the details of your models easier than its predecessor – very useful for keeping your base layers neat and tidy as you paint. We’ve had a little experiment with it here in the White Dwarf Bunker, and we’re impressed.

This week the ground trembles to the thunderous advance of the Imperial Knights, as Warhammer Visions issue 17 is unleashed. Expect Imperial Knights, the Cult Mechanicus and a veritable feast of gorgeous Citadel miniatures.

The White Dwarf team are proud to present the latest edition of Warhammer Visions, available to order this week. The magazine kicks off with a retrospective look at all the latest releases, including the new Cult Mechanicus and Imperial Knight miniatures, showcasing them in all their glory. There’s also an awe-inspiring Ultramarines collection for our Army of the Month, as well as coverage from the Golden Demon competition at Warhammer Fest 2014, a gallery of vehicles for Warhammer 40,000 and a featurette on an impressive Tau Empire Army. All that, of course, is on top of other great regular features such as Blanchitsu, Paint Splatter and a gallery of models from the ’Eavy Metal team. Check it out now.

Warhammer Visions is also available as a digital edition for iPad. For more details check out:
blacklibrary.com/whitedwarf

Forge World make highly-detailed resin models, large-scale kits and books for Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and the Horus Heresy. This week Forge World present a pair of their recent releases: a new Deredeo Dreadnought and a Thanatar Siege-Automata variant.

A fusion of Terran and Mechanicum technologies, the Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought is a type of Dreadnought armour manufactured and deployed only in limited numbers. Designed to dominate the enemy with massive volumes of firepower, the Deredeo has a number of powerful weapon systems, such as the lethal hellfire plasma cannonade, which is capable of loosing rapid streams of plasma energy or concentrating its fire into a single massive blast. In battle this walking fire base is able to direct its furious wrath at multiple targets, concentrating its cannonade and hull-mounted heavy bolters at one foe while the shoulder mounted Aiolos missile launcher tears enemy flyers from the skies. Enemies who try to get to grips with the Deredeo must reckon with its arcane atomantic shielding, powered by defensive field generators.

The hellfire plasma cannonade is a weapon upgrade kit for the Space Marine Legions Deredeo Dreadnought. Check out the Forge World website for more.

Left: The hellfire plasma cannonade is able to fire in two ways, either loosing sustained streams of accurate plasma fire or a single burst over a wide area.

Centre: The formidable power plant on the Deredeo’s back powers its weapon systems and shielding.

Right: Set back in the hull, the mortally wounded Space Marine seeks out targets.

A masterwork of the Legio Cybernetica, Sollex Myrmidon and Omega-Shevar covenant, the Thanatar-Calix is a purpose-built engine of destruction designed to fight at the vanguard of stronghold assaults across the galaxy. Upon the Thanatar-Calix’s shoulder sits a Sollex pattern heavy lascannon, an anti-armour weapon so powerful it knifes through tank hulls, bunkers and Terminator armour with contemptuous ease, while the mauler pattern bolt cannons on its wrist chatter out a death song to the Thanatar’s foes.

The other weapon possessed by the Thanatar-Calix is the graviton ram, an unusual weapon that shakes buildings to pieces with cascading waves of gravitational force. Not that buildings are the only things a graviton ram can destroy – it also shatters the hulls of tanks and turns flesh and bones into pulp.

Left: The Sollex pattern heavy lascannon is a weapon revered by the Tech-Priests and Magos who attend the Thanatar, doting on it equally for its lethal firepower and the arcane wisdom and precious materials that go into its creation.

Right: The graviton ram can unleash a bow wave of force that mulches flesh and armour over a short distance, but its greatest effect is at point blank range. The Thanatar-Calix simply places the ram against the target before emitting gravitational waves that can smash through fortress walls as easily as an Ogryn’s fist through wet clay.

These kits and the rest of the Forge World range are available directly from Forge World. To find out more visit:
www.forgeworld.co.uk

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s key releases. This week we turn our gaze to the new Space Marine Assault Squad.

Space Marines are a pleasure to paint, with their bold heraldic colours and large, smooth armour plates. For this example we’ve chosen to paint our Assault Squad in the colours of the Ultramarines 3rd Company – the techniques we’ve used here could easily be used to paint other Space Marine Chapters. Just consult the colour groups in How to Paint Citadel Miniatures and use the relevant colours if you fancy doing yours for a different Chapter.

In our example here, we recommend using Macragge Blue spray to basecoat your models – spraying is almost always the best way to get a smooth basecoat for your models. There is also an advantage in that the more models you do at once, the more time you save. The Studio army painters recommend doing whole squads at a time. If you don’t have a Citadel spray, or the space to use one (or it’s a rainy day where you are), use an Extra Large Base Brush to basecoat your models, but make sure you water your paints down a little to prevent clogging the details.

EYE LENSES

One question that regularly crops up here in the White Dwarf bunker is how to paint Space Marines’ eye lenses.

The Studio army painting team did the eyes for their Ultramarines in the following way: first basecoat the area with Abaddon Black (essential if you’ve basecoated the models with a Citadel spray). Next, paint the lower three-quarters of the eyes with Mephiston Red, then the lower half with Troll Slayer Orange. Finally, add a single thin line of Flash Gitz Yellow. You could easily adapt this technique to use greens, yellows or blues.

Next week: more blue and gold.

With the release of the new Space Marines upgrade frames, we decided to clip some bits off the sprue and explore how to combine them with other Space Marines kits in the range. As you can see, there really are no limits to their versatility.

All four upgrade frames include 10 shoulder pads featuring the relevant Chapter symbol – ideal for upgrading a 10-man squad. Here we built a Dark Angels combat squad using five of the shoulder pads. It’s a small change, but it makes a big difference to the look of the unit. You’ll notice that we didn’t use all the parts on the frame, though. After all, you don’t want your Tactical Marines looking more impressive than your Company Veterans or Deathwing Knights.

Above: Each of these Dark Angels bears a shoulder pad from the upgrade sprue, and the Sergeant has the hooded head, power sword and backpack icon.

THE DARK ANGELS UPGRADES FRAME

A. - 10 shoulder pads bearing the Dark Angels Chapter symbol.

B. - Tilting shield in the shape of a winged sword. Ideal for characters wearing Terminator armour.

C. - Mk VI helmet with Dark Angels Chapter symbol on the brow.

D. - Left-handed plasma pistol for executing heretics.

E. - Cowled head – great for Company Veterans or squad Sergeants.

F. - Company Master helmet.

G. - Backpack crest to represent a squad leader.

H. - Torso featuring the Chapter symbol.

I. - Knife and keys, perfect for Librarians, and other secretive Dark Angels.

J. - Right-handed power sword.

On a sprue like this, the components face in different directions. The white boxes on the pictures of these sprues show where we’ve flipped a component over to give you a better look at it.

With the Blood Angels upgrade frame we wanted to show how already-ornate models would look with the addition of a few choice components.

Sternguard Veterans are covered in battle honours, tabards and exotic wargear, but a couple of pieces from the Blood Angels upgrade frame – the distinctive bare head with curled hair and the anatomically sculpted torso – really help identify them as Sons of Sanguinius. The two Assault Marines have both been built with crested helms from the kit, suggesting they are squad Sergeants. The shoulder pads also clearly identify them as Blood Angels.

Above: The two Sternguard both make use of Blood Angels shoulder pads. Note how the Veteran on the right uses a shoulder pad with a raised trim to match the pad on his right arm.

Left: When planning out where to use your shoulder pads, remember that pads with raised trims won’t fit under a jump pack. Always check before you start gluing.

Right: You’ll find a lot of parts on the frame work well together. This head and torso, for example, are reminiscent of the Sanguinary Guard and make for an imposing model to lead a unit.

THE BLOOD ANGELS UPGRADES FRAME

A. - 10 shoulder pads bearing the Blood Angels Chapter symbol. Two have raised trims that look great on Sternguard Veterans.

B. - Blood chalice. Great for converting Sanguinary Priests and Captains.

C. - Bare head featuring the distinctive curled hair of a Blood Angel.

D. - Mk VII helm featuring blood drops and laurels.

E. - Mk VII helm with transverse crest.

F. - Death mask, perfect for Chapter Veterans, Sergeants and heroes.

G. - Ritual dagger.

H. - Iron halo supported by a chalice. Looks great mounted on a character’s backpack.

I. - Winged skull for marking out a squad leader.

J. - Blood Angels put great stock in fine art and sculpture, and often embellish their armour. These two torso pieces are ideal for representing artificer armour.

Command Squads are a focal part of a Space Marine army, so what better place to use the new upgrade frames.

The Company Standard Bearer features two parts from the Ultramarines Upgrades kit: a wreathed, noble-looking head and a shoulder pad which also features a wreath, the mark of a Standard Bearer. The Company Champion has been built to look like the Chapter Champion in the Honour Guard Squad, carrying a gladius-style power sword and an off-hand dagger.

Of note is the Apothecary, who has only been given an Ultramarines shoulder pad. Apothecaries are already distinctive miniatures with loads of wargear, so a shoulder pad is easily enough to tie him to the rest of the unit.

Above: The Command Squad already includes an Ultramarines piece – a banner top featuring the Ultramarines icon that’s perfect for this unit.

Above: The upgrade frames are compatible with most Space Marine sets, but sometimes you’ll need to cut a hand off before you can use one of the new ones. The Champion below is a good example of this. Both hands were cut off at the wrists and new hands glued on.

THE ULTRAMARINES UPGRADES FRAME

A. - 10 shoulder pads bearing the Ultramarines Chapter symbol. Four have raised trims that look great on Sternguard Veterans and Command Squads.

B. - Right-handed power sword with the Ultramarines symbol moulded into the hilt. Perfect for Sergeants and Champions.

C. - Left-handed dagger. Looks great paired up with the power sword or on an Assault Marine.

D. - Mk VII helm featuring a transverse crest, indicative of a Company Captain.

E. - Mk VII helmet with an Ultramarines symbol on the brow.

F. - Chapter Champion’s duelling helm.

G. - Bare head with laurels, great for banner bearers.

H. - Mk VIII torso with leather pteruges.

I. - Ultramarines symbol, ideal for marking out squad leaders.

The Space Wolves have a large number of plastic kits in their range, but there are plenty of other Space Marine kits they can use (such as Bikes and tanks) that don’t come with Space Wolf parts. This is the perfect place to use the upgrade frame.

Parts from the sprue were used to convert a Wolf Guard Leader for a Swiftclaw Biker Pack, including a frost axe, backpack totem, shoulder pad and a new head. It’s a simple conversion, but one that turns an ordinary Biker into a heroic warrior leading a charge. The Lone Wolf below combines parts from the upgrade frame with spare parts from the Tactical Squad, Sternguard Veterans and Space Wolves Pack, showing just how easy it is to combine plastic Space Marine kits.

Above: This Biker’s right hand was carefully cut off at the wrist and replaced with a new one, in this case a frost axe from the upgrade sprue.

Left: The wolf head backpack and pelt really add the air of a feral Space Wolf to this miniature.

Right: The snarling wolf helm and shoulder pad have been added to this tank commander, marking him out as a Son of Russ. He’s posed reloading a bolt pistol using parts from the Tactical Squad.

THE SPACE WOLVES UPGRADES FRAME

A. - 10 shoulder pads bearing the symbol of Ragnar Blackmane’s Great Company.

B. - Right-handed frost axe. No Wolf Guard should go to battle without one.

C. - Right-handed frost sword.

D. - Bare head with billowing hair braids. Perfect for Skyclaws, Swiftclaw Bikers and other fast-moving units.

E. - Snarling wolf helm.

F. - Wolf pelt rear torso, perfect for representing a mighty hero in a Space Wolves army.

G. - Backpack with wolf head exhaust vents, great for Wolf Lords and Battle Leaders. Looks great combined with the wolf pelt torso piece.

H. - Backpack totems, great for marking out Wolf Guard Leaders.

In Theatre of War we present missions, mini-games and scenarios designed to get you having fun on the gaming table with your Citadel miniatures. This week we present a new Altar of War mission that casts the Space Marines as the Angels of Death.

The Adeptus Astartes are masters of brutal precision strikes, unleashing maximum force to deliver a crushing blow to enemy armies by utterly butchering their command structures. Such applications of overwhelming force are the way the Space Marines have always waged war against the enemies of the Emperor, from the days of the Great Crusade and the efforts to bring worlds into the nascent Imperium, to the latter days of the 41st Millennium where countless Ork Warlords and rogue planetary governors have found their despotic intentions cut brutally short by the arrival of the Angels of Death.

In this new Altar of War mission the Space Marines are the merciless destroyers despatched to behead an enemy force. To this end, the mission favours the attacker to a degree: the Space Marines will spread fear through the enemy ranks and have the upper hand in challenges too. Should they strike hard enough, characters and key units will fall and the Space Marines’ offensive will become all but unstoppable. The defender should take heart though – the Space Marines’ attack is all about momentum. If you dig in deep, hold the line and counter-attack hard, this mission will be an absolute bloodbath!

Theatre of War is a regular feature all about giving you more things to do with your Citadel miniatures. Within it you’ll find ideas to try in your own games.

If you play The Emperor’s Finest, why not tell us how it went?
team@whitedwarf.co.uk

Of all the Imperium’s myriad and varied military institutions, none can rival the potency of the Adeptus Astartes on the battlefield. Each time they are called upon to do battle with the Imperium’s enemies, the superhuman Space Marines prove once again why they are rightly revered as the Emperor’s very finest warriors.

THE ARMIES

Choose armies as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules. The Space Marines player must choose a Primary Detachment from Codex: Space Marines (or another appropriate Codex such as Codex: Blood Angels, Codex: Dark Angels or Codex: Space Wolves). His opponent is the enemy player.

THE BATTLEFIELD

Set up terrain as described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules. Use the deployment map included with this mission.

DEPLOYMENT

The enemy player deploys first, placing his units anywhere within the Enemy Player’s Deployment Zone (see map). The Space Marines player deploys second, placing his units anywhere within the Space Marines Deployment Zone (see map).

FIRST TURN

The Space Marines player has the first turn unless the enemy player can Seize the Initiative (see Warhammer 40,000: The Rules).

GAME LENGTH

The mission uses Variable Game Length (see Warhammer 40,000: The Rules).

VICTORY CONDITIONS

At the end of the game, the player who has scored the most Victory Points wins the game. If players have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw.

PRIMARY OBJESTIVE

At the end of the game, the players earn 3 Victory Points for each Independent Character, Super-heavy Vehicle or Gargantuan Creature unit in the enemy army that has been completely destroyed, 2 Victory Points for each Vehicle or Monstrous Creature unit in the enemy army that has been completely destroyed and 1 Victory Point for each other unit in the enemy army that has been completely destroyed. Units that are Falling Back at the end of the game, and units that are not on the board at the end of the game, count as destroyed for the purposes of this mission.

SECONDARY OBJESTIVES

First Blood, Linebreaker, Slay the Warlord*.

*The Slay the Warlord Secondary Objective is worth D3 Victory Points instead of 1 if you slay the enemy Warlord in a challenge.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES

Night Fighting, Reserves.

Angels of Death: All Space Marine units have the Fear special rule.

The Emperor’s Finest: All Space Marine Characters can re-roll failed To Hit rolls when fighting in a challenge.

Embittered Foes: All non-Space Marine units have the Hatred (Space Marines) special rule.

First into the fight, the Assault Marines of the Adeptus Astartes have earned countless honours and glories in the crucible of battle. Here we focus on two Assault Squads who have carved their name into legend.

When Ghazghkull Thraka attacked Armageddon for the second time a vast Imperial task force was assembled to drive the Beast back into the void, and few Adeptus Astartes Chapters offered more reinforcements to that beleaguered world than the Sons of Guilliman. In total, six Companies of battle-brothers trod the toxic soil of that world.

Sergeant Vitus was raised to his position only a short time before the Third Armageddon War, and though his battle-brothers were loyal to his command, in truth the entire squad still mourned his predecessor, Paullus. Any chance for introspection and lamentation, however, was denied these stalwart warriors as their first deployment saw them hurled into the fray against Orks on the Plains of Anthrand in a raging battle against an Evil Sunz Kult of Speed. Answering a call for aid from an already shattered Armageddon Steel Legion division, the Sons of Guilliman struck like lightning, hundreds of Space Marines descending from the skies to loose the Emperor’s wrath. Sergeant Vitus and his men claim the honour of making the first hand-to-hand kills for the Chapter on Armageddon as they leapt from their Thunderhawk, jump packs flaring, to land directly in the Orkish mob.

The fighting that followed is recorded as some of the most decisive in the Sons of Guilliman’s campaign as more than 11,000 Orks fell to the Guardsmen and their Space Marine rescuers. For the Steel Legionnaires, the Space Marines were shining heroes and none more so than Vitus and his men, who were dubbed the Blades of Anthrand for their heroic rescue.

Left: The Blades of Anthrand are an Assault Squad in the Sons of Guilliman’s 2nd Company.

Right: The Sons of Guilliman are proud Successors of the Ultramarines, retaining many of the traditions of their forebears, along with the Ultramarines symbol within their own Chapter heraldry.

Left: Brother Sinos has fought alongside Vitus since their elevation to the rank of battle-brother. Legend tells that it was his plasma pistol that took the head off Garmek Oil-Guzzler, the towering Ork Warboss who led the Razorgits at Anthrand.

Right: Garam Vitus is a 90-year veteran of his Chapter, master of blade and bolter. To honour Sergeant Paullus, he took up his predecessor’s power fist, a totem the whole Assault Squad look to with reverence.

The 3rd Company of the Imperial Fists Chapter are custodians of a legend that spans 10,000 years of glorious service to the Emperor. It is a legacy that the Third Company serving under Captain Tor Garadon fight tirelessly to preserve.

Sergeant Gauthard is one of the best known of the Veterans who fight among the Sentinels, an expert swordsman who even served a short term as the Company’s Champion in the year it took for the then-Champion, Lydon, to recover from wounds suffered at the hands of the Daemon Maethox. Gauthard is leader of the Sentinel’s Sword, a lauded Assault Squad who have garnered a reputation as much for their dedication to duty as their ferocity in battle. Unlike many Assault Squads found in Space Marine Chapters across the galaxy, the Sentinel’s Sword have never struggled to bow to even the most unpalatable order of all – the painful order to withdraw from the battle. Many speculate this is the reason that three different Captains have cited Gauthard for commendations in battle, such as in the Krysis Campaign where the 3rd Company fought alongside the 5th Company of then-Captain Vorn Hagen. As the Cultist armies of the Mecheretic Consortium pressed through the burning Krysian manufactoriums, the Sentinel’s Sword was ordered forward to stall their advance, an order they executed with relish.

With every sweep of his eviscerator, Death Curse, Gauthard dismembered more of the treacherous foe, but still more Cultists poured forwards. After minutes the Assault Squad fought shin-deep in blood and gore, their war spirit singing with the joy of butchering traitors to the Golden Throne. When the comm-net crackled with the order to fall back, lesser officers might have bridled, but not Gauthard. With a single pulse across the vox-net his squad fell back, leaving the foe stunned for only a moment before the massed guns of the 5th began a wholesale execution.

THE SENTINELS OF TERRA

The Sentinels of Terra is the title given to the lauded 3rd Company of the Imperial Fists Chapter, a plaudit they have cherished since their Primarch, Rogal Dorn, was recalled to defend the Emperor upon the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. Since then, they have brought ever more glory to their Company, from the victory over the Orks at Staganda in M.34 and the liberation of a hundred worlds in the Nebuchadnezzar sector to the heroic battle at the Gates of Sanctity against the Word Bearers – each victory is another honour added to their name.

Left: The Sentinel’s Sword proudly wear the Imperial Fists badge that reminds them of their Primarch – perhaps the greatest exemplar of placing duty before all else.

Right: Death Curse, the trusty eviscerator Gauthard wields in combat. The whirling teeth of this sword have claimed the lives of traitors, heretics and aliens beyond count.

Left: While it is common for many, if not most, Space Marine squads to be clad in a variety of armour styles, battle-brother Vaygon is inordinately proud of his Mk VI Corvus pattern plate, claiming its war spirit delights that it remains whole and intact after so many years of service.

Right: The spent shell casings and bleached skulls that litter the ground at the feet of the Sentinel’s Sword bear testament to the relentless, unforgiving wars they fight.

Join us for a round-up of the week as we share comment, opinion and trivia on all the latest releases, plus other fun tidbits that have cropped up in the White Dwarf bunker. This week, we look at Assault Marines, white spray, flaming leeches and squig-obsessed Goblins.

THE DESIGNER SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW MODELS

When sculpting the new Assault Marines, one of the first changes the designers made was their poses. They now show much greater dynamism, running and jumping, legs canted over and ankles angled to show they’re properly pounding along. Their arms have been similarly re-posed, such as the one holding a bolt pistol across the body (part 38 on the sprue) to show that the Assault Marine’s moving his torso as he runs, making for a much more dynamic model.

The new poses are further enhanced by the five scenic bases that come in the kit. The recent Eldar Harlequins look great leaping over fallen masonry, so the same principle was applied to the Assault Marines. Even better, the scenery pieces are optional, so you can use them on other models should you wish to.

A last little thing to note is that there are 10 front torso and 10 rear torso pieces in the kit, half with jump pack harnesses, half without, so now you don’t have to ferret around in your bits box looking for torsos for your squad if you want to build them without jump packs. The good news is that you’ll always end up with loads of spare bodies. We’ll show you what you can do with some of these spare bits next week…

EARNING YOUR CHAINSWORD

When a Space Marine Scout has proven his worth and his loyalty in the Chapter’s 10th Company, he will be promoted to become a full battle-brother and elevated to the 9th Company, where he serves among the Devastator Marines for a time, mastering heavy weapons and the art of destruction from afar. Only when his Sergeant and Captain deem him worthy will he be transferred to the 8th Company as an Assault Marine, and find himself hurled into the cauldron of war with bolt pistol and chainsword. Only once an initiate has mastered this style of warfare will he be entrusted with the duties of a Tactical Marine, and transferred to a Reserve or Battle Company.

Thus, battle-brothers of the 8th Company are considered a permanent reserve, ready to deploy and fight alongside those of any other as Assault Squads, while every Space Marine within the Battle and Reserve Companies might be called on to perform the duties of an Assault (or Tactical or Devastator) Marine at a moment’s notice.

This Ultramarines Tactical Squad was built by the Studio army painters using parts from the new Ultramarines upgrade frame. Each Tactical Marine has been built with a sculpted shoulder pad on their left arm, the Ultramarines Chapter symbol proudly displayed. Using these shoulder pads on a whole squad not only looks great but makes painting the Chapter iconography an absolute doddle. We really liked the effectiveness of such a simple touch – there’s no need to go overboard and the few extra components on the Sergeant really mark him out. It all goes to show the upgrade frames aren’t just for your Veterans and characters.

This week we’ve been putting the new Corax White spray through its paces, testing it on various models to see how it works – the result was universal delight from the entire team, so the obvious next step was to put some paint on it.

Our plan was to have a go applying some Citadel Shades to Corax White, a favourite technique of painters who are working over a white undercoat. The results, as you can see on the right, were excellent. We undercoated some Plaguebearers with the new spray (1), before applying a few simple basecoats (2) straight over the Corax White – Averland Sunset for the eyes, Bugman’s Glow for the flesh within the skin tears. We then washed the first model using Athonian Camoshade (3), and another with Biel-Tan Green (4). As you can see, the shades went on smoothly and the result is great – all you’d need to finish these models off is a little layering.

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: unusual Skinks.

CHAMELEON SKINKS

Of all the different types of Skink, Chameleon Skinks are the sneakiest. Able to change their skin colour, they blend in with their surroundings to such a degree they’re almost invisible. The most famous of them is Oxyotl, though no one’s ever seen him to prove his existence…

RED CRESTED SKINKS

The Skinks of the city of Chaqua are renowned for their red crests. Believed to be blessed by the Serpent God Sotek, they are more war-like than other Skinks and actively take the fight to the enemy in favour of a more subtle approach. They are led by the notorious Tehenhauin, the first and only Prophet of Sotek.

ALBINO SKINKS

Most gifted of all the Skinks are the albino Skinks, their scaly skin a pure white. It’s believed they are destined for greatness in the Great Plan of the Old Ones, many of them becoming chieftains, priests and oracles.

TERRADON RIDERS

Only the strongest and most fearless of all Skinks can become Terradon Riders, their scales hardened and muscles corded through years of grappling with their powerful flying steeds.

GOLDEN-CRESTED SKINKS

Rarest of all the Skinks are those with a golden crest. Not seen since the days of the Old Ones, they were summoned by Lord Mazdamundi to pilot the Exodus Engines, the huge temple pyramids that would save the Lizardmen from the forces of Chaos. At least, that’s what they hoped…

Our Reader’s Model this week is this fantastic rendition of Isabella von Carstein painted by Dean Lecoq.

Dean opted to paint the first lady of Sylvania in her traditional lilac and red finery, the pupils of her eyes a bright red to match the fresh blood swilling around in her chalice.

If you’ve painted a miniature that you think is worthy of a place in White Dwarf then why not send a picture to:
team@whitedwarf.co.uk

If it’s something we can use, we’ll be sure to get in touch.

The White Dwarf is a font of hobby knowledge, a metaphorical repository of useful facts. If you have a question about Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer, need a bit of painting advice or you’re after a few tactical tips, drop us a line:

team@whitedwarf.co.uk

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO…

Hello Grombrindal, I have a question about the Adeptus Mechanicus for you. We know they are very possessive about technology, but why do they get jealous when other Imperial institutions (such as the Blood Angels) don’t share their discoveries and yet they keep all their own amazing weapons a secret?

- John ‘My Real Name is a Secret’ Bond

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

Well ‘John’, you’ve hit one of the weirder aspects of the Adeptus Mechanicus right on the head. Speaking as a Dwarf, I appreciate a good secret as much as the next beard-wearer (especially when they concern runes or treasure) but I’ve never understood keeping a secret from kin, just to know something they don’t. Grungni’s Teeth, we even taught the manlings how to make proper steel and gunpowder. So, I think it’s down to jealousy and superstition. Technology for them is religion – maybe they fear outsiders having too much knowledge?

- Grombrindal

Want to know how the Sons of Guilliman were painted? Well, the white armour was painted using Ulthuan Grey followed by a wash of The Fang in the recesses and a White Scar highlight. The blue was painted with Kantor Blue, shaded with Nuln Oil and highlighted with Macragge Blue followed by Fenrisian Grey. The quarters look tricky but, with a good tip on your brush and a steady hand, follow the line down the centre of the chest and you’ll be fine.

The new Assault Squad released this week also includes this awesome power axe – based on the classic weapon from the 1990s. We love it.

The Lizardmen of Lustria use a number of strange and mysterious weapons in their endless wars against the scions of Chaos and intruders to their domain, but surely nothing so incredibly odd as the bolas-launched fireleeches. Aquatic creatures, fireleeches react to being lifted from the water by bursting into flames. Rather than re-submerging them, the Skinks tie them with cords and hurl them, fire and all, right at the foe. Genius!

This week’s Theatre of War got the White Dwarf team ruminating on the nature of a Space Marine offensive – from the lightning assaults which have made the White Scars so famous to the guerilla-style warfare that the Raven Guard use to cut their enemies to pieces, or the thunderous brutality of the Dark Angels Deathwing, who appear in the midst of the foe, bolters and assault cannons blazing.

What followed was a hearty debate about which Space Marines, and which models, best exemplify the style of war portrayed in the new Altar of War Mission: whether it’s the swift spearhead of speeding Bike Squads, Assault Marines and Rhino APCs, the relentless hammer blow of Predators and Land Raiders, the stealth attacks of Scout Squads or the murderous wrath of Terminators. In the end we all agreed, the most lasting image is that of Space Marine heroes hunting down and killing the champions of the foe in combat.

The Shattered Dream are a Twilight Troupe of enigmatic Harlequins belonging to the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow. Like other members of the masque, they spend a great deal of time in the city of Commorragh, though they rarely partake in arena combats, instead lurking around Khaine’s Gate in the depths of the shadow city watching for signs of a Daemonic incursion.

When not guarding Khaine’s Gate, they actively seek out Khorne’s Daemonkin, for they have a deep-seated hatred of Daemons, especially those of the Blood God. They believe that if they can kill the harbingers of destruction, they can prevent further Daemonic invasions. Sadly, killing Khorne’s followers is often enough to bring Daemons into the material realm, an irony they accept with great bitterness.

Above: The Troupe of the Shattered Dream are led by Aodh, the Spirit of the Webway. He has led many successful raids against the Khorne warband known as the Wrath, stopping several sector-wide wars before they could even begin.

Left: The mysterious Cailin Mistweaver is a Shadowseer of the Midnight Sorrow sent to watch over the troupe in their endeavours.

Right: It’s believed that the Solitaire Eideann is the Harlequin responsible for the troupe’s vigil over Khaine’s Gate, though since he’s never spoken, no one truly knows what his intentions are.

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