ISSUE 71
06 JUNE 2015

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

One of the many glorious things about Warhamer 40,000 is the vast variety of futuristic weaponry available to smite your foes with. The new Space Marine Devastator Squad is awash with a dazzling array of such death-dealers and other equipment, including a brace of mighty grav-cannons – horrific heavy weaponry that uses the enemy’s armour against it. Being compatible with the rest of the Space Marines range also means that, once you’ve outfitted your Devastators for war, you’ll have plenty of terrific other bits with which to add to your other Angels of Death. To war!

The Devastators are also joined this week by a colossal new Codex: Space Marines. To celebrate we take a delve into the Codex Astartes – and what’s that on the back cover? Something big is coming… put 4th July in your calendar!

Devastators are the heavy weapon specialists of the Adeptus Astartes. Providing long-range firepower for their battle-brothers, they lay down a withering hail of missiles, las blasts and incandescent plasma that only the luckiest foes can hope to survive.

When Space Marines go to war, it is the duty of the Devastators to identify and eliminate threats to the main offensive, punishing the enemy with overwhelming firepower from afar before they have a chance to respond.

To carry out their battlefield role, Devastators equip themselves with the most destructive weapons they can carry from the Chapter armoury. Should they expect to face massed hordes of Orks or Tyranids, they will arm themselves with heavy bolters and missile launchers to blast them into alien ichor. Should they expect to face an armoured foe they will turn to the plasma cannon or the grav-cannon, while lascannons and multi-meltas are preferred for eliminating enemy tanks and armoured vehicles. So armed, Devastators wear reinforced power armour to absorb the recoil of their formidable weapons, their crenelated leg greaves featuring heavy suspensors, pressure dampeners and magnetic soles, enabling the wearer to anchor himself to the ground before he fires.

This kit comes with a truly incredible arsenal of weapons for the five Space Marines included in it. For the heavy-weapon troopers there are two each of the following: lascannons, multi-meltas, heavy bolters, plasma cannons, missile launchers and, new to the Devastators, grav-cannons complete with underslung grav-amps.

For the squad Sergeant, there are four assembly options for his combi-weapon, a power sword, thunder hammer, storm bolter, chainsword, lightning claw, grav pistol, plasma pistol, bolt pistol, bolter, power fist (pointing at the enemy, of course), bionic hand (also pointing) and the return of a classic-looking weapon, the power axe. Add to that all the optional extras – the Sergeant’s armoured torso, the Mk. VIII torso with the raised gorget, the creepy-looking armorium cherub (see over the page), a host of purity seals, extra heads, spare hands, a pair of servo-skulls and all the extra heavy weapons and you quickly realise you’re getting a whole lot more than just a new Devastator Squad for your money.

Above: Devastator Squad Atavian disembarks from the Thunderhawk Gunship Gladius. Sergeant Atavian coordinates the firepower of his unit to maximum effect, the Space Marines under his command mowing down infantry and obliterating tanks with equal ease.

Above: This Dark Angels Devastator Sergeant carries a signum on his backpack, an ancient targeting device that enables him to assign targets to his squad. A servo-skull hovers near him, one of two in the kit.

Left: The Sergeant of the squad can be upgraded with a range of combi-weapons, from a plasma pistol to a combi-grav gun. All are represented on the frame, including this, the combi-plasma gun.

Left centre: The Sergeant’s power sword, one of the six close combat weapons for him on the sprue.

Centre right: The armorium cherub carries a multi-melta fuel canister for its Space Marine master…

Right: …its modesty protected by a scripture-covered strip of parchment.

Above: There are now two missile launchers in the boxed set.

Left: There are six pairs of legs in the box, including this kneeling pair.

Centre: A manipulator claw on the Devastator’s backpack reloads the missile launcher.

Right: There are two firing missiles on the sprue, both optional.

Above: The new grav-cannon with underslung grav-amp.

Left: Every Devastator’s helm has a built-in targeter. There are 11 helmets like this on the frame plus three bare heads.

Centre: The high-powered grav-generator mounted on the Devastator’s backpack.

Right: From the side you can see how the grav-cannon is bracketed to the Devastator’s arm and the trailing power cables that lead to his backpack.

Left: The ever-popular plasma cannon. There are two in the set.

Right: This Blood Angel has braced himself ready to fire his multi-melta. Again, there are two of these tank-busting weapons in the set.

Left: This Devastator wears a Mk. VI helmet, complete with targeting array. There are two in the kit and two corresponding Mk. VI armour torsos to go with them.

Left centre: The highly unstable plasma core is mounted on the Devastator’s backpack.

Centre right: The power armour worn by Devastators features reinforced leg greaves to help compensate for the massive recoil generated by their weapon.

Right: Blood Angel Devastators are recognised by their blue helmets.

Left: The heavy bolter, also known as the back breaker, is the perfect gun for mowing down enemy infantry.

Right: The lascannon, ideal for punching through tank armour.

Left: The snarling helm of a Devastator. There are enough spare in the kit to equip other models in your collection (such as heavy weapon troopers in Tactical Squads) with one of these helms.

Centre: Though hidden beneath power packs and ammo hoppers, a Devastator’s backpack still houses all his life support systems. Here you can see the exhaust vent for the power core protruding from beneath the heavy bolter ammo boxes.

Right: As a precision weapon, the lascannon features a shock absorber for the firer’s shoulder and a long-range sight to ensure his shot is always on target.

To the Space Marines that wear them, every suit of power armour is sacred, for it is the Emperor’s protection made manifest, His shield against the vile enemies of Humanity.

A Space Marine’s power armour is not mass-produced like the flak armour worn by the soldiers of the Astra Militarum, but hand-crafted by skilled Chapter artisans over many years. To complete a new suit of Mk. VII power armour can take decades and it’s often easier to make spare parts for an existing suit than it is to make a completely new one. It’s for this reason that some power armour components have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of years of service, some harking back over ten millennia to the dawn of the Great Crusade. These helmets, breastplates, gauntlets and other pieces of armour are revered by the warriors that wear them, for they must truly be blessed to have survived the ravages of time.

Representing these older marks of armour on your miniatures hasn’t always been easy, but the Tactical Squad kit released in 2013 set a precedent for considerably adding to the variety of older armour marks, allowing for more diverse power armour designs. The new Devastator and Assault Squads continue that tradition. Both boxes feature the high greaves, cabled torsos and Corvus helms of Mk. VI armour. The Devastator box includes a rare Heresy-era Mk. V chest piece and an even rarer Mk. VIII torso complete with high gorget, while the Assault Squad features a venerated studded shoulder pad and an ancient-looking Mk. IV backpack.

Also of note is the leg design on the new Devastators, which echoes the reinforced greaves of Mk. VIII armour. In reality, it actually owes its design to the very first Devastator miniatures that came out over 20 years ago, the crenelated panels and feet concealing the inertia dampeners and magnetic clamps used by Devastators to brace themselves before firing.

The armies of the Adeptus Astartes are bolstered this week with even more reinforcements in the form of three new Battleforces: one for Space Marines, another for Blood Angels and finally another for the Dark Angels.

Reinforce your Space Marines army or begin a whole new collection with this boxed set containing 12 multi-part plastic Citadel miniatures. In the Space Marines Battleforce you’ll find a Space Marine Captain, a Tactical Squad and a Dreadnought. Each of these models is just the same as the ones you’ll find separately, only bundled together for convenience and a handsome saving against buying them separately.

The Space Marine Captain comes with a choice of two heads and two weapons (bolter or combi-grav gun), while the Tactical Squad and Dreadnought have loads of weapons to choose from. Even better, you’ll have loads of spares left over for your bits box when you’re done building all these models.

A mirror of the Space Marines Battleforce, the Blood Angels version contains a Space Marine Commander, a Blood Angels Tactical Squad and a Furioso Dreadnought.

What’s especially useful about the Space Marine Commander and the Blood Angels Tactical Squad is that the parts within them are completely cross-compatible, so you can interchange parts from one kit with another – great if you want to add a distinctive Blood Angels style to your Captain or make use of some of the many spare weapons that come in the Space Marine Commander kit. On top of that, you have the choice of how to build your Furioso Dreadnought – as a standard Furioso, a Death Company Dreadnought or a Librarian Dreadnought.

The Unforgiven aren’t left out in the cold this week either, as they get this new Dark Angels Battleforce. The set has a definite Ravenwing theme with a Ravenwing Command Squad, Land Speeder and a Space Marine Attack Bike (it also includes the always useful Ravenwing Accessory Pack to customise your models). It’s a set that is absolutely bursting with options, since you can make the Command Squad as a standard Ravenwing Black Knights unit if you wish, and both the Attack Bike and Land Speeder have weapon options. The Ravenwing Accessory Pack only increases this choice, since it has assault cannons for Ravenwing Land Speeders, plus cowlings, special close combat weapons and back banners for your Ravenwing Bike Squad members.

By Cavan Scott | Hardback | 144 pages

When plague sweeps the world of Orath, it’s clear there’s more at work than nature…

The isolated agri-world of Orath might seem like an odd target for the Chaos Space Marines of the Death Guard but a target it is and as the dead themselves rise the scale of the threat becomes obvious. It’s up to the Doom Eagles and a mysterious Ultramarines ally to defend it in this novella packed with aerial action. There’s a significant element of mystery to Plague Harvest too – why would the Death Guard attack such a humble world? – and the answers may be found in a question much closer to home than even the Doom Eagles imagine: why has Librarian Vabion – a legendary hero of his Chapter – spent all this time waiting on the distant agri-world of Orath anyway?

By Gav Thorpe | Hardback | 128 pages

The First of the Phoenix Lords strives to protect his people from catastrophe…

Any novel which begins with Asurmen convening a gathering of all the Phoenix Lords is certain to cram a lot into its 128 pages, and that’s exactly what we get as the first of the Phoenix Lords struggles to defend his people from twin catastrophes separated by space and time.Asurmen battles to protect the craftworld of Ulthwé from the forces of Chaos while a parallel strand sees him struggling to prevent the Eldar’s very destruction in a catastrophe that can only be survived, not averted. But what Asurmen sets in motion there foreshadows everything that is to come – fitting for the Eldar, both victims and masters of what has already come to pass and what is still yet to come…

The Space Marines are Humanity’s ultimate guardians, genetically engineered superhumans that exist only for war. Bringing light to the dark places of the galaxy, they destroy the enemies of Mankind with bolter, chainsword and armoured gauntlet.

The Adeptus Astartes – the Space Marines – are the sword of the Emperor. Warriors without peer, they are relentless in their persecution of Humanity’s foes, securing victory where others would only find defeat. To see a Space Marine Chapter at war is to witness destruction incarnate, for they are the Angels of Death.

At a whopping 200 pages, Codex: Space Marines is the largest Codex we’ve ever released. Delving deeply into the history of the Adeptus Astartes, the background section includes a wealth of information on the many Space Marine Chapters and new background on the companies they’re comprised of, not to mention dozens of line drawings, showcasing the incredible breadth of Space Marine heraldry. For the first time you can see squad and company markings for the White Scars and an explanation of the Salamanders’ Chapter structure, for instance. This section also includes a galactic map, a timeline of major battles, a look at Space Marine strike forces and so much more. And that’s just the first half of the book.

Turn the page and you’ll find a gallery of beautifully-painted Space Marine miniatures, both on the battlefield and in ’Eavy Metal showcases that show off the incredible range of Space Marine miniatures like never before. Further on you’ll find a host of datasheets, which include every unit available to the Space Marines, plus Tactical Objectives, Chapter Tactics, a vast armoury, the Gladius Strike Force Detachment and 12 formations that you can use to field an army of the most powerful warriors in the galaxy.

Above: The front cover of Codex: Space Marines features an Ultramarines Sergeant, his bolt pistol ending the life of another vile heretic.

Above: This tome is packed full of new artwork and background, including this exceptional piece of artwork depicting the Rites of Girding, the process through which a Space Marine is armed and armoured for war.

Above: What Codex would be complete without evocative pictures of Citadel miniatures? This massive book is packed full of them, depicting the many Chapters of the Space Marines at war.

Codex: Space Marines is also available in several limited editions and a digital edition for iPad and eBook.

Why have one limited edition Codex when there are so many Space Marine Chapters in the galaxy? Wise thoughts indeed, which is why our design team have created a swathe of limited editions for you to choose from. Which Chapter will you declare your allegiance to?

Above: Here you can see the Ultramarines limited edition, the Chapter number (XIII) written in roman numerals on the end of the slipcase. The Codex is presented with a faded, battle-worn cover to give the look of a well-used tome, a blue page ribbon tucked inside to help you keep track of what page you’re on.

There are seven limited editions of Codex: Space Marines available, one for each of the First Founding Chapters that follow the Codex Astartes and a seventh representing their Successor Chapters.

Each limited edition Codex is presented in a sturdy slipcase with two sections. The first section contains the Codex itself, each one emblazoned with a piece of artwork that encapsulates the character of the respective Chapter. The Salamanders edition, for example, appears burnt round the edges, while the Raven Guard Codex is monochrome save for the red eye lenses of the Space Marines lurking in the dark.

The second compartment holds a wealth of exciting goodies, including 36 Tactical Objective cards, six metal objective markers, eight large-format cards showcasing the eight marks of power armour and a full-colour guide to the colours and insignia of 190 Space Marine Successor Chapters. Get yours quick because they’re bound to sell out fast.

Above: The seven limited edition Codexes. Top (from left to right): Ultramarines, Imperial Fists and Raven Guard. Below (from left to right): Iron Hands, Salamanders, the Successor Chapters and White Scars. The Successors edition features the Rites of Girding artwork on the front of the Codex.

Above: The contents of the second compartment in the slipcase. The six objective markers are made of solid metal and feature a Space Marine helmet on one side with roman numerals (I-VI) on the reverse. The Tactical Objectives cards include the six exclusive objectives featured in Codex: Space Marines, while the colour guide to Space Marine Successor Chapters is an excellent resource if you’re looking for a less well-known colour scheme for your Space Marines.

7 Chapter Tactics cards, 3 Combat Doctrine cards & 36 Tactical Objectives

Bring just a little of the Codex Astartes’s tactical nous to your tabletop with these handy cards.

The Space Marines are given the Datacards treatment, providing handy reference for their most important battlefield abilities. Seven Chapter Tactics cards provide special rules for those Codex-following (or mostly Codex-following) members of the First Founding and their Successors, while Combat Doctrines allow affected squads to adopt Tactical, Assault or Devastator Doctrines, each presented on a large-format card.

Most eagerly awaited of all are the Space Marines’ very own Tactical Objectives. Unique objectives like Death From Above and Lightning Strike reward characteristic Space Marine methods of planetstrike and lightning warfare, adding a new dimension to the battlefield plans of the tactically-versatile Space Marines and their commanders everywhere.

As you’re probably aware, we now offer subscriptions to White Dwarf (and to Warhammer Visions, and even a combined subscription to the two – see the inside back cover for more info) but don’t forget you can also get your fill of both magazines digitally. White Dwarf is available in ePub and MOBI formats, compatible with pretty much any device you can think of, and Warhammer Visions is available in an enhanced edition for iPad. In fact, like its print sibling, the digital edition of Warhammer Visions has just undergone a bit of a revamp, now more ideally suited to the screen than ever, so if you haven’t checked out these digital editions yet, now is the perfect time to do so. For more info on all of our digital offerings, visit:

www.blacklibrary.com/games-workshop-digital-editions

One of the best ways to keep up with White Dwarf and Warhammer Visions is the Warhammer App – free to download from the App Store. You’ll get all the latest news from White Dwarf and elsewhere, free downloadable content and a digital preview of Warhammer Visions every month. Get it now and don’t miss a thing.

Forge World make highly-detailed resin models, large-scale kits and books for Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and the Horus Heresy. This week we take a look at the Legion Deimos-pattern Vindicator armed with a formidable laser destroyer array.

Vindicators are heavily-armoured siege tanks designed for storming enemy fortifications and pulverising the troops cowering inside them.

Normally armed with a demolisher cannon, some Vindicators are upgraded to carry a laser destroyer array in the centre of their hull. Using multiple generators to fire a salvo of laser blasts in quick succession, the four-barrelled cannon can bore through tank armour or ferrocrete fortifications in a matter of micro-seconds.

Such incredible firepower can attract a great deal of attention from the enemy, so the Vindicator’s hull has been significantly redesigned, the glacis plate and flanks reinforced with extra armour panels to weather incoming fire.

This plastic and resin kit also comes with a hull-mounted combi-bolter for seeing off enemies that get too close and a dozer blade for shunting aside the rubble of fallen masonry and the burning carcasses of enemy tanks.

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 take a look at Ultramarines Devastators.

Like all Space Marines, Devastators are predominantly one colour – that of their armour. Using a coloured spray paint (in this case, Macragge Blue) helps you get a smooth basecoat for the majority of the model quickly and neatly with minimal fuss. Another useful tip is to leave the gun off during assembly and paint it separately so you can get to all the details (such as the chest and head) that may otherwise be hidden behind it. You can then glue the gun on when you’re done painting.

TOO MUCH SHADE?

Sometimes in Paint Splatter we mention recess washes, like the Nuln Oil wash shown in stage 2 on the right. This means the wash is only applied to the sunken areas of the model, not all over, and so use a smaller brush (in this case a Small Layer Brush) to make controlling the wash easier. A recess wash is a great way to emphasise the depth of an area, especially on heavy armour plates.

Space Marine power armour looks great with sharp edge highlights, helping convey the solidity of the armour panels.

The secret to painting these tiny highlights is to use the side of your brush’s head, not the tip, to apply them. Not only does this give you better brush control, it also gives you neater highlights as you won’t be putting pressure on the tip of the brush, simply dragging it lightly towards you. Remember never to push the brush away from you or the bristles will splay apart and the highlights will get very messy!

Next week: A darker shade of blue…

The armour of every Space Marine is covered in icons, badges, symbols and emblems – and all of them mean something, be it an indication of rank, a company marking or a battle honour. Here we explore the colours and insignia of the Adeptus Astartes.

TRANSFER SHEETS AND SHOULDER PADS

Painting a Space Marine’s insignia can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve got a lot of models in your collection.

Fortunately there are several transfer sheets available from the Games Workshop webstore that are perfect for the job, not to mention the new Chapter upgrade packs. Check them out at:
games-workshop.com

In the wake of the Horus Heresy, Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, compiled the Codex Astartes, a guide to the conduct, tactics, duties and organisation of the Space Marines. It detailed everything from battlefield deployments and use of weapons, to prescribed litanies and company markings, describing in detail, for example, the insignia of every Space Marine warrior.

Following the division of the Space Marine Legions into smaller Chapters in 021.M31, the Codex became of utmost importance, enabling the newly-founded Chapters to organise themselves according to the teachings of Roboute Guilliman. Every Space Marine would therefore wear the colours and badge of his Chapter, a company marking, a squad designation and an indicator of rank. To those not of the Adeptus Astartes, this wealth of insignia can be seen as over-elaborate, but in reality it’s nothing short of pragmatic, just like the Space Marines themselves. Not only does it enable commanding officers and battle-brothers to identify each other in battle, it also acts as a record of the Space Marine’s existence and his place in the vast armies of the Imperium.

Every Space Marine belongs to a Chapter, a body of around 1000 battle-brothers. Every Chapter has its own unique heraldry and livery, including a Chapter symbol that reflects their gestalt personality and Chapter name. The Imperial Fists, for example, have a clenched gauntlet as their Chapter badge, while the Howling Griffons wear the sigil of a griffon rampant.

The Chapter symbol is usually shown on a Space Marine’s left shoulder pad – the pad that faces the enemy. This is a hang-over from the days of the Horus Heresy when brother fought brother and identifying each other quickly in the heat of battle was crucial. Now, the Chapter symbol serves a death sentence to the enemies of Mankind, the last thing the foe sees before the Space Marine brings his bolter to bear. Only rarely is the Chapter symbol moved to the right shoulder pad, usually because of the Crux Terminatus worn by a Veteran or because of a studded shoulder pad from an older mark of power armour.

NEW CHAPTERS

In the wake of the Horus Heresy the remnants of the vast Space Marine Legions were split into Chapters. Each of these new Chapters devised heraldry to mark them out from their parent Legions. Some, such as the Knights of the Raven, use Chapter symbols similar to those of their parent Chapter. Others, like the Aurora Chapter (descendents of the Ultramarines) do not.

According to the Codex Astartes, every Space Marine Chapter should be comprised of ten companies: a Veteran Company, four Battle Companies, four Reserve Companies and a Scout Company.

A Space Marine’s company markings will always be shown on his armour in some fashion, most commonly on the trim of his pauldrons. The Ultramarines warrior to the left, for example, has a white trim on his shoulder pad, marking him out as a member of the 1st Company, while the Imperial Fists Sergeant has a red trim, showing he’s a member of the Chapter’s 3rd Company. In cases where the pauldron trim is part of the Chapter livery, the company colours are normally featured as part of the squad markings. A gold IV, for example, would indicate that the Space Marine was a member of the 4th squad of the 2nd Company. Terminators (who lack trims entirely) traditionally wear white helmets, showing they’re both a veteran and a member of the 1st Company.

COMPANY COLOURS

The Codex Astartes states the following colours should be used to denote a Chapter’s company colours:

1st Company: white

2nd Company: gold

3rd Company: red

4th Company: green

5th Company: black

6th Company: orange

7th Company: purple

8th Company: grey

9th Company: blue

10th Company: none

Though most Codex Chapters conform to this, there are some that don’t. The Salamanders, for example, wear green pad trims to match their livery, changing the colour of their Chapter symbol and the centre of their pauldron instead.

Every Space Marine is part of a squad and will feature one of the four squad symbols on his armour: an arrow for Tactical Squads, a diagonal cross for Assault Squads, a blast or chevron for Devastators and a crux for Veterans. The squad symbol is accompanied by a number denoting what squad the Space Marine belongs to in his company. The Ultramarines to the left are the third squad (Tactical) of the 3rd Company, their Rhino transport vehicle sharing their squad markings.

On power armour, squad markings are traditionally featured on the Space Marine’s right shoulder pauldron, the pad that faces his battle-brothers, enabling them to see at a glance what squad he belongs to. On tanks, it is featured on both the front and rear armour plates. Should the squad marking need to be relocated due to personal battle honours, older marks of armour or Chapter heraldry, they will commonly be relocated to the left knee pad or greave.

Left: Here you can see the squad’s number inside the Tactical Squad arrow.

Right: The Rhino displays the same markings. (The red roundel on the hull shows it’s part of 3rd Company).

The Codex Astartes suggests that a Space Marine’s rank should be identifiable by the colour of his helmet. For most Space Marines, this will match their Chapter livery, Ultramarines wearing a blue helm (1), Iron Hands wearing black, Imperial Fists wearing yellow and so on. Veterans can be recognised by their white helmets (2), a rule that applies to both power-armoured and Terminator-armoured warriors, while Sergeants should wear red (3) to make them easy to identify through the fog of war. A Veteran Sergeant, therefore, would still wear a red helmet, but with a white stripe down the centre (4) or a white laurel around the crown to denote his Veteran status.

Of particular note are some members of a Command Squad. In the Battle Demi-company opposite the gold helmet worn by the Company Champion is a mark of honour, but the helmet crest is red, denoting his rank. Similarly, the Company Captain’s rank is represented by the red and white transverse crest on his helmet.

NON- ADHERENTA

While the Codex Astartes was intended by Roboute Guilliman to apply to all Space Marine Legions following the Horus Heresy, some of the Primarchs did not accept it immediately. Among them were Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists and Leman Russ of the Space Wolves. A new civil war almost erupted before Dorn finally relented. The Imperial Fists are now considered some of the closest adherents of the Codex Astartes. The Space Wolves, on the other hand, didn’t reject the Codex, but chose rather to ignore the bits they felt weren’t relevant. Similarly the Dark Angels and Blood Angels both adhere to the core tenets of the Codex, but don’t follow it to the letter. The Blood Angels, for example, change the colour of their helmets to mark out different squads instead of ranks.

The Ultramarines Battle Demi-company shown below was painted by our Studio army painters, who clearly read the Codex Astartes from cover to cover before embarking on their latest army project.

The Demi-company forms the heart of the Gladius Strike Force, the most tactically-flexible deployment prescribed by the Codex Astartes and based around the fighting strength of one of the Chapter’s Battle Companies.

In this example the Battle Demi-company has been drawn from the Ultramarines’ 3rd Company as denoted by the red shoulder trims worn by every member of the force. The army is led by Captain Mikael Fabian, the Master of the Arsenal, who is accompanied by his Command Squad. Ancient Mordecai holds aloft the banner of the 3rd Company, which depicts the head of a Tyranid Warrior skewered by a gladius – an honour awarded to the company as a show of their valour during the First Tyrannic War. The banner image itself is actually a decal from the new Ultramarines transfer sheet.

Fabian’s Demi-company includes three Tactical Squads, denoted by the white vertical arrows on their right shoulder pads which are repeated on the front of their accompanying Rhinos. Present are squads II, III and IV, the company’s remaining three Tactical Squads held in reserve or on a different mission entirely. The Tactical Marines are backed up by two support squads, Assault Squad VII and Devastator Squad X. Note that the squad number refers to the company roster – they are the tenth squad in the 3rd Company, not the tenth Devastator Squad.

The army is backed up by the Venerable Former-Captain Garus, one of the Company’s Dreadnoughts. The skull symbol on his sarcophagus is a battle honour from the Ironblood Campaign.

CAMPAIGN BADGES

Space Marines are constantly at war and can often be found on campaign alongside other Imperial forces. These combined arms forces often wear a campaign badge to denote their allegiance. On Space Marines this is normally worn on either the left or right leg greave and may be scrubbed off following the conclusion of the campaign or retained as an honour marking.

DEMI-COMPANY VIRTUS INVICTA

Captain Fabian

Command Squad Fabian, including the Company Champion Torius and the Company standard bearer Ancient Mordecai

Tactical Squad II led by Sergeant Lucian

Tactical Squad III led by Sergeant Heastus

Tactical Squad IV led by Sergeant Orphaon

Assault Squad VII led by Sergeant Garrad

Devastator Squad X led by Sergeant Raestes

Former-Captain Garus, revered Dreadnought of the 3rd Company

Golden Demon is Games Workshop’s annual painting competition, featuring some of the best painted Citadel miniatures in the world. This week, we feature a Dragon Slayer painted by Tomáš Pekar, which won Silver in the Warhammer Single Miniature category.

Tomáš is a regular contributor to White Dwarf, so when we saw he’d won a silver award, we knew we had to get in touch to congratulate him.

White Dwarf: Tomáš, congratulations on receiving your first Golden Demon award!

Tomáš Pekar: Thanks, I was very surprised to get silver on my first attempt, especially in a category with so many great entries.

WD: What made you pick the Dwarf Dragon Slayer for your entry?

Tomáš: The day it came out I knew I had to paint it. Dwarfs are so characterful and Slayers are really iconic. I like converting, but the Slayer is perfect just how he is. My only additions were a few bits of debris on the display plinth.

WD: The level of realism on the model is incredible, what’s your secret?

Tomáš: Attention to detail, really, and delving into the character of the model. Slayers fight constantly, so I painted his hands (especially the knuckles) slightly darker than the rest of his skin to look worn and weathered. His feet, too, from walking barefoot all over the place. Oh, and his elbows, from leaning on tavern bars. I imagine he drinks quite a bit, hence the slightly red nose. And, of course, Slayers have to have tattoos. I tried sketching them on paper first, but I really lack drawing skills, so I went straight to the model, painting two snakes across his arms and back. I think they came out well.

WD: How long did he take to complete?

Tomáš: Erm… about 30-40 hours? I honestly don’t know. The non-metallic metals on the axes took a long time. I don’t get much time to paint due to work, so I take the opportunity whenever I can.

WD: You travelled from the Czech Republic to enter Golden Demon last year. Will you be entering again this year?

Tomáš: Yeah, it was an awesome weekend. I’ve already got my first unit painted!

Left: “I wanted a sharp contrast between warm and cold colours on this model,” says Tomáš. “The Slayer’s beard is a really rich orange, while his trousers are very pale.” You can see the same contrast between the cool silver and warm gold on the Slayer’s axes.

Right: “I’d only painted tattoos on Orks before, so doing them on a Dwarf was a real challenge.” Note the similarity in colour tone between the tattoos and the stripes on the Slayer’s trousers.

Left: “I wanted the trousers to look like they were made of different materials stitched together. That’s why the blue stripes have a subtly different texture to the white ones.”

Right: The Dragon Slayer’s base is hidden beneath rubble and scree, but can still be removed so Tomáš can use him in games. No, it’s not just for display!

SEE MORE GOLDEN DEMON!

Every month, Warhammer Visions features a gallery of the best entries from Golden Demon competitions around the world. Issue 17, out now, showcases a host of exceptional entries from Warhammer Fest 2014, including Tomáš’s Dragon Slayer. To see more of Tomáš’s work, keep your eyes peeled for a future issue of Warhammer Visions, where we’ll be featuring his stunning Tau Battlesuit Commander.

Warhammer Visions is released on the first Saturday of every month.

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 the Sons of Vulkan can rejoice as we present new Tactical Objectives for the Salamanders Chapter.

The Salamanders Chapter are known for their sturdy resolve on the battlefield, having earned a reputation for dependability and unfailing commitment to duty even amidst the fires of battle.

That’s reflected in these exclusive new Salamanders Tactical Objectives, with objectives such as Weather the Storm, which will reward you for advancing your Salamanders stoically towards the enemy, a hail of bullets whipping around them, and Legacy of Isstvan, which will require your Salamanders to very much to hold their line, come what may.

Of course, the other pillar of the Salamanders’ legend is their mastery of fire, more than ably represented by objectives such as Vulkan’s Gaze and Fires of Nocturne, which will reward the effective use of the Salamanders’ favoured flamer and melta weapons. Like all the Faction-specific Tactical Objectives, these add a great element of story to your games and, in many ways, you will be rewarded for playing to your army’s own characteristic strengths. That’s not to say they’re easy to achieve, however – some careful planning will be required, lest a strength become a weakness.

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

Shown here are six Tactical Objectives to use in your games of Warhammer 40,000 that are exclusive to Space Marine players that use Salamanders Chapter Tactics, and help to reflect their stoic and relentless style of warfare.

If your Warlord has the Space Marines Faction and uses the Salamanders Chapter Tactics, these Tactical Objectives replace the Capture & Control Tactical Objectives (numbers 11-16) described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

If a Warhammer 40,000 mission has the Tactical Objectives special rule, players use the normal rules for using Tactical Objectives with the following exception: when a Space Marines player generates a Capture & Control objective (numbers 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16), generate the corresponding Space Marines Tactical Objective instead, as shown in the table opposite. Other Tactical Objectives (numbers 21-66) are generated normally.

D66 - Result

11 - Vulkan’s Gaze

12 - Weather the Storm

13 - Legacy of Isstvan

14 - Vulkan’s Task

15 - Look Them in the Eyes

16 - Fires of Nocturne

11 - VULKAN’S GAZE

Type: Salamanders

Honour the Primarch by laying low the armoured might of your foes with heat and fury.

Score 1 Victory Point at the end of your turn if, during your turn, you completely destroyed an enemy vehicle with a melta weapon.

12 - WEATHER THE STORM

Type: Salamanders

The Salamanders do not falter in the face of the storm, nor can any stay their wrath.

Score 1 Victory Point at the end of your turn if, during your turn, one or more of your units made a successful charge and suffered no casualties from Overwatch.

13 - LEGACY OF ISSTVAN

Type: Salamanders

Stand your ground and hold the line no matter the odds, just as your forebears did at Isstvan.

Score 1 Victory Point at the end of your turn if you have at least three Salamanders units within 18” of your table edge and you destroyed at least one enemy unit that was in your table half during your turn.

14 - VULKAN’S TASK

Type: Salamanders

Four of the Artefacts of Vulkan remain lost. Investigate every clue to their whereabouts.

Score D3 Victory Points at the end of your turn if every objective marker on the battlefield has been identified and you control more objective markers than your opponent.

15 - LOOK THEM IN THE EYE

Type: Salamanders

Prove the superiority of the Fireborn by cutting down your enemies when they can see the fury of your resolve writ clear on your face.

Score 1 Victory Point at the end of your turn if, during your turn, you completely destroyed an enemy unit whilst it was within 6” of any Salamanders units. If you completely destroyed three or more enemy units whilst they were within 6” of any Salamanders units, score D3 Victory Points instead.

16 - FIRES OF NOCTURNE

Type: Salamanders

The Salamanders are renowned for their mastery of flamecraft. Burn the foes of the Imperium.

Score 1 Victory Point at the end of your turn if, during your turn, you completely destroyed an enemy unit with a flamer weapon. Score D3 Victory Points instead if you completely destroyed two enemy units, or D3+3 Victory points if you completely destroyed three or more enemy units, with flamer weapons during your turn.

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 take a look at the Gladius Strike Force, transfers, Goblins and a carnivorous plant.

FIELDING THE GLADIUS STRIKE FORCE

One of the big changes to Codex: Space Marines is the in-depth background that’s been added on the structure of Space Marine companies and strike forces. Up until now there’s been very little said about how a Space Marine strike force is assembled, how units are chosen for each mission, how they decide what tanks and support vehicles to requisition, and so on. The Codex covers this in exceptional detail alongside a new way of creating your army list: the Gladius Strike Force.

In most cases a Battle Company will form the backbone of a Space Marine force, but it will rarely be fielded in its entirety, except in the direst circumstances. Instead, it will take to the field as a Battle Demi-company led by a Captain or a Chaplain. The commander will then create his Gladius Strike Force by selecting additional units from those available to him, depending on the nature of his mission. He may request a unit of 1st Company Veterans to teleport into the heart of the enemy’s position, for example, or call upon an Armoured Task Force of Vindicators and Thunderfire Cannons to lay siege to an enemy fortification. Not only does this give you massive flexibility when creating your Space Marine army, it’s also great fun creating a story to go with it.

OTHER STRIKE FORCES

The Gladius Strike Force is the strike force most commonly used by the Adeptus Astartes on account of its tactical flexibility. However, that hasn’t stopped Chapter Masters creating new patterns of strike force to better suit their Chapter’s way of fighting.

The Lance Strike Force is popular among the White Scars and their Successors. Relying on bikes, Land Speeders and transport vehicles, it aims to deliver victory through one swift strike at the enemy’s heart.

The Javelin Strike Force requires a large number of Space Marines from the 7th Company. Acting as pilots for the Chapter’s aircraft, they deploy the entire strike force by air before dominating the skies with their considerable firepower.

Strike Force Ultra is one of the most famous strike forces. First used by the Ultramarines, it’s made up entirely of 1st Company Veterans wearing Terminator armour. Deployed by Stormraven, Land Raider and teleporter, there is little that can survive such a devastating hammer-blow.

Using transfers is a great way to add detail to your miniatures without driving yourself mad trying to paint it by hand. The banner we featured earlier in the issue (page 21) is a great example of how transfers can make your life so much easier. Painting the Ultramarines 3rd Company banner by hand would not be an easy task. With a transfer, it takes just a few minutes.

The banner is actually one of the transfers from the new Ultramarines transfer sheet, available now from the Games Workshop webstore alongside one for the Blood Angels and another for the Dark Angels.

To help you put the new transfers on your models, here’s a quick guide to show you how to do it.

Left: Carefully cut out the transfer using a Citadel Knife. Make sure you do it on a cutting mat so you don’t ruin your desk.

Right: Paint the area where you want to apply the transfer with a layer of ’Ardcoat using a Medium Base Brush. This helps smooth out any bumps or ridges that may have been created during the painting process. This will help ensure the transfer sits flat when it’s applied.

Left: Place the cut-out transfer face-up on a damp cloth. The water will soak into the backing paper and allow the transfer to come free within a couple of minutes. Do not immerse the transfer in water or the glue on the back will come off and it won’t adhere to the model.

Right: Using a clean brush (we used the same Medium Base Brush), manoeuvre the transfer from the backing paper onto the model.

Left: Using the tip of the brush, carefully position the transfer. If it becomes stuck before it’s in position, wet the brush a little (don’t saturate it) and gently move the transfer until you’re happy with where it sits.

Right: Once the transfer has had time to dry, paint a layer of Lahmian Medium over it to seal it to the model. Not only does it ensure the transfer stays on through the rigours of battle, it also leaves a smooth, matt finish.

Reading about the Iron Hands in Codex: Space Marines reminded us about their unhealthy obsession with bionics and their dabblings with the Adeptus Mechanicus. Though often mentioned, it hasn’t been possible to represent such a cool alliance on the battlefield because there have never been any miniatures for the Adeptus Mechanicus. Until earlier this year, that is. A combined army of half-bionic Space Marines and cyborg Skitarii? Yes, please!

Warhammer Visions 17 is on sale today, and this month’s Blanchitsu is one of our favourites. John Blanche presents his own Adeptus Mechanicus warband, including this hulking chap, affectionately known as Awrekan the Shriner. With John the architect of Games Workshop’s imagery over the years, the warband is redolent with that same classic feel. What’s amazing, though, is seeing it all rendered in miniature. We can’t recommend it enough.

A Mortis Engine could be considered a weapon in its own right, for it houses the remains of a powerful Necromancer whose soul still clings to the mortal realm. Where the Mortis Engine drifts, unquiet spirits are drawn to it like moths to a flame.

The most malevolent of these spirits are Banshees, who swarm around the unholy device, their piercing cries more than capable of stopping a man’s heart or, at the very least, paralysing him with terror. As a weapon of the Undead, these dread spirits are exceptionally potent, for not only are they horrifically detrimental to the enemy’s morale, they’re also impossible to destroy unless they’re bombarded with magic or attacked with a magical weapon.

Death worlds are home to many exotic flora, including this, the venus mantrap found in the Catachan Heavy Weapon Team box. It looks great adorning a large base, mouth wide open waiting for its next meal.

Chaos reigns supreme in Reader’s Model of the Week thanks to this Chaos Sorcerer painted by Robert Carlsson.

The model was actually one of Robert’s entries for The Fang painting competition, held in Stockholm a few years ago, where he won 1st place in the Warhammer Single Miniature category with it. And a deserved win it was, too, for Robert has done some exceptional blending on the model’s robes and skin as well as painting all the metal areas in non-metallics. Our favourite bit, though: the glowing eye in the Sorcerer’s hand. Very useful for palm reading…

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.

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: mysterious Space Marine Chapters.

THE RELICTORS

Once known as the Fire Claws, this mysterious Chapter was one of the Astartes Praeses, a group of 20 Chapters formed to watch over the Eye of Terror. On one particular mission, one of their Librarians, Decario, came into contact with a Daemon weapon, using it to banish a champion of Chaos back to the Warp. Ever since they have hunted down other Chaos relics, planing to use them against those who created them. They subsequently renamed themselves the Relictors.

THE BLACK DRAGONS

Created during the Cursed 21st Founding, the Black Dragons have a peculiar gene-seed mutation that results in boney spikes sprouting from their heads and forearms. Those afflicted often sharpen the ones on their arms, coat them with adamantium and use them as close combat weapons. Both the Inquisition and the Adeptus Mechanicus watch these genetic deviants very carefully indeed.

THE MENTORS

The Mentors were created during the 26th Founding, making them one of the youngest Chapters in the Imperium. Unusually they rarely fight in strike forces, instead loaning their squads to other Imperial forces for the duration of a battle or sometimes a whole campaign. Individually, each Mentor has an extraordinary capacity for learning and tactics and they are often fielded as advisors and tacticians in addition to being devastating shock troops.

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

OLD OR ANCIENT

Oh mighty slayer of Goblins and Elves, are the Necrons the mighty Ancients the Slann talk of and will they come to rescue them from the End Times?

- Owen ‘crossed streams’ Belchamber

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

Whoa there! Necrons and Lizardmen? What madness is this, beardling? I’ll set you straight, and no mistake!

In both Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 a race known as the Old Ones is mentioned, though whether they are one and the same is unknown. In Warhammer 40,000 the Old Ones lived millions of years ago and fought the Necrons – the Ancients – in what was known as the War in Heaven, before disappearing. In Warhammer, the Old Ones created many of the races that inhabited the world, the Lizardmen first among them, before also vanishing. It’s the Old Ones the Slann hope might return one day, not Necrons. That would just add insult to injury…

- Grombrindal

The Night Goblin tribe known as Da Purple Shroomies dwell in the deepest, darkest caves beneath Mount Squighorn, one of the most squig-infested places in the known world. The vast caverns beneath the mountains are also home to a rare purple fungus, which is why the Goblins dye their robes purple, enabling them to hide amongst the massive mushrooms and catch the Squigs unawares.

The leader of the tribe is a devious Warlord known as Stikslag Da Magnificent who rides into battle on a Great Cave Squig. Stikslag is uncharacteristically brave for a Goblin, having fought the forces of Chaos on many occasions without running away. This is likely due to Smasha and Basha, the Mangler Squigs that bounce into battle alongside Stikslag, crushing all the scary things before they get to him.

Da Pokers are one of Stikslag’s regiments of Night Goblin Spearmen. They can often be found sneaking around beneath Mount Squighorn capturing squigs for their master. It’s for this reason they carry a large number of nets, which they put to good use pinning down squigs, giant spiders, ratmen, unlucky Dwarfs, the occasional suspiciously-mobile fungus and anything else that gets too close. Da Pokers come so close to trustworthy (by Goblin standards) that Stikslag himself often decides to let them accompany him into battle personally.

A recent altercation with a daemonic warband of Tzeentch almost proved too much for the cowardly greenskins, but amazingly they managed to capture a gaggle of Horrors and bag them for their leader as trophies.

Upon returning to Stikslag’s boss-shack (the rickety teepee in the middle) they were dismayed to find all the Horrors gone, the bag full instead of lurid pink mushrooms. They ate them anyway, resulting in a technicolour belching contest later that night.

Above: Stikslag Da Magnificent advances in relative safety behind Smasha and Basha, the tribe’s Mangler Squigs. No one’s entirely sure which of the squigs is which, though it’s rumoured that Smasha’s the cunnin’ one and Basha’s the strong one. That insight hasn’t helped in the slightest…

Above: Stikslag’s boss-shack is a mobile base of operations, Da Pokers carrying it wherever they go. It’s protected at all times by a band of archers who call themselves Da Stikkas. Curiously, they’re not posted by Stikslag to shoot enemy troops that get too close; instead, they’re used to shoot any Fanatics that decide to return to their parent unit after being released. Their current hit to miss ratio is unenviably dire.

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