Legions Imperialis has been out just over a fortnight and most of the kits I pre-ordered for the game have arrived. As usual, my FLGS Incom Gaming did a premier job of supplying everything I could get from them on launch day, the only items that lagged a little were those I could only get from Games Workshop directly. But as these were really only samples of the new Knight and Titan bases it didn’t slow me down much. At the time of writing, the bases that went out of stock on launch day are already back in supply.
So which faction am I going to build to game with initially? It has to be the Blood Angels. Why? Out of all the previous iterations on Epic, It is one of the legions I have never actually painted for this scale believe it or not. Even though they were one of my favourite armies from the old ‘Space Marine Battles’ book, I never got around to painting up any detachments of them. I am going to correct that omission in Legions Imperialis so this time they are going to be the first.
Two decisions I needed to make from the get go; whether to base the tanks or not and how to do the red?
The first was easy, I will be basing the vehicles. There are many reasons I decided to base them. Consistency of appearance, to protect delicate parts during movement and storage, to protect the paint. But the most important reason was I want to store and transport my armies using magnetic trays. I have done this with all my Titans and Knight banners for Titanicus and adding magnets to the plastic bases for the infantry and walkers is simple. It makes sense to also do the same for the tanks so I can transport all together.
I’m still evaluating whether to use the larger Legions Imperialis plastic bases for vehicles in future forces, but for the Blood Angels to get them ready for January I have selected 2mm MDF bases with rounded corners from Sarissa Precision. I have used these in the past and they are great quality.
Adding magnets
To drill the holes for the magnets cleanly I taped four bases together in a stack with masking tape, then drilled a pilot hole followed by a 5mm through all four bases at a time. A quick clean up with fine sand paper and I could add a 5mm x 1mm disk magnet. These are the same magnets I used on the infantry bases and for most of the Titans weapon options. After checking the magnet was nice and flush with the bottom of each base, I added a drop of super glue into the recess from the top and this sealed the magnet in nicely.
You can fill the hole with a little filler if you want for appearances, but I honestly found it wasn’t needed. The tank hides this completely once glued down.
For reference I settled on a 40mm x 30mm base as a nice size for Deimos sized tanks like the Rhinos and Predators. The Sicaran also fits this, but the sponsons will overlap slightly, so it’s down to personal choice if prefer the security of a 40mm x 40mm square. I’ll probably just stick with these and figure out the best size for a Kratos when I get to it!
Another widely known tip is to paint the infantry whilst still on the frame, makes life quite a lot easier. Some painters prefer to clip them off, clean them and then temporarily mount them onto coffee stirrers or popsicle sticks to paint. I like that approach also. In fact I used to do exactly that for Flames of War back when I collected an army, but for Legions I have a kind of half-way approach. I leave the infantry on the frame attached at the base, but clip them off in sections, to make them easier to access for assembly and cleaning. The Contemptor Dreadnoughts I also take off at this step and assemble separately.
I’m now onto the second frame of Astartes, so this is at the the base colour stage with weapons painted and gloss varnish added to protect for the oil wash and then metals.
First formation
I’m starting simple, with a Blood Angels legion demi-company as it makes good use of the starter box contents having two infantry frames. Each frame lets you assemble an HQ, a core tactical detachment (of which I need two) and a stand of each of the support units; missiles, plasma, assault and terminators. You also get two Contemptor dreadnoughts. In essence it is the contents of the Astartes infantry box, which all said lets you assemble the necessary infantry units for the demi-company plus upgrades and support.
To this I have added five Rhinos to provide dedicated transport for the mandatory units. If I upgrade the tactical detachments with some support units, then I’ll likely add a few more Rhinos to cover them as well. Assault and Terminators I am currently leaning towards making them separate detachments as I have plans for them.
Big tanks or bigger tanks?
I’ll need to sketch out a rough 1k points list by January for an intro gaming day and I’ll be honest, I haven’t decided if I should take Sicaran or Kratos yet. The formation, assuming I field only the one, allows for just a single tank unit. However, these get an extra strategy point for being part of the demi-company. If I take a legion tank company as a second formation I can easily fill all the core detachment slots with both the Sicaran and Kratos. Decisions, decisions! I’ll cross that battlement when I get to it, for now though I know I need to paint them so they have been added to the painting roster.
Also being added to the plan (maybe), is a Thunderhawk. Even if I don’t end up including it in this list, I definitely want to include one for my Blood Angels. If no other reason than it will look awesome in red and black, but also the number of Assault or Terminator units I could cram into one. That’s far too good a prospect to pass up.
Last bit of hobby this week was the objective tokens. Previously, I showed the order tokens which I upgraded using clear epoxy domes a’la infinity style. For the objective ones, being bigger I have to give a shout out to Iain Werry for his awesome tip to use 32mm clear coin collection cases. Pure genius and they work an absolute treat! Thanks Iain, legend mate.
Coming next
Nothing for the rest of the week sadly, BUT soon to be off for the festive break. If I can sneak away like an Alpha Legion operative during the weekend, I should get a chance to press on with doing the tanks and the second core tactical formation. Once they are done I suppose I had better cost up the list proper so I know what I’ll actually be fielding in January. I also have plans for some legacy touches to give a nod back to some really old OG Space Marine heresy.
Can’t wait!
Until then, have a fantastic hobby week.
Leave a Reply