Didi et Gogo:
You know what, that undoubtedly handsome man is right. Time to get working on these little guys! The links you provided do help. I know I've seen an Awesome Paint Job video that showed how to easily airbrush a power sword......ah here it is! Now I have to consider getting an airbrush...

Ar'ka:
Glad you like the look! Washing grey is now my preferred way to paint black. It gives you more control and helps things really stand out as opposed to looking like you just primed it. I thought about blending the legs like they did in the picture, but I decided against it simply because it it easier. I was looking at that blade some more, and I think he may have used a heavy wash of red....I think I may give that a try on some practice pieces.

ShadowSword:
Glad you like it! These Termies are actually part of the 7th Company (the Shadow Guardians have taken a few liberties with standard codex organization). I will be painting every Assault Termie this color and even the Shrike count-as I posted earlier.

Lynu:
I think you hit the nail on the head! I need to add some more color to break it up. I will try a few things that I think might work.

Once again, thank you all for your support. Sorry I have been sporadic with my updates. But hearing that you guys like what I do really make me smile! I have a bunch of sporadic background info lying around. I hope to include some of it in the next update.

Maybe try something like what they did with Tyberos The Red Wake. The seperation of the colors in the helm adds some unique variation in the model as well as doing the trim on all armour plates separate colors.

Been a little while since I've checked in, but I like the direction you are going with the new scheme.

I had a similar problem in terms of making mono-colored areas more interesting, and in the end I used sandblasting style weathering as a method of applying color variation without actually adding another dominant color to the army palette. Also heavier shading can help single colored areas to not get lost.

Also, my Shadow Crows endorse this name change, theres plenty of room here in the shadows... (and maybe we can perch on your terminator shoulders from time to time? )

Commander Blueshock:
Well I have some chains across his chest that add some color (okay barely any color), but perhaps once I add Chapter symbol and all that jazz I can make it look better; same goes for my other Termies.

Revenant:
Yeah, weathering is definitely something I want to try; I even have some weathering powder! But I will have to experiment first. Oh and glad you like the new name. I thought it fit the Chapter better. Maybe I can have each of our Chapters cross paths at some point in the background?
Oh and I just remembered the awesome step by step you wrote about power weapons. I think I am going to paint mine this way as well!

---

Okay, I’d say you guys are due to see what I have been working on. First up, the Terminators are coming along nicely. Why not see a little family photo, huh?


Ah, they are so precious. Yes, I would say the squad is about half done (two are missing arms) and will be getting the tribal and chapter symbols soon. Oh and as you can see, I decided to paint the Srg’s cloak brown as I thought it blended with the other colors better.

Next up is a family Scout photo!


Look at all those green lenses! Anyway, these guys still need more detail work done, but they are almost there! Now, you will notice that the Seargents are not present. Well that is because they looked stupid and needed to be changed. Behold!



These were two of my Srg’s that I posted before. They both use different power fists from IG Command kits since a regular Marine one looks silly. The third one is my first Srg with the power weapon. He looks okay, but I was never truly happy with him. Really, all the poses were weird and awkward and I hated them. So here are a few changes:

He’s had his arm shortened to match the proportions of his body better. Of course, green stuff is needed, but it is a vast improvement I think.
The other Srg who was crouching on some rubble also looked dumb with his fist all held tight to his body. So I decided to not use the body for a Srg, but made a regular Marine out of it. I plan on doing the new Srg in a running pose, but the model is not ready yet. Anyway, here is the new and much improved Scout:



Last up is power sword guy. He will be getting his Bolt Pistol hand later, but it will be in the front of his body.



The new power sword is also taken from the Catachan Command Sprue with the addition of the Kromlech khopesh. Again, he still needs work, but I am much happier.

As I looked through IA9: The Badab War Part 1, I fell in love with many of the special characters contained inside. So I have decided to make my own versions of several of these characters. First up is the master of my Chapter, or as he is known to the Raivathan born Supreme Agahasi Taksheel. He is a Lias Issodon conversion (the master of the Raptors) and I love him like a son:




I am not sure about the power weapon; I like it, but I think it is too large in its current state. Do you guys think I should cut off the little chunk right above his fist? I think that would reduce the size a bit. Anyway, he has a FW Maximus chest plate, DA Ravenwing head, Assault Marine legs, regular SM arms and a special bolt pistol. The book calls it an Omen Pattern Bolt Pistol names “Malice.” That just sounded way cool. So here is a closeup:



Made from Scout Bolt Pistol, Scout Binoculars and the magazine is from two Heavy Bolter casings. Yes, I know the magazine looks a little wonky; that will be fixed soon. Anyway, I really like it and I think it fits the part of a rare and powerful pistol (it can fire up to four Sternguard ammo shots!).

Now with those tasty little morsels out of the way, why don’t we get down to some business. Yes, I’m talkin’ ‘bout background.

The Shadow Guardians


An aloof and intellectual Chapter, the Shadow Guardians have served the Imperium of Man for centuries. Their tactics of infiltration, sabotage and assassinations have made them feared enemies of those who would challenge mankind’s right to inherit the stars. Solitary in nature, the Chapter is somewhat alienated them from the Imperium at large, a position which has enabled them to intervene in human affairs without emotional attachment. However, their stoic exterior betrays their inner sense of justice and their desire to assist all those who fight for the Emperor.

When examining their Chapter history, it is clear that the Shadow Guardians strength lies not with their force of arms, but with their ability to apply the exact amount of pressure, in the precise location.

Origins and History


According to the Chapters records, the Shadow Guardians were founded in M36 and assigned to patrol and defend Imperial interests in the Eastern Fringe. The rising incidents of xeno aggression had forced many Imperial shipping lanes to reroute or heavily defend their lines; tasks that both drained the resources of eastern colonies and increased the time required to deliver shipments. Clearly, such delays were unacceptable and several Space Marine Chapters were put to work in cleansing the area.

To lead the newly founded Chapter, 2nd Company Captain Cthon Taksheel of The Raptors was chosen to become the first Chapter Master. Granted use of the newly constructed Battle Barge Accipiter and a small band of strike cruisers and escorts, the young Chapter was assigned to patrol the space near the Sagittarius Arm of the Eastern Fringe. In the centuries that followed, incidents of piratical raids and other xeno attacks in the area began to decrease sharply as the Shadow Guardians deployed to a wide variety of war zones throughout the Eastern Fringe.


+++The Shadow Guardian fleet on patrol.+++

At the time of their founding, the Shadow Guardians lacked in manpower and could ill afford frontal attacks or prolonged engagements. This would prove to be only a minor obstacle, though, for Chapter Master Taksheel. Being a Raptor, Taksheel was skilled in the methods of concealment and guerilla fighting and these tactics were strongly emphasized in order to preserve the relatively small amount of resources at their disposal. The emphasis on stealth continued to be used as the Chapter grew in size and strength, till eventually their secrecy saw them fading from most Imperial records.

This is not to say that they stopped engaging in conflicts- quite the contrary. The Shadow Guardians have purposefully kept their deployments obscure, relying on their vast intelligence network of loyal human operatives in order to strike where they will be most effective. Throughout the centuries, many Imperial commanders have found their forces suddenly reinforced by elements of the Guardians, only to have these unexpected saviors disappear soon after their mission is complete.

This reputation of secrecy has made them somewhat unpopular with many Space Marine Chapters, who view them as untrustworthy. But this is something that concerns the Guardians little. For while they see value in the brotherhood that should exist among the Space Marines, the sad fact is that rivalries and feuds are common; needlessly emotional time wasters to the pragmatic Shadow Guardians. Instead they have chosen to remain in the background, silently observing their region of space to see where they can be of most use. Sadly, this distance would one day prove to be detrimental when a large splinter of Hive Fleet Kraken appeared in the system of the Chapters homeworld, Raivath.

The Kraken Strikes


+++Last image of the Shadow Guardian cruiser, Vulture as it succumbed to Tyranid attack.+++

With the Chapter’s forces being split up across the Eastern Fringe, the system could only count on the defense of three companies that had recently returned to their home system for repair and resupply. The 1st, 2nd and 5th Companies, while all fierce in their own right, had recently suffered great losses in their campaign to destroy a fledgling Ork Waaagh! on the borders of their territory. Knowing they would need help, the Chapter’s Librarians managed to make only one astropathic call for aid before the shadow in the warp overcame them. As the Tyranid approached, the Guardians took to their ships and did what they could to hold off the advancing horde.

Initial fleet actions had mixed results and steadily, the Guardians fell back. Although the Tyranid paid dearly for every step they gained, the Marines were simply outnumbered. With the situation looking grim, the then Chapter Master Nithik Taksheel gave the order to utilize every resource at their disposal; a command with far-reaching implications.

Decades before the Tyranid attack, the Guardians began taking an interest in the design of various recovered xeno weapons. While they were not foolish enough to make their studies public knowledge, the Guardians’ Master of the Forge began examining these weapons to locate potential weaknesses in enemy design or to see ways in which such weapons could be turned against their foes. Knowing that such actions could be viewed as heretical and could potentially strain their relationship with the Admech, these labs were kept underground in the Chapters Fortress Monastery. But with the Tyranid advancing on their homeworld and with only three under-strength companies to defend it, the situation looked grim.

When the Tyranid began to advance on Raivath itself, the defenders unleashed every xeno and Imperial weapon they had. Tau Pulse weaponry, Dark Eldar splinter guns, Ork cannons, Galthite lacerators and dozens of other exotic weapons allowed the Shadow guardians to gain the upper hand in the first few crucial moments of the battle. This was the first time xeno weapons were used by the Chapter in open battle and set a precedent that would forever taint the Chapters view; they saw potential with these tools and the temptation to use them again would always remain.

Just as the fighting grew desperate for the Guardians, the Tyranid fleets were suddenly thrown into disarray as fleet elements of the 8th and 10th Company arrived to reinforce their brothers. This respite bought the surviving Guardians time to re-organize and launch a successful counter-attack against key Tyranid synapse nodes. Despite horrendous losses, the Shadow Guardians proved victorious over the Tyranid menace and successfully defended their homeworld.

This victory, however, was a bitter one. Despite reinforcements, only seventeen Marines of the three defending Companies survived and even the Marines that came to reinforce suffered many losses. This effectively cut more than half of the Shadow Guardians’ fighting strength. This led to the Chapter Masters order that a great rebuilding effort was to be undertaken. Recruitment would be increased sharply and surviving veterans were to be dispersed throughout the remaining Companies, in order to train the initiates.

For now, the Shadow Guardians will rebuild. But the bitter lessons that they learned fighting the Tyranid would forever stay with them. It was clear that the Eastern Fringe would continue to see more attacks from the Tyranid swarms and for their part, the Shadow Guardians planned to be ready.

Current Disposition:

The Chapters fleet has been recently located near the borders of Tau territory. Their actions have prevented the Tau from expansion on several frontier worlds, but with a Tyranid invasion looming in the distance, the Guardians have taken to engaging in fleet actions against Tyranid scout organisms.

Currently, the Guardians have amassed their entire Chapter to take part in the defense of the backwater colony world of Kur. The planet is located directly in the path of a relatively small Hive Fleet and will undoubtedly fall unless it is reinforced. Unable to get aid from any other Imperial organization, the local planetary governor sent an open plea to any vessels in range to provide assistance. This call was answered by two different factions: the Shadow Guardians and the Water Caste of the Tau Empire.

As it stands, the Tau have the potential to gain another Imperial world into their Empire as the disheartened populace is no doubt vulnerable to the honeyed words of the xeno emissaries.
Yet the Averroës predicted grave danger will befall the Imperium if this world is allowed to be consumed by the Tyranid and the Chapter is entirely devoted to ensuring that this does not occur. Some of the local populous have sided openly with the Tau, while others stand staunchly on the side of the Imperium. Still others are unsure of which side to take, faced with potential death by the Tyranid or death by the currently distant Imperium, many have chosen the Tau to be the lesser of two evils and sided with them.

Aghasi Taksheel, who maintains a respect for the Tau, has publicly committed his entire Chapter to the planets defense, something usually uncommon for the secretive Shadow Guardians. It is his goal that the populous will view this as the Emperors answer to their prayers and hopefully keep them from siding with the Tau.

The outcome of this battle has yet to be seen.

---

So here is some basic intro background for the Chapter. I also included the current disposition to give some context to my models. So when I finish a model, I will include background from one of the three perspectives: a historical Index Astartes-like section, an Inquisitorial spy and a Tau Water Caste diplomat. So this will allow me to explore the mystery of the Chapter from different points of view. I hope it will be interesting!

Okay kids, that’s all for now. It’s good to be back!

PS: The fleet image you see is from here. Other one is from GW. All images used without permission; please don't sue me.

WOW! Very intricate background and definitely a good jumping off point for a brief summary of your Chapter and its current situation.

It'll be interesting to see what sort of viewpoints you put into the Chapter accounts, as the Ordo Xenos will have to say about the use of Xeno technology. Let alone relationships that may present themselves because of that...specifically the Relictors and their belief in fighting fire with fire...or Xeno tech with Xeno tech.

What a knife's edge your chapter traverses...says the Black Templar with somewhere near 6000 Brother Initiates roaming around the galaxy.

Cannot wait to read more and see the scenario that plays out on Kur. Once again you've created another scenario that I'm sure a great deal of players and hobbyists will latch onto. Keep up the excellent work!!!

Thanks Ar'ka! Yeah, the Guardians have strayed into territory they should have left alone and their pragmatic mindset makes it difficult for them to adhere to some doctrine. But don't think that I am gonna be having Space Marines equipped with Pulse Rifles; no I'm gonna try and explain humanities superstitions as I flesh out my background.

Kur will allow all three of my armies to come together in one place (the Shadow Guardians, the ARC-16s and Splinter Fleet Reclaimer). Once the Tervigon kit comes out, I hope to be able to do a bit of work on my Tyranid; but that is way on the back burner for now.

Hey guys, tiny little update.

So I was trying to paint the Chapter symbol which I displayed earlier. Ya know, this one:



Now I like it, but it is way to friggin' hard to paint. I just can't do it! So how about something a little different:



This is my newly proposed Chapter symbol and something which I think looks cooler and is also easier to paint. Thoughts?

I'm kind of ambivalent about the two symbols—both are good and neither are that much better than the other. I would like for the crescent to be oriented along one of the axes of the new symbol though. Right now the crescent faces out horizontally, and I think it should either face straight down, or south by 30º. Sorry, I'd use the GIMP, but I'm pressed for time. I hope that makes sense!

Yeah, it is kind of boring, isn't it? I just can't seem to find something I like! I know myself and if there is something I can't fully approve on (color scheme, symbols, army lists) I simply cannot make progress. So here are a bunch of ideas to get the gears turning. I need you guys to help me get this ironed out once and for all.

Here I tried taking the above symbol and adding the traditional crescent and star that you see on a lot of Turkish flags:


I like it, but I fear it may still be kind of meh.


Now these two are strictly historical and are some of the Ottoman flags I found online. The red one is a battle flag, I believe. I really think the crescent shape is gonna have to be on my Chapter symbol. And I am kind of thinking some sword or dagger is necessary. But I just don't know....


I actually think this is from Command and Conquer or some kind of video game. It looks cool, but it is really busy and may not be the best Chapter symbol (ya know, the thing I have to paint on a tone of shoulder pads ).


Now this might also be from a video game, but I really like the way it looks. It incorporates a nice Turkish/Ottoman theme, while being simple to replicate. I also like the shape of the black background; it would look cool as a whole stripe down the side of the shoulder pad.

So what do you guys think? I need to get this straight so I can move on.

Hey Wolfs,

I was just wandering around the web today and stumbled across this pic. Not sure if the Tyranids are still a hated foe to your chapter, but this person found a way to incorporate Tyranid bitz into his work, similar to what you were trying to do.

The lead utilizes a Tyranid warrior crest as a shield, and another was using bitz in place of the lightning claws

Thanks for the pictures Ar'ka! I have seen those guys before and they do inspire. The shields are definitely something I'm trying to figure out. I'll be posting more soon.

The Shadow Guardians are not sitting idly! Progress has been slow, but I have taken a needed break from 40K recently and it has helped. Stay tuned!

Oh man, gotta stretch the limbs a bit there! Sorry for the long delay in updates. However I have something to share!

You guys remember my Scouts, right? They looked like this:



What would you say is missing? Well seeing as I have a middle eastern vibe going with these guys, I'd say those blades look pretty lame. Well I think I fixed that!



Bam, tomb kings to the rescue! I got some blades from the skeletons (oh and wouldn't a skeleton be a completely useless soldier since it has no muscles?) and attached them to the Scouts. I also used one of my Kromlech power Khopesh's on the Srg. He's looking pretty good, but the blade will need a little more work to get the right power effect. I like where it's going though!

---

Now let's talk about one of the things that is really holding me up. Those gosh darn symbols! I lose motivation when I don't have something fuigured out and oddly enough that has really prevented me from making progress. So here is my plan:

1.) Finalize a Chapter symbol. (My efforts can be seen above)
2.) Finalize a squad marking system.

Hopefully I can have this completed by the end of this week and then I hope to make some more progress. Any help you guys can give on this subject is welcome. Thanks for looking guys!

Lovely work, you definitely inspire me to flesh out my chapter's background. I like your new banner quite a bit and of course the colors are still great!

Oh, yes. Those swords make them look much cooler, and far more intimidating. I really like your work on them so far. Makes me wish I had a bigger bit box to play with.

I vote for the stripe with the half-moon and 8-pointed star. You need to keep going!

I am in agreement with Didi, it's by far one of the more simpler designs to implement free hand, which means you can truck through the Chapter symbols and argue about personal heraldry.

And the use of the swords is quite nice...though the allusions to the Thousand Sons abound, warranting even more attention from the Inquisition!!

You know Didi, I think I will just go with that! So my main Chapter symbol is decided! Here is the first model:



Now as for the squad markings, I was thinking the right knee pad would have the Company marking on it. It would be a character in the Raivathan tongue.



This symbol denotes him as a member of the 3rd Company. I will be detailing the Shadow Guardian structure once I get more work done on my Competition entry! Thanks for the motivation guys, I’m excited again!

Wow...all of your models have so much life in them! Great paint job as always, and I think the star symbol was a good choice. Can't wait to see more.

Wouldn't it figure for you, that after you've gone through all the grief of trying to decide on unique storm shields, that Forgeworld, would come out with a Boarding Assault Upgrade, granting you access to weapons and shields designed for a phalanx like formation amongst Space Marines?

Just typical I suppose. Anyways, just thought I'd share the tidbit with you, in case you haven't seen it.

Hmm, I think the chapter symbol has come out pretty wel, it's a simple yet very effective design. I like the pointy way the star came out, because when painting stars, you always risk ending up with ball of white and some small sticks sticking out (if that makes any sense )
The yellow and green is ofcourse perfect, nothing new there...
However, I kindof dislike the symbol on his knee. Doesn't fit the arabic aestetic to me. If I were to change it I'd go with something more fluent, without corners... quickly mocked one up in paint to show what I mean:


Although that's just me being a nitpick great work overall.
Kern