Faction Focus: Grey Knights Terminators

When the Cruiser "Icarus"was in orbit of Belis Alta a strike force was dispatched to the planet's surface. The strike force was split up and several 5-man squads of Terminators started their "search and destroy" patrols gathering information for Kaldor Draigo who stayed on the Icarus to oversee the action. Going through the desolated ruins of Belis Prime and impermeable jungle every encounter was documented on date sheets and transmitted to the command vessel.

A sergeant leads his 5 man teminator squad on Belis Alta.
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Other than their stats there's no real difference between Terminators or Paladins so these can be fielded as either one. I like using the five man squads with various weapons and I have magnetised the terminator at the back so he can also be fitted with a brotherhood banner. 

Faction Focus: Genestealer Cult Patriarch Kartichii

Many years ago a cargo vessel landed on planet Belis Alta. Unknown then the transport harboured a genestealer that had slipped aboard. The cargo vessel had investigated a ghostly abandoned space cruiser that drifted Steeringless through space. On board the investigation was fruitless. All crew members seemed to have disappeared. No signs of violence, no bodies. The vessel seemed to have been evacuated. Unknowngly the investigators brought a genestealer to their own ship when they salvaged the cruiser's cargo.

Genestealer Patriarch Kartichii and two Familiars
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On Belis Alta the genestealer hid in the shadows waiting for a suitable prey. It found it in Ministorum Priest Benedict Alphus. He "blessed" Alphus with the genestealers kiss, infecting him and setting his own transformation in motion. The genestealer over time grew and became more powerful, as a psychic and in strength. He became the Patriarch known as Kartichii.

Want to read more about the genestealer cult? carry on here

I had a lot of fun painting up this model. It is really well thought out and has a great pose. The only thing I don't like about genestealers is the mouths coming out their tongues so I shaved that off. It was really fun trying to paint the Patriarch as if he was using his psychic powers and having his brain glow and the power going through his body to the tip of his claw.

Faction Focus: Ork BigMek Snagtoof

Snagtoof was just one of the many Meks in Warlord Grimsnik's army. He was small of posture for an Ork but when Skrapsmacka challenged Grimsnick's leadership they fought to the death. Skrapsmacka won but was seriously injured to the head. The other Nobz ordered Mek Snagtoof to heal the new warlord thinking the inexperienced Mek would surely fail and that way they could easily get rid of Skrapsmacka and seize power.

Ork BigMek Snagtoof with his Kustom Force field
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However, things went differently and not only did the warlord make a full recovery, Snagtoof also made some great bionic enhancements to Skrapsmacka's mangled body.
When Skrapsmacka was fully recovered he showed his gratitude to Snagtoof for operating on his brain and body without killing him, actually making him stronger instead. He appointed Snagtoof as the new Big Mek in his WAAAGH! Snagtoof is a thinker and magnificent genius coming up with all sorts of wonderful contraptions and vehicles. He is particularly great in building kustom forcefields, he even wears one as a backpack making it near impossible to shoot him on the battlefield.

Faction Focus: Grey Knights Inquisitor Coteaz

Once inquisitor Coteaz heard word about the uprising on Belis Alta he immediately set course to the sector. He gave orders to ignore the imperial blockade that was put in place to contain the thread on Belis Alta. When his strike cruiser "Icarus" was within orbit of the planet he gathered all the data from the intercepted communications and decided to make planet fall right outside the old hive city Belis prime. From there he would first move through the hab sectors in the south before reaching his destination, the industrial sector, he believed to find what he was looking for here.

Inquisitor Coteaz moving through a hab sector in Belis Prime.
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Moving in with a small team of inquisitorial henchmen and assisted by a small detachment of Grey Knights and Kaldor Draigo himself he soon found himself deep in enemy territory. Surrounded and outnumbered they managed to push forward deeper and deeper into the ruined city. Would they find what they came looking for.....? Make sure to come back soon and find out.

Faction Focus: Blood Angels Dreadnought Brother Kael

Brother Ka'el was once a sergeant in the Blood Angels' 2nd Company until he fell during the battle at Hollonan defending a ridge against the Genestealers incursion. Fighting of wave after wave and losing his entire squad of battle brothers he held the xenos off the ancient Relic. He defended the "blade of Omni" but the genestealers ripped his body to shreds. After the battle he was found clutching the glowing blade. His mortal wounds proved too numerous and severe for even the skills of the Sanguinary Priests. As such, Ka'el was interred within the Adamantium sarcophagus of a mighty Dreadnought built by Brother Morleo.

Brother Ka'el of the Blood angels 2nd company with Tactical Sqd. Abraxus on Belis Alta.
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In response to a request for assistance in putting down a seemingly minor rebellion, Chief Librarian Mephiston of the Blood Angels would lead a strike force to the Imperial Hive World of Hollonan. However what was first thought to be a minor rebellion was soon revealed to be a massive infestation by Tyranid Genestealers of a splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Kraken. The hivecity of Hollonan was also where the sacred "Blade of Omni"was kept. A relic blade that had to be kept from the genestealers at all costs. Because Sergeant Brother Ka'el had sacrificed his own life and succeeded in protecting the relic his mangled body was entombed in a Dreadnought to live for many more battles to come.

Adding value to your models

Plastic models are the way forward and GW is bringing out more and more plastics. This way they can keep the costs of producing lower then with metal and finecast models and for us it makes it easier to convert models. The amount of detail is outstanding with plastics but it has one drawback, plastic models are very lightweight. They have the tendency of bouncing to the other end of the room when you drop them.
But there's an easy solution for that. I stick a 5cents euro coin in the bases to weigh them down a bit and it works really well. Models don't get knocked over on the table and stay in their place nice and sturdy. I imagine that every currency has a coin with the size of a base so if you're not in the euro zone you might have to have a look which coin fits or go to your local DIY store and pick up some washers. This way you also add a little value to the models. A unit of 10 models costs me €0,50 so that's not much .

But why stop there? I also magnetise all my bases. I started doing this with my fantasy army as they have to be placed on movement trays. so when you magnetise the bases and get a metal sheet and cut that to the size of your unit they will never fall of and you can easily move them around on the table.
But why do this with 40K models then,.. well you can put your models on any metal tray for easy transport. the models will stick to the tray even if you turn the tray upside down. I have seen DIY cases that fit metal serving trays and have magnetised units on them.Also you can imagine that when you attend a tournament and have to move between tables a lot that it's very easy if you have one or two of these trays and you don't have to worry about people bumping into you when you make your way through the crowded room with your precious painted models.

Faction Focus: Ork Battlewagon

Warboss Scrapsmacka likes to get in the fight as quickly as possible so he ordered the build of a couple battlewagons. The hulking trucks are the heavy behemoths in his army, the ground shakes and the sky is filled with suffocating black smoke as they move forward. Enemies tremble by the shears sound of screeching tracks and rumbling engines as they get closer and closer.

Ork Battlewagon fitted with Deff Rolla and Kill Kanon.
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After being frustrated a couple of times because his battlewagons got stuck behind his own troops Scrapsmacka ordered his BigMeks to fit every battlewagon with either a Deff Rolla or Reinforced Ram. His troops learned the hard way that the battlewagons would move in one straight line towards the enemy as fast as possible no matter what was in its way

"GET OUT OF ME WAY YA NUMTY!" ouch!! grot didn't move quick enough.
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One of the mightiest vehicles the Orks can field on the battlefield is the Battlewagon. A large truck welded together with different kind of scraps and loot. It can be used as a mobile firing platform with a big gun on it or you can choose to use it as a transport vehicle. It has a few nice option but the best one in my opinion is the deff rolla.

Faction Focus: Genestealer Cult Genestealers Ambush

The Genestealer Cult Hydraic on Belis Alta hails from Hyvefleet Hydra. The cult was started many years ago when a cargo vessel brought a single stowaway genestealer to Belis Alta. It slipped through the starport security and hid in the shadows, lurking for a suitable prey the genestealer ambushed the convoy of the imperial priest of the Adeptus Ministorum, Benedict Alphus. The priests bodyguards were slain but Alphus himself was "blessed" with the "genestealers kiss". Alphus continued his duties but started to use his position and influence to aid the Genestealers objective to infect en infest the Belis system.

The trap is sprung, Genestealers led by the Patriarch Ambush the enemy.
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Patriarch Kartichii of Genestealer Cult Hydraic leads the Assault.
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Genestealers jump out of their hiding places with lightning speed
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At the moment I have 40 Genestealers painted up which seem to come in handy going by their current 8th edition rules. They are led by a Patriarch with his two Familiars. I will do a portrait and bit of storyline on them soon. Of course I have bought the Games Workshop Overkill box set to get the most out of it for my genestealer cult but I also have some various other genestealer types from box sets as the assault on macragge, the normal genestealer boxset and even some genestealers from the original 1989 Space Hulk 1989 set. It's funny to see how the genestealers have changed over the years but as long as you all paint them up the same way and mix them up you don't really notice.

Faction Focus: Ork Warboss Skrapsmacka

The Orks on Belis alta are led by Warboss Skrapsmacka, a fearsome and cunning leader that is ruthless towards his enemies and his own warband. He is often seen dishing out disciplinary punishments to those who don't obey him quick enough or simply stand in his way.

Skrapsmacka in "the battle for Mareks Pass" CLICK TO ENLARGE 

Skrapsmacka came to power when the ork assault on Belis Alta led by Warboss Grimsnik failed. The remaining orks were stranded on the planet and regrouped far from the battlefield deep in the jungle. Warboss Grimsnik ordered the Orks to rebuild their battered warmachines. Piles of loot and scrap were dragged from the battlefield and the rebuilding of the army began. Grimsnik's leadership was under pressure though and from all the Ork Nobz longing for power it was Skrapsmacka who acted first and he challenged Grimsnik to a fight for power. The duel lasted 2 full hours and ended when Skrapsmacka bashed the old Warboss' head in with a peace of scrap. He is their new leader and he is eager to start another Waaagh! on Belis Alta.

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The story of Belis Alta - Part 2 – Flora Mortis

At first the expedition teams that were send out on patrol were keen and eager to explore and document as much as possible of their new found planet. But it wasn't long before the realised that however beautiful this planet was most lifeforms on it were skilled predators. Even the local flora seemed to have a habit of snapping at explorers that were incautiously moving through the terrain.

 Some of the plants had ingenious ways of trapping pray with a lure, something that looked like fruit would attract the prey and when they were close enough they would spring the trap and catch the victim. A plant notorious for killing explorers like that was the Velvet Bulsatrap. With a width of 10 feet and razor sharp thorns it would snap shut and release a digestive fluid through its stem which would slowly dissolve the victim. The Barbed venustrap worked similar but when the victim came close enough to the middle it would shoot out hundreds of tiny sharp poisoned darts or thorns which would paralyse the victim before slowly closing its leaves and let the digestive fluid do its work.