The Black Mass

by Mikko

 

legion2

 

The great battle is over. Imperium of men is licking its wounds in the smoldering ruins of Holy Terra. The Golden Throne is built to preserve the Emperor now mortally wounded. Loyal Space Marines are preparing to reform in order to save the Imperium from the ruinous powers of Chaos.

With their beloved leader Horus dead, the 16th traitor legion Sons of Horus have fled from Terra  into the Eye of Terror and are also recovering from the devastating loss they have suffered. With their much worshipped patron dead the future looks very bleak.

To add to ignominy Emperors Children Space Marines have succeeded in breaking inside Legions fortress and have stolen Horus’s dead body while led by their Apotechcharian Fabius Bile, they have managed to create several clones based on the dead Warmaster’s gene-seed.

“In black and gold reborn”

New page is turned in the history of the Legion as their 1st. captain Ezekyle Abaddon rises to lead the Legion. Abaddon is infuriated, blinded by grief and hatred he summons his closest battle brothers of the 1st company to form small execution force that is set to revenge the plamesphy of the Emperors Children and wipe out, not only the clones of their former master but also the body of Horus.

The members of the Black Mass are ordered to paint their viridian Power Armours black, the colour of mourning and vengeance to wipe away  the shadow of their failure. The chosen ones spend the next night praying the dark gods of Chaos to aid them in their in their mission .

Let The Galaxy Burn

Im trying to capture the last moments  of the Legion before they sunk deep into the complete madness of Chaos. Abaddon is still Captain of the 1st company and the Legion is still behaving more or less like a Space Marine Legion. Im looking to illuminate the bitterness and the grief the Legionaries are feeling towards the false Emperor of mankind.

Going Art Scale

I got the Betrayal of Calth box and was pleasantly surprised by its content. The terminator bodies will provide perfect foundation for art scaled Marines. While the rest of the box’s content is perfect for this project too.

Im not only going to build an army here but Im also planning on taking things even further by building strong narrative to make this whole process more entertaining experience to me (and for you also) Display base of some sort will also be built as new units are attached to the force. Im also thinking of building some portable cases for miniatures too! The Black Mass will definitely be the most demanding project I have attempted to create.
I want to create balanced force, not necesarily balanced in gaming terms  [I doubt this army will never see gaming table] but balanced in visual terms. The sense of dynamics is important here – characters of varying sizes to create visual dynamics but also without forgetting the famous human factor either
Art-scaled Space Marines form the threatening backbone while smaller specialized units of servitors, scout-initiates & legion thralls create the contrast between them.
Daemons & possesed Marines will be used to ad some further variation to the marauding warband.

Feel free to share your thoughts about Black Legion or Chaos Space Marines forces in general here if you wish, Im happy to hear them!:)
Black Legion Chaos Space Marines are held as the Chaos counterpart to the Ultramarines, a bit bland and overused as a Chaos Marine faction
This is my big chance to show them in a different light.
Conversion vise Im looking to include religious/mystic elements to emphazise the strong idolising of Horus, so expect black robes and big hoods but also lots of relics and seals.

bl

 

 

Mikko

22 thoughts on “The Black Mass”

  1. Oh yes 🙂 This should be most amazing. I think finding a delicious, rich, realistic way of painting black will be hugely critical. I.e. There should be actual flat black in only the most shaded recesses of the models. I love using oil paints on my Kaerls who are largely black. Quick and very efficient. Airbrushing some dark blues and greys on black primer should be a great foundation.

    One “funny” detail about this is that the backstory of my Vlka Fenryka has the 13th company return from the warp with Abaddons head in a stasis case. And I have the conversion half way in my bits box already. This is 10 millennia later and highly provocative personal background decision that has driven a lot of the project.

    I’m assuming the stunning forge world Abaddon model will be suitably tweaked to lead your force?

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    1. That’s fantastic coincidence that sort of ties these projects together then;) And answer to your question is yes, Im highly considering of getting that FW Abaddon model to lead the whole army. My only concern however, is the size of the terminator armour. As you surely know it your self too the art scale makes this thing somewhat tricky question=)

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      2. Fantastic idea Sir! And why not using Horus as Abaddon? The model is clad in a huge terminator armour, has a gorgeous bare head. Still need to find (make) a proper daemonic sword tho.

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      3. I know this sounds extremely nerdy BUT I don’t think Abaddon had his daemonic sword at this point?? I think he discovered it later during the first Black Crusade from Uralan?? Anyway Horus model could work perfectly as Abaddon=)

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      4. You’re absolutely right fluffwise. He discovered that sword during one of his Black Crusades which happened after the Heresy.
        🙂

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  3. Well that’s a great start and I’m seriously considering the BaC box to get some of those termies for my 666th.
    But getting Abaddon in means art-scale terminator armour doesn’t it? Can’t remember him being in anything else. Any idea on how you’d do it? I’ve got an idea on how I’d do it but it’s rather outlandish.

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  5. sound like a really cool project.

    so far the first tests for artscaling look promising, but don´t forget to widen the backpack.

    hrld

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  6. This looks like a really fun project. I have a set of ForgeWorld Cataphractii legs that I’m planning to use for my own artscale project, but I’ve been really wary of using too many terminator parts for artscale use – I’ve seen so many projects where the creator didn’t disguise the original parts enough, and the figures just end up looking like terminators instead of upscaled marines.

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    2. That´s true I recently finished my own Khorne-Berzerker-Project and found the seperation between Terminator Lord and Marines (all with Teminator legs…) most challenging. In the end I lifted him up with legs made of plastic rod for one. The other important detail is to keep the siluette of the Terminator more round at the top i guess in comparison to the marines´more step-like appearance.

      This i s what I mean:

      but being a huge fan of your work here I am very sure, you will make this be great!

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  7. I know a lot of people slag the Black Legion but I’ve always found them to be one of the most exciting of the Fallen so as you can probably tell I’ll be watching this progress with great interest.
    You’ve also chosen a period of the Legion’s history that’s rarely explored. The worship of Horus as a demigod that prevailed in the Legion at this time is something really interesting to look at – usually when people make ‘religious marines’ its either Word Bearers or Black Templars. And of course there’s the fatalism, the failure, the fear of extinction, the prophets of doom amongst their ranks, the near schism between those who thought they could only survive by binding themselves to the service of one god and those who refused to ever bow to an outsider again – all of it adds up to something very unique amongst the chaos forces. Good luck!

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  8. Have you had chance to read Talon of Horus yet?? I’m only harping on about it because its so relevant to what you are doing here…and (I think) it may change your perspective on the Black Legion…….all I will say as I don’t want to spoil the book is that their armour is black for a very good reason….but that reason isn’t shame or dishonor…..

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    1. Im afraid I haven’t have the time to read it yet=/ but yes, I have also understood that the black colour more rather stands for the mark of the new era of the dark gods and total destruction of the imperium.

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