#contemptor-achillus

The Custodes update has been pretty reliably rumored for a while now, but it's still astonishing to see the sheer scope of the release - it's actually faster to list the kits that weren't updated (the Pallas, Telemon, Aquilon Terminators and Gyrfalcon jetbike [I wouldn't count on the Orion getting a plastic kit any time soon]).

What's most interesting to me is the update to the basic Custodian Guard squad. These models were brand new for Burning of Prospero so aren't even that old, and those were widely considered to be faithful adaptations of the Visions of Heresy art at that time, but these new miniatures look like they leapt right off the page.

The Contemptors Galatus and Achillus are both home run adaptations of the Forge World kits and the inclusion of additional decorative parts akin to the Astartes Dreadnoughts is going to be a huge benefit to anyone that wants to run more than one. Likewise, the Caladius and Coronus both look to be pretty close to 1:1 to their respective resin kits.

I am not crazy about the changes to the Venatari, though. The simplified armor and overtly rocket-propelled flight pack (the originals looked more like Swooping Hawk wings and, I think, were meant to suggest a similar method of operation) is a miss for me, so much so that I wonder if these weren't originally intended for 40k and got pressganged into the Horus Heresy range.

And that's just the first wave of releases - we can still reasonably infer the remaining resin kits, a Sagittarii and alternate spear upgrades for the Custodian Guard squad, and the entire lineup of Sisters of Silence all still somewhere off in (the grim darkness of) the future.

Seeing how I’m better off than I’ve expected as the year comes to an end and to celebrate my return from banishment I’ve ordered something not from GW but some resin Forge World crack.

First off we’ve got some other Custodes Terminators - a unit of 3 Aquilons who are supposedly more of a true Terminator unit than Allarus ones.

With that in mind I have more Terminators than other units in my Custodes army...

Still. It was “just” a bonus purchase to avoid shipping fees and what I really wanted to order was the other miniature.

The Contemptor Achillus Dreadnought.

Right now the Forge World dreads are the only option for Custodes army unless you want to get a regular Space Marine Contemptor and paint him gold... Which IMO doesn’t really cut it for the golden boys.

Also.

With Santodes in my possession I’ve basically gathered everything from the Shield Host Proteus. Not counting the Grav-Carrier which alone costs more than my entire purchase this time and Lrak - who’s an older model that’s been discontinued.

ANYWAY. I can already tell that this Dreadnought will be a bitch to assemble. I have no idea where half of those parts even go...

Well... I’ll light the incense. Give praise to the Omnissiah and get to work... Around Christmas...

About ready to hand these off to the client. I wound up going back to the Contemptor-Achillus to correct a minor casting defect in the trim of the left pauldron, which should hopefully disappear under paint.

The Telemon, I wanted to keep simple, not quite as much of a flex as the Contemptor's two-handed dreadspear pose. An outstretched arm gives the sense of blasting away with its plasma projectors with the angle elevated just enough to give the sense of taking on something big and mean. The kit is flexible enough that you can really do whatever you like with it, but I wanted to depict it holding ground instead of advancing aggressively.

I do expect that the Telemon will receive a plastic kit in the next year or so, so this is likely to be the last one I'm asked to build. End of an era.

Last Forge World Contemptor before it's discontinued. Client's been sitting on this one for a while and wanted it ready in time for Liber Custodes. This one still needs a little bit of finishing, but is close enough to done that it's worth photographing.

The resin kit is extremely magnet-ready but I was asked to build it fixed and rock-solid so it's extensively pinned throughout, all of which have been artfully concealed by the overlapping armor panels. The new plastic won't be quite so onerous as cemented joins won't need pins for structure.

A two-handed grip on the dreadspear is a bit of a flex, a great deal of planning has to go into the positioning of the hands and both arms in order to make it work. In addition, the gauntlets aren't really designed to accommodate it with the way they stick out over the wrist and limit the available range of motion. When it does work, though, it looks real good and this glorious golden banana boy looks about ready to skewer some traitors.