With Codex Supplement: Imperial Fists on the verge of hitting the shelves, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to showcase the stunning collection of Warhammer Community’s own Son of Dorn, Darcy Rowley. Read on to find out what inspired him to start his collecting journey and how he went about amassing such an impressive force…
Darcy: Way back in the dim and distant past of Humanity (2016), I picked up a copy of The Horus Heresy: Betrayal at Calth boxed set. I knew straight away that I was going to paint the traitor half as Alpha Legion, but was clueless as to which loyalist force to relegate the other half to.
It was John French’s Horus Heresy novel Praetorian of Dorn which gave me the inspiration to pick the Imperial Fists as the antagonists to my beloved Alpha Legion. By the time I was putting the finishing touches to my first 10-man squad, I knew my heretical days were behind me.
While the Imperial Fists may not be as mysterious, headstrong or tortured as some of the other Chapters, their dependability, willingness to get the job done and unwavering loyalty are just the sort of traits I admire in genetically enhanced Angels of Death. Having a giant space fortress* as their base of operations as well as a snazzy colour scheme helped too!
I was left with a bit of a problem though – yellow is among the notoriously challenging colours to paint. Thankfully, I was introduced to a method that doesn't really involve yellow paint at all!
The method starts by priming the models with Zandri Dust spray followed by a heavy drybrush of Morghast Bone and a recess wash of Agrax Earthshade. Next, I apply an edge highlight using White Scar, before the model is covered with Lamenters Yellow (yes, this paint is no longer available – more on that later).
Once dry, I highlight again with White Scar, this time hitting only the prominent edges, before applying a second glaze. The final White Scar highlight focuses on the corners after which the model gets its third and final coat of Lamenters Yellow.
And that's it – three easy applications of yellow glaze, applied using the biggest brush I can fit inside the pot, and you get a wonderfully smooth yellow paint job, though I’ll admit the White Scar highlights can get a bit fiddly at times!
With the yellow armour complete, I then work on all the other details. To contrast the yellow, I use cooler colours such a blues and greens for any power or plasma effects, while I paint any leather in a warm, complementary hue, made from a 1:1 mix of Wazdakka Red and Mournfang Brown. I also make sure to apply any transfers before moving onto the final stages.
The last two steps are probably the most nerve-wracking – I take the fresh paint job and smush an old sponge covered in Rhinox Hide onto it, focusing on where I think paint chipping and battle damage would occur.
For larger models, I also carefully sponge Leadbelcher on top of the Rhinox Hide and give the whole damaged area a wash of Agrax Earthshade. For the final touch, I brush a heavy coating of the Light Rust weathering powder around the legs and feet.
When my reserves of Lamenters Yellow eventually began to run low, I knew I needed to find an alternative. So one morning, armed with strips of white paper and some old bits of sprue, I started experimenting with the new Iyanden Yellow Contrast paint. A 6:1 mix of Contrast Medium to Iyanden Yellow proved to be the winner and is my new go-to recipe for creating glazes from any of the Contrast paints.
I’ve always enjoyed taking a more narrative approach to collecting and gaming, and so my Imperial Fists share a theme (and basing style) with the rest of my Imperial forces – all of which are based in the Sol System. These comprise a contingent of Solar Watch Adeptus Custodes, the beginnings of an Adeptus Mechanicus army from Mars and two Imperial Knights of House Ruelay (a knightly house of my own creation) who have sworn allegiance to the Imperial Fists.
I lovingly refer to them as the Mars Sub-sector Theta-9 Containment Force. Quite what they are containing I've not yet decided – I can neither confirm, nor deny, reports that it’s the Alpha Legion…
While I have plans to add reinforcements to my Adeptus Mechanicus force, and I’m extremely excited to paint some Sisters of Battle, I'm not going to neglect the Imperial Fists. In fact, I recently picked up the new Repulsor Executioner to give my force some more armour (and anti-armour, for that matter) on the tabletop. Loaded with detail and bristling with guns, it was fantastic fun to paint and I'm already thinking of getting a second to build the macro plasma incinerator variant!
Then there are the Primaris Eliminators that are on my painting table as I write this article. I'm already planning on which Vanguard units to add after I’ve finished them. Of course, there’s the amazing new Imperial Fist character model, Tor Garadon, who I'm sure will enjoy a conversion I’ve got planned and placement into my 5th Company. I’ve definitely got a busy, albeit fun, painting schedule ahead of me!
Thanks, Darcy! If you’re looking to start your own collection of the mighty Imperial Fists, make sure you head on over to the webstore – Tor Garadon and their new codex supplement are both available to pre-order RIGHT NOW!
* For the uninitiated, that’s Phalanx – a star fortress so large and powerful that it can face off against a Blackstone Fortress or decimate an entire enemy fleet on its own.