If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably started planning some Combat Patrols already – after all, with faster games, less painting, and the chance to try armies you’d never have touched before, the opportunities are nearly endless! Today, we’re looking into even more Combat Patrols from the Warhammer Community team and beyond – you can check out even more in our first and second Combat Patrol articles.
Wade Pryce – Warhammer Live Presen-tearer
As promised in this article, I have been painting more Flesh Tearers, and now have a large enough collection to be able to put together several different Combat Patrol forces. This is the Combat Patrol I plan to take into my first Crusade game…
Brother-Chaplain Arken Sabriel of the Flesh Tearers First Company, the Angel’s Shadow, leads this force. The back banner is from the Dark Angels Company Veterans kit with the Chaplain’s haloed skull icon removed from the backpack and glued back on top, and some blood drops from the Death Company kit.
Intercessor Squad Gariel, Third Squad of the Third Company, cognomen ‘Incensors’ can be split into two five-man combat squads to secure different objectives on the battlefield. Sergeant Gariel’s power fist and hand flamer weapon combination was inspired by a classic black and white piece of Flesh Tearers artwork in the 3rd edition Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.
I’ve also finished a combat squad from Assault Intercessor Squad Zaevan, Eighth Squad, cognomen ‘Trucidators’. In my first Combat Patrol game (the Eternal War mission Encircle), I took a unit of Reivers with grav-chutes instead. They dropped in on the far side of the battlefield from the Chaplain, and failed their first charge attempt (even with a Command re-roll), and then couldn’t do much lasting harm against a T’au Empire TX4 Piranha with their combat blades over successive turns. I expect better things from the Astartes chainsword-equipped Assault Intercessors!
The members of Eliminator Team Bast, cognomen ‘Negators’, provide fire support and are quietly envious of how much time the other squads get to spend at close quarters with the enemy.
The Flesh Tearers armour is Khorne Red shaded in the recesses with Nuln Oil then highlighted with Khorne Red, Wazdakka Red, and then Cadian Fleshtone, and the black armour is Abaddon Black highlighted with Dark Reaper, and Fenrisian Grey. Luckily for me, they’re two of my favourite colours to paint!
Andy Clark – Lore-Magus
For this force I decided to come up with my own background and have that inform my unit choices, conversions, and colour scheme. I love that the Genestealer Cults miniatures are predominately miners turned guerrilla fighters, but I thought it would be fun – and a quick and simple way to give my army its own identity – if my homebrew Genestealer Cult mined something other than ore.
This cult lives on an agri-world of vast plains and rugged mountains, where the ‘cattle’ are megasaurs analogous to extra-enormous Terran dinosaurs. The army is divided into nomadic herders (who I see as all being mounted in transports or crewing vehicles so they can drive the megasaur herds) and the slaughterclans who dwell in huge mobile abattoir rigs into which the megasaurs are herded for processing.
In terms of the paint scheme, I’ve tried to reflect this background by using different cloth colours for the herders and the slaughterclans. All of the models in the army are sprayed with Wraithbone, and have armour painted with Blood Angels Red, and skin painted with either Magos Purple or Shyish Purple, depending upon how genetically corrupted they are. However, where the nomadic herders have Snakebite Leather coloured cloth to give them a leathery, weathered look, the slaughterclans instead have Apothecary White jumpsuits which I hope makes them reminiscent of butchers’ aprons.
There are other details to fit the theme too. My Magus, for example, is converted with a chain-glaive to better engage in sanctified butchery. My slaughterclan units are equipped wherever possible with weapons that could either saw, tenderise, or – in the case of their mining lasers – slice apart tank-sized slabs of meat just as easily as the enemy.
The nomads, meanwhile, have every flame-throwing weapon I could give them, the better to flush and herd their enormous cattle. Of course, all of these tools can just as easily be turned upon the Imperial oppressors and any other enemies who come along!
This Combat Patrol (which has crept up to 30 Power because I got carried away!) is only the start, of course. I have all manner of plans to expand this army, and a lot more thematic conversions that I want to try out along the way…
Joel Townsend – Graphic Signifier
I have loved the Order of Our Martyred Lady for many years, with some of my favourite characters and stories being centred around them. They have a striking colour scheme which is immediately recognisable. Being a really slow painter, Combat Patrols are the perfect way for me to build a small army and hopefully play some games.
I decided to build the list around a couple of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 characters, Ephrael Stern and Kyganil, with the both of them recently receiving new models. This provided me with some angry holy justice and allowed me to include an Aeldari model, which always makes me happy. They were also a pleasure to paint, especially being able to go back to painting Harlequin motley temporarily.
Since they don’t count for a HQ slot, I also added in a Canoness to lead my force. She has a lot more detail utilising more red and gold, whilst in game offers re-rolls on hits to nearby Sisters, making her rather useful to everything in the army.
Next I needed some battle line troops, so there’s a Battle Sisters Squad with a storm bolter and a meltagun for any potential armoured threats! I always like to add little details with my standard troops to personalise them, so I included some markings and scripture on their armour and weapons.
To add a bit of speed to the army, I added a Seraphim Squad. These are some of my favourite Adepta Sororitas models because of how dynamic and elegant they are. I also added hand flamers to two of them, so that they can purge swathes of heretics!
The last squad is a group of Retributors, armed with two multi-meltas for destroying vehicles and tougher enemies, and two heavy flamers to torch everything in sight from a 12 inch range, making them a threat to anyone who may charge them too.
Everything is based with Valhallan Blizzard of course, a staple in my paint collection. I love the idea of warriors trudging through deep snow.
I’m looking forward to having some games – I believe there is a decent selection of models here to take on just about any threat, with plenty of room to expand by adding some anti-psyker models or some vehicles!
Thanks, folks! Are you working on a Combat Patrol? We’d love to see it! Show off your stuff with #New40K on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.