WIP: Imperial Fists Phalanx Warder squad (#1)

Horus Heresy: Imperial Fists Phalanx Warder

This week I'd like to introduce you to this guy. He's a test piece for what (hopefully) will one day be a squad of Phalanx Warders for my Horus Heresy era Imperial Fists army. Frequent readers will know not to get excited at this point. Like most of the models I paint for a new squad, this guy will have plenty of alone time to contemplate things before he has any company. I am, however, reasonably pleased with him, and will endeavour to curb his loneliness—at least in lots of small, well-spaced stages—in the coming months/years/decades.

Side view showing the axe

Phalanx Warders were a unit that was unique to the Imperial Fists prior to and during the Heresy. They were charged with guarding the Imperial Fists' flagship (the Phalanx) and specialised in close quarter fighting, especially in the confines of a battleship. While primarily used in defence, they were also apt at boarding actions of their own, and were often seconded to other ships and ground assaults where their specialisms could be put to good use.

"You shall not pass!"

This model, as with the rest of his squad when I get around to painting it, wears modified MkIV armour, decorated with Imperial Fists iconography and the crossed axe symbol of the Phalanx itself. In the absence of any obvious 'official' colour schemes, I've opted for a traditional yellow armour with black trims. I've also painted the shield white, simply because the rest of the army usually features the fist symbol within a white circle, thus adding some continuation. I've used the legs and arm from one of the plastic marines from the Betrayal at Calth set, though the rest of the squad will use Forge World's despoiler squad as its base; some of which I already have, ready to do more when time permits. As test pieces go, I'm happy enough with this. It's a reasonably quick scheme, so I'm confident I can replicate it on the others, just as soon as the motivation kicks in to clean a terrifying amount of resin.