Gitsplittas Mantis Warriors.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

airbrush huh, very nice

[Gitsplitta]

Latest: Due to my use of the sternguard / Tranquility Snipers... using a Pedro Kantor "counts-as" for a chapter master was a natural fit. So here he is. *please note: I haven't read the IA books yet, I assume there is an "official" chapter master detailed there, please forgive my conceit in creating my own that fits my unique version of the chapter. No offense to FW/GW is intended.

The story of Phillipi Tarse, Chapter Master of the Mantis Warriors, Defender of Tranquility and Founder of the Snipers of Tranquility:

Phillipi Tarse, Chapter Master of the Mantis Warriors. Tarse was legendary in the Mantis Warriors long before assuming Mastership over the chapter. For centuries Tarse was responsible for the defense of the home world which, due to it's location near the Maelstrom and the many enemies the chapter had made nearby, was under heavy assault each time the chapter mobilized in any significant fashion. His hand picked, elite defense force were masters of defensive action... and while they used the full range of combat tactics they became known as the "Snipers of Tranquility" as their strikes against would-be attackers would have all the surprise and finality of a snipers bullet. All members of the Tranquility Snipers color their equipment in a unique pattern that is respected throughout the Imperium and feared by it's enemies.

Due to his unique responsibilities, Tarse was the only highly placed Mantis Warrior commander to not take part in any aggressive actions against another chapters during the Badab Rebellion (though he did defend Tranquility with unmatched tenacity, ferocity and guile). As such... he was the natural choice to lead his chapter through the darkness of the crusade in the hopes of eventually regaining it's status as a respected member of the Adeptus Astartes. He is also the only high-ranking Mantis Warrior commander who is fully trusted by the Inquisition or other Space Marine Masters.

[url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/180069-Chapter%20Master%2C%20Kantor%2C%20Mantis%20Warrior s%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.h tml][/url]

[Gitsplitta]

Newest addition: Forge World Mark IV Iron Clad, with all the bells and whistles...

[url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/188080-Iron%20Clad%2C%20Mantis%20Warriors%2C%20Space%20Ma rines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.html][/url]

[url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/188081-Iron%20Clad%2C%20Mantis%20Warriors%2C%20Space%20Ma rines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.html][/url]

[Aventine]

Awesome.

[Cvife]

I love that dreadnought! It's no secret that I have a bit of a fixation on forgeworld dreads, especially the mk4 ironclad, and this is one of the best examples of that mini, Well Done, give yourself a smiley face!

[Gitsplitta]

Thanks guys! Well, the idea was for him to look heavily battle damaged, not neglected (i.e. rusty or dirty). I wanted him to look as if his life consisted of drop podding directly into hand-to-hand with the biggest, nastiest thing the enemy has to offer, while using it's higher AV to ignore gunfire along the way.

That FW Iron Clad is a really nice figure... but it was kind of plain in the shoulders. That makes it perfect for my uses as the tranquility pattern makes for a very "busy" looking model. Since the Iron Clad is rather plain to start with, the camo scheme and battle damage didn't overwhelm the model with detail.

[Gitsplitta]

Two new recruits... these will be the last of the Tranquility Snipers for a while as I need to move on to some other models (drop pods, troopers & MoTF). Have plans for more in the future though.

[url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/190199-Mantis%20Warriors%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Sterng uard%2C%20Tranquility%20Snipers%2C%20Warhammer%204 0%2C000.html][/url]

[url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/190200-Mantis%20Warriors%2C%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Sterng uard%2C%20Tranquility%20Snipers%2C%20Warhammer%204 0%2C000.html][/url]

Just love the melta guy...

[Gitsplitta]

First drop pod complete. This will be used by the sternguard (tranquility snipers) even though it is not in tranquility camo. Based on the ephemeral nature of the pods I felt that all the pods would be in standard Mantis Warrior patterns irrespective of their occupants.

Each pod will have a litany or motto, (on the plates on the lower part of the doors) which is added by the engineer/tech marine that gives it it's final check before deployment. Some are inspirational, cynnical, humorous... it all depends on the mood of the engineer at the time. Tradition holds that the motto is then adopted by the squad as their battle cry for that deployment, reinforcing the bonds between technicians and front line soldiers... as they are all brothers-in-arms. The technicians will often know which squad is assigned to which pod, and will chose a motto specifically tailored to the personality of the squad.

[url="http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/195634-Drop%20Pod%2C%20Mantis%20Warriors%2C%20Space%20Mar ines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.html"][/url]

I'm currently working on two more and hope to have them done in short order.

[Gitsplitta]

Drop Pods finished.

Mottos:
Pod I: MELIUS TARDE QUAM NONQUAM (Better late than never) - sternguard and MoTF
Pod II: AUT VINCERE AUT MORI (Either conquer or die) - Iron Clad Dreadnought
Pod III: IN HOC SIGNO VINCES (In this sign you will be victorious) - Rifleman Dreadnought

[url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/197701-Drop%20Pod%2C%20Mantis%20Warriors%2C%20Space%20Mar ines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.html][/url]

[doom-kitten]

These are awesome XD love the paint scheme and insignia, usually bright colours annoy me but wow.