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With my current Rogue Trader campaign now in full swing I thought the time had come to churn out a few original, contemporary models to take part in the table top action. I really do believe that Rogue Trader is always best enjoyed when using old school models from the period that the rules were published in, and this is enhanced even further if the aforementioned miniatures are sporting retro paint schemes from the epoch in question.

With that in mind I have painted up these three 'beakie' Space Marines equipped with missile launchers to bulk out my Salamanders force with some heavy-hitting firepower for my next game.

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This first trooper is also carrying an additional bolt pistol as a back up weapon in case things get up close and personal on the battlefield. His missile launcher is sporting suitably 1980's yellow kill stripes...it is these little flourishes that really help tie the models to the period of origin when individualism and armour embellishment were key features of Space Marine armies.

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Next up we have the squad 's sergeant; yes that's right...a sergeant with a missile launcher! Let me explain... I occasionally use this force for games of 30k/Horus Heresy and with these rules the squad leaders are required to be armed in the same manner as their soldiers, hence why I have chosen to give this sergeant a heavy weapon...there is a method to my madness.

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Again I have tried to stay close to the source material when it comes to individual heraldry and as such both the sergeant's armour and weapon system carry the appropriate insignia of his rank on them.

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The final trooper in this squad also carries a missile launcher and additionally his shoulder pad is emblazoned with a traditional Rogue Trader 'KIL' marking painted over the top of a yellow starburst.

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Whilst I was waiting for the assorted coats of paint to dry on these Space Marines I filled the intervening period with constructing and painting this original 1989 Genestealer hybrid who will prove a suitable foe for the marines. This xenos filth is armed with a hand flamer and has been painted to match my existing cult forces.

I am really happy with how these models turned out and I am looking forward to getting them on the table top for some games of Rogue Trader in the near future. In the meantime there are some more photographs and a bit more detail surrounding them on my blog at:

[URL="http://http://classicastartes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/painted-rogue-trader-rtb01-space.html"]http://http://classicastartes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/painted-rogue-trader-rtb01-space.html[/URL]