Chaplain Aquilante Fasutino
The Taking of 'Seperbia Dei' Void Boarding action.
9th Company, 18th Chapter
Aquilante, here pictured leading a boarding party into the Seperbia Dei (III Legion classification 09. M31), was part of a new generation of Legionnaire whose primary experience of war was fighting in the Heresy, rather than the expansionist ideal of the Great Crusade.
The Chaplain's armour presents us a problem in dating. The MKIII boarding plate was largely a relic by the time Faustino took his position, replaced en masse by MKIV within the Blood Angel Legion. Cross reference reveals this armour had the honour of being in the presence of the Emperor at the Triumph of Ullanor and held a ceremonial value within the IXth. With elements of the 18th being sent independently into the void, its numbers swelled by new recruits from Baal, this armour become a physical link to Terra.
Chaplain Veraggio, the previous incumbent of the armour, whilst bringing the joyous message of reunification to the peoples of 42.27, was most basely lain low by the ignorance of those people later brought to wrath. Whilst the bulk of the blackened armour was salvaged, the helmet was lost and now bears the artifice of a Baalite Deathmask.
This model was very much an excerise in how to paint black armour effectively. I used an airbrush to put the basic tones in place, then I gave the entire piece a filter of turquoise. With a brush I reinforced the shadows and highlights. The Legion iconography is absent as I wait for the Blood Angels decal sheet to be released by Forgeworld. I'd still like to add freehand to this piece, the right pauldron looks like an especially tempting area to add something nice.
Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH Airbrush Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes, Windsor and Newton Series 7