Category Archives: Legion of the Damned

Legion of the Damned #6: Rogue Trader-Era Librarian 07045/2 (Mark Copplestone, Oct 1989)

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Legion of the Damned Rogue Trader-Era Librarian 07045/2 Mark Copplestone, Oct 1989, Oldhammer 40k

It’s been another long break since I’ve posted (or painted) any Legion of the Damned models, but thanks to Le Tray, I’ve managed to complete a model that I’ve been stuck on for well over a decade. Out of the three original Librarian models, I managed to complete the painting of the first back in 2017 for my Dark Angels, and now I’ve finally completed the second – for my Legion of the Damned force.

Legion of the Damned Rogue Trader-Era Librarian 07045/2 Mark Copplestone, Oct 1989, Oldhammer 40k

“But wait!” you say. “Legion of the Damned can’t have Librarians!” Well, yes. But also, no. You see, dear reader, that back in the mists of time when 3rd Edition 40k and its codices were current, there was a Chapter Approved Codex published in White Dwarf that gave rules for running entire armies of the Legion, complete with characters and war machines. It was during the times when these rules were still valid that I began work on making a whole Legion of the Damned Army. I didn’t get very far, but I did get this guy started. And now, in the middle of the clusterfuck that is otherwise known as 2020, I’ve gotten him finished.

Legion of the Damned Rogue Trader-Era Librarian 07045/2 Mark Copplestone, Oct 1989, Oldhammer 40k, RT01 Marines, Sergeant Centurius, Sgt Centurius

The model is basically stock, except for three changes. 32mm base, his (broken) sword was replaced by one from a WarZone weapons blister, and his backpack is a metal Legion of the Damned one from the more recent run of the models. Please enjoy this photograph of this nameless librarian alongside his dark brethren. And yes, I really do need to paint more of these.

…and what of the third Librarian? Well, like his two brothers, I’ve got specific plans for him. One Day…

Legion of the Damned #5: Rogue Trader-Era RT01 (Aly Morrison, 1988)

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Legion of the Damned Rogue Trader-Era RT01 (Aly Morrison, 1988) Oldhammer

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted (or painted) any more Legion of the Damned models, but today we have a pair of them – finished as part of Mechanismo May (after missing the end of Armoured April). The biggest reason my Legion of the Damned has petered out so much is because I tend to have a few models from my various projects on the go at any given time, and I like to finish the WIP ones before allowing myself to start more. That way, starting the new models are a “reward” of sorts for completing the previous batch. It takes awhile, but it does work out a lot better than my previous method of just starting new models all of the time, that appears to have just given me a thousand or so neglected models to wade through.

Legion of the Damned Rogue Trader-Era RT01 (Aly Morrison, 1988) Oldhammer

So why, dear reader, did it take me so long to get through this pair? Well, the answer is that I don’t actually like either of these models very much. As much as I like the character of the old Beakies from the Rogue Trader days, my personal aesthetics go with Mark Copplestone and Bob Naismith’s renditions, and the Aly Morrison ones – with their short, blunt helmets and extra-hunched poses are a distant followup. So with that, they can be a real chore to paint, and so this pair has taken me well over a year to get done. I can’t even remember when I began on them, quite frankly.

This pair were chosen for the Legion because of their sculpted details. The skull-shoulder studs and knee-skulls on the first “Brother Morris”, and the big-ass shoulder-skull on the second. Also, being Aly Morrison sculpts, I can “hide” the soft details on their helms to an extent by freehanding skulls on them.

Legion of the Damned Rogue Trader-Era RT01 (Aly Morrison, 1988) Oldhammer

In the end, these models have come up decently, and I am now happy enough with them to incorporate them in with the rest of my Legion. It’s that thing I’ve encountered a fair bit where through the painting process, I really quite dislike the model(s) I’m working on, but once completed, I’m pleased enough with the final result that I no longer resent the models, and can even quite like them in their final form. With a Multi-Melta and Plasma Gun between them, I have the Special and Heavy weapons for a squad here, so I’ll have to check my existing painted models and work out a Sergeant and 7 Legionaries to go with them to fill out another game-friendly squad.