+ inload: Legio Maximal background and the Warlord Titan 'Consequens Indevitatus' +

+ The Wages of Sin +

+ In which we look at a Lucius-pattern Warlord Titan, scribble down some notes on Legio Maximal, and consider whether to fight Eldar or Orks first. +

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+ Who are the Legio Maximal? +

The Vigilants (Legio Maximal) are the brainchild of the Adeptus Titanicus and Legions Imperialis podcast Maximal Fire – hence the name – who ran a contest to explore the background of their Titan Legion, and their surrounding domain. My entry seemed to catch their imagination, and I was lucky enough to win a lovely pile of loot! 

A YouTube video on the background for the Vigilants, or Legio Maximal, can be found on the Maximal Fire Podcast channel in this vid-link [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] (go subscribe!), but if you prefer written content, here's the text:

Legio Maximal

'Burning cold, biting heat; these are the stressors that led to life.' So begins the Liber Maximalis, the curious record of the Legio Maximal's inception. 

In truth, its text is apocalyptic and revelatory, and almost certainly written long after the events it supposedly describes. Couched within the text are so many allusions to the Legio's later splintering that most authorities agree the text must be a cipher of sorts, a 'beautiful lie' intended to salvage the Legio's tattered reputation in the wake of the Great Heresy.

The so-called Schism – which saw the ever-factionalised Legio pursue open warfare against itself – is at the heart of their conflicted history, but the tale requires framing within the context of its home.

***

The Corsair Worlds

Few voidcraft ply the fractious routes that surround the Nebula Discorda. Scattered across the corewards front of this treacherous stellar nursery lies a web of systems. Periodically isolated from one another by the nebula's fierce and unpredictable solar winds, these worlds are only intermittently connected with one another – and have long proven tempting targets for the opportunistic pirates and xenos predators that give the region its name: the Corsair World Cluster.

Even as the Imperium laid claim to the Cluster, petitions streamed in from newly-Compliant worlds for succour and protection. Greedy for the rare star-forged materials that littered the young star systems, Mars demanded immediate action. With no extant Forgeworld nearby, individual Titans were tithed – despite vociferous protests – from Maniples attached to the Expeditionary fleets which had brought the cluster into Compliance.

The actions of these Titans form the heroic pre-history detailed in the Liber Maximalis: a series of fierce campaigns collectively known as the Clausura War, fought against entrenched alien conclaves and petty empires. The details of these conflicts are detailed elsewhere, but it was during this period that it became clear that the Corsair worlds would require wargroups able to operate independently for long periods – all too often, a Maniple or lone Titan would find itself worldbound on a hostile planet, isolated from support by the vicissitudes of the Nebula.

***

Maxims of Faith

Some decades later, the long-awaited mandate for the raising of a new Legio arrived from Mars. Expecting to be relieved of their posting and anticipating return to their worlds of origin, the Princeps then in the region were instead informed in no uncertain terms that they and their Titans would form the kernel of the new Legio. 'Regrettably', records the Liber, 'such honour was as often scorned and railed against as hailed; and numerous Engines ignominiously stole away that should have stayed.'

As its Forge-throne, the Legio was assigned Nabed-Paleae – a desolate, rain-lashed planet located in the somewhat more stable southern reaches of the Cluster. For reasons as varied as honour-debt, doctrinal obedience, or simply because the ruthless demands of the Great Crusade saw stranded Titans reluctantly abandoned, a scant dozen Titans were gathered in the whipping rains of their new world. They and their crews hailed from as far afield as Orestes Colonia, Gryphonne IV and Krytos, and made for a mournful sight in their crowdless inaugural parade.

Tasked with shepherding those War Engines newly-commissioned from the resource-rich worlds of the Cluster, the new Legio was to take its name and guidance from the ancient Eighth Law – 'The Omnissiah Knows All, Comprehends All.' This, alongside the other Mysteries and Warnings of the Cult, were known as the Cult Maxims; and the Legio was thus inaugurated as Legio Maximal.

Within a decade, a score of engines stood clad in the Legio's new tinctures, but the demands of war meant that they were continually embroiled in the struggle for the cluster. From the Legio's genesis, Nabed-Paleae thus only occasionally hosted more than a handful of the Vigilants' Titans, and then usually for ritual purposes. The risk of the nascent Forgeworld itself being embroiled in storm – and the strength of the Legio confined – too great. 

Instead, the Legio's strength was divided amongst the Arks Mechanicus Maximal, a roving fleet of warbarges that was intentionally dispersed in order to ensure rapid response to calls for aid, and to avoid too great a portion of Legio Maximal's strength becoming isolated or marooned by voidstorms. Maximal's watchful and responsive nature quickly earned them a reputation amongst their allies within and beyond the region, leading to their Low Gothic cognomen. 

The Vigilants thus developed a uncommonly nomadic and decentralised culture – a culture influenced as much by the personalities of the founding Princeps as the demands of their domain.

Even as the founders themselves died away through attrition or age, their influence lived on. Devotion to charismatic individual leaders became ensconced, celebrated and ritualised amongst the Legio, with individual sub-fleets developing their own idiosyncracies and traditions that were only rarely challenged – or even witnessed – by Nabed-Paleae. It was against this backdrop that the Warmaster Horus was to loom large.

***

Schism

Never favouring a particular class of Titan, the Vigilants usually fielded flexible load-outs based on a great reverence for data – comprehension, after all, was their founding principle. With worlds frequently and unexpectedly going dark, any information – however out of date – was valuable to the liberators as they came to relieve their charges. Likewise, flexibility was favoured by crews who knew that their Titan was ever-vulnerable to being stranded and self-reliant for years on end.

A melting pot of cultures from its inception, Legio Maximal's martial identity remained occluded. While its actions were demonstrably effective, the Vigilants gradually gained an unwanted reputation for inconstancy; though the Liber Maximalis glosses this as adaptiveness. The influence dominant Princeps had on the forces they commanded exacerbated this tendency. Beyond a universal reverence for analysis and data-infeeds, Vigilants embarked upon one Ark might act in a cautious manner to a plea for aid, while another might rush in.

When the Horus Heresy erupted, it was this individualistic tendency that would tear the Legio apart. 

The Schism, as it was to become known, saw the sub-fleet commanders of the Vigilants declare for opposing sides. For the traitor elements, no man was greater than the Warmaster; and his influence far outweighed the little regard they held for Nabed-Paleae. Roughly a third of Legio Maximal is believed to have declared for Horus, while the greater portion remained loyal – though in both instances, the reasons for such declarations were many and varied. Besides these crude groupings were a number of Maniples isolated at the start of the war – and which stood aghast when clearing storms meant they were confronted with the stark realities of intra-Legio warfare. A number opted to stand aloof, secede, or flee the region – their actions again dictated by the varied motives of individual Princeps.

Recalling the desperate fighting against all manner of xeno-gigabeasts and archaeo-engines of the Clausura War, Legio Maximal turned upon itself; its thirst for data finding a bloody conclusion in self-immolation. With no secrets from one another, the brother War Engines found their conflict increasingly dictated by a willingness to employ novel or downright risky strategies. In this dark time, innovation and a predilection for pushing their reactors to extremes became a morbid hallmark of the Vigilants.

Gambit was met by gambit – and the outcome of this fratricidal war was far from certain.

***

'Magno conatu, magnis clamoribus proelii, et festinanter progredi longius quam hostes, triumphabimus.'

[//Motto of Legio Maximal+]

+ Painting the Legio Maximal +

+ The blu-tak is, you'll be relieved to hear, not a permanent fixture. +

The base model is a Lucius-pattern Warlord bought on impulse from eBay, and there's no particularly meaningful reason for this choice. I had initially picked it up on a whim, planning to recreate the Titan on the cover of Epic: Armageddon, but I would have ended up with an orphan Titan, with very little reason ever to be used in a game. 

Not a problem exactly – I do, after all, like painting one-offs, but when I signed up for the closing part of the Corsair Gambit, it struck me as serendipitous. I always really want to bring at least one unit that is not merely fitting within the narrative of a campaign or event, but closely tied to it – and what better than the Titan Legion of the world we're fighting over? Better still, with a Reaver already painted, I'd end up with the core of a new Maniple for games with friends who want to try out the game but don't have Titans of their own.

+++

In the contest entry, I deliberately left the colour scheme vague, as I didn't know whether the Maximal Fire gang had plans themselves. In the end, I had a pop at painting up a Reaver from the Legio – which you can read about in this inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], which covers my thinking on the scheme and the paints used.

If you fancy painting one up yourself, my interpretation of the Legio colours is that they use orange as its heraldic colour, with Loyalists favouring white secondaries and black accents and banners; while Traitors favour black secondaries and white accents and banners. Simple enough, right?

I've also put together a transfer sheet for common motifs, patterns and symbols – feel free to use them; if you'd like a copy of the sheet (previewed below) to get printed up on decal paper, let me know and I'll pop it up somewhere for free download.

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+ Consequens Indevitatus +

I've focussed on getting the base scheme down and getting the head and base presentable. As you can see, it's still (alarmingly!) work in progress, and with just two days left, I'm starting to feel the pressure. 

The High Gothic name translates roughly as 'Unavoidable Consequences', or more figuratively as 'The Wages of Sin'.

The detail above shows the head at a stage I'm happy with – there's lots that could be finessed, but if I can get most of the rest up to that standard, I'll be pleased. Surrounding the head, of course, is a lot that's just got the base scheme down. You can see that it's fine from a distance, but even a cursory close-up shows crooked lines, missed patches and general muck.

The aim is still to get everything done, but I can enjoy the process a lot more if I know that the 'faces and bases' of the force as a whole are done to a decent standard, and thus game-ready.

 

 Even at this early stage, I'm pleased with how it's coming along. The pict-capture above left shows it at the start of yesterday, the one above right at the end of the evening. Not a great deal of obvious change, but you'll spot the arm is ready; and the back, top and sides of the torso have also progressed considerably.

Again, the blu-tak is temporary!

At bare minimum, I'd like to get the the panel lining on the legs completed, and some basic highlights on the front and top – those bits, after all, are the parts most visible to the other player, and I think it's good to make things as presentable as possible for your opponents to help with immersion and enjoyment.

Pictured above, you can see the side of the torso a bit better. The Titan is armed with Apocalypse Missile Launchers, Gatling Blaster and Mori Quake Cannon, a nice all-round armament that'll make him useable in both Legions Imperialis and Adeptus Titanicus. 

+++

+ Bloodsong +

...And speaking of gaming, after being blooded at the weekend, I've got a game for this force planned against Gargants or Eldar Titans next week, and we'll be using him to help playtest Bloodsong. Which foe would you like to see Consequens Indevitatus take on first?

'Magno conatu, magnis clamoribus proelii, et festinanter progredi longius quam hostes, triumphabimus.'