Rogue Trader Crimson Fists Squad Huerta
The Crimson Fists are getting reinforcements, hand over fist. My 1980s Rogue Trader Space Marine army grows with the addition of another 5-man Tactical Squad composed of vintage metal and plastic Citadel Miniatures.
Time to put the huert on – Squad Huerta.
To my amazement and envy, in the time taken to finish this second squad of Battle at the Farm Crimson Fists, Nico has painted every Crimson Fist for the scenario, plus he’s modelled an evocative scenic base, plus he’s painted all the Orks and – if that wasn’t enough – some Ork reinforcements. I feel like Falcon running round the park and being lapped repeatedly in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Freehand & Crimson Fist Icons
Again I had some fun adding freehand chapter icons and armour graffiti to the squad. “THE TRUTH HUERTS” is just punning off the Sergeant’s name. “INFINITE PLASMA” is a reference to the Battle at the Farm scenario, which Zhu points out gives the Space Marines unlimited Plasma Missiles (as they normally cost 1 point each, it technically means the Marines outclass the Orks by INFINITY POINTS).
I now need to paint a second Missile Launcher so I can reference Elton John’s Rocket Man.
“FOR NOW WE SEE BUT THRU A SCANNER DARKLY” on the Marine with scanner is a 1 Corinthians 13:12 / Philip K. Dick reference simply because he’s holding a scanner. “FIST OR FAMINE” is from my handy stockpile of fist-based puns. It’s a treat at the end of the painting process to choose some scrawly handwriting to give the battle-brothers an additional touch of the Rogue Trader era.
Crimson Fists Grand Plan
To fit into my planned 1,000 points (using the Whitescars army list from the Book of the Astronomican) the five Space Marines come out as:
SQUAD HUERTA
1 Marine Champion [9], Power Glove [15], Bolt Hun [2]
26 POINTS
3 Marines [3*8], 3 Bolt Guns [3*2] and 3 Frag Grenades [3*1]
33 POINTS1 Marine [8], Missile Launcher [30], 12 Plasma Missiles [12] Targeter [5], 2 Suspensors [2*2]
59POINTSBasic Equipment (all models): Bolt Pistol [1.5], Knife [0], Powered Armour [6] (with Communicator [0.5], Respirator [0.5], Auto-senses[0.5])
45 POINTSTOTAL: 163 POINTS
Here are the two squads in action alongside each other, with a sneaky eleventh Citadel Miniature tucked away somewhere… can you spot it?
Squads Huerta and Onan fighting in the ruins of Blas in the Gallego system.
Crimson Fists Painting Tutorial
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I paint Crimson Fists, so I photographed a Marine in between each step of the blue power armour process.
If you want to see these steps broken down, wth the techniques and theory behind them spelt out, the tutorial is available on Patreon. The skills you’ll learn are transferable to all colours of power armour.
Coming soon – more vintage Crimson Fists to creep the army closer to game legal.
Wow. They look fantastic.
Thanks Herr Zinnling!
These are luscious. It’s hard to get the grafitti looking good on marines, but you did it!
Thanks Dave! It’s a difficult one, where you have to paint it too look scrappy and handwritten – with letters that are slightly uneven heights and angles. But then it needs to be clean and crisp enough to to look like the Marine themself did it and not the painter.
Nothing else to say but fabulous really !
Thanks JB!
I have very fond memories of finding these models is a small hobby shop in Bath in the late 1980s. Exciting times!
Love the modern paint jobs with retro touches though Chris – great job.
I saw the RTB01 plastics for the first time on a set of Citadel Combat Cards in Tesco. Thanks Saul!
I love em! Great throw back models, nice walk through on your paint scheme, and I always upvote Crimson Fists (where-ever I can vote)
Thumbs up for Crimson Fists, yeah?
B.R.A.V.O.: Beautiful Ravishing Astonishing Valerous and Outstanding!
That’s all I have to say.
Thanks Suber!
I see the cheeky little bugger poking his head above the grass :)
Your a stella painter Chris. Hope the Patreon all goes well for ya mate.
First one to spot him! Well done Papa!
As good a set of CFs I have ever seen, gorgeous.
Hopefully I will get a game in against these guys some time!
I look forward to it. This squad is currently posed in the cabinet fighting your Orks I borrowed.
Nice!
I’m prepping some mid 90s reinforcements for them this evening.
How would you feel about converting a Kommando leader into a 2E Thrug Bullneck homage?
I have heard worse ideas…
Beautiful work on these old Rogue Trader beauties once again. Love the colours, the highlighting and the freehanding. You’re definitely making me want to get working on my own old classics, but I need to be strong and make them wait their turn…
With your insane throughput of models at the moment you’ll get to some vintage Marines by the end of the week!
Hah! I wish. If I ever get through the “neglected” hordes, I’ll be able to do something about it, though. ;)
Hi Curis! Thank for the links. It’s time for you to learn a French proverb. “Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point” from Jean de la Fontaine. So, if I transfer in the hobby… we can say “it’s not a question of time” … the importante thing is “finish what you start”. And I know that, you like me are in that way to thinking… Amen ?
Thanks! I’m going to quote that around my non-Warhammer friends to sound more well read than I actually am.
They look great. I love the armor graffiti. Not sure I could write that small. Your tutorial looks very tempting.
All you need is a brush with a good point and paint that transfers well from it.
Actually… the coolest crimson fists ever!! :)
Cheers Grajo! I can’t wait to get a few more basic squads under my belt to get on to some more exotic bits for them.