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It was eighty years ago that the liberation of Europe began with Operation Overlord and the Normandy landings on the 6th June 1944.
In the depths of the Nothe Fort in Weymouth (as well as a civillian nuclear bunker (now abandoned)) there is a really beautiful 54mm scale model of the D-Day landings. Lots of different models in there including an Horsa glider. It is a representative model and does not reflect an actual beachhead.
The Gyrfalcon Pattern Jetbike is a masterwork of Great Crusade-era engineering, a sleek and predatory silhouette defined by its elongated, aerodynamic chassis.
The Gyrfalcon is a fusion of ornate auric plating and exposed, high-output engine cowlings. Its hull is etched with the signature artistry of the Custodian Guard, belying the sheer raw power of the gravitic engines housed within—units capable of producing violent, overwhelming bursts of acceleration that blur the vehicle’s form to the naked eye.
Within the brutal hierarchy of the Orc tribes, might truly makes right. When an Orc grows larger, stronger, and more belligerent than his peers, he naturally gravitates toward others of his own formidable size. These massive brutes band together to form shock-infantry regiments known simply as Big ’Uns.
Driven by an insatiable desire to prove their dominance, they claim the best spoils of war and the centre of the battle line. The weapons they carry are rarely works of fine craftsmanship; instead, they wield massive, crude choppas and heavy clubs that lack sharp edges but more than make up for it in sheer weight. Much like the Big ’Uns themselves, these implements of destruction are blunt, devastatingly effective, and capable of crushing heavy plate armour through brute force alone.
Peasant Levies form the numerical heart of Grand Cathay’s defensive strategy. Recruited from the sprawling villages, townships, and rural settlements that dot the landscape beyond the empire’s massive walled metropolises, these soldiers represent the common folk answering the call to arms.
The Coronus Grav-carrier is a hallmark of the Legio Custodes motor pool, blending heavy protection with a level of grace that puts standard Imperial tanks to shame. As the technological ancestor to the Pallas and Caladius patterns, this skimmer ensures the Golden Legion reaches the front lines with unmatched speed, bypassing difficult terrain and avoiding the quagmire of static warfare.
Reeking of rot and malice, Wyverns are foul, filthy beasts whose heavy jaws snap shut with rows of jagged, grime-coated teeth. They are thoroughly unpleasant, hyper-violent monsters—which makes them the absolute perfect mount for any Orc Warboss with enough brute force to beat them into submission and enough sheer ignorance to try it in the first place.
Fewer than a handful of Telemon Dreadnoughts are to be found within the ranks of the Legio Custodes, each intended to stand sentinel over its charges no matter the forces brought against it. The honour of interment in one of the few existing Telemon sarcophagi is awarded to only the most celebrated warriors. Rare is the foe who can stand against the array of esoteric, hand-crafted weapons that grace its chassis or the ferocious will and warrior skill of the master Custodian interred within.
Crane Gun Teams are the premier long-range marksmen of Grand Cathay. These specialised units utilise exceptionally long-barrelled firearms, typically operated by two-man teams from the industrial city of Nan-Gau. To ensure pinpoint accuracy and stability, the weapon is often mounted directly onto a heavy tower shield, allowing the crew to remain protected while picking off high-value targets. When deployed in massed ranks, the sheer volume of high-velocity fire is nothing short of devastating to enemy formations.
Created as a dedicated assault dropship for the Legio Custodes, the Orion can carry a full task force of the Emperor’s Talons into combat.
Protected by frontal armour superior to that of the Legiones Astartes Thunderhawk Gunship, its Arachnus heavy blaze cannon and Lastrum bolt cannon can swiftly clear a landing zone of hostile infantry and armour with brutal efficiency, allowing the units within to deploy before it soars back into the sky to unleash death upon any foe who dares approach.
From the high seat of Nan-Gau, Miao Ying commands the armies of the Great Bastion, serving as the iron-willed protector of Northern Cathay.
Miao Ying in her human form.
Even among the divine lineage of Dragons, she is known for a temperament that is exceptionally cold and aloof—a byproduct of the centuries she has spent fulfilling the solemn charge granted to her by the Celestial Dragon.
While her siblings often eye her position with a mix of envy and resentment, viewing her as their father’s clear favourite, the Storm Dragon does little to bridge the gap. Instead, she wears the immense weight of her duty as a badge of superiority, frequently distancing herself from her kin and lording her authority over them whenever they convene.