Tag: valkyrie

Militarum Tempestus Valkyrie

The Militarum Tempestus, also known as the Ordo Tempestus, is amongst the most rigidly codified of all Imperial organisations, for its troops form the elite backbone of the Astra Militarum, serving as its special operations units. Though the Ordo is technically a sub-faction governed by the Adeptus Administratum, it enjoys a far greater amount of autonomy than the Imperial Guard regiments that often fight alongside it.

Alongside the Taurox Prime vehicles the Militarum Tempestus also use the Valkyrie Transport. The Valkyrie Airborne Assault Carrier is a heavily armed Imperial Aircraft with VTOL (Vertical Takeoff Or Landing) capabilities, used to ferry troops, such as the Tempestus Scions,  to and from combat zones.

This Militarum Tempestus Valkyrie was on display at Warhammer World.

Militarum Tempestus Valkyrie

Felix’s Gaming Pages – Top Ten Posts of 2012

Another successful year for Felix’s Gaming Pages with around 360 blog posts put online. A fair few less hits this year, but that was in the main as I didn’t attend GamesDay 2012 or many other shows and therefore didn’t live blog as I have done in previous years. So what were the top ten posts (by visits) for 2012.

10. Forge World Diorama – Games Day 2012
Well the only post from 2012 which makes my top ten posts of 2012! This was a post of some lovely photographs from GamesDay 2012 of the fantastic looking Forge World display table.

9. Plastic Imperial Guard Valkyrie at Design Studio Open Day
This post from 2009 was confirmation of the plastic Valkyrie rumour that had been floated about for a while. It has got quite popular in recent weeks, not sure why though.

8. Chaos BaneBlade
This photograph of a Chaos Baneblade that won the Silver Golden Demon at GamesDay 2007 is my eighth most popular post, last year it was number two and the reason it is, is that if you put Baneblade into Google this image comes up! It use to be the number one image result on Google, but probably due to age of the photograph has dropped down. Still a splendid model though.

Chaos BaneBlade

7. Warhammer Fantasy Village
This post from 2009 was a series of photographs from a fantastic looking Warhammer Fantasy demonstration game at GamesDay 2008.

Warhammer Fantasy Village

6. Forge World Chaos Brass Scorpion
I’ve never liked Chaos, however Forge World’s Brass Scorpion is probably one of my favourite models of all time. This blog post from 2009 discussed the announcement of the model by Forge World. I suspect that the release of the most recent Masterclass Book by Forge World (which covers the Brass Scorpion) may have increased interest in this post.

5. US Army “Bolter”
This was a news item on a new weapon that was been tested by the US Army; it was originally posted two years ago in 2010.

4. Warhammer Siege Diorama
This post was a live blog post from GamesDay 2010. I was posting photographs from the show live to the blog via my phone. This was of a fantastic Warhammer Fantasy diorama, the Siege of Altdorf. I also took a fair few photographs of the siege using my DSLR. Some excellent scenery and very evocative of the Warhammer world.

3. Marneus Calgar of the Ultramarines’ Land Raider
This post was all the photographs I had taken of Marneus Calgar of the Ultramarines’ Land Raider from the ‘Eavy Metal display cabinets at both GamesDay 2005 and Warhammer World.

2. Flames of War – Battle of the Bulge
This was the fourth most popular post in 2011 so has climbed two to number two. The post was from 2011 and discussed the possibilities of a Flames of War Battle of the Bulge supplement that Battlefront mentioned in February. Within the post I discussed the tanks that I hoped we would see in any such release including the M24 Chaffee and the Comet. I also speculated how nice it would be to see some Late-War Monsters. We have now seen the Chaffee, but as yet no Comet (maybe we’ll see it in 2013). As for Late-War Monsters, well Forged In Battle have produced some really nice post 1945 models.

1. Death Korps of Krieg
So my most popular post of 2012 and was also the most popular post of 2011 was a posting from February 2009 about a link I had found in the community feed of some beautifully painted Death Korps of Krieg tanks.

Death Korps of Krieg

So will these same posts be just as popular in 2013, we will have to wait and see.

Valkyrie Flyer

Valkyrie Flyer of the Imperial Navy
Valkyrie Flyer of the Imperial Navy

Valkyrie Flyer of the Imperial Navy, on display at Warhammer World.

I do think that this was one of the best concepts ever produced by Forge World, and obviously with the release of the plastic kit version, made it much more accessible.

I like the execution of the concept, it isn’t a helicopter without rotors that you sometimes see with SF flyers, likewise it doesn’t look like a transport plane with short wings! I do have one of the plastic kits, but alas still in the box. Maybe time to get out the craft knife and the glue.

Never saw the light of day…

I took a photograph of this concept sketch at the Forge World displays at GamesDay 2005.

Now six years later we’ve not seen anything like this appear from the depths of the Forge World studio, though we have seen very similar models.

First impression was that this was a Thunderhawk Transporter.

It carries stuff, it carries a Land Raider. However though it has similarities, which makes me think the sketch is for a Space Marine vehicle, is it a Thunderhawk Transporter? Probably no.

We’ve also had the Valkyrie Sky Talon which does look similar, but the Sky Talon is for moving the Tauros Venator rather than some big infantry pod.

Likewise I don’t think the Caestus Assault Ram was derived from this sketch, much more likely that the Assault Ram was a big Land Speeder!

The reason for discussing the sketch is the current rumours flying around about a mystery Space Marine vehicle.

There’s word of a new Space Marine vehicle in the works. Here’s the latest we’ve heard.

Apparently this is the big “new kit” to accompany the updated Codex:Space Marines.
-The term “Space Marine Gunship” has been mentioned.
-It’s NOT the Stormraven
-It’s NOT the Caestus Assault Ram
-Its NOT an “assault themed” vehicle
-There are whispers of that ancient bit of fluff regarding the “missing link transport” Astartes vehicle.

So it’s not the Stormraven either! Could it be this?

So is that sketch from GamesDay 2005 any indication of what we might see, or something completely unrelated, we’re going to have to wait and see.

Imperial Navy Valkyrie

Imperial Navy Valkyrie Flyers from a demonstration game at Games Day 2009.

Imperial Navy Valkyrie from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.
Imperial Navy Valkyrie from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.
A pair of Imperial Navy Valkyries from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.
Imperial Navy Valkyrie from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.
Imperial Navy Valkyrie from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.
Imperial Navy Valkyrie from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.
Imperial Navy Valkyrie from a demonstration game at GamesDay 2009.

Chipped Imperial Navy Valkyrie

This Imperial Navy Valkyrie was an entry in the GamesDay 2009 UK Golden Demon awards.

A Valkyrie which was entered into the 2009 Golden Demon awards.
A Valkyrie which was entered into the 2009 Golden Demon awards.

Another view.

A Valkyrie which was entered into the 2009 Golden Demon awards.
A Valkyrie which was entered into the 2009 Golden Demon awards.

I do like the modelling and the markings. However I am less sure about the weathering. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but not sure how realistic it is. This chipping is used quite extensively by people who paint Games Workshop models, including the ‘Eavy Metal team. However if you look at these pictures of combat helicopters you can see that there isn’t really any chipping.

Most times paint will be worn away on surfaces that the crew and passengers use to get on and off the aircraft. So the chipping on the footplates by the canopy would be likely.

It is unlikely that such chipping would happen near the nose, unless those panels were coming off on a regular basis.

So though I like the effect, think it works, I am less sure how realistic it is? Then again how realistic can models be for Warhammer 40K and should we care?

See more photographs of the Imperial Navy Valkyrie.