Salamander Update - Tempered by the Anvil

Yay!! My Space Marines have a new codex!! By now I'm sure the majority of you have listened to various podcasts and read numerous blogs reviewing the new Space Marine 'dex.  I know I have, which is why I avoid doing them like the plague.  Why read my ramblings when there are countless others who do it far better than I ever could.  Rather, i wanted to update you in my latest batch of models and the progress I've made thereof.  

As may be expected by this stage, my progress thus far has been stalled somewhat due to the distinct lack of Forge World Salamander Shoulder Pads; a deficit I have addressed earlier this week, ordering no less than 3 sets (equating to about 30-odd individual pads) which should see me through at least the next 6 months.  

The first of my quasi-WiP marines, this guy was painted up a while back and has been patiently waiting for the day when he receives his fully certified membership shoulder pad.  In the meantime, he wields his Heavy Bolter with the skillful touch of a Veteran - clearing Xenos and Marine alike for the glory of this Chapter and the Emperor of Mankind.  Alongside his brothers, he forms the first of my new Devastator Squads - a unit I haven't fielded for about two codex's now.  With access to reasonably priced heavy weapons, there's no reason now to leave them behind.

A recently started project, this marine is my first attempt at constructing a swanky-looking flamer using the gargoyle bits from the Chaos Marine vehicle sprue.  Being master artificers, I've often thought that Salamanders would benefit from cooler-looking weapons, rather than the decidedly 'meh' weaponry available to other marines.  This flamer is the first of it's kind in my army and while the head looked a little over-sized at first, it's beginning to grow on me.  My next one will differ from this more compact version, which forgoes much of the piping to allow for easier use in cramped environs. 

A product of my wandering mind's desire to build character models that assist in 'forging the narrative,' I built this Devastator Sergeant on a whim.  As fate would have it, he seems to be particularly suited to lead my newly formed devastator squad, with his Master-Crafted bolt pistol delivering the Emperor's Wrath when presented with particularly stubborn enemies that don't know when to just give up and die...  For the most part, I think the majority of his time will be spent guiding his brother's fire with the help of his Signum, but you never know...

Getting these guys this far has been good for me as I ease back into painting Space Marines in earnest.  While I continue to pick away at my Warriors, I'm really keen to build on my Salamanders right now. At this point, having a fully painted 1500 pt Salamander army is a very real prospect for me - one that I'm not about to squander.  

Catch you all later,

Trev