Kickin' It Old School....

I admit it. When Citadel (before they were GW) released the first set of plastic Space Marines along with this giant book for something called "wargaming" named Rogue Trader, I was in love. For a short while, I saved what little my college era money I could, and bought everything I could of this strange Gothic future world. I had Epic, and Adeptus Titanicus and everything that went with them. Space Hulk followed. I grab every White Dwarf my tiny comic shop by school had. If it was "Chapter Approved" it was mine.

Then everything changed. They began to price themselves way out of my range. The forces became generic. The sculpts became goofy to me, and lacked character. I guess I grew up.
Then, recently I, like many discovered "In the Emperor's Name", a set of non-sanctioned sci-fi skirmish rules that seemed to take place in that far away gothic future where the undying Emperor still held sway. I dug out some old plastic the Boy had painted and gave them a whirl.
Simple, fun and easy to learn.

I found myself digging through the lead piles (or, as my wife calls it, the Isle of Misfit Toys). I found the first lead Space Marines I bought. Still base coated. It all came flooding back. They were fill of character, not like the nameless plastic legions now. Two have battle damage, one actually has a chunk blown off his armor. Each has customized armor and different weapons. A power sword, that looks like a power sword with wires sticking out? One has heads hanging from his belt. How cool is that?
I painted these as Crimson Fists in homage to the cover of that first plastic box set. Rather than use decals, I wanted their insignia to have that hand painted look, as if each had lovingly drawn theirs on their armor. I usually use washers for bases, but, maybe out of nostalgia  I kept the big plastic slotta-bases.

Battle report next week. Until then, see ya at RECRUITS!