Last year, Games-Workshop released a set of space marine minis, exclusive to Japan. Each miniature is sold separately, and each box is a mystery for which marine character you will get.
This is a common sales model for small figures and boutique mini toys in Japan, so it makes sense that this would be a good way to promote 40k in the Japanese market. I recently got my hands on one, and these marine sculpts are really good.
Standing a bit taller than older sculpts, this mini was a dream to paint. This guy is Brother Dolor, the eyes and ears if his squad. Out of the box he holds an auspex, and his backpack is equipped with a large optic scanner. Even though these are easy-to-build minis, the detail is amazing.
To personalize the mini, I decided to swap his auspex for a big knife, making his overall posture more aggressive. Now he points forward, face seeming to shout, “I am coming for you heretic!”. I also added some Vallejo basing pumice on his base, to give the ground a bit more detail around the flat rocks he stands on.
Dolor is painted in the heraldry of the Iron Snakes chapter. The Iron Snakes are one of my favorite chapters.
Most notably represented in Dan Abnett’s ” Brotherhood of The Snake” novel.
The Iron Snakes are a 2nd Founding chapter, derived from the Ultramarines gene-stock. They have influences from Greek mythology and history. Often using long spears and round hoplon style shields in single combat. They also share similarities with ancient Greek armies, instead of platoons or tactical squads, they form “phratry squads”.
Each squad, named after its first-ever squad leader, is treated as an individual tactical formation held equal in placement in the line of battle with almost all of the other fratery units. Only those squads referred to as the Notables are seen as an elite, and even then the Notables do not properly represent a pooling of veteran Marines. This is due to the way in which the Iron Snakes field their new recruits. Recruits, referred to as “petitioners” with the chapter, do not appear to take to the field as Scouts; instead they operate as Chapter staff and personal servants for the full Battle-Brothers.
Hailing from the oceanic world of Ithaka, the Iron Snakes hold the waters of their home as sacred. Carrying it with them in flasks or large containers for rituals and prayer. Primarily operating in a sector of Imperial space called the Reef Stars, they have fought in major campaigns such as the Thirteenth Black Crusade, the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, and most recently, the Indomitus Crusade.
For more fun miniatures and painting tutorials, be sure to stop by my live stream over on Twitch where I do live shows four nights a week.
About the Author: Wyatt Turk
