The “Armored Fist” of the Knights of Altair finally arrives in the Corvus Cluster.

The forge worlds of the Corvus Cluster have largely focused on the needs of the Imperial Guard battling on Hegira. One result is that reinforcements have been delayed for the Fourth Company of the Knights of Altair.

That’s changed in recent weeks. The order has gone out to bring forth the Fourth Company’s “armored fist.”

As much as possible, each vehicle kit was supplemented with Forge World panels of the Black Knights. The Knights of Altair share the same Templar cross motif, although the color scheme is different. Does this suggest a kinship of Primarchs?

So I’m glad to report that Captain Nevarre and his company of Space Marines finally have some metal boxes to help them on the tabletop.

I painted up two Rhinos in previous months, but in the past three weeks, I’ve managed to add a Vindicator, Predator, Razorback, Drop Pod, and Storm Talon to the motor pool.

(The Vindicator was a real find. I picked it up—already assembled—at a hobby flea market for $10. Just $10! I so lucked out. The Razorback also was a deal at $15 assembled.)

The worn and shell-damaged rear panel of a Rhino, featuring the Template Cross with red, black, and gold color scheme.

The trigger on my airbrush isn’t working, so I had to put on the base coat by hand. As always, the base color is the standard Administratum Gray of the Knights, with some Caliban Green in the recesses of the front hull (my way of indicating these vehicles are assigned to the Fourth Company).

I purchased the Predator, but as I installed lascannon sponsons, I was not able to use my spare Forge World Black Templar side panels on the model. That’s a shame, as I really like the over-the-top heraldry of the Forge World additions.

The side panel of this Rhino features the Knights’ chapter icon, backed by white wings. Note the dark green recess in the front of the vehicle, the color signifying the Rhino is assigned to the 4th Chapter.

The Storm Talon also was bought at the flea market—assembled and painted a lovely green—so it was with some dismay that I repainted the model to fit the Knights’ color scheme. Still, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.

My painting will never win a contest. As much as I enjoy painting, I’m still more a gamer at heart, and I have little patience for adding detail that I can’t see from three feet away. So I’ll always be an assembly line painter.

The Armored Fist of the Knights of Altair go into battle on the red desert plains of Hegira.

Still, seeing these models arrayed on the game table is exciting—and I can’t wait to get them into a fight.

There’s still a lot to do. I’ve also finished a Vanguard Veteran Assault Squad (with jetpacks), another tactical squad, and five more Scouts. I’ve also picked up a few new boxes (Dreadnought, Drop Pod, and Land Raider). Once they’re done, I’ll be ready to test out my Space Marines for the first time in a match-up against The Gaffer’s orks.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.