Painting Challenge Submission #16 - Sons of Horus Heavy Support Squad

Anyone call for some heavy support?

When "tactical support" doesn't get the job done, the Space Marines call in the heavies - the Heavy Support Squad. We have one here, my sixteenth submission to the recently-concluded Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, five fine fellows decked out in the lovely green livery and iconography of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus of course! These are (yet more) multi-part plastic figures from GW's "Horus Heresy" setting. 

Love the little targeting computer/iPad deal you get with the kit - nice touch for the officer.

I've no doubt Curt was reading my mind, as he already alluded to these figures coming along the painting queue, but these are not only quite useful at blasting battlefield problems to pieces - they are also lovely tributes to the very early RTB01 "beakie" Marines, as they are equipped with the infamous "shark fin" missile launchers. These newer figures are true to that old design, and I love how they look.

The launchers are not a comfortable fit on the shoulders...tricky to assemble, but worth it in the end!

If assembly of the tactical support guys was tricky, assembly for these guys was REAL tricky. Not only are the instructions bonzo and of little help (reminder - do NOT throw away old instructions from other boxes, as you'll need them), but the art of sitting the large weapon on the shoulder is...delicate. Anyway, it all worked out in the end, so it doesn't seem like a big deal now, but there are a surprising number of very, very small pieces that need to come together on these figures - so don't build these things near a carpet!

Shark fins, FTW!

Whatever the travails of assembly, they painted up just fine, and nicely round out my initial complement of Mark VI Space Marines, which was a goal I had for this edition of the Challenge - I wanted to paint enough Mark VI "beakies" to fill the transport bay of the Sokar Pattern Storm Bird I painted last year.  I now have two 20-man tactical squads, a tactical support squad, and this heavy support squad, as well as "The Axehole" to lead them - and the whole lot can fill up the troop bay on that super-heavy flyer. 

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a few more "catch-up" posts on the Blog!