I first got into the hobby at the end of the 80’s and actually bought my first miniatures, the 10-man version of the RTB01 plastic Space Marines box, in ’91 around the same time that the Warhammer 40,000 Compilation was published. The partner to the Compilation was, of course, the Compendium published in ’89 and I have vivid memories of reading through a friend’s copy of it (as it would be many years before I owned my own) marvelling at the glorious madness of it all, gazing lovingly at the beautiful pen & ink illustrations, and devouring the snippets of lore like a starving child.

As long-time hobbyists and Rogue Trader enthusiasts will know, one of the most iconic sections in the Compendium is the Chapter Approved article on ‘Imperial Robots’, which introduced the concept of the Legio Cybernetica, their cohorts of battle automata, and their service alongside Space Marine chapters (such as the Desert Lions) during the post-Heresy ‘Scouring’. The same article also introduced the various classes of robot, including the forerunners to Forgeworld’s modern Vorax and Castellax class automata, and some absolutely byzantine rules for creating ‘programs’ and managing your robots on the field of battle.

Many of these concepts were later re-introduced into the modern Horus Heresy setting, first by the expanded background material and rules for the Taghmata Omnissiah in Black Book III Extermination and later with the addition of the option for a ‘Consul Praevian’ in Black Book VI Retribution, (re-)establishing the idea of Legio Cybernetica serving alongside the Legiones Astartes, with bound maniples of specific battle automata.

Originally, I never intended to include a Praevian in my Dusk Raiders – Although I really loved the updated look of the new battle automata, I didn’t really see a place for them, as I wanted to focus more on dogged infantry units resplendent in white, gold, and red. What changed this was the eventual need for a narrative foil to Ullis Temeter in the background material I was writing for my force. Whereas I portrayed Temeter as a warrior of conscience, a believer in the fraternal bonds of brother within and between legions, and a model Legiones Astartes of the golden age of the Great Crusade and the Imperial Truth, I needed someone smaller in mindset, a little pettier and cantakerous, to be his antithesis.

Obviously, the Ashmaker would appear to be the prime candidate as the absolute polar opposite to Ullis Temeter in my writing, but I needed someone a little less extreme, and who might reasonably serve alongside him on a regular basis. Re-reading the background material on Legion Praevians, I became stuck upon the idea that Praevians “[…] were often chosen from Veterans whose injuries required extensive Bionics. Known to be solitary individuals, they rarely advanced up the chain of command. [And that] Some Legions used the rank as a dumping ground for warriors seen as unfit for other duty.” – This sounded perfect for my narrative needs and also appealed to my love of understated kitbashing as the FW Legion Praevian is, of course, a mish-mash of both older and newer marks of armour, the latter of which (in particular) do not suit my needs.

Trawling through FW’s website inevitably led me to the Iron Hands Mk.III squad which includes an array of different torsos, legs, and arms with various degrees of bionic replacement, as well as cog-symbols and trim that would easily work for a Legiones Astartes veteran partially inducted into the mysteries of the Mechanicum. As an extra bonus, the kit also includes a rather marvellous, cable-bedecked powerpack with Vexilla and Servoskulls, not to mention an arm clutching a Crusade-era auspex.

I chose the single-peice torso & head combination, because of its discreet mass of intubation and the fact that the head is cocked slightly down and to the side (giving it the perfect gaze towards the Auspex), the bionic arm with Mk.III stylings, and the lower body featuring the bionic leg. I also made sure that the bolter included the chain-axe attachement which comes with this set, and used two of the lefthand shoulderpads (which feature the cog-motif minus the Iron Hands symbol), and simply added one of Pop goes the Monkey’s Dusk Raider icons to the one that became the righthand pad.

And so the Anthracite was born, my battle-scarred Praevian, always ready with a sore word or snide remark, aloof of attitude and condescending towards his brothers (especially those not of his legion), spending more time with his beloved automata the Chittering Widdershins or the Stalwart Choral, committing them begrudgingly to the fight, always convinced that they, and he, should be destined for greater things…

…and in regards to his charges – Watch this space, as I already have a big bag of insectoid-like battle automata ready to join their master, and some of the chunkier cousins wishlisted with Forgeworld.