Through out the crusade salient in Warzone Patsayev Imperial ground forces suddenly found themselves out maneuvered and tactically vulnerable to the Iron Warriors and their heavier elements, especially outside the secured landing zones and recently captured hives and industrial complexes of the capital region. While the force of the enormous Merkava regiments deployed could not the directly attacked, they simply could not be everywhere at all times. Numerous running conflicts and battles erupted in the outer regions often resulting in tactical wins but strategic losses to Imperial troops, surrounded and harried by the traitor forces, unable to bring the weight of numbers to bare.
One consistent exception to this were the numerous Tallarn infantry and mechanized regiments rapidly redeployed to shore up the stalled offensive. Consummate light raiders and masters of long range hit and run attacks they were a force consistently stalling and counter attacking traitor forces. The harsh environments of the arid deserts of Tallan
and strict training in water management made them invaluable to fight and even control the deep desert wastes.
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Typical of a Tallarn Desert Raiding force, units of the 351st, the so called "Derv'sh Blades of the Imperium" ranged independently and autonomously of larger forces to great effect. Notorious for their lightning strikes at sunset, they'd infiltrate and attack without warning and just as quickly, melt away into the desert sands.
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The famous robes and headdress, the Th'awb and qufiyya respectively, are an almost ubiquitous site in a Tallarn infantry force. Providing protection from the sun and shifting sands, they act as a form of camouflage, optincal and thermal, unequaled in the desert enabling entire companies to simply "fade away" into the dunes and rocky wadis effortlessly. Each soldier is outfitted with a body suit provide water and waste reclamation capabilities enabling extended operations to be mounted without the needs for extended supply lines. Even attached commissariat staff, as shown here, will always be found to wear the body suits underneath their great coatsPainter's Notes:
So these models should be known to everyone here as being from the Vanguard Novan Desert lines. The majority are from the Desert specialist but due to my inability to count when I purchased them, intermixed with a few of the standard guys split graciously by Apoc for my use. Atypical of other troops and vehicles I paint, I wanted these guys to blend in a bit more as befitting a force known for it's hit and run raids. While I had played with the idea of going full fremen with them, including black stillsuits I ultimately decided against it knowing I have some arbitea and sisters of battle in classic black leather coming and wanted them to be distinctive. I started with a full straight airbrush of VGC Khaki. Snakebite leather for the boots and satchels next. I spent the most attention on the cloaks building up to bone white all the way to VMC silver white (the paint that keeps on giving). Numerous glazes of AP strong tone ink were applied in the folds to give a strong contrast on the table. Of particular note is the AMAZING political officer model. Moredakka, please try and figure out a character set in the future with them and other cool guys from other sprues if possible.
hint hint
The basing color involved washes and slurries of Khaki but intermixed with splotches of Rotting Flesh so they didn't disappear completely. The rocks I tried to realm make stand out by using bold highlights of astronomicin grey over VGC Charcoal black, to good effects, in order prevent visual monotony.
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