[Trench Crusade] escarmourche uchronie "WW1-Croisades-Grimdark"

[BlooDrunk]

Consumed by harrowing visions of the end times, the War-Prophet is a harbinger of ruin. Their fanatical sermons and ominous prophecies, blasted from shoulder-mounted speakers, inspire their followers through fear and promises of salvation. The War-Prophet leads the faithful Trench Pilgrims on a death-march through blood-soaked landscapes, a path of destruction whose ultimate goal is martyrdom through glorious death.
 

“Fear the prophet! For she is prepared to die for the truth, as are her zealous followers. And those who stand against her are doomed to die.”
- Herald of Prophetess Adea of the Blessed Lion Warband

+ Bonus, un collaborateur de l'équipe à créer ce plateau de jeu modulable, qui représente bien le genre d'environnement pour ces escarmouches :

Révélation

Hi, this is Brother Mike speaking. We wanted to show you some concept art of what a Trench Crusade board could look like. I quickly modeled this in Blender to show you all the vibes I'm trying to achieve.

I wanted to make the board modular, so there are big square pieces of terrain that when placed near each other look like trenches. I know they aren't the proper zigzag kind of trench, but for simplicity's sake I made them all standard squares.

Trench Crusade boards aren't limited to just two trenches facing each other across no man’s land. Here you can see there are elaborate fortifications embellished with statues and crosses, and the dead are buried right in the trenches as well. This conflict has gone on for so long, there's a certain madness that's been brought to everything related to it.

The Trench Crusade takes the WW1 battlefields we are all familiar with and injects them with religious hysteria and iconography, as well as all sorts of anachronistic stuff. Medieval and modern themes abound, and there's no reason your board couldn't have a large castle, a ruined city, the Temple of an Arch-Devil, an Abandoned Mendelist Laboratory, or whatever madness you can dream up!

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mark A. S. Paolini to the ranks of the faithful. Mark is currently occupied building the first custom-made Trench Crusade terrain board for the photos that will be in the rulebook!

Alors ça reste un modèle assez idéal, mais rien d'obligatoire, c'est surtout bien pour l'inspiration et chacun pourra trouver de quoi faire à la maison, surtout si on à déjà pas mal de décors en stock d'autres jeux (ou des bunker histo etc), et bricoler quelques tranchées c'est pas si compliqué !

[BlooDrunk]

Explications sur le fonctionnement de la "magie" dans Trench Crusade (+un peu de fullf du coup), intéressant !
Voir dans le spoiler sous l'image :



TRENCH CRUSADE: MIRACLES AND MAGIC :
 

Révélation

Hail from the scriptoriums of New Antioch. It is I, Lexiographer Tuomas, who brings you a quick overview on how supernatural powers work in the Trench Crusade.

Humans themselves cannot directly wield supernatural powers, but instead certain individuals of great devotion such as Prophets, or those who have pledged their souls to Hell in exchange for power, may call upon their patrons to work miracles and magic.

When including such an individual in your force, you must first choose a Patron. This could be an arch-angel or a venerated saint such has St. George, the Patron Saint of soldiers and warriors, or a mighty Duke of Hell such as Astaroth. The most devout might even choose the Almighty as their Patron! Depending on your choice, you can then ask for Healing, Blessing or Smiting the Heretic if you follow the path of Heaven, or Torment, Deception, Conjuration and Annihilation if you are a servant of the Evil Ones.

The choice of the Patron also determines how many Power Dice you get to roll when calling upon your Patron. Each power has a difficulty rating you must equal or exceed in order to successfully use the power. However, if you roll 2 or more 1s when attempting to use a power, you will suffer the Wrath of God/Hell! This can lead to your warrior bleeding from many wounds, being knocked over by the powers of the angered Patron, or your opponent gaining bonus dice, your equipment being destroyed or even worse!

Patrons differ from one another in their anger, so calling upon Lucifer has a much greater risk of being betrayed by the Prince of Lies, while a humble Patron Saint might offer far more modest powers of Healing and Blessing, but with much lesser risk to the supplicant.

Pictured below is a Heretic Priest of the 5th Legion "The Serpent Rampant", whose Patron is Balam, one of the Princes of Hell, the devil of avarice, idol worship and immorality.

Art by Mike Franchina.

 

[Miles]

Très seigneur des anneaux façon Jackson cet hérétique...

[BlooDrunk]

Variantes de figs des Communicants (une traduction du terme serait les "Communiants" j'imagine, vu leur fluff...) :
 

Anointed pilgrims! The communicant anti-tank hunters have been deployed to the front...
 

Communicants are partakers of the experimental communion - the blood and flesh harvested from a Meta-Christ by the Mendelist monks. The most holy and pious of the church are chosen to partake of the experimental communion, and go through many biological changes to become more effective on the battlefield.

These two are alternative poses of the original communicant miniature for the Kickstarter (link for late backers/pre-orders in the comments). Brother James sculpted the original in putty & clay, then Brother Edward at Zealot Miniatures scanned the physical sculpt and returned the digital files for clean up and conversion. This is a Blender render by Brother Michael, along with their attendant Mendelist ammo monks.
 

“A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and no sign shall be given unto it, but the sign of the Meta-Christ.”

- Divinations 12:9

 

*Pour rappel le 1er Communicant  était dans cette pose :

Révélation

 

[BlooDrunk]

++The Anointed Ones++

After making great contributions to the Arch-Devils, the Anointed Ones are ordained by their masters in Hell to make pilgrimage to the Lake of Fire. There on its stinking, oil choked shores they meditate and chant, committing sickening rites at the burned temples that litter its shores. The fires of the lake horribly burn these pilgrims, but they take no notice as they revel in the visions of grandeur bestowed by the twisting black fires.

Their heavy armor and weaponry, forged in the Iron Pits, are gifted to them by their wicked masters, and they are granted unholy strength in order to wield them. Flamethrowers filled with pitch from the Lake of Fire are particularly valued, and the Anointed Ones take great delight in burning their foes with its supernatural fires.

(No AI was used for this image or will ever be used for any Trench Crusade artwork or writing.)

[roron]

Pour info, le late pledge/précommande est ouvert jusqu’au 10 août. Si vous voulez commander les figurines c’est le moment. (C’est ici) 

Autre info, Tuomas Pirinen a annoncé sur sa page facebook que Gavin Thorpe allait collaborer avec lui (on ne sait pas dans quelle mesure) sur le projet. 
 

A+

Modifié le 1 août 2023 par roron

[DarkWinter]

Je passe mon tour.

 

Les thèmes 1ere guerre mondiale et religieux dans une uchronie ne me plaisent pas tant que cela.

 

Cela fait penser que cette idée ressemble étrangement au jeu mutant chronicles...

 

[BlooDrunk]

 

ARMAMENTS OF THE TRENCH CRUSADE

“The rifle and the trench club are prepared against the day of battle: but vengeance is of the LORD.”

- Battle Psalms 17:7, New Orthodox Syncretic Bible

Un bon gros morceau de fluff sur l'équipement des soldats et les armes en général :

Révélation

After raging for eight centuries, the Great War has produced a bewildering variety of weaponry, equipment and armour, and due to the power of both Heaven and Hell taking active role on the battlefields, a warband participating in the Trench Crusade often has a fascinating and exotic panoply of both ancient and modern weapons.
 

It was the work of the followers of St. Eligius, the patron saint of metalworkers, that allowed the weaponsmiths and armourers of the Holy See to produce steel alloys imbued with divine light, metals more malleable and harder than any normal steel. Though the cost is enormous, suits of armour can be wrought that are able to withstand a hail of bullets. This excellence of the infantry field armour remains to this day, keeping abreast with the advances of firearms and explosives.

Meanwhile the Heretic Legions have gained access to hellish metals from the twisted crucibles of Tartarus, exceeding the strength of mundane steel though often at a terrible cost, for carrying such weapons or donning an infernal suit of armour burns both the body and the soul, leaving behind festering wounds that never heal.
 

Thanks to these advances in metallurgy, titanic artillery pieces exceeding 300 feet are constructed in the foundries of New Antioch, while the forges of Hell turn out truly colossal machines of death of their own – the largest known piece, the dreaded Mouth of Hell measuring a staggering 666 feet in length and boasting 1666 millimetres in calibre! The massive artillery barrages pockmark no man’s land, creating a hellscape on Earth between the Heretic and Faithful forces. It is over these pieces of land that the warbands of both sides travel, scouring every inch for usable weapons, holy objects of power, ammo, food, armour and more.

Due to the protection offered by modern armour, close quarter combat is frequent and brutal: trench clubs and polearms, lead-tipped great maces and hell-forged swords are all used to deadly effect when storming enemy trenches. Enemies such as Heretic Anointed are often so heavily armoured that only concentrated effort can bring one of these survivors of the Lake of Fire down, and even then they often have to be finished off in brutal melee combat with Misericordia daggers, looking for a chink in their unholy armour.
 

Those brave (or suicidal) enough wield anti-tank hammers: polearms with explosives powerful enough to tear apart even the strongest of armour. Still, the humble bolt action rifle is the workhorse of the battlefield, and most yeoman soldiery as well as Heretic legionnaires carry it. Many other weapons, though rarer, are in common use: machine guns, sniper rifles, grenades of both shrapnel and gas variety, as well as experimental anti-materiel rifles, while the Heretic forces are equipped with blades of eternally burning fire, living bullets that infect their targets and turn them into undead metastatic vessels, forever bound in servitude to the Devils, and heavy flamethrowers forged in the Iron Pits of Dis, belching the flames of the Lake of Fire where damned souls wither for all eternity.
 

With both Infernal and Divine Powers actively at work on Earth, holy icons, symbols, cursed trinkets and unholy artefacts are carried by soldiery of all ranks. Their power is undeniable and has turned the tide of many a battle. Martyrdom Pills are taken regularly by Trench Crusaders looking to take the enemies of God down with them. They inure the faithful against pain and exhaustion but extract a brutal toll after their effect wanes. Many Trench Pilgrims wear iron capirotes that both shield their minds from the horror of the creatures of Hell, but also incorporate a gas mask in their design – a useful feature on battlefields where the use of chlorine and mustard gas, as well as more dire fumes created by the twisted chemists in the Bolgias of Inferno, is commonplace.
 

Elite forces have even more advanced and esoteric equipment and arms. For example, the Observers of the Synod of Strategic Prophecy wear a specially constructed helmet which allows them to hear the Voice of God, and thus allows them to perceive immediate past, present and future simultaneously to a degree. This allows them to perform martial feats unrivalled, but it comes at a cost: a living human is not meant to hear the Holy Words, and as the Voice of God never decays, they must concentrate with superhuman focus to hear what they need to pick the right course of action. Sleep is impossible with the Divine Echo ringing in their ears. Heavy sedation and use of mind-altering drugs is necessary for them to withstand the heavy burden of their battlefield role for any length of time.
 

The accompanying picture shows the Trench Pilgrims of the Procession of the Sacred Affliction. They are known for their zeal for close quarters combat, their icon armour and shields, which despite appearances can withstand machine gun bullets, and the millstones they carry in order to tie them around the necks of sinners before they suffocate them in the mud and blood of the No Man’s Land.

Art by Mike Franchina

Pour ma part tout ça m'enjaille toujours autant

Modifié le 3 août 2023 par BlooDrunk

[BlooDrunk]

Sympathique personnage (le Dévoreur de Wurmloch, un "mangeur de péchés"), voir son fluff sous l'image :



There are many paths to becoming the monstrous abominations known as Sin Eaters. Some were starving wretches who would eat anything to stay alive. Others hedonistic gourmands searching for the rarest delicacies. But the most famous is the Devourer of Wurmloch.

A priest in the small Bavarian town of Wurmloch had a terrible secret. He didn't just take people's confessions, he delighted in them, savoured them. The greater the sin the more he enjoyed it. Eventually he began extolling his flock to commit more grievous sins as a twisted means to expunge them, but secretly revelled in their guilty confessions.

The priest’s perverse obsession kept him in the confessional booth night and day, and over the following months he grew unnaturally, horrendously fat, demanding the townsfolk keep him sated with near constant confessions of their sins. The townsfolk grew frightened, refusing to go into the church to face the disgusting priest and his litany of curses and demands.

No one knows exactly what happened next, but a terrified county sheriff discovered the priest in the church, swollen to near bursting and slick with gore, and bellowing hideous blasphemies even as the sheriff and his deputies burned the church and the empty town.

Modifié le 12 août 2023 par BlooDrunk

[BlooDrunk]

Aperçu de deux factions principales (parmi d'autres!), avec pas mal de fluff :

 

1/ La Légion Hérétique :



Fluff :

Révélation

HERETIC LEGION

“We are no longer supplicating weaklings trembling before an unmerciful God. We say: Blessed are the mighty-minded, for they shall ride the whirlwinds.”
- Ramman, the Annointed of the XXI Heretic Legion 'Widowmakers'

A shroud of darkness blankets the world. Smoke and brimstone spews from the yawning gates of Inferno enveloping the lands, where people have abandoned God and openly wage war against His Creation. It is a grim reality that a full third of humanity has bent their knee before the idols of Hell. The main military force of Satan on Earth is the Heretic Legions, raised from amongst these citizens of the damned.

Spies are sent into Hell’s domains under special absolution by the Cardinal Protector. Most are caught, never to be seen again, save for some who’s eternally screaming heads are returned to New Antioch, branded with bleeding runes that mock the Holy Trinity.

Yet some do make it back to the light, whispering of the horrors they have witnessed: of firstborn cast into the mouths of the burning statues of Baal and human flesh sold by the pound in dreadful markets. They speak of the great idols of the Golden Calf and rapturous men and women who prostrate themselves before them, carving layers of their own flesh in ecstatic offering. Inverted pyramids and towers plunge into the depths of these cities, built of iron and black stone. Within their depths stand sacrificial altars where screaming captives are slowly sliced to death over agonising days and weeks with sacrificial knives made of infernal basalt. Cathedrals to the Princes of Hell hang from great arches of volcanic stone, while captives are crucified on hundreds of upside-down crosses.

Accounts speak of sprawling factories made of mutilated flesh and metal, their forges yielding endless munitions for the ongoing war. Guided by the teachings of Tartarus' smiths, alchemists toil over colossal weapons and armoured behemoths, wielding the forbidden secrets of their patrons' metallurgy to forge instruments of death and suffering beyond the grasp of any human engineer. Once-proud cities of Earth, where churches have been toppled and entire populations are now dedicated towards bringing down the very Throne of Heaven.

Amongst the forsaken citizens that endure within the earthly domains of Hell, the greatest status is afforded to the soldiers fighting in the Great War. But joining the army of damnation is no easy task. Those who wish to win a place amongst the Heretic Legions must make an unholy pilgrimage to the burning bronze gates of Hell where, even from leagues away, the infernal heat sears both flesh and spirit until the pain becomes unbearable. In the Valley of Tears the great road that leads to the gate, paved as it is with wailing souls and lamentations, is littered with endless mounds of charred bodies. Many are still half-alive, writhing in agony, trapped in a grotesque twilight between life and death, their wickedness deemed insufficient. These discarded souls are doomed to writhe in agony until the Day of Judgement.

Those who make it within sight of Hell’s Maw are considered worthy and are initiated into the Legions, taking unbreakable vows that chain them into darkness for all eternity, their bodies branded with the mark of the Devil Lord that has claimed them. Armouries of Hell then equip them for battle and Heretic Priests beckon forth new supplicants as dictated by the whispers of their patron arch-devils. Thus a new Heretic Legionnaire is born. They hail Lucifer as their master and are damned for all eternity.

Yet there are some who push further on: to the very Gate itself and beyond. Their very flesh ignites, never to recover, but those with the blackest souls can enter the Inferno itself. Amongst those the Anointed are especially revered amongst the Legions. They are the paragons of unhinged brutality – men and women of colossal vigour and unyielding devotion. Having tread the accursed path to the shores of the Lake of Eternal Flame, where the damned wither and contort in ceaseless torment, the Anointed emerge forever scarred by the embrace of abyssal fires. The blackened and burnt flesh of the Anointed will never heal, but in exchange they are granted the right to wear Heavy Gehenna armoured suits and they gain strength to wield weapons that a normal man could barely lift. It is said that glancing into their eyes one can see the reflection of the very flames of Hell, forever etched in their vision.

Yet some who witness go even further in their depraved devotion. Suicide is a mortal sin and one eagerly embraced by many. Most cry out for devils to notice their final sacrifice in vain, as the Infernal nobles are capricious and delight in betraying their own as much as their enemies. But those with truly wicked and depraved souls are resurrected in contempt of the Redeemer, coming back as Choristers, horrific mockeries of Creation whose severed heads sing unholy hymns praising the Devil, their voices causing the ears of their enemies to bleed.

Though the vast bulk of the Heretic Legions are made of mortal humans, Hell often sends their own abhorrent progeny to reinforce their mortal foot soldiers: nightmarish War Beasts made of captured and possessed beasts and dreaded Artillery Witches who act as mobile artillery supporting the Heretic lighting assaults. Thus, in this accursed theatre of war, mortals and abominations march hand in withering hand, bound by the suffering ties of damnation. The wails of tortured beasts meld with the shrieks of damned souls, while the skies rain down fiery retribution upon all who dare to oppose the Heretics’ ceaseless crusade for a demented parity with their Creator.

 

2/ La Nouvelle Antioche (présentation des Lieutenants) :

 

Fluff :

Révélation

New Antioch Lieutenant

Lieutenants are leaders of small squads or platoons of New Antioch’s soldiers, playing a fundamental role on the distant frontlines of the Trench Crusade, displaying unwavering resolve in preserving the unity and morale of their troops. Lieutenants might be the favoured son or daughter of a noble family or gained their rank by impressing their superiors with their exceptional strategic acumen and audacious bravery.

In addition to their command role, they are also responsible for acquiring new weapons, arms, equipment and food for their troops. All too often this requires looting the battlefields of No Man’s Land or even raiding settlements, since resupply can be sporadic at best.

Having rightfully earned their position, Lieutenants enjoy the privilege of selecting their preferred arms and armour, often with the pick of the rarest battlefield finds. It is not uncommon for a Lieutenant to wield a distinctive weapon, perhaps a family heirloom, an idiosyncratic affectation or an ostentatious piece providing some much-needed swagger.

 

Modifié le 18 août 2023 par BlooDrunk

[Barbarus]

Pour l'instant, tout est en VO... Une VF possible?

J'aime beaucoup les dessins/idées...

 

Barbarus : je vais suivre ça avec intérêt...

[BlooDrunk]

Le 19/08/2023 à 17:50, Barbarus a dit :

Pour l'instant, tout est en VO... Une VF possible?

J'aime beaucoup les dessins/idées...

 

Barbarus : je vais suivre ça avec intérêt...

 

Que V.O. à priori, aucune idée si d'autres langues sont prévues, ça m'étonnerait un peu vu que ça reste un petit projet de passionnés, mais sait-on jamais.
Après si des fans voudraient en faire une VF officieuse... bon on va déjà attendre le prochain KS avec le jeu en lui-même.
Pour te donner une idée de l'ambiance du background si tu ne parles pas anglais je suggère de passer les textes au traducteur, ça sera pas parfait mais un bon début.

Modifié le 20 août 2023 par BlooDrunk

[roron]

Le 19/08/2023 à 18:51, BlooDrunk a dit :

bon on va déjà attendre le prochain KS avec le jeu en lui-même.

Tu as vu l’info quelque part pour une sortie en KS ?

Modifié le 24 août 2023 par roron

[BlooDrunk]

Le 24/08/2023 à 18:50, roron a dit :

Tu as vu l’info quelque part pour une sortie en KS ?

Oui,
vu en commentaires FB de leur part (plusieurs fois il me semble), mais pas de date annoncée pour l'instant à ma connaissance... (avant la fin de lannée j'imagine?)

Un peu de fluf sur fig déjà parue (livraison pour bientôt avec le reste du pack peur ceux qui ont contribué au 1er KS) :

Révélation

OBSERVERS

When the need is great, the Synod of Strategic Prophecy sends their famed Observers to support the war effort. This order of warrior monks lives a life of absolute solitude, sharpening their minds and bodies to make themselves living weapons in the Hand of God. Once a soldier joins the order, they very rarely leave the Temple of The Word – the only exception being when they are summoned to the battlefield, a situation where their unique abilities can decisively shift the balance in favour of the faithful. Even the slightest disturbance to their prayers or training will mean that they will not be able to commune with the Lord of all Creation. Thus the days of the Observers are spent in secluded, cloistered cells, when not practicing their martial or mental disciplines.

Observers wear a specially crafted Oculus Helmet enabling them to attune to the Voice of God. This remarkable connection grants them the capacity to simultaneously perceive the immediate past, present and future, to a degree. This allows them to perform martial feats unrivalled, but a living human is not meant to hear the Holy Words, so it comes at a cost. Since the Voice of God never decays, they must concentrate with superhuman focus to extricate the righteous guidance amidst the narrative spanning from creation's inception to the present moment. The ceaseless resonance of the Divine Echo ringing in their ears renders sleep impossible. Therefore they must resort to potent sedatives and mind-altering drugs for them to endure the heavy burden of their battlefield role for any length of time.

The Observers diligently practise the recitation of the Words of God, granting them the power to issue commands to anyone they address, friend or foe. The special metal of their helmet allows them to replicate the Holy Word as closely as it is possible, compelling any creature in creation to obey them momentarily to a degree.

Though they master many weapons, the trench polearm stands as the preferred choice for Observers. This tool allows them to skilfully vault over barbed wire and drop into enemy trenches with devastating force. Guided by the omniscient words of the Almighty, they possess the ability to evade nearly any strike. With proper focus, they foresee impending attacks within the crystal of the Eye of God that is incorporated into their helmet. As such, enemies' efforts to take them down are often frustrated, since the Observer simply moves the minimum required to avoid any harm, knowing precisely where the blow of the Heretic is going to land.

However, even the slightest slip in their concentration means that they might lose the Voice of God that guides them, rendering them just as vulnerable to death as any other mortal soldier.

+++

The Heraldry of the Synod depicts Sword and Crown, symbolising service to God through war, while the Clouds and the Stars represent Synod's mission to commune with the Lord directly.

Les Observeurs :

[BlooDrunk]

Pas eut le temps avant, mais je rattrape ici les 3 dernières news (textes en spoiler à passer au traducteur si besoin) :

1/ GRANDE NOUVELLE : un kit multipart en plastique va être produit pour les Pèlerins des Tranchées !
...il y aura donc au moins une boite d'infanterie avec différents torses, jambes, têtes, bras, armes, équipements etc, offrant une variété de poses plus que bienvenue.

Révélation

Brother James has been summoned from the subterranean sculptura chambers of New Antioch to give a brief sermon on sculpting the new multipart Trench Pilgrim. Blinking in the light, hood drawn over pallid skin, Brother James elucidates thusly:

Blimey it’s bright up here! Can someone turn those candles down a bit? That’s better. I’ve been told I need to give a lecture about the multipart Trench Pilgrim that I have been sculpting for the forthcoming Trench Crusade game. Well, here goes…

We’ve always loved the idea of multipart infantry kits, since the variety of parts give you so many options when sticking them together. With the Trench Pilgrims, we want to design a number of parts including different legs, torsos, arms, heads, weapons and relics, all with the aim of providing choice and variety in pose and loadout.

Pictured here is the basic pilgrim in A-pose (with arms at about 45 degrees in relation to the torso). This is still work in progress, with some refining and tweaks to be made here and there, but it should give you a good idea of where we are going with this. Since the model has been sculpted in its component parts (head, torso, legs etc), it will be a lot easier for me to manipulate and pose, with some re-sculpting required here and there – for example at the joints and where the drapery of the fabric needs to be moved about so that it hangs/flows correctly.

Currently, I am sculpting some alternative heads (helmets and bareheaded – medieval bowl cut, anyone?), weapons (rifles, trench clubs, knives), icon shields and so forth. Not only that, but I am also doing a female version of the pilgrim. The intention is to have plenty of variety for players choosing their fodder for the trenches.

! Ces images sont du WIP, pas de poses définitives pour l'instant !
(à parier qu'un équivalent arrivera peut être pour le coté Légions des Enfers...?)

2/ UN RÉSUMÉ DE L'HISTORIQUE de l'univers de  Trench Crusade :

Révélation

A BRIEF AND INCOMPLETE TIMELINE OF THE TRENCH CRUSADE

biased and likely inaccurate

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

1099 First Crusade captures Jerusalem. The Knights Templar commit the Act of Ultimate Heresy. The Gate of Hell appears on Earth. Jerusalem is destroyed in the cataclysm.

1101 The Year of Three Battles. Heretics reinforced by the armies of the Third Circle of Hell conquer all of Levant.

1102 The ancient city of Antioch is fortified and becomes the focal point of resistance against the forces of Hell.

1106 Cobar becomes the First Tyrant of the Sixty-six.

1109 The Great Sultanate of the Invincible Iron Wall of the Two Horns that pierce the Sky is formed. In the coming decades it unifies the Islamic factions. The Great Iron Wall of Iskandar re-emerges and is fortified against the Heretics.

1117 The legendary Seventeen Martyrs travel to the Domains of Hell to convert the Heretics. They are captured, tortured and kept in the state of dying to this day inside white-hot Brazen Bulls.

1165 The Old Man in the Mountain and his Hashashins defend the mountain fortress of Alamut. Reportedly, the castle stands to this day, despite being besieged for hundreds of years.

1215-1306 The wars of Triclavianism. The Church is split and fights a fierce internal conflict. Heretic domains extend as the faithful fight against each other. Millions perish by sword and fire.

1346-1353 Beelzebub unleashes the Black Grail. Tens of millions are infected and become metastatic vessels in the worst plague in the history of mankind. The Corpse Wars begin.

1429 Living Saint Joan of Arc drives the Black Grail from mainland Europe.

1477 The City of Argos is taken by God and it is no more.

1503 War Prophet Angelos, guided by St. Elegius, discover the formula of Orichalcum Steel. Though extremely costly to produce, the metal proves to be effective against all missile weapons, and is still used to this day.

1545 Antioch destroyed utterly by a mysterious infernal weapon.

1573 Sacred Order of the Dragon halts the heretic advance after the destruction of Byzantium. Word spreads of a million heretics impaled in the hills of Wallachia.

1595 Walls of New Antioch completed.

1666 The Year of Six Woes. In a surprise raid, the newly-created Heretic fleet captures Gibraltar. The sea fortress became the Heretic base of operations against Europe. Forces of Hell gain access to the Atlantic.

1670 Due to the constant coastal raids by the Heretic Fleet the Crown of England begins the construction of the Fortress of the White Cliffs of Dover.

1703 Against all odds, a small force of Hebrew Knights striking from their secret fortress destroy the Templar stronghold at Acre.

1805 Heretic fleet under the command of Heretic high captain Ranga defeats the fleet of England in the battle of Bloodied Cliffs. Admiral Nelson is slain in combat.

1866 In the utmost secrecy Heretic scientists, aided by the Demon Marbas, construct the first modern submarines.

1870 Launched from Gibraltar, the Heretic submarine fleets extract a heavy toll on the merchant navies. Widespread famine.

1872 Heretic forces storm the city of Rijeka. It is fortified and Heretic conquest is launched against the European mainland.

1894 They Year of Broken Trinity. The Death Commandos simultaneously assassinate the Supreme Pontiff, the High Prophetess Aelia and the Holy Roman Emperor. The faithful are thrown in turmoil. The Heretic Legions, commanded by Hell’s nobles of the Seventh Circle and a huge vanguard of tanks launch a lightning offensive in Levant and Europe Simultaneously.

1899 Church Space Program commences.

1907 The construction of the moving fortress of Britannia is completed.

1910 Battle of Cordoba. Bloody stalemate. Heretic artillery devastates the ancient city, but the Heretic forces fail to gain access to the hearthlands of Hispania.

1914 The present day. Both sides are preparing for major offensive operations. In the huge swathes of No Man’s Land furious skirmishes and raids increase in intensity and tempo as the faithful and the heretics vie for information, powerful relics, and securing strategically important positions.

3/ APERÇU et concept-arts de la Nouvelle Antioche :

Révélation

THE CITY OF NEW ANTIOCH

Amazing Trench Crusade art of Chander Lieve, depicting the City of New Antioch, chief bastion of the Church, the Home of All Our Hopes, and the main fortress of the Faithful stemming the tide of the Heretic Legions. It is famed for its walls that have never been breached despite many furious assaults, and remains unconquered to this day.

The original Antioch was destroyed by a mysterious demon weapon, and New Antioch was built in the crater that remained. The large concrete dome seen in the background covers the epicenter of the blast, and protects the city from any lingering effects, but some question its efficacy.

Tout ça prends une belle consistance

...

*EDIT: et j'ai loupé cette news sur ces sympathiques bestioles "nurglesques", leur fluff ets bien cool 
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=205595549176960&set=a.131390236597492

Modifié le 14 septembre 2023 par BlooDrunk

[Conan le Barbare]

C’est absolument splendide ! Je suis ultra fan de l’ambiance

[Miles]

C'est toujours aussi Trash... C'est chouette qu'ils qu'ils sortent les pélerins plastique, ça pourra aussi faire de chouette proxy.

 

Interessant la Time Line. Dracula est donc du coté des "gentils", à la fois surprenant et logique.

 

Visiblement, les enfers ne progressent pas des masses sur le front islamique. En tout cas moins qu'en europe... Je me demande si les amériques sont connue du coup...

[NonoChapo]

Kit multi part plastique 

[BlooDrunk]

LES JANISSAIRES

JANISSARY OF THE SULTANATE OF THE IRON WALL
 

The janissaries are the Sultanate’s elite warriors, raised from childhood in the arts of war. Captured during raids upon the desolate northern and eastern marches beyond the Iron Wall, they are subjected to rigorous martial training and indoctrination from an early age. Through spiritual and alchemical means, bound by chains unseen, their minds are carefully conditioned until they attain a complete and unwavering loyalty to the Sultan, and to him alone.
 

Their physical attributes are augmented by potent elixirs created by the mystic Jabirean arts. Their ornate armour is forged from the metallic formula that the alchemagi of the Sultan gleaned from the very Iron Wall that protects the Sultanate from their enemies. These soldiers are also protected by powerful talismans crafted by the blind thaumaturgists from the School of the Meteoric Omen. Armed with jezail rifles, hand mortars, yataghan blades, and a devotion carved upon their very souls, the janissaries are formidable opponents indeed.
 

On the battlefield, Janissaries excel at storming enemy strongpoints and trenches, crushing elite formations and acting as the bodyguard for high-ranking individuals. Though the Sultan uses them sparingly beyond the Iron Wall as they form his personal bodyguard, some janissaries are sent to the front line skirmishing units of the Sultanate to bolster the cause of the Sublime Gate. In the middle of the mud, blood and dust of the trenches, their richly decorated panoply of war creates a beautiful and frightening spectacle as they charge the enemy lines, with complete conviction that the Paradise awaits those who fall in righteous battle.
 

Art my Mike Franchina

[BlooDrunk]

 2 news pour les légions infernales :

1/ Les troupes hérétiques : (un multi-kit de base à venir, très modulable, les poses seront plus dynamique que ce WIP, comme pour les Pèlerins...)

 

++HERETIC TROOPER SCULPT WIP++

Brother Mike here with a quick look at our Heretic Trooper work in progress sculpt. Sculpted by the talented Saint Decent, this multipart kit is going to have all sorts of bits and weaponry.

There's still lots more to add but we wanted to give you a glimpse of what we got cooking. Saint Decent is really into guns, pouches, and military gear as well as a fantastic sculptor and has been a real joy to work with. Saint had this to say...

"I could talk about my vast commitment to the lore and research and process but thats all boringgg. I'm very happy to be able to work on these guys. I hope they'll speak for themselves.

I can't wait to paint everything up."


2/ Les Commandos de la Mort hérétiques : (là pour l'instant juste un artwork et du fluff bien savoureux!)


 

++HERETIC DEATH COMMANDOS++

From a very early age a select group of Heretic youth are sent beyond the Gates of Hell to be raised as Death Commandos. Very few are chosen, and even fewer return, but those who complete their training stand amongst the most elite of the Heretic Legions.

Barracked in the Seventh Circle of Inferno, they are taught the deadly arts of assassination by the damned souls of the greatest killers and murderers whose souls now reside in Hell. Here they undergo brutal training, mastering the use of all manner of weapons and poisons and they are schooled in martial skills by the personal guard of the Arch-Devil Beleth. They learn to slither as serpents through the battlefield, leaving murder in their wake.

Their specially forged Tartarus Claws are quenched in the waters of the River Styx, a source of poison more potent than any mortal venom. Many carry silenced pistols to take down targets unseen and unheard. Aside from their weapons, the Death Commandos are equipped with stealth generators that operate by diffracting light, utilising the heart of an innocent and infernal technologies that hide them from the eyes of God.

Once their training is complete, the Death Commandos emerge from the abyss as silent spectres of carnage. Of the Heretic troops fighting in the Trenches of the Great War, the Death Commandos are the most feared by the faithful.

Most infamous in the ranks are three master Death Commandos, Cain, Barabbas and Haman, who simultaneously assassinated the Supreme Pontiff, the High Prophetess Aelia and the Holy Roman Emperor in the year 1894. This threw Church forces into turmoil, and allowed the Heretic Legions to launch a lightning offensive across the Levant and Europe.

The tongues of the Death Commandos are ceremonially ripped out at the end of their training. They will never speak of what they have learned and their unnerving silence adds to their sinister reputation. They communicate with each other with a complex system of inscrutable hand signals.

 

[Grimberg]

 

Dave Gallagher rejoint le projet.

 

Citation

DAVE GALLAGHER JOINS THE CRUSADE !

We are excited to announce that the titanic legend Dave Gallagher will be creating some artwork for Trench Crusade !

Dave really needs no introduction, he spent years making some of the most memorable Warhammer, 40K and Mordheim artwork (Mike is particularly partial to his weird but wonderful Empire citizens).

Dave has a truly unique imagination and we are blessed he has agreed to make some artwork for us.

This is a teaser of Dave’s artwork for Trench Crusade, much more to come !

 

[Miles]

Mouais, les légionnaires hérétiques pas mal, mais moyen convaincu par le janissaire et son pistolet à platine... On est en 1914 et on envois des gens dans l'espace quoi...

 

Et pas très hypé par les bestiaux. J'ai l'impression que tout les bg des infernaux sont les mêmes "porte de l'enfer" blablabla "élite triée sur le volet" blablabla "trop fort trop dark". Mais je suis pas un crack en anglais donc je loupe ptet les subtilités...

[BlooDrunk]

Le 11/10/2023 à 17:03, Miles a dit :

Mouais, les légionnaires hérétiques pas mal, mais moyen convaincu par le janissaire et son pistolet à platine... On est en 1914 et on envois des gens dans l'espace quoi...

 

Et pas très hypé par les bestiaux. J'ai l'impression que tout les bg des infernaux sont les mêmes "porte de l'enfer" blablabla "élite triée sur le volet" blablabla "trop fort trop dark". Mais je suis pas un crack en anglais donc je loupe ptet les subtilités...

Bah on est dans un univers fictif, type dark-fantasy uchronique, donc perso je vois pas le problème d'un pistolet avec une tech soit disant "archaïque", surtout que ça pourrait très bien se justifier fluffiquement (par exemple: tradition du corps d'élite de ces janissaires et munitions spéciales "bénies" ou que sais-je!).
On pourrait faire le même reproche à 40k (ça à déjà été fait d'ailleurs) : épée tronçonneuse et autres armes de close seraient sans aucun sens dans un univers futuriste avec des armes de guerre high tech à coté... pourtant on fait avec, ça fait partie du charme et de l'univers à 1000%.

Pour les Death-Commando et autres bestioles infernales : oui question de goût, après quand tu pige bien l'anglais le fluff est quand même bien savoureux et surtout plus subtil que l'image qu'on peut en avoir au 1er abord, faut creuser.

@Grimberg : excellente nouvelle !

[BlooDrunk]

Encore de la grosse bestiole, pour la faction du Sultanat cette foi, avec les "Lions de jabir" (le fluff est intéressant et original, même si ça me fait un peu penser aux créations les plus folles des Alchémistes de Dirz, de feu Confrontation)... en tout cas je suis curieux de voir comment ce genre de gros modèles seront fait en figurines :


 

LION OF JABIR

 

In the fabled Sultanate of the Iron Wall, deep beneath the golden gardens of Damascus, through the Cavern of the Sleeper, and past the Seven Gates of Potentiality, are the vast laboratories and metaphysical factories of the Alchemists.

 

Using the mysterious Jabirean process called takwin, the alchemists are able to create artificial life, and produce all manner of strange and wondrous beasts and automatons to delight the masses of the souk, and grace the gardens of the Sultan.

 

Deeper still, in the darkest and most secret reaches of the alchemy complex, past the Seven Hidden Gates of Actuality, are the sanctums where the art and science of takwin is honed to its most keen and deadly purpose. Here they make the dreaded Lions of Jabir.

 

Named after the deadly hunters of the plains, the Lions of Jabir can take many forms, not all of them leonine. Each one is a unique masterwork, and they are grown according to the skills and artistry of the Jabirean scientist that created them. The esoteric arts the alchemagi employ are learned through study of forbidden Books of Solomon, and many alchemists are killed when their experiments fail or run amok. However, the Lions are in desperate demand by the army of Sultanate, so the program continues, regardless of cost and casualties.

 

Creating the Lions of Jabir is extremely difficult, and there are endless variables to consider. Because of this the Lions are often malformed in some way. Though still magnificent hunters in war, their malformations often cause their existence to be one of constant physical pain and suffering. The truly tragic cases are the Lions created with human-like intelligence, who are wracked with existential dread as they realise the horror of their unnatural origins.

 

In battle the Lions of Jabir are deadly threats, and are used as a vanguard of the host of the Sultanate. The Sultan himself has a hunting pack of seventy-seven enormous Lions of Jabir that guard him day and night, and accompany him on the battlefield. The speed and ferocity of the Lions is nearly unmatched, and some even have strange powers granted by their alchemical birth. Many have armour melded with the flesh and fashioned from alchemical metals, etched with cryptic seals and sigils, and richly embellished by the Alchemists to hide the defects in their creations.

 

Modifié le 18 octobre 2023 par BlooDrunk

[Miles]

Intéressant bestiaux. J'aime bien le coté "merdier pas parfait mais fabriqué en flux tendu parce qu'on peu pas s'en passer malgré le cout".