+ inload: Rad-toting, gunslinging, habitat-burning Destroyers +

+  Iron Warrior Destroyers +

+ It's Australia day today, so what better way to celebrate the nearest thing we've got to Catachan than the deadly toxic Destroyers? (I kid! I kid!) +

+ We had a look at the first Psiloi (my 'in-universe' name for Destroyers) a earlier in the week-cycle [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], with Aftrokratori, a relatively new member of the corps in Mark IV armour. +

+ I had decided that the Iron Warriors would share none of the other Legions' reluctance to deploy the Destoyer's semi-forbidden weaponry, so I don't want to pick them out with a unique paint job or something similar – I want them to look like just another unit in the army. However, as I learned with the Basilikoi (my volkite-toting veterans), this anonymous approach can mean that they end up looking a little underwhelming; so the challenge is to find a balance between standing out and looking part of the group. +

+ The jump-pack bearing, pistol-wielding nature of Destroyers gives them a unique silhouette in my army, so that already distinguishes them from existing stuff. However, to 'future-proof' them from looking too similar to a potential jump-pack equipped assault squad, I want to make them slightly different without going completely off-piste. +

+ My solution was to dig into the background. I thought the Destroyers were an opportunity to explore some parts of the Horus Heresy that I've always liked, but have never found a good excuse to do – namely heavy battle damage and Mark V 'Heresy' plate. +

+Bolt pistol-armed Destroyer with bionic arm (rear of shot) +

+ The brutal appearance of this armour type marks them out visually, and fits perfectly with the background: the Destroyers' rad-weaponry and tactical application makes them particularly vulnerable to damage and degradation, so it seemed fitting to give them the low-tech but functional Mark V, which in the background is a stop-gap mongrel suit, with plates issued to replace the higher-tech and hard to repair Mark IV. +

+ Having the newer members of the unit (such as Aftrokratori) in Mark IV, and their older, more battleworn comrades in increasingly complete Mark V, is therefore a nice way to segue the visuals from the rest of the army (mostly in Mark IV) and give them a distinctive look. +

+ Destroyer with suspensor-assisted missile launcher. One of the few models in the game who can have both a jump pack and a heavy weapon! Note the bionic leg; a standard part of the Iron Tyrant kit +

+ You'll also notice that there's some battle damage on the armour – a detail made easier by Master Crafted Miniatures, who (after a little pleading!) have produced some awesome battle-damaged pauldrons. I've also included some exposed bionics. Generally, I prefer to keep bionics in this army relatively subtle and hidden, as it leaves 'design space' for my Iron Hands [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], who have a much stronger association with augmetics. However, given the Psiloi Destroyers' elite status, I thought it'd be fun to add some exposed bionic limbs. In addition to providing some visual flavour, it also hints more broadly at the Iron Warriors' genetic proclivity for accepting bionics, something that could be lost if I had none in the army. +

+ Here's a shot of the four members awaiting paint. I'm not sure if I'll expand them or not just yet, but they were fun to do. Relatively quick, too, as the arms for the dual pistols required much less chopping and reposing than is typical for the boltgun-armed marines. +