Intelligence Report - Eyes Only

--TO: Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk, Aun'El'T'au Or'res'Cea, Gue'El Santiago, Penros Coalition Command--

--SENT: T'au'Il'fannor'Vre'Shi'B'Ko--

--AUTHOR: Por'Vre'T'au Bentu'Doran--

--SUBJECT: Intelligence Report: Bandit Group S-- 

-- CROSS-REF.: Penros Campaign, Pirate Activity, Mont'au'Gue'la, Terror Activity-- 

Tau'fann, 

As part of our ongoing efforts to monitor the various adversarial groups present in this system, I have been working in conjunction with Kor'Vre'T'au Sa'Kunas to compile the activities of the unidentified Mont'au'Gue'la terrorist group currently labeled BANDIT GROUP S. Bandit Group S is of course the most recent Mont'au'Gue'la faction to have been observed in the Penros system, and while we have little experience with them on the ground Sa'Kunas's teams have done a commendable job of tracking and observing them from a distance, giving us considerable data to work with. 

Most recently one of Sa'Kunas's teams were able to capture an incident involving Bandit Group S on the surface of Penros's seventh world, which represents the first confirmed combat action of the group within the system. 

1(a). BANDIT GROUP S 

(i)

Based on extensive analysis of image data provided by Air Caste surveillance assets, we can confirm that Bandit Group S is the same terrorist group that raided the O'Leath'Elan'ro'Retha weapons complex some two kai'rotaa ago - visual profiles and markings match those observed on the units involved in that attack. 

It would appear that after escaping from the O'Leath'Elan'ro'Retha complex these Mont'au'Gue'la were by means unknown able to remotely access the long-range matter transmitters located in the Penros system. This would explain their sudden appearance in the vicinity of Matter Transmitter 3, some time after its seizure by Ar'cea militants. It is not known at this time whether the Ar'cea assets around Matter Transmitter 3 were eliminated by Bandit Group S or abandoned the site before their arrival, though orbital imagery of the site suggests the latter scenario is more plausible. 

We can also confirm that the terrorists of Bandit Group S are affiliated with the larger Es'Mont'El'Da terror group (or "Night Lords" in their native Gue'sia), and as such are formed largely of a core cadre of former Gue'la shock troops. As with similar Mont'au'Gue'la terror groups, these former soldiers have lost nothing of their considerable skill at arms and maintain much of their equipment including powered exoskeleton armour and a range of high-end Gue'la weaponry (see below). 

It is noteworthy that despite their clear affiliation with the Es'Mont'El'Da group, Bandit Group S does not appear to conform exactly to the standard operational and political doctrines associated with Es'Mont'El'Da cells. It is speculated that Bandit Group S may represent a splinter group or dissident element and indicate some kind of ongoing schism within the wider organisation. 

Despite this, it should be kept in mind that the differences have thus far been observed to be relatively minor in practical terms, and Bandit Group S still exhibits a lot of activities and agendas aligned with Es'Mont'El'Da, including their infamous campaigns of sickeningly excessive atrocities and crimes against sapient life. 

The assets of Bandit Group S that were identified during this incident were as follows: 

1(b). ORDER OF BATTLE (CONFIRMED) - BANDIT GROUP S

COMMANDER (Ass. Warlord): Gue'Va agent, observed directing local cells in combat and believed to be present commanding warlord of Bandit Group S. Currently given priority tracking with surveillance and observation assets. 

Observed equipment includes: 

-powered energy gauntlet 

- Gue'la medium bolt-driver with flamethrower attachment

- full complement of Gue'la manufactured grenades including fragmentation, shaped implosion charge and thermo-molecular reactive explosives. 

Subject was also observed to be equipped with powered battle armour that appears to be some kind of advanced prototype model, or at least features extensive modifications. Capabilities observed include: 

- greatly enhanced armour protection 

- greatly enhanced user strength 

- onboard shield generations 

- cosmetic intimidation modifications 

- defensive spike appliques 

Subject has been observed displaying notable skill in the following areas: 

- Fieldcraft (incl. battlefield infiltration and negotiation of adverse terrain) 

- Close quarters shock assault 

CELL 3: Five (5) Gue'Va shock troop operatives specialised for close assault. Significant EM distortion detected around this group indicates probable etheric enhancements. 

Observed equipment includes: 

- Five (5) heavy polearms with motorised blades. Believed to feature etheric enhancements to enable greater armour penetration capabilities 

- Five (5) suits of Gue'la manufactured powered battle armour. Believed to feature etheric enhancements. 

- Defensive spike applique, observed on armoured suit belonging to suspected cell leader 

- Cosmetic intimidation modifications observed on armoured suit belonging to suspected cell leader 

- Portable etheric interface device suspected present on suspected cell leader

Communications intercepts indicate the operative believed to lead this particular cell holds deep theistic beliefs venerating a deity-like figure known as 'Nurgle'. This particular religious practice has been observed consistently across a large (approx. 20% of all groups encountered near Tau Space) section of Mont'au'Gue'la terrorist and pirate groups, but has thus far been rare among Es'Mont'El'Da operatives. The other Gue'Va cell members appear to share these theistic tendencies. 

CELL 0: Three (3) suspected Gue'Va shock troop operatives trained for heavy assault, suppression, intimidation and demolition missions. 

Observed equipment includes: 

- Three (3) Her'ex'Yi heavy battlesuits with full weapons complement

CELL 1: Five (5) Gue'Va shock troop operatives trained for general combat, intimidation, subterfuge and sabotage missions. 

Observed equipment includes: 

- Four (4) lightweight handheld motorised combat blades 

- Three (3) Gue'la light plasma accelerator pistols (Identified as Type 36 models) 

- Two (2) Gue'la light bolt drivers (Identified as modified Type 3 models) 

- full complement of Gue'la manufactured grenades including fragmentation, shaped implosion charge and thermo-molecular reactive explosives. 

- Five (5) suits of Gue'la manufactured powered battle armour. 

- Defensive spike applique, observed on armoured suit belonging to suspected cell leader 

The operative believed to lead this particular cell has been observed with extensive genetic bio-augmentation. This includes: 

- Facial modification for intimidation 

- An augmented arm converted into a jaw or tentacle-like appendage. This appendage appears to have been gene-edited for use as a weapon in hand-to-hand combat, and appears to feature greatly enhanced physical strength and attacking speed. 

Operatives belonging to this cell have been observed displaying notable skill in the following areas: 

- Fieldcraft (incl. battlefield infiltration) 

- Close quarters shock assault 

CELL 2: Ten (10) Gue'Va shock troop operatives trained for general combat, intimidation, subterfuge and sabotage missions. 

Observed equipment includes: 

- Seven (7) Gue'la medium bolt drivers (Identified as modified Type 5 MOD-B models) 

- Two (2) Gue'la medium plasma accelerator guns (Identified as Type 36 models) 

- One (1) Gue'la light bolt driver (Identified as modified Type 3 model) 

- full complement of Gue'la manufactured grenades including fragmentation, shaped implosion charge and thermo-molecular reactive explosives 

- Ten (10) suits of Gue'la manufactured powered battle armour. 

- Defensive spike applique, observed on armoured suit belonging to suspected cell leader 

The operative believed to lead this particular cell has been observed with extensive genetic bio-augmentation. This includes: 

- Facial modification for intimidation 

- An augmented arm that has been greatly expanded in size, far beyond even Gue'Va proportions. This limb appears to have been gene-edited for use as a weapon in hand-to-hand combat, and features enhanced strength directly comparable in effect to a Gue'la powered energy gauntlet, as well as increased attack speed. 

Operatives belonging to this cell have been observed displaying notable skill in the following areas: 

- Fieldcraft (incl. battlefield infiltration and negotiation of adverse terrain) 

CELL 4: Five (5) Gue'Va shock troop operatives trained for motorised combat, shock assault, intimidation, sabotage and demolition missions. 

Observed equipment includes: 

- Two (2) Gue'la medium flamethrowers (Identified as modified Type 32 models) 

- One (1) Gue'la powered energy blade of sword-type configuration 

- full complement of Gue'la manufactured grenades including fragmentation, shaped implosion charge and thermo-molecular reactive explosives 

- Defensive spike applique, observed on armoured suit belonging to suspected cell leader 

- Cosmetic modifications for intimidation observed on armoured suit belonging to suspected cell leader

- Five (5) suits of Gue'la manufactured powered battle armour 

- Five (5) Gue'la manufactured light motorised combat platforms, single-seat bicycle configuration, with full weapons complement 

The operative believed to lead this particular cell is believed to also carry a defensive energy shield generator somewhere on their person. 

Operatives belonging to this cell have been observed displaying notable skill in the following areas: 

- Advanced vehicle piloting 

- Close-quarters counter-assaults 

Note that in addition to the additional combat skills listed in the individual breakdowns, all elements of Bandit Group S have been observed displaying notable skill in night fighting conditions (common with Es'Mont'El'Da units) and strongpoint attack and siege assault operations - it is suspected that Bandit Group S has had significant history in urban warfare actions prior to their arrival in the Penros system. 

Also note that in addition to listed equipment in the individual breakdowns, all cells of Bandit Group S have been observed carrying standard tactical knives, breaching and cutting equipment and similar devices common to Gue'la shock troop forces. A complete inventory of all identified equipment and its quantities can be found in attached data file BANDIT GROUP S - EQUIPMENT INVENTORY AND TABLE INDEX. 

(ii)

In addition to the elements outlined above, decrypted Air Caste signals intercepts indicate at least two other key figures in Bandit Group S's command structure. Based on available surveillance data and mission data from Air Caste attacks on the group, it can be safely assumed that Bandit Group S contains at least one specialist in metacreative warfare, likely one of the aforementioned high-ranking command figures. Surveillance data also indicates the presence of one Class-8 lifeform among Bandit Group S forces. Finally, Surveillance data has identified at least one additional cell equipped with heavy powered combat armour. 

Mission data from Air Caste sorties performed as part of Operation KIR'LA-6 shows confirmed kills on Mal'Caor heavy combat walkers and Elan'La medium combat walkers belonging to Bandit Group S. It is believed that these confirmed kills represent the entirety of Bandit Group S armoured assets, and that the group now has no dedicated heavy support units. 

Note however that despite the apparent lack of dedicated heavy support assets, Bandit Group S still possesses at least one elite cell equipped with Her'ex'Yi battlesuits which are directly comparable to our own XV-88 armour in mass, mission profile and performance capabilities (and can indeed be considered superior to the XV-88 unit in some metrics - for more information see attached data file XV-88 VS HER'EX'YI - TACTICAL COMPARISON AND THREAT EVALUATION). 

(iii)

It is also worth noting that decrypted communications intercepts indicate that at least one high-ranking element of the Bandit Group S command structure appears to hold the same theistic beliefs as observed by the terrorists in Cell 3, centred around the same monotheistic deity figure 'Nurgle'. This indicates the possibility of a potential political schism between these figures and the otherwise atheistic elements of Bandit Group S - additional investigation into efforts to exploit this opportunity may be merited. 

(iv)

In all other areas the makeup of Bandit Group S appears to be archetypical of most Es'Mont'El'Da networks observed by the Tau Empire thus far, a decentralised raiding force optimised for unconventional warfare, covert actions and terrorism. Damage inflicted to the group as part of Operation KIR'LA-6 has caused the group to further decentralise and disperse, both from losses sustained and to better avoid the worst damage from aerial attacks. 

2. INCIDENT REPORT - OUTPOST 515 

(i)

As part of Operation KIR'LA-6 the Air Caste Command Penros has been using continuous application of aerospace strike assets to shape the advances of various hostile elements on Penros 7 - which remains the current focus of coalition operations in the system - employing targeted attacks to not only screen coalition forces on the ground and disrupt hostile operations, but also to channel and redirect the advances of the various pirate and terrorist groups active on the surface in such a way as to bring them into direct confrontation with each other. Thus far this strategy has brought coalition forces valuable time and breathing space, and the fighting around Outpost 515 represents the first such instance of Bandit Group S being drawn into conflict with other armed groups in this manner. 

Outpost 515 itself is located some 1200 Tor'kan from the current coalition evacuation zones and is a disused supply base originally constructed by the former Penros Security Forces, or 'PDF' in their Gue'sia. The site is primarily comprised of a small overhead landing pad, a few above ground stockpiles and some modest underground facilities, and is one of a number of such sites deliberately left untargeted by Air Caste forces in order to encourage hostile armed groups to converge on it. 

As best as we can determine, the primary objective of Bandit Group S was to reconnoitre the immediate vicinity of the site, with an operational goal of capturing and securing the outpost for both shelter from our Air Caste assets and for a more permanent base of operations on Penros 7. During Recon operations however, the assets from Bandit Group S dispatched on this mission ran into a force of armed fighters from BANDIT GROUP M - a more established Mont'au'Gue'la terror network active on the planet - also attacking Outpost 515 in Cadre level strength. 

The Bandit Group M Cadre observed in the incident was primarily comprised of : 

- two (2) cells of genetic-augmented Gue'la 

- one (1) cell of Gue'la light infantry (incl. heavy missile armament)

- one (1) cell of Gue'Va shock troops operating on foot (medium bolt-driver armament)

- one (1) cell of Gue'Va shock assault troops (mechanised) 

- one (1) cell of genetic-augmented Gue'Va shock troops (mechanised, suspected etheric enhancements)

- one (1) Mal'Caor autonomous heavy combat walker 

- undisclosed number of Mont'au'Gue'la command elements 

(ii)

As best as we can determine, the operational-tactical plan employed by the Bandit Group S force was to employ Cell 1 and Cell 2 as spoiling elements, infiltrating the combat zone ahead of Bandit Group M's advance to forward-deploy into positions that would disrupt and slow down Bandit Group M's progress. While Bandit Group M was thus disrupted, the motorised Cell 4 would use their speed and mobility to hunt down and engage the genetic-augmented Gue'la cells at the core of Bandit Group M's formation in coordination with Cell 3 - it would appear that the local commander determined these units to be the weakest element of Bandit Group M and concluded that their destruction would rob the force of their advantage in mass, allowing the infantry cells to mop up. Destruction of hard targets, including the heavy combat walker, appears to have been assigned to Cell 0. 

(iii)

Initial deployment of Bandit Group S assets in the area seems to corroborate this, being focused around a reverse-slope defence of one of the hills surrounding Outpost 515. Our aerial surveillance were unable to detect the presence of Cell 1 and Cell 2 until they broke cover at precisely D-Dec + 01:00:00, appearing in spoiling positions on the flanks of the outpost. 

Fig. 1. Bandit Group S initial deployment

(iv)

The key decisive point of the incident came at D-Dec + 02:30:00. Multi-spectral data indicates that Cell 0 attempted a medium-range insertion via matter transmission into close proximity with the Mal'Caor heavy combat walker - presumably they meant to destroy the machine with thermo-molecular impulse attacks at close range and seize the high ground it was occupying in one single stroke. However, for reasons unknown the matter transmission beam appears to have deviated off-target, instead causing the Cell 0 operatives to materialise in the midst of Battle Group M's centre battle line where they were immediately swarmed and overwhelmed by genetic-augmented Gue'la units. 

This in turn allowed the heavy combat walker to survive long enough to target Cell 4 and open fire with its main gun. The shot was a direct hit and caused heavy losses among Cell 4, ultimately causing them to be overrun by gene-augmented Gue'la forces after their advance was stalled. From there on Bandit Group S was left unable to effectively counter the considerable mass advantage of their adversary. 

Fig. 2. Bandit Group S forces in contact

(v)

A second critical point of the incident occurred at D-Dec + 03:15:34. Multi-spectral data indicates a second matter transmission, though EMR analysis indicates more similarities with space-based ether drives than with conventional matter transmitter technology. As best as we can determine from available data, the (presumed) leader of Cell 3 managed to activate some kind of etheric interface device either hidden on their person or integrated into their armoured suit. 

Immediately after activation we were able to identify the arrival of no fewer than five (5) Type-7U Etheric Lifeforms. The Etheric Lifeforms appeared adjacent to Cell 3 and cooperated closely with the Gue'Va of Cell 3 for the rest of the engagement.

The arrival of and coordination with the Etheric Lifeforms allowed Cell 3 to inflict heavy casualties on the genetic-augmented Gue'la they engaged in close quarters battle with, and canny use of these alien allies allowed Cell 3 to effectively double its manpower during combat. It is suspected that this combination is likely to become a staple fixture of future combat operations Bandit Group S engages in. While only five (5) Etheric Lifeforms were observed during this incident, we cannot rule out the capability of Bandit Group S to call on the support of greater numbers of these allies. 

The presence of Type-7U Etheric Lifeforms affiliated with Bandit Group S also represents an opportunity for further study into the connection between Mont'au Gue'la terror groups and these lifeforms. Based on historical data there appears to be some kind of link between Type-7 Etheric lifeforms of all kinds and those Mont'au Gue'la practicing 'Nurgle' type theism - current hypothesis is that the Type-7 Etheric Lifeforms have somehow managed to persuade the Mont'au Gue'la to adopt their own cultural practices, forming a strong basis for a practical alliance. 

The presence of Type-7 Etheric Lifeforms of any kind also indicates a strong possibility that Bandit Group S may seek to employ biological warfare attacks against civilian targets. It is imperative that additional medical supplies and equipment are adequately distributed to the civilian populace, and that additional quarantine and screening measures are prepared to be implemented at the earliest notice. Mass distribution of vaccines, anti-viral treatments, antibiotics and immune supplements among civilian concentrations should be given high priority. 

(vi)

Additional note should be made to Cell 1, which while largely immobilised by the swampy terrain they deployed in did succeed in tying up Bandit Group M forces far disproportionately larger to themselves. In this respect the restrictive terrain was less of an obstacle than it may otherwise have been and appears to have worked as an acceptable strongpoint all factors considered. 

Fig. 3. Bandit Group S Cell 1 in combat

(vii)

Ultimately following a protracted Six Dec engagement the remaining elements of Bandit Group S disengaged with high casualties. Outpost 515 remains nominally in the hands of Bandit Group M, though Air Caste assets continue to interdict Bandit Group M assets around the site. 

CONCLUSION 

Although Bandit Group S has sustained considerable damage thus far, it remains a formidable force that is rapidly adapting to the operational conditions on Penros 7, and is likely to recover quickly. It is likely that the group's leadership have learnt key lessons in their initial combat engagements on Penros 7, and the group retains both unknown numbers of Etehric Lifeform allies and credible biological weapons of mass destruction. 

They should not be underestimated. 

--FILE CLOSED--

Yesterwynde

 Fortune can be funny sometimes. 

I started this year fully expecting to quietly abandon Warhammer altogether, my energy to resist the Sour Prudes spent and resigned to seeing the boot of the Sour Prudes stamping on the face of one of my favourite tabletop game forever. Wherever I looked on the internet it seemed that all that was once green and good in Warhammer was gone, and bothering to defend or cherish it was a lost cause. 

Then one of my 2004hammer buddies returned from a Battletech sabbatical with a mighty need for some fantasy action, and after a couple of small scale games I trapped them in a castle. And ever since then I've had more games of Warhammer in the last four months than I've had in years. And it turns out that none of the Sour Prude attitudes seem to have reached across the ocean to here. 

It would seem that the wider world is scarcely aware of the existence of Warhammer players in Aotearoa... for which I am very thankful... 

At any rate, it means that my love of Warhammer has been resuscitated from oblivion for a second time (or third, depending on how you're counting), and that has me thinking back to how it all started. After finishing the Scouts, my first ever unit for Warhammer, work started almost immediately on the rest of the archers (save one of course) from the Battalion box set, the 16 chosen to become a band of Glade Guard and my first ever ranked line regiment for Warhammer. 

These would however prove far more challenging, and ended up becoming the longest and most difficult model project I had ever done to that point. Looking back the actual time period was still not very long, about 3 or 4 months or so, but at the time it seemed to last an eternity. 

What made things so difficult was the ranking nature meant all the models had to line up flush together side by side in base contact. This is not too much of a challenge in and of itself, but Glade Guard are your classic hooded and cloaked rogue archer types, which means two things: 

1) They have arms thrust directly forward in shooting poses, which project forward. 

2) They have dramatic billowing cloaks, which project sideways. 

These two features mean that each Glade Guard model occupies extra space, and makes it very complicated to line them all up next to each other without their cloaks pushing into the models next to them and their bow arms poking into the models directly in front of them. 

I am not a total dumb-dumb, so I had anticipated and planned for this when I first started the project. My plan was to mock up the poses and positioning of the models by dry-fitting their components together with blue-tack, allowing me to test out how to set them up so they would all fit together nicely. It seemed like a sensible idea, but it had two fatal flaws. First, the blue-tack I had available was not particularly strong, causing the model pieces to fall apart far too quickly and left the models collapsing into each other in a sticky pile of model bits right when I had finished lining them up. The other flaw was that since blue-tack is soft and elastic, the pieces attached to it would bend if they had any pressure applied to them, causing the cloaks in particular to get squeezed into their attached models in ways they never would when glued. 

This left me with no other option but to work on the unit model by model, painting up one or two at a time, assembling them, and then positioning them not to bump into each other, which was effective but took a very long time and gave very little sense of real progress. But even after all the models were painted and assembled, the problems still did not stop. 

See, when I started the Wood Elf army my budget was not limitless, and certain things had to be sacrificed in the name of procuring the models and rules needed to start - specifically basing materials. For the first couple of months, I had none of the basing materials I had planned to get, and the 'completed' Wood Elf models were blue-tacked to their bases while they waited for them to arrive. This was part of the plan, because I had always planned to paint and assemble the models apart from their bases and then decorate the bases separately, gluing the models down only once their base was finished (this was of course done to avoid the problem of models' feet getting covered in a layer of sand and flock which I had encountered with my first attempts at basing many years earlier). But it also meant that when the basing supplies finally did arrive it required another month or so of going back and individually basing all the models one by one, which ended up almost doubling their time to completion. 

By the end of it I was utterly burnt out on painting Warhammer models. But I also had my first ever ranked unit of troops. 

Doubtless you will immediately note the hooded heads. As I mentioned in the last episode all the archers in the army, both Scouts and Glade Guard, use the hooded heads that come on the Glade Guard sprue. This is because I had been playing hundreds of hours of Diablo III as a Demon Hunter and loved every second of it, and wanted to play Warhammer with an army of hooded rogues carrying missile weapons. Seeing the first ranked mass of hooded cloaked elf rogues put together was all the vindication I needed for my proof of concept. 

While this was going on the identity of both this unit and the wider army was starting to take shape, nourished by a steady stream of Nightwish and shooting demons in the face with crossbows (I did also dabble a little in smashing demons in the face with an axe and devouring demons with an army of spiders, but they just didn't quite do it for me the same way as shooting them in the face with crossbows did). It was also influenced by research into the Wood Elf army book itself and my first glances into online tactics guides, because at this time I still had no real idea how Warhammer was supposed to work and had not yet learnt that online Warhammer tactics guides were all largely written by Sour Prudes Who Hate Fun. 

Having looked at the various unit options at my disposal and worked out what ones I wanted to use most of all, I had already settled on a core of no fewer than four Glade Guard regiments. This was a good mirror of the four Troops units that were a common fixture of the small 2000 point Warhammer 40,000 armies I was already familiar with, had a nice visual symmetry and seemed like a nice round number of basic troop units to hang other stuff off. What's really important at this stage however, is that it was very quickly apparent that this was also a perfect number to theme each Glade Guard unit around a different season - four Wood Elf archer kinbands, four seasons, it all lined up perfectly. 

Having looked at the various tactica guides I had... been told that most of the stuff I liked most was a pile of oozing hot shit garbage and that I was a shit munching limpdick baby who should kill himself for bothering with it at all and honestly was a nancyboy fake fan for not just investing in a bunch of manly meatbread guzzling Chaos Warriors and a Bolt Thrower album instead. Because apparently there were only three Warhammer factions that you were allowed to like, and the rest all just existed to have mean things written about them. And that pattern repeated down to the scale of army 'builds' within each faction too. That was what the Warhammer Khomunohteh was like in 2013. Who am I kidding that's what it's still like in most parts today too. 

But I digress. I had also learnt amongst the digital jock posturing that one very good combination for a Wood Elf army was a unit of Glade Guard joined by a Spellweaver with a Resplendence of Luminescents. This gave the wizard a unit to hide in, and the Luminescents made the archers' shooting attacks inflict Magical damage, and the range of a lot of the Spellweaver's magic spells were about the same distance as the range the Glade Guard wanted to be at when shooting stuff, so it was a nice symbiosis all around. 

I already wanted a bunch of Glade Guard, and I also already knew I wanted a Spellweaver, and I did like the sound of the Resplendence of Luminescents because the name Luminescents sounds a lot like the name Evanescence and I was finally starting to become more open about loving that band after years of keeping that to my chest in high school. And it resulted in my Glade Guard shooting Enchanted Arrows dealing Arcane Damage! HELLS YES! 

So it did not take much convincing to get me on board for that particular photocopy special. 

But the most crucial part of all this is it brought me to the first role of one of these Glade Guard units - a regiment of bodyguards to watch over and protect my mages as they travelled the land getting into adventures. 

Painting my first ever ranked Warhammer unit also meant painting my first ever command group. 

This was a daunting prospect inside the already daunting prospect of doing justice to such beautiful model sculpts. The first challenge was in getting in one of the Spites that came on the sprue as a base doodad. Initial mockups quickly showed that the Spite would not fit with the Champion on the same base, so it ended up getting moved to the archer next to the Champion, placed so that it was still adjacent to the unit leader. 

The Lord's Bowman herself was scary to work on but ultimately became a very successful experiment. She made use of all of the fancy Champion bitz, and while experimenting with placement to fit her billowing cloak in amongst the rest of the unit, I stumbled upon the idea of standing her atop two leaves to both give some extra presence and some extra clearance for the Spite that slips in under her bow arm. 

The biggest challenge of all, however, was the standard bearer. 

Up until this point my experience with adding markings was almost entirely based on transfer decals. I had made precisely one single attempt to freehand unit markings on some of my Tau, and the results were so crude and ungainly that I immediately swore off ever trying to add them again and stuck exclusively to decals moving forward. But to my horror I discovered that there was no GW decal sheet for Wood Elves, meaning that all of those delicate intricate elven runes and pseudo-Celtic border braids on the GW studio banners were in fact freehanded and my only chance at replicating them was to somehow freehand them myself. 

The first attempts tested out the method that would become standard for freehanding all my Wood Elf banners - blocking out the basic outline shape in white (for maximum visibility against the dark green background), then filling over it with black, and then finally painting in the actual details with gold leaving a black border. There were numerous points where the whole thing was wiped and started over from scratch, but eventually I reached a point where the end result was at last acceptable.

The banner here would become a typical example of all my Glade Guard banners, and is divided into three main parts. The first part, the top flag, has most of the elven runes on it - for this one I carefully selected some elven runes from the Magic Item section of the army book based on which ones I planned to use on the Battle Standard Bearer so I could practice them here. This flag is also asymmetric, with only one side decorated because painting those tiny elven runes on one facing was difficult enough already. 

The second section, the middle flag, is the most important for the unit because it is the middle flag that contains all of the unique iconography that identifies the unit. In this case there are a couple of extra elven runes, because I wanted the extra practice, some attempts at the infinity spirals that are the de facto faction logo for the Wood Elves, and the main icons themselves. Two are the same as would eventually go on the army Battle Standard (again done here as a practice run). Two mark the first pair of Nightwish shout-outs to be featured in the army. The rest are all fairy magic symbols; a flower, a butterfly, and a field of stars. 

Finally, the bottom two flags were given what was supposed to be a lightning motif (lightning bolts being the classic magic effect after all), but never quite managed to live up to my original concept because I have never quite been able to draw or paint lightning properly. 

This iconography then came back into contact with the growing concept for where my particular elves came from and the culture behind them, specifically the centre of magical knowhow in my woodland empire. This was beginning to shape into one of the more obscure Nightwish references in the army backstory. 

By this point I had started to grow increasingly familiar with the online Nightwish Mythos and was fairly familiar with most of their album covers if not the songs contained within. And one of those album covers stuck out at me when it came to magic and fantasy. It was a simple piece, with none of the fancy paintings that were a staple of its sister albums. Instead it was a humble photograph, containing a lonely moon looking out across a lonely hill with a single lone tree on it, the whole thing lit up with a brilliant twilight sunset. 

The album was Angels Fall First. 

Shut up this could totally be in the middle of an enchanted wood I'm not listening to you I can't hear you

The deep dark twilight sunset, the nearly full moon, the lone ancient tree on a desolate rise, the whole thing screamed faerie magic to me, and I knew that my Wood Elf wizards had to come from there. 

Thus was born the Celestial Heath, at the heart of the Fey Glades in the Meadows of Heaven, and the home of Summer Lightning. 

Summer Lightning 

Deep within the Meadows of Heaven, just beyond the crystal pools of the Maiden Falls, lie the secret Fey Glades. They are mysterious otherworldly places, where nymphs dance with faerie sprites amongst gardens of flowers that shine with radiant colour amidst the gloom of the wood. At the very centre of the Fey Glades is a large clearing surrounding a single desolate hill, atop which stands an ancient lone tree. This is the Celestial Tree at the heart of the Celestial Heath, and from beneath its leaves one can read within the wheeling stars the ever-winding path of destiny with wondrous and terrible precision. At other times, when the green moon rises, its baleful light casts wonderous many-coloured auras across the sky above the Celestial Heath, and from their hues and pathways one can discern how the winds of magic are blowing across the world. 

These attributes make the Celestial Tree a valuable site for any who wish to study the arcane way of magic, and so the area has drawn magi to it since the Meadows of Heaven were first settled by the elves. To this day the Fey Glades remain the focal point for arcane study and practice in the Meadows of Heaven, and most of the mages of that realm hail from there. The Asrai of the Fey Glades have a long tradition of supplying the rest of the Meadows of Heaven with skilled magic practitioners and by longstanding tradition the warrior kinbands of the Fey Glades and Celestial Heath are dedicated to their protection. 

Summer Lightning has always been the largest of the warrior kinbands hailing from the Fey Glades, and was the only one to survive the terrible battles of Cyanathair's first invasion of Athel Loren. Since then the kinband has grown in size and incorporated numerous Asrai households into its fold, and today it can almost be considered a full kindred in its own right. All those elves dwelling within the Fey Glades who are bound to serve their part as Glade Guard are inducted into Summer Lightning, and collectively form a loose network of warrior kinbands united by a common home and common purpose. Each of these Summer Lightning kinbands is responsible for guarding the Spellsingers and Spellweavers from the same household they belong to, and the bonds of trust and kinship between each mage and their attendant guardians run very strong indeed. 

Wood Elf mages are commonly tasked with acting as envoys to foreign lands, and the mages of the Meadows of Heaven are no exception. It falls to the Glade Guard of Summer Lightning to keep watch over them during these travels and ensure their safety while abroad, and because of this the warriors of Summer Lightning learn much of the world beyond Athel Loren. Though not as well-traveled as the Wood Wasps, most elves of Summer Lightning are nonetheless knowledgeable of at least a few corners of the world besides their own and often grow fluent in foreign languages and customs. 

Where the warriors of Summer Lightning truly excel however is in knowledge of the arcane and especially in how to battle forces of magic and sorcery. They share much of the training and study of their mage kin (albeit applied to a more martial bent), and put it to use in understanding and fighting the magical enemies of the Meadows of Heaven, especially creatures born of unnatural powers such as malevolent sprits and daemons. Their studies extend to most magical creatures however, and most Summer Lightning Glade Guard have at least some understanding of how to face down nearly any given monster they might encounter in their adventures. This knowledge is put to especially deadly practice when their arrows are enchanted by the Luminescent Spites that are common to the Fey Glades and which readily befriend the elven mages from there. 

The warriors of Summer Lightning make use of the same wargear as the other Glade Guard kinbands of the Meadows of Heaven, especially the legendary and much feared Glade Guard Longbow. Each Glade Guard warrior by tradition fashions their own longbow, so that it is perfectly matched to their own unique needs and fighting style. All such longbows share a common general design however, one which is heavier and bulkier than the cheaper Scout Bow but offers much greater stopping power at close range, able to match a dwarf crossbow in punch while being more precise and manoeuvrable, making it ideal for use in direct battle. 

As well as their traditional longbows Summer Lightning warriors carry elven fighting knives and short swords common to all the Glade Guard of the Meadows of Heaven, and are trained to be as proficient in hand to hand combat as they are at archery. Also in common with much of the warriors of the Meadows of Heaven they wear hooded cloaks of Lauralinae, enchanted to keep out rain, keep in warmth, breathe away summer heat, blend with foliage and snow and to never snag or tear. The banners they fight under are also fashioned of Lauralinae, to make them easy to craft and repair and so that they can be draped across branches and camouflaged amongst the trees when the kinband is hiding or waiting in ambush. Finally in common with many of the other warriors of the Meadows of Heaven Summer Lightning Glade Guard wear comfortable yet sturdy wearing leather boots and gloves and frequently collect valuable items and treasure while travelling in their adventures. 

In the years since then the Glade Guard of Summer Lightning have had a fairly solid career across numerous battles and generally making a good name for themselves. True to their backstory even when they fumble all their shooting attacks they usually make up for it by shredding whatever it was they were shooting at in melee, and recently have begun to rake up a fairly impressive count of slain monsters (no less than two Giants*, two Trolls and an Ogre or two). They also have an excellent track record of keeping their attendant Spellweaver alive - but she is a story for another day... 

*one of these 'giants' was actually a pair of giant Mangler Squigs, but I no longer remember if they were being used as a Giant or actual Mangler Squigs and since I'm a 6th edition Oldhamerer I decided to err on listing them as a second Giant. Still an impressive feat either way.