# New Cover Art: Imperial Truth



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

A surprise release has just been put out. _Imperial Truth_, an event exclusive anthology for the coming Horus Heresy Weekender. And this is the cover by Neil Roberts.










Beautiful. Really, I think that depiction of Terra is beautiful.


LotN


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Now, that is good artwork.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Amazing piece of artwork. To bad the shitdips decided that they don`t want me to own it by the looks of it. Well, will have to just acquire it in the same fashion as half of their stuff has to be now ah days.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

That is a truly beautiful price of art, one of the best they've produced infact. Going by the Mohawk, I'm going to assume that's good old Constantin, I'd like to hope the other is Amon, as like I've said before, I'd like to see him become a bigger character in the series.


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Is that Phalanx in the sky? 

I like the similarity with the artwork in the 40k rule book. The lightness of this imperial palace really contrasts with the darknes of the 40k art, showing what 40,000 years of war can do to your decor...


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

I wondered about the phalanx, but I just don't think it's big enough to be the ship that's been described as a Death Star esque small moon. I'm leaning more to it being one of the collossal sky forts, one of which being mentioned in the old Siege of Terra story by Bill King(that gets shot down I might add).


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## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

Angel of Blood said:


> I'm leaning more to it being one of the collossal sky forts, one of which being mentioned in the old Siege of Terra story by Bill King(that gets shot down I might add).


That was my thinking also. That was also a very handy piece to have in the old HH board game :so_happy:


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## spanner94ezekiel (Jan 6, 2011)

I completely agree with the above on the quality of this artwork. However, I'm quite curious as to what Valdor's complaining about - "It was _this_ big, I tell you!"


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## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

spanner94ezekiel said:


> I completely agree with the above on the quality of this artwork. However, I'm quite curious as to what Valdor's complaining about - "It was _this_ big, I tell you!"


He isn't complaining.

"So I said to the guy...."


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

I think that's the orbital thing that crashes into the traitor forces after bringing in Imperial Fists reinforcements.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Looks great but I'm not a fan of the mohawk, it looks oddly shaped and I wish there was some defining difference between a Custodian and a Space Marine other than armor/weapons. 

Elaborate hair styles maybe, a bit larger, etc.


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

That is the best yet by a long way. 

As to the big thing in the sky, I think it's probably just one of the orbital plates mentioned in_ Prospero Burns_.


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Malus Darkblade said:


> Elaborate hair styles maybe, a bit larger, etc.


They are larger, there's just no Marine nearby for perspective... as for elaborate hair, I think they would stand out more if they had normal hair when yu read descriptions of Marines...


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Perhaps you are right in that if they were side by side we'd notice. But given a previous cover that depicted a Space Marine and an unaugmented human behind him, I don't have much faith in BL being able to accurately depict physical differences within the confines of a book cover.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Malus Darkblade said:


> Looks great but I'm not a fan of the mohawk, it looks oddly shaped and I wish there was some defining difference between a Custodian and a Space Marine other than armor/weapons.
> 
> Elaborate hair styles maybe, a bit larger, etc.


Valdor has always been depicted in artwork and described in novels with a mohawk though.


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Overall I like it...but there's always something about a Neil Robert's cover that annoys me

Here it's the armour, it makes the custodes look obese. I much prefer Adrian Smith's design


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## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

Is that Jesus in the middle....? :grin:


We need more Custodes stuff methinks :so_happy:


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Angel of Blood said:


> Valdor has always been depicted in artwork and described in novels with a mohawk though.


Wow my bad. I mistook the one on the right for Valdor. I couldn't see the mowhawk on the left until I zoomed in. Yeah he looks fine then. The one on the right has a tiny head and a badly angled haircut.












MontytheMighty said:


> Overall I like it...but there's always something about a Neil Robert's cover that annoys me
> 
> Here it's the armour, it makes the custodes look obese. I much prefer Adrian Smith's design


I agree. Though I prefer the armor on the cover of the First Heretic.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Malus Darkblade said:


> Though I prefer the armor on the cover of the First Heretic.


Same here, the fact that they have helmets makes them look infinitely more badass.


LotN


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

It's not just the helmet that adds to the cool factor but also the stark differences in armor. In the first picture, their armor looks identical to astartes armor. 

In the last one, they have leather gloves and ultimately a completely different style.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

These have always been my favourite pictures of the Custodes. 

Valdor, looking beyond bad ass and every inch the Custodian Guard General.









And another of a group of Custodes, looking perfectly regal, authoritative, intimidating and powerful at the same time.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

I admit the armour on the new cover looks a bit too bulky, and the lack of helmets is always something I wish would be corrected but that is just personal preference. But that said I think the sheen of gold they have is perfect, the other images it looks more like burnished gold rather than the shine that you'd expect from the guardians of the Emperor.


LotN


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

@aob: was about to hunt for those pictures. Those have always been my favorite as well. Stoic knights/lone-wolves who don't crave for battle or honor like their Astartes cousins or need that bond of brotherhood. Duty to the Emperor is all they're about.


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## Captain_Daerys_Arrun (Jan 9, 2012)

Cover is awesome. I love living here in America and only getting to hear about these great events and the exclusive tid bits like this...:ireful2:


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## Khyzer (Dec 22, 2012)

I just have a hard time envisioning the fight between the Word Bearers and the Custodes in _The First Heretic_ while in those bulky suits. Then again I guess it is constantly referenced how the humans (including myself I suppose lol) always cant comprehend how the Astartes are moving so fast and agile in those power suits. I just picture a comical image of the Custodes attempting to duck below a swinging blade with those bulky suits :laugh:


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Khyzer said:


> I just have a hard time envisioning the fight between the Word Bearers and the Custodes in _The First Heretic_ while in those bulky suits. Then again I guess it is constantly referenced how the humans (including myself I suppose lol) always cant comprehend how the Astartes are moving so fast and agile in those power suits. I just picture a comical image of the Custodes attempting to duck below a swinging blade with those bulky suits :laugh:


uMbnmLLnsfw#t=122s

Jump to 2:00.

From _Little Horus _of the Age of Darkness Anthology: 



He didn’t wait to see his order observed. He powered out of cover, lasbolts clipping his shield face and dinking his leg plates. Two big, bounding strides put him on the colonnade, moving fast, head down, blade up. He saw the first of the Compulsories up ahead, fogged in their shields, dug in around the massive pillars, firing at him. He could see their faces, pale and astonished.
Transhuman dread. Aximand had heard iterators talk of the condition. He’d heard descriptions of it from regular Army officers too. The sight of an Adeptus Astartes was one thing: taller and broader than a man could ever be, armoured like a demigod. The singularity of purpose was self-evident. An Adeptus Astartes was designed to fight and kill anything that didn’t annihilate it first. If you saw an Adeptus Astartes, you knew you were in trouble. The appearance alone cowed you with fear.

But to see one move. Apparently that was the real thing. Nothing human-shaped should be so fast, so lithe, so powerful, especially not anything in excess of two metres tall and carrying more armour than four normal men could lift. The sight of an Adeptus Astartes was one thing, but the moving fact of one was quite another. The psychologists called it transhuman dread. 

It froze a man, stuck him to the ground, caused his mind to lock up, made him lose control of bladder and bowel. Something huge and warlike gave pause: something huge and warlike and moving with the speed of a striking snake, that was when you knew that gods moved amongst men, and that there existed a scale of strength and speed beyond anything mortal, and that you were about to die and, if you were really lucking, there might be just enough time to piss yourself first.

Aximand saw that dumbfounded look on the faces of the Dwellers he was about to gut and section. He heard the men of Fifth Company following behind him. He felt the joy of being Horus’s son.


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