Assualt Squad Canto

Name; Assault Squad Canto. 7th Squad 5th Company. Lamenters Chapter
Organizational;  Led by Veteran Brother Sergeant Walen Canto.

As replacements for losses became increasingly difficult during the Crusade the Lamenters were faced with a difficult choice.  The Lamenters were constantly moving from theatre to theatre of operations throughout Segmentum Ultima and from 841.M41 through till 999.M41 only a short three teran month respite was given to the Chapter when at least one of its companies was not deployed in action.

Assualt Squad Canto 964.M41. On the left is Veteran Sergant Canto. At the rear with meltagun is Honored Brother Gabo who's real blood twin fights in another unit. Brother Handel a fairly new recruit had just been awarded his first purity seal which he wears with distinction on his wrist. Veteran Brother Iona who's trademark fighting style of using two bolt pistols would prove invaluable in the confined tunnels of the underhive of Tyrian gave the unit much needed extra close range firepower. New recruit Brother Dexter eschewed his helmet giving rise to his nickname "goldy" for his pale straw hair.

For a normal chapter rotating out companies that had suffered losses was common place and part of the Codex. As a company received losses it would either be redeployed in defensive positions or bolstered with reserve units from the 6th through 9th companies until recruitment could bring the company back to a fighting strength. The Lamenters had no such program in place, being on Crusade meant that all Companies were expected to serve in their ongoing engagements and as the century wore on, replacements became even more difficult to procure for battle brethren in the field.

Assault Squad Canto was formed when the 5th Company was deployed to the world of Tyrian in 964.M41. A small industrial world deep in the Sagittarius Arm of the Galaxy, Tyrian was notable for its contribution of the raw materials used in the construction of plasma weaponry. When a small genestealer cultist uprising turned into a full scale civil war as fully half of the planetary PDF rebeled under what later became known as a long term subterfuge effort by a coven led by a Genestealer Magus known as the Magisterax, the planetary Govenor Iqubal Khan sent out a general distress call through the warp and attempted to contact Segmentum Command for reinforcements to ensure the supply of war materials continued to flow for the war effort in the Ultima Segmentum against the ever expanding Tau Empire.

The Shield of the Sepluchre can be clearly seen in this image, the dead primarch calling for justice against the enemies of the Emperor. Canto is also wearing his banner unadorned apart from a simple squad marking. His left shoulder panel depicts the Chalice of Sanguinus in gold an award for his purity of thought from the Sanguinary Priests of the Chapter.

In response to the distress call 6 Assault Squads drawn from various companies across the Chapter were deployed to assist the 112th Penal Legion and 23rd Mordant Grenadiers to eliminate the threat and ensure continued production of vital war materials. The campaign lasted a short 8 months due to in no short order the effectiveness of the lightning style attacks of the Lamenters who would descend into the underground lairs of the cultists and stealers well behind the main battle lines and eliminate patriarch and magus cult leaders before being picked up by the Storm Raven Arterial which them proceeded to use close range plasma and melta weaponry to eliminate the remains of the nests/covens.

The Lamenters were led by Veteran Brother Sergeant Walen Canto. Canto had served for over two decades as Company Champion of the 5th Company when he asked for the assignment to lead the Lamenters response. In accordance with tradition, Canto stepped down as Company Champion but retained the right to wear the silver helmet awarded to all honor guard and command squad veterans. Canto was a canny tactician and pragmatist who knew that the stealers and cultists he faced were not well armed but very numerous. Leaving the rebel PDF units to the Mordant Grenadiers and Penal Legion his tactics of eliminating the cultists and stealer dens ensured no reinforcements were available to the rebels.

Veteran Honored Sergeant Walen Canto 964.M41

Canto fights with his favored weapon a power axe made specifically for him by the Chapters Techmarines. In his left hand he carries the Shield of the Sepulchre. This ancient combat shield is a true relic of the Lamenters Chapter having been presented to the chapter in 35M at their founding by the Blood Angels. A Blood Angel artisan known only as Sgt Gabriel was so inspired by the sacrifice of Sanguinus he created a shield decorated with the primarch dressed in his funerary robes but still carrying a sword and shield to smite the Emperors enemies, serving beyond death. Presented to the 5th Company by its cousin the 5th Company of the Blood Angels it has been handed down to honored veterans in the 5th Company since that time.

Veteran Brother Iona used twin Bolt Pistols for almost the entire crusade period. He became something of a champion of the close range firefight and would by 998.M41 find himself as a Veteran Sgt of the 10th Company instructing new recruits in the ability to fire equally as well with both hands and how to place close range kill shots while conserving ammunition. Veteran Brother Gabo was awarded his suit of MVIII power armor alongside his twin brother for the downing of 3 Tau Battlesuits as they attempted to outflank the 5th Companies position on Feros VI. Their own armor was reduced to a brittle composite after they hid themselves for 3 hours in the sulphur springs of Feros VI waiting for an opportunity to take down a Tau Commander.

Canto was also indirectly responsible for the number of Veterans that now serve in the Chapters Assault squads. His simple example of wanting to serve where as he put it "Can do the most damage" has inspired many veteran brothers to apply to serve in assault squads giving up places in honor guards and leading tactical squads to do their part in the crusade. The Chapter leadership has embraced this choice, knowing that a squad of veteran assault marines each brother battle honed and hardened that strikes the enemy from behind or from above places less pressure on the depleted battle companies and allows new battle brothers to serve alongside those who can instill knowledge on the field in practical situations to new brothers and less experienced sergeants.


From a modeling perspective. This unit includes some DC pads for the Veterans. The MK VIII armor is a citadel cast from the mid 90's without the meltagun. The rest of the unit is from the assualt squad sprue as well. The Sergeants banner and shield are from the DA Veteran sprue. Heads are normal apart from one which is from the DC sprue and one from the tactical squad sprue.