1500pt Converted Marine Tournie Force

[Rich 123]

Hello one and all,

Back after an extended hiatus from Warseer with some commissions and Uni work. What I have started working on is getting my (currently very small) marine army done for next year's Carnage tournie. That means I will need to get together 1500 points of marines which I intend to convert all suitably to make an interesting dynamic army that looks like it is actually involved in a fight. If there's time a magnetised army display base will also be the order of the day.

I don't have huge amounts of time to devote to the hobby, which is a shame,m but with increasing workload, hardly a surprise.

First off, this is the army list I intend to be using for this, I think its pretty much ironed out after a couple of conversations with SM players (I don't play myself, Lavflurius just talked me into coming to Carnage!)

Eagles of the Emperor 5th Company Detachment
Trait: Trust Your Battle Brothers

HQ:
5th Company Master of Sanctity - 130pts
Crozius Arcanum/ Storm Bolter/ Terminator Armour
Seconded 1st Company Terminator Command Squad - 220pts
Veteran Sergeant Storm Bolter/ Power Sword
3 Terminators 1 Chainfist/ 2 Assault Cannons


Elite:

Dreadnought - 135pts
Twin-Linked Lascannon/ Missile Launcher

Troops:
Tactical Squad - 221pts
Veteran Sergeant Terminator Honours/ CombiFlamer
7 bolters/ Flamer/ Lascannon/ Frag Grenades
True Grit/ Counter Attack Skills

Tactical Squad - 200pts
Sergeant Bolter
7 bolters/ PlasmaGun/ Missile Launcher
True Grit/ Counter Attack Skills

Scout Squad - 116pts
Sergeant Sniper Rifle
2 Bolters/ 3 Sniper Rifles/ Heavy Bolter

Fast Attack:
Assault squad - 316pts
Veteran Sergeant Terminator Honours/ Master Crafted Power Fist
7 Bolt Pistol & CCW/ 1 Plasma Pistol & CCW/ Flamer/ Frag Grenades
True Grit/ Counter Attack Skills

Heavy:
Vindicator - 160pts
Demolisher Cannon/ Storm Bolter
Power of the Machine Spirit/ Dozer Blade

Total - 1498pts


The following is some pictures of the minis I have converted so far, alot of these will have snuck onto these forums before, but is a way of collecting everything together Painting is a task I will leave until most (if not all) the army is converted to my satisfaction.

Command Squad Terminators:

The second assault cannon will be a left handed one (as I liked the symmetry of SpikyJames') Although both these need more work on them and some extra detailing to tie them in as members of a command squad.

Assault Squad:

4 done which still need some details done and some refining on the initial Green stuffing they've got there - especially the one in mk4 armour...

Tactical Squad:
One tactical squad will all have a running and dynamic theme while the other will have a more stationary theme as a fire support squad. Thought that would be interesting.

Still need 5 more for this squad though and I was thinking of rebuilding the sergeant as Im not too happy with the conversion and the paint job defiantly needs renovating anyway. And this sergeant shouldn't have veteran helmet markings now I have actually written an army list!


This is a WIP marine I started this morning. I know he still needs plenty of gap filling and things like feet. He also need a left hand which will be taking another missile off his bandolier of them.

I will keep on updating this thread with progress shots of squads and minis, however I am a slow worker with alot of other time pressures so won't be too thick and fast alot of the time, but I now have a target to get this army actually completed so have something to aim for.

Some of my marine conversions I have done already I didnt feel fitted into the force (or I just didnt want) so things like that heavilly converted biker techmarine I did a while back I have dropped from the list - as it is predominantly shooty for instance. Pictures should be in my photobucket somewhere if people wanted to see some though.

Comments and criticisms always welcome - please forgive the photos though, quickly taken with a poor light set up.
Rich

[edit: not quite sure why some of these pictures came out so much narrower than when they were uploaded, hmm. I'll look back into them later]

[pyramid_head]

looking at how dynamically posed those things are I cant help but feel one thing

TRIGGER DISCIPLINE ARGH

[Deadite]

Some of my marine conversions I have done already I didnt feel fitted into the force (or I just didnt want) so things like that heavilly converted biker techmarine I did a while back I have dropped from the list - as it is predominantly shooty for instance.

Comments and criticisms always welcome.
Rich

Bold accentuation mine.

Soo... if it's "shooty" why are they all running, posing, dancing? Kinda hard to aim that way....
I mean, I get the terminators posing and acting all badass. I understand the assault marines really having to stretch to get the shot while flying on a relatively unstable platform.
But I don't get the running tac squad with missile launcher. I don't understand the assault marine trying to steady his aim with a pistol while jumping off a brick wall (that and his arms look especially awkwardly positioned) and seems to have dropped his chainsword...
Some things in these pictures just don't make much sense without some sort of a battle scene shown. I mean, unless marines are running to unseen cover or to charge down the enemy, they should really be hunkered down blasting away. Walking forward would make more sense, "shooting from the hip" as it were, than running at a full gallop trying to load/shoot.

What's the story behind all of them? Individually they look ok, but as you start to put the army together, it's going to look a little..."off". Are you trying to make each one just look "cool", or do you have a theme in mind? Are you assembling these one by one, or as a unit? Could use your artistic input about what image you're trying to convey, rather than just your army list and a few pictures.

And to be honest, unless you really enjoy modelling, all of this work is basically for naught. There will be situations where you'll grab entire units off the board as they're killed. They'll spend more time in the case/on the display tray than they will on the table. It's gratifying to see them done, but it is a bit disheartening to remove them from the table so quickly. Might as well be playing with tokens and leave the models in the display case.

[McMullet]

[...]It's gratifying to see them done [...]

I think that's the point. This is, after all, a P&T thread - by someone who has never (up to now) played a game of Warhammer 40,000.

I'm looking forward to seeing this army take shape - I think some of the models do look a little odd on their own, but once the squads are finished they will fit together I'm sure.

One thing I'm not entirely sure on, the tactical squad sergeant (yes, your only painted model ) looks a bit awkward with his hand like that. It's too far back to look "right".

[Deadite]

I think that's the point. This is, after all, a P&T thread - by someone who has never (up to now) played a game of Warhammer 40,000.

Don't think I ever asked for "the point" to modelling them up this way. Just would like to hear the story behind them if there is one. Modelling for enjoyment doesn't need a "point".
But, if you review some of the stories and characters behind marine armies, they don't typically act in a manner that these models show. So, I'm asking for why they are modelled in such a way (if it's "just because", then so be it). I'm also offering advice that might make the Army look more cohesive, and preparing Rich 123 for the bitter taste of disappointment as they're blown off the table once he does play.

And since we're quote snipping...

[...]I think some of the models do look a little odd on their own[...]

I agree.

[Tussky]

I can only say WOW!Your marines ar incredible!Are there any tutorial about your marine repositions ?

[Rich 123]

I model soely for the enjoyment of it and always have done. As McMullet said, summing up alot of what I like as he said it, I have never played a game of Warhammer and this army started as me building a squad. I said the army was shooty more as a referance to its composition than to poses of every mini. The squads are predominantly made up of ranged support but that doesnt restrict the minis to firing poses alone I thought.

I themed it around the fluff for marines I think. They are each described as heroes and the best shock troops the Imperium has to offer. I wanted each squad and individual to reflect some of this character. So the assault marines I wanted to be pictureds hurling themselves around, as I imagine those big unstable back packs would cause. Also why this one tactical squad is all running - the poses have caught them while they are running and changing position, their seregant in the middle of drawing his chainsword. I have further plans for building the second tactical squad in poses more typical of the tactical minis, standing shooting. Although a bit more inetresting with more variety of shooting poses.

Which brings me round to the other reason why I started doing this about a year ago. Every marine army seems to consist of almost identicle minis holding a bolter in two hands with legs spread. I wanted to do something more akin to the rather bombastic fluff they have always had. More older suits of armour I wanted to be present (and I rather like the look of mk4 armour) as well as observing the codex organisation a little more with squads of just 5 or 10 men.

Admittedly alot fo the reasoning behind these is based on my interpretation of the Marine fluff combined with wanting to make an army of interesting and different looking minis where the pose of each one fitted with the look or function of the rest of his squad. Extended to scouts who all will lie down or be kneeling as befits a squad where some members carry sniper rifles.

If I should be using tokens to play a game with couldnt that same sentiment be extended to anyone that spends more time making a mini to use to game with than just speeding up the process by cutting out card disks? What happens in a game doesnt bother me so much, when the gets taken off the table I can still see and enjoy it afterwards as well either way. As I have never played a game and somehow allowed Lav to rope me into a tournie I was fully expecting to be removing alot of minis quickly. However Im quite sanguine about this, theres always the sportsmanship to fall back on eh?

Its going to take me a while getting each sqaud done to my satisfaction (as none of these are fully yet - still lacking many details) but I will continue to record significant progess as it gets done. I just wanted to get this thread set up here, and then pad it out with pictures and bits people wanted to know as I went.

So Tussky, as you are interested, I will type up a little and maybe take some pictures the next marine I cut up to show you what I do to repose them.

Thanks for the comments,
Rich

[BodhiTree]

Those are incredible, I second for the tutorial. It's a real inspiration to see these before starting up my assault based SM force.

[Tussky]

I really need a tutorial for reposition.I decided to make 20! running marines from stock tactical marines.

[firestorm40k]

Well done on your conversions skills, they're very impressive! The assault marines are excellent, very dynamic.

I must admit I think the dynamic poses look a bit too much on the Tac squad though, especially the missile dude. But I can't convert as well as you can, so who am I to comment?

[Deadite]

Rich - very cool explanation. Thank you for taking the time to expand upon your thoughts on the army rather than leaving it at an army list.

I still contend that some of the conversions look a little odd, but as McMullet stated, hopefully they'll flesh out with some paint... good luck!

[Imus]

very cool models. Just a question any chance of a tutorial on the gold at all?

[Rich 123]

After some sage advice from Mr. McMullet last night I have been working on some tactical marines. I was running the risk of getting into the rut of finishing every specialist and character in the detachment to then be stuck with an armful of bolter marines to convert. He insisted that all work on htat last missile launcher stop and I get at least 2 bolter marines done, so I went to work on some bolter marines from the second tactical squad. This squad will seem stationary and will be firing or preparing to fire their weapons, no running and jumping here.

The first finished marine of this squad:


He is posed just having pulled a grenade off his belt. A marine holding a bolter one handed always seems to be present in a marine force, even though Id imagine firing a bolter in just one hand, power armour or not would be a bit of a strain. But anyway, here is mine

This is a WIP of number 2. His legs are posed although still need gap filling all around. He will just be holding his weapon in both hands. His torso is in the process of being converted into a proper mk6 armour torso. I don't like mixing armour marks on a marine (even though the fluff justifies it) and the lack of a mk6 torso has always made me wonder why it was, at least I have legs and heads to work with


Comments and criticisms always welcome. I have all the photos for a positioning tutorial, I just need to type it up after I've cooked a bit of lunch.
Rich

[Tussky]

They look good!Keep posting!

I have all the photos for a positioning tutorial, I just need to type it up after I've cooked a bit of lunch.
Rich

Woho!

[McMullet]

Brilliant stuff! I think Mr. One Handed Bolter could do with something a bit solider under his foot though, he looks a bit dainty as is. I look forward to seeing the finished Mk VI chappie though!

Just make sure you keep up the momentum.

[Rich 123]

Repositioning Power Armoured Limbs.

Making the Desired Pose.

1- To start a limb should be cut as accurately as possible at each joint that needs repositioning. Some joints could be in a suitable position already (knees commonly for instance) and sometimes every joint in both legs might need cutting.

2- The method I use to hold each part together in the new pose is pinning. It is quite labour intensive using this many pins but provides a strong base needed to properly fill the gaps with green stuff as well as making the finished mini very durable.


I drill a 1mm hole into each part to be pinned together (make sure both holes are lined up accurately) and with a dot of super glue on the pin glue it into a piece of the limb (I use metal paper clips, they straighten out easilly and are a perfect fit for a 1mm hole, cheap too!)

3- Sometimes the pin will need some slight bending to get it to the right angle for the other part to be fixed on. I dry run this first just to make sure things fit well and look right. Then just another dot of super glue onto the pin and fit the other part in place. I always put glue on the pin rather than the flat surface of the plastic as that way the pin takes the strain and commonly in my conversions there isn't much of the plastic touching.


Following these pictures that should have one knee joint repositioned to a better angle.
This process should then be repeated for each joint that needs repositioning until you get an assembly of parts into a new pose.

[Rich 123]

[Continued from previous post - damn that image restriction!]

4- Next comes gap filling (except these photos are of a different minis arms being filled rather than any nice continuation - sorry, I was working on both of these at the same time as each was in a different stage).

Provided you have been neat cutting the plastic and the pose isn't too great a departure from the original there shouldn't be any armour parts to resculpt. It is best to start small anyway, until you feel more confident in your green stuff to make smooth surfaces of the armour plates.


The gap (commonly at the back of knees and between torso and shoulder needs the ribbing of Power Armoured joints to be replaced. This photo shows the areas in the shoulders that I filled with green stuff and smoothed out to fill the area. Leave this now for 10-15 minutes to cure slightly.

5- After the green stuff has cured slightly it will be less sticky and also be able to take sharper shapes, perfect for sculpting these ribs. With a knife/scalpel blade (of course wetted slightly to not stick) run it down both sides of the green stuff which is to be the ribbed area then continue drawing lines down through the green stuff to complete the ribbed look.


With a little practice you will be making straighter lines with a more even gap between both and, once painted, it should be indistinguishable from the GW originals.

I hope this tutorial is complete enough, if there is any doubt with any stage just say and I will edit this post to expand on it.

Hope this helps - now back to that guy in mk6 ...
Rich

[Zactar]

Nice!! Thanx for the superb tutorial, I think I'll try that out on a few of my Flesheaters

[Rich 123]

Thank you - I was interested reading the progress on your FleshEaters yesterday. I love the look of your chaplain with such a simple conversion

If only I was abit better at actually getting paint onto my minis - I am aiming to get most of the conversions for the whole army done first though but it does help to encourage me seeing some finished items.

Rich

[Tussky]

Good tutorial,it's come handy for me!Thanks!