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I've always wanted to do an Aliens USCM themed army, and now seems to be the time. Recently I heard about hasslefree miniatures making 28mm sprues of the Colonial Marines pulse rifles and another company makes 28mm Vietnam USA helmeted heads...Nice. All I have to do is add the "lobster tail" on the necks...Now, I hear that new IG is coming too! The plastic Valkyrie will be a great tie in for this themed army! I have also found industrial bases & alien bases, and even the large bases have the aliens eggs! Necromunda ripper jacks (face huggers), converted tyranids, will all worked for dynamic basing too! I'll use heavy stubbers as smart gunners as well....

My question is should I use Cadians? Space Marine Scouts? New Arbiter models? Kasrkins? Or wait until May to see the new plastic Storm Troopers &/or other guard models? Or should I use a little of all, and use each distinct looking unit to fill different roles like troops/elite/fast/etc...?

Either way, all will carry the pulse rifle (even slung on them if they are heavy weapons) and be on industrial/alien bases, and be painted the same...so even if they vary in looks, they will all tie in together nicely.

The nose art on the valkyries will also be nose art seen in the movie & comics...patches, acid burns, chest burster, and other little details will also be implamented into the army...

Speaking of which, in the comics they show Colonial Marines in "terminator" style armor (see aliens omnibus 2), & there are 3 "dreadnought" style armour suits too (power lifetr from movie, dreadnought looking one, and a pentanet looking one as well...)...This brings into question, should I run this army as an Inquisitor force with Space Marines attached? Like a Xenos Inquisitor army?

All thoughts welcome.

The plastic valkyrie has had me thinking the same thing, except you're going all the way with the Aliens theme it seems.

It sounds awesome, I can't wait for the models. As for my opinion...I think the stormtroopers would work best.

I think giving each support choice a unique look is a good idea, I like your ideas and hopefully you will get some stuff going to show us!!!!

power lifter = sentinel

woot ! USCLM IG!!!

thats what im painting my as ( if i ever get the chance to )

Current Cadians will suit USCM more than scouts.
The colonial marines are still grunts after all. ( also not as buff sculpt wise)

Not sure which of the terminator look alike you meant, but most of the dred naughts or even penitent engine are quite alot bigger than power lifters :x

typhus wrote:power lifter = sentinel

They are the easiest to make , according to FW one we can just buy it, or model in the arms.

But unfortunately it looks nothing like a power lifter lol.

I would focus on the Cadians since they have a nice and standard flak-jacket wearing grunt look to them. And if you clip the end off of the standard Cadian rifle, you can get pretty close to an Aliens pulse rifle look with minimal work. After that, I would suggest using a mix of different models to fill any specialist roles (such as Veterans).

And I like the idea of the heavy stubbers for the smart gunners. I was trying to find an easy way to work that look into my own IG army and that might just do it. Thanks!

If you make a mock-up model, make sure to post up a pic of it!!

Going by Lluna Hound's sentinal pic, you could just chop off the front of the sentinel head, extend the cage, and place the arms farther back.

Here are a few pics of the things I spoke of...note the two "dreadnought" style suits....

Woo the drednought suit can use terminator armor.

Grr that nice painting is NOT in my Aliens Omni #2
i feel rippedoff :"/

I can 2nd those pulse rifles from hasslefree.

also can I recommend...



from here:
http://www.wargamesworkshop.com/GroupList.aspx?CatID=5&DivID=49

Nice models. My main goal is to use nearly 95% GW minis & bits...The pulse rifles & bases won't get the GW staff riled up, & I'll still be tourny legal...I already figured out all the bits and assembly for an Aliens APC with a rhino body, ork wheels, and other bits...The new Valkyrie will work as is, however I am brainstorming an actual USCM Drop Ship from the Aliens movie too with a Valkyrie kit & other bits.....

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/222886.page

Scroll down and you'll see insaniak's Exo scouts.

This site might be of some help.

http://aliens.humlak.cz/

HOLY CRAP! I just saw the new Kasrkin / Stormtroopers ... They ARE Colonial Marine Look-a-likes! WOW!

They look like Arbites ><

Current Karskin looks waaaay better!

kislevgeneral wrote:HOLY CRAP! I just saw the new Kasrkin / Stormtroopers ... They ARE Colonial Marine Look-a-likes! WOW!

Okay, where are these from. And are they supposed to be plastic? Because if so, then
they're already better than the current KAsrkin...

malfred wrote:

kislevgeneral wrote:HOLY CRAP! I just saw the new Kasrkin / Stormtroopers ... They ARE Colonial Marine Look-a-likes! WOW!

Okay, where are these from. And are they supposed to be plastic? Because if so, then
they're already better than the current KAsrkin...

plastic , from 4chan.

Its ugly!

The pic isn't the best, but what is nice about this model is that (for Colonial Marines) it has shin/knee armour, better shoulder armor (more like on movie), groin armor (unlike Cadians & more like Aliens movie), and on the back of the armor is a square box like object on one shoulder (which I can make into the shoulder lamp!)...Also, I saw the new plastic guards & catachans too, and they are awsome!

sounds awesome!

good luck mate. im a big fan of the ALIEN films n id love to see the finished army.

How much conversion work do you want to do?

Those shotguns ruin them.

IIRC the shotguns are for using ST's as Arbite enforcers for WH armies.

LunaHound wrote:
Not sure which of the terminator look alike you meant, but most of the dred naughts or even penitent engine are quite alot bigger than power lifters :x

typhus wrote:power lifter = sentinel

They are the easiest to make , according to FW one we can just buy it, or model in the arms.
But unfortunately it looks nothing like a power lifter lol.

I don't mean to blow my own trumpet... but here is something I scratch built last month... haven't finished it yet. They idea was appropriated from Insaniak, combined with Powerlifter and the APU Corps from Matrix 2 - the Zion Defence Grid.

BTW Hasslefree also do Colonial Marines lookalike helmets.

http://www.hasslefreeminiatures.co.uk/pack.php?pack=506

ironKing wrote:

LunaHound wrote:
Not sure which of the terminator look alike you meant, but most of the dred naughts or even penitent engine are quite alot bigger than power lifters :x

typhus wrote:power lifter = sentinel

They are the easiest to make , according to FW one we can just buy it, or model in the arms.
But unfortunately it looks nothing like a power lifter lol.

I don't mean to blow my own trumpet... but here is something I scratch built last month... haven't finished it yet. They idea was appropriated from Insaniak, combined with Powerlifter and the APU Corps from Matrix 2 - the Zion Defence Grid.

Awesome work on that scratchbuild!

LunaHound wrote:woot ! USCLM IG!!!

thats what im painting my as ( if i ever get the chance to )

Current Cadians will suit USCM more than scouts.
The colonial marines are still grunts after all. ( also not as buff sculpt wise)

Not sure which of the terminator look alike you meant, but most of the dred naughts or even penitent engine are quite alot bigger than power lifters :x

typhus wrote:power lifter = sentinel

They are the easiest to make , according to FW one we can just buy it, or model in the arms.

But unfortunately it looks nothing like a power lifter lol.




i mean rule wise

ironKing wrote:

LunaHound wrote:
Not sure which of the terminator look alike you meant, but most of the dred naughts or even penitent engine are quite alot bigger than power lifters :x

typhus wrote:power lifter = sentinel

They are the easiest to make , according to FW one we can just buy it, or model in the arms.
But unfortunately it looks nothing like a power lifter lol.

I don't mean to blow my own trumpet... but here is something I scratch built last month... haven't finished it yet. They idea was appropriated from Insaniak, combined with Powerlifter and the APU Corps from Matrix 2 - the Zion Defence Grid.

Oh no you arnt , this is hobby section, every contribution is greatly appreciated!

paint one up soon :"D

The beauty of my USCM army is that the conversions are many, yet simple. The fact that the heads, guns, and stands are ready made and 28mm, are key. Although I could take this to the extreme in conversions, I wont. I'll have several cool base variations (like industrial base with an aliens egg, one with a face hugger, acid burns in some, dead alien in another, etc...). So in essence, no "green stuff" and no long term projects. The current Cadians, current Kasrkins, current scouts, and future Cadians& catachans will all work well. The paint scheme of black & olive drab green and bases will unify the army....After looking through Aliens Omnibus 1-6, the USCM "termie" suits are white, the heads look like the tau crisis suit heads, and there is minmal conversion on their shoulder pads. The "walker" which I realize now looks like the manned robot walkers in the 3rd Matrix movie are easy enough with a dread and tau bits and, yes, green stuff & bits...

Try Mad Robot Miniature's Colonial Defense Force. They build up nicely into 28mm Colonial Marines and are well priced. I like the sculpting on them. Very well detailed. The pulse rifles needed some minor surgery. The flamethrower, major surgery. Add your own pouches from the bits bin. I also added some thin plasticard in between the legs and torsos to make them a bit taller.