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I had never got around to my brainstormed child of a USCM army, until now. I'd like to post my ideas here, and if you have suggestions or ideas, please le me know. I want to use 99% of GW parts & bits....

For the troops -
I plan on cadian torsos, space marine scout legs (reg & snipers), arms will be cadian arms and catachan arms, the heads are cadian & sm scouts (reg, sniper, & biker) & catachan & & female as well as male. Cadian helmets will be slightly converted & gun scopes from sm line are used as shoulder lamps & helmet cams...

For the weapons -
I will convert a smart gun from a heavy stubber from chimera kit, flamer is good as is, the m41a pulse rifles will be the hasslefree ones, and a hodge podge of other weapons like shotguns & pistols will be from catachan cadian and sm kits... Thee sentry guns will be made from the leftovers of the predator kits...

For the APCs -
I will use a predator kit from the SM line. I wont use the tracks, & I plan on cutting the model in half just behind the first exhaust pipe far forward. The lengthen the model (2x it's current length) with plastic card and bits. The front passenger side window area will also be cut up so I can place a turret there with the storm bolter on that. The twin linked lascannon turret looks very close to the uscm apc turret. I also hace a baal turret version in the works too, since one exists in the uscm tech manual! The wheel area is the trickiest though. Do I cut out the wheel wells with a hot wood burning gun & file the edges down? Do I make a wheel and "imbed" it on the model to give an illusion of the wheel. Or do I just has four small crescents under the sides to give the apearance of wheels between the side and hull?

For the dropship -
I will use the valkyrie with stormravcen and other bits to make this. I bought 3 female uscm pilots from hasslefree to go in the cargo area....

For the power loader -
I think the pentinent engine from the sisters line, with a cage conversion will look the best. Like a power loader altered to combat aliens.

Dynamic minis -
I have industrial bases & aliens bases, I plan on having a tyranid warrior head on one of the apcs as a trophy, and the other apc will have a converted genestealer (elongated head, 4 stems, and tail) trying to rip open the door on the side of the apc, the Valkyrie will also have an alien or two clinging to it...Flamers & smartguns will have barrel flashes on them....some bases will have aliens arms reaching from under the grating...

Painting -
Like in the movie, faded camo clothes & olive drab armor. Different skin colors and hair colors. Dynamic lighting from gun bursts & flames & shoulder lights...

Check Chapterhouse bits for their wheeled chimera conversion.

http://chapterhousestudios.com/webshop/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=118&category_id=35

It should give you what you need, if you GS/Plasticard armor wells for it.

I was going to suggest hasslefree... but then I read more closely.. lol

As far as i remember the APC's in aliens had MASSIVE metal wheels.. Did they? I can't even.. remember.. Damn it now I need to go watch the movie.

*grumble grumble*..

Here is a concept idea for the Valkyrie to look more like the dropship! I'd add rockets in the tau engines though...

For the power loader Forgeworld sells a decent kit for the sentinel thats actually called the power lifter. The arms are almost exact except for the brace that runs inbetween the two claws.

Oh, here is the apc pic to compare too...

Power loader ideas...

sisters engine OR grey knights nemesis?

I could always take the nemesis harness & convert sisters engine & get power loader arms too...

Then there is the USCM tank....

ANY thoughts on this conversion using GW parts?

Maybe tau turret, basalisk cannon, and the hull could be what?

Other points....

What rules set are you using, IE what's the power loader going to represent? And you might have better luck kitbashing the Deff Dread from da Orkz.

Creon wrote:What rules set are you using, IE what's the power loader going to represent? And you might have better luck kitbashing the Deff Dread from da Orkz.

Ahhh, yes! The beauty of this list will be that it can be played as either Guard or Blood Angels!

Dropship = Valkyrie OR Stormraven

Nemesis = Sentinel OR Dreadnought

APC = Chimera OR Razorback or Predator

Troop conversions = Vet Guard OR SM Scouts

3 Sentry guns = Heavy Bolter team OR Thunderfire cannons (3 heavy choices) (Does BA allow for TF cannons though?)


When this is done I will have One 5 man hq with dropship, 3 troops choices of 10 each with 3 apcs, 3 sentry guns, & 1 powerloader...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, also, following Aliens 3 & comic lore, the USCM have larger suits (i.e. Termies!), so I will eventually have 10 termies painted OD on alien scenery bases...They will be used when I play this as a SM army........also in a novel cover there are tactical marine versions of the USCM!

Have Lt. Ripley as your command squad leader.

killykavekommando wrote:Have Lt. Ripley as your command squad leader.

...working on conversion!

Here are ideas that I am thinking of....

Now this is a project I look forward to seeing develop. That sentry gun is cool!

ascended_mike wrote:As far as i remember the APC's in aliens had MASSIVE metal wheels.. Did they? I can't even.. remember.. Damn it now I need to go watch the movie.

*grumble grumble*..

Since when was watching Aliens something to grumble about? :p

krazynadechukr wrote:Other points....

The Alien you show there is using a 2ed Hormagaunt body.

The first Ripley conversion is the best. It looks closest, and could count as having a bolt gun or whatever.

Also, I wanted 3 sisters repent engines to use as 3 sentinals if I use a guard list OR use as 3 Furosio Dreads when I use as BA list...

I love ALIEN!! this is Awesome. love that turret!

I just remembered there was a USCM "Nemesis" style manned vehicle in the Aliens comic series Berserker!

There was also these white terminator look-a-likes in ther Alien comic that had the USCMs land on an Alien homehorld...they had a bubble shield around there landed craft....with Tauish heads...Can't find a pic of them though....

Nice work!

Really liking the troops. Drop ship is coming along nicely although I think a few extra armour plates to bulk it out would add some beefyness. I like the concept for your APC.

I don't think it's been answered yet so I will. Thunderfire cannons arn't in the BA codex but your opponent would probably allow it (I would).

But looking good, keep it coming!

krazynadechukr wrote:There was also these white terminator look-a-likes in ther Alien comic that had the USCMs land on an Alien homehorld...they had a bubble shield around there landed craft....with Tauish heads...Can't find a pic of them though....

That would be Aliens: Genocide.

There's also a light, open topped transport vehicle similar to a deuce & a half in the graphic novel Aliens VS Predator War. It has an enclosed cab but the back is open & it has a large double barreled turret facing the rear.

In that comic also, the marines wore a lighter version of the armor w/ the same helmets but instead of the clamshell body armor they wore what resembles a flak vest.

Oh & for the wheels for the APC look at heroclix bases, I did a wheeled rhino a few years back as a crusher vehicle for necromunda ash wastes for a guild convoy & it looked pretty similar to what you're going for.

Emperors_Champion wrote:Nice work!

Just an FYI, NONE of the pics posted are my minis or work. All are examples I found on the net. Giving me ideas and starting points....


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sweet! Just got my alien egg bases for troops & termie size bases too! NICE! Got bunches of hasslefree m41a pulse rifles too...

Found pics of USCM "termies" & also other USCM vehicle...

Vehicle would be easy conversion, since it is merely the SOB Immolator on 4 big wheels...

Termies are easy too, reg termies with TAU crisis suit heads... Or would TAU crisis suit heads be too large?

http://www.darkartstore.darkartminiatures.com/products/Alien-birthing-pods.html

dart arts also has other alien themed terrain.

Orinoco wrote:http://www.darkartstore.darkartminiatures.com/products/Alien-birthing-pods.html

dart arts also has other alien themed terrain.

DUDE! Thank you! Nice for my "power laoder" base!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I was thinking about the minis & which list to use,

I figured the Blood Angels list would work best, and the minis from that list could be used in an Imp Guard list too.

here is the BA list
Hq
Commander & 4 retinue
1 dreadnought hq (power laoder conv)
Elite
10 termies
1 furosio (sob repent engine converted)
1 furosio
Troops
10 troops (cad/scout conversions w/ pulse rifles=bolters, & smartgun=heavy bolter)
10 troops
10 death company (cad/scout USCM conv just painted all black on alien egg bases, think "infected" and they have nothing left to lose!) & rhino (apc conv)
Heavy
1 pred (apc conversion)
1 pred
1 stormraven (dropship conversion, for hq)

This way I get an idea of what I need to buy to make an army I can play...

Here is the IMp Guard list
Hq
Command
Elite
10 stormtroopers (termies)
10 stormtroopers (cad/scout USCM con just painted all black on alien egg bases & chimera (apc conv)
Troops
10 troops w/ chimera (aka pred (apc conversion))
10 troops w/ chimera
Fast
3 sentinals (sob/power loader conv)
1 vendetta (dropship conversion, for hq)
Heavy
3 sentry guns (heavy bolters linked to HQ)


So that means I'll get 35 cadian torsos & scout legs, 3 sob repent engines, 1 valk, 3 preds, 10 termies, and a bunch of bits & parts for 3 sentry guns & 3 extra cad/scout...to make 2 different lists where I can use the same minis!

I like the idea but I must ask, why the BA dex? Why not the regular SM dex?

Turkeysaurus_Rex wrote:I like the idea but I must ask, why the BA dex? Why not the regular SM dex?

1st, STORMRAVEN! (GK & BA only....)
2nd, 3 dreads...(easier to fit in a BA list under hq, elite, & heavy...(not so in SM army)
3rd, death company!

Not really feeling the cadian arms tbh. Pauldrons are too chunky and I think you should go sleeveless.

I suppose because C:SM doesn't have a Storm Raven in it.

Ok so I understand the first two but what does Death Company have to with the USCM?