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I am wondering if there is a good set or tutorial or even just inspiration list for converting Eldar Guardians into Ranger?

I am fine with the answer being.. "just by the fine cast set"

I don't know that it would be worth it to convert them, unless your really good with green stuff.

Check the eBay, or barter town for the metal models.

You dont really need exceptional putty skills. Reposing the figures, doing a long rifle and a cloak is about all there is to changing from Guardian to Ranger.

I generally start by reposing. Cut joints, glue, fill with putty and resulpt as needed.

Cut the shuriken portion off the weapon, brass rod, wrap in GS to do the curvey bits. Curvy bit ammo clip. Curvy bit scope. For doing curvy bits like those, Ill cut my rod a bit longer than I need and roll the GS flat around it. Once I have GS rolled smooth to about the right thickness for the widest areas, I grab one of my half cylinder shapes or a pen or something about the right curve profile. Roll the GS wrapped rod back and forth on that with gentle pressure till you have your desired profile. Repeat as needed for as many different curve profiles as needed. Cut grooves after the GS has set up a bit.

Cloaks are sort of the basic entry level GS task...plenty of tutorials on those.

Vary it up some.

You can use legs from WFB high elves and heads from wood elves. Have some with the cone head heads as well and either sculpt a hood over it or not. Eldar rangers are a rag tag bunch, so you dont want them looking too uniform.

Hmm this got me thinking, as I am painting an Eldar army at the moment and I love converting.
I think if I where to do it, and I'm tempted to is to start with ether Dark elf black arch corsairs or, and this is my first choice High elf shadow warriors since they come in lots of bits. I'd use Guardian parts for arms and heads and maybe some bodies and I could use ammo belts and back fins.

I'm not sure about the long rifle, maybe start with a DE rifle and add a sight and stock.

I have seen the DE rifles used to fill in for the longer rifle profile and I am on the fence about the look. As far as sculpting ability I design toys and vinyl style models so I know my way around tools and I am used to softer clays, so I am sure I can modify my skills to fill the need with GS.

I currently have 12 of the circa 1990s Metal Rangers. I don't like them, and I am not a huge fan of the new FInecast models either. To me they are missing some of that "ad hoc" element. I also will be taking time with my Eldar. I am in no rush to field an army in a week, so converting and custom posing each new model is something I am fine with.

My main concern was all the bad conversations out there. But I think what is sounds like is it comes down to ability and patience with GS.

Also, Sean's recommendation on converting the normal Guardian gear into long rifles makes a lot of sense. But, what about optics?

The scopes are just more curvy bits like the ammo clip and barrel. I have long since dumped my GW Eldar army, but I had done up 20 or so rangers made from the plastic guardians and elf bits several years ago.

The long rifles only took 30 minutes or so each to do, and that was a barrel, scope and a couple ammo things. I did each weapon on a piece of stiff brass wire/rod that was maybe two inches long. Barrel, scope, clips... after the GS cured, I cut them apart and assembled the parts. The clip goes into the barrel, the barrel mounts on top of the existing shuriken catapult holding hand, scope goes on top of that. Use a bit of extra GS to blend it together and hold all the parts in place.

Use one or two of the extra clips that I created on each wire to attach to belts or back packs. Pretty sure I used the spotter bits from one of the weapons platforms on one or two as well, and snagged some torsos off from the jet bike guys in order to make sure none of them looked the same.

The entire project took a weekend to do from start to primer.

Sean: Awesome, I guess I am a little more mentally prepared to jump into this now.

Ive just found a weapon that, with minimal converting would make an excellent long rifle.
the dark eldar dark lance

a bit of modding on the barrel and the addition of a shoulder butt and I think it would be perfect. definitely a long rifle..

I like the way mine turned out:

Yeah I saw the new Dark Lances last night while looking on Ebay. Pretty cool looking. I could always carve a master and make a press model...

My Eldar are going to my slow build army so. I am also looking for some good posing tips. I am about to start my DIre Avengers, most likely this weekend.

I thought of pressing my own but I'm just not good enough at it yet to get a result I'll be happy with so I bought some dark lances from ebay. still have plenty to paint first so rangers can wait but I'll have a part when I get around to them.

this is my eldar, might help with inspiration.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/546719.page

Way cool! I am a fan of the paint job!

I sculpt toys, but mostly I am working on stuff that is 3 inches or taller and mostly soft shapes... which is the only reason I considered doing a press mold. My thoughts were to model the prototype out of Premo, and do the mold halves in premo as well and then use that to press the GS. That way I can agonize over my sculpt job for a few weeks!

But the more I look at that Dark Lance... I will have to see about getting a few through Ebay, maybe figure out the butt stock and change the barrel tip. to be more Eldar.

As far as overall army theme I have two main ideas, I am starting by doing bases here but the bases will help set the armies colors! GO COLOR THEORY! I am waffeling between Bamboo Forest and Frozen Tundra. With the Bamboo I would do a traditional forest floor on most of the bases, but on my Rangers and probably scattered through out the other models have shoots clustered about. Maybe have a few rock outcroppings and the like.

For Frozen Tundra I was thinking to stamp some mechanical texture out and then cover it in drifts and layers, as well as some rocks and the such. Almost a Damos feel.

I have done Lava rock, that was my old DE army. My Chaos Marines are on very bland wasteland bases... and my IG are on bases which I think I was doing "jungle" but at some point went "WHEE!" That army.... the love it will get next..

Anyway I am still open to theme ideas and feedback!


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Mars: Not sure how I missed you post! Very cool, the cloaks look good. Did you use GS?

Yes, the Brightlance-y barrels and the scopes are just rolled GS and the cloaks are GS on a regular guardian model. I don't really use rangers anymore - I run a much more mobile list in the new Codex, but they're still some of my favorite models.

Mars: I am actually trying to figure out how to build a good solid Eldar Force. I have been collecting Eldar for a few years and now it is time to assemble, paint and make a damn army out of them. With all that in mind what did you find to be the pros vs cons of using Rangers?

At the moment I have 10 of the circa late 1990s Ranger models, but I was think to convert some Guardians. However, I haven't started anything yet

For my potential troops selection, as of now, I was thinking:

10 Dire Avengers in Wave Serpent

10 Ranger

10 Guardians w/ Weapons Platform in Wave Serpent

10 Guardians w/ Weapons Platform in Wave Serpent

Again, I am totally open to suggestions.

I use mostly bikes and 5-DAs in Wave Serpents as my core with a Farseer on a bike. I also never leave home without 10-15 Warp Spiders, maybe 6 Swooping Hawks, and 6 War Walkers. Sometimes I have an Avatar, sometimes an Autarch (biked or warp-packed). Sometimes I bring a Wraithlord, sometimes 5-7 Scorpions (in a WS).

I don't really take rangers anymore because I like bikes and Wave Serpents better. If I were playing 2250-2500pts I'd bring my squad. They just don't put out enough shots and now that their rending is nerfed a bit, they're just not worth it to me.

Hmm, okay good thoughts. My working full list is

HQ:
Farseer on Bike
Warlocks (I have two now, but planning to up it to at least 6)
(I will keep Maguna Ra out of my normal force but rotate him in)
Elites:
Fire Dragons
Troops:
As I mentioned... Although I might drop Rangers I will crunch some numbers..
Fast Attack:
Swooping Hawks
Vyper Jetbikes
Shining Spears
Heavy:
Fire Prism
Dark Reapers
(I have two Falcons I might rotate in)


I figured I would slap the Fire Dragons, and my Guardian Units into Wave Serpents. Glad to see some other takes on Eldar though. Thanks for the input

I've just finished a test ranger using elf shadow warrior, guardian parts and a DE dark lance. not to shabby.

He looks awesome! can just imagine him on a hilltop using that monster of a rifle to blow holes in all things nasty! I like the cloak used too, sword is a cool addition to the model.

He looks great! Great chop job. The sword's a nice touch as well.

Way cool! What kit is the cloak from?

Some really cool stuff guys. I think if you want to go conversion from guardians i consider geting some online bits like the splinter cannon someone else had pictured above.

I think that is the new Dark Lance? Could be wrong. So since I don't want to outright copy the above kit bash...

I was looking at the Black Ark Corsair Cloaks? Since I am think of doing my own back story for my army I was actually thinking I would do a lot of kit bashing with some Dark Elf bits. I am a bit to a traditionalist when it comes to the DE VS Eldar story line stuff so I try to shy away from kit bashing those armies together. I feel better dragging in wood elf or dark elf bits... Although I love that rifle!

I use a few dark eldar bits, I find they fit in really well. For the Ranger above I used
elf Shadow warriors: Torso, cloak, sword and long boots. pouch.
Guardian: arms, thighs and waist, gun butt, gun grip and clip, head, ammo belt.
Dark eldar dark lance for the rifle with the foot of the stand you get with it for the barrel tip.

I looked at the dark elf corsairs but I thought the skin cloaks didnt really do it for me.

and Thegrav, feel free to copy as much of it as you like after all it was you and this thread that gave me the idea. I wasn't going to bother with Rangers at all but the conversion ideas kept on comming

VonKessler: I kinda like the animal hide cloak look. I am still trying to figure out what direction I want to go with the entire army theme wise anyway. But I am beginning to lean towards a "feral" Eldar look. Maybe I will come up with some Lost Exodite or Maiden World background story, explaining why all my Eldar have a more "I killed this and made my armor" look to them.

It should be pretty easy with some kit bashing to add to or convert enough models in my standing army. Also with all the basing ideas I have a more "rooted in Nomadic Culture" centered idea anyway.

hmm Feral Eldar sounds interesting, a mix of smooth Eldar lines and animal skins. You could use the elf white lions they're cloaks are separate. you could even have a jet bike unit, maybe silver spears mounted on the white lions from the high elf chariot.

This is the rest of my rangers, just waiting for the other dark lances to arrive but this gives you a chance to see the construction without the massive gun in the way.

don't like the one without a helmet though, the head and arm look wrong

Very cool!

I like the Ark Corsair cloaks a lot, but having picked up a kit I am going to have the modify and shave A LOT of plastic out of the bits to get them to fit right. I just finished a toy commission for a client and ended up with a nice left over chunk of Premo, which I used to make rocks for my bases. My hope is that I can paint and flock the bases to give them an Alaskan tundra style look.

My proposed back story design is: A Maiden World was seeded but something went wrong in the process so it never became a paradise, instead the world shifted to far one way going from a Catachan style Death World to an endless tundra death world. Sometime later, during The Fall, a Craft World was slammed with a burst of warp energy that dragged it somewhere between the webway and the warp. When the Craft World escaped back into real space it slammed into the surface of this Death World, but since it didn't "crash" in the real sense of the world the Craft World became fused with the surface.

The Eldar that survived the merge set about trying to find a way to reverse the effects, and separate their Craft World from the planet. However, due to the mistakes during the seeding, the Mega Fauna of the Jungle Death world had been forced into massive shifts and changes in a few short generations in order to survive on a world trapped in endless winter. These creatures, mostly large cold adapted lizard/mammal hybrids that have begun to exhibit higher than instinct level intelligence besieged the Eldar, forcing them to switch their focus.

Generations later these Eldar re-established their connection to the Webway, coming back into the fold but bringing with them their feral nature and unpredictable and often alien ways. Often viewed as an entire culture of Exarchs and those bound to the Path of the Outcast, they are held at arms length and compared to the Dark Eldar or Harlequins. However they are often called back into the fold as mercenary forces, their feral nature and survivalist instincts making them indispensable tools to the wider Eldar Empire.

Often these Eldar warriors will skin or take trophies from their kills. Often wearing the hides of animals as cloaks, or even removing the claws and talons of Tyranids to wear as trophies. It is even whispered that they often carry entire skeletons back to their world and display them as fetishes to ward off enemies.

I have a working name for the Planet: Ren'toriq. No clue on Craft World name...

as soon as I have more fluff and models worked out I will share

I like it, sounds interesting. really can't wait to see some figures.

Finished one

Wow. Awesome job. I love the helmet sight (I'm stealing that one) and the yellow ribbon. Great colors.

No doubt dude, awesome paint job!

I started to assemble my Dire Avengers last night so I should have some stuff to show off soon. I think my plan here is to assemble a unit, then paint it then move on. So I am sure I will be adding stuff here slowly as I move on. As soon as I have the models finished though I will get some photos.