Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I've decided to start an Inquisition themed Space Marine army, without doing Grey Knights. I haven't locked down the color scheme yet(thinking crimson and black).
But I want the army to look unique and have nice little details added from stuff like Forgeworld or Scibor.

I've narrowed the choices for my Sternguard down to 3 different armor types. So help me decide.

Possible use Grey Knights marines as Sternguard
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat1340002&prodId=prod1160009a

Possible use Forgeworld MK III Iron Armor marines for Sternguard
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-Accessories/MK-III-IRON-ARMOUR.html

Possible use Forgeworld MK IV Maximus Armor marines for Sternguard
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-Accessories/MK-IV-MAXIMUS-ARMOUR.html

Im planning on using a mix of Forge World Mark 3, 4 and 5 armors with UMBRA-FERROX bolters.

If you want to make a inquisition-themed army without GK why not make deathwatch (ordo xenos).

happygolucky wrote:If you want to make a inquisition-themed army without GK why not make deathwatch (ordo xenos).

If you like the way the GK models look, than this is a good way to go. You can get the Deathwatch Conversion kit from GW. It has a great shoulderpad that has the writing in it like the GK, but also has the inquisition symbol on it. Also comes with 10 heads, 5 are helmeted and have the Inquisition 'I' on their forehead. They also come with 10 bolters with the I with Wings emblem on them.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?prodId=prod1110206

This was what I did with my army. I ended up just using the Sternguard models for my Sternguard for a few reason. You don't get as many the various marks, but I believe that's the only spot you can get the MK8 armor. Plus I'm using Combi-Meltas and Combi-Plasmas... and you get 1 of each in the Sternguard anyways, so I just bought two boxes. Unfortunately, they are harder to convert with the shoulder pad since they are solid models, but it is a little easier now that they are FineCast instead of metal.

These are the only models I've gotten really finished, but it gives you an idea at least of what you can do. This is one of my tactical squads. The sargeant (cape) is the Dark Angels Company Master model, just without the fancy banner backpack.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-44835-18742_Xenos%20Beware%21%20Deathwatch%20Is%20Coming%21.html

For the price of that deathwatch conversion kit I could just as easily use forgeworld or the grey knights.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Still looking for some input on this matter.

I like the Mark II armor as it looks very old style and the sternguards are suppose to have older armor, IIRC , because the older it is the better it is in this game

Well i would go for a different colour scheme personally. Crimson and black seems to be the go-to colour scheme for a lot of armies, so maybe try a WHFB witchhunter style army? Get that van helsing look to the marines? Lots of dark brown leather dusters and almost clockwork gold detailing?
IMO the sternguard already are one of the best marine kits out there, so do what you want but dont overlook them

You can just bling them out using GW parts, like my vets here and here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/390017.page

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/381532.page

It's really your call. I'd personally go for a mixture of marks - as in mixed within the same suit of armour - to represent both the armour itself being a historical artefact, but also the replacement of battle-demaged/destroyed parts over the thousands of years that the suit has been in service.

Even a couple of more unique pieces (shoulder pads, helmets) from other kits (Grey Knights, Templars, 3rd party resin) to represent artificer pieces that have been incorporated into the suit.

Not nearly as uniform, but much more "every suit of armour has it's own story and history through the ages".

Your call though - they're your toy soldiers!

My stern-guard squad consists of one stern-guard box, one older marine veteran sergeant with a combi-bolter/grenade launcher from 2nd edition, (mainly because that was an easy conversion to a combi-melta and he definitely "looks" stern-guard) and two blisters of ultramarine tyrannic war veterans. i play ultramarines so its an easy fit for me, but if you wanted to use them, they arent adorned with ultramarine symbols all over the place and most are on VERY flat surfaces like the center of their armor and their hands, so they are easy to take off. they are a VERY cool looking group of models, and well worth considering.

now if only GW made a "shave and swap" conversion kit to turn bolters into combi-melta/plasma guns!

aerethan wrote:For the price of that deathwatch conversion kit I could just as easily use forgeworld or the grey knights.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Still looking for some input on this matter.

That's certainly your choice. If you are indeed going 'Deathwatch' then realistically it should be a mix of different marks of armor and for the most part it should be Heresy pattern forward, as Mk2, Mk3 and Mkl4 would be fairly rare and you would expect to only see 1 or 2 Marines in a kill team with any of those 3 marks. The other thing I have to say about using Grey Knights is because of all the extra details they have, it wouldn't match the theme of Deathwatch. Deathwatch is Xenos hunters, GK is Demon hunters and thus a lot of the GK runes are geared towards that. Marines that are in the Deathwatch also come from regular chapters, like Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Raven Guard, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, etc. They replace their left shoulder pad, paint their armor black, except for the left arm which would be silver, and they keep their chapter shoulder pad on the right shoulder and chapter trappings, like a Dark Angel would keep his robe.

But again, everythings up to you. Do whatever you want, just trying to give some insight and perspective for a Deathwatch theme.

I have little knowledge of 40k fluff, so I don't know what Deathwatch is beyond the models shown for it.

What sold me on the inquisition theme is the forgeworld rhino doors and hatches. And the reason for the grey knight heads is because they look much cooler than regular sm heads IMO.

I really love the MK II helmets, perhaps a little more than the MK IV.

I think for the paint scheme I'll do black armor, red shoulder lines or pads, red knees, and in the case of sternguard gold helmets.

aerethan wrote:I have little knowledge of 40k fluff, so I don't know what Deathwatch is beyond the models shown for it.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Deathwatch

That should give you a little bit of an idea of what the Deathwatch is.

Yeah I'm not too keen on the whole "alien hunter" idea. I more like the idea of rooting out chaos within the Imperium via Inquisition.

Edit: Negative personal remarks about other members are not productive or appropriate. If you see an inappropriate post, use the yellow triangle Alert Moderator button on their post. Do not respond unless you can do so politely and constructively. If you find yourself consistently unhappy with a given poster, and interacting negatively with them, the Ignore feature is also very helpful. -Mannahnin

Lord of Baal wrote:Personaly I don't think you are quite capable of doing those things. Lol your too busy bugging and bullying others in a selfish manner.

Attacks against other posters are not appreciated on Dakka. Reported.

Edit: See above.-Mannahnin

.

I'm going to stay on topic here. I have plenty of time to pull this off and I'm in no hurry anyway.

GeoFitz wrote:

aerethan wrote:For the price of that deathwatch conversion kit I could just as easily use forgeworld or the grey knights.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Still looking for some input on this matter.

That's certainly your choice. If you are indeed going 'Deathwatch' then realistically it should be a mix of different marks of armor and for the most part it should be Heresy pattern forward, as Mk2, Mk3 and Mkl4 would be fairly rare and you would expect to only see 1 or 2 Marines in a kill team with any of those 3 marks. The other thing I have to say about using Grey Knights is because of all the extra details they have, it wouldn't match the theme of Deathwatch. Deathwatch is Xenos hunters, GK is Demon hunters and thus a lot of the GK runes are geared towards that. Marines that are in the Deathwatch also come from regular chapters, like Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Raven Guard, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, etc. They replace their left shoulder pad, paint their armor black, except for the left arm which would be silver, and they keep their chapter shoulder pad on the right shoulder and chapter trappings, like a Dark Angel would keep his robe.

But again, everythings up to you. Do whatever you want, just trying to give some insight and perspective for a Deathwatch theme.

The thing is, things like the legs off a Grey Knight figure would work well for a Deathwatch - as honours earned during DW service. Jst as GK legs or possibly even backpacks would work well amongst regular marines for Sternguard/Vanguard/Sword brethren/Wolf Guard etc. I imagine that an individual's service in the DW would be held in high regard within their chapter and that they would be allowed to keep some of the honorifics earned, such as decorations added to their armour, etc..

Any Marine with Mk6 beakie head with a Combi Bolter and studded Pauldron looks like a Sternguard. That or a bolter with a Scope and a Massive Magazine.

Have you considered doing the Exorcist Chapter? They have some cool fluff and may in fact be a Grey Knights successor chapter, also their color scheme is dead on for what you wanted (crimson).

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Exorcists

Why not try the Blood angel Death Company? They have the Blood Angel stuff on them but with a little work they look great, I'll post mine soon so you know what I mean.

mwnciboo wrote:Any Marine with Mk6 beakie head with a Combi Bolter and studded Pauldron looks like a Sternguard. That or a bolter with a Scope and a Massive Magazine.

I'm not a fan of the beakie helmets.

I plan on running them with combi-meltas or Umbra Ferrox bolters from forgeworld.

As for the Exorcist chapter, I want the colors to be opposite of what they are, so black armor with crimson detail. I'm thinking crimson knee pads, backpacks and shoulder liners. Perhaps hands too.

I have 4 old marines laying around that I'm going to test a few different schemes on.

Aerethan wrote:

mwnciboo wrote:Any Marine with Mk6 beakie head with a Combi Bolter and studded Pauldron looks like a Sternguard. That or a bolter with a Scope and a Massive Magazine.

I'm not a fan of the beakie helmets.

I plan on running them with combi-meltas or Umbra Ferrox bolters from forgeworld.

As for the Exorcist chapter, I want the colors to be opposite of what they are, so black armor with crimson detail. I'm thinking crimson knee pads, backpacks and shoulder liners. Perhaps hands too.

I have 4 old marines laying around that I'm going to test a few different schemes on.

Nothing says you can't reverse the scheme and say it's the 1st Company...

I just used plain old Tac Marines (all of my standard bolter marines are AoBR models, so the Tac Marine kit adds a bit of contrast), based together some combi weapons where appropriate, and painted their helmets a different color to distinguish them from the rest of the army. The SGT went helmetless with a "power ball-n-hammer" to further differentiate him.
Sternguard with combi-melta; 2 bolters choped up with a multi-melta bit glued to the end. For combi-flamers I do the same thing but add a flamer bit.


Sternguard with Heavy Flamer (Multi-Melta with the melta end cut off and an IG Chimera hull heavy flamer end glued on).


Sternguard SGT with Power Ball-n-Chain (can count as either a power weapon or fist)


Altogether now

There are several Marines in the AOBR that can be Sternguard, One has a Helm like a Company Champion and a large Skull cross on the Greave. Add the Bolter with a Scope and hey presto AOBR sternguard.

I like the FW Iron Armour marines

Yeah I think I'm gonna go with the MKIII armor for them.