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.

I'm new to 40k and still trying to 'find' my list. As such, i hesitate to convert or customize my character models for fear of painting myself into a corner. if I have a character model that does not have a shield on it and give it a storm shield upgrade in my list, am I going to get flak about it because the model isn't wysiwyg? For example, if I field a librarian in termie armor and then spend the points for a storm shield even though its not on the model, is that kosher?

Most Tournaments require WYSIWYG, if you do not model a SS on it, it does not have a SS.

Friendly games are usually more lax, and as long as it is clear which model has the SS it won't usually be a problem, as long as you paid the points for it.

Magnets are your friends.

Most hobby stores sell really tiny magnets for just this purpose.


You can put a magnet in the shield and a magnet in the character's wrist/arm. This gives you the option to have the shield or not. just pop it into place. And if you don't use it, just pop it off.

This can be done with any weapon or upgrade pretty much. its a vital skill to have that stretches your $ and makes your models much cooler.

Its so much nicer to have a WYSIWYG army from an aestetic point of view.


And just FYI. the Stormshields from the Assault Terminator box fit perfectly onto the left hand of the TDA librarian model.

If you're going to have a storm shield and not have it on the model, tell your opponant first. Before the game.
In my experience, most people don't mind not playing WYSIWYG, as long as you don't spring a 3++ save (or other powerful kit) on someone along the lines of -
Ork Warboss charges a librarian he should easily kill.
All is fine till the storm shield appears, the ork fails to do any damage at all - at which point the ork warboss gets killed. While no one is really cheating (you paid the points after all), the ork player feels 'cheated'. The game sours after stuff like that.
So be up front about what you've got and you should be fine.

Edit: For friendly games only

Try to make your army as close to wysiwyg. For the models that are not make sure to tell your opponent first. HQ models I feel like should have their equipment on them however. The less your army confuses the better off you will be. As before - a storm shield is pretty significant.

This last weekend I grabbed 2 of my thunder wolves that had some shields by accident. I only paid for one. Luckily out of the 3 wolves I had one guy did not have the shield so we used him to designate who had it. Remind your opponents though out the game also of what's what.

I had a thunder wolf also that had the shield modeled on him with a hammer, but just paid for the hammer. Gotta tell your opponent and make things clear with them. It's easier to model and say its not on their then to not model it and say it is from my experience also, if you feel like you just have to do it.

3x1mm disc neodymium magnets, strongest you can find, work wonders. I have a mate who has an entirely magnetised BA and GK pair of armies, with his Tau 90% there - makes fiddlign with battlesuits so much easier.

yup, don't know why I didn't consider magnetizing. I already do it for most of my weapon options on characters anyway. derp moment on my part :p