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So give me some ideas for making a dread look "venerable"".

Bitz ideas would be awesome.

I know I'm going to actually sculpt flames coming out of the heavy flamer, Rob Hawkins style. Other than that, I'm wide open. (It's got an assault cannon as well, if that matters).

I'm using bits from the DH walkers. Especially the exhausts from the throne, which essentially is a pimped up version of the regular one (with =I='s though).

Acessory sprue from the sisters vehicals have lots of icons.

Decide on a personality for the Dread. My venerable is a former apothercary, so he's decked out with the various medical gear and symbols. Hes got a dreadnought sized reductor, an additional mechanical arm to tend to the wounded, stuff like that.

I don't think you can get epic titan feet as bitz anymore, but if you find them they're about the same size but look oldier, clunkier, and more powerful than the plastic dread feet.  The chaos dread has something like it, I don't know if it'll fit.

The furioso has it's own power fist that's much meaner looking.

Adding some kind of icon or face to the dread's front plate usually works. 

The sisters of battle Immolator sprue has lots of tabards and details that can bitz it up.  Other models to check: chaos vehicle sprues (spikes & gargoyles); =I= Chrono Gladiator, Eisenhorn, and Tyrus.

 

Also, there's a little article with a simple Grey Knight dread: http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/daemonhunters/painting/dread/default.htm

There used to be one with wilder GK conversions but I can't find it on the site.

 

EDIT: that article is here: http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/spacemarines/painting/venerable/default.htm

Is this an older metal dread or a newer plastic kit?
If plastic... what about using some fantasy sheilds (bret or empire) as shin-guards?
plastic or metal...
-add plastic card stripping and home-made bolts around prominent outlines to make it look like additional trim.
-purity seals... lots of 'em ... maybe even some greenstuffed parchment of litanies over a shoulder (combat arm...)
-Really big 'iron halo' from chaos vehicle sprue.
-extra large embossed symbol on either side of the sarcophagus, very ornate looking
-A battle scene on either side of the sarcophagus (painted or modelled in relief)
-Extra plastic card armor to bulk him up.
-TROPHIES!!
-scenic base (if you're adventurous, another slightly less static pos)

Just a few quick thoughts.

Use Warmachine Khador bitz. I especially like the Juggernaut's left arm for conversions.

I think the most important bit is the painting. Something like gold edgings and extensive freehanding could make a dread look venerable all by themselves.

.

As soon as I figure out a good technique for painting marble, I'm going to put a statue on each 'shoulder' of my Space Wolves venerable dread -- a Space Wolf one one side crossing swords with a chaos marine on the other.

I was going to use the Warmaster Karl Franz on Griffon mini as statuary on a dreadnought or an Inquisitor mini once, but never did.

I'm always letting myself down.

Mr. X, that article was excellent. I think I might try the Tyrus/Ghazkul conversion dread.

Use the bitz from the Inquisitor Guy on the Walker. I like the exhaust stacks on him! It gives the dreadnought a more Gothic, baroque look, and it can be very intimidating. Also, the walker has a (I think it's tri barreled) multimelta, which would look cool as liquid nitrogen if you can mount it on either the lascannon or assault cannon side of the dreadnought. Also, add more armor plate, and have a few chains dangling off of it. Do something that gives it character.

Well here are mine, Pagodatron and Cathedralsaurous Rex



So long as your dread is wearing some sort of house of worship as a hat it's all good.

go look at the sneak peeks at gw and see the new venerable dread.....wait for it to come out and you have your answer.

Eh, I don't think the official "coming soon" ven dread is the way to go.

I mean, once you get it, you're gonna have to file all of the crap off of it in order to make it look respectable...

i forgot to mention i was being sarcastic........A venerable dread is a way to make your dread unique...so why would anyone buy one made venerable....it takes the fun out of creating one to match your army......

On my Venerable Dreads.....
Black Templars----I made my army a Dark Eldar Crusade Theme.....So my dread has part of a jetbike as a shield, some spikes from the Dark Eldar on it, some heads, some slashes, lanters, scrolls, etc..
Dark Angels----blades on its powerfist, an older search light, and custom exhaust pipes on its engine/thingy, and some other miner stuff.....