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Hello Dakka!

So, i was planning on running a broadside unit as allies for my CSM, and saw the starterbox Helbrutes my friends threw at me, which happen to be exactly 3.
The question is - would a conversion be acceptable? The base and modell size is about the same, so i would have to make sure the used weapons would be visible and blend in with the whole look of the mini.

But is it a good idea after all? I know i won't field those helbrutes any day soon anyways, and they come cheap on ebay while the new Broadsides are pretty expensive when you need 3 of them, so a try might be worth it.
I'm not sure people would accept the models as what i am planning to field them as, though. Would i need to try make them look more "suity" , or maybe just.. i don't know. make them look more like tau?

Fluffwise i could always argue these guys have been corrupted by chaos and started mutating like many others have before.

So, should i give it a go, or drop the idea?

Aren't Tau basically immune to Chaos because they have like zero warp presence?

I could be wrong. I usually am.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Aren't Tau basically immune to Chaos because they have like zero warp presence?

I could be wrong. I usually am.

I believe you are right.

However the rule of cool always wins - if you can convert them enough and make them look good enough they could be accepted.

However to give the coverted hell brute the appropriate weapons (wysiwyg) won't that cost about as much as a broadside?

If you only play with friends; who cares! do what you want! - just post pictures here

But a Chaos god (especially Tzeentch) might find it amusing to mutate some sort of dread or ex-dread into something that counts-as a Broadside. That would also be easier to model, as you'd just need weapons that are believable chaos equivalents of the Tau originals, rather than needing to look identical.

Thanks for the input so far!

I guess fluffwise, as stated, there would be a way to put it.
If the Tau are willing to operate with CSM, then there will be inevitable contact with chaos after all.

As for the weapons, since i am planning on using the HYMP / SMS loadout, missile racks are rather easy to build with plastic cardboard and some GS to blend it together nicely.
Maybe i can get my Tau playing friend to let me use the front of the missile pods to make a pressmold even.

If i give it a go, i will make sure to put a blog up about it.

Tau don't register in the warp, since they aren't a psychic race. That being said, the farsight enclaves were built and founded to prevent chaos and imperium from entering tau space through the damocles gulf. The tau actually have a rather strict policy of not negotiating with the forces of chaos or orks, thinking that they are beyond reason.
That being said, if you can make a hellbrute with tau weapons, it might look pretty cool. With enough conversion, it is possible to make pretty much anything from any race work as anything from any other race. I'd start by trying to "imperialize" the hellbrutes (removing chaos symbols, spiky bits, etc), then bulk up the armor to make it more boxy. The melta should be convertable into SMS or rail weaponry.

Sounds like more work then worth. I cant see it in my head, how it would look when done. All the hell brutes are posed the same, would need alot of work to make each one look its own.

Ive converted a fair share of Helbrutes (I wanted a variety of poses), and i have to say it's a lot of effort.

Fluff wise, obviously with 40k you can kind of justify anything but corrupted Tau doesn't fly with me personally. I say just buy broadsides. Maybe even buy the old models off ebay if you want something cheaper and interesting.

Without deeper knowledge of fluff, just from looking at the ally chart in the rulebook, Tau seem to be willing to work with CSM if needed. That's why i assumed physical contact between the two factions occuring from time to time if sharing the same interests.

As for the conversion plan - i was indeed thinking of removing all the spikes, tentacles etc. and bulking the model up a bit. Making the arms obliterator-ish, with "growing" misslepods at the end of their arms.
I really would only need to reposition the fist arm, the other one looks good to go.

As for buying broadsides, even used old ones - 3 new Boradsides is 120€, used ones maybe what, 15-20€ a piece? And i'd still need to convert weaponry since they all come with the double Railgun, and i'd still need to gather / buy materials, so not really much saved, neither in effort nor moneywise. The Helbrute models on the other hand are just collecting dust and come free. So even if i spend, say, 20-30€ on materials, and it takes me some good hours of work, i'm way cheaper in the end (and might end up with 3 cool models nobody else owns).

Not completely settled on it though, just my thoughts.

Go for it. I for one would love to see the results.

Have you proxyed them yet to see if they work for you?