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So the new iOS game has me all a bit interested and has rejuvenated a plan I had a long while ago about putting together a Kill Team. I love the idea of members from multiple chapters united within one force to fight the xenos threat.

Now, I have an abundance of old minis that have never been painted and included within are the 20 marines that came with my copy of 40K 2nd edition. They are dull as dishwater and I would probably make a couple of statues out of them and put the odd one in to a more modern tactical squad, but using 20 this way is gonna get old real fast. So I got to thinking about the Deathwatch.

Before we go any further, my freehand is getting better, but not good enough to do lots of chapter icons, so I am going to be heavily reliant on moulded pads. I collect Dark Angels, so freeing up one or two is not gonna hurt. I ended up with some Iron Hands pads due to buying the upgrade set for a conversion project so there's two chapters represented. Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Black Templars and Crimson Fists/Imperial Fists are also around and obtainable. I've also seen some white scars pads on eBay.

And of course I will by the Deathwatch upgrade set for the left arms and some bolter swaps.

I have a bunch of arms left over from other sets so I can vary some of the postures through the upper body and transplanting some heads. I could even swap some of the torsos because I have some lying around.

However, none of these marines would have their original chapter flourishes - I'm thinking wolf pelts and priest gowns etc. Do people feel these are essential? I'm of the mind that they gave up that stuff when they started Deathwatch training but kept their pads.

I hate waste and with bits lying around and poor pathetic 2nd ed marines sat with nothing to do, I just feel a need to give them a new lease of life. However, rule of cool is vital, and will this relatively monoposed (even within conversion efforts) Kill Team strike fear in to the hearts of their enemies? I also don't want to spend £20 a shot to get a bunch of Space Wolves or Blood Angels just to get the specific torso and leg parts!

All views greatly appreciated.

Sorry Big Mac, basically. I suppose I'm asking will a relatively basic marine - generic legs and torso with chapter pad and deathwatch pad work visually? I think Paradigm's comment about black ops is where my head was at, I feel that all the chapter specific parts drown out that the goal of the mini is to have a force of different origins so stripping them down to basic armour would make sense to unify them.

Plus I can't be paying out bucketload a of cash on this side project

Nevelon - love your Kill Team! I think my fluff is gonna go with whatever bits I come across cheap will get added, otherwise go with barebones. I am tempted to make the Watch Captain fully regailed - ie use a robed DA with the armour plates painted black.

Did you just stick ten marines together and leave it at that? Because there is no up-to-date official stuff some people seem to talk like you need to have heavy weapons on them, which seems far too over the top. That said I'm not up to date on all the fluff, so maybe it's not over the top

Cheers guys. I'll start quietly picking up some shoulder pads now then. I think I'll try and get some of the upgrade sets if I can to give me a couple of extra bits, but otherwise will just grab what I can find. If I start painting any up I'll post them here.

@red_thirst - awesome minis! Thanks for sharing. After reading others' responses I am leaning toward the more basic for the bulk with a few occasional bits of bling, but when I come across a SW or DA who I have all the chapter-specific stuff for I'd make them in to a character just as you have done.

@Kanluwen - Thanks for all of the information. I will definitely try to get hold of those texts to read. I think I'm leaning towards this project being an excuse to show off as many chapters on my shelf without having to get whole armies of each. So your suggestion regarding squad consistency probably means I would be looking at eclectic Kill Teams, but that can change depending on what I end up reading.

Those poor 2nd edition SMs need a purpose and looks like this will be it. Kind of appropriate that they are sort of veterans. I have picked up on some of the chapter-specific stuff like White Scars not using heavy weapons which I will need to brush up on when choosing wargear.

If anyone else has advice or Deathwatch minis to share I would love to see them. Thanks guys!

I'm struggling to find those rules, most references talk about the 2003 set that was released. I don't actually play at the moment but will probably treat them as Sternguars veterans slotting in as "Counts as".

I only plan on 1 Kill Tean at the moment, but if more are created over time I'f have to look at how to field a complete Deathwatch force. That's above where I am right now though.

Great advice Red. Think I'll used the clam pack pads for all for consistency and I like how ornate they are, but getting pint on to model is the goal at the moment, so less worry about wargear would be great.

I've been doing some reading about allies and I wanted to clarify what you guys do. It seems to me that the allies matrix:

Says that any "armies of the imperium" units don't need to ally. So all I gotta do is follow the sternguard rules as has been suggested and stick them on the table.

Yeah?

Because my small, adled brain can actually cope with something that simple.

I was rushing writing the question, sorry. I have a DA army and don't play, but try to make my models legal for any future chance of a game because I would like to at some point. I have the 2013 DA codex, but not the 2015. I had heard about the formation of sternguard units and most people talked as though this was now included as a possibility in the DA codex. If it's not, because of the Deathwing (my understanding is that the sternguard are from the army's 1st company), it doesn't matter. By the looks of the codex I have, I would field them as a Veterans Squad.

Bought all the parts to make 10 Deathwatch plus enough pads and extra bits to probably make another 20 odd that I would only have to buy Deathwatch pads for. Well that and torsos!

So Black Templar sprue and Space Wolves pads arrived today. If I get some work done I might start adapting my first Deathwatch Kill Team member. For the first few I'm going to use chapter specific weapons if I have them.

My Veteran Sergeant is going to be a White Scar fielding 2 Power Lances in a very martial arts manner. Playing with idea of using an old Dark Eldar ponytail head or cutting the ponytail off and sticking to a Deathwatch helmet. I will play when his parts get here. Was going to have him positioned in a preparatory stance a la Bruce Lee (left leg outstretched, pelvis close to the ground, right leg bent to take weight) but it has been pointed out to me that in SM armour that position would not be possible.

Hopefully pics later.

So work commences.

Here are 3 of my good old fellas. Seems a lifetime ago when I first had these!:
Bottom half shows the post gun and backpack removal state. Didn't realise belt buckles were site of gun attachment. Will require careful gun positioning during this.

So I used bionic parts for a previous one of Paradigm's painting challenges when I was painting up Veterans. Of course the best way to do this was to use Iron Hands parts. Which meant I had a bunch left over for my Deathwatch Kill Team:

I was quite surprised how little the static nature of the legs had an effect. Torso replacement was easiest for this and I used one of the provided Iron Hands torso fronts attached to backpack and standard torso back for this. The head position is slightly slanted for effect, the body was a happy accident. The cut on the waist belt went slightly off course, so when he new torso was glued in place he is positioning himself to fire at some kind of flying Xenos filth.

Sorry for rambling. Deathwatch and White Scar parts not arrived yet hence why I started with this gent and he has blu-takked in place arms. Very pleased with outcome thought.

So, got a bit bothered that very detailed torso wasn't visible, so corrected that:


And here is my White Scars Kill Team Veteran Sergeant (Using Sternguard Veteran Sergeant profile) with 2 Force Lances:

Top knot is a Dark Eldar one glued on to my favourite head sculpt (love the mask). Will add scars after glue dried. Tried to go for a martial arts feel, I know they are more based on Mongols, than Japanese, but hey, they are my models!!

Still waiting for Deathwatch and White Scars pads to arrive. When they have I can glue pads to shoulders and start base spraying separate components.

Feedback welcome.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Woohoo! Great surprise from the postman this morning. We have supplies!

Not sure if anyone is even following this but for those who are. The third up is a Dark Angels Heavy Bolter. I understand that this is the favoured heavy weapon according to the Deathwing role play rule book.

Never thought of it before, but because the army pad is on the left normally, GW have the left arm appropriate to take it, but the right had a pad moulded on to the arm because of the shell belt. But of course, the Deathwatch have their army pad on the right - Doi! - so having carved away the moulded pad and gluing on a Dark Angels pad, we ended up with this:

No photo of the final construct, blu-talking the heavy Bolter parts together does not work well, I'll post when paint on parts.

Unfortunately the carving up of the 2nd edition body for the heavy Bolter was going very well, but due to tiredness I cut in the wrong place, and made the torso narrower than standard. I wouldn't have cared except the Heavy Bolter requires the standard width!!!!! Aw well. I've just used the legs from that guy and a torso, using up my last leftover torso rear. It's no big deal, but I'm going to have to either buy more torso rears or just use the 2nd ed bodies only. It's less variety, but not the end of the world.

I'm entering these guys in to Paradigm's painting challenge for September versus some Necrons. May get the Kill Team finished but doubt it.

Again thoughts/views/mocking/corrections/ridicule welcome

Thanks Para.

I'm not really using the full 2nd ed bodies very much, but now the heavy Bolter and captain/vet sergeant are done I'll be having more standard load-outs (Bolter/storm Bolter) so there's less need for elaborate positioning

I was looking at Forge World today and remembered the offer of free postage before the end of September and the exclusive centurion. And then remembers Red_thirst's comment re a Deathwatch Captain as a HQ. And then I put two and two together . . . . .

and came up with a headache:

Deathwatch Captain anyone? Artificer Armour, Power Fist and master-crafted bolt pistol?

So I've made a little progress (microscopic more like). I've pinned all the components which is the first time I've ever done it. Wanted to have better detail on the torsos beneath arms etc:

Blocks are home-made from left-over wood
I've also decided that the Deathwatch are in a derelict building/spaceship so have made these bases:


They are all primed now, will start painting tonight.

Hey.
Just finished my first ever power weapon blade:

I am well aware that it is not the best example, but am pleased for a first effort.

I was going to do the lightning effect but bizarrely when showing my wife the blended version or the lightning she immediately chose blended?!?!?! She reckons that the Lightning works when you have CGI around the weapon, but painted on it looks too cartoony. Funny huh? She's probably right actually. She's good like that - she really doesn't get science fiction the way I do, so brings a measure of common sense to my fantastical viewpoint.

@kaiserbudheim - awesome kill team! Funnily enough, I've been planning models based on parts I could find cheap on eBay and stage two is to complete at least the first founding. My Captain is going to be a Dark Angel though because that's who I collect mainly. You know being loyal and all that

Love your white scar. Nearly put the top knot on the helmet too, but didn't know how it would look. Wish I'd stick to it now after seeing your's. Thanks for sharing.

@Big Mac - woah! That is one heck of a detachment! Loving that each mini has their own character. Clearly along the same advice from everyone else. Joy to look over those minis, thank you so much. Your force weapons are so much better than mine. I need to keep practicing.

Progress slow, but coming along:

Thank you so much guys. Spent years failing to get "white" fabric right and for the veterans contest decided that I was gonna try red "just because" and it seems like I can do that much better.

You've both really made my morning, cheers