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.

Hi there !
As I'm beggining a little force of the Third Legion from BaC, I want to buy some FW upgrade kits (as I did with my cadian army) to personnalize it.
However, I think the Maximus pattern is a beautiful armor which suit perfectly the Emperor's Children.
Is there any indication about the EC's power armor preference anywhere ? I found nothing.
So, I was wondering, if I buy 10 or 20 heads, not 30, will it be ok to have some Maximus heads ?
I'm mainly worried for the aesthetic.

Yes, it would be perfectly acceptable. They could be newer marines who have yet to customise their armour or marines who felt like it didn't need to be customised and who like it the way it is.

For lack of any other info, the art-plates in Betrayal you've got eight Emperor's Children. Of those eight only three have the EC's custom helmet: a Prefector, a Centurion and an Apothecary. The rest all have standard helmets. Of the actual armour breakdown you've got a single MkIII (and a note that it's only used by specialist units), three MkII and four MkIV. The aforementioned Prefector and Apothecary are wearing MkIV, of the two with standard helmets one is outright stated to be a Palatine Blade. If a Palatine Blade can get away with using a standard MkIV anyone can.

Random related factoid: The pre-Heresy scheme in the Emperor's Children Index Astartes article indicated that only officers had embossed/sculpted legion emblem on their pads, the rank & file just had it painted on.

Go with what looks best for your army. While the EC certainly had a preference for MkIV when it became available (the EC upgrade set is MkIV, too), they certainly wouldn't all be in MkIV. My own EC are mostly in MkIII armor. While they're meant to be pre-Heresy, I also find the MkIII to help carry the knighyly aesthetic, and it blings rather well with gold trim on the armor plates (see the rather poorly done test model in my gallery).

Ok, so it is perfect, Mk 4 is what is in the BaC box !
So, it I want to be perfectly respectful of the background, I should buy a transfer gak rather than shoulder pads, except for some models.
Thanks you, guys !

Well, Forge World just shows everyone with the embossed pads, so either has canon precedent (Personally I'm leaning towards transfers for the rank & file, FW pads for Sergeants and plastic full-on Aquilas from the Sternguard & Vanguard boxes for actual officers).

Addendum: d'oh, Betrayal actually notes that the 'Phoenician' pattern helmet was a mark of valour, so likely not used by the rank & file.

Just a quick and last question: I understood that if I buy the two Red Books( Crusade Army List and Age of Darkness Legion), I'll have all the rules I need to play the the Third Legion, and 30k.
But what about Book One: Betrayal ?
Ok it is more expensive than the two others books, but if I want more backrgound, etc... I think it may be better.
Does it have all the units/rules for the EC ?
Is it up to date ?
Thanks !

It's the book that features the EC more than any other, but it isn't up to date and isn't complete.

There's plenty of fluff, but if you're keen to get the most up to date and complete rules, the two red books are the way to go. If you're really keen o be up to date, hold fire for a while on the Crusade book, as it's widely believed to be updated later this year and will include some revisions and additions that have come out since the first one.

Ok, this is all I need to know !
Thank you all for you help

while book one has much more fluff, it really is super out of date and doesn't have all the future editions from books 2-6.

as for actually getting the books you need:

1) Legion red book (up to date, though is missing stuff from book 6)
2) Legions crusade army list (doesn't have book 5 or 6, should be updating within a few months though)
3) Book 6 (for the new units and RoWs)

OR, you can do as some do, and hunt on the internet ;P

Thanks, I'll just wait a little, as the uprgrades kits and the BaC box crippled my budget^^
I was supposed to buy tanks for my 40k ImpGuard army !