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Hi guys

I was just wondering how people felt about using a kit and destroying it to make a scenic base or making a model more dynamic, I built a Maulerfiend tearing a SW dread in half, most people think it looks cool but say I wasted so much money on using a kit to just destroy it. Just looking to get a feeling on the general consensus of the population on using perfectly good models and cutting them up/breaking them to make another look a little better.

Have a goodie
Ub

edit: added a couple pics of my dude, its still a painting WIP but its coming along. not sure how to do the molten steel better than that.

It can add a lot to a model if done well, and the price may still be less than if you had bought a FW or similar model to start with

Use the rest of the kit on other models. Spread the love, as they say.

Who cares, it's your money to spend. It's not like 40k kits are all that expensive compared to other hobbies, you aren't trashing a $10,000 car or something.

Maybe if I get something that I don't need for huge price drop. Otherwise I would definitely not buy a kit just to make it a piece of terrain, and I also hate scenic bases.

But there are some sites than sell bitz, even ebay, you can just buy the components you need saving money.

While certainly cool to look at, on an actual gaming model, I think something like this is too much and distracts too much from the actual model.
But it's you money and your models. Do whatever you want with them.

Your money, you decide how it's spent. I've wasted a lot of money on models before I settled for Ad Mech, to a price that far outpaces anything you'd spend on wrecking a single little dread.

Exactly that's how I feel its my money I could spend it on crack or on a prozzie but i chose to buy a dreadnought to cut in half to make one of my toys look different to everyone elses.

If you're purely crunching numbers to get the most points for your buck, yes it was a total waste. However I do not think that was your end goal. If you wanted to make your Fiend look awesome, could there have been a cheaper alternative? Most likely not if you wanted a dread there. Think of it as paying for a specialized version of one of GW's terrain kits.

I think it adds to the story and personalizes the models. I used to play quite a bit with my dad(IG) and my brother(SM). I played Necrons and every time my dad killed my monolith he would paint a kill mark on whatever did it after the game to prep for the next game. So I started putting bits from his IG army on my bases. Unfortunately I'm pretty terrible at playing so his sentinals and leman russes were packed with little green triangles.

I think it fits the story pretty well with rivals.

It's your money to "waste".

Is it a waste? If you play the game only to play the game, you'll get value from you kits if you assemble them as they are and play games. If that's all you want, sure, it's a waste.

If you insert any amount of extra hobbying into it, joy of conversion, aesthetic desire, whatever, you'll get a lot more value out of a kit you don't use "for its intended purpose".

It really depends on what you are looking for in your hobby whether this is cool or a waste.

Here's an old Dreadnought of mine for which I got much the same comments. But to me, it was worth it just for the joy of conversion and how it ended up looking.

Your money indeed etc.

But for such a project, I might try picking it up second hand. Not normally one for that market, but when it's sheer conversion/basing fodder, just saves a little extra cash.

 Ubl1k wrote:
Hi guys

I was just wondering how people felt about using a kit and destroying it to make a scenic base or making a model more dynamic, I built a Maulerfiend tearing a SW dread in half, most people think it looks cool but say I wasted so much money on using a kit to just destroy it. Just looking to get a feeling on the general consensus of the population on using perfectly good models and cutting them up/breaking them to make another look a little better.

Have a goodie
Ub

Can we see a pic?

Mordian2016 wrote:

 Ubl1k wrote:
Hi guys

I was just wondering how people felt about using a kit and destroying it to make a scenic base or making a model more dynamic, I built a Maulerfiend tearing a SW dread in half, most people think it looks cool but say I wasted so much money on using a kit to just destroy it. Just looking to get a feeling on the general consensus of the population on using perfectly good models and cutting them up/breaking them to make another look a little better.

Have a goodie
Ub

Can we see a pic?

At work at the moment, Ill post one later this evening or tomorrow perhaps.

I tend to use eBay sourced bits boxes for such but sure, why not?

I recovered an almost unrecognizable land raider from a local auction. Looked like someone had used house paint to paint the thing, and even once I managed to strip it all off, it had an almost chemically melted texture to the plastic itself. I have no idea what the previous owner did to it, but it was hosed. I used a pair of heavy sheers to cut it in half, and then put some more battle damage on it in the form of lighter burns, drill holes, and some utility knife stabbity and then I mounted it on a piece of foamboard. It's now a terrain piece that we break out from time to time.

Otherwise I have a wounded GK strike that I use for an objective marker, but that's only one model.

I do it all the time. I even torn knights apart and used them for terrain, conversions and other hobby projects. Do what makes you happy. Not everything with 40k has to be about rolling dice.

 Ubl1k wrote:
Hi guys

I was just wondering how people felt about using a kit and destroying it to make a scenic base or making a model more dynamic, I built a Maulerfiend tearing a SW dread in half, most people think it looks cool but say I wasted so much money on using a kit to just destroy it. Just looking to get a feeling on the general consensus of the population on using perfectly good models and cutting them up/breaking them to make another look a little better.

Have a goodie
Ub

Dreads are easy to buy for cheap if you're going that route. You're fine, trust me.

I bought Skarbrand just so I could use his legs and armour on my Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster.

I'm certain someone else has had this idea already but I've not seen it. Its nice to have a couple of unique models in your collection, gives them a lot of character.

Honestly for stuff like this 2nd hand is probably a better option unless you specific need parts to be separate

and even then some times they are sold as bits on ebay anyway.

but if you have it and you are not going to use it anyway why not. its your model.

I've used parts from scratchbuilds and conversions as scenery, or stuff from my Messed Up pile (I had a reputation for wanting stuff on the cheap, and picked up a lot of bulk stuff that was damaged - but some even I couldn't salvage) but I couldn't bring myself to use a brand new model to do it.

But it's your model, to do with as you choose, and if you wanna...do it.

Mordian2016 wrote:

 Ubl1k wrote:
Hi guys

I was just wondering how people felt about using a kit and destroying it to make a scenic base or making a model more dynamic, I built a Maulerfiend tearing a SW dread in half, most people think it looks cool but say I wasted so much money on using a kit to just destroy it. Just looking to get a feeling on the general consensus of the population on using perfectly good models and cutting them up/breaking them to make another look a little better.

Have a goodie
Ub

Can we see a pic?

Added a couple Wips of the maulerfiend

Warhammer 40k kits are in current production and pretty easy to replace, so cannibalizing one to make a custom model or scenic base isn't really an issue. If done well, it can be spectacular.

Now if you started cutting apart Rogue Trader era models (AKA, no longer replaceable) I'd say wait a minute.

If you have a great portemonnaie I say why not, if you almost only are into warhammer for painting/modelling and are good at it, why not, but for most for the average guy with average income and no particular skills that I am its basically just a huge waste.

 Ubl1k wrote:

Mordian2016 wrote:

 Ubl1k wrote:
Hi guys

I was just wondering how people felt about using a kit and destroying it to make a scenic base or making a model more dynamic, I built a Maulerfiend tearing a SW dread in half, most people think it looks cool but say I wasted so much money on using a kit to just destroy it. Just looking to get a feeling on the general consensus of the population on using perfectly good models and cutting them up/breaking them to make another look a little better.

Have a goodie
Ub

Can we see a pic?

Added a couple Wips of the maulerfiend

Where? Not seeing it in your gallery.

Oh, in OP. That's what I get for using the First Unread-button

Heh, there's something morbidly funny about him destroying an autocannon dread of all things.

I'd agree with most of the other dudes here.
I'd go on to say that cutting up and destroying models for parts is also a great way to learn new sculpting skills I've just butchered a whole load of legion of the damned minis for parts, and I feel pretty good about the results so far
The molten steel looks pretty good too! Could you do it so that it glows on the rest of the dread? That might work