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The Elysian forgeworld models are hideous and expensive. What do you guys regard as acceptable substitutes? Scions? Mantic minis? Guardsmen with extra bits?

EDIT:

These look pretty convincing.
http://www.manticgames.com/mantic-shop/warpath/gcps/product/gcps-faction-starter.html

Your ideas sound fine; if your opponent can identify their gear and they look plausibly airborne, it shouldn’t really cause problems.
IIRC Scions are more expensive than Elysians. I like them, but unless you’re digging the cuirass, I wouldn’t particularly recommend them.

Saw this thread recently, maybe it can help inspire you. FWIW my guard also use a headswap with a few additional bits.
https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/737392.page
There’s also Harakoni Warhawks if you have a hard time making a regiment from scratch.

Mantic GCPS is a decent fit IMO. They're also more realistically/thinner proportioned than GW guardsmen plastic, and thus more in line with the FW elysian models.

You can buy grav-chute packs separately from FW too https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Grav-Chute-Pack-of-10

Also, check out anvil miniatures. I'm sure there's bits there to put together something with a elysian feel.

Honestly you could get away with Steel Legion really easily...though people may be miffed you're not using them. They almost all have folding-stock lascarbines and are modeled heavily after WW2 German Fallschirmjaegers (Paratroopers).

Thanks guys