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Am I the only one who thinks the new Sternguard multi-plastic kits have too many adornments, bling and general bits and pieces?

I built a 5 man squad and spent ages painting them, because of all their details. I know they're Vets so they have nicer wargear, but it seems a bit much.

I've gone for a tactical squad box and a Sternguard. The idea is to "water down" the Sterngaurd kit by spreading it across a 10 man squad, without using any of the torsos and legs.

I think I'll probably end up using the sternguard kit with a vanguard, to make some honour guard instead.

How has everyone else used them?

No I also agree, I was going to buy them for all the weapons, but those shoulders, helms and cloths. I wouldn't want my elite troops to adorn themselves as such, just makes for better targets.

Lately I've been using pieces from the Sternguard kit to kitbash my HQ's and put together a really good looking honor guard. After the first Sternguard kit I put together as Sternguard I felt like the chest pieces were wasted on models that have their guns going across their chest blocking most of the detail., so I'll use regular chest pieces in conjunction with the robes and the cool looking pauldrons.

A lot of that kit is over done. But it does make for a great HQ kit bashing kit. A lot of the hip ammo and guns combined with regular Marine bodies make for great stern guard though.

I'll admit they're a little blingy in parts, but sparsed out they make great bits when spread throughout the force. A shoulder pad here, some legs there - I kit bashed myself some honor guard and some nice looking line officers. Frankly, I think this box and the new Vanguard box are awesomeness!

If I was starting from scratch, it probably wouldn't bother me. But compared to the older vets, they are significantly more ornate. Like shaming my old captains fancy. So I can't just mix and match with my old squad.

So I put half of them together as honor guard. The rest of the bits are going to be cut with tactical marine parts to bring them more in line with my old sternguard and vet. sergeants.

That's it nev. I found that a fully kitted out sternguard sergeant looked loads better than my chapter master. I might post pics of the build for opinions in the next couple of days.

I haven't done a lot of looking at it, but, cant you just.... scrape/cut/file away the excessive fancies?

poda_t that really isnt an option in terms of the legs, because the loincloth is sculpted into the legs. Sure you can space the shoulder pads out, the torsos etc. But if you made the squad out of the box (as newcomers are prone to do), the amount of "bling" on a single sternguard model would rival that of a captain.

i think so. a few nice details adds to the look. too many detracts.

is it starting to seem girly to anyone else?
all the pointless jewelry/decoration is too super fabulous.

kb305 wrote:
i think so. a few nice details adds to the look. too many detracts.

is it starting to seem girly to anyone else?
all the pointless jewelry/decoration is too super fabulous.

No. Sit down, shut up and add more purity seals. Don't forget to add purity seals on your purity seals. I will come check on you within the hour, and if I don't see at least 3 purity seals from any given angle, you will have to paint the 5000 point IG footslogger apocalypse army by hand. You won't get fed until you finish.

I think there is far too much bling for Sternguard, unless they are Emperor's Children. I think the base models would make killer Honor Guard models.

The sergeant looks like a captain, so I'd say yeah, that's a lot of bling.

But that seems to be the new motif, so either roll with it or use the old ones/convert some plain Sternguard.

After painting terminators for the first time after completing a batch of unadorned pre-Heresy marines, I thought terminators were already too blinged out.

 poda_t wrote:

kb305 wrote:
i think so. a few nice details adds to the look. too many detracts.

is it starting to seem girly to anyone else?
all the pointless jewelry/decoration is too super fabulous.

No. Sit down, shut up and add more purity seals. Don't forget to add purity seals on your purity seals. I will come check on you within the hour, and if I don't see at least 3 purity seals from any given angle, you will have to paint the 5000 point IG footslogger apocalypse army by hand. You won't get fed until you finish.

LOL. i would surely perish. 5000 points isnt needed. just put 10 of these sternguards in front of me and i would be done for.

I watered the kit down with the new tac sqd. I made 10 vets combining both the tac sqd and stern kit... I didn't use any of the bling legs... To much of a tripping hazard!

I think it's more that normal SMs are too bland. They're genetically modified warrior monks who can be hundreds of years old and have the resources of a million planets lavished upon them with thousands of years of chapter artefacts to choose from and use. They should all look far more unique than the normal kits provide for, rather than having the vets look less unique.

I'm starting an SM army atm, and picked up a lot of the non-standard kits (death company, space wolves, mk2-6 kits etc) to spice up the rank and file of my army. I'm still working on refining the colour scheme atm (how hard is it to choose a shade of red, srsly : /) so not sure how it'll look in practice, but I'm looking forward to it.

 Yonan wrote:

I'm starting an SM army atm, and picked up a lot of the non-standard kits (death company, space wolves, mk2-6 kits etc) to spice up the rank and file of my army. I'm still working on refining the colour scheme atm (how hard is it to choose a shade of red, srsly : /) so not sure how it'll look in practice, but I'm looking forward to it.

Keep me updated with that, it would be interesting to see how you get on.

I know where you're coming from, but the only issue is if you're using the Vet kits to make normal marines, how are you going to make Veterans? :

Bad - Loincloths, excessive scrollwork, iconography on helmets (which isn't necessarily misplaced, but with the bionic eye augmentations and poor execution of some it it just makes the heads look crowded and/or wrong)

Good - pretty much everything else so long as you spread the love, that kit is definitely not to supposed be your sole source of bits when making Sternguard.

I have always been curious how the more decorated members of the Astartes keep their seals and commendations from being blown off or just torn. If I printed myself a nice little certificate of achievement and pinned it to my jacket lapel, it would probably tear off without much effort (granted I do not have space-age paper or wax).

I'm excited to get both the Vanguard and Sternguard kits and see what I can do. I have a couple extra chests, but I'm really just going to use the bits as much as possible on the rest of my tactical marines. I like the idea of a squad that has some stylized shoulderpads and what not, but I'm definitely not going to turn them into the Pimp Squad, unless I buy some hats with feathers.....Hmmmmmmmm

I like both the Sternguard and Vanguard kits, but my main use for them was to fill up my bits box and to add variety to all the other squads.

I love them, bit to Over the top in places but if i was the best of the best i would be too. great for kit bashing, a bit of a pain to paint but they are the elites, i want to spend more time on them. With my blood angel ones I’ve added a damn sight more details. The srg has a servo skull hanging around his banner and the blood angel shoulder pads. Amazing kit for kitbashing, so many extras, and if you don’t want a stern. Unit, then they make ace srg.s

smithy12262 wrote:
I know where you're coming from, but the only issue is if you're using the Vet kits to make normal marines, how are you going to make Veterans? :

Blood Raven vets are identified by a bone white helm, that's enough imo. They'll probably have a higher proportion of lower mark gear too.

 Orock wrote:
No I also agree, I was going to buy them for all the weapons, but those shoulders, helms and cloths. I wouldn't want my elite troops to adorn themselves as such, just makes for better targets.

While I'm not saying I don't agree about the over abundance of bling but if standing out as a target was really a concern in 40k they wouldn't be walking around in brightly coloured armour.

The extra bling is part of the heraldric tradition that informs the Space Marines. Like the giant battle standards or the brightly colored armor, their battle honors are intended to draw attention to themselves. It's an archaic form of conduct, but it gives the Marines a very unique feel. If you're looking for a more realistic view of military conduct, the Imperial Guard operate in a way that is much more akin to a modern military. The Tau, too, operate in a way that doesn't paint targets on their leaders' heads.

I like the kit how it is. They're definitely showin' off hard, but that's what makes them so bamf in my opinion.

"Yeah, I wear all my cloth and shiny heraldry, and I still survive all my battles despite being a very obvious and inviting target. YOU JELLY? Get back in the cafeteria line, trooper."

So cool.

 Nevelon wrote:
Compared to the older vets, they are significantly more ornate. Like shaming my old captains fancy.

Haha that's so true! Back in the 90s a terminator cross and a power fist was all the bling you needed to be a captain. Now this poor guy is barely stylish enough to lead a combat squad...
(Miniature by Brother SRM)

This is supposedly Leman Russ: the legendary primarch:


Back in 2nd edition, I think you'd have to be some kind of... Emperor, to be dressed so ostentatiously as vets are now.

I'm not complaining though. I like a lot of the newer more blinging models (Sanguinary Guard are some of my favorites). But I certainly see the contrast with the old days.

the hanging bits can get a bit tiresome. details hanging down in front of other details. they can get in the way of painting whatever's underneath. (yes, i know, but extra sub-assembly is also annoying)

and remember a couple perfectly painted details has a much greater visual impact than a clutter of 10 poorly painted ones.

i like the look overall but would prefer a few less. combining it with a box of tacticals to make 10-15 sternguard is a good approach imo.

I thought the loin cloths were disappointing. When I saw the previews for them I was hoping that they'd be optional. GW have the technology to produce optional loin cloths and the bit that goes across the torso.

I would like to see mohawks as standard. Anyone who doesn't like them can easily shave them off. Some more facial hair would be welcome too and by that I mean good facial hair, not Space Wolves weirdness.

I made sternguard by combining spares from the vanguard kit (not so bling) with the tactical kit. I'll post pics whenthey're finished but they look really nice.