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I've really been thinking about adding a C'Tan Shard of the Nightbringer model for my Necrons. I know they're sub-optimal, but I still like the C'Tan rules, especially the Nightbringer. He/She/It (do star gods even have a gender?) fits the fluff of my army, too. The problem is I like the model, but I freaking [i]hate{I?} fine cast. It's hard to work with and extremely brittle. I also think it'd be nice to have a unique model to use. This is the best option I've found so far. One of the guys on Table Top Tactics use just the "steed" from that model, but I would use the whole thing. There are only two problems with it:

1) It costs a little more than twice what the stand Nightbringer model does.
2) This thing is on a flying base, so the footprint is roughly 4x the size of the original model.

While most of the guys who game would be okay with it based on Rule of Cool (Seriously. Just picture that thing in Necron black/green, all shiny and chrome (WITNESS ME!!!)), that is a big difference in base size. I would probably have to keep a 40mm base around to use when base size actually mattered. So basically I was wondering if anyone has seen any other models that would be appropriate stand-ins for the Shard of the Nightbringer. A few basic things I am looking for:

1) Plastic. It's easier to work with, easier to paint, and can be highly-detailed.
2) Size. Preferably something that can fit on a 40mm base.
3) Price. The official GW model is about $40 USD, so I would like to keep the price close to that.
4) Rule of Cool. Does it look like it belongs on a heavy metal vinyl record cover?

Any ideas?

As it's nowhere near the same size, no. Would not fly.

 BoomWolf wrote:
As it's nowhere near the same size, no. Would not fly.

It's bigger. Much bigger. C'tan are only about man sized if you get rid of the robes.

I've been considering the following model for my own shard for quite a time now (some conversion would be necessary) and believe it would make quite a spectacular one at that.

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Mourngul

 Otto Weston wrote:
I've been considering the following model for my own shard for quite a time now (some conversion would be necessary) and believe it would make quite a spectacular one at that.

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Mourngul

This is probably one of the best ones I've seen. It still has that ghostly ethereal feel a Shard should have, and the pose it pretty kickass.

 Otto Weston wrote:
I've been considering the following model for my own shard for quite a time now (some conversion would be necessary) and believe it would make quite a spectacular one at that.

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Mourngul

This is pretty close to what I'm looking for. I do wonder what the shipping is from UK to US. Never ordered from Forgeworld before.

 BoomWolf wrote:
As it's nowhere near the same size, no. Would not fly.

That's why I'm looking for other options.

 EnTyme wrote:

 BoomWolf wrote:
As it's nowhere near the same size, no. Would not fly.

That's why I'm looking for other options.

How so? Smaller is usually a no-no.

I've not played 40k since 5th, but has something changed in this regard with stuff like this? I've never seen anyone complain abut someone using the FW Avatar but they do complain when someone uses the RT version, despite both being (technically) legal models. Bigger is okay AFAIK.

Also, if you can track one down, the FW Incarnate of Fire as-is would be cool.

 Grimtuff wrote:
How so? Smaller is usually a no-no.

I've not played 40k since 5th, but has something changed in this regard with stuff like this? I've never seen anyone complain abut someone using the FW Avatar but they do complain when someone uses the RT version, despite both being (technically) legal models. Bigger is okay AFAIK.

While bigger is the better option of the two when it comes to conversions, I'm of the opinion that you should strive for a result that is as close to the model you're running it as as you can manage without compromising your vision. You wouldn't kitbash an amazing imperial looking riptide and run it as Calgar.

Best case (again, imo) you should have a model that is roughly as tall as the Nightbringer model and fits on a 40me round base.

How about a Cairn Wraith with the alternate head, lifted higher by parts from the Spirit Hosts kit? Or a Morghast harbinger?

That said, because I know a guy who uses one of those giant bat monsters as his C'Tan shard: If you do out to use a really big model like that to represent one, please, PLEASE put it on an appropriately large base.

 Grimtuff wrote:

 EnTyme wrote:

 BoomWolf wrote:
As it's nowhere near the same size, no. Would not fly.

That's why I'm looking for other options.

How so? Smaller is usually a no-no.

I've not played 40k since 5th, but has something changed in this regard with stuff like this? I've never seen anyone complain abut someone using the FW Avatar but they do complain when someone uses the RT version, despite both being (technically) legal models. Bigger is okay AFAIK.

Also, if you can track one down, the FW Incarnate of Fire as-is would be cool.

It kind of depends on the group. In the case of my FLGS, we're okay with for example using 25mm bases on Space Marines since at one point, that was the standard base size. We use proxies all the time, but we do require that the bases be close in size. The issue is that the Arkhan model, which is still my favorite as far as appearance, is nearly four times the size of the Nightbringer's standard base (120mm oval vs. 40mm circle). That's why I mentioned the idea of keeping a 40mm on stand-by for time when base size matters (charge distance, assault phase, etc.) I'm just hoping that there are some other cool looking "avatar of death" models out there somewhere that would fit well on a 40mm base. Honestly, I think Arkhan would fit on the base (glue the skeleton dragon's tail to it), but there is no way in hell you could balance it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Captain Joystick wrote:

 Grimtuff wrote:
How so? Smaller is usually a no-no.

I've not played 40k since 5th, but has something changed in this regard with stuff like this? I've never seen anyone complain abut someone using the FW Avatar but they do complain when someone uses the RT version, despite both being (technically) legal models. Bigger is okay AFAIK.

While bigger is the better option of the two when it comes to conversions, I'm of the opinion that you should strive for a result that is as close to the model you're running it as as you can manage without compromising your vision. You wouldn't kitbash an amazing imperial looking riptide and run it as Calgar.

Best case (again, imo) you should have a model that is roughly as tall as the Nightbringer model and fits on a 40me round base.

How about a Cairn Wraith with the alternate head, lifted higher by parts from the Spirit Hosts kit? Or a Morghast harbinger?

That said, because I know a guy who uses one of those giant bat monsters as his C'Tan shard: If you do out to use a really big model like that to represent one, please, PLEASE put it on an appropriately large base.

The Morghast Archai caught my attention, as did the Harbingers, but they both look too . . . beefy? . . . for proper Nightbringer models. The Cairn Wraith has the opposite problem. I'd like to see it next to another model for comparison, but knowing it's on a 20mm base, I can tell it's pretty small. I could see the merits of kitbashing the three of them, though


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So I decided to look outside the GW/Forgeworld family. Found a couple Malifaux models with some promise:

Gaki
Dead Rider
Poltergeist or Sorrows from this set

I'm again concerned with them being too small. They're listed as 32mm scale, so I'm assuming that refers to the base size. I know absolutely nothing about Malifaux. I found that sight through a Google search, so I also don't know anything about the figure quality. The images imply to me that they are 3D printed, which would be bad, but I could be wrong.

C'tan shards can be literally anything, based on the ideas of their original forms and with a necrodermis body. Make it random geometric shapes, a human fetus, whatever you want as long as it's covered in the T-1000 metal.

I always loved that kingdom death watcher model.

I've always liked the Fireborn from Forge World as shard alternates. I eventually bought the Nightbringer anyway, it was a really nice model. But yeah, Fireborn look good and one of the sculpts even closely resembles the Nightbringer:



The mourngul is really nice as well, but would need some slight converting in terms of the horse, etc. You could put a marine or some other poor foot trooper - depending on if the cast of the arm/hand is one solid piece with the horse, which I know nothing about of course.

You could try and convert it into a Dkok horse

Rough riders exist and use normal horses, so it's not a big deal.