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MGS1 is one of my favourite video games. 40k is one of my favourite hobbies. So I thought I would combine the two.

I spent some time preparing a list that includes what I think are all pretty good approximations of the characters, soldiers and vehicles that are in MGS1. Note that there is no aspiration for tournament/competitive level play with this list, although I don't think it is particularly weak either. The unit choices and wargear selections are purely driven by what matches the MGS1 fluff the closest.

I have also found good modeling options for almost all of the characters, but not quite all of them, hence this post.



So far I have done a heavily converted Cyborg Ninja and got some decent 3rd party metal models for Psycho Mantis, Sniper Wolf and Meryl. I have all of the parts for my Rex conversion, but not yet built. I have a Valkyrie on sprue ready for building. I have the parts I need for converting Vulcan Raven. I have my shopping list for Anvil Industry for the remaining infantry models almost ready to go.

Where I am getting stuck is on Decoy Octopus. I think his "fluff" fits so well with the Callidus. The issue I have is that how he is represented in MGS1 is just a normal guy in a shirt and tie (pretending to be the DARPA Chief), and in some of the promo materials for the game as just a normal guy in a trench coat. Neither of these feels like it would fit in with the rest of the army or the 40k setting. The current and previous official Callidus models don't fit the Decoy Octopus descriptions either.

So my question is ultimately how do you represent a human that can mimic any other humanoid life form as a model? One idea that I have had is to make a single model from each of the 40k factions to represent the Callidus pretending to be one of the enemy until it is too late, but this could get confusing. This would be make for quite an expensive Callidus though!

I would love to hear other people's thoughts and ideas on how to represent Decoy Octopus, and on the project idea in general.

I will of course aim to post some photos once the project gets underway in earnest.

Decoy Octopus wasn't really an active combatant though, he was always more of a spy.

That said, you could use something like the AoS assassin model (add some tactical gear, paint his exposed arms like a body suit, maybe a head swap?) and have him leaping out of a piece of rubble or terrain or something, then paint up the cloak so it's clear he was using it to disguise himself as that terrain.

You could also go mid-way on your multiple models idea: make a character that looks like a valuable hostage that the enemy would try to capture, except he's slipped his bonds and is maybe half-way through morphing back into that amorphous ninja callidus form. You could use that model for armies that would take a hostage, and the other one for armies that wouldn't.

Awesome. makes me want to finish the 1:100 scale METAL GEAR i was going to use as a set piece for team yankee.

Personally if i was doing this, id do at kill team scale instead of a full army. but if i was to do a full army id avoid cross faction units.

why is snake working with gnome solders. id keep it all foxhound.

i believe hassle free miniature has a bunch of models that would work for all of it. and iirc i think iv seen some one do 30mm scale mgs miniatures too but i dont recall who.

I like the idea. Not sure on Decoy Octopus but be interested to see the army.

I would love to see a project like this take shape!

I love the AoS assassin model, but it feels a bit too dramatic for a character that as you say is a spy. Also he became other people to escape detection, rather than just blending in to the environment.

The hostage idea is interesting so I'll have a think about how that would work from a modeling perspective.

I considered the 1/100 rex model for quite a while but eventually decided against it as the scale and aesthetic would look off next to 40k scale models.

Doing it just as a kill team scale project doesn't particularly appeal for a couple of reasons. There isn't really a ruleset that it would work in apart from 40k open play, and second there would be no room to do a Rex model! As far as using cross faction units I don't see it as much of an issue. It is a Catachan Battalion, an Assassin Vanguard and an Imperial Knight. Seems like a reasonable combination to me, at least in the 8th edition rules framework. Going pure Catachan wouldn't really allow for the more extreme Foxhound members or a Rex model.

I admit I am fudging the timelines a little bit with regards to Snake fighting alongside the Genome Soldiers, but don't forget that Snake was a member of Foxhound prior to the events of MGS1.

I checked out hassle free miniatures already and actually didn't see anything that really fit. I also have never seen any 30mm scale MGS minis anywhere.

This project would be worth nothing without some pictures though, so pics of my first conversion for the Cyborg Ninja are attached, including the reference image. Torso and legs are from the Eldar Guardian kit with lots of the extra details removed, and a Kabalite Warrior torso back but heavily trimmed down. Sword arm is the Harlequin Troupe reverse grip sword arm. Left arm is from the Drukhari Wrack kit. The head is a Harlequin head (back) and a Necron Deathmark head (front) spliced together. Finally that sword is a Kromlech Vibro Katana.

In addition, here are the models I have so far for Psycho Mantis, Sniper Wolf and Meryl:

http://scarabminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34_42&products_id=214
http://www.statuesqueminiatures.co.uk/p/9073144/sm009-kill-team-kill.html