Quick Drop Pod Update

I don't have much to say other than I painted a quick Drop Pod to go along with my Sternguard.  I still have work to do on them, but this is something!

Still needs some highlights, but 90% done.

Anvil Industries Black Ops Exolords

So, I'm sitting here trying to decide what to do for my Sternguard marines.  I want to make them different from regular Tacticals, but I don't want to use the GW Sternguard box.  There are way too many bits and bobs.  I don't want every marine to have so much decoration.  I want them to look like Black Ops marines.

Enter Anvil Industries.

The guy who runs this place is great.  He makes theses "Exolord" models, which are TOTALLY NOT Space Marines...  wink, wink.

If you swap them out for GW heads and backpacks, they are the perfect Black Ops type marines.  I think these are going to be my Deathwatch Sternguard models.

I have 10 on the way.  The plan is to give at least one or two a meltagun and the rest standard bolters.  I'll be dropping them from a Drop Pod, so they can pop in, kill a tank and they lay down some specialty ammo.

Here is an assortment of pictures that he has up as examples.  Click on the Anvil Industries link above if you're interested in buying some!  As you can see, there are Autocannon, Sniper Rifle and Missile Launcher options.  He also has Heavy Bolter and Heavy Flamer options.  Add in a full armory section on his website and you have combi-weapons and special weapons covered as well.

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Conversion

I've always loved the Missionary model that I used as the basis for this conversion.  I decided I wanted to go somewhat simple.  I wanted an Inquisitor with his trusty Plasma Pistol, a Force Staff (Force Sword in game) and an array of grenades, pouches and communication gear.  I like the idea that this guy is not a fighter, but a planner.  The pistol is a last stand sort of option for him.

I love the Dark Angels bits and felt the little Grim Reaper bit would make a perfect staff topper.  Add in a Space Marine Plasma Pistol, Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard) Command Shoulder Pad and Voxcaster and you have a very simple conversion that I think will look nice on the battlefield.

The plan is to paint this guy up sometime next week and then post some pictures.

I'm currently debating on colors for the robe.  I think something dark makes sense as he'll be with the Deathwatch Marines.  Then again, maybe I'll go crazy bright and give him a full entourage.  I really haven't decided yet.

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Conversion Front Shot

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Conversion Side Shot

Couple of Deathwatch Scouts

I started working on a 6 man unit of Sniper Scouts.  I gave the Sarge a Power Fist...  just because.  He's a grizzled veteran Scout leader.  He should have something better than a normal gun.  I'm pretty happy with how the cloaks turned out.  I wasn't sure what to use given the black armor, but I think this worked out all right.

I'll have more pictures soon.  My plan is to know out the 6 scouts as the first unit of the army.  Then I'll work on the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor conversion.  I'm not going for anything fancy...  just a basic dude with a Plasma Pistol and a Force Staff (which will be a Force Sword in game).

Test Scouts

Ordo Xenos/Deathwatch One More Thing to Add

I almost forgot!  Add this to the previous posts

Allied Detachment - Militarum Tempestus (Inquisitorial Stormtroopers)
HQ - Militarum Tempestus Command Squad w/Taurox Prime
Troops - Militarum Tempestus Scions w/Taurox Prime

Battleforged: Ordo Xenos/Deathwatch List Ideas

Per my last post, I'm going to start working on an Ordo Xenos/Deathwatch list.  In no particular order, here are some of the things that I'd like to add.  The various detachments would cover the different types of things I'd potentially want to have in an army.  Everything would be painted/converted up to either look Inquisitorial or Deathwatch.  Scouts would use Pig Iron Studios heads and any standalone Marine in power armour needs to have specialty ammo.  That means I might add an Ultramarines detachment with Telion in a Sniper Squad and some Tyrannic War Vets to deal with Monstrous Creatures since they wound on 2's regardless of toughness.

Kantor gives Sternguard the Objective Secured USR, so the primary detachment would have Sniper Scouts to deploy near objectives in my deployment zone and Drop Pod Sternguard to deploy near objectives in my opponent's.

My next step is to go through and actually work out some points values to go with these detachments.  I want to keep the allied ones relatively balanced so that I can take my core Crimson Fists as a primary and then either add GKs for some Terminator Goodness, or Iron Hands if I think Bikes are gonna be a must. Clan Raukaan would let me fortify two ruins, hunker down in cover and start shooting from range.

Inquisitorial Detachment

HQ - Ordo Xenos Inquisitor

HQ - Ordo Xenos Inquisitor (the other guy's apprentice)

Elites - Henchmen Squad (probably a fluffy mix of henchmen)

Dedicated Transport - Probably a Chimera

Combined Arms Detachment - Space Marines (Crimson Fists) [PRIMARY]

HQ - Pedro Kantor [WARLORD]

HQ - Librarian

Troops - 10 Sniper Scouts w/Camo

Troops - 10 Sniper Scouts w/Camo

Elites - 10 Sternguard in a Drop Pod

Elites - 9 Sternguard in a Drop Pod (leaving room for the Librarian)

Elites - 9 Sternguard in a Drop Pod (leaving room for Pedro Kantor)

Allied Detachment - Space Marines (Clan Raukaan)

HQ - Master of the Forge w/Bike and Conversion Beamer

HQ - Techmarine

Troops - Sniper Scouts

Elites - 9 Sternguard in a Drop Pod (leaving room for a Techmarine)

Fast Attack - Land Speeder Squadron (just so it gets It Will Not Die)

Heavy Support - Thunderfire Cannon

Allied Detachment - Space Marines (Iron Hands)

HQ - Chapter Master (Fully geared out w/Relics)

Troops - Biker Marine Squad

Fast Attack - Attack Bike Squad

Allied Detachment - Grey Knights

HQ - Terminator Librarian

Troops - Terminator Squad

Dedicated Transport - Land Raider (not sure which type, likely Crusader)

Elites - Vindicare Assasin

Heavy Support - Psyfleman Dreadnought

Unbound List: Ordo Xenos/Deathwatch

I've loved the idea of running a Deathwatch army basically since I learned that they were a thing.

With the new Unbound army lists, I feel like now is the perfect time to put something together.

Your standard Deathwatch Marine is basically a Sternguard Veteran.  They'll be forming the core of the army.  Pedro Kantor gives all Sternguard Marines the Objective Secured special rule, so I think it makes perfect sense to take him as my Deathwatch Captain.  He'll obviously be getting a black and silver paint job and will be losing the ridiculous banner.  Nothing says "Shoot Me!" like a giant banner.

Deathwatch Captain - Pedro Kantor

I'll probably be deploying the marines via both Drop Pod and Stormraven.  I already have a Stormraven painted up in Deathwatch colors.  Adding a couple of Drop Pods should be a total non issue.

I'm debating on what to do for the Deathwatch shoulder pads.  Below is the set that Games Workshop sells.  The main issue with this set is that the heads are useless and I could take or leave the Bolters.  The Bolters aren't bad, but I have a ton of sights that I can stick on regular Bolters.  I'd essentially be spending $25 on 10 shoulder pads.

25 USD...  Seriously?  And the Shoulder Pads are smaller than current size.

For and extra $8, I can get a 5 man Grey Knights Strike Squad, complete with 5 awesome looking helmets and a whole array of snazzy shoulder pads.  I think this is ultimately what I'm going to do.  I'll take the bits I want and then if I can sell the rest for $8 or more, I've come out ahead of the game.

Note to Self: Buy More of These Guys!

Lastly, I'll have to convert up an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor.  Someone needs to be sending these Marines off on their tasks, after all!

This is the coolest conversion I was able to find on Google Image Search.  I'm thinking that something similar would be awesome.

Not My Conversion, but AWESOMELY DONE!