Blood Ravens and Death Company...

[KaosRaptor]

Hi all, recently I've been thinking of starting a Blood Ravens army (I have an army list all sorted out), but need some help with regards to modelling veterans.

I've been looking at the Death Company sprue, and wondering if it will be any good to create some Vanguard or failing that, Sternguard veterans.

So could anyone that has used the kit before give me a little heads-up on how simple it may or not be to turn the death company into Blood Ravens? Like extensive shaving/greenstuff to get rid of Blood Angels insignia, or add Blood Ravens markings, etc.

Thanks in advance! :lol:

 

Kaos

[Durus]

I don't have the new DC, but as you said you've been looking at the sprues you'll have noticed that the only winged blood drop symbols are on some of the shoulder pads. The rest of the bits is covered in blood drops without or with just one wing and various blood/death related iconography such as skulls, bones and chalices. These are relatively generic and could be used just as well for any other chapter.

 

First off, you don't have to use the bits with BA chapter symbol. If you just use some normal pads they'll look just as good.

 

With a bit of GS and sculpting you could just add a head and a tail to the drops to turn them into the body of the Blood Raven raven symbol's body. And from what I've gathered from the games the BR have some strange sort of fanboyish reverence for the "big" chapters, because of their own rather mysterious origins (or to keep them obscure). So it would be fitting to have some wargear with specific iconography (and probably a strange name, too).

 

In the end, painting them in their chapters colors is more than enough to show that they are Blood Ravens, though.

 

By the way, if you do a quick search for converted plastic Vanguard, you should get some good ideas on how to distinguish them even further from the rank and file troops and represent Vanguard specific wargear (special ammo etc).

[KaosRaptor]

Thank you Durus, that is exactly what I wanted to hear :D , that being the case, the sprue looks ideal for what I have in mind.

I'm planning now to probably have some Sternguard made from the Dark Angels upgrades, and a Vanguard squad made from Death Company.

Just one more quick question, the Death Company crosses on some of the shoulders. jump packs, etc, is there any possibility of greenstuffing those in or something? They look like they might be a little bit too fine.

Either way, great advice, thanks again.

 

Kaos

[Durus]

To close the recessed lines you just have to roll a small sausage of GS, press it on, smooth out the top till it's planar with the bits surface (sculpting tool/flat side of a blade), take the excess off, smooth it out again and once it's dried you can go over it again with sandpaper or a fine file if necessary. If you don't have a good sculpting tool or something comparable to get the GS smooth just use your finger with some water and gently rub it over the GS.

 

Basically gap filling with a shallow gap.

[KaosRaptor]

Awesome, thanks again Durus, thats great help. I have the GW sculpting tool, so hopefully that should do the trick.

If anyone has any other suggestions about turning Death Company and Dark Angels into Blood Ravens though, I would love to hear them :P

 

Kaos

[Wicksy]

EDIT: didnt read the original post.

[Durus]

That's the whole point of this thread. Using BA models to represent a C:SM unit.

[Wicksy]

Sorry man, misinterpreted the thread..... The death company box would make some lovely vanguard vets. The blood drops should fit with the feel of the Blood Ravens but you'd have to leave some of the winged shoulder pads and free hand on some chapter symbols.