Jump to content

WIP: Order of St. Alouette


Recommended Posts

I'm currently the owner of a Codex Space Marines force, and with the allies rules in 6th, I've worked out how my Chapter could be allied with the SOB. Gist of it is that the Chapter (The Crusaders) is quartered on a barren, desert-like planet far out on the edges of Imperial space. They and a small mission of the SOB often work together from necessity--in a crisis, there's not enough time to call up your brothers and sisters who don't live close by. So, you call the neighbors.

 

The Crusaders have been done in a style that I'm calling "Desert Gothic". The idea was to do a dynamic color scheme that relied on earth tones and evoked the old European Crusaders. As in:

 

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0283.jpg

"No, really, I know that I parked the Rhino over here."

 

The SOB I'm working on now are intended to be consistent with the Crusaders, but will have their own distinct look. I thought that giving them a more Hellenistic look would be a nice contrast and mesh well. The overall thought is that both the Marines and SOB are far enough removed from the more distinctly Roman center of the Imperium to have adopted a more Persian/Hellenistic style.

 

Prototype models (front and back views):

 

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0281.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0280.jpg

 

I'm starting with Eldar torso, legs, and arms. I've removed the Shuriken cannon and added a bolter. The head comes from Wargames Factory's "Amazon" set, as well as the shield, javelin, bow and quiver. I wanted to give them a more athletic and functional appearance, with an archaic quality that wasn't the distinctly European style that the official models have. I'm also going to use some of the Dark Eldar legs, torsos, and arms as well.

 

Since the models will be using so many Amazon pieces, I'm thinking of making them "The Order of St. Hippolyta" (named for the mythic Amazon queen--and I'm thinking doing a "St. Hippolyta" conversion that would use the St. Celestine stats and rules). I'm thinking of using blues, some red, pearl white, and some metallic tones for the colors (brass, pewter, maybe some silver). As with my Marines, I've adopted a "no black" policy for my color scheme.

 

Just curious as to what folks here think of these prototypes!

Link to comment
https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/255083-wip-order-of-st-alouette/
Share on other sites

Hippolyta has unfortunate implications in the mythology, but those models look pretty awesome. Personally, I would cut the neck brace off the Guardian torsos, and remove some of the nodules on the arms and legs though - it makes them look too much like they're still just Eldar with funny hats. The other thing I'd suggest is using some actual Sororitas backpacks. Also, bolt pistols look like bolt pistols unless they're actually being held in both hands, and Sisters' bolters are actually slightly longer than Marine ones (but slimmer).

It's always good to have another set of eyes on these things, and your idea about removing some of the arm/leg detail and the neck brace is well taken. I'd also thought about using Dark Eldar Wytch torsos, as they don't have the neck piece and it's easier to get female torsos in larger quantities from those kits.

 

The bolt pistols are being used for the prototypes because--well, they're what I had on hand. I'm looking at some other options for them, including making some barrel extensions for them if I end up having to use boltpistols. I'd originally tried trimming down the shuriken catapults, but they ended up looking like Eldar with sawed-offs.

 

As to backpacks, I'm waiting to get some packs from the Wargames Factory's Greatcoats to see how well those work. Maybe they'll be fine with some modification, or maybe I'll end up splurging on the real things.

 

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it, and I'm glad you like them!

There are some third party Sororitas backpacks that look awesome, I think Jacinda has the link.

 

I don't know about Wych torsos, but DE Warrior torsos are certainly usable, so I don't imagine there would be that much of a problem.

Do you mean these?

http://media.thewarstore.com/media/MXM/ss_size2/MXMCB051.jpg

 

Currently out of stock at The War Store but several places carry them or you could try straight from Maxmini. I go through the bits site because it is in the US and I can get things quicker that way.

Wow, those are amazing. I'll have to look for those--otherwise, may just go with trimmed-down Marine backpacks.

 

I thought of getting the DE Wych torsos b/c you get a higher proportion of female to male torsos in that kit than in any other--6 female to 4 male, as opposed to other kits, which have a 2 to 3 ratio (Hellions) or 2 to 8 ratio (Eldar Guardian). Going on the bits market, and since my SOB will be an allied force for my Codex Marines, I don't have to get too many.

 

My other option is to use some green stuff and try to build up the chest plates on male torsos a bit, so the model will be more discernibly female--but I'm not too sure about that. My patient may sue after she sees the results.

Ehe, yeah, sculpting mammaries onto armour is a pain in the rear. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v205/KaguraHakubi/Smilies/sweatdroplaugh.gif I did it to an Empire Wizard and even though you can barely SEE her torso under the robes and the arms, it doesn't look very good.

Thanks, it feels pretty good. I'm looking at art and images of St. Joan to settle on the color scheme--seemed appropriate to do so. Still getting my bits and pieces together to do these conversions, but I think they'll look pretty good once they're done. Have played around with a few torsos--shaving down the neckpiece and fussing with some backpacks. The regular Marine packs look huge on them, and will be working with some smaller ones I found online--not GW, but they look nice with the Eldar bodies.

 

Crazy to be doing all of this just to build an allied unit for my SM. I have the terrible thought that I've just started a really work-intensive 2nd army.

They are beautiful, certainly.

 

Just out of curiosity, I am wondering what other players do to differentiate Sisters units. With my Codex SM, I ended up working up a variant color scheme for the shoulder pads of each of the different unit types so I could easily tell them apart. The plan for my Sisters units will be to vary the shields and equipment (including the backpacks) so that I can quickly differentiate them.

 

Just wondering what other folks do.

I do very little to make them different. I used to color code the ring around the base but after C:WH when I had to change up the squads, they are all black except for those I use with my Dominions which are Beastial Brown. Since I don't put combi weapons on my BSS seargents any more, I have 3 with a white base to distinguish them. If the list stays the same after a few months, I will probably do squad colored basses again.
I color code the Fleur-de-lys on the backpack to differentiate my squads. I rarely keep a consistent wargear loadout beyond my two Battle Sister troops squads so coloring coding bases would grow to be problematic. The backpacks are easy enough to remove and reapply when I decide to do new squad loadouts.
I color code the Fleur-de-lys on the backpack to differentiate my squads. I rarely keep a consistent wargear loadout beyond my two Battle Sister troops squads so coloring coding bases would grow to be problematic. The backpacks are easy enough to remove and reapply when I decide to do new squad loadouts.

 

*smacks forehead*

Well duh! Why didn't I think of this before. It would be easy to magnatize the backpacks like that. All you really need are the special weapons anyway because the bolter sisters never change no matter the loadout.

I was out and about today, and stopped by a gaming store that sells used models. I picked up a bag of WFB Dark Elf Warriors and applied their legs to my latest "volunteer". I trimmed the neckpiece away from an Eldar Guardian and added the Amazon head, shield, and javelin; the boltgun, a pair of SM pads and a Games Factory Greatcoat backpack completes her ensemble.

 

And voila, plastic SOB Prototype Version 2. Obviously, she needs some cleanup and a bit of fine-tuning, but I think this one is much improved over the first iteration:

 

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0284.jpghttp://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0286.jpghttp://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0285.jpg

Here is a new one, my attempt at a St. Alouette. She will use the "St. Celestine" stats and abilities, just renamed for my Order.

 

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0287-A.jpghttp://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0289-B.jpghttp://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/kpsaari/IMG_0288-C.jpg

 

She's made with: Eldar torso (female); DE Scourge legs; Dark Elf Warrior sword arm; Kings of War Elf standard; Kings of War Elf shoulder plates; Amazon head; Space Marine backpack modified with the Altar of Sigmar wings (to give her mechanical wings for her jump pack), and an Amazon shield hanging on her back.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.