The Apocalypse Crusade

[tvih]

In the grim darkness of the far future, something stirs...

First Primaris Templars being put together. A conversion I expect many others here are doing / will do as well. I reckon for me it's limited on these HQs given the non-character models have their forearms basically integrated into the shields which is a hassle, plus I wouldn't have enough shields for 6-9 of them anyway. Actually I think I have like 6-8 shields total and they're needed on some other models too. Regardless, for the Captain here I'll of course angle the shield arm downwards, but for now it's still attached by the peg.

It's gonna be a problem transporting these guys. 6 Bladeguard will already fill up an Impulsor. So I guess... these guys will run up with the Intercessors? Then again the same problem with Judicar & co. Bah. I hate transport problems.

Edited July 25, 2020 by tvih

[tvih]

"Time for you to lose your head." *the last thought probed by an Eldar witch from the mind of Judiciar Wilhelm before losing his head*

[Bjorn Firewalker]

"Time for you to lose your head." *the last thought probed by an Eldar witch from the mind of Judiciar Wilhelm before losing his head*

This is well-written. Good job on the model.

[Brother Christopher]

It's great to see you back, brother! Good luck on your Primaris Marines.

[tvih]

Well, . I guess my "casual" lists won't be that casual with the upcoming changes as far as the oldmarine infantry goes. Still nice, not having them entirely obsoleted of course. Might have to paint some multimeltas to stick in my only painted drop pod, too bad I chopped one of the four up for the Sisters.

[tvih]

Continuing from the thread about BT popularity, my current long incoherent rambling thoughts about Templars despite no one being likely to read or care (TL;DR; still bummed about various changes and stuff since this whole project started, but cautiously expectant what the future brings now.)

 

This is a long thread, most of it old and forgotten, at least by others than me. As discussed in these forgotten boring pages prior but to recap since no one indeed is likely to remember: I'll admit my zeal kind of died down to a kindling in the years since I started this army for all its coolness as mentioned in the other thread.

 

The first blow was the fluff changes (and I really hope the new article means going back to the old fluff) then followed by Primaris. It almost killed the hobby for me, since I had lots of firstborn still left to paint - still do, since I haven't had the heart to work on them - and it felt pointless, all the work wasted. Don't get me wrong, I really like Primaris models and the proportions etc make 'em look a lot better as far as normal marine chapters go and I like the Mk X armor more than previous designs, but they also lacked the Templar aesthetic and I lacked the skill to make tabards of high enough quality. Also melee not being great at the time in general didn't help, or the lack of melee Primaris units. So, after some lengthy soulsearching I ended up doing the Primaris as Crimson Fists, my second favorite chapter (well, along with IF, but painting yellow was and is a big oof) that was in fledgling stages firstborn-wise, consisting pretty much only of Kantor and terminators as far as painted units went, though I did have other stuff in the backlog for them (the project technically started six months after the Templars already).

 

So this new focus on the Templars has me a both hopeful and cynical. Things rarely go the way I'd like - thus the latter. Makes a baaad Templar, I know, lacking faith and zeal and all. But we shall see. I still have the melee units of two Indomitus boxes unpainted and intended to be Templars by my most recent plan (as evidenced by the Bladeguard and the Judiciar earlier on this page) but the bummer of it all having left them unfinished for now (other than said Judiciar). A box each of the new unit boxes and there'd be some reinforcement for my firstborn... who really need some touchups these days. They still don't have highlighted armor on infantry, even, and there's actual wear & tear too (didn't varnish them back then like I do my newer stuff).

 

Also the firstborn bummer hasn't entirely abated, despite 2W giving them a new lease on life rules-wise, at least for now. In part it's the models. Yeah, the aesthetic is still there and all, but newer models just look so much better otherwise, in a technical sense (better plastic moulding prowess by GW) and thanks to better proportions, etc (though of course personal subjective taste varies on different  specific models). And not just marines either - I have to say Sisters are now my go-to army for awesome 40k aesthetics; most of the plastic models are just knocked way out of the park, especially the power armor infantry. It makes it hard to go back to the old manlet marine sculpts, and playing them in the same list as Primaris models is a bit painful.

 

But if I want to play Templars as themselves rather than some of them painted as such but played as CF/IF or as a separate detachment forgoing some rules due to "soup", I guess I gotta. I can't redo the whole army. Not from a budget point of view nor time expenditure point of view (I haven't gotten any faster at building nor painting, and generally have less energy for it than ever), nor do most Primaris units still have the Templar aesthetic options anyway. I have so many other armies in dire need of attention that a second full Primaris army is a non-starter. Of course what shape the new rules take has its own effects on what to do with the existing BT models, though it's not really meant to become a tournament army or anything regardless (I'd use CF or Sisters for that). Luckily my magnetizing madness means that for the firstborn it's only a matter of building/painting the desired new weapons. Still, it'd be nice to play BT for a change. Of the 21 battles I played during 8th edition, only 3 featured Templars, and two of those were the first battles of the edition.

 

I'm still on the fence whether to get the "lunch" box or wait for the rumored combat patrol which supposedly would have the Sword Brethren in it too. Mainly the issue is in the finances, it's hard for me to swing the box cost this month (or even the next, at which point they'll be gone anyway). Another thing that remains to be seen, I guess!

Edited September 3, 2021 by tvih

[Brother Christopher]

It's one thing to be zealous and devoted to ideas, but it's a completely different thing when it comes to products designed by a company that doesn't have a track record of supporting their products. So if you approach 40K with gaming in mind and you care about competitive stuff or at least "balanced stuff" (in the sense that a given unit is not a clear handicap at a given time) then, in my opinion, you're going to have a hard time. Just look at Centurions - if you don't like the models, you'd ended up now with a bunch of silly dudes that are pretty much a burden game-wise, especially the devastator variant. Paradoxically, even Primaris marines appear not to be immune to this - nerfs and buffs between editions are at times pretty drastic and I feel kinda sorry for people who are primarily rules-driven in their purchases.

 

That is why I personally focus on the looks of the models (luckily I'm not very fond of most of the Primaris range and don't like Phobos and Gravis armour - at least I don't need to worry about buying / not buying those! :P). Unfortunately, as you aptly pointed out, it's not really easy to be particularly enthusiastic about doing regular Marines when their sculpts are worse than what you can get with newer kits, not only Primaris, but for other factions. This makes it even harder for old-time collectors (not players, who can take advantage of the particularly good rules for Vanguard Vets and what-not) who are either stuck with their backlog and are bound to paint something that's not as good as the current thing or bound to sell what they were collecting in the first place. On top of that, the other motivation - rules - isn't really there, too since old Marines will probably not get too much support in the long run. The bump to the base 2 wounds is nice, but it's clearly not enough when for 2-5 points more you get Primaris equivalents who have a better weapon profile or betters stats, as well as better stratagem support. I understand where you're coming from, I really do.

 

That's why your scepticism is totally justifiable, nay reasonable.

 

Regarding the launch box, it really sucks that GW releases its stuff as if was a TV series - previews, trailers and what-not, all based on hype and no substance. It'd be nice if they showed a proper roadmap that includes a list of releases; as of right now, we don't even know what the contents of the launch box or the later combat patrol box are which really sucks.

[tvih]

Yeah, I rarely like to spam units... which is useful in avoiding ending up with lots of the same unit that then ends up being crap at the next rules update (and incidentally you see a lot of poorly painted armies in competitive scenes just for this reason... people won't invest lots of effort for "ephemeral" models). Like indeed the Centurions, their power curve has really been a rollercoaster. I have one box of them for CF, but no more than that (they don't look completely terrible as long as you leave off the mid-section plates, otherwise I wouldn't have even the one box).

 

Of course, given how the competitive meta goes it also means I can never really make a top-tier list either because it often tends to be all about spamming the max amount of the same meta units. Good example was my only 8th edition tournament with the Crimson Fists - I had NO bad units (many of the "worse" ones being such that other codexes would've killed to have them) and a top-tier Codex in general, but lost all my battles (might've had a chance in one of them had I played with IF rules rather than CF to counter the constant army-wide cover). I had the Centurion unit - I should've had three. I had a TFC - should've had three. And so forth. Sisters are a similar thing, as you'd need to spam multi-melta Retributors, Repentia and Sacresants with Vahl. But I only have 13 repentia, 4 multimelta models, 10 sacresants and no Vahl so far, so there we are.

 

Ah well. One of the better oldmarine units visually is still the Sword Brethren, so I probably should get the unpainted ones done at some point, since Vanguard are actually pretty good. Though of course jumpy ones would be better gameplay-wise. I do have 10 of those unpainted too along with five painted ones, though, as I never could decide on which chapter the remaining ones were gonna be. CF can actually make a mean CC list too even these days, after all, considering +1A aura from Kantor and another +1A from a relic aura. At least I haven't seen anything to forbid that combo. Might end up doing another 5 for BT for a maxed unit, and then 5 for CF for a small counter-assault unit, but we shall see. Overall this model allocation indecision is one of the most annoying aspects of having more than one marine army.

 

As a closing note a slightly funny thing about the Primaris considering what you said... currently working on Infiltrators to have a five-man unit done to complement the one I painted in July for a local competition, and ridiculously I've been having actual dreams about buying a Heavy Intercessor box. Haha. I guess I will at some point once I'm done with some of the stuff I already have, as they're a nice fit for my CF. And I do like all three Mk X variants, so no such luck in avoiding them for me... for CF, anyway!

Edited September 4, 2021 by tvih

[tvih]

More blogging about model allocation madness in the eternal BT vs CF struggle as I was going through my model pile...

- Tartaros squad for BT, since I already have so many CF terminators painted, especially shooty ones.

- Bladeguard... I'm contemplating going for one Indomitus set for both chapters, and then possibly get a "multipart" box for BT at some point for pose variety... easier to swap in Templar shields for the multipart box as well! Not that Fist shields wouldn't be nice, too...

- Similar split might happen for the bikes, though I suppose a squad of 6 for BT would hit decently on the charge despite a lack of special melee weapons. CF kinda has Inceptors and even Suppressors for the FA role already.

- All 20 melee Intercessors will most likely be Templars since I already have so many Primaris troops for CF anyway

- All 6 Eradicators probably to CF

 

Of course I can mix the models in a given list since paintjob coherence isn't all that locally, mostly it's my obsessive self that's bothered by it (I don't mind others doing it much, just feels bad doing it myself).

 

Another ancient consideration that is rearing its head regarding painting BT is indeed how to paint them. I still don't like extreme highlighting. I'd kinda like to try a "worn" paint scheme to make 'em stand out from my other armies, but all previous attempts at that have gone... poorly, despite tutorials. Same goes for drybrush-based schemes, especially for infantry. Also let's not forget that it should still be somewhat straightforward to do so as not to take an inordinate amount of time. After all I should really do the oldmarines similarly too, since they lack highlights and need other touch-ups anyway. Goonhammer article's dark grey scheme (this one) might be a decent subtle base if I could pull it off, but it'd be harder to implement on the oldmarines (if doing it exactly, meaning airbrushing included) since the cloths etc are already done... I'd rather not redo those parts.

Edited September 6, 2021 by tvih

[Brother Christopher]

Oh, so you're at THAT stage. Considering my experience where I only have to allocate models to individual squads, I can only imagine how more complex it is to decide between different liveries. The distribution of Marines that you outlined seems pretty good; since you're considering splitting Bladeguards between the two IF successors, maybe do the same with Eradicators, just to add a bit of variety to your painting?

 

With regard to painting, I value consistency. So that's the only piece of advice I can give you - decide on one style and stick to it. How you do that is a completely different thing, though.

[tvih]

Yeah, same style within the same army, generally - though technically BT and CF are different armies, after all. And while it'd be kinda nice to have some Gravis armor for BT, I reckon Eradicators would still probably see more use with CF, like if I was ever going to go to another tournament. For more casual BT play I can field Devastators, which at least currently I don't have for CF.

But yeah, overall paint scheme woes are such a nuisance. My plastic Sisters were stuck in a limbo for 1-1

[tvih]

I was thinking about having a game with my Templars for ol' time's sake, but then I realized I still need to rebase them, plus even to date many of them are still held together partially by blu-tack, which means they often DON'T hold together. For some, it's the torso/leg join because I haven't painted the other side of the tabards for them, and for almost all of them it's also the shoulders. I gave 'em all magnetized arms and all that, but problem is I don't have enough shoulder pads for the different weapon arms if I glue them on. In fact I don't have enough painted shoulder pads in general, thanks to my hate for painting white things. In any case I'm looking at maybe getting a whole bunch of shoulder pads 3D printed for both chapters, and I'd also need various others things... speaking of which:

I've spent the last two days getting re-acquainted with Blender after 20 years, mashing together existing free model parts and trying to make some more modest ones of my own from scratch too (the round and heater shields bar one, plus the Templar crosses on all but few is mine). If I had any sense I would've just bought the file for the Templar shields in particular, but alas, I never did have any sense. Didn't find any that caught my fancy for CF though, the one that looked great - I think from ACE Minis too - seems to have been removed. I may still get the Templar file, but probably gonna try to have some of these printed too after all the hours I spent (and will spend) fiddling with them.

(P.S. Yes, I'm a madman for working on what equates to a virtual messy workshop instead of separate files..)

[tvih]

Hrmm... I was just thinking of mass-producing some bases for my Templars, since they're still on old 25mm bases, and no base decorations generally either even on the terminators with their 40mm bases. But I'm not sure I want to do the same base as for my Sisters, and Crimson Fists are likely to have that base too since for example the center-piece Redemptor is already done that way, even though most infantry is still unbased.

It's a simple look but works nicely. But yeah, doing all armies the same way would be a bit boring I think. But I'm not sure what else I'd do that was fast and easy and looked as nice. I've often looked at resin bases, but self-printable ones I've found have been meh at best, while the ready-made ones are quite costly and usually lack in variety (while remaining of similar style), given how many I'd need just for Templars.

[tvih]

I'd almost forgotten that I had a couple of black Primaris models in my Deathwatch Kill Team. The intention always was that they could be Templars in a pinch, too. So I took one of 'em, and snagged a pair of Assault Intercessor arms to slap on it. I'd like to say it was a quick test, but even just to arms took a couple of hours at least (despite forgetting the Nuln from the pistol). Typical

Still... I kinda like the pose enough that I'm not sure the AI will be getting these arms back. But bloody highlighting. With my CF it's not much of a problem because of the low contrast, so thicker highlights are fine. But the usual problem with these black models is the pain of getting even, thin highlights without taking a decade per model. Still, I'm not sure any of the alternative methods are worth the effort, especially since they generally still contain highlighting at the end anyway. Plus of course all my oldmarine vehicles already use the extreme highlighting method anyway, and oldmarine infantry needs the highlights too without repainting the entire minis. *sigh*

[tvih]

I was once more trying to do some tabard sculpting. And as usual less than stellar results.

Doesn't help that the Milliput is expired and doesn't fully harden. I reckon it'll stay on given how it's put on there, but I'm not sure if I'll keep it - well, I already am in the process of getting it off the right one, actually. But even painted it's a real pain in the butt to get to look decent. So might be best to just ditch the idea before more time and effort is wasted on it. Gotta finally let that tabard obsession go, I guess. I'll try to add some metal chains and other decorations to them instead.

That aside, thought I'd slowly start looking at getting the oldmarine restoration projection going slowly in the background... so started with possibly my favorite SM model of all time; you'd never guess it from my avatar or anything: the good ol' terminator chaplain!

Original lazy 2013 pic and now touched up. I do wish there was a crisp plastic version of this model - these originally handsculpted resin figs always end up looking rather shabby no matter what I try. Sadly the 2016 and 2020 limited(?) plastic terminator chaplains are total abominations on their own right, never mind compared to this beauty, shabbiness and all. I do hope they'll release something before the next Codex though, because currently there's apparently no terminator chaplain in production at all, and we all know what that entails...

Also started actual painting work on the Bladeguard Lieutenant and Captain. I'm a bit hesitant with their tabards given how poorly the painting attempts went on the Assault Intercessor, though I guess it was partially due to the paint somehow not properly drying on it and leaving odd particles everywhere when painting another layer. But strangely enough the best white tabards I've ever painted are still some of the first Templars that I did nine years ago. In other words, these guys:

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/ec-and-ictus-tableready-front1.jpg

I hope I can at least match that with some effort on the Primaris stuff, but jeez, I can say that I've not missed painting white (or even off-white) one darned bit!

[Brother Christopher]

Yeah, I'd recommend that you remove the tabards. I've seen worse, but subjectively, if this was something I did, I'd like someone to tell me to get my act together and do better. No offence, though.

 

I've given up the notion of sculpting bottom parts of tabards years ago and my go-to solution is to use press moulds to get my tabards done. However, I recommend that you give it another go but try a different, two-stage approach. For the first stage, prepare "canvas" for the future tabard - use either modelling putty or a sheet of 0.25 mm plasticard to get the base shape of the tabard. If you're using putty, wait for it to harden. For the second stage, add detail - folds, creases and what-not. I find it extremely difficult, if you're an inexperienced sculptor, to get the shape and details right in one go. With Milliput, I'd also recommend that you wait for around 30 minutes after you initially mix the ingredients - from my experience, when 'fresh', it is too malleable and difficult to work with as a sculpting material. When it starts to cure just a bit, its properties become more alike green stuff.

 

The updated Chaplain looks great. I always find it difficult to look at this model; back when it was available (and I didn't even think of things like this going OOP) the model was too expensive for me, especially since I made a kitbashed TDA Chaplain for my Crusade - I found it hard to justify the purchase since I had a viable stand-in for the game. Back then, I approached the whole 40K affair from a more game-oriented perspective and having a functional equivalent meant I didn't need a collector's item.

 

And for a moment I thought that you went for Firstborn Bladeguards; then I properly read what you wrote. Do you use grey as a base for painting up your whites, or do you paint white directly on black? I find using grey in the process of painting whites makes it way more pleasant.

[tvih]

I did start with making a sheet, but it didn't work out anyway. Of course these running poses are like the hardest possible ones to sculpt a tabard for anyway. The left one did look a bit better painted than in the pic, but not by much. Ah well, at least abandoning that idea means I don't need to buy more sculpting material (seeing as how the milliput doesn't harden properly and thus can't be reasonably used in a larger scale anyway) and also need to paint less white :P

 

And yeah, I use grey on black first - currently Dawnstone initially, but I should probably buy a pot of Grey Seer for hopefully better coverage and thus less layers needed. I also have Wraithbone, but it doesn't seem to work that great on black. That aside, I think the initial method used for the two example models was not just white on gray, but also an in-between mix of the two for better blending. Or something like that. The newer models are indeed worse for the end result... I suppose I streamlined too much or some such.

 

The shoulder on the painted Assault Intercessor is actually just Ulthuan Grey rather than actual white. I might go that route, but will have to try out the options. The white surface on it ended up very uneven, as white easily does for some reason. I should've added the cross (which is a resin-printed "hard transfer" and makes life sooo much easier with these "ETB" models) AFTER painting the base shoulder. That would've made it much easier to do it smoothly. With the bladeguard officers I mostly had problems with the glue spreading out from under the cross (due to too much applied) and being visible, which is unfortunate. But hopefully it won't be so noticeable after varnishing. And thankfully no white included with sword brethren shoulders...

 

Oh, and sad to hear about the Chaplain. Definitely a model worth having. Though rules-wise it's a bit sad that it costs 10 points more than a Primaris Chaplain while having one less attack. It does get 2+ and deep strike instead, but it still stings, especially since deep striking would mean you only get a Litany going on turn 3.

 

Lastly: the basing. I'm currently thinking of ordering the Temple and Templar rolling pins from GSW. Could use them for Sisters and Templars, respectively. Of course that means moving the Sisters from their current bases, but those wouldn't be wasted as they could then go to the Crimson Fists with just a bit of touch-up needed.

[tvih]

What better way to spend a Friday evening than baking forbidden cookies for my Templars?

[tvih]

In some thread or another I mentioned about trying out a semi-ambitious pose/base for my BT army set Redemptor to try and outdo my CF one, but I wasn't sure if the pose was gonna work within the model kit's movement limits.

 

Turns out the answer is... yes and no. My initial idea included the Redemptor holding down an enemy unit on the ground with its hand and blasting the enemy close-range with the main weapon. It'd be doable when the enemy unit is big enough like a regular dread (and it was intended to be big anyway), but problems arise from the underslung weapon. It was already tricky with my CF Dread who grasps a chaos marine in its fist. But here it directly blocks a proper grabbing position, so it'd be more like pushing with fingertips, which is lame. So I'd either have to leave the gun out, or try to have it grab a narrower part of the enemy instead - like an arm (initially the arm was supposed to be stomped on by the Redemptor's foot). I suppose the enemy unit could even be standing... gotta look into it, but also since it's essentially base decor, it'd be more fitting for it to be downed.

 

Another option would be to give the Redemptor a big sword or other such weapon with which the enemy is being pinned down - but I think I've seen something like that while I haven't seen my initial idea. Not that I think it is unique, I'm sure there are plenty like it, but at least I came up with it without having seen it before myself :P

 

One problem in all this is how tricky it is to try to model poses without gluing the parts you need to move around for finding just the right pose. Even leaving out outer panels etc the Redemptor is heavy enough that blu-tack does the job very very poorly.

 

Then there's of course the fact that this requires the "sacrificial" model. An entire dreadnought is quite a bit for just decor with my budget. I've been modeling it with my WIP BT dreadnought, but it'd sure be a sorry fate for an intended honourable battle brother.

[tvih]

Managed to get it to hold together to get a shot with a rough idea of the giant sword version to show. It's obviously only a rough approximation, sprue sword for the win though:

A "venerable" chaos dreadnought would be optimal for this in that it features the sacrophagus behind the armor panel, so the scene could include the armor having been ripped off and the main weapon firing into the sarcophagus.

Of course another option would be to use an ork walker. I guess it'd have to be a killa kan (I do have some spare) because a deffdread would likely be too big.

Edited October 21, 2021 by tvih

[Brother Christopher]

Wow, well - okay - that's something new. I commend your bravery with a conversion as ambitious as this one.

 

Just a random idea: for the destroyer walker, in order to mitigate it's height, maybe consider cutting it in half or otherwise, so that it doesn't protrude from the base. It could be lying in rubble or something like that to mask that it less obvious that it's been cut to reduce its height. I think that the model as in the photo looks just a bit awkward - not bad, mind you. What I'm trying to say here is that I feel it could be improved by somehow "lowering" the slain walker and setting it at an angle, not flat on it's back.

[tvih]

I do like the get carried away sometimes - like my recent Sisters Heavy bolter model, a self-contained mini-diorama of sorts in itself in too small a base, or even the CF Redemptor, but this time amped to eleven. I was thinking of adding some rubble - kinda like my CF Redemptor has - but before I start modeling that I gotta be sure what I'm gonna put there as the victim. But I don't really want to "sink" it if possible, though, despite considering it - if I indeed use a dreadnought, optimally it would be possible to remove the model and use it to play, but it may or may not be possible in a reasonable fashion without compromising the overall vision.
 
The angling I was indeed considering as well, but it is also tricky because of the limited space. And yeah, I agree the photo looks a bit awkward - part of it is the pose not being exact due to the trouble of getting it to hold together at all, part of it is the angle. I just tried to get an angle that shows all the relevant components.
 
With the cheaper killa kan I could probably get myself to model more massive damage, even cracked armor plates crushed inwards etc. Also could include a panicked grot pilot trying to escape from the doomed thing.
 
Also I wish there was a CC Redemptor with two fingered arms. Oh man, could do a proper "tearing the enemy apart" scene.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Managed to get it to hold together to get a shot with a rough idea of the giant sword version to show. It's obviously only a rough approximation, sprue sword for the win though:

Interesting. Will you keep the "sprue sword", maybe as a window frame-turned-improvised weapon the interred Templar is using to impale his opponent?

A "venerable" chaos dreadnought would be optimal for this in that it features the sacrophagus behind the armor panel, so the scene could include the armor having been ripped off and the main weapon firing into the sarcophagus.

Excellent idea!

Of course another option would be to use an ork walker. I guess it'd have to be a killa kan (I do have some spare) because a deffdread would likely be too big.

Best use a Chaos Dreadnought or Helbrute, as its strength and durability lets it fight the interred Templar as an equal, making the latter's victory more impressive. Hunters praise the courage and the skills of those who killed full-grown Kodiak bears, not those who club baby seals.

[tvih]

Yeah, that's why the Dreadnought plan initially, despite the size difference it's a similar category, rather than grot contraptions. But I'd have to procure a dread of the type with sarcophagus separately, or the Helbrute for that matter. Especially the latter would probably be too expensive to justify, the former might pop up as someone's retired model that could be had for not as much money.

 

As for the sword, I would probably have to either 3D-print one or make it myself "by hand" - if the latter, the sprue could be the basis for at least the handle and crossguard, on top of which I could sculpt and decorate something hopefully reasonable-looking.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

But I'd have to procure a dread of the type with sarcophagus separately, or the Helbrute for that matter. Especially the latter would probably be too expensive to justify, the former might pop up as someone's retired model that could be had for not as much money.

How about using a House Goliath member, from the Necromunda game, to represent an interred Chaos Space Marine? (Omit the limbs, and use green stuff to model gore where the limbs attach to the torso, so the House Goliath member will fit in the sarcophagus.) Soak a plastic Dreadnought chassis in hot water, so it'll be malleable, and you can tear a big hole where the sarcophagus is, to make it look like the Black Templars Dreadnought tore the traitor straight out of the sarcophagus.

As for the sword, I would probably have to either 3D-print one or make it myself "by hand" - if the latter, the sprue could be the basis for at least the handle and crossguard, on top of which I could sculpt and decorate something hopefully reasonable-looking.

Fair enough.