Kit Bashing Advice

[ArmageddonBorn]

I'm completely new to kit bashing and conversions. If I were to mix forge world's Death Guard Conversion set with some of the new GW models, like the new raptors, or the new havocs, would they go together? This is assuming that I painted the FW and GW portions of each model the same. But would the nurgly parts of the FW model match with the non-nurgly parts of the GW model?

 

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-4000...ERSION_SET.html

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/...Id=prod1710090a

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/...Id=prod1710114a

[Jay Taint]

To be honest, I'm not sure. There are people who believe that proper Nurgle CSM, at least the Death Guard, don't have Raptors or jump-infantry. (Personally, I'm not too sure about that, but I don't have shock troops like these for my pure-Nurgle army and I won't get some for that reason.) That's why I'm not sure if the somewhat static look of the FW Death Guard bits go well with the Raptor bits. Technically, if you're prepared for a bit of chopping and green-stuffing, it will be fine though.

 

To answer your question more generally: I've mixed FW Death Guard bits with vanilla CSM parts and think it's perfectly fine. Many people do it too. I feel that, sometimes, it requires a bit of blending; a bit of extra cabling or modelling sores and battle damage on the vanilla bits, for example. Circus Nurgling, who's likely to comment here too, recommended to use these small plastic beads you'd find in water filter canisters for pustules (or Destroyer Plague flies' larvae) because FW uses something similar on their bits too.

I'm just about to finish a set of Nurgle Terminators which involve both FW and vanilla parts, and I can post a picture or two here if you like. But there's tons of great example on the web and particularly on B&C too.

 

Cheers, JT

 

EDIT: The "new" CSM Havocs are actually not new. They're essentially the old Havocs -- which came as a basic CSM sprue, a CSM upgrade sprue, and a couple of metal bits for the special heavy weapons -- re-cast in Finecast. There's nothing wrong with that. But you probably won't have as much assembly flexibility as you had with the old kit. Most Finecast boxes are supposed to be fit together in one and exactly one way, and, personally speaking, I find converting them is an exercise for the advanced. I'm just saying that because you're explicitly asking for kit-bashing advice. In my experience, Finecast stuff isn't good for kit-bashing (unless you're a magician with knife and green stuff).

[Circus Nurgling]

The raptors thing is only controversial/debatable if and only if you're playing Death Guard, and I've seen artwork of DG with jump packs strapped on. That said, that jump pack was a single, large engine, and I'm still hopeful that forgeworld will release mk III assault packs that represent that artwork so I can model some proper DG [warband] raptors. If you're making your own nurgle warband, or using some existing warband that isn't necessarily connected to the Death Guard, do what you want.

 

As far as the kitbash looking silly, I think those packs would look good on the backs of the FW death guard minis. what with the teeth growing out of them and all. The rest of the model doesn't look very nurgly to me at all, and in my mind isn't reconcilable... I don't find any inspiration to the rot god in those new minis at all. If you can, do it. They look great, but they're just not for me.

[Plague Dave]

Given that you have to kitbash the Death Guard upgrades with something (they're only torso/heads and shoulder pads), they of course work with vanilla Marines of any type, including the Havocs. I don't think the Finecast Havocs will give you any troubles, either. I have the plastic/metal Havocs, and if the Finecast is just a recast of all that, it'll work out fine. You may run into issues with some of the heavy weapons, and the DG shoulder pads, but you can always use the plain ones where necessary, and Nurgle them up a bit.

 

The new Raptors/Talons box runs into some issues with hard-core Death Guard players, perhaps, as Circus Nurgling illustrated. I think the teeth and leg horns are fine, but, as I prefer a less decorated Death Guard marine also, I'd shave off all the lightning bolts and chaos arrows from their legs. In the fluff, Death Guard were never interested in decorating their armor. Even after years in the Warp, and all Papa Nurgle's gifts, I like to think they just go with the flow ... and rot.

[Chaeron]

I think you'll be fine - only limit is your imagination, as you can always improve and perfect any talent.