Model Appearance Opinion Poll!

[Erasmus of Baal]

I apologize if this isn't the best place to post this question, but I really don't know where else to put it and I could really use some feedback here.

If you read my DIY Chapter's IA, one of the things that you'll notice that I did was to have my otherwise loyalist Chapter be forced to consort with a minor Chaos deity, Sylvana. For Sylvana's incarnations, I plan to have two miniatures: One for her as Mephiston, and one for her as the Sanguinor. This post is about her as Mephiston.

I recently picked up one of Mantic Games' Twilight Kin Assassin models in my LGS's discount bin because it seems so perfect for Sylvana as Mephiston (aside from the plasma pistol, but still). After taking a close look at how I wanted to modify the model, I got cracking with a plan to replace both her blades, add a plasma pistol (maybe in a holster), and maybe give her a crest across the chest.

I took the front half of a Space Marine torso and cut it down until there was basically nothing left but the winged skull icon on the front. Now, though, I'm less sure that it's a good idea to glue this right across the part of her that makes her clearly female. So I offer it to you kind folks: Which do you like better or think is more appropriate, on or off? Oh, and in case you're wondering: The Chapter icon will be very large and on her cloak.

[Azekai]

I'm less sure that it's a good idea to glue this right across the part of her that makes her clearly female.

This. Looks better off.

 

Semi-related: that is funny that a creature of chaos is adopting the chapter's iconography. I mean, even if the marines are forced to work with her, straight-up giving her a uniform seems weird.

[I_Heart_69]

I'm less sure that it's a good idea to glue this right across the part of her that makes her clearly female.

This. Looks better off.

 

Semi-related: that is funny that a creature of chaos is adopting the chapter's iconography. I mean, even if the marines are forced to work with her, straight-up giving her a uniform seems weird.

I agree. Are you sure you want a Chaos god (no matter how minor) adapting to the Space Marines (no matter how mighty)? It seems a bit weird. It may even be more interesting (and definitely more likely) to have your Space Marines adapt to whatever she has to offer. With that in mind, and even without, the eagle looks really weird on the model and I wouldn't use it.

[stinkenheim]

I'd leave the eagle off, not because it detracts from any sense of femininity but because it looks too wide to comfortably fit the model's proportions.

Are you going to be doing any other conversion work on the armour to make it appear more power armoured?

Will the model be getting a backpack of some description?

[Erasmus of Baal]

She isn't being given a uniform in any way,shape, or form. I'm not interested in Female Marines. <_< Because of the event that forced the Chapter to work with her, she is completely bound to them and would cease to exist if the Chapter died out. As such, she has developed some serious loyalty, and the Chapter is having internal issues because they want to get rid of her but can't even separate her from the Chapter without killing themselves off, too. So they're stuck with each other, and she is currently trying to earn their trust. Some of the Chapter, though, is, as I_heart_69 suggested, adapting themselves to her presence and will probably accompany her into battle when I get the model I'm going to convert into Sylvana-as-Sanguinor.

And Stinkenheim, if you think it would look better actually being on her but smaller, I could cut off the outer parts of the wings.

For other things, no, I had not made any plans to make her armor more like power armor, though I certainly could if you really think it's an issue. She's an incarnated Demon, though, with the "power armor" drawing its "power" from her Warp-force. This is supposed to be her weaker incarnation, which is how I justify her having an armor save rather than an invulnerable save. Granted, things get a little fuzzy there with the Grey Knights and what makes them super-effective against Demons, but I'm not really concerned about ironing out that many creases.

EDIT: Photoshop is a useful tool for visualizing things. I cut the chest-crest down by removing the outer parts of the wings, as I already mentioned, and just moved it on top of her. Note that this has not been dome yet in real life and is only a rough digital mock-up.

[Montuhotep]

Since your lads are successors of the BA why not just have a blood drop instead? It's small enough that it doesn't overpower the model, but enough to signify her allegiance.

You might even have it in the same vein, fluff speaking, as an Eldar soulstone; that kind of gem-like quality anyway.

[twopounder]

Its your army, and your models, but I can't say I like the idea or the conversion. You may be able to pass off the model as an eldar of some sort, but it would stand out horribly in a marine army. It also just doesn't look right.

 

It could be a recently turned chapter, or perhaps one with a farseer or some such (even that is a stretch) but a loyalist chapter with a demon is no go. They could never, ever be seen by another chapter or any militant arm of the imperium. Inquisitors would sniff them out in a heart beat.

 

Aesthetically, you could cut some of the parts in with a sister of battle to bulk it out and lend some loyalist insignia. I just think you're going to have a really hard time passing it off as any type of demon in the 40k universe.

[Azekai]

Its your army, and your models, but I can't say I like the idea or the conversion. You may be able to pass off the model as an eldar of some sort, but it would stand out horribly in a marine army.

I think that is part of the draw- you know, the old "it's not a drawback, it's a feature." She is a warp gribbly, not something that is associated with loyalist space marines. Looking totally different is ok given those circumstances, methinks.

 

I also like Paladin7221's blood drop idea, as long the sons of Sanguinius are ok with a daemon prancing about wearing their symbol. ;)

[Messor]

Well its a little late to offer this now that its been cut down already, but why not use it at her waist, like a belt. It'll be easy to see, and no blocking of feminine features.

[Erasmus of Baal]

Paladin7221, you have a good point there. A blood drop or similar would be great - if I had the parts left for that! :P Still, wythre has a good point, too - a considerable portion of the Chapter is not comfortable with her, so I don't think she would be that brazen just yet.

 

 

MASSIVE EDIT:

I'm sorry, the original version of this was short-tempered of me. I should not have been replying to posts at midnight.

 

Messor, that cutting hasn't been done yet; the picture is just some photoshoopery. It's WAY too big to be her belt, though.

 

twopounder, the issue is a bit more complicated than that. I really do want her to stand out, and I was looking for a model that would provide a suitable balance between being a Demon and representing a Space Marine's rules. Also, that bit about my Chapter not being able to be loyalist and have a personal Demon at the same time - well, the Inquisition hasn't found out yet. I wrote the IA such that the Chapter got the Demon just now - it's brand-new, and even the Chapter's recruits don't know yet.