Sisters of Avelorn as Sisters of battle

[Spacefrisian]

Just taken another look at these models and i just got to thinking, wouldnt they make for a nice alternate Sisters of battle look?

 

I consider getting a box of them and add the metallic Backpack on from the original sisters to give them a more SoB look.

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?prodId=prod2000073a

[WarriorFish]

You'd have to do a bit more than the backpack I think to make them look less elf, weapons aside. They'd look a bit too lightly armoured too so you might want to bulk them up a bit (GS or plasticard) but then you'd be straying into a lot of work to convert them which might be counter productive.

 

They're nice models but I fear they'd be too much work to look like anything other than elves with bolters.

[Spacefrisian]

I dont get it why powerarmour has to be bulky (who came up with that idea, it wasnt GW nor its original creator Robert Heinlein), or a better armour save for that matter. If anything the current sister models arent bulky either, so that makes the "it has to be bulky" an invalid point.

 

To me power armour means armour that is powered, that backpack has a power pack, so the armour they do have is in that regards powered, thus power armour.

 

I hope i didnt offend anyone with this comment, its just something i noticed alot of players keep saying when a idea is presented.

[Eddie Orlock]

Powered armour is normally powered because it's bulky. Too gosh darn encumbering for the warrior to efficiently fight without powered assist. To scale wrapping you in half inch plate would probably be too much for you to bear, but wouldn't show up very well, so figure designers exagerate. Just like Gee Dub does with all the weapons and hands and faces. You can justify some of the extra bulk as providing interstitial space for the armours motive systems, the synthetic muscles have to go somewhere afterall.

 

Gee Dub elves have a characteristic style that makes them unsuited to easy converstion to anything other than maybe Eldar.

[Onisuzume]

So you're saying that a chainmail bikini with a backpack-power-pack and wiring leading from it to the gloves and boots would suffice as power armour?

[Spacefrisian]

So you're saying that a chainmail bikini with a backpack-power-pack and wiring leading from it to the gloves and boots would suffice as power armour?

I dont see the shown models having chainmail bikinis, but maybe you know something i dont see.

[Onisuzume]

 

 

So you're saying that a chainmail bikini with a backpack-power-pack and wiring leading from it to the gloves and boots would suffice as power armour?

I dont see the shown models having chainmail bikinis, but maybe you know something i dont see.

 

 

Well, it certainly wouldn't be bulky or provide a better armour save (or any at all, for that matter).

So yeah, a certain amount of bulk would be needed.

Looking at BattleTech which at least tries to keep things sort-of realistic (economics aside, seriously, don't touch the economics) has power armour (lightest class of Battle Armour) frequently weighing in at 400kg. With the battle armours being used for serious combat weighing up to 2000kg. Although those would be closer to TDA/dreadnought, in 40k terms.

 

As for those avelonians, I don't think they'd make good sororitas.

[Eddie Orlock]

(economics aside, seriously, don't touch the economics)

Much of what I've seen from the sidelines makes the economics essentially the big deal of the setting. I've read so much that talks of 'C-bills' and so little that talks of 'combat value'

[WarriorFish]

I dont get it why powerarmour has to be bulky (who came up with that idea, it wasnt GW nor its original creator Robert Heinlein), or a better armour save for that matter. If anything the current sister models arent bulky either, so that makes the "it has to be bulky" an invalid point.

 

To me power armour means armour that is powered, that backpack has a power pack, so the armour they do have is in that regards powered, thus power armour.

 

I hope i didnt offend anyone with this comment, its just something i noticed alot of players keep saying when a idea is presented.

I'm afraid you're missing my point. I didn't say that power armour "has to be bulky", just that the models looked too lightly armoured to be Sisters. They're clearly wearing a bit of scale mail, cloth and leather which doesn't look anything like any power armour, even the fanciest of high tech armour would look more substantial (eg Iron Man's armour).

[RolandTHTG]

Yea, they just look too 'cloth' (especially on the arms) to be good power armor. I could see carapace or something, but not full powered armor.
 

Spacefrisian, As an aside, Heinlein does describe it as bulky "a big steel gorilla, with gorilla sized weapons"  (CH7, Starship Troopers) so, even with a full grown man It adds some good bulk.

[Onisuzume]

 

 

(economics aside, seriously, don't touch the economics)

Much of what I've seen from the sidelines makes the economics essentially the big deal of the setting. I've read so much that talks of 'C-bills' and so little that talks of 'combat value'

 

 

I meant that the economics are truly and utterly smegged up beyond any possible redemption in that game. Trying to make sense of it is a task that'll drive one insane.

[Vigrid Of Asgaror]

I guess if you think they fit the Sisters then that is all that matters. I personally don't think they are good replacements due to the amount of converting I would have to do to be happy with them.

[Spacefrisian]

Now i had a closer look at the models, and for the ones who stil dont like the idea i would like to share something that might going to make you reconsider.

 

Both the plastic sisters of Avelorn and a metal sister of battle model are in all proprotions and model size equal. Lots of clothing pieces on the SoA are on the same spots as a SoB. With the only exception that the SoA have a skirt instead of a loincloth. Yes there is armour on the SoA but i guess you could see that already, most of this armour would be covered if you put a bolter in front of it.

The legs have some sort of trim at the side, just adding a kneecap to the knee would make this look more metalic, maybe if you feel adventurous you could add some trims to the feet to give it an armoured boot look, like the SoB models have.

 

If you want the shoulder pads SoB have on them,  you have to make/sculpt those yourself on the model, although you have to think about if you want small ones under the cape or bigger ones going over the cape. The cape and front body part are glued together.

The heart symbol is on bottom side of front body part, shouldnt be that hard to remove if you desire so.

 

Bonus note: their are no weird elf symbols on the body parts (besides the visible hearts), i think that is something most would consider a plus as that removes the need of lots of cutting and shaving.

 

This is just some info iam sharing, feel free to consider what you guys do with it. 

[Kierdale]

Give it a try, convert and paint some up, post the pics and the proof will be in the pudding.

I'm interested to see how it turns out at least.

[bjoluemblem]

I saw this post, and it piqued my curiosity. I had a handful of Avelornian folk lying around collecting dust as all of the Fantasy players in my area have converted to Warmachine, so I grabbed my unpainted models and went to town. The issues I had are that the Sister's (I will be referencing "Sisters" as the High Elves models) arms are very slim, so much so that the only bits that fit were Dark Eldar arms/hands and IG hands. I made a handful of Retributors. I grabbed four heavy bolters from space marine scouts and devastators and used high elves gauntlets/forearms and Dark Eldar/IG hands to model them appropriately. I made one retributor out of the space marine devastator kit, and well, she looks a little silly. Normal marine power armor packs are huge on the model, and they don't fit well without some sculpting. Oddly enough, the vox caster backpack from the IG Cadian set actually looks ok. Needs some converting thought to create vents I think. The Sisters need some bulking up on the arms and the boots maybe, and I think adding pauldrons of some sort would be beneficial. I think with proper painting and highlighting they should work ok. They also need different heads. It looks like SoB grabbed some High Elves to supplement their numbers...The heart emblem on the belt is actually ok, as the Order of the Bleeding Heart, for example, has a heart emblem with a drop of blood. I'll post pics if people want to see my efforts here, kind of a quick work around, so not the best quality.

[Kierdale]

By all means post some photos. I'd love to see how they turned out.

[WarriorFish]

We're always happy to see conversion work, it'd be good to see how it turns out in practice.

[bjoluemblem]

Here's the "first draft." I went for a Sister of the Order of the Valorous Heart. Sister of Avelorn, obviously, with an IG Veteran Meltagun right arm, dark eldar wych hand for a fairly decent hand pose. Sorry for the bad quality photos. She still needs some more work, but I think it can be done. I'll have to freehand some fleur de lis to remove the "high elf" imagery. The tiara probably need to go, not sure what to do about that though. I might need to find some actual SoB heads to throw on there. The lower part of the hauberk is and issue too, I'm just afraid to go to town on it. Don't want to damage it beyond the point of fixing. I don't want to add more flair to the face, as she already looks gaunt due to the high elf sculpt. I'll do some workups, apply more paint and stuff, and maybe put  a WIP up. It's certainly fun, even if it doesn't end up turning out well.

[WarriorFish]

I don't think it's changed my opinion - with some work you could make them pass as Sisters but it'd be too much time and effort to be worth it but at least there is potential.

 

Would make for good henchmen though.

[Onisuzume]