Rivals to Dark Angels? plus modeling question

[Polythemus]

I have two queries. One is related to modeling and the other is related to background. While I don't normally post questions relating to back story. I am curious about the rivals to the Dark Angels Chapter. While I am aware that the DA weren't really at all involved in the Horus heresy, (which kinda sucks to be honest), and had a lot of encounters on there way to Terra with the night lords, it would seem that dichotomy being the watchword of 40k, the Dark Angels reserve a special kind of hatred for some rival, but who is it? Even if there is no ancient rivalry with a chaos legion during the heresy is there a Chaos force that the dark angels have encountered more than others? I have had some recent battles against Nurgle and Iron warriors so this idea of rivalry has sprung to my mind.

 

The second question is regarding the modeling of DA vets. When you compare the recently released sternguard to the DA veterans box, the DA box leaves much to be desired. The sternies come with multiple types of combiweapons as well as other special weapon types and the armor on the models looks really good. I feel that while there may be some who say

 

"You dare to eschew the ostentacious armor of other Chapters more concerned with prestige than the Emperors will?! The dark Angels are humble and monklike, how could you?!"

 

To which I say "We have Deathwing terminators have you seen the bling on those things?"

 

So I am curious to know how easy it is to Angelify the Sternies or achieve something similar form someone who has tried it. 

[Dam13n]

OK, I'll bite...

 

1 - Rivals:

The Dark Angels, of course, have the Fallen as their #1 Foe

The current point at which we are with the Horus Heresy novels is that there is a definite rivalry with the Dark Angels and the Night Lords.

The Crimson Slaughter have been raised up as rivals of the Dark Angels (through the Dark Vengeance story, and continued in the Crimson Slaughter supplement)

The Space Wolves have also always been rivals to the Dark Angels, although it's more a rivalry between competitive siblings than enemies.

 

2 - Conversions:

The Dark Angel Veteran Heads, Shoulder Pads and Backpacks will all fit perfectly well on the Sternguard.  The rest of the iconography on the Sternguard is sufficiently "Space Marine Generic" that it shouldn't be an issue.

The Blood Angel Death Company and Sanguinary Guard boxes might also offer some suitably angelic components to further the theme, the Sanguinary Guard also have plenty of ornate pieces to "bling" up the Sternguard to the point where they fit in with the look of the Deathwing.

Alternatively, there's nothing stopping you going to town on the models with a knife and some files to tone them down and reduce the ostentatiousness of them.

 

D.

[Polythemus]

I would say that the Fallen are not a rival. They are a collective of disparate individuals, and a manifested form of Dark Angel collective OCD.

 

I guess night lords are an acceptable rival but it seems that they have never accomplished very much or haven't recieved the plaudits of some of the other Chaos legions. The Dark angels are really kind of equal in this regard as they dont publicize their own vicotories in backstory terms, which is too bad (at least from a fan perspective), as there isn't really any great foe that's been overcome that didn't seem inevitable anyway. It'd be cool to see some kind of a time lapse kind of chronology of the galaxy and its various factions though the eons. Might give a better sense of who is waxing and waning as far as territory goes.

 

Crimson Slaughter vs. DA might be something eventually but for now its really just a manufactured rivalry.

 

As for the models thanks for the tip. Much appreciated. I wish that all those weapons were on the same sprue so we could buy just the weapons sprue but sadly, no such luck. I do feel like the armor is maybe a little too much but if you can't go over the top with veterans who can you be over the top with?

 

Curious to see how others feel about this though.

[Stormborn]

Other than those already mentioned the green skins are the foe in the purging of Kadillus and being probably the most numerous of humanities enemies it should be fairly easy to weave a  Waargh in to your backstory.  I did read Gav Thorpe's last DA novel but can't recall anything about it.  As far as I can recall the DA spent most of their time looking for the fallen although most of the battle brothers seem to be unaware of this and jsut wanted to give someone a kicking.  The 10,000 years since the heresy is a long time so I can't see any reason why you can't pick any enemy (except necrons they should just be ignored!) to be a substantial rival to your force.  Look at what forces your regular opponents have I would certainly be include them.

 

As to the new sternguard some parts of it I like and some are just too fancy for me the weapons are awesome.  The DA veterans I just love the look of them very distinctive and exactly what I think a DA should be, when I wanted some Chosen for a CSM force I went straight to DA veterans heads, legs and torsos with different weapons and back packs and the job was done.  so if it was you I would buy a box of each and combine the two not the cheapest option but after you have made your DA's you will still have enough stuff left over to build 5 sternguard or sprinkle across the rest of your force as required.