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Modelling Death Company


Fahlnor

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Hey, folks.

 

I'm putting together a squad of ten Death Company, combining the gorgeous DC kit with the Assault Squad to "dilute" the intensity of the models.

 

I have a couple of questions:

 

First question: there are fully twenty shoulder pads in the Death Company box.  I'd happily use them for all the models, but I'm struggling to see any consistent pattern in the designs.  I know that classically, Blood Angels would have Chapter symbol on the left shoulder and Company on the right.  In terms of the Death Company, does this just go right out the window?  There are actually ten shoulder pads which all have a blood drop featuring particularly heavily in the design - maybe I should pop those all onto the left shoulder and put the others on the right?

 

Second question: I've posed a couple of models with dual-weapons (ie., one with two bolt pistols and one with two chainswords).  Does anyone have any thoughts on dual-weapon poses?

 

The rough poses are these two:

 

http://i.imgur.com/A7UeuNzl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/jnudcgRl.jpg

 

 

Would appreciate feedback, folks!

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I'd try a couple where the weapons point at the same target for a more aggressive pose. Looking good though.

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

Yeah, I've done that before.  I find getting guns pointing in the same direction can be incredibly tough without a good amount of chopping - normally I'd be all over that, but I kinda want to play around with making the kits as they are, y'know?

 

The other problem is that when you do find the components to have two weapons pointing on a single model, you lose the option for the aggressive weapon on at least one of your models.  This lets me balance the unit out slightly, if that makes sense?  I recently moved country and have essentially restarted my hobby from scratch.  I don't have a bitz box, I don't have existing units - literally everything I have access to at the moment is the Death Company box and the Assault Squad box.  It's kinda refreshing getting a completely clean start!

 

Blood drop shoulder pads are as follows:

 

http://i.imgur.com/ChSTQMwl.jpg

 

Do you think they could stand in for the Chapter symbol?  That would leave the right shoulders being pretty random, I guess.

DC are random, they don't adhere to the usual heraldry conventions of the rest of the chapter...

 

Why?

 

I mean, they're just battle brothers with their armour painted black.  Surely they should still very much have the Chapter symbol on their pauldron?

 

Page 21 of the Blood Angels Codex shows an example of Lost Brother Raphelus, formerly of the Blood Angels 3rd Company, 4th Tactical Squad, now consigned to the Death Company.  The picture has Chapter symbol on the left shoulder as normal and arguably even has his former squad marked on the right knee.  His right pauldron is harder to make out and looks less like it still bears the 3rd Company symbol, but it suggests the Death Company should still use basically the original markings of their former squad and company.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm quite happy to use more random shoulder pauldrons - I'm just confused as to why we'd do that.

As far as pointing two weapons at the same target goes there is the set of arms on the vehicle sprue that are holding the pistol grips of the pintle mounted weapon support. Trim off the middle bar, clean up the hands and you have two arms pointing in the same direction which can have a variety of weapons in them.

As far as pointing two weapons at the same target goes there is the set of arms on the vehicle sprue that are holding the pistol grips of the pintle mounted weapon support. Trim off the middle bar, clean up the hands and you have two arms pointing in the same direction which can have a variety of weapons in them.

 

That's a fantastic idea.  I'll definitely look into it, thanks!

A blood drop with wings is a Chapter symbol, a drop without wings is for company designation. One drop for companies 2-5 and two for companies 6-9. If the DC indeed only repainted the armour. Unfortunately among those sixteen shoulder pads there are only six suitable shoulder pads. You could probably paint wings around pad #75 and completely paint the chapter symbol on pad #80. 

 

But you are probably better off not worrying to much about the "correct" shoulder pads and the claim that the armour is only repainted. the pads alone show that it can't really be the case. 2 in 8 DC are priests (chalice on the shoulder pad)? That sounds a bit much.

Historically the death comp had the chapter symbol in white but no other 'original' markings. The red saltires and blood drops obscured everything they had before (2nd ed).

 

Now, i'd say as long as they have some blood angelly symbols on them somewhere then go for it.

Thanks, folks.

 

I'm planning to glue up the first five models with bolt pistol/chainsword (or pistol/pistol and chainsword/chainsword!) and then magnetise the remaining five to allow for power fists, thunderhammers and power weapons.  Will also be magnetising the backpacks for jump packs or otherwise.  This is the start of my Tale of Gamers stuff - I'll open up a proper ToG thread in case anybody has any interest in following along!

The DC box makes 5 marines and you get 5 winged blood drop shoulder pads for their chapter icon.

 

DC still keep the BA chapter badge, but in white, on their left shoulder, but this is open to interpretation.

 

Blood drop icons should work fine, or use transfers, or freehand, or whatever.

I personally think there is too much bling and not enough red crosses on the new DC kit, just imho (baring in mind I am a child of the Angels of Death era).

But then I think there is too much bling throughout the whole range, I like it, it just needs diluting.

As for poses, the new arms and legs are great for agrressive poses none converted, a little conversion work and you can really go to town. I have a couple of dual weapon poses myself, can look uber aggressive when done right. I like thumbsup.gif

  • 1 month later...

I know I'm a bit late to this party but i typically put the red X on the right shoulder and then a random pad on the left. The box comes with enough pads to do this with. I always think of the DC being assault oriented so I try to match the X symbol of "Codex" marines. In "most" GW pics and promotional ephemera they model them primarily with the red X on the right shoulder as well. 

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