ElectricPaladin Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I've decided to use Legion of the Damned rules to represent the Astartes ghosts summoned up by my death-obsessed cannibal necromancer-chapter, the Terminus Guard. However, I'm tossing around a few ideas for exactly how to do it, and I want your advice. First of all, I'm not going to use the standard Legion of the Damned models. They're too ornate, which means that they're going to look too much like the rest of my medieval-death-imagery-themed chapter. Instead, I'm thinking of using extremely generic power armor with as little decoration as possible. The goal is to create some ambiguity about exactly what my Librarian is summoning (just like there's ambiguity around what the Legion of the Damned really is): are they expressions of his will, the Emperor's will, or actual Astartes ghosts? I'll also be painting them with a green glow effect and using skulls on rods to replace their heads (kinda like these by the inimitable Carl Tuttle of the Independent Characters). Anyway, I've got a few questions... which do you think would be cooler? No chapter symbols, rendering them more generic, or...The same chapter symbol as my Terminus Guard, implying that they are ghost marines from this chapter. A variety of symbols, implying that they are the ghosts of marines from many different chapters pulled from their rest. The Imperial Fists symbol (my chapter is descended from Dorn), implying that the ghosts are only those with Dorn's seed. Should I use...A mix of armor marks, implying that they are ghosts from all over? The most generic armor I can find (ie. mkVI)? Specifically old-looking (30k) mks of armor (ie. mkII or mkIII)? Any other ideas or feedback will, of course, be welcome. Thanks in advance for your many and varied opinions! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainStabby Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I have always loved the idea of them being essentially "Imperial Demons/Ghosts" for the most part. The weird warp sickenss stuff never really set well with me. Personally I'd mix and match if it were me, but the ancestor spirit/worship/summoning angle could be cool too. Maybe instead of waking up Dreadnaughts for sage advice the chapter summons up fallen Chapter Masters and heros for a chat. No need to garrison your outposts, invaders have nasty spectral surprises waiting for them!Also puppetswar makes some cool flaming skull heads if you are doing flames at all they might be worth a look. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275142 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quixus Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I like the idea of the greenish glow. Now onto the models, I think it would be best to mix and match the armours, whether they are ancestors of the chapter, scions of dorn, or just any kind of astartes ghost. @Captain Stabby: Why only Chapter Masters? There can't be more than a handful or three for a chapter founded a mere 3 thousand years ago. That ancestor idea is interesting. Since becoming a dreadnought pilot requires some very specific injuries (can't be fixed, not dead, no brain damage), maybe instead of interring so harmed marines, the Terminus Guard performs some kind of Ritual to make those Ghosts. Are you familiar with the Baelnorns of D&D/Forgotten Realms? Or use the simple solution: The Emperor warp did it. It just happens to 1/x marines. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275154 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 I'll definitely check out Puppetswar flaming skulls... that might be a win. I also really like the idea that the ghosts are "captured" via some ritual... that would definitely put me in the direction of giving them either Terminus Guard or blank shoulder pads. My chapter definitely also has dreadnoughts, but I agree that this ritual would be an interesting way for them to use marines that can't be interred. I have heard of Baelnorns, and the idea of "good" ghosts definitely fits my idea of the chapter as "good" necromancers. Now, the interesting thing is that the reason the Terminus Guard is so death-y and has so many dreadnoughts is that the mortals of their homeworld, Ossuary, are known as "tech-necromancers." They used a precursor of dreadnought technology to make mobile weapons platforms and close combat monsters out of human soldiers, to help them keep up with the Dark Eldar raiders that troubled them before the Empire got to them. What if there's the possibility that these "ghosts" are also technological? Some sort of wraithbone-like matrix that holds the souls (ie. warp-imprints) of the departed and allows any psyker who is "attuned" to it (ie. my librarians) to summon them forth in daemon-like forms. Of course... the whole thing is now shrouded in ritual and secrecy. The "ritual" that connects living marines to the soul core is now part of their basic training, probably something to do with all the sleep-learning deathlike trances they like. When the librarian "attunes" to the soul core, it's also part of their training, though the elder librarians might suspect the truth. Neat! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275175 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 So, I polled my (12 year old) students, and they generally preferred the flaming skulls, with a smaller but not insignificant minority preferring the bald skulls, and only one kid voting for the no-lower-jaw skulls I've already got. Interesting... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275203 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainStabby Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 @quixus Was just an example, like how the SW keep going to the Bjorn well for advice and stories. Wake up another Dread, let the guy sleep... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275211 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolchiate Remembrancer Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I love the idea of multiple symbols or even just IF ones. I would even say have one shoulder be IF and the other either IF or a successor to really tie it in. As for the armor...multiple MKs would be cool but don't break the bank. I think the paint on them is what is going to make them shine much more than the bits. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275551 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damo1701 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 If I am right in my thinking, Forgeworld do some transparent paints. I'm guessing they add a "filter" colour, to whatever is underneath. If so, how about painting up as many different chapters as you like, by using your "ghosty" theme, then adding a filter of transparent paint, to allow for chapter colours? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275611 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quixus Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I also really like the idea that the ghosts are "captured" via some ritual... You could even add some fluff that in "recent" years the LotD aided Space Marines less and less. Perhaps both units are made from the same stock... Now, the interesting thing is that the reason the Terminus Guard is so death-y and has so many dreadnoughts is that the mortals of their homeworld, Ossuary, are known as "tech-necromancers." They used a precursor of dreadnought technology to make mobile weapons platforms and close combat monsters out of human soldiers, to help them keep up with the Dark Eldar raiders that troubled them before the Empire got to them. What if there's the possibility that these "ghosts" are also technological? Some sort of wraithbone-like matrix that holds the souls (ie. warp-imprints) of the departed and allows any psyker who is "attuned" to it (ie. my librarians) to summon them forth in daemon-like forms. When you first said technological, I thought Necrons, but Craftworld Eldar are interesting to and more closely related to the rest of the fluff so far. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275616 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damo1701 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I always thought that using Summoning should be allowed to get LoTD (or Lookalikes) without the Perils part. Especially for GKs... Hmm. House rule coming up I feel... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275619 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grotsmasha Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I'd definitely do mixed armour mk's, flaming skulls, and either your symbol or blank on the pads. Cheers, Jono Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275836 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 I've talked to my wife live-in creative consultant, and decided on the following: A good mix of armor mks, with a trend towards "antique" mks because it looks cool. Blank shoulder pads. I'm increasingly fond of the "something about this chapter's implants lets them use necromancy but also enslaves them to said necromancy, so that their souls can't ever find rest or dissolution" theory; blank shoulder pads gives me a little bit of ambiguity about what's really going on. I'll be using the non-flaming skull heads from puppetswar. I like the character they add - definitely more fun than the expressionless no-lower-jaw heads I was using before - but "flaming" doesn't really match my chapter aesthetic, which is much more "stoic and defiant defensive Fists descendants" than "argleblargleeverythingsonfire." Thanks for your help! Pics will be in my main Terminus Guard thread... eventually. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275860 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqui Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 A variety of symbols, implying that they are the ghosts of marines from many different chapters pulled from their rest. A mix of armor marks, implying that they are ghosts from all over? These options together. It's what I'm going to use for my version of them (mainly as allies for my Sisters over Marines, although I don't doubt they'll feature with them too eventually ) I'm also going to try using Nihilakh Oxide to give them a more "Ethereal" look over the bones and flames motif they typically have. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4275880 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Blaire Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 You guys may be interested in the ideas generated in this thread (it's about ghostly blue, but you could modify colors used to do green as well). Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4278414 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halandaar Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Quite a while back, my cousin did a number of units in a Vampire Counts army with just a simple white basecoat, Nilakh Oxide wash all over and a quick white drybrush; looked really good and pretty much perfect spectral look. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4279899 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 Quite a while back, my cousin did a number of units in a Vampire Counts army with just a simple white basecoat, Nilakh Oxide wash all over and a quick white drybrush; looked really good and pretty much perfect spectral look. I was actually Googling around and I found a tutorial for doing just that. They also added a Coelia Greenshade wash as a spot color for the eyes. I'm contemplating modifying the recipe in two ways: first, I'm thinking of using Coelia Greenshade on the entire head, rather than the eyes, and then going back and making the eyes red instead (using base and layer to establish a difference). Thoughts? Remember: I'm using the puppetswar skull heads, the ones without the flames. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4280182 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainStabby Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 "argleblargleeverythingsonfire." is actually one of my favorite battle cries!! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4280251 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 "argleblargleeverythingsonfire." is actually one of my favorite battle cries!! I really like the flaming heads... but like I posted above, my army is definitely Imperial Fists "solid and reliable" rather than Imperial Fists "ZEAL!!!" These are less "spirits of flaming wrath" and more "spirits of the dead, solidly doing their duty at the behest of a psychic necromancer, denied forever the peace of death." For the Terminus Guard... not even in death does duty end. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4280257 Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostHand Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I've decided to use Legion of the Damned rules to represent the Astartes ghosts summoned up by my death-obsessed cannibal necromancer-chapter, the Terminus Guard. However, I'm tossing around a few ideas for exactly how to do it, and I want your advice. First of all, I'm not going to use the standard Legion of the Damned models. They're too ornate, which means that they're going to look too much like the rest of my medieval-death-imagery-themed chapter. Instead, I'm thinking of using extremely generic power armor with as little decoration as possible. The goal is to create some ambiguity about exactly what my Librarian is summoning (just like there's ambiguity around what the Legion of the Damned really is): are they expressions of his will, the Emperor's will, or actual Astartes ghosts? I'll also be painting them with a green glow effect and using skulls on rods to replace their heads (kinda like these by the inimitable Carl Tuttle of the Independent Characters). Anyway, I've got a few questions... which do you think would be cooler? No chapter symbols, rendering them more generic, or...The same chapter symbol as my Terminus Guard, implying that they are ghost marines from this chapter. A variety of symbols, implying that they are the ghosts of marines from many different chapters pulled from their rest. The Imperial Fists symbol (my chapter is descended from Dorn), implying that the ghosts are only those with Dorn's seed. Should I use...A mix of armor marks, implying that they are ghosts from all over? The most generic armor I can find (ie. mkVI)? Specifically old-looking (30k) mks of armor (ie. mkII or mkIII)? Any other ideas or feedback will, of course, be welcome. Thanks in advance for your many and varied opinions! By the way - mine were QUITE easy to do. The Skulls were from the Fantasy skeleton line. I just used a small piece of brass rod into the base of each skull and drilled a small hole in the lower neck area (where the space marine helmet goes) of the armors torso to help suspend the skulls. I was really happy with the results. It was a fun little side project and I use them ALL the time in games because they are a great unit. I would love to see what you come up with... (edit) I would also add that I just used some old marine armor I had laying around from a friend that had quit many years before for this project. These are armors from like 3rd edition or something. (edit 2) also be aware I had to look up the word "inimitable" :P Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/318129-legion-of-the-damned-conversion-ideas/#findComment-4647842 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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