Building a BA Captain model

[Tyriks]

So, the dialogue on the Tycho thread about generic captains as substitutes was making me look at existing captain models, none of which are all that satisfying to me (or they look really nice but don't reflect the gear I would give him).  So, I was looking through my disorganized mess of mostly hand-me-down Space Marines trying to find something to build a captain out of.  Well, I was wondering if people had any thoughts about using the Emperor's Champion as a CC oriented captain.

 

The pros for this:

1. It's a good looking model
2. His gear would nicely represent Valour's Edge with a bolt pistol (and I could put a pistol on his left hand if I want to give him an infernus or plasma or something)
3. He has no overt Black Templar iconography (he's wearing a Maltese cross necklace, but it's almost identical to the one the BA specific chaplain w/jump pack is wearing)
4. Right shoulder pad looks pretty angelic already, could probably be made into a winged blood drop
5. I already have the model and will otherwise probably not use it

The cons:

1. He is a pretty recognizable model
2. I would almost definitely be giving him a jump pack, but regular ones look weird on him.  The winged one from the aforementioned jump chap fits pretty nicely and looks doable, though
3. His pose is not one of a typical jump troop

I will probably do this anyway because what else am I going to do with the model.  But if people think he's passable I might start work right now so I can get my paint on without using any ETL-viable models since he isn't technically BA (I'm assuming, anyway, that an explicitly not BA unit can't give us BA points, maybe I'm wrong).  Thoughts?  

 

EDIT: Another relevant question would be: what have people used to build good looking captains?  Preferably ones that are clearly both bloody and angelic?

[NTaW]

You can make anything you want out of the BA specific kits, and it'll have more flavour than the EC model in question. Plus....isn't he finecast? *shudders* (not that he isn't a decent sculpt of course)

 

I'd wager a solid build would be Valour's Edge, a grav or inferno pistol, artificier armour, and digital weapons. Add jump pack/bike to taste.

[Grotsmasha]

I think that conversion would look pretty sweet, and in regards to the ETL, as long as the model is costed from the BA Codex, it will be a legal entry :tu:

[Tyriks]

He is finecast, which sucks, but I already did all the annoying work. I am only considering him as a stopgap until I can make something better, but I would rather have something tolerable sooner, I think. And the build you described is exactly what I was going to use him for. I would just need to glue on the pistol and make him a jump pack. He already has a really fancy sword and armor that is different enough to be artificer. You are right about him lacking flavor, though. Maybe if I feel daring I'll swap his head.

[Dont-Be-Haten]

Fun fact: every chapter used to have an Emperor's champion.

 

Personally I use him as the blood champion in the honor guard. I have also used him as a stand alone captain in my Vermillion Tears successor chapter. As well as a melee centric veteran sergeant. I just love the model and utilize it whenever I can.

 

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z460/Dont-be-Haten/F109D0DF-B0D7-4772-8525-882858FC80A7_zpstclv6sow.jpg

 

I have loads of fun kitbashed models. Elisha Gair my Vermillion Tears chapter master can also be played as a stand in captain if people don't like me playing him as a "counts-as" Malakim Phoros

 

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z460/Dont-be-Haten/6227d2e2-6b66-492b-9a48-33658ad08037_zpsx3swb5tx.jpg

 

Edit: For nostalgia, this was my very first blood angel conversion about 3-4 years ago, I played him as either Mephiston, or a winged Captain. I sure do miss that model some days.

 

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z460/Dont-be-Haten/e2e5391c.jpg

[Charlo]

I recently got a hold of the old EC model from the 2000's with the HUGE sword held in two hands.

 

He's going to be my BA Captain/ Preator etc once I add some bling and cover up the Templar cosses ;)

 

Otherwise the EC model is great for a captain, a jump pack and extra bling from our boxes will work well. My only dislike of the model is that his legs seem very skinny...

[appiah4]

Even if you don't kitbash with the plastic BA kits there are better models for a captain out there..

[marine7312000]

I think the model is perfect for a captain. A little greenstuff along the sword to cover the text and a decent paint job and no one will care what army the model is INTENDED for.

[Paikis]

I have trouble justifying a Captain. Why bring one dude who can punch things when I can bring one of these 3 guys who make an entire squad better and costs much less?

[appiah4]

I have trouble justifying a Captain. Why bring one dude who can punch things when I can bring one of these 3 guys who make an entire squad better and costs much less?

 

Because sometimes you really need to punch things.

 

And honestly none of those dudes add tankability to units the way a captain can with 2+/5++ aside from the TDA Librarian, which will suffer from severe mobility issues.

[Closet Skeleton]

I used a metal veteran as the base for a captain because he just happened to have the leg pose I wanted.

 

Fine cast is easy to hack to bits, so I wouldn't be worried about not being able to convert the model if you have one hanging around. Gently cut the head off and swap the weapon and it won't be nearly so recognisable.

 

Fun fact: every chapter used to have an Emperor's champion.

 

Some errata let you include Emperor's Champions in the wrong armies, but I don't think there was ever an actual fluff excuse for it.

[Charlo]

Back in 3rd he was just a HQ choice in the list of Special Characters!

 

That's it!

 

Ignore me - been so long I forgot it said "A Black Templars Army" in it.

[marine7312000]

If I remember correctly, the fluff for the Emperor's Champion said that other chapters previously had them. Found it.

 

 

Index Astartes II: Side bar about the Emperor's Champion: Ever since Sigismund was elevated to the rank of first High Marshal of the Black Templars, there are other who have risen to his place as Emperor's Champion. The practice of having an Emperor's Champion has spread to other chapters, but it is enshrined most strongly within the dogma of the Black Templars.

 

What I interpret this as is the creation and inclusion of Company Champions and some special characters as Chapter Champions.

[Tyriks]

I chopped off his left fist and made two hands for him, one a plasma pistol and one an infernus. I need to get some green stuff to fix his forearm, though - the way he holds his fist makes a pistol look a little weird so I cut off a little extra of his forearm. I'll use him for now with the intention of replacing him eventually. I want to find my BA bits so I can throw some wings on him. Once I do, if he looks good, I'll take a pic. He probably won't though, as this is my first attempt at anything like this, but he'll at least make an okay placeholder, it seems.

[NTaW]

Gotta start somewhere :)

[Tyriks]

My only dislike of the model is that his legs seem very skinny...

It's not his legs, it's everything.  The pistol hands I magnetized for him (especially infernus) look huge for him.  I think the legs stick out more, but his waist, forearms and head are all a little small.  I don't want to try replacing his dome because I am worried he'll look like a big gangly baby with a giant head.  I also just picked up a Sanguinary Priest to put together, but I want to check out his wargear options and see what bits I could use on him before I build him.  And I have the jump chaplain primed and ready for the ETL... I'm getting excited.  

 

Somewhat off topic but not really, any ideas how to magnetize the SP for maximum usage?  I'm thinking maybe just magnetize his arms so if I want him on a bike I could put his nathecium arm on an otherwise normal biker, since his robes screwed up my plans to magnetize his torso.  But I don't really have suitable bits to make him look priestly with a bike model.  Maybe my recent success with magnetization is influencing my thinking, though...  

[appiah4]

The Dark Vengeance biker sergeant makes for a great biker priest body for dirt cheap.

[Americanzero]

I have a metal one that I converted to be a captain. I added a storm shield to the left hand and it came out pretty good. I still have to work out a jump pack/power pack for him. Overall I think it is a great model to make a captain.

[Tyriks]

Well, I have an actual captain model now, but I'm not sure how much I like it.  I went to the FLGS after work to try and meet some other players, since everyone I know is either giving up or moving away.  Someone there bought a SM company command box, opened it, and then realized they had grabbed the wrong box.  Since he had opened it the store wouldn't return it, so he was trying to sell it to everyone there.  I offered him $30 and he took it, which seems like a pretty good deal (since the cheapest captain model would be at least $20 anyways).  

 

Unfortunately, the captain inside is really rigid.  He looks cool (except his stupid wing-face helmet, which I didn't give him), but his pose is such that jump packs won't fit on it.  Maybe a special jump pack would, but the regular ones don't.  He also was stuck with a plasma pistol (and his arm attached at such a strange angle that I didn't feel comfortable trying to cut another arm to replace it).  But, I also picked up the BA upgrade pack so he looks better than the EC, though the EC might have to be my jump pack version for now still.  

 

How do people feel about the command squad?  They seem okay for their points, but I might just use the models as bits.  Notably, I could put the apothecary's narthecium on a biker to make a sanguinary priest, and then maybe the company champion as a biker captain.  I haven't seen any lists that use the command squad, but that might not be the best indicator, so do people find them useful?  

[DocQuincy]

I love Captains and Command Squad! maybe not for their crunsh and points, but for there look and fluff! Nothing better than a Captain with his banner!

 

Banner is on the Apothecary for optical reasons only, rest of the squad has SS and plasmaguns.

I use them as monsterhunters or some kind of "Mini-Dante-SG-Squad"

 

http://fs5.directupload.net/images/160508/temp/vkp2fjsf.jpg

[Dont-Be-Haten]

What exactly are you wanting your captain to represent/Do? I know you said you like the EC model and want to work him into your army. But what are you shooting for? So to speak.

 

Best thing to tell you when kitbashing BA captains. Sanguinary guard bits go a long way, followed by some sternguard pieces/regular BA TAC/DC box. The jump pack from the SG should fit on the captain.

 

My counts as old Mephiston model was made from death company legs and torso, I grabbed a couple of bits from a mate for the plasma pistol/sword and some dark eldar scourge wings to represent the wings of sanguinus psychic power. The head was from a high elf Prince that I shaved down. Elisha Gair, my chapter master, was made with nothing but the sanguinary guard kit and a captain back pack swap that I traded for with another friend. The only problem is the sword and inferno pistol hand I used had to be cut and repositioned.

 

A young man accidentally knocked him off the table and I had to change his arms up but I still love him. His ponytail is actually one from the space pups, but I bonded it using the bonding citadel glue.

 

I have some step by step pictures. But honestly I'm rubbish with green stuff. I go off the theory of subtle changes, because I feel like those are what distinguishes your character models, fairly well. The only thing I did to my EC is I gave him a pistol strapped to his hip, and I put a wing over his left shoulder. And if I want the pistol to be something other than a pistol, it's still WYSIWYG because it is holstered. Most blokes don't mind it either.

 

If you want to be a little less fancy, sternguard make great captains. The sheathed power sword is an amazing bit. So is the tried and true cupped hand to carry a death mask. I prefer the aggressive look personally, and Elisha was inspired by Gabriel Seth actually.

 

The Lord Executioner with a head swap makes for a great jump captain anyways, and you can just give him the Valour's Edge or a relic blade to represent the axe, or you can swap the top half of the axe to represent the spear of Telios, or whatever your imagination comes up with.

 

*For the model you just grabbed a simple head swap should do the trick, and the SG jump pack should fit without the wings.

 

Edit: I missed the bit about already doing a head swap. IMO The BA command squad are best cheap with 3 SS and maybe 3 special weapons in a drop pod guarding either Mephiston or another like model.

[appiah4]

First 30 bucks is great value for the box. Second I assume you got this captain:

 

 

Hes really boss and would look great with a Sanguinary Guars style jump pack.

[Charlo]

Put a blood drop over his mouth where the wings are :O

[Tyriks]

Yep, that's the model. I tried giving him the fancy blood drop crown head from the BA upgrade kit but his pauldron was too big, so I gave him another head from the set and then a cooler right shoulder from the upgrades. I really want some SG to play with anyway because the models are awesome, so I might check bits shops online for a jump pack and then paint him to look like them.

 

Also, thanks for all the ideas, Dont-Be-Haten!

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Dang that's a fantastic looking captain. I never even knew that model existed. I guess that's what happens when I only visit the BA forum. I think I need to get that one and do a little converting.