Visual difference between units?

[EdwardBarfield9]

Hey,

How do you all differentiate units that use the same models?

-Celestians

-Battle Sisters

-Dominions

-Retributors

[Naminé]

I honestly don't bother. It helps me change up my lists if I don't differentiate between them, that said, colour is a good way, for instance, I use white edging for my models, but it would be easy to change that to silver or gold or whatever else you desire.

[dracpanzer]

I dont, helps to swap them around for different unit configurations, and I enjoy the look of a unit that knows its respective parts and doesnt need to have them pointed out to themselves. But mostly because Sisters are smarter than Marines and dont need their squad color and number painted on their armor to know which fire team to link up with in a fire fight.

[Servant of Dante]

I dont, helps to swap them around for different unit configurations, and I enjoy the look of a unit that knows its respective parts and doesnt need to have them pointed out to themselves. But mostly because Sisters are smarter than Marines and dont need their squad color and number painted on their armor to know which fire team to link up with in a fire fight.

Yep. You could also take it to mean that Sisters don't necessarily assign themselves to specific squads, and simply organize as the situation requires, to make up for their small numbers.

[Grgobart]

I don't bother differentiating between Battle, Dominion and Retributor Squads either.

I did often find it helpful, for Squads (not necessarily of different types), which I knew would be operating very close to each other, to alternate between having all helmeted models and all non-helmeted models.

 

I do however think that Celestians, along with Seraphim, should look different, as they both differ stat-wise from regular Battle Sisters. As alone as I might be with this opinion, I still hope future models of Celestians will share a slightly more oranmented armour design with the Seraphim.

As of now, this is all hypothetical of course, since I don't see no reason to even consider any Celestian Squads for my amry with neither the Current EDex, nor its predecessors, hence I didn't bother designating any of my models towards representing Celestians.

 

The more tricky question for me always is, how to differentiate a stock Superior with bolter from the rest of the squad!

[Arkaniss]

I agree with the general sentiment here - don't paint them any different. There aren't any specific models for any, they all use the same - it's not like Marines with fancy models for Stenguard or Vanguard so you are in fact limiting yourself. I give Veteran Superiors gold trimming to mark them out but that's it. That said if we ever do get new models I'll make them Celestians as I have enough rank and file Sisters so I can afford to.

 

This is also coming from a BA player who has Assault Marines with yellow helmets and Devastators with blue - I can't borrow a Devastator model to fill in for a Tactical squad member for example. Well... I suppose I could but I refuse to, I like them all looking correct :P

[Beams]

I don't bother differentiating between Battle, Dominion and Retributor Squads either.

I did often find it helpful, for Squads (not necessarily of different types), which I knew would be operating very close to each other, to alternate between having all helmeted models and all non-helmeted models.

 

I do however think that Celestians, along with Seraphim, should look different, as they both differ stat-wise from regular Battle Sisters. As alone as I might be with this opinion, I still hope future models of Celestians will share a slightly more oranmented armour design with the Seraphim.

As of now, this is all hypothetical of course, since I don't see no reason to even consider any Celestian Squads for my amry with neither the Current EDex, nor its predecessors, hence I didn't bother designating any of my models towards representing Celestians.

 

The more tricky question for me always is, how to differentiate a stock Superior with bolter from the rest of the squad!

The way I do it is by color around the base.

Black = Stock Soldier

Red = Superior

Gold = HQ

Makes it super identifiable for myself and everyone playing against me, haha.

[ValourousHeart]

I agree that you shouldn't paint your models in a way that limits how you are able to arrange them for a game.

 

But I also know how hard that makes it to distinguish between squads that are near each other on the table.

 

My solution was to have a couple different hair colors in my army. All natural looking colors, so black, brown, and reddish blonde.

 

Plus I try different paint combinations to get the hair colors just a little different from each other. Some are based white, some are based black. And I try different washes to get different effects.

 

Generally I'll keep the squads with similar hair color. But you can mix the colors and the squads still look good.

 

Other than hair color, all models are painted the same. And all the weapons are also painted the same so I'm not forced to buy power weapons every game.

 

For superiors and characters I paint the tassels and purity seals in a contrasting color to the rest of the paint scheme. So for my models they are bone, red and bronze with silver highlights, and the tassels and purity seals are sky blue. So just a little speck jumps off the model.

[dracpanzer]

I prefer to mix my hair colors as well. Though the idea of a squad of ginger retributors with heavy flamers is amusing, I think I will stick with just keeping distance between units.

[ValourousHeart]

Well it is slightly better than the Canoness and her bodyguard all being blonde sorority girls.

[Arkaniss]

I paint the hair all sorts of colours rather than all the same too. There will be all the natural hair colours under the sun as it never made sense to me for all the Sisters to have the same colour hair. Dying their hair seems like a pointless vanity for soldiers. Also I think it looks great on the table!

[Spacefrisian]

I have started putting Warmachine bases under my Battle sister models, they look nicer with them imho, and leave a very visible area to show what unit they are. I think its an option to consider. Unless you dont like the idea of using a base made by another company than GW, but thats a different problem.

[A.T.]

I don't currently mark out my units. Tempted to but I like the freedom of leaving them unmarked.

 

Celestians are the exception -

[Arkaniss]

Welcome to the B&C A.T.! That is a nice model indeed, the wings and halo work well Any chance of a group shot of a squad of them together?

[EdwardBarfield9]

I have started putting Warmachine bases under my Battle sister models, they look nicer with them imho, and leave a very visible area to show what unit they are. I think its an option to consider. Unless you dont like the idea of using a base made by another company than GW, but thats a different problem.

I actually prefer the rounded lip of the Warmachine bases. Do you have and photos to just show how you do this?

 

Also do you know if we have to have GW bases for Tournaments at WHW or can we use Warmachine bases?

[A.T.]

Welcome to the B&C A.T.! That is a nice model indeed, the wings and halo work well Any chance of a group shot of a squad of them together?

Thanks.

I don't have a picture to hand but i'll sort one out of the whole unit and their command rhino (sans the banner bearer who isn't ready yet).

[Beams]

I don't currently mark out my units. Tempted to but I like the freedom of leaving them unmarked.

 

Celestians are the exception -

Where did you get those wings/iron halo?

[A.T.]

 

Where did you get those wings/iron halo?

 

 

The wings are the helmet wings from the dark angels veteran kit. You need to clip the back of the sisters shoulder pads slightly and also nibble away with a file around the connecting point on the wings to square them out, but then they sit pretty well in between the sister and her backpack.

 

The iron halo can be taken from the terminators or commander sprues, they are exactly the same once you clip off the skull/mount.

 

The sarissa is the chainfist attachment from forgeworlds tartaros terminators, I got a big batch cheaply when bits&kits used to sell them. Some seem to fit perfectly onto the front of the boltgun while others don't fit at all, very hit and miss.

[Spacefrisian]

 

I have started putting Warmachine bases under my Battle sister models, they look nicer with them imho, and leave a very visible area to show what unit they are. I think its an option to consider. Unless you dont like the idea of using a base made by another company than GW, but thats a different problem.

I actually prefer the rounded lip of the Warmachine bases. Do you have and photos to just show how you do this?

 

Also do you know if we have to have GW bases for Tournaments at WHW or can we use Warmachine bases?

 

I havent finished those yet.

 

But the slots are slightly smaller than the GW ones, so some models need to have some cutting of those parts that connect to the feets, not much, slightly less than 1 mm. Otherwise they fit nicely. 

 

As for them being allowed at a GW run thingie, i think its best to ask if you are forced to use GW bases, there are GW shaped bases made by non GW creators afterall. Maybe someone else knows about this (at least there are WMH bases made by companies that also make GW bases, i have nice ones of those)

[A.T.]

Any chance of a group shot of a squad of them together?

 

Not a great shot (no natural light), but shows the winged packs from a few angles.

 

[Servant of Dante]

Awesome!

[Blackarmor_redtruth]

Great pics, love the simple yet fitting conversions.

 

For the rest, the only difference on my Sisters is their shoulder sigils. Silver for everyone, gold for the veterans. And hair color of course, though I don't have the variety implied above, just three basic colors. My Celestine Command Squad all have helmets.

[Arkaniss]

Very nice A.T. I like the bionic arm on the Superior too, don't think I've ever seen one of them before on a Sister!

[A.T.]

My Celestine Command Squad all have helmets.

 

One of the best Celestian squads i've seen was a picture I saved from an old ebay auction - sister superior helmets transplanted onto the entire squad. Must have been hugely fiddly to do with the collars.

 

[Grgobart]

Must have been hugely fiddly to do with the collars.

 

I've done a few Head/Helmet swaps on my Sisters and it sure is not the easiest of conversions, but I have to say it was a lot less fiddly than anticipated. The trick was to simply cut through the collar, enableing you to remove the head in one clean cut and since the collar is essentially a flat surface, it's quite easy to cover up the cut edges after you put on the new head.