5th Edition Codex Strange Art

[dex_911]

Hi all,

 

I was looking through my old codex the other day and I noticed this full page art:

 

 

 

It got me thinking about how the art team / designers work and talk together. If you look at the image there are few random things that don't fit in with the Grey Knight range:

 

1. The Dreadknight concept seems far better to me in this art piece. The terminator is strapped in and his legs are (inside?) the dreadknights. 

 

2. The power armour marines are wearing standard mark 7 (?)  helms and not the typical crusader helm.

 

3. The power armour marine to the right of the image is holding his storm bolter in his hand, rather than it being wrist mounted as normal.

 

I have always been curious about this piece and how the the artist interprets the models. The dreadknight I can understand since it was a new concept for 5th and maybe the model wasn't completely realized when this piece of being drawn. But the standard helms and non wrist mounted storm bolter is interesting since that has been a concept for grey knights for quite some time. Especially by the time this piece of art was made.

 

Thoughts?

dex

[Corvus Fortis]

Yeah, noticed such dreadknight awhile ago. I think, this art was under NDK or GMNDK entry in current codex too. Liked this concept way more than a baby carrier. I can believe that this thing is T6. And looks like a proper exosceleton. Unfortunately, we've got what we've got.

[Gnomeo]

With regards to the storm bolter back in 3rd it was only terminators that were wrist mounted the power armour folks all held it in one hand.

 

The helmet certainly is interesting.

 

In general I think it is all just creative licence

[Shagah]

With regards to the storm bolter back in 3rd it was only terminators that were wrist mounted the power armour folks all held it in one hand.

 

The helmet certainly is interesting.

 

In general I think it is all just creative licence

 

My 3rd Ed PA have wrist mounted SBs (released at the same time at the Daemonhunters Codex).  I think you are correct in the whole creative licence comment.

[DigestPantheon]

I'd be interested to know more about the communication process with the artists doing pieces like this. How much revision is there based on how canon or common their drawings are, I wonder.

[dex_911]

With regards to the storm bolter back in 3rd it was only terminators that were wrist mounted the power armour folks all held it in one hand.

 

The helmet certainly is interesting.

 

In general I think it is all just creative licence

 

My first look at grey knights was an index astartes article around 15 years ago now...i remember seeing a terminator and power armor marine both with wrist mounted storm bolters in that. So i believe its been established for quite some time. Just interesting to see the process behind the art.

I reckon with regards to the dreadknight, that art was how they wanted the model to be initially. But I don't think they could get it quite right so changed it to what we have as the model today. Shame really. While I don't totally hate the dreadknight as it is currently, there is something about the look in that art piece which makes it more menacing.

[Gnomeo]

 

 

With regards to the storm bolter back in 3rd it was only terminators that were wrist mounted the power armour folks all held it in one hand.

 

The helmet certainly is interesting.

 

In general I think it is all just creative licence

My 3rd Ed PA have wrist mounted SBs (released at the same time at the Daemonhunters Codex). I think you are correct in the whole creative licence comment.

Double checked the models and you are correct. Which is weird as in there rules they had true grit same a space wolves which talked about firing one handed and using it as a club.

 

I think 3rd was where they settled on style as before then are weapons had bolters incorporated like custodes.

 

As for the amount of communication I have no idea I would imagine very little as they would draw reference from models or the model concept art

[INKS]

Converting a DreadKnight like that wouldn't be too difficult and if I ever build one that might be what I try to do.,

[Brother Lunkhead]

I've always liked this particular illustration. It's what I imagine a pict-feed would look like, sent via astropathic message; somewhat distorted and not 100% accurate.

[dex_911]

Funny how the new sisters suit that just got announced does this exact thing with the legs.

[Waking Dreamer]

I did a side-by-side comparison also with a possible conversion idea:

 

 

Opinions are all over the place:

- Better than the Dreadknight

- Worse than the Dreadknight

- Better with thicker limbs

- Worse with thicker limbs etc.

[Captain Coolpants]

New sister suit does NOT do the same thing with the legs. The sister suit has her entire leg in the thin exo-skeleton thigh. Meaning she couldn't bend her leg. The old dreadknight art has the exo suit starting from the Marines knee, meaning he has full freedom to bend it. So would actually be usable.

 

To me, the sisters suit looks much better that the thin legged one, but for me, gives it a custodes vibe for some reason.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Captain Coolpants

[Skywrath]

New sister suit does NOT do the same thing with the legs. The sister suit has her entire leg in the thin exo-skeleton thigh. Meaning she couldn't bend her leg. The old dreadknight art has the exo suit starting from the Marines knee, meaning he has full freedom to bend it. So would actually be usable.

 

To me, the sisters suit looks much better that the thin legged one, but for me, gives it a custodes vibe for some reason.

 

Probably because the curve of the greave is identical to the greave of a regular custodian leg. Personally, I prefer the suit on the right, even though it's not as petite as a regular sister suit would be. 

 

At first I thought I'd hate the suit, but as I look at it longer, I like it more and more. However, my point still stands that basing it on the NDK design was probably not going to work, as it's a controversial topic in on itself. I suppose if you like the NDK to some level, you would like this suit as well?