Horus Hersy Jaxom's Astartes Corner: Converting A Sharpshooter Gravis Captain 31/01/26

[jaxom]

Bit of an update.

 

 

Some WIP shots I remembered to take this time:

 

 

 

 

It's the Assault Intercessor Sergeant's power sword arm, a Prosecutor spear shaft, and I think the head is from a Black Templar kit?

 

[jaxom]

Inquisitorial Access >> Ordo Astartes >> ************

IIN 540982753443

Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.VIII

Subject: Aelinos

 

Like other command-level members of the Chapter, the "Captain of the Grey" or Eighth Company uses an Approved Variant High Gothic appellation specific to position when dealing with outsiders [See Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.Urans_Hollow Subject: Language]. The native form roughly translates to "Funeral Song." Per the Codex2 status of the Chapter, the captain of the Eighth Company is nominally its Lord Executioner. The native form translates to "Heart Seeker." The exact nature of the role and its rituals were observed to be in 93% compliance with the current Ordos-approved Tactica Imperialis Codex Astartes material. At time of investigation, the company's captain was newly invested following the death of the previous Aelinos. 

 

The current Captain Aelinos has yet to lead the company on an independent campaign; the company has been on deployment with the Fourth Company [See Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.IV Subject: Deployment].

 

 

Inquisitorial Access >> Ordo Astartes >> ************

IIN 540982753443

Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.VIII

Subject: Logistics >> Search*Excerpt: Lvl-00 Rarity

XRefSub: Heroi 

 

The Nebulae Steppe campaign after the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum drastically reduced available sets of relic armor and weapons; and those of the Eighth Company were no exception. All Angelus-pattern bolt weapons gifted to the Company at the Triumph of Karis Cephalon were lost, and no set of Heroi armor remained intact. The arrival of a Torchbearer fleet (investigation into which one was unsuccessful) brought much needed material support. The Chapter's artificers no longer had to choose if they would mutilate some of the venerable machine-spirits to repair others. The Master of the Forge used Cawl-pattern Heavy Bolt Pistols as the template for a Chapter-specific variant to replace lost Angelus-pattern bolt weapons. The Chapter forge maintains its ability to produce Sidereal-pattern weaponry from Uran's Hollow's native ores and the exotic materials from the nebulae bordering the Nebulae Steppes.  

 

[jaxom]

Turns out the Grey Knight helmets I had saved for this project were a bit too big to fit comfortably with the jump packs.

 

Real talk: always keep bits from what you're working if the cut is clean. I was able to use the sword hilt from the Sergeant arm on the arm that will have the Herald's sword.

 

 

 

[jaxom]

And that's six Counts-As Sanguinary Guard converted and assembled (except for jump packs because those are getting done separately to make things easier to paint).

 

 

[jaxom]

Tried out magnetizing an Aggressor. I couldn't find my drill pins so I had to pick more. They are duller than a very dull thing and made drilling the hole for the backpack magnet quite a challenge. I couldn't get it flush . Careful application of GS and superglue did the rest.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2025 by jaxom

[Firedrake Cordova]

Sounds like a frustrating experience.  

 

The end result looks good, though

[jaxom]

@Firedrake Cordova, thank you and it went better the second time around.

 

I've made a tutorial for the process.

 

[jaxom]

I had a desire to work on a conversion, but also wanted something to do that would be faster than the Aggressors (all the magnetizing and GS patience is slow burn). So over the past few days I've been building Heavy Intercessors. It gave me an idea of how many bits I had to work with for an Apothecary Biologis. Upfront: I ordered a spare Heavy Intercessor legs, torso, and power pack because I need the ones from my kits to make full squads. I figured I could source arms, etc, from the kits and other bits.

 

 

 

 

I like that both Apothecaries ended up with Mk7 helmets.

 

And fun pic from when I was looking for scanner type bits: not even Cawl can improve upon the perfection of the auspex.

 

 

 

[jaxom]

I'm trying to get some more models done so I can prime them this weekend for Call To Arms (and June Monthly Challenge). Ideally, I'll get a Dreadnought, 3 Bladeguard, and a Judiciar done by Saturday morning.

 

The Judiciar is a a great base model for conversions. It's just a but too something for my tastes with the half-skull and gaiter head, and no shoulder pad on one arm. I could use some feedback on choosing the head for the conversion:

 

1) Mk 6 helmet

 

2) Bladeguard helmet

 

3) Templar half-grille helmet

 

Thanks in advance 

[Terminatorinhell]

I'm partial to the beaky helmet. 

Other suggestions include a T shape old khorne helmet without horns or an old chaos warriors helmet without horns. 

 

Added pics for context 

First is the khorne head

Second Pic, the heavy bolter guys head but imagine it without the horns 

Edited June 13, 2025 by Terminatorinhell

[jaxom]

Ooh I don’t have those but I can try a Mk2 from Templar sprue; though I’ve saving that for Helbrecht.

 

edit: actually. I might have Mk2 tank driver helmet. I’ll check when I get home.

Edited June 13, 2025 by jaxom

[jaxom]

With Mk2 tank helmet:

 

 

 

Thoughts?

[Naryn]

I like half-grille the best! Love the tweak you made to the sword arm

[W.A.Rorie]

Half grille.  Liking the army so far!

 

[ZeroWolf]

I'm honestly torn. Both half grille and Mk 2 look great.

[kabaakaba]

Mk2 is the best. Half grill looks a bit off.

[jaxom]

Inquisitorial Access >> Ordo Astartes >> ************

IIN 540982753443

Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.Command

Revision Request - Pending

Subject: Heroi

 

Inquisitor [Redacted]'s report is incorrect. The Honor Guards of the chapter are not heroi or "heroes". They members of heroi or hero-cults. Each Honor Squad is responsible for one of the chapter's katabaenos [See Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.Forge Subject: Dreadnoughts]. The chapter's belief is that the katabaenos journey to the realm of the dead while inactive, and travel back when called by the chapter's Techmarines. Heroi memorize the deeds and lessons of their katabaenos and teach them to the neophytes. Should a katabaenos suffer such damage that they can no longer be brought back, it is their heroi that hold vigil for this final journey to the Emperor's side while the Techmarines restore the damaged ironform. In this way, each heroi becomes the keeper of each ironform's history and lineage. It is not uncommon for a  heroi member to leave and join an eryneus [See Tempestus.Upsilon-938.Codex2.Milites_Solis.Beliefs Subject: Atonement] squad when they were particularly close to their lost katabaenos.

 

 

 

 

[ZeroWolf]

Nice use of the space marine shield there, looks a great fit 

[jaxom]

Oh wow, there's a lot I didn't update this for. I'll see what I can do about getting pics of the finished Brutalis and Judiciar.

 

In the meant time, after burning out in July (I did too much too quickly to get some stuff done for a tournament), I've started working on stuff again.

 

Librarian with Hammerhand

 

 

The idea is the arm is a psychic projection. I'm not sure if it needs something... more.

[jaxom]

I think this is a good example of being okay with a bland look because trying to do the details or get fancy is not worth the effort. No decal yet on the shoulder pad because I'm also working on some Bladeguard and will do them as a batch.

[BadgersinHills]

Cool idea! Is the idea that the psychic projection is a replacement for the cut off arm or on top of the arm? You could paint some gore effects where the psychic arm meets the body.

[jaxom]

Cut off, though it’s an old wound. I got the idea from an old comic book.

[jaxom]

My will was not strong enough. I could no longer resist GW's siren call to use Epic Heroes.

 

I snapped the sword arm off my Gravis Captain and took a look at my bitz box. Low and no behold a right-handed powerfist. So I cobbled this together instead.

 

Now I'll have a counts-as Marneus Calgar.

 

 

Perhaps it was always meant to be; I did paint 1st Company white on his loincloth and cape rather than 4th Company green. I'll probably also take the opportunity to spruce up the chest Imperialis.

Edited January 30 by jaxom
Mistook an Imperialis for an Aquila.

[jaxom]

Short version of the story:

"A Gravis Captain with Heavy Bolt Rifle would go great with those Heavy Intercessors."

"You're totally right!" Quickly skim the mental index of available pile of potential, I think I found a match.

Morgan Freeman narration, "He did not."

 

Welp, time to start another conversion.

It was actually a Tacticus Captain with Bolt Rifle. I grab a bunch of the leftovers from my Heavy Intercessors and Aggressors and get to work. The Heavy Intercessor kit is quite tight on what it supplies for bodies and shoulder pads though it has a bunch of extra magazines, pouches, purity seals, and two non-aiming arms (one left and one right). The Aggressors have an extra chestplate.

 

Step 1: Trim chest piece to roughly fit the Captain, use green stuff as needed to make rough into sealed fit.

 

 

Step 2: Add the leg bits. This was done at this point mostly to block out the final silhouette of the body.

 

Step 3: Saw off the left arm. Introduce the replacement at this point so the parts have time to get comfortable with each other.

 

Step 4: Check the waist area to see how things line up. Get concerned about your Captain's eating habits.

 

Step 5: Feed your Captain some plasticard and purity seals. Remember: 10 out of 10 Apothecaries agree that purity seals are an 'always' food for growing neophytes and full grown initiates.

 

Step 6: Add a cosmetic purity seal so your Captain feels even more pious and pretty.

 

Your Captain is now ready for more conventional techniques like using a Gravis head, Gravis right shoulder pad, Tacticus power pack, and cloak. Some may be reserved as sub-assemblies.

Edited January 31 by jaxom

[kabaakaba]

That's simple. Well, when you have all the bits. Looks nice so far.