IW/WB/AL Upgrade Kits: What Would You Like To See?

[LSM]

With the reveal of the Night Lords' Nemesis Claw for Kill Team - a Legionaries kit with "big" upgrade sprue - it is (I think) reasonable that the other three C:CSM legions could get similar big upgrade sprues. (And I suppose Black Legion too, though perhaps Red Corsairs have a better chance at being a "fifth".)

 

So: what'a ya want to see in 'em?

 

//

 

To begin, I'll note what appears to be in the Night Lords kit (note if I missed anything!):

• Eleven Shoulder Pads (Night Lords symbols on nine, "clean". One draped in flayed skin with symbol, one draped in flayed skin without).
• Ten heads (4 full-helmet with wings, 2 half-helmet with wings, 1 centre ridge, 1 lank hair, 1 hood, 1 other).
• Ventrilokar staff/remains.
• Pair of Lightning Claws.
• Custom Pistol, Poisoned Blade, "Hip Flask"
• Skin-cloak backpack addition, skeleton Chainsword
• Nostraman Chainglaive, flayed skin front plate.

 

 

//

 

It is also worth mentioning that this isn't the first time the Night Lords have had a conversion pack: a set with four different wing'd helmets, four different shoulder pad designs, and an arm with power sword released in 2008 (alongside the Night Lord Hero with power fist and combi-flamer.)

 

Likewise, in 2008 the Iron Warriors had a conversion pack consisting of: four different helmets, one shoulder pad design, one torso design, a meltagun, and a lascannon (with bionic arm) alongside a Warsmith.

 

(I wonder if we might see a repeat of the Lascannon in the IW set. It's still an option for Legionaries, despite not having a model.)

 

//

 

A couple things which excite me: the skin cloak for the Champion uses the optional slot that's present on three of the Legionaries' backpacks. I have long wanted upgrade sprues, and thought that said slot would be a great place to moor pretty extravagant backpack additions. The other thing is that the chainglaive wielding marine has a totally new chestplate (which extends down the front a lot). This is another thing that I wanted (though the CSM chest plates are not model-agnostic, like the backpack add-ons are).

 

//

 

So: I imagine (at least) 10 symbolled shoulder pads and ten heads for each.

 

Iron Warriors players already love subbing in MkIII heads, so some corrupted versions would be nice. A couple heavily bionic unhelmeted options. Some bionic arms (and a leg?), maybe a servo arm backpack attachment (or servo skull). Lascannon, or autocannon? A big daemon hammer, power claw. Frontplates with those reinforced armour tabards (like Havocs have). Could also be neat to have some proto-obliterators, with weapons mutating into flesh. Not sure what sort of "standard" the IW could get.

 

I don't have too many thoughts on the others as of yet, but one thing I need for Alpha Legion is the backpack standard from the old Blanche artwork:

 

[WrathOfTheLion]

Colchisian runes on things seems like a fair bet for Word Bearers. A diabolist-style head like the one in the Forge World MK VI upgrade kit would be pretty nice too. As for weapons, I'd really like to see an ashen circle rake axe.

Edited November 19, 2023 by WrathOfTheLion

[Lay]

The old finecast Dark Apostle and Warpsmith models incorporated some elements of the Word Bearers' and Iron Warriors' styles. The Dark Apostle had runes etched into his armour as well as books and scripture. Meanwhile the Warpsmith had a MKIII helmet, bionics and segmented armor (perfect for hazard stripes). I'd expect their respective upgrade kits to follow the same designs.

 

Now the Alpha Legion would certainly get sculpted scales. Maybe crested helmets and some tacticool scopes and antennas.

 

Personally, I really want them to lean a bit more into the evil dragon warrior look. I love the champion armour from the first Space Marine game. The helmet and backpack exhausts forming a three headed hydra is pretty clever and I'd love a model like that.

[WrathOfTheLion]

I think Black Legion should get some upgrades too. Right now, they have seven 'Legions' as the main ones in the CSM Codex, with Black Legion, Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Alpha Legion, Night Lords, Creations of Bile and Red Corsairs. Creations of Bile and Red Corsairs had more minor rules in the last edition. So I think it'd be reasonable to just do one for each.

 

I'm excluding Emperor's Children in there for the reason that they'll be removed when they get their Codex, of course.

 

Red Corsairs and Creations of Bile, by virtue of not really having much before, have a lot of room for something interesting in my opinion. If they do it right, they could add a lot of character to both of those.

[Gamiel]

For Word Bearers I can see weapon upgrades in the form of flamers, a crozius and ashen circle weapons. Pauldrons and backpacks with books, parchment, and scrolls on them and/or hanging from them. Lots of bling in the form of books, scrolls, parchments, bottles, thuribles, esoteric instruments and holy symbols (if this do I hopp that much of it is not to obviously Chaos so people playing scholary or religious non-Chaos fractions also can use them). A WB standard. When it comes to heads do I feel that they are not just going to give us new prints of the HH heads but something different, I have no idea what but I hope for a helmetless head mutated to look like their chapter symbol. 

 

‐-----------------

 

For the Alpha Legion do I like @Lay's idé and would like to ad nods to Blanche's picture above with scaly pauldrons, loincloths, alternative arms and such. Would also like to see an appearance of the head with the plumed skull-helmet and the one with dropping mustaches. Since I liked their Pre-Heresy look as shown in their Index Astartes article would I like to see at least one pauldron with that design on it. 

[techsoldaten]

On 11/19/2023 at 12:59 PM, LSM said:

With the reveal of the Night Lords' Nemesis Claw for Kill Team - a Legionaries kit with "big" upgrade sprue - it is (I think) reasonable that the other three C:CSM legions could get similar big upgrade sprues. (And I suppose Black Legion too, though perhaps Red Corsairs have a better chance at being a "fifth".)

 

So: what'a ya want to see in 'em?

 

I think you are on the right track.

 

Iron Warriors, Alpha Legion, and Word Bearers would benefit the most from upgrade sprues. The Cult Legions are already distinctive and Legionnaires already look very much like Black Legion. Red Corsairs not so much, they're space pirates and might be best represented by thoughtful kitbashing.

 

The thing I'd really like to see for Iron Warriors would be upgrades for Havoc Squads. Unique heads and more distinctive heavy weapons. I can get MkIII helmets for Legionnaires without too much effort, which is fine for them. It's the guns that make these models come to life.

 

For Alpha Legion, the thing I'd most like to see is scales for armor. Just an odd assortment of shoulder pads, torsos and helmets could really set off the range. When I see standard models with the green and blue gradients, I just think that's a missed opportunity. 

 

For Word Bearers, I'd like to see more worshipful livery - censers, scrolls, skulls on chains, distinctive chaos symbols, etc. Had to sculpt these individually in the past and that can take up a massive amount of time. But also standards - they feel like the Legion that would most want to proclaim their allegiance outside of Cult units.

[Gamiel]

For the IW I want helmets that are nodding to the ones on the old upgrade kit and the ones from their Index Astartes article:

 

Also: backpacks with servo-arms or mechanical tentacles. Cybernetic limbs, where at least one is more of the crude industrial design many 40k's cyber-limbs have, at least one that's just a weapon arm without any hand, and at least one that's something that's blending flesh and metal. 

 

Maybe a helmetless head mutated to look like a semi-mechanical skull and/or heads nodding to the Iron Warriors in the Will of Iron comic. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Gamiel

[Kythnos]

3 hours ago, Gamiel said:

Cybernetic limbs, where at least one is more of the crude industrial design many 40k's cyber-limbs have, at least one that's just a weapon arm without any hand, and at least one that's something that's blending flesh and metal. 

 

I would actually love some bits that mirrors the weird weaponized limbs from the IW artwork in the 9th edition codex. 

[Tokugawa]

IW deserve a terminator upgrade kit, make terminators less spikey and more industrial style. GW won't be nice enough to release it though.

 

[sitnam]

I doubt we'd see it, but if we do get a Red Corsairs kit I'd love if it has plenty of bits usable for other renegade chapters, such as the Scourged or Purge. Bits to kind of show off the ex-Imperial nature of these Warbands. More emphasis on new armor mark bits

Edited November 22, 2023 by sitnam

[Gamiel]

6 hours ago, Tokugawa said:

IW deserve a terminator upgrade kit, make terminators less spikey and more industrial style. GW won't be nice enough to release it though.

Based on that the pictures of IW terminators in the Index Astartes article (reused for the codex) and the Will of Iron comic, among other places, show them with the normal amount of spikes for CSM terminators do I think it's not that likley and in a way unfitting.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Gamiel

[Zeruel]

I would love an upgrade sprue for my Word Bearers that was half just scrolls, seals and other little scripture adornments. Other than that censors with smoke for the top of backpacks or hanging from chains, maybe a cool mace for an accursed weapon, some kind of censor flail or giant censor mace for the heavy melee weapon, shoulder pads with Colchisian runes and heads with daemonic visages, a standard bearer that fits the WB theme. Basically all the things I've converted for my army made a bit easier.

[Malakithe]

With these upgrade kits maybe people will actually use Legionaries now

[Gamiel]

2 hours ago, Malakithe said:

With these upgrade kits maybe people will actually use Legionaries now

Instead of what? Genuine question, what are they using instead?

[Malakithe]

1 hour ago, Gamiel said:

Instead of what? Genuine question, what are they using instead?

Cultists and Chosen mostly with maybe a sprinkling of Legionaries or none at all

[Kaiju Soze]

17 hours ago, Gamiel said:

Instead of what? Genuine question, what are they using instead?

Chosen, Raptors and Noise Marines in my case.

[LSM]

@Lay I was flipping through the 3rd edition Codex and a piece of art caught my eye: a bunch of Alpha Legion with "Hydra Head" helmets.

 

 

(Though this was before the 3.5 Codex, so lore-wise they're not the "sneaky, cultists fomenting" AL, but still the old "martial pride, inferiority complex" AL.)

 

//

 

Update: Contents of the Night Lords upgrades now known.

• 10 Night Lords symbol Shoulder Pads
• 4 blank Shoulder Pads [why?]
• 2 Skinthief Shoulder Pads (one blank, one Night Lords Symbol)
• 11 wing'd Helmets
• 4 not-wing'd Helmets
• Ventrilokar's Icon and Chainsword
• Visionary's Chainsword and Cape
• Fearmonger's Pistol, Knife, and Flask
• Screecher's Claws
• Skinthief's Chestpiece and Chainglaive

Edited April 6 by LSM