Kitbashing infantry queries

[apologist]

The poses are so similar between the Mark III and Mark VI Tactical squads that it looks like they're made from the same dollies; but are the parts actually interchangeable? 

 

 

 

For anyone who has them in hand, or has tried it themselves, how compatible did you find the new infantry models for Age of Darkness? Can you literally kitbash (i.e. glue together straight from the sprue) these like the old models, or do they require actual conversion work (i.e. trimming, clipping etc.)?

 

Things like the arms, heads and guns are pretty obvious, but I'm wondering if particular torso fronts or individual legs (for example) designed to be interchangeable between the kits.

 

...and for anyone with the Mark VI Assault squad, how do they combine?

 

Thanks in advance for your insights and thoughts.

[LameBeard]

We know that the special weapons are designed to take both mk vi and mk iii arms. We also know that mk iii has vambraces to allow mk vi arms to look mk iii for shoulder-mounted heavy weapons.

 

This strongly suggests that the arms and weapons are interchangeable, and that “shoulder width” must be the same.

 

I also suspected that poses are repeats, so maybe a chest/leg would fit - but it would look like a Frankenstein’s monster, not at all like kit bashing the older models.  I have a few unbuilt which I was planning to build this evening, I’ll have an experiment …

Edited March 7 by LameBeard

[No Foes Remain]

They may have the same poses but their layout on the sprues are different, same with the assault squad.

 

I think I had a similar idea to you Apologist in mix-matching to make a hodge-podge mk5 abomination, I've seen people cut around the weist of both and glue them that way which works as you've got a smaller surface area to cut since the models are (mostly) split in half.

[lansalt]

The torsos and legs are designed as one piece and can't be mixed without a lot of cutting and using greenstuff. Everything else can be easily swapped, and in fact they share a sprue with the Sgt. weapons, vexilla, etc.

 

However, IMO mixing MkIII and MkVI is unfluffy. MkIII was a left over from veterans of the Great Crusade and MkVI was mainly used for new recruits in the middle of the war. Besides custom characters re-using their old MkII-III pauldrons (something that seems to have been common from MkIV onwards), they represent two eras of power armour evolution.

 

 

[Xenith]

Arms and heads are interchangeable, however the rest isn't. You can also mix and match arms across poses to an extent - The only one that doesn't really work is the one with a gun sling, which clips the legs in some poses - still easily removed. The poses are also identical between mk3 and mk6, it might be possible to put a mk3 leg on mk6 occasionally. You could absolutely saw the torsos off and swap them round that way. 

[Doghouse]

I think the poses are the same most likely because it simplifies universal upgrade sprues like the heavy or special weapons. This is a theme throughout the Heresy plastics but the torsos and legs are pretty much fixed and can't really be swapped without a little cutting and refitting.

The Mk 6 are probably the easier of the two to cut up as the torso and legs are pretty straight forward to slice in halve but the Mk 3 has the broader belt and groin plate which tends to make it trickier. I'm sure that it isn't beyond your abilities though mate.

[Mordin39]

The poses are exactly the same, just reskinned Dollie’s I would say. I’ve changed whole legs between the two marks for my black shields.

[apologist]

Ah, brill – if you get the opportunity to take a quick snap, I'd appreciate a look :)

 

... and since I posed the original question, I've had the opportunity to bash some models together. These are the Corvus armour kit with spare bits and bobs from various FW kits. All seem to fit quite nicely – and while the abdomen is the main awkward spot, happily a boltgun across the midriff hides any minor ugly spots.

 

 

The Mark III (front row, second from left) torso is a resin one; while the Mark IV (rightmost model) torso is one of the old-size plastic kits. I assembled the Mark VI bodies and let the plastic cement dry completely before making the cut, but you could make cuts in the components while they are separate, should you prefer.

Edited Wednesday at 11:08 AM by apologist

[No Foes Remain]

Yeah, honestly didn't think it would be a challenge for you Apologist and I'm quite interested to see where this goes.