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Dunadan
12-04-2010, 09:16 AM
I submitted this guide to BoLS as a guest editorial a while ago, but they seem rather busy at the moment. In the meantime, here is my guide to converting plastic Adeptus Arbites for 40k, Necromunda, Confrontation, Dark Heresy, etc., etc., ad nauseum. I'll be posting it in steps so I can include as many of the images as possible as images, rather than links.

Hi everybody, combox lurker Dunadan here. A while back (http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2008/11/play-aid-adeptus-arbites-mini-dex-from.html) BoLS released their Adeptus Arbites minidex, which I thought was one of the coolest fandexes at the time. However, I didn't have the resources back then to convert a full army, so while I was building dream lists in my mind, that is about as far as I got towards an army of enforcers. Flash forward about a year, and I discover this brilliant little game called Necromunda (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3072/necromunda). What's this? There are rules for Enforcers? And I only need 10 to start with? Sign me up! Of course, I didn't want to have to special order the metal models (and I didn't like the look of the sarge), so I decided to embark on what has so far been the most extensive conversion work I have ever done. I humbly present to you: Plastic Arbites-A How to Guide.

What You'll Need
•Green Stuff/Epoxy Putty
•Plasticard
•Space Marine Scouts Box
•Some Space Marine arms and special weapons
•Stikk Bomz or Dwarf axes
•A Heavy Stubber and Imp. Guard pintle-mount Stormbolter.
•Any other bitz you want to use

STEP 1
Don't assemble the whole model at once, as it is much easier to do the conversion if you build the model up as you go. To start with, just glue the legs to the base. After that is dry, make two small balls of putty, and two slightly larger ones. Press the larger ones onto the front of the boots, and stretch them out to bulk the front of the boots up. Then, using a wet X-acto knife, press three lines into the putty. Press the other balls onto the knees, and put three lines in each one:
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0059.jpg
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0058.jpg

STEP 2
Glue on the torso and arms. If you want a basic Enforcer with a boltgun or shotgun, just glue on the arms as usual.
•For a Power Maul:Cut the blade off of a Scout knife arm, and glue a stikk bom or Dwarf axe in its place. If using the latter, clip the blades off, leaving only the round nub at the top.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0009.jpg
•For a Plasma Pistol:I used a Chaos Space Marine Arm with a Plasma Pistol glued onto it. I just shaved off the Chaos iconography before glueing it on.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0063.jpg

Dunadan
12-04-2010, 09:17 AM
•For a Suppression Shield: Cut out a rectangle of plasticard, and put a small lump of putty near the top. Flatten it out into a box, and put a small depression in the box to form an eyeslit. If you wish, you may glue a winged skull cut from the top of a standard underneath the eyeslit. Glue this to the "decapitating" combat blade arm, sans combat blade.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0061.jpg
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0096.jpg
•For a Special Weapon:Use Space Marine arms instead of Scout arms, and just glue the special weapon into place as usual. You may need to shave down the little nubs on the side of Scout torso to get these to fit properly.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0065.jpg

•For the Enforcer with a Melta-bomb, I used another combat blade arm to make it look like he was about to throw it, and glued an Imp. Guard backpack on to him to give him some Photon-flash Flares and other stuff:
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0064.jpg

Dunadan
12-04-2010, 09:20 AM
STEP 2A
The Heavy Stubber is a complex conversion enough to be a step of its own.
1.Take the right half of the pintle-mounted Stormbolter, shave off the muzzle, and shave down the top. Then cut the Heavy Stubber barrel off and glue it onto the Stormbolter.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0060.jpg
2.Then take the Scout Heavy Bolter arms, and cut off the bolter, leaving only the handle behind. Glue the arms into place.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0062.jpg
3.Attach the Heavy Stubber with glue.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0068.jpg
4.Use putty to sculpt a new handle, and to fill any gaps left after gluing.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0086.jpg

Dunadan
12-04-2010, 09:21 AM
STEP 3
Glue on the head. Now comes the trickiest (but last) bit. Make a ball of putty and press it onto the top of the head. Sculpt it down so that it covers the Scout's hair and forehead, and ends above his eyes. It should come down to the comms-strap on the back of the head.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0081.jpg
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0082.jpg
Let the putty cure. Then, place a thing strip across the nose and under the eyes, and sculpt the ends into the helmet you previously made.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0087.jpg
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0086.jpg

Dunadan
12-04-2010, 09:21 AM
After that has cured, place small blobs on both cheeks, and sculpt those into the helmet and down the face, but do not cover the mouth.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0091.jpg
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0092.jpg
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0093.jpg
Finally, take a small ribbon of putty and wrap it around the top of the helmet. This can be used to represent either a precinct headband or some flip down visors (see above pictures).

STEP 4
Your Enforcer is now complete! If you wish, you may add extra details or bits to him before sending him into the underhive. For example, I sculpted some rather dreadful looking greatcoats onto my sergeant models, to help them stick out on the tabletop.
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0010.jpg
Dreadful looking picture of dreadful greatcoats

Dunadan
12-04-2010, 09:23 AM
Here is a completed group sans primer:
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0094.jpg

Enforcers Patrol the Underhive
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0011.jpg
Arbites prepare to take out an enemy bunker
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0012.jpg
Our sergeant finds himself outnumbered
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp347/eontai/Arbites/DSC_0013.jpg

Happy Modeling!
-Dunadan

Firebird
12-04-2010, 01:43 PM
Not bad at all, kinda like them!

Dunadan
12-09-2010, 11:56 AM
Thanks, I wish the later pictures weren't so iffy, but I didn't think to start writing this till I was halfway through making them. The mechanical hound was made from bits of sprue, a kroot head, and an SM shoulder pad.

rustbucket
12-10-2010, 09:43 AM
Nice work! Assuming that you're obviously using them for Necromunda??

Dunadan
12-10-2010, 02:06 PM
Yup. They fight all manner of strange underhive denizens, like the genestealer hybrid in the last picture or the abhumans I've almost finished.