Dark Vengeance expansion: veering towards Chaos, but...

[LtDan]

So, I've been thinking about getting into WH 40K for a while. Got the Space Wolves codex, but never got any figures. But the Dark Vengeance set got good reviews so I picked it up. I went into it thinking I would probably focus on and expand the Dark Angels, but once I thought about it more, I am leaning towards Chaos. First off, I feel like I can paint the Chaos guys almost however I want and they will still be OK. And, I hear the new Chaos codex is pretty good.

So as a relative newbie, I have a couple of questions.

Should I just build the Chaos guys as they are in the box, or should I try to customize their weapon load out somewhat?

Say I end up liking how they turn out, what is the best way to expand the army? I hear customizing the Dark Angels into Fallen is a good way to go, so that's definitely a possibility for me. I know this question is pretty open-ended. I have only played a demonstration game of 40K, so I don't know my preferred play style yet, but in other games I tend to like board control (blue-white in MTG) and maneuver.

Thanks for any advice. In the meantime I will keep searching this forum and others for tidbits of advice.

[lobster-overlord]

The very nice thing about that box set is that the Dark Angels can also be used as Chaos very easily. I would recommend building the chaos side as-is, but as you learn more about the game and what you want in the army, use the DA side as your fodder for conversions. They can easily be made into Chaos Marines (Especially ones like The Fallen).

JOhn M>

[LtDan]

Thanks John! I guess I will just need some Chaos bits and weapons for them, right? That is my next research project...

[ElectricPaladin]

Thanks John! I guess I will just need some Chaos bits and weapons for them, right? That is my next research project...

Most chaos models use the same weapons as imperial models, just in different combinations and for different points costs, and sometimes similar bits that use different rules. For example, an imperial model's storm bolter is a chaos model's twin-linked bolter; they look the same - two bolters glued side-by-side - but have different rules. In general, though, a bolter is a bolter and a power sword is a power sword and a plasma gun is a plasma gun, no matter who has it. That said, you might want to consider getting or making some neat, awful, spiky chaos bits to spice up your Fallen Angels.

Green stuff is your friend. Green stuff makes great tentacles, horns, and other horrible gribbly bits. Don't be afraid of green stuff. It's not as scary as it looks. Green stuff loves you and wants you to be happy. Also, plasticard. Plasticard is a little less friendly, but massage her right, and she'll be... well, not putty in your hands. That's green stuff. But she'll be easy to work with.

[LtDan]

Started building them up last night. I started with the Helbrute. Overall fit was pretty good, but there are some gaps I will need to fill, especially on the gun arm and left leg. Also put together a couple of the CSMs, they weren't bad at all. Nice detail. I hope to get them all assembled this week and start painting over the weekend...

[LtDan]

I'm painting the Helbrute now. He's a great model, easy to paint and fun. I also primed the Chosen and they are next, once I finalize the armor color scheme on the Helbrute.