Making an awesome BT - assault squad

[Fellend]

I'm aiming to make an awesome Black Templar assault squad and I'm looking for some advice.
I intend to make them all wear shields (I know it's ineffective, I just like the look) and the "sergeant" will probably wear twin lightning claws (I'll claim one is a power weapon and the other is a parry claw which works as a shield) I also want two flamers as i already have a plasma pistol squad

Now my question is should I build this from scratch using a normal assault marines or is it worth investing in vanguard veterans? How flexible are they with arms and weaponry? I don't have the skills or tools to do much with metal So if I can't remove the plasma pistols It feels kind of like it's wasted money.

Any suggestions on what would look awesome is highely appriciated. I really want the feeling of them landing in the middle of a horde, flaming everyone while holding them back with their shields.

[eagleboy7259]

Vanguard Vets are basically one solid metal piece, posing them or doing arm swaps on them would be a pain in the but. However I do think that you can go the easy route and use BT and DA upgrade sprues for the robes. It would be easy enough to simply file off or cover up the DA emblems on them and the use of the swords on a lot of their bits fits the BT theme anyway. For a commander you can always give the DA chappy model a jet pack and chop off his mace.

[harrybuttwhisker]

Plastics are your friend when it comes to converting

[Dantethegolden]

yea, definitely get you a regular assault squad and upgrade it with bitz that you have on-hand. No sense paying $42 for that not-so-great looking Vanguard kit. Spend a little time dressing up that regular squad and you'll have something more unique that you'll be really proud of. I'm making vanguards for my BA with the regular assault squad+the extra pieces from my death company kits. Also giving them each a lightning claw. I finally have a use for the ones leftover from my termie assault squad!

[Fellend]

Is there anything worth stealing in the new BA kits?

[harrybuttwhisker]

there are sprue photos up on GW's online store take a look and see if there is anything you fancy pinching

[Fellend]

there are sprue photos up on GW's online store take a look and see if there is anything you fancy pinching

They aren't detailed enough, (the photoes) I mean are there parts which isn't littered with BA symbols?

[Dantethegolden]

yea, all the stuff in the death company kit is COVERED in iconography, be it wings, blood drops, or embossed X's. but there is a TON of stuff in there. lots of shoulder pads, weapons, etc. If you were playing a BA successor chapter, you could make it work, but if you were playing another chapter, it'd probably be too much work cutting off all the blood drops, and by that point, you'd just have a regular part anyways.

[wittdooley]

Maybe I'm missing something.....but I think you should (obviously) start with the BT upgrade sprue. It has a ton of fantastic bits in it...

[Fellend]

Yeah the BT uppgrade goes without saying, they wouldn't be very BT otherwise. I'm just curious to see if there's more fun parts out there.

[lobster-overlord]

Honestly, with a little bit of work, using the Death Company box and the Templars upgrade, you can make an awesome set of Vanguard.

I just picked up a second set of DC, and am going to use them to make a Vanguard squad with the Ravenwing sprue left overs, and any further left overs will go towards bitting out some devastator squads I have into BA regalia.

John M.

[wittdooley]

Honestly, I think ever marine player should pick up at least one of every conversion kit that is made. There are TONS of bits in all of them that can be used for multiple chapters.

The DA one, in particular. At $22, it's a freaking steal.