They Might Be Dragons (Space Marines)

Dragon-Shaped Chapter Badges

I was going to possibly play the Executioners chapter because I could also get 3d printed badges for them, but I quickly realized that would likely turn in to a huge and time-consuming conversion project.  I intentionally tried to keep my force somewhat conversion-free with a few exceptions (in the event it fleshed out the force on a budget).

Real Scouts have mohawks.
Thanks, once again, to David for the mohawk heads.

This Imperial Space Marines force is comprised of mostly things I already owned or acquired cheaply online or through trades.  It's intended as an army to use primarily for visitors that either don't want to travel with their army or are just getting started.  It was pretty easy for me to flesh out what I had bits and pieces for and turn it in to ~2000 points of Imperial Space Marines.  This force is also the first to get the 32mm base treatment (other than scouts).  I doubt my Chaos Space Marines force is ever going to make the change, but I'm using my surplus of 32mm bases from Betrayal at Calth and some extra from...David (notice a theme here?)

Acquired the apothecary chest and gauntlet
from a bag of bits.  No backpack, but I think my
chunky MKIII bits make it work.

I wanted to make my own homebrew chapter and I wanted to use a 3d printed chapter badge of some sort to make painting heraldry easier.  After much deliberation, I settled on this Dragon Head designed by Pop Goes The Monkey on Shapeways.  I realize that it's intended to represent the Black Dragons chapter, which are one of the cursed foundings rife with mutations.  They are rumoured to be a Salamanders successor.  Perhaps their failed founding is why there aren't any other confirmed Salamanders successors?

I reasoned that it's highly likely that the Black Dragons are going to be one of many chapters to utilise a dragon head as their chapter badge.  There are a decent number of other chapters that have the exact same badge as another chapter and differentiate themselves by their armour colour, I reasoned.  I'm even considering using the Salamanders chapter tactics, but not to represent a successor so much as to use it as a template.  I haven't decided yet.  I've been entirely too wishy-washy about picking something and sticking too it.  So far, all I know is that dragons are involved!

After planning out approximately 2,000 points (which was immediately thrown off by the release of the Chapter Approved book), I first set aside everything that had Imperial markings that I couldn't see myself converting for my much larger Chaos Space Marines force.  Metal models, in particular, were strongly considered.  I have no desire to tediously scrape and smooth metal models.  Currently I own one sprue of MK III power armored marines from 30k (Burning of Prospero; acquired from a friend) and the entire contents of Betrayal at Calth.  I'm using a lot of the riveted MK IV armor pieces on my Chaos Space Marines to represent a mix of salvaged and mutated armor pieces.  Between MK IV and MK III, I've got 30 marines to use as materials.  I'll only be using about half of these for this force, I believe.

Incorporating some of these models is easier than others.  For example, I've got the Dark Angels captain from the Dark Vengeance boxed set.  This guy is just covered in Dark Angels iconography, and it took me quite a while to remove it.

That's a rather large sword.

I've also got this classic metal sergeant model.  I always really liked the pose of this guy, but never owned one back in the day.  I didn't from the angle that he has some kind of weird mullet/rat tail hairstyle!  I set about turning it in to long hair, mainly because I considered it easier than trying to remove or hide the tail.

Pictured: Hairesy.

I also had to make some repairs to this model.  Whoever owned it previously had made an attempt at removing purity seals and other imperial iconography, and had quickly given up.  I had to reattach a plastic purity seal to the gun holster as well as slap a "veteran" icon over the belt buckle.  Since I can't leave well enough alone, I also removed his bolt pistol and replaced it with a storm bolter (which I consider quite an efficient option at 2 points, adding the firepower of an additional tactical marine to a squad).  A chainsword arm and a new backpack later, and all I had to do was slap on my 3d printed Dragon badge.

Here be dragons.

Here's a group shot of what else is built so far (minus what I built today).  I'm not quite sure what to do with the Stormtalon yet.  I acquired it for a decent discount, but didn't realize the cockpit was glued shut.  There's a fellow wearing chaos marine armor inside, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to paint the canopy.  I was hoping to retain a clear canopy, but alas.  Even if I had a replacement, I'm not sure how I would remove this one without damaging the model.  It's frosted like it's superglued on.

Getting awfully Imperial in here.

Let me know what you think!