Best Way To Get Lots of MK6 Power Armour?

[Qai]

So, after years and years and years of pretty much being only a 40K lore whore, I finally hopped on board and bought my first miniature kit - 10 Mark III Space Marines. I finally want to put my DIY Chapter (in development and refined over many years) into miniatures.

 

For kit-bashing purposes (the lore details of my Chapter are on the forums...somewhere...) the Power Armour for the average (loyal) SM is:

 

Helmet: MK2, MK3

Chest: MK6

Shoulder Pads: MK7

Vambraces: MK6, MK7

Greaves: MK6

Backpack: MK6

 

The explicit MK3 kits are now available, and MK7 is always abundantly available. However, I'm having a hard time tracking down where I can get MK6 pieces en masse without having to do it via attrition as in buying boxed sets of 9 non-MK6 bits + 1 MK6 bit.

 

I would like to make a standard full Codex Company (6 tactical, 2 assault, 2 devastator) with a handful of added models from the 1st Company, one or two Librarians, a Chaplain, one or two Dreadnoughts, maybe some Centurions, etc. I'm interested more in making a showcase than I am to actually play the TT game.

 

What do you guys suggest for getting a hold of MK6 bits for ~100-120 models?

[Major_Gilbear]

The new Tactical squad kits have more MK6 bits than the old one. Each one nets you:

 

> 2 mk6 torsos

> 3 mk6 heads

> 4 mk6 legs

> 2 mk6 shoulder pads (one smooth, one with bonding studs)

 

The Assault squad and Devastator squads have a few bits (the Assault squad having the only plain mk6 backback), and there are scattered and embellished mk6 bits in the Vanguard veterans and Sternguard veterans sprues too.

 

The best and fastest way to get lots of mk6 is to buy the Forge World mk6 sets. You get five Marines in full mk6. Not cheap though.

 

Failing that, you'll have to convert your own from mk4 and/or mk7 kits. This is very doable (with mk4 backpacks being pretty close to mk6), but is obviously more work for you.

 

Finally, a much easier/cheaper option is to change your fluff to suit the kits you're happy buying! Mixed mk4/6/7 with Mk2/3 heads is a lot easier to do - simply use the mk6/7 and mk4 tactical squads, and either bits-buy mk3 heads, or buy some of the FW head packs (there is an Imperial Fist head set based on mk3 that might suit you).  :P

[Cleon]

Unless you are lucky enough to have Space Marine collecting friends who hate mark VI armour (there are some of us out there) who would swap bits, then I'm afraid as noted above if you truly want more MKVI than the normal kits you're limited to the FW packs or scrounging around bits sites at a premium.

[Qai]

Those FW links seem to be exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! Definitely not going to bulk purchase everything at once, though. I'll slowly chip away at the cost, but at least getting these bits wont result in too many of them being wasted, unlike what would happen with the Tactical Squad kits. I must say that I'm really digging the IF MK3 variations. Certainly going to have a blast with that! As for going with a mix of MK4/6/7, I prefer to keep the current scheme I have. From a pragmatic perspective your suggestion is perfectly fine. However, the switch to a base MK6 implementation is an essential part of the lore. The fact that MK6 kits do exist as you've linked will suit the purpose just fine. Might be able to save a bit in cost if I can find someone local to chip in partially that wants a lot of cone helmets! LOL

 

Again, thanks! Your reply is exactly what I was looking for.

[Qai]

Unless you are lucky enough to have Space Marine collecting friends who hate mark VI armour (there are some of us out there) who would swap bits, then I'm afraid as noted above if you truly want more MKVI than the normal kits you're limited to the FW packs or scrounging around bits sites at a premium.

Unfortunately, no one I already know (in-person) is into TT. It's taken me such a long time to go from just reading the lore to assembling and painting miniatures that over the span of years to complete my Company the costs will seem bearable. I just wanted to avoid the hassle of dealing with an abundant amount of excess bits (100 MK6 helmets I can tolerate, 100-500 complete miniatures that will not interest me is pushing it hahaha).

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

Maybe GW will make a plastic Bombardment of Istvaan Horus Heresy box set and you can get a lot of Mk VI.

[Claws and Effect]

Maybe GW will make a plastic Bombardment of Istvaan Horus Heresy box set and you can get a lot of Mk VI.

That would be awesome.

[battle captain corpus]

@QAI, I tried doing this a few years ago and managed to muster a couple of full tactical squads but it was through hook or by crook!

I begged, swapped and traded a few bits and bobs in my local store but still ended up buying around 7 tactical squad boxes.

Best of luck buddy!

 

BCC

[FuriousFerret]

Your best bet is to scrounge through Bitz sellers. Many of the newer space marine squad boxes have plenty of Mk VI bits. Recent Devastator, Assault, Tactical, Sternguard, Vanguard, Blood Angel Tactical, Blood Angel Tactical, and the Angel Ravenwing Command boxes all come variously with MK VI torsos, helmets, and/and shoulder pad(s). Some have a lot, others have only a little, but what they do have is COOL (Ravenwing come to mind). More shoulder pads may be had from any source if you just shave off the rim. You don't actually need the studded left pad, later versions of MK VI were issued without it, it just looks cool and traditional. Try using different pads for variety. Arms that look like the ones on the Forgeworld website can be make from MK VII kits with a bit of shaving. Legs from any source will do as long as they're MK VI - without knee pads. The biggest issue is the Mk VIpowerpack. There's one in the Sternguard set, but it's quite embellished and you may not want that pack for each marine. You could go for standard Mk VII packs or the new Mk IV from the Betrayal at Calth boxed set, they can be had by the dozen on bitz sites; or you could source Forgeworld MK VI backpacks on bitz sites.

 

 

Here ae some links to a few bitz sites. Ebay has more.

http://www.bitsandkits.co.uk/warhammer-40000-bits-space-marines-c-6_20.html

https://megabitzshop.com/

www.bitzbox.co.uk

www.bitzarium.com

 

EDIT: As for cost, some websites, particularly Bits and Kits, regularly have sales with 33% or 50% off. Sign up for the newsletter and swoop in when the time is right.