Helbrute

[WickedJester1013]

Any decent helbrute conversions for thousand sons?

[Skerr]

I got ideas, got the bitz but need 2 brute kits.

[Quixus]

I don't know, the two examples on the GW website (Missile Launcher & Lascannon, Hammer & Plasmacannon) don't look half bad out of the box, but yeah, too much flesh and not enough dust.

IIRC there is newer fluff why the Thousand Sons have fleshy Helbrutes, but I can't remember the story behind them.

[Heliomanes]

The story is pretty cool. The Thousand Sons lure in fresh initiates from renegade space marine chapters, and promise to induct them in the ways of sorcery. They are taught how to do self-initiation rituals to this effect, but end up binding their souls and bodies as helbrutes instead, cursed to madness and mutation.

[Quixus]

:cuss, that makes getting Psyker dreads (AKA Osiron Pattern Contemptor) in 40k very unlikely.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Quixus

[Tyriks]

, that makes getting Psyker dreads (AKA Osiron Pattern Contemptor) in 40k very unlikely.

Not necessarily.  Osiron Contemptor would be for a wounded hero of the warband as normal, helbrutes remain as slaves they tricked.  They don't all need to be slaves.

[DavionStar]

I actually used a Tzaangor head for my Helbrute. The idea is this guy snarked back at the Sorcerer of their warband and got shoved in there as punishment. Used the same glaze on the fleshy bits as I did on most of my Tzaangors so it fits pretty well I think.

[Mr Smith]

, that makes getting Psyker dreads (AKA Osiron Pattern Contemptor) in 40k very unlikely.

 

Psychic Dreadnoughts/Helbrutes don't make a lot of sense if you look into any of the lore for Psykers or Dreadnoughts.  Not even for Thousand Sons (or Blood Angels who already have them anyway.)

 

The 'fleshy' version is just the current model.  If you don't think it fits (though it might for the Cults of Mutation or Change,) jut convert it from something else.  My plan is to use a spare Venerable Dreadnought as a basis, which I also did for my Iron Warriors many years ago.

 

That said, I'm trying to find a viable stand-in for the Power Scourge.  Something appropriately flail-like, without looking too much like tentacles.

[Xenith]

 

That said, I'm trying to find a viable stand-in for the Power Scourge.  Something appropriately flail-like, without looking too much like tentacles.

 

My plan is just to get a bunch of chains and attach them on the nub of the normal DCCW arm. Add actual worky gubbins for a better effect. If you want to be really fancy, get the Blood Angel Furioso Librarian halberd arm and swap the halberd head for something morning-star like. 

[Tichinde]

 

, that makes getting Psyker dreads (AKA Osiron Pattern Contemptor) in 40k very unlikely.

 

Psychic Dreadnoughts/Helbrutes don't make a lot of sense if you look into any of the lore for Psykers or Dreadnoughts.  Not even for Thousand Sons (or Blood Angels who already have them anyway.)

 

The 'fleshy' version is just the current model.  If you don't think it fits (though it might for the Cults of Mutation or Change,) jut convert it from something else.  My plan is to use a spare Venerable Dreadnought as a basis, which I also did for my Iron Warriors many years ago.

 

That said, I'm trying to find a viable stand-in for the Power Scourge.  Something appropriately flail-like, without looking too much like tentacles.

 

 

if you are happy using third party stuff the stuff from blood and skulls might suit your needs (but it does lean toward "tentacles"):

 

[Mr Smith]

 

 

, that makes getting Psyker dreads (AKA Osiron Pattern Contemptor) in 40k very unlikely.

 

Psychic Dreadnoughts/Helbrutes don't make a lot of sense if you look into any of the lore for Psykers or Dreadnoughts.  Not even for Thousand Sons (or Blood Angels who already have them anyway.)

 

The 'fleshy' version is just the current model.  If you don't think it fits (though it might for the Cults of Mutation or Change,) jut convert it from something else.  My plan is to use a spare Venerable Dreadnought as a basis, which I also did for my Iron Warriors many years ago.

 

That said, I'm trying to find a viable stand-in for the Power Scourge.  Something appropriately flail-like, without looking too much like tentacles.

 

 

if you are happy using third party stuff the stuff from blood and skulls might suit your needs (but it does lean toward "tentacles"):

 

 

 

Interesting.  I would need to see how it works scale-wise, but it looks like a good start.

[Tichinde]

I'm fairly sure that one is scaled to an Armiger.

[Xisor]

I've had a vague notion to make the fleshy bits look a bit daemonic/ethereal (Warpstone Glow to the rescue?), and imply that it's psychic, just without specific psychic/casting/deny rules.

[Xenith]

Also remember that TS steal other psykers/marines and stick them in hellbrutes as pilots, so they dont all have to be dust bunnies.

[Mr Smith]

Also remember that TS steal other psykers/marines and stick them in hellbrutes as pilots, so they dont all have to be dust bunnies.

I think that was made up to address the plot-hole.  It's not really a satisfying explanation.

 

I much prefer to think of them as bigger Rubrics.

[Tyriks]

 

Also remember that TS steal other psykers/marines and stick them in hellbrutes as pilots, so they dont all have to be dust bunnies.

I think that was made up to address the plot-hole.  It's not really a satisfying explanation.

 

I much prefer to think of them as bigger Rubrics.

 

I'm in the same boat.  I want to convert some out of either loyalist dreadnoughts or HH era TS automatons to fit my army a little better than the standard helbrute.

[Quixus]

If you are converting anyway, use the plastic Contemptor. Same work, better rules.

[WarriorFish]

I was going to use Helbrutes for my Sons because I've used normal Dreads for my Slaaneshi CSM, but now I have a Sons Contemptor to build (and will likely get another, or an Osiron?) I'm starting to reconsider a bit. The Exalted Sorcerer box set has non-headdress helmets but if I remember right they're not a good fit for Venerable Dreads? Helmets would be a good way to make them more Sons but there's no room for extras

 

Maybe some other kits have some Tzeentchy bits you could add, such as the Rhino? The Venerable would be a good base, there's always the option to add some filigree and striping to it as Rubrics have along with the obvious in taking ideas from the Forge World Sons Dreads. Perhaps the Scarab Occult box is a good place to start, the helmet would fit and the torso front could provide a headdress part? You get one extra in each box :)

[Quixus]

The goats have some tzeetchy shields.

[WarriorFish]

I've had to raid suboptimal imagery from my galleries, but if you compare the Venerable Dread's Marine upper housing:

With the Scarab Occult's:

They look very similar to me, maybe not an exact match but close enough? You'd need more to make something look more Sons, but as I've discovered there's nothing quite like helmets to give something a strong theme, so a SOT helmet with the headdress would go a long way to making it look the part I have unassembled models of both, I will see if I can check this out when I have time

[Tichinde]

Headdress you say?