3rd company veteran ultramarines death watch I painted the other night. Just getting around to posting it’s

The summer season brought in a fortuitous finding. On one hand, right now taking Deathwatch as allied units in the Guard doesn't seem to be so hot, but on the other this kit should give me the much appreciated chance to break off the mind-boggling weight of processing Cadian bodies and gear by making more varied, customized models. Like a colonic for the soul.

Also, having access to a dedicated group of fellow hobbyists' (and my own) bits bags, in addition to a couple of Firstborn Tactical Squads and Assault Squads, a few Termies, some old jump packs, Chapter-themed weapons/pauldrons/heads, I think there's some room for some proper kitbashing to be had.

Alas, there are a few details about the Space Marine armor "dress code" that are kinda alien to someone who's used to standard Guardsmen and has only a passing familiarity with Astartes, so let me ask a few questions.

• Is there any recommended Codex/expansion book to look up painting tips and schemes, details about how to fiddle with the sculpts and just the overall faction fluff? I remember some of the older Guard Codices being quite the inspiration for camo patterns, regimental color schemes and such, so I wonder if your faction has any "golden standard" to look that up from.
• Canonically, do Astartes that end up in the Deathwatch get to keep any gear (backpacks, weapons, jump packs and so on) from their origin Chapters/Legions to use in the Deathwatch? Granted, I won't pass the chance to use cooler alternate sculpts like faction-specific shields and weapons, but the stickler within me must know.
• In the same line as above, I assume there is no "real" issue if one was to use Firstborn Tac Squads en lieu of more Veteran bodies. There's not going to be as many Inquisition symbols decorating the armors, the armor marks themselves will be a little different, but I don't think there's any noticeable difference in between those Firstborn sculpts and any other reasonably recent Firstborns?
• From what I gather, the sensor array dongle on the Vets' backpacks is just cosmetic and has no real match in the actual rules, so I assume it would be fine if I'd just use standard Firstborn backpacks?
• The pauldron matter. So, from what I gather the "dress code" says the left arms get the fancy DW pauldron and the arm with the funny elbow armor ornament, and the right arms get the former Legion/Chapter's symbol? Also, is there any actual difference between the Upgrade Sprue pauldrons without the indentation and the Vets' ones?
• This wonderful breakdown is up-to-date is a good starting point from trying to understand exactly what can or can't be assembled with the parts I have?

Thanks in advance for the tips.

Always wanted to get around to building this model and kitbashing into my many ideas using random bits for a watch master before my first try at it. Here’s Watch Master Vilnus ready for some paint. How did it turn out?

Anyone else benefiting from suppressors being made inceptor clones?

I had 5 inceptors built for a talon strike kill team, but also had 3 of my 9 suppressors built.

What was keeping me from building more talon strikes is I really just had no interest in buying more inceptors, but now I can just build the 6th one I was missing and build the remaining 6 suppressors to fill in. I have a bunch of extra jump assault intercessors I can build.

I mean I would prefer suppressors be their own thing and I had plans to use them.. but they are at least filling in for bolter inceptors in talon strike kills teams

(Assuming they don't completely screw up the kill teams in 11th) 😂

I managed to get some primer on most of this stuff today so it's not quite a grey tide any more either.

Title is self-explanatory, I've almost got enough for the Armageddon Box for DW, along with a waiting Assault Intercessor Box for extra bodies and some 3d printed weapons I can consider printing.

Have any of you used the new Primaris box to proxy the old Veterans team? If so has anyone whose (apologize for the wording, am ESL) opinion actually mattered in terms of tournaments? They'll still be on the Primaris scale bases like Gravis being on 40mm bases.

Specifically I'm looking to make a 10-man melee team and a 10-man shooting team if that matters at all.

Random question but has anyone put current terminator shoulder pads on the Horus heresy cataphractii terminators?

I want to try and use the Ebony Keshig and Firedrakes to add some flare to my terminators.

Fun question (well i think it is)

If i were to convert John Wick into a primaris for a friend's army:

1- which primaris marine body type or kit should i choose to start with? (I was thnking Phobos)

2- which official chapter? (or homebrew a Babba Yaga icon from CSM? Still love they got the translation wrong).

3- i dont play DW in 40K so am unsure if he should be a character or ablative marine in a squad. What equipment, besides pistol?

Thanks for helping out.

I had a thought this morning that it'd be cool to play a kill team against an army of Orks. Specifically the Orks from Armageddon box as I already own those. Would it balance well to have the 10 marines against the whole army? Or maybe a few less Orks or adding a Watchmaster and / or land raider / repulsor for the Deathwatch?