New to =I=, long time 40k enthusiast - HELP me pick a model

[Karamazov]

Hello, my name is Alex and I decided to finally look into Inquisitor after seeing the books, and staring at the gorgeous art therein.  I am a long time 40k modeller, and typically go through these cycles of building an army, generally very conversion heavy, and then selling it off completely on eBay, or through a forum.  I have done this with 3 ork armies, a mechanium force, a necron army, a chaos army, and am currently finishing up a forgeworld World Eaters army.  I began looking into Inq28, after seeing some beautfiul conversions on other sites.  So I got hte bug of wanting to make my own custom inquisitor with the thought that I wanted to make a full and true Inquisitor retinue.  Hell, I was thinking it might be able to double as a Inquisition force in 40k.  Truth is, I have never really even played 40k, just loved the models, the mythos, and have enjoyed the hobby -  creating custom greens, conversions, and ultimatly selling it all. 

And then I thought Inquisitor had all the conversion potential I could ever want.  I have some friends that regularly play D&D, so with any luck perhaps I can convince them to try Inquisitor.  In the meantime, I just want to make cool models.  I started looking through all of the noob help lists, and I am so happy to have discovered this website.  This community appears to be a nice, forgiving one, so with time hopefully I can purchase some proper 54mm models, and start making my first warband. 

I look forward to c&c down the road, and hope that I can also contribute to this great site. 

[Van Helser]

Welcome to the Conclave!

I haven't done one of the traditional big yellow welcomes in a while... Feels good!

But seriously though, welcome aboard Alex.  Feel free to dive in to as many discussions as you like.  I like to think our Painting and Modelling board has some of the best Inquisitor models at either scale on teh internets, and we're always delighted to see new blood posting their offerings.  We do love gawking at figures.  We also have a rules forum to ask about the game itself, the Dark Millennium section to discuss background, the In Character section for any writing you'd care to share, and away from Inquisitor you can also talk 40k RPGs from Fantasy Flight Games as well as Witch Hunter - Inquisitor of the Warhammer Fantasy world!

I think that's everything...  Have fun!

Ruaridh

[Karamazov]

Thank you very much for the kind welcome.  I will certainly be making use of the subforms to get some MUCH NEEDED advice on character creation.  I have already downloaded the "living rules" and will likely try to buy a hardback version at some point.  In the mean time, I have been trying to decipher the best place to start.  I have been looking over scores of 54mm models, for the perfect place to start.  I have fallen in love with Nocturna Models.  They have several great options for an inquisitor (with conversion of course).  I suppose this is as good a place as any (or is it?) to ask what the community would suggest asa  place to start with the inquisitor? 

http://nocturnamodels.com/product.php?id_product=29 The gatekeeper in 54mm.  I like this model alot, the stance is not that dynamic, and I do not like the head very much.  But it has what I like in the body and legs.  I would likely then sculpt my own body armor, and buy a replacement head for the model.  Additionally would need to get some weaponry.  The arm with the scythe may be problematic in that it is holding the weapon on the ground, so I may have to resculpt that hand or position. 

http://nocturnamodels.com/product.php?id_product=18 Cedric in 54mm.  I like this model as well.  The legs would need to appear more armored for what I would like, and again I am not a fan of the head necesarily.  The trouble with this model is that the cloak would make it fairly difficult to sculpt armor on the upper body.  Again weapon swaps would be needed ehre

http://nocturnamodels.com/product.php?id_product=33 Freya in 54mm.  I like this model.  Maybe a female inquisitor to start with?  Her boots are great, but I would likely need to sculpt more armor on the legs, and chest, to make her look more like the inquisitor I have in mind.  I like her head a lot, and her pose is fairly dynamic.  The flowing robes/cloak could be a problem in sculpting. 

For the look of the inquisitor; I do not have a preference on male or female, but I would like to try my hand at some more ornate armor decorations, for the chest especially.  There is an artist on DeviantArt that I have followed for sometime who does 40k sketches named Blackswordsman28, and he has some great inquisitor sketches that have inspired what I would like to attempt in my armor.  what I especially like is the detail in the chest armor.  I have included images from his site on Deviant Art below...

http://blackswordsman28.deviantart.com/art/Bend-to-my-WILL-49309983?q=sort%3Atime%20gallery%3Ablackswordsman28&qo=74
http://blackswordsman28.deviantart.com/art/Inquisitor-Josephine-36838172?q=sort%3Atime%20gallery%3Ablackswordsman28&qo=88
http://blackswordsman28.deviantart.com/art/Gaia40k-Boog-inks-27536350?q=sort%3Atime%20gallery%3Ablackswordsman28&qo=111

So I would like to hear from the experts here, where is a good place to start?  I am not sure of the weaponry as of yet, but I would like to get started on a model, and more specifically on the armor.  Trying to acheive the steampunk/industrial look. 

Cheers, and thanks again for the welcome.

[Van Helser]

All those Nocturna models are gorgeous.  Somewhere on my very long list of models to buy there are a number of Nocturna sculpts.  If you're a competent sculptor, then The Gatekeeper probably offers the best starting point for an armoured Inquisitor.  Chest piece aside, he's rocking some good looking plate already.

If you're not put off by the idea of taking a Dremel drill to a model to remove hunks of detail, then Mynarc from the Inquisitor range could make a basis for a Puritan Inquisitor with some hard work. 

When it comes to finding alternate heads and weapons, check out The Arcadian Smugglers Ring, a Yahoo group set up to allow people to trade components for building Inquisitor models.  Even if you don't have Inquisitor pieces to trade, folk will occasionally accept 40k bits or plain hard cash.  Have a look through the Inquisitor range and see if there are any weapons/heads you especially like the look of and see what the Arcadian Smugglers have to offer.

Ruaridh

[Kaludram]

Karamazov:

Don't be scared to start from other non-54mm ranges as well.  Older (i.e. 1990's) 40k bitz are the heart and soul of several of my Inquisitor conversions.  Andrea miniatures is also a nice place to find some basic armored miniatures and can occasionally be bought on eBay for a reasonable price (i.e. less than retail).

Good luck to you.

[Karamazov]

Hey guys, thank you very much for the feedback.  I have actually been scratch building an ogryn to get me back in the swing of things, which I will post some pictures of in the modelling section later tonight.  Here are a few ROUGH sketches (done in MS paint) of what I was thinking of with the Andrea miniatures.  I think I may end up going  with the gatekeeper, it is just a nice model with a really easy conversion. 

Right now I am leaning toward an Inquisitor who is a total greenhorn, but will eventually come to be a full fleged Horusian (but in secret).  As far as his associates, I really want him to have a  daemon host, and as I mentioned I am working on an Ogryn.  The ogryn is currently around 90mm, so he is huge and possibly a little unfair for the game itself.  I am guessing there will be a few inducted guardsman, I also like the acroflaggellants and gladiators.  Perhaps I will pick up the Mynarc model as the basis for an additional coversion and character. 

ALso, thanks for the advice on looking through 40k bitz.  I have to admit, I do not have a lot of the older bitz, but it is good to keep in mind while trolling through eBay. 

I am working on some background for my inquisitor, but I like the idea of him searching tirelessly for the truth of what happned to his father (also an inquisitor).  Perhaps it will be like a Vostrian thing, where this family has been sending men to be Inquisitors for generations?  But I do like the idea of him being a new and green inqusitor and having to learn the ropes of the inquisitorial hierarchy, as well as trying to discover the truth of what happened to his father.  Possible twists include purged records, a mysterious disappearance, and all the unsavory characters you can shake a stick at. 

 
Anyways, here are the "sketches" of the figures as I see them modified.