Storm Trooper Boltguns (How I did it)

Last post I featured some storm troopers I made from the Tempestus Scions kit. While I could run Inquisitorial acolytes with hot-shot lasguns, I find giving them boltguns instead is a cheaper and even better option. However, putting boltguns (especially space marine boltguns, being the most common) on scion models doesn't always look right. They are oversised and the left hands are part of the lasgun bit. I found a simpler solution and it starts with using the stock of the hot-shot lasgun.

For starters cut off the parts that look too lasgun-y.

The red lines show where to cut. Note on this bit, there is a thumb from the left hand on the barrel. Make sure to cut around that.

The next part is optional. The canister in the back could be seen as an extension to the stock, but I think it looks more like a boltgun without it.

This required a little creative shaving to remove it from the stock and forearm.

With the old lasgun stock prepared, we move onto a real boltgun.

This is a spare boltgun from an old Tactical Squad kit. Some have hands already on the underside and grip, but the good thing about this conversion is you only need a few parts of this bit.

Cut along the parts shown in red. This will yield some really small bits so be sure to keep track of them.

The only parts we need from this bit are the magazine, muzzle, and pin that goes under the muzzle. This old boltgun stock can be reused. I have made it into a space marine shotgun of sorts for a friend who needed one for his scouts.

Now going back to the lasgun stock, attach the magazine below where the cable clip was.

After the muzzle and pin are added to the front of the stock, you now have a normal human sized boltgun with a cool scope on top.

It still fits in the scion arms. Pictured is one of the rest of the acolytes I made for my inquisitorial retinue. More on them later. Don't forget to drill out the muzzle once the glue is dried. I did that after taking this picture.

Grand Inquisitorial Retinue - Storm Troopers

The backbone of an inquisitorial army are the acolytes. The many recruits and footmen who serve as the bodyguards and warriors of the inquisitors. They are versatile and can be kitted out to pretty much any role. They are a cheap unit filler which serve as special weapons, ablative wounds, and a huge bargain for what you get out of them.

Here I have the Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. The idea is they have been recruited right out of Schola Progrenium. Instead of the standard issue weapons they usually carry, the inquisitor has given them ones more appropriate to the tasks of their lord's wishes.

First their usual Hot-shot Lasguns have been replaced with boltguns. The inquisitors favor the range and stopping power of these signature weapons. Bolt rounds are more freely available to the inquisition than the Militarum Tempestus. The breakdown for their cost is an Acolyte+Carapace Armour+Boltgun=9 points each. I have a sergeant-like model for each unit that will also be wielding a Melta Bomb for 5 points. The guy in the front with the beret has one at his back. The conversion is still the basic Tempestus Scion, but I found a creative way of converting their lasguns into boltguns. I will do a small tutorial on how I did that later.

In units of acolytes, up to 3 can replace their common weapon with a special weapon. Part of the theme of my army is Plasma Spam! These 3 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers will be of the many wielding the potent and dangerous weapon. Acolyte+Carapace Armour+Plasma Gun=18 points each.

These are my 3 Afriel Strain subjects in my army. I read about the Afriel Strain a while back and knew I had to include them somehow in my grand retinue. While not technically storm troopers, they use a lot of the same parts, mixed with Catachans. I love the look of the exposed arms and gruff 80's-action-hero heads. I look forward to painting these. Acolyte+Carapace Armour+Meltagun=18 points each.

Grand Inquisitorial Retinue - Servo Skulls

One of the coolest pieces of wargear an inquisitor can take are the servo skulls. Not only are they really cool in concept and looks, they have a very functional battlefield role. These things are put on the table after deployment zones are determined but before any models are deployed. Enemy infiltrators can not deploy within 12" of one, and enemy scouts cannot take their scout moves to within 12" of one. Also your blasts that drop within 12" of one, scatter 1d6 less.

The best part is since I am taking 3 inquisitors, and each inquisitor can take 3 skulls each. This gives you a total of 9 skulls. You'd be surprised about the amount of coverage you can get with 9 skulls on a 6'x4' table.

At the time of mocking these, my list only included 8 skulls.

You can essentially shut down some armies' strategies and edges that rely on scouting and infiltration for cheap.

Servo skulls come in a lot of different kits. These ones are from Space Marine Devastators, Tempestus Scions, Grey Knight Paladins, and the Cadian Command Squad.