Terminator Squads with mixed armour?

[Chris*ta]

I've been pondering doing an army based partly on the spread of Ultramarines 2nd Coy in the 5th edition Codex: Space Marines -- particularly the idea that marines very freely mix armour within squads and within individual suits.

I've also been thinking, since FW started to release alternative Terminator suits, do Terminators do the same thing?

Now, I know that the various patterns aren't compatible, but do you get squads with mainly Indomitus pattern armour, but one or two marines wear Tartaros pattern or Cataphractii (not sure if a pattern or not) armour?

To recap:
Indomitus Pattern


Tartaros Pattern


Cataphractii


Comparison shot


So, what do people think of the idea of mixing patterns within one squad? Good idea or bad idea? Would look silly or awesome? Discuss.

[Kirsten]

I don't see why not personally. Not sure how it would look, with power armour it tends to be individual parts mixed and matched, so they still look coherent, the three terminator types are markedly different though, and come in complete suits. Something like a Cataphractii sergeant could work though.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

On the note of Cataphractii being a "pattern", they do have their own unique rules (4+ Inv., but Slow and Purposeful) when used in the Legions list. I doubt anyone would object to their use as modern-day Terminators, though, it's visually clear. Just say the internal bits have been repaired/replaced with leftover Indomitus stuff.

Fluffwise, it they're probably mixed all the time. The background always talks abut how Terminator Armour's so rare, almost never made anymore and usually "new" suits are cobbled together out of leftover parts, but then the model kits come out and they're all the latest model, fresh off the production line (even the Chaos ones, shame they didn't use that opportunity to inject some older looking designs into the setting).

Appearance wise, I'm not sure, they have fairly different silhouettes, might look kinda off? I thinnnk Tartaros and Cataphractii would look okay side by side, but Indomitus' more "hunched" look might interfere.

I'd say go ahead and try it - worst case scenario and they don't look alright together, just run three different squads, each equipped with one type of armor. Can't really lose :P

[Chris*ta]

Fluffwise, it they're probably mixed all the time. The background always talks abut how Terminator Armour's so rare, almost never made anymore and usually "new" suits are cobbled together out of leftover parts, but then the model kits come out and they're all the latest model, fresh off the production line (even the Chaos ones, shame they didn't use that opportunity to inject some older looking designs into the setting).

Well, there are a few differenves between the Chaos and loyalist terminator armour. Chaos has all mk 6 type lower legs, and the gauntlet-type forearms, but largely the same, yes.

I'd say go ahead and try it - worst case scenario and they don't look alright together, just run three different squads, each equipped with one type of armor. Can't really lose :P

The army I'm thinking of would be made up of small elements from a variety of chapters, so, multiple squads from multiple chapters = lots of opportunities for different ways different armour is used.

I'm slightly leery of buying a small pile of FW crack, and then finding I can't use it for what I planned. The army is still a long way off though.

[Chris*ta]

Oh, and thanks for the cataphractii rules. I'd read they had new rules, but didn't know what they were.

I had assumed they were close enough people couldn't really complain about using them as counts-as regular terminators, though

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Yeaaaaah, you're right, making a mixed squad of Forgeworld models isn't something one does without a significant amount of planning.

A fun/cheaper alternative might be to invent&convert your own Mark of Termie armour to run alongside the Indomitus?

[Chris*ta]

Yeaaaaah, you're right, making a mixed squad of Forgeworld models isn't something one does without a significant amount of planning.

A fun/cheaper alternative might be to invent&convert your own Mark of Termie armour to run alongside the Indomitus?

Oh, I certainly plan to kitbash Indomitus terminators using every kit available -- including the Chaos ones -- but I want to keep everything as codex as possible. The idea is that it is a bunch of small groups of Ultramarines successors allied together. So, very codex.

I haven't really decided why. I can't quite imagine a deep, dark secret like the Unforgiven with UMs.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Not sure if it'd be much of a secret; in plenty of pre-heresy pics, the Ultramarines have their own unique Power Armour variant - a unique Termie variant could be something similar to that. Which successors are you thinking of using?

[Chris*ta]

Not sure if it'd be much of a secret; in plenty of pre-heresy pics, the Ultramarines have their own unique Power Armour variant - a unique Termie variant could be something similar to that. Which successors are you thinking of using?

Can you link to a pic?

Oh, and I've got a list of more than a dozen:
Eagle Warriors
Marines Errant
Novamarines
Sons of Guilliman (may have to reverse the colours on the quarters though, just to make them different)
Praetors of Orpheus (mk 8 and helmets with sights)
Metamarines
Omega Marines
Sons of Orar (mk 6 - a tribute to RTB 01)
White Consuls
Black Consuls (these two would most likely be the terminators)
Marines Exemplar
Emperor's Spears
Honoured Sons (based around their symbol in C:SM and a picture in WD!)
Black Wings (I choose to believe they're UM successors)

Basically, anyone white and/or blue, halved or quartered, or with a symbol that features the UM symbol

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Wow, that's quite the list, big army planned?

Here're a couple of pics - they're from that giant Horus Heresy artbook released ages back. Since the same style was drawn by several different artists, it was probably at the request of whomever at GW/BL organized it.