New Vampire Counts/DE ideas

If you use the Mortis Engine, then you get the Vampires, the scrying pool, and the decoration with the 'curtains' hanging from it left over. Both share the same base, platform and back/sides.

Both kits use the throne piece?

Yeah, both use the throne, they just have different stuff at the top. The Coven Throne has the vampires sitting on the steps, the bowl at the bottom, and the rider at the top, while the Mortis Engine has the Keeper on the steps, the reliquary at the top, and the Cursed Tome or whatever it's called on a stand at the bottom.

It may be possible to leave throne off, it looks like a separate bit on sprue picture, and something else from bitz box could go on mortis engine to cover gap left by it's absence. Hard to tell for sure without model in hand.

No, the throne is integral to both models. Basically, the model is comprised of the ghosts, the stairway/throne, and whatever is on the stairway/throne. There is no other platform if you don't include it. The Keeper/Vampires are sculpted to fit around the stairs, so whatever you use instead of the stairs would have to match its shape pretty closely to use the passengers on it.

Really the only difference between the two is that the Coven Throne has cushions at the top, and a bowl at the bottom, while the Mortis Engine has extra walls at the top to form a cage, the Reliquary placed where the cushions were, and the Keeper where the Handmaidens were. It's definitely not possible to make one without the stairway/throne, unless you scratchbuild your own with the same dimensions.

I could tell the steps where integral, but I thought there was a throne bit that sat on steps, it was probably the reliquary bit I was looking at then. There appears to not be a throne at all then, more a coven pillow then. Also explains why it looked like nobody was sitting on 'throne'.

Yeah, the steps are made of 3 parts. There's the main section, the top platform, and the top platform has a hollow in it that you either place the panel with the cushions on it, or the stand for the reliquary.

whole thing would make a good head for a pain titan scratch build, paint the ghosts like there burning coming out of titan's chest mounted soul burning power source and have female archon conversion on "command pillow". Big claws to through more enemies into furnace.
To bad I already have my titan to far along to incorporate that idea. (I have head/body almost done legs/arms not started yet I'll post in models section once its free standing)

Ok, while I've been quite busy recently, and haven't had the time to really work on the models, I seem to have got the throne to where it'd be fine to be pinned to the back of a Raider. The bottom step needs to be cut down if you plan on fitting the helmsman piloting the Raider though.

On another note, I'm starting to worry that including the throne might make the Raider too back-heavy to be properly mounted on the existing flying base. However, I've come up with a solution. Attach the Raider instead to the spirit-host from the Coven Throne, and say it's got Torment Grenade Launchers. Nothing says "you've been poisoned with hallucinogenic drugs" like seeing the enemy tank floating on a massive cloud of dead souls!

Sure, it makes the Raider harder to hide, but damn if it doesn't make an impression!

Ive made some Crypt Horrors into Grotesques... mixing them with spare bits from the Talos kit. it works quite nicely.

I'd really like to see some pictures.

Ophidian Vane wrote:

Ive made some Crypt Horrors into Grotesques... mixing them with spare bits from the Talos kit. it works quite nicely.

Did you do this just to get a bunch of different poses?

I'll echo all of the previous sentiments that the Vargheists/Crypt Horrors would make perfect Grotesques. I think the hump on the Crypt Horror models, in particular, is quite evocative of the Grotesques.

Also, am I the only one who thinks you could make some interesting Incubi by mixing the Kabalite and Hexwraith kits? Undead Kabalites with flaming scythes!