Converting Trueborn

I know there are occasional threads about how to distinguish Trueborn from Warriors - with common ideas including cloaks and distinctive helmets (for instance http://www.thedarkcity.net/t6518-trueborn-ideas ). For those using the old (3rd edn) Warriors, there's also the option to use the new models as Trueborn.

What I was wondering though was whether it makes sense to distinguish Trueborn, rather than using interchangeable models? I'm sure we all know that Blasters are rare and expensive through bits sites. It's bad enough if you like five-man units each with a Blaster and even worse if you want three or four Blasterborn. So my thinking was it would be useful if my models with Blasters could serve as either Trueborn or Warriors as required.

Has anyone had opponents object on WYSIWYG if their Trueborn aren't distinguished from their Warriors? I can't help feeling the reason there's no Trueborn kit is that GW expect the Warrior kit to serve for both, though it's not technically a dual kit.

I use kabalites as trueborn, but have never fielded both that I can remember.
I use wyches as blood brides as well.

I think you would only run into trouble when committing to combat: if a unit of wyches go in to soak overwatch, but survive, including their Hekatrix, followed by Blood Brides, it would be complicated; As I only use Trueborn as Venom-Blasterborn, or Dark Lance snipers, It's never a problem, so I cheerfully use standard models as either.
I do, obviously, stick to WYSIWYG for weapons though, as LoS and model removal are dependant on it.

Mind you, I also have 3,000points of Skaven counts-as-Tyranids, so I'm not shy about proxy models, and my opponents are used to it!

I occasionally place models in a certain way to distinguish them (using only old or new Blasters to represent Trueborn, for example)

That said, I don't actually have a unique mark out for my Trueborn.
I play a lot of tournaments.
No one has ever complained.
I play WAAC players too, and they're fine with it.

commandersasha wrote:

I think you would only run into trouble when committing to combat: if a unit of wyches go in to soak overwatch, but survive, including their Hekatrix, followed by Blood Brides, it would be complicated

This is true, but the same problem can arise with two squads of Wyches, so it's not particular to using unconverted Warriors/Wyches as Trueborn/Bloodbrides (though it may be an aggravating factor, if you have more non-distinct squads).

commandersasha wrote:

I do, obviously, stick to WYSIWYG for weapons though, as LoS and model removal are dependant on it.

I took this for granted.

From my reading of the background, there's nothing to distinguish Trueborn from standard born-in-the-jar Warriors except their arrogance and their more expensive weapons. So I to use my kabalites, never met anyone else with a problem with that.

The vast majority of the time the weapon loadout of the squad will distinguish it easily in any case.

Actually, I gave my wyches the "night stick knives" and BBs the axe on a chains and punch daggers, but broke that rule recently due to lack of models for 6 wych venoms, but not blood brides..

My trueborn don't wear helmets and have more brass decorations on their armor than my regular warriors. It's quick, easy, and effective for telling the units apart on the battlefield for both me and my opponent.

modified eldar fire dragons is how i go,

I painted mine a different color. No reason for me to do it other than for fluff reasons for my Kabal.

Yea exactly, I use old kabalites for true born but for my brides they are all red and white.

I distinquish the Trueborn by:
- Only using non-helmeted heads --> versus helmeted heads
- Trophyracks on their backs --> versus no trophy racks
- More dynamic poses by using leftover passengers from Ravager kit (or small conversions) --> versus standard poses out-of-the-box
- Nicer bases (higher, more skulls, etc...) --> versus basic bases

i paint my trueborn's  helmets  yellow, it's a great contrast change to the overall green colour scheme of my kabal.  And is easily identified on the table.

I use the old metal wyches as my bloodbrides

Thanks for the various suggestions, though they're not really what I was after in the original post.

The question is how important it is to distinguish Trueborn in some such fashion, or whether I can just put a regular squad of Warrior models on the board (with appropriate weapons) and tell my opponent 'these are Trueborn'. If they're not distinct, at least on a model-by-model basis, then it means I can use the same Blaster-armed models either in Warrior squads or as Blasterborn, as I wish.

there is no trueborn kit so as long as you make sure your opponent is completely aware of which models are which units then there is no reason not to just use standard warriors.

I plan on using the old school Kabalite Warrior Sybarite models for my blasterborn

I tend to paint the shoulderpads of people with a blaster with brass, while models which are never used as trueborn have blue shoulders as it is my primary colour. I think it helps alot to differentiate without stepping away too much from the original paint scheme.

AS far as fluff, it has been explained, there's no difference between both Truebor vs warriors and wyches vs bloodbrides. It's purely skill that makes the warrior inside the suit.

I wouldn't really use other ranges minis, dark elf stuff is too dark elvish, the new dark eldar aesthetic is just so different from the dark elf range, the old range actually had some similarities.

A different paint, some greenstuff extra details maybe could do the trick, I'd keep the trueborn dark eldar style in any case. Capes, dark elf parts, not a fan.

There is something that makes trueborn stand out from normal warriors, the carabines, warriors don't have access to them and we have the guns. Next time I get kabalite warriors, i'll put the carabines I 've got from the scourges. I still haven't seen anyone do this simple conversion.

Khain mor wrote:

AS far as fluff, it has been explained, there's no difference between both Truebor vs warriors and wyches vs bloodbrides. It's purely skill that makes the warrior inside the suit.

It isn't skill that makes them a trueborn, it is that they were born naturally not in a tube. This means that they are generally born into rank and wealth and theerfore can afford better weapons.

For the most part the only difference between my warriors and my trueborn is their weapons/ squad make-up. If anyone calls you on that your trueborn look the same as your normal warriors you can always say that your archon doesn't care whether his troops are born in a vat or naturally.

I.converted mine with green stuff and made like skyrim style capes to show nobility. hopefully they release a model for trueborn as i use them all the time

A day late to the thread, sorry.

Since I have about 100 of the older warrior models, and about 20 of the new, I usually use the new ones as my trueborn. It takes a little conversion work to make the old blasters look good on the new models, but it's a simple trick.

To the OP, I would say that it depends on the game, and your opponent.  If the game ends up with lots of units piling in to an assault, you will run into problems, especially against a picky opponent.

How are your magnetizing skills? It is very easy to sink a magnet into a neck socket to make the head interchangeable, for fancy Trueborn helmets?  Or even easier, fix a magnet into the base and give your Trueborns trophies that sit on the ground in front of them.
If you haven't tried magnets yet, do: they are SO easy! I recommend 3mm diameter 3mm cylinders for most general purpose use; my Reavers are magged to their fly bases, and removable Caltrops with 3x3s.  Search online, I am in the UK and use First4Magnets:
http://www.first4magnets.com/circular-disc-rod-magnets-c34/3mm-dia-x-3mm-thick-n42-neodymium-magnet-0-29kg-pull-p3328

I think it is important to differentiate, not just for your opponent, but for your sake, too. I have never met a WYSIWYG git in my 5 year history of wargaming. However, I have confused a lot of players and myself, on numerous occasions by getting my units all tangled up. Generally the Trueborn will be easy to distinguish because they have all the cool stuff. A different base or a certain helmet type is really handy because when I only have 2 hours to play 1750 in a tournament, things have got to be moved quickly from box, to table, to crushing, back to box.

I've not had anybody complain that my Warriors and Trueborn looked the same in the past. They all die just as easily to Bolter fire, anyway.

I started to paint my Trueborn bone colour recently, so they are very different from my blue/purple army. This was because I started off using them just for a Kill Team squad, but then it evolved into some fluff for my Kabal.

All my trueborn are female, without helmets, with special weapons.