New Solution For RXBowmen w/ Shields

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Heldrak
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New Solution For RXBowmen w/ Shields

Post by Heldrak »

With the points cost reduction from the revision, more folks are equiping their Repeater Crossbowmen with shields, but it can be problematic to represent them on the 6th edition plastic models. Some previous solutions have been to model the shield on the base, to sling it on the Warrior's back, to balance it in front of the model like a pavisse, or to use older models that come with shields equiped. If you've got a spare Dark Elf warrior sprue lying around, try the following conversion:

Take the crossbow piece that's being held in 2 hands (you get 2 of them on each sprue) and clip the left arm off. Carefully shave away the left hand from the barrel of the crossbow so that you are left with the crossbow being held in the right arm only. Attach this to a Dark Elf Warrior's body as normal, sticking straight out as though firing. Take the left "shielding" arm from the sprue & attach it so that the left fist is positioned just below the right hand of the model, as though bracing it. When you attach the model's head, be sure it's turned to the left to look along the barrel of the crossbow. Then simply paint the model and attach a Dark Elf shield to the left arm with the long barrel of the crossbow poking through the notch in the upper part of the shield. It looks great because it's as though the Warrior is bracing his Repeater on his shield to fire and hiding behind his shield at the same time- very effective. To my mind, this works better than the pavisse option because the Warrior is holding his shield close to the body in a natural pose (as one would) and the slender barrel of the crossbow rests comfortably in the notch of the shield.

Potential drawbacks to this method:

You have to plan the conversion when assembling the model, you can't use it to add a shield to an already assembled model.

It can get expensive, as you can only do 8 models like this out of the box of 16 (although you could assemble the others as unshielded Crossbowmen or Spearmen, so there's no waste). If you just needed a group of 10 for an MSU unit, You could do a couple as command figures, or use the loose crossbows you get on the sprue to give you a legitimate WYSIWYG unit of 10.

They won't rank up very well, unless you want to clip the bayonets off the models in the rear ranks, or play around with how the models are angled on their bases.

You get less variety of models- with the standard unshielded construction, you get both loaders & firers, with shielded you only get firers.
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Malachi
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Post by Malachi »

@ Heldrak, That is probably one of the best ways that I can think of, I have heard them all, to get the shields on the RXBs.

Nice work, do you have any pictures of the finished ones?
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Post by Icon hack »

Agreed. That's a great idea.

I may try this with the first rank in each of my rxb units.
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Heldrak
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Post by Heldrak »

Sorry, no digital camera (yet). I also just built my first couple this way myself and I haven't got them painted yet. They would make really nice first ranks for WYSIWYG City Guard units, since you wouldn't have to worry about the ranks behind them.
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Post by Sanguinius »

Real cool idea Heldrak! Only one problem, now I need to buy a new regiment since I have already completed my RxB's :P
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Post by Alith anar »

Whoa! Just the image that puts in my mind makes me want to go buy some Dark Elven plastics and cut 'em up! Very nice indeed! Please do let us know if you get some pictures in time, I would really love to see this IRL!
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Post by Arcturus »

Intresting idea. I have mine holding their shields supported on their knees, just below the crossbow, firing over the shield. Looks nice, but not like a pavise..
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Post by Iyagd »

Very good idea! I think that first rank of RXBmen with shields like that will look awesome! Pity it is so expensive as You noticed!
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Post by Asterion »

nice idea...worth trying
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Heldrak
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Post by Heldrak »

Well, It's not expensive if you buy 2 regiment boxes at once with the intention of making one unit of Spearmen & one unit of RXbowmen (as many people do). As it happened, I had plenty of extra bits left over from previous regiments, so I didn't have to buy extra. I've got 17 built this way (plus a Lordling) & primed, but I haven't gotten around to painting them yet (except the Lordling).

If you only wanted to buy a single regiment box, you could fudge another 4 WYSIWYG shielded models by using the sword arm and the loose crossbow. You could also clip the spear parts off a spear arm and use that to hold the shield and then use the crossbow that's held loosly in the Left hand. (I've never tried this, but if you're strapped for cash and you can't scrape up some extra bits, that would get you a unit of 16).

I prefer to save the sword arms & loose crossbows for command figures, so I recommend splitting 2 boxes.
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Post by Ash010110 »

I did the same thing a few weeks ago. To make them rank up, I use the 'extra' crossbow (the one not attached to any hands and without the targeting spike). I used extra spear arms, extra champ arms, and extra banner arm. Shave the weapon off, and plop the crossbow with plastic glue. Looks mean!

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Post by Langmann »

Brilliant.
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Post by Maranayth »

Thanks for the tip Heldrak and company! I've been assembling and painting all metal DE's so far and am coming round to warriors soon. So, a minimum of 2 boxes eh? Will give it a try.
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Post by Jabberwocky »

I just use the crossbow being held with both hands, and then glue the shield onto the left arm. It looks like the shield is almost toughing the base, so its kinda like they are resting an arm on the shield to aim.
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Post by Wraith~ »

I havn't tried it yet, but jwhat about "digging" the edge of the shields into the ground so as to provide a kind of low shield wall to the front rank of the unit only?
Maybe shave off the bottom tip to make it look like it's stuck in the ground?
You could then have the unit firing over the top of the shields... I'm sure I've seen archers do this type of thing in history before.
The secound rank, could just have them on their backs maybe...
That would still give you a line of 5 or 6 models in the front rank with shields...
Just a thought for seomething different.
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Heldrak
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Post by Heldrak »

I havn't tried it yet, but jwhat about "digging" the edge of the shields into the ground so as to provide a kind of low shield wall to the front rank of the unit only?
Maybe shave off the bottom tip to make it look like it's stuck in the ground?
You could then have the unit firing over the top of the shields... I'm sure I've seen archers do this type of thing in history before.
The secound rank, could just have them on their backs maybe...
That would still give you a line of 5 or 6 models in the front rank with shields...
Just a thought for seomething different.


That is the "pavisse" option that has already been described. It might work well if you want your RXbowmen to have a static "dug-in" look. I prefer the other way because it makes them look like a more mobile force and the pose is very natural.
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Post by Cervix »

Nice work Heldrak!!! :D

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Post by Maarg beastmaster »

I have been thinking of putting the shield on a seprate base and sticking it into the ground but using the unused spears passing trough the cut out of the sheild the arms and hand will need to be cut off. This will hopefully look like a seild wall. I know the rules say a RCB or Spear but I think it should look good any way.
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Post by Fadetoblack »

very good idea!

to be honest, the second i leave the computer i have to try it.
sounds good, but i would only do it on the front rank as i think someone mentioned, and have the usuall 2nd rank with the people reloading....

very good job, hurry up with the pics ;)
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Post by Maarg beastmaster »

I agree I would only use on the front rank .I have been thinking of only using one long rank of 12 to15 eg more shots from one rank and having them next to a squad of twtnty spearmen so they shoot at any troops attempting to charge the spearmen.
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Post by Syriak »

That's a brilliant idea, but I've got 2 regiments of rxb's so I won't be able to use your method :| Anyway, for my crossbowmen i took pavisses from Braganza's Besiegers unit, drilled some holes in the side of them and put some spikes into the holes (They are very similar to Stegadon's Horns, of course they're smaller). I used a runis motif on the pavisses and... Voila!
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Heldrak
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Post by Heldrak »

They won't rank up very well, unless you want to clip the bayonets off the models in the rear ranks, or play around with how the models are angled on their bases.

I finally got around to fooling with groupings of my original batch of 17 and I didn't have any trouble ranking them up (with bayonettes still on), so scratch that objection...
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Post by Aekold helbrass »

could you put the crossbows on as usual, but put the shield on the left arm so it protected the model's left side, not the front? would they rank up? i think it would make them look like they were firing but had shields ready to receive an assault.
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Post by Tofu »

interesting ideas :)

for my rxbs, i glued the 'shields' to their backs sideways. the shields are quite large so instead of using the original sheilds, i just took the skull-like square ones. at the right angles, it actually looks quite cool.
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Heldrak
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Post by Heldrak »

for my rxbs, i glued the 'shields' to their backs sideways. the shields are quite large so instead of using the original sheilds, i just took the skull-like square ones. at the right angles, it actually looks quite cool.

I've played around with using the "riveted skull" icon as a shield in itself, but I've never been happy with how it looked. I agree that the standard (quilted) DE Shield is too thick. For some of my Spearman regiments, I used the serpent icon on the older GW plain featureless Elf shields. I also use the classic Marauder round embossed Dark Elf shields (the best ever!).
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