# Pre-Heresy Thousand Sons Army?



## jameswood1 (Feb 1, 2011)

Hi everybody, I was wondering if it would be possible to make a pre-heresy thounsand sons army and if I could how?


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Do you mean modelling or rules-wise?

If you want to avoid extreme conversions/green-stuffing, many people use Scibor parts to capture a Space Egyptian feel.

If you use an official codex to represent them then I cannot see an issue with using them in games. Rules-wise there is nothing that fits perfectly, so it depends on whether you are happy to use special weapons to count as psychic powers, e.g. a Lascannon representing a psyker having to stand still and concentrate to launch a powerful mindbolt. The most common Codex suggested is Space Wolves, although I have not tried it myself.


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## Moonschwine (Jun 13, 2011)

Is it possible: Yes

Are there specific rules for it: Not anything official

How would you go about doing it: Hmm, I think a battle force option is a good place to start just for some bodies and what not. Then go to forgeworld and grab some of the pre-heresy armours, jump packs etc, even some old bolters. Then get some Insta-Mold and cast your own stuff to save cash. 

At the least look at the pre-heresy stuff to get an idea of what they look like - Reds and Gold was the colour scheme and they have very "Knightly" helmets on them. You could easily modify some bretonian stuff to do so.

Hope that helps


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## jaysen (Jul 7, 2011)

The majority of thousand sons were regular space marines, any Power Armor Mark 2-5. Then throw in some striped egyptian type staves striped blue and gold. Pre-heresy, they had a dark red paint job with a dark sun design for legion badge.


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## Dînadan (Mar 7, 2009)

I'm currecntly working on a pre-Heresy Thousand sons army. Model wise I'm using Maximini 'Steam Knight heads' and 'Khopesh power weapons'. Ruleswise, I'm using the Grey Knight codex - it's not a perfect fit (e.g. GK have storm bolters), but it's the only codex that lets you play up the psyker aspect unless you do like Dave T Hobbit suggested and say heavy/special weapons 'count as' special psychic powers (which is not out of the question - I've used Obliterator ruless to count as 'sorcerers' in a post-Heresy Thousand Sons army).

Whichever codex you choose, I'd say have a think about how you can apply the count as aspect before you plunge in. For example, for my pre-Heresy TS army, fluffwise, I'm justifying the storm bolters by having the fluff be something along the lines of a group of Thousand Sons being on a library planet which got pulled into the warp prior to the Heresy and then spat out post Heresy (although for the planet it was only a few minutes), and aome of the knowledge on the library planet was on storm bolters or something similar.


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## Scotty80 (May 26, 2011)

Disagree with what was said by Dave Hobbit in that I think the most appropriate and most commonly used army to represent pre-heresy Thousand Sons is the Grey Knight codex.


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## Coldshrike (Sep 9, 2011)

I think he ment it's used for Pre-Heresy legions in general, not TS especially.


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

most people i know use the GK codex for per-heresy Tsons.

its either that or BAs/SWs since they have more psychic stuffs.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Stay away from Razorbacks! as well as anything else that was introduced after the heresy.


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

I have seen someone use the Chaos Codex. 

Although he did so because he wasnted ti use the Tomb Kings Necrosphinx as a Defiler although I imagine ot could be used as something else.


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## Dînadan (Mar 7, 2009)

Stephen_Newman said:


> I have seen someone use the Chaos Codex.
> 
> Although he did so because he wasnted ti use the Tomb Kings Necrosphinx as a Defiler although I imagine ot could be used as something else.


Dreadknight in the GK codex for example. Although I'm not entirely sure if it'd fit fluffwise in a pre-Heresy army (post-Heresy is another matter).


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## jameswood1 (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks guys I will have a look at all this stuff and start a project next year!:grin: (I'm working on beastmen at the moment).


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Coldshrike said:


> I think he ment it's used for Pre-Heresy legions in general, not TS especially.


Actually I have not encountered many discussion of best Codex to use post GK release, so had not thought of it.


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## Oakley (Aug 19, 2011)

I'd say it would be pretty easy to make an army of pre-heresy Thousand Sons, but the hardest part would probably be getting all the bitz required! Remember, you're gonna need a whole range of bitz for individual conversions (If you stick with the fluff) But if you're just going for a simple pre-heresy army, the thing it's going to be hardest for you to get is helmets.

When it comes to helmets, and you can't find any of the right bitz from GW, never give up. Look towards outside companies, such as Scibor, MaxMini, and Kromlech. I know that MaxMini or Scibor (I can't really remember but I'm pretty sure it's Scibor) stock a really nice range of helmets for pre-heresy models, in particular the 'Steam Knight' helmet set. If you want to stick with a more expensive but more knight-like alternative, try converting from the WHFB Brettonnian Knight heads.

As for painting, a quick search found this guide which may be to your liking. It encorporates the use of alot of washing and some heavy metallics, but I think the end result is good enough. There are some other guides out there, but personally, I take a liking to that one.

Also as a side note, you may want to try airbrushing. I'm sure you know what an airbrush is, and I'm sure you know how it works. To get a similar effect for the armour on the pre-heresy Thousand Sons, you might want to experiment with airbrushing Mithril Silver, and then washing red. If you want a kind of deeper red, you might want to wash a bit more with black, or even with blue for a purplish tinge.

Anyway, all the best for this army, I can't wait to see this started!

(By the way, I just saw your blog after following the link in your signature, and you asked in one particular post how to paint cardboard? The easiest option is the spray it with GW Primer, it sticks to cardboard like there's no tomorrow, and leaves a nice matte finish.)


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## jameswood1 (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks again everyone. I was just wondering what is the legion symbol of the thousand sons. I have also decided that I will try and make a ten man tatical squad before the end of the year. Also steam knight helmets come from maxinini.


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## jameswood1 (Feb 1, 2011)

This is how I am going to do it: I am going to buy a set of mark 3 iron armour of forge world and then cast my own, then I am going to buy a set of them steam knight heads and use them instead of the ones that come with the armour (I am not going to cast these as they are cheap enough anyway). Then I am going to buy umbra ferrox pattern bolters for them. For power swords and stuff I am going to use maximini kromlech weapons. I think I will use the gk rules for them and was wondering which rules I could use for magnus the red as he is a primarch he should be the best guy out there. Also who is the guy on the front of the "a thousand sons" book.


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## jaysen (Jul 7, 2011)

It's the dark son symbol.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Probably Ahriman.


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