The Ordo Pigmentum: Alpha Legion: Models 3

Modeling can be a somewhat vague term when it comes to miniatures, but part of it for me is the consideration and implementation of practical miniature building techniques, especially when dealing with a game like Warhammer 40k. There are loads of weapons options and wargear options that even basic models can choose from. While at most tournaments the army list must remain static, of course, for casual games and for the sake of not having to buy new models each time I try using a different weapon or wargear option, I have magnetized nearly all of my Alpha Legion models so far.

I did not think to get any pictures of the magnetization at the time I was building most of these models, but the idea is very simple. The magnets in question are the rare earth variety: very small, but powerful. You can find them on places like Amazon in a variety of sizes. You then drill out by hand a hole for the magnet in the right place, and then super-glue the magnet in place. Easy!

Example of a gun hand with the drilled magnet hole (this hand gets glued to a Tesla Carbine for the Devastator models).

For the Headhunter models I have already introduced, there were two magnetization configurations I used: hand and weapon, and both arms. Each has their own purpose. The hand and weapon configuration allows me to swap out their bolter for a special weapon like a plasma gun. While I currently only use two plasma guns in my Sternguard veteran squads, when I finally get around to playing a Chaos-based Alpha Legion list, I might try an alpha strike once in a while and use Chosen squads with four plasma guns. The magnets for these were pretty small (3mm diameter, 1.5 mm thickness) so that they can fit in the limited space in a Space Marine arm and hand. If you have some metal tools around you can find any lost ones pretty easily. The other configuration, both arms, is for attaching heavy weapons, like the frag launcher, when I was sure I was going to use Deathwatch rules in 7th edition. Whether I actually use these now or not depends on how the 8th edition codex stacks up. I used bigger magnets for these since they need to hold more weight (1/8" diameter x 1/16" thick).

Configuration 1

Configuration 2

There is also a slight variation on these, which is that the sergeant for the squad has just his melee arm magnetized so he can either hold a knife or a power fist (for WYSIWYG sticklers).

There are more models that have not been fully painted (or even started) that I have been playing around with that are also magnetized. My drop pod is an example of magnetization for both painting and play practicality. The doors come off so that the inside will be more easily accessible for painting (the structure isn't completely glued in place yet either). The main reason for doing all the drop pod doors, though, is that the doors can be a hassle when setting up the model during play. This way I can put the pod down somewhere without having the doors at odd angles because of terrain or other models. These were also the 1/8" diameter magnets, two pair at the base of each door. I also removed the rotation pegs from the doors.

Finally, I have also been playing with Forge World units, specifically the Mortis Dreadnought. The double twin-autocannon variant (dubbed the "Rifleman" variant by many after the Battletech 'Mech) still seems to be a good choice to me from its 7th edition heyday, and complements the Devastator backfield thanks to its range and being a beneficiary of the Raven Guard chapter tactic. For these, I did not do any drilling and instead glued the magnets right to the arm mounts. In hindsight, the arms now seem a little too far separated from the main body, but it's a minor detail. These are the biggest magnets I have used, 10 mm diameter x 1 mm thick, not really because the extra force was needed, but because the extra friction from the increased touching faces was needed to hold the barrels horizontal.