Tartaros Terminator Power Axe Conversions

For my Tartaros Terminator squad, I wanted to combine elements of 40k and 30k together to create a unique feel and vibe for my miniatures (plus - my maxim for my growing Alpha Legion force in 30k is that no model can remain unconverted … as well as not wishing to expend any more cash than is strictly necessary on extra bits that might already be contained inside my existing bits box).

Hence, I decided to try to combine together some chaos space marine terminator power axes with the arms of the Tartaros terminators. This is not the easiest of conversions to do, unlike what might be suggested from my final image above.

To execute the conversion, it is necessary to ensure that the chaos space marine axe arm is removed cleanly from the sprue. I chopped away the normal cabling on these axes (it usually dangles from the bottom of the axe and in to the arm pit, as illustrated in one of my earlier chaos terminators images). However, to ensure that the fist of the chaos marine attaches to the (flat) wrist terminus of the Tartaros arm, it is really necessary to use a saw for a clean finish. The only problem is that this: (a) ignores the angle of the chop as on some chaos arms, it threatens to chop off the axe as well; and (b) the hand itself requires cleanup work as there will be skulls (etc) that overlap the hand from the end of the chaos arm itself. To try to help with this, I trimmed as much as possible before using the saw, and then after the slice, used an xacto blade to ensure that the new fist was a clean as possible of previous ornamentation.

On top of this, the Tartaros arm comes slightly over the hand, as can be seen in the picture. This forces some of the hands in to an unwanted wrist rotation if one were to just use glue at this point. Hence for every axe, they are all pinned at the wrist to ensure that the hand is at the correct level with respect to the Tartaros arm, and at the correct orientation so that the overlap doesn't force it in to some odd angle. This requires holding the pin in position at least until the glue is surface dry and won't change position. 

The overall result is one that I'm very pleased with. It combines the aesthetic of the Tartaros terminator with the power axes of the chaos space marines to create something new. Although the axe designs are a little bit more chaotic inspired that I would ordinarily go for in a (somewhat) loyal Alpha Legion force, I think the Alpha Legion wouldn't think twice about it to be honest. And it harkens to darker future days when these weapon designs will be common. The only additional work I might carry out is to remove the additional spikes from the length of the handle -- I think that would serve to de-chaotify the axes further whilst maintaining the conversion work an overall appearance.