Genestealers: WYSIWYG vs. Cool

[rpricew]

So I was looking in the painting contest and noticed someone painting some awesome looking genestealers with extended carapace and scything talons.

Looking in my army case and I see 16 genestealers from 4th edition with Scything Talons on them and I just think they look so cool. However, I never run them that way during games since its 19 points with Toxin Sacs and Scything Talons.

Now I play with them and nobody at the gaming store really notices or cares that they are modeled that way. I usually just say they have poison and we move on.

Wondering what every one else is doing with your genestealers...

[swarm492]

Personaly I think if your local club dosent care then why change them if you like them more with the talons?

[DarkGuard]

Agreed, I know my LGS doesn't care too much about adrenal glands and the like being modelled, which is great because adrenal glands especially look awful.

I also put the extended carapace onto all of my Stealers. IMO they look so much better with it on. No one bats an eyelid. With Nids I feel you need to go for what looks cool. My Trygon has all Trygon parts apart from the Trygon Prime tail. Looks good like that IMO, and my club don't mind. Also means I can field it as both if need be. Same with you and your Stealers, just make sure it's clear that you've paid for them or not and tell your opponent.

[Overread]

Personally I think upgrades for WYSIWYG is silly.

First up from a visual point of view most upgrades are tiny and almost serve as unit details rather than proper visuals (take grenades on troops or heck ask players to spot the toxin sacs on nids - or those seals on marines!).

Secondly not all upgrades are visually provided in the models and many are simply invisible state line changes.

Thirdly most people have enough trouble visulaising weapons on units; its the very few that can memorise all the different visuals for upgrades and their stat lines on models.

Fourthly is uneconomical from a player perspective to even attempt to model units for all the possible variations of upgrades for different games and compositions. Weapons are not too bad; but upgrades would just be a financial nightmare (or a nightmare with very tiny magnets!)

In general I think that the main weapons of a unit should be visually displayed along with any large scale unit changes (Eg wings); but smaller unit changes I've no mind to bother with - just use the parts as unit decoration and be clear in your written army list what has what on the table. Barring the most extreme of tournaments you should be fine with that kind of approach.

[Illithid]

All I am concerned about with WYSIWYG is that if a squad has a missile launcher and flamer, those two models have something in their hands that resembles a weapon other than a bolter to save confusion with wound allocation and memory reasons (so I do not have to remember whether I killed that model)

[swarm492]

True but for simple upgrades, or wargear as long as its just casual play who cares. I dont remember the last time I saw a marine displaying his bolter, bolt pistol, close combat weapon, frag, and krack nades.

[Xantige]

I've given all my stealers the extended carapace AND the talons, but I don't ever actually take them in game play. I admit, at the time I thought I would, but I don't anymore. No one gives me any sort of flack for it, either because they don't know nids enough, or I tell them before hand.

[Psychichobo]

All my stealers are always outfitted identically list-wise, and I just use Space Hulk Stealers (both editions) to represent them. The only proper kit I have I poured on all the upgrades and had them represent Ymgarls.

WYSIWYG is a thing I've only ever seen brought up when someone's either trying to use an unusually small model to represent an ordinarily large model, or when someone's horribly losing and trying to blame it on 'misrepresentation'.

[Bot]

I never take Talons on mine anyway. I do have a few but I use them as Ymgarls.

But yeah. I can't see why it should be a problem using Stealers with Talons as long as you mention what they have at the beginning of the game.

[jinx]

i just model my models the way i want and then i consider options,WYSIWYG isn't that important,also @ bot,nice new backgroung on your avatar

[hacknslash]

I had 8 stealers with talons from last edition now they are used as ymgals acts as a decent difference from the rest, but no one has ever pulled me for wysiwyg on any of my minis as I make sure my opponent knows what's what (I don't do tourneys so can't say for them).

[Bot]

But of course, if the tournaments in your area require your models to be strict WYSIWYG, then better keep them that way.

May 14, 2012 20:38:00 GMT jinx said:

@ bot,nice new backgroung on your avatar

Its actually my original avatar, so its not really new, but thanks anyway.

[bloodborne]

Of what I have noticed, WYSIWYG is something that varies by location. I have played in areas were WYSIWYG is "don't use cardboard boxes as tanks" to areas that are "If the model is not 100% accurate, don't use it"

If your LGS is fine with it, than have at it. as a general rule though, if you plan on going for tournies, stick as close to WYSIWYG as you can, but keep to your own personal flair. With that said, I agree with what Hobo said... WYSIWYG when called upon as a rule, is in my experience, used by people only when they are about to be tabled, and are trying to pull a win no matter what the cost(morally or otherwise).

[infornography]

I try to play by wysiwyg for weapons but not for minor options like toxin sacs and adrenal glands. Though I will proxy things if need be. My FGS doesn't mind as long as things don't blend together.

[TheContortionist]

personally, i play with what you see is what you get with my army. I don't care what my opponents do though. I just like to have my army be what you see is what you get. toxin sax and adrenal glands are a different story though. I mean, just arms pretty much. if my hive tyrant had just guns and i had him equip with bonesowrd lash whip and scything talons in game it would drive me crazy. My brood lord is modeled with scything talons even though i dint always bring them. my tervigons have their scything talons on too even though i never bring them. I think it is not necessary to have WYSIWYG but i think everybody should have that end goal being planned in their heads. if that makes any sense.