Converting models is something many new hobbyists are afraid of.  There are many cool examples of conversions in the pages of White Dwarf and the rule books.  They are very professionally done and the quality of the work can be daunting for the beginner.  Fortunately, conversion work can be accomplished neatly, with a bit of planning and some practice.  The first step is to visualize what you want to accomplish with the conversion.  Depending on how detailed you are, or how much of a conversion effort you are making, you might even want to sketch it out roughly before beginning construction.  Once you know what you are aiming for, you can gather the materials and tools you need and get started. 

How big a change?

Often a simple weapon swap or pose change or even a grip or hand change can be enough, depending on what you want to accomplish.  I’ve seen Plague marines holding knives pointed down like daggers, which made them look more menacing without being a massive conversion effort.  A Dark Lance gunner laying down like a sniper dramatically changes the appearance of the model, but again is not a major conversion effort.  You should be able to make a dramatic statement with just a few minor changes.  If you find yourself converting large parts of the model, you might ask yourself what specifically you are looking for, and see if you can revise your conversion plan while still remaining true to your vision.  While some people derive great pleasure from spending hours and days converting a model and getting it just right, most of us don’t really want to compete for a Golden Demon prize, so finding an easier way to get the look we want is very helpful.

Does it fit in?

Make sure it fits your army and concept: I’ve seen a Space Marine Attack Bike made from an Eldar Falcon turret that looks really cool, but it also looks more high tech than most 40k armies.  I’ve seen a Winged Red Terror model used as a Hive Tyrant that looks totally sweet, but my hive fleet is very insectoid, so a snake wouldn’t fit in.  Ork models are supposed to look clunky and like they are held together with baling wire and duct tape, Eldar models should not.  When you have your vision of the totally awesome conversion you are going to make, try visualizing it next to some of your army to make sure it fits in with your theme.

Materials

Much of the difficulty of most conversion efforts is based on the bitz available to you.  If you use bitz that are ready made, such as a cape from a different figure, or swapping one head for another, the change can be quite easy.  If you need to make major adjustments to the bitz, or create them from scratch, that can be more difficult.  Having a well-stocked bitz box can be quite useful here, as it will save you time and money, and it might just give you some inspiration from time to time.  If you don’t currently have a bitz box, you should start one.  Put any unused pieces from assembled models and sprues there as a start.  Most sprues have a few more pieces than you actually need: an extra gun arm here, a few spiky bitz and head there, etc.  If you make your own terrain, you can put any left over bitz from that in the box as well, to diversify your collection.  You can also put any odds and ends that strike your eye from around the house into your bitz box.  I'm not suggesting that you never throw anything away, but keep your eye out for unusual and interesting pieces that might be the right size for you.  In addition to your bitz box, you may need some tools.  An exacto knife or other razor knife is very useful for making small cuts and trimming bitz.  I have never used one, but many people swear by either an extremely small drill or a pin vise to make small holes in a model.  Make sure that you have glues that are appropriate to your materials as well, particularly if joining two different materials.  I was very frustrated when I found that the standard glue I used did not work with some resin-cast bitz I used to convert some of my models.  Some experimentation found a better glue to use on those pieces, and I carried on.  A work surface that can handle some cutting tools and dripped glue is also highly recommended.  Finally, you may want a few tools for handling small pieces.  Tweezers can work well, as can toothpicks lightly glued to the piece in question, to give you a handle to work with. 

How big an investment?

Usually, conversions are made on just a few figures.  People generally reserve their biggest effort for a few leaders, rather than the rank and file.  The biggest reason here is time and effort.  If you take 4 hours to paint a single trooper, the next 40 are going to look very daunting and you might feel you’ll never get them done.  On the other hand, you have only a few leaders or special characters, so you can spend more time on them and really make them stand out.  If you really want to make conversions for all of your models, your work is cut out for you.  You might do this because you want a challenge, or because you play an army with out of production models (such as Harlequins or Squats) or maybe you have a really cool conversion idea that you just can’t get out of your head.  (An Imperial Guard army made from Fantasy Skinks carrying guns, for example.)  Keep in mind from the outset that you’ve got a lot of work to do and plan ahead.  If you can find a way to do mass production, you’re in good shape.  That might be by working in assembly-line fashion (glue heads on 20 torsos, then go back to the first ones, where the glue is mostly dry and start gluing legs on, etcetera) or by mass-producing bitz (resin casting, trading for them, etc.)  The main thing is to keep working.  Do a little bit each day, and break it up into smaller chunks so you can see your progress.

Don’t be afraid

Ultimately, how much converting and what type you do is up to you.  My primary advice would be to start small, but don’t be afraid to try it.  It’s a lot of fun and you’ll feel very proud when someone asks about your model.  Even if you make a mistake, you can usually remove the piece that doesn’t look right and try again, so there aren’t really any failures, just slower modeling sometimes.  Be creative and stylish and have fun with it!

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