With the release of the new Space Marine codex and the Firestorm detachment proving to be, in the words of some pundits, "not shit", there arose a need for Vulkan He'stan to make a return. But I didn't want to buy an old Finecast Model, I wanted a Primaris Version of him (hey, GW, if you're listening, it's time for Vulkan to come back, or Vulkan He'stan to cross the rubicon. Pick one.)
The brief was clear. Find some third party components, using the Primaris Lieutenant as a base, and make a kit-bashed facsimile of Vulkan He'Stan. It wouldn't be the big man himself, but it should be close enough so he doesn't look out of place.
I knew I had my Spear sorted from Pop Goes The Monkey (Include link) but what I really needed was a cloak. So, on to google I went, and one of the results I hit on was Spellcrow:
In the end, I purchased three sets of items from the store.
The cloaks:
The tabards:
and the crests:
Full admission, buying the tabards was a "have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" case. I didn't use them, but I was reasonably impressed with their quality.
Spellcrow, being a relatively small operation, also sent me a small care package of various other bits. That I didn't use, but I appreciated their generosity.
Cloaks
This was (hopefully) going to be the showstopper for me. Immediately I discovered the sprue the cloaks were cast on was impossible to remove without damaging the cloak. You'd have to be a surgeon, or have modelling tools (and skills) far superior to my own in order to extract these successfully.
I broke more than one cloak removing them from the sprue, which is annoying when you consider that a fresh grip of cloaks would be back in Poland.
I managed to remove one from a sprue, repair the damage I'd inflicted removing it from the sprue, and then came the moment of truth. Fit time.
It is immediately obvious that these cloaks are designed for the original 28mm range of marines. It went on ok, considering that fact, but if you consider the size of cloaks from the mothership, it's clear that this is too small, just like the shape of the cape recess to fit under the backpack.
I left it on, because it was easy enough to remove. If Spellcrow ever decides they want to produce a 32mm (or, 28mm "Heroic") cloak, I'll be first in line to grab a set, despite the difficulties with the component.
Crests
Because Space Marine helmets haven't changed in shape or size, these went on a treat. They are easily the best product related to dragon iconography that Spellcrow sells.
There is a tiny gap between the crest and the helmet, but at tabletop level you'll hardly notice, and if it really bothered you, greenstuff can make that gap go away.
Overall I was very impressed with these, and they fill a gap that is very rarely serviced by either the mothership, or the 3D printing space - which is, ways to enhance and alter helms without replacing them entirely.
Conclusion
I certainly don't regret my purchase - the bits were inexpensive, so it was very much worth gambling on them to see if they'd help me build a unique model. The crests are certainly fit for purpose, but I think Spellcrow should look at redesigning the cloaks to make them longer and fit better.
Until then, "Vulkan He'stan" is going to have to get used to being made fun of for his tiny cape. He'll make up for it by hosing people with his flamer, and pointing at stuff for the rest of the Green Machine to clean up.
Catch you next time,
Vulkan
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