Reclusiarch Grimaldus of the Black Templars is one of the most popular characters in Warhammer 40k, most famous for the defense of Helsreach Hive and surviving the Temple of the Emperor Ascendant collapsing on top of him. But what if his injuries had been too great for even a Space Marine’s superhuman physiology? It’s an idea that 40k fan Perry Fowles has explored in this truly epic dreadnought Grimaldus conversion.
Fowles first got into Warhammer 40k with the launch of third edition in 1998, though he’s had a lengthy break since playing as a youth, and only got back in just over three years ago. “I love dreadnoughts, and have wanted to do a character dreadnought conversion for a while now”, he says. When GW announced the Saturnine dreadnought, he “knew that would make an awesome foundation for a one off centerpiece conversion”.
The relic dreadnought is intended to fit into Fowle’s Black Templars army – not the only Warhammer 40k faction he collects, but among the largest. “The model is intended to represent an alternate history where Grimaldus is mortally wounded in battle, and is interred in a suit of relic dreadnought armor, covered in the relics of the chapter and sent out to crusade eternal.”
You can find more pictures of the Grimaldus dreadnought – and loads of other conversions – on Fowles’ Reddit profile. I asked him how he made the impressive beast.
“The main body is the Saturnine dreadnought from the new Horus Heresy starter box”, he explains. “The arm is from the Brutalis dreadnought kit”, and “many of the relics are from the Grimaldus kit, or the Black Templars Upgrade Sprue”.
The sword is built around parts from the Grey Knights Nemesis Dreadknight, and there are bits from “various Chaplain kits, on bike and foot”, plus more from the “huge pile” that Fowles has amassed “through obsessive hobbying”.
“The most challenging part was probably getting the pose right, and getting the sword right”, Fowles says, “but to be honest it’s not the most complicated conversion”. The most time consuming elements ended up being “the banner, the sword and the plasma”. He admits he “probably could, and should, have spent more time on some of the other parts of the paint job” but he “was just very excited to get it finished and on the table”.
The model is going to see play as part of Fowles’ Space Marine army – but not as Grimaldus himself. “My Judiciar Yorghast has been a bit of a hero so far with his squad of Bladeguard” in an ongoing Crusade campaign, “so maybe the next time he’s killed in battle I’ll use that as the lore beat to introduce the dreadnought to the order of battle and have him interred in there”. A fitting end for a hero in a Space Marine chapter that never, ever, ever stops crusading.
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