Cool 40K Assassin models

I'm a tad underwhelmed by the 40K Vindicare and Culexus models. There are some alternatives out there - various Scout models for the Vindicare, mainly - though the Culexus is a bit set in stone as the head piece is rather visually distinctive. Too big and unwieldy-looking and a bit whack for me, but to each their own.

A Vindicare standing up to shoot is just a bit weird to me as a former platoon designated shooter myself, but I suppose. Gotta have uniform height for models for LOS gaming purposes and all that. Plus no-one wants a model that's lying down and covered in a ghillie suit. Callidus is fine, but for the paintjobs that people put on them imho - white skulls and emblems on a sneaky assassin? Sure, after the Polymorphine and all that, I suppose... Eversor - well, all bets are off there. Go crazy, maybe convert with an Arco-flagellant or something, though the base model looks swell enough.

But there's also older models to consider. Like, way old.

Some still available via Ebay at http://goo.gl/LEqqD (SFW, Ebay link).

1981 Spacefarers Citadel Miniatures
"Cyborg Assassin" model.

Unreleased Culexus model.

Rogue Trader Assassin,
make the gun longer and there's your Vindicare.

Dark Elf Assassin counts as 40K DCA to me.

Incidentally, some Dark Elf fantasy dual-wielding models can look pretty nice. Unlike the official 40K Death Cult Assassin females in bikinis and high heels - lol what? So unless you're playing with jerks, I'd just substitute the dual-wielding Dark Elf.

Dark Elf Assassin counts as 40K DCA to me.

Shadowblade, Dark Elf Assassin counts as 40K DCA to me.

Really, any mostly un-armoured model dual-wielding swords will do as far as I'm concerned. Slightly more reasonable and immersive than a girl in a bikini, high heels and two power swords. Your call, most people don't really care for things like reasonable realism in a fictional universe filled with magic and psykers and power armour and whatnot. But I do. RP, lore, fluff, immersion and all that. Less of a game and more of a story, to me, though I understand most people don't see it that way. Maybe I should stick to things like Mordheim and Necromunda, esp. due to the overwhelming fan-base focus on competitive WH 40K play. People doing "dice rolling technique" and nudging models forward to get in range, nit-picking template placements and rules and Win-At-All-Cost attitudes and all that. Plus I guess it's reasonable to get upset if you spend $1300 to field an army, get it all painted up and then get your butt kicked by some overgrown rules lawyer with poor or non-existent social skills. I'd rather not be in that environment.

But yeah, assassin models. Cool.
EDIT: Just toured a few gaming stores in San Diego. Turns out there's tons of ninja-looking appropriate-scale miniatures with dual-wielding daggers/swords from various manufacturers. Have a look around.

Gaunt school.

Gaunt school.

6th Edition: Warhammer 41,000

IT IS THE 42nd millennium. The Tyranids have eaten Ultramar, the proud Ultramarines are presumed killed to the last man with a strike force lost in the warp. The commander of the Word Bearers sent a message of condolence to the High Lords of Terra, then curbstomped Cadia. Isolated fragments of the Cadian Guard and Titan units still hold out in the mountains, and some regiments were off-world. The Word Bearer's message was intercepted by Clade Vanus of the Officio Assassinorum but opened a warp-rift that destroyed 3 sub-levels of a hive. Clade Vanus was blamed, and a small war ensued for 13 months between Clade Vindicare, Clade Vanus and an Astartes garrison force. 5,000 citizens starved to death, too afraid to go outside during the war. One hive governor was shot at dinner, the rest of the guests were too scared to move and carried on dining around his corpse.

A Hive Fleet reached the doors to the Imperial Palace but was repelled, having taken down Earth's defenses with assimilated Eldar biotechnology and slaves. Ghostly apparitions are manifesting in the Imperial Palace. Necrons have all but conquered a sector in Segmentum Ultimus, Imperial Forces tactically advanced in the opposite direction while the Necrons were backdoor pummeled by Eldar, Orks and Eldar Renegades, the latter of which are lead by "a mysterious figure." Several High Lords of Terra flee to Maginor, face death by Orks, who ignore them in favour of attacking another Waaagh.

The Tau accidentally invade the Webway, and several large Tau fleets are now infested with Harlequins. Two never before seen Space Marine chapters appear and wreak havoc across multiple segments. Their chapter names are not confirmed, but it's along the lines of "Templar's Death Goth Angels." One Chapter Master, whose speech is near un-intelligble, has been lost in the Webway for millennia, doomed to slaughter and re-slaughter immortal Eldar spirits as well as lost Tau. He is sometimes able to surf a Tau ship into real-space but is forced back into the Webway by his honour oath to aid Ensign Amethystra Star Shinobi Aiko Pikard Janemay Sue, the troubled Medical Officer/Secret Inquisitor of the flagship Gloria Imperialis.

To sum up: Tyranids eat Ultramar and land on Earth. Necrons conquer a sector, and are in turn re-conquered. There is a mysterious figure. The Tau are lost in an Eldar bus terminal. Space Marines do their thing, with bad accents. The Orks go Waaaaaagh! The Blood Angels have not responded to questions about Necrons, other than to say "butt out."

In the grim dark darkness of the far grimness, there is only future, and it is grim. To be alive in such times is to have no clue what's going on, and you'll probably die before you're 40. With a headache.