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Anybody know of some interesting or cool conversions that can be done with regular guardsmen 'cause I reckon I could get my next platoon looking awesome with a little help that is.

Pig Iron heads are always cool on Guardsmen.

I'll bear that in mind thanks.

Hey Bong Good to see a fellow welshman

Guard: Figure out an aesthetic you want to work towards. Is there a regiment from the books you particularly like or a certain type of real world solider you like the look of? Maybe you think ww2 Russians look good, or you have a thing for lightly armoured soldiers over heavy ones. From there you can try to work towards a theme.

Gear them up!

Every men get a water bottle and a knife, then randomize pouches and grenades, perhaps a shovel here and there.

all mine carry various odds and sods from the battelforce set - some have the big grenade ammo pouches with the las clip and grenades, some have the water bottle, las clip and grenades, some have grenades and a bayonet.

I even went as far as putting backpacks on some of them as well. Was considering putting the SM backpacks on some of them as jump packs.

Really there are so many different things you could do with them to make them a bit different just using parts from GW.

3rd party bits, such as heads and weapons, are an easy one (I can recommend PIg Iron and hasslefree, respectively), but don't underestimate the benefits of simply swapping bits between different GW Guard kits. The command, Cadian, Catachan, heavy weapon and vehicle kits are all pretty much interchangeable. Also simple conversions, such as repositioning hands and legs can help add variety to squads with minimal effort.

Thanks for all the info guys its gonna help a lot

Be sure to show us when you do them. Also if youve got the patience green stuff can do wonders for conversions.

Yeah I'll be sure to upload some photos when I do so you guys can tell me what you think.

Best advice all in all is pick something you like. You are going to be spending a lot of time and money on them. Make sure you like them.

Yeah I've started work on a scenery type conversion for an objective marker for my IG to secure basically its a standard with a guardsman that will have been cleaved in two after suffering wounds to his left arm that were treated and the standard will have whats left of the old standard bearers body a.k.a his left hand.

What would you say guys?
Worth doing would you say?
I will upload pictures of it when its done.

Bongfu wrote:Pig Iron heads are always cool on Guardsmen.

Some Secret weapon backpacks on them too is even better...

A great way to make them look a little better is to give them backpacks. The Assault Group makes fantastic white metal backpacks that are pretty historically accurate, though for some reason, many of the backpacks are photographed upsidedown.
http://www.theassaultgroup.co.uk/store/product.php?productid=271&cat=24&page=2

If you have a friend that place Space Marines, or even go to a shop where there are Space Marine players, and I'm sure there are tons of them, ask if you can have their pouches. I almost never see Space Marines with the pouches on them, but I've seen countless IG conversions with them. A good one is to make a backpack out of them. Shave down the nub on the Cadian's backpacks and throw the large pouch on there. Then glue the small ones across the large blank area on the large pouches. It looks very cool and is cheap as free because most SM players are dying to get rid of their pouches.



Catachan heads make great sergeants and veterans. Also, a good way to make your characters and models more interesting is to include extra kit. Wire cutters, rope, extra weapons or grenades, purity seals all set a model apart from others. Some of the smaller Space Marine bits can be good award for characters.


You can also cruise bits sites for inspiration.
http://www.maxmini.eu/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=22&zenid=4hv24a06ttlk1vftmhlv77plm6
http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&zenid=593478ae3a82ae9635189fd74dbb8ab6
http://www.puppetswar.eu/category.php?id_category=25
http://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=60

Thanks for all the help guys

its much appreciated

Goddess I wish I'd known about Pig Iron before I really got my guard rolling, they have some really cool scifi heads that I /really/ want to make troops out of. Will probably save them for conversion storm troopers later, along with one of the beret heads from the cadian command sprue.

I second using Purity seals on guard minis, I have them on various veterans and elite troopers to note their seniority amongst other things. Sure it doesn't have any in game benefit, but damned if they don't /look/ good.

Blackdagger Games is my go to for reasonably priced GW offical bits. And their shipping is second to none, especially if you buy in bulk.

http://stores.ebay.com/blackdaggergames

Why not change the whole body?

The Catachan command squad kit is excellent for conversions:

They're also using shotguns converted from Chimera lasguns and stock Catachan lasguns.

I will say if your planning on playing in tournies it may be a good idea to check if there are rules about how much of a model has to be GW etc.

noneoftheabove0 wrote:If you have a friend that place Space Marines, or even go to a shop where there are Space Marine players, and I'm sure there are tons of them, ask if you can have their pouches. I almost never see Space Marines with the pouches on them, but I've seen countless IG conversions with them. A good one is to make a backpack out of them. Shave down the nub on the Cadian's backpacks and throw the large pouch on there. Then glue the small ones across the large blank area on the large pouches. It looks very cool and is cheap as free because most SM players are dying to get rid of their pouches.

That's an amazing tip - thanks a bunch! I have tons of those bloody pouches sitting on sprues, and backpacks will really do wonders for my relatively bland IG models.

SM Scout goggles, Green Stuff balaclavas and MOLLE, LEGO weapon add-ons, various IG heads (a lot of vehicle crew/pilots) and SM pouches.

Done by a friend of mine. More pictures here;
http://www.pbase.com/crusader40k/imperial_guard&page=all


And I second the use of Pig Iron heads;









...

As every on has said gear and heads are the best way to go but theme is very important. They must be like that for a reason. Mine are rapid response so may have to hold out for a while.
Also you could add some females.

A good way of finding ideas might be to just try serching the dakkadakka galaries using tags limke imperial guard and conversions and seeing if anything catches your eye then messaging the person directly

Imperial Guard ?

Pfft.... Orlock Gangers in disguise more like..

Thanks for all the help guys I shall give each of them ago and put some pics up asap

use bits from here:

http://victoriaminiatures.highwire.com/

....they have HIGHLANDERS!

*begins to plan out just how to use kilts and what upper bodies and heads to pair them with to create a unit of Stormtroopers/Karskin for his guard army*

...hmmm rules wise if a unit takes a piper does the unit gaining stubborn seem fair? Highland bagpipes are at least as moral enhancing as a Commissar's bolt pistol.

Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQJoKXhx-HM

Bagpipes are indeed instruments of war... You should probably get Wall of Death for Overwatch as well

Depending on which Highlander unit's regimental history you look at you could probably make an argument for Feel no Pain too... especially if you do a conversion representing a reincarnated Jack Churchhill... which I will now totally do.

Now to add "write custom rules for Captain Jack Churchhill" to my to do list...

Quick question: how out of proportion would a SM bare head look on a guatdsman body?

//Calle