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So my last game, I took a full platoon (50 models) of Conscripts has my second troop choice and to my surprise they worked out rather well! since then I've come to the conclusion that at the moment for local games I would like to continue using them. With this though, I'm not satisfied with using cadians and painting a stripe of some color onto the top of their helmets. Here's my question: what would you suggest to be used as heads for conscripts on the cadian shock trooper bodies?

I am considering the pig iron heads, most likely the rebel, but they appear a little too chaotic for troops of the imperium. Any other ideas?

Perhaps grab a box of Catachans and mix them in with a box of Cadians... (ie, cadian legs, + torso, catachan arms and head. Or, catachan legs, and one of the torsos with a vest, and cadian arms and helmet.)

I would think that conscripts would have the odds and ends of the equipment supply, thus explaining the weird outfitting. It would also give a good contrast to the "Squared Away" look of the standard Cadians.

Catachans representing new recruits? That just seems so wrong.

Heck, I use Catachans as my Hardened Vets!

It depends what you're looking for. If your goal is to represent local auxilaries, then the catachan/cadian mix is pretty good. If you want more of a local militia look, consider mixing the cadians with empire militia. If your goal is to simply show Cadians that aren't as well trained, well, they'd look pretty much like the line troops. You can paint the helmet, shoulder pads, etc all differently, but there is no real difference aesthetically between regular squads and conscripts.

... concripts are the recruits so they are all the same... from the same academy orsomthing... so they have all the same armor and weaponry.. mostly
because they die anyway the commanders dont give them special armour and weaponry like gasmasks or carapace (can concripts get carapace?)
So they have to be the same

you have 2 types of conscripts ... Recruits (above) and streetgangs and militias picked of the streets and pressed into service
if you go for the Conscripts.. ... take the white stripe helmet, but you dont like that so... i think you go for the ''street guys'' ... mixing catatchans and cadians is a great option... maby a couple ( A COUPLE NOT 50) gasmasks finish the job.

Personally, I think you can go a couple different routes. Remember, conscripts doesn't necessarily mean they get uniforms - it just means they've been conscripted into the fighting force. I think some of the most characterful models to use for conscripts would be Necromunda figures (representing conscripted street gangs) or Empire Flagellant/Bret Pilgrim/Necro Zealots (properly equipped, of course, representing pilgrims to a Shrine World - like in the book Sabbat Martyr).

Death By Monkeys wrote:Personally, I think you can go a couple different routes. Remember, conscripts doesn't necessarily mean they get uniforms - it just means they've been conscripted into the fighting force. I think some of the most characterful models to use for conscripts would be Necromunda figures (representing conscripted street gangs) or Empire Flagellant/Bret Pilgrim/Necro Zealots (properly equipped, of course, representing pilgrims to a Shrine World - like in the book Sabbat Martyr).

maby give them some parts of the cadians... like a helmet... (i dont know much about necromunda.. can they be converted?)
or a torso... a few... maby i dont know... and where do you get necromunda.. i dnot kknow any stores ..in my country... (but i dont know much) internet store?

Conscripts are not necessarily recruits in the same sense as the regulars were once recruits. Forced conscription has been quite common in the past, so there is no reason why they couldn't be just a bunch of people rounded up and given guns from the planet the guard are currently stationed on. It really depends on how you want your backstory/theme to work. A "conscript" could be anything from new draftee's that are trained but in a rushed fashion due to an emergency, or just a mob that had been pressed into service and given rifles. The latter could well be made up of penal troops, local hive gangers or just random people. There is certainly historic precident for all three.

Point of fact, the rules the conscripts use point towards the pressed service end of the spectrum, since new recruits would be organized into proper squads, draft or not. A bunch of folks that are not professional soldiers in any sense are much more likely to just be given guns and told to point them in one direction.

When the new codex and the new Cadian models came out a buddy of mine had a fair amount of the old metal Cadians. He just used the metal ones for conscripts. They're slightly smaller so it helps distinguish them from the regular grunts. You could probably round up a good chunk of old metal Cadians for fairly cheap.

Stormtrooper X wrote:When the new codex and the new Cadian models came out a buddy of mine had a fair amount of the old metal Cadians. He just used the metal ones for conscripts. They're slightly smaller so it helps distinguish them from the regular grunts. You could probably round up a good chunk of old metal Cadians for fairly cheap.

If you ask me, it should be the other way around. The classic cadian models look like real soldiers that have been around the block a few times. The new ones, however, are boring and don't look very intimidating(at least as far as guardsman intimidation goes...). If only they had given the new plastic cadians the classic helmet instead of the crappy new ones. Lets just face it, it makes them look like retards with safety helmets, not soldiers.
Then again, the classic Cadains do have less armor.....

Wow! Thank you to everyone for the replies. I guess there are several things to consider. I don't have a backstory so is probably hindering me in that respect. I like all the ideas but the classic cadian one sounds the most appealing. I already have my special weapons teams using catachan legs/arms so it might be a bit confusing if those squads get mixed up. After I posted, I was thinking I could just take the regular Cadians and file the extra protrusions from the outside of their helmets for a basic type of headgear, without the extra sensors or earmuffs/earphones. thanks for all the replies though, it's helped get me thinking and I should have some test troopers up by the end of the week!

I dont really like the idea of criminals in my army. So I go with the white stripe thing. It makes my army more matchy smatchy.

I have 2 different 20 man conscript units for my Grenswick Rifles IG army, I did a big mob of ork slaves, and I did some IG that look like the rest of my army except they all have T handled shovels, Bedrolls, canteens, and as much gear as I could get on them as I figured only fresh new guys would still have all that junk! I use the second unit in almost every game I play, there are even 2 heavy bolters in it on bipods, very sweet. Good luck whatever you choose, remember they could be conscripted anything....

If you have spare lasguns fantasy militia work really well as IG and would serve as good conscripts.

Let us not forget good Ol Necromunda figs! Though that could get a bit spendy. If you dont find the right deal localy or on the net.

If you're looking for a more "juvenile" looking conscript maybe take a look @ LOTR stuff? I'm not real familiar with them myself, but I've seen some of the models up close & working from memory they're slightly smaller. Maybe you could convert a set w/lasguns that suits your army's theme. Just a random thought, hope it helps.

I still haven't added any conscripts to my army and don't think I'll get around to that anytime soon.. but I always planned to use a mix of catchatans and random necromunda figs if I could find some cheap on ebay.. going with the idea that they're something more like a local militia sort of thing. Some evil army raided their world, they grabbed any gun they could find and fought back. Guardsmen came to help and they all ended up sticking together.

I didn't like the idea of using the same models with a white stripe on the helmet either, always seemed to me that conscripts should appear less organized like some supply officer handed em a lasgun and told them to go shoot the bad guys.

i have mine with an independant commisar attached to it, my unit is made out of, soldiers punished for minor offences, new recruits, and these who have sinned against the emperor, they all have the same uniform, but its different from the rest of my army, the crims, and the repentatants use cadian torso/legs/ heads(on some) and catachan arms with sleaves green stuffed on, the trainees have standard caidian gear, for now any way but i want to find suitable "youthy" heads for them.

anyway, the fluff behind them is the the commisar is in charge of the unit (thats why his power weapon is a whip). if this sounds familiar i got the idea from 'the armour of contempt' by dan abbnett, its a great read

lol, thats cool Lord. Similar to mine except mine is led by commissar gaunt.

Take a good solid look at the Necromunda line for street gangs or even penal troops.

There are lots of good ways to do this, especially if you bitz order necromunda stuff.

Also, you could consider using Warhammer Fantasy bits. Mix Cadians with Bretonian Men At Arms for a very hobbled together, poorly armed look among the Conscripts.

Lastly, check out the old Necromunda Scavvies. These are plague ridden conscripts, perfect for a force where other troopers have gas masks and such.

It'ed be a good idea I think. Ive made wierd looking exiled IG by giving flaggelents lasguns and stuff, works for me.

Definitely use The empire Flagellants and give them lasguns. They'll look like a convict work gang pressed into service, which is perfect. You don't want to feel bad when your conscripts die.

Buy a lot of cadian Torso ($1 for 10 on ebay now) and use catachan Legs and heads. For the arms use a mix of catachan and cadian to make them look motley.


All in all a whole squad of 50 will cost about $30.

My 2 squads of 30 conscripts are easily ID'd....

Normal paint scheme is a grey cloth (pants, shirt), with dark grey armor (chest, shoulders, helm).

Conscripts get the same cloth treatment, but their armor is Red. My, "red shirts" if you will. Their boots, gun, belt, and hip gear are all standard with the rest of the army. Its just that they've been given recycled armor, painted red (dont have to clean it so neatly to give it to the next body)

Yes, squad 1's Commissar has a whip cracked back, while he's reading scripture. Armor of Contempt

-Deewalla

Holy 8 month threadromancy!

Bright Orange fatigues with a greenstuff explosive collar
with one trustee with the controls per squad

I use empire flagellants, without all the iconography, and give them warrior weapons and flamers! They are a good way to draw fire away from good troops, having a mob of 30 or so of those running towards the enemy lines

I have some Ideas buy a box of catachan and mix match pieces and paint the catachan pants and bandanas up in different colours to symbolise gangs and stuff, That is what I did for my gangs/conscripts

This is quite the threadomancy. But I've seen better. Or is it worse?