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A few weeks ago, I won an Imperial Guard army in a raffle at my local Games Workshop, proof that good things happen to bad people. It took quite some time to come up with a theme for the army, as really, I wouldn't be caught dead playing a "typical" army. After considering a WW2 British, Samurai/Imperial Japan, hyper-religious and mechanical themes, I decided to go with what I knew and make a steampunk army based loosely on the British forces of the Napoleonic War, and continue my my policy of plastic only.

Rather than the unarmoured Praetorians, backwards in thought but not technology, the Vernian are literately steampunk, powering everything with steam engines and clockwork springs. While the basic infantry are for the most part unconverted (it's an infantry army, and like hell I'm converting 100+ guardsmen) the tanks, guns, and support units are all to be modified in some way or another.

So, first shots as I continue to work on the army, then!


This is the test soldier, Private Duncan, of First Squad, Foot Guard Platoon (Assault Troops) Basically, his platoon has meltaguns in it, and their bases are yellow to tell them apart. He's a good example of how different somebody can look from the standard even without converting; holding him up to a "regular" guardsman is quite a contrast.


The second model is Ensign Shields, of the same squad. He's basically the squad sergeant, and he turned out really well I think. He's got a wooden chainsword, seems sort of contradictory, eh?


Squad one in their full glory. Looks very regal, don't you think? This is the first army I've done in the "assembly line" system, everyone else, even my old guard army, had their men done painstakingly one at a time.




The first Basilisk tank, or "Self-Propelled Steam Powered Howitzer" as the Vernians would refer to it as. Crewed by blue-coated artillery instead of purple-coated calvary/armour soldiers, it and it's doppleganger provides all the heavy fire support for the Vernians. Powered by a miniturized steam engine that transfers heat to the water tank under the gun deck, it as a low speed, but honestly doesn't have to move that often. It's basic design idea was to fuse some locomotive in with tank chassis.

Well, that's it for now. Next time more squads, more vehicles, and some heavy weapons! Unless I run into some more horrible controversy or get hit by a car or something.

Nice job! One thing, I'm not sure the color on the free handed embellishments, but you might stand to gain a fair amount of depth to them if you take a finer brush and using slightly brighter color add highlights to them. That should help make them pop out without disrupting the subdued tone to them.

GW letting you win armies in raffles?

Oh if only GWUK did stuff like that instead of being such a bunch of tight @r5e5!!!!

I like the colour scheme, but I'm not sold on the names done freehand on the base.

Something I did for my Imp fleet in BFG was to use an art package to wrap text round a curve the same size as the ship bases and then print off all the names. It worked a treat as it was so uniform. You could even try using a photo-reduce technique to make the name plates the same size as a shoulder pad and put them straight on the model - you could have problems with the printing at that size, though.

Well, not quite a whole army, just most of the infantry. It was the result of the other local store closing, somehow. I don't know much about the particulars, I was too busy freaking out about being the new owner of 80 some guardsmen.

As for the printing idea, I didn't even think of it, but I'll give it a shot.

Yeah, I'm also generally in favor of the color scheme, although I can't say I'm particularly hip on the purple "glow" effect on the ends of their lasguns and laspistols...I think it looks a little odd - sort of like the barrel has corroded in a weird way...

Everyone says that, but I personally like it. When it comes to effects, almost everyone has blue, red or nothing on their lasguns. I wanted a slightly different colour, and the mental image of lavender lances of light seemed to fit this army. Less "advanced" than blue but more "civilized" than red. While I initially kept the glow only in front of the muzzle, I made a mistake while painting, and liked the effect so much I kept it.

this reminds me of all those "haughty taughty" regiments that are always giving the tanith such a hard time in the gaunts ghosts novels. very cool idea btw. Especially liked the steam powered basilisk, that big steam valve on it just looks right.

I think maybe you could get the metallics abit smoother on the troops. I usually paint slightly thinned gold on top of silver, make it stick better for some reason.

Love the basilisk, looks great. looking forward for more!!

LL

I like the steam traction-engine basilisk.

Steampunk or Victorian period SF actually should fit in quite well with the rest of the somewhat dickensian (only darker) 40k universe.

Is that a Necromunda heavy stubber you have mounted in the place of a Heavy Bolter on the Basilisk? Nice!

What does every Imperial Guard army need? A chain of command. And Mr. Welles here is on top of that chain.





All this army's officers are on horseback, which makes them stand out, and makes them bigger targets, but looks damn awesome. In fact, this guy is pretty much built on the idea of making as awesome a commander as possible. Yes, the horse has a monocle.

By the way, I'm aware of the lack of flock on the base. I don't have access to my flock supplies at the moment. I'm also aware of some touchups the photos have made obvious, but I've been really preoccupied with the literal pile of guardsmen on my desk.

You seem to be having some coverage issues. Especially with your whites and browns. I take you're building up from dark colors to light colors? I'd highly suggest you thin out your paint a bit and add more layers to get more even coverage. Some spots look a bit 'chunky' so this would help even those out as well.

I'd also suggest a wash of black on the hair of the horse, and a light brown wash over the commanders hair. Just to help bring out some more of the details. A quick drybrush of the original color will bring it back up to the colors you have here, just with the additional shading I think it's missing right now.

I'll do that as soon as I buy the wash kit. I currently don't have any washes (which makes me sad.)

I'm more than aware that I'm a terrible painter. My armies relies entirely on good concepts to make up for bad converting and painting.

You don't need to buy the wash kit to have washes.

Just go old school on them, dilute the hell out of the color you want to use for a wash and apply the wash! The GW washes just save you time from having to make your own washes.

I never said you were terrible! It's all about helping each other get better results from advice we learned from others, or through our own experimentation!

I like the Welles model a lot, as well as the color scheme.

My one comment would be that whilst Welles himself has a great dynamic pose, his horse doesn't quite complement it as well...it looks like it's more ambling about rather than charging forward.

Still, looks like quite nice.

His dramatic horse didn't actually manage to fit both hooves onto a little round base, and so kept falling over.

(Maybe he's just signaling the charge?)

Beautiful concept, and well excecuted so far. Nice!

One thing I would add to Grey Death's advice about washes/inks is to grab some craft paint "extender" to mix with the paint and distilled water to thin it. It keeps it from drying for a while (so don't get nuts applying the wash) but it helps make for a smoother wash application, avoiding the wierd rings and bubbles you sometimes will get.

I am told dish soap works too, and the one retail ink I own (Didi's Magic) definitely has it in it by taste. I sometimes add a touch of soap, but I am not certain it is necessary to my recipie. More of a ritual "just in case, when I remember" sort of thing.

Wehrkind wrote:OI am told dish soap works too, and the one retail ink I own (Didi's Magic) definitely has it in it by taste. I sometimes add a touch of soap, but I am not certain it is necessary to my recipie. More of a ritual "just in case, when I remember" sort of thing.

This is a concept some use with firefighting as well. It's called making the water 'wet'. Adding a small amount of soap (in our case a class A foam additive!) helps the water the break its surface tension, making it able to 'sink into' the cracks and crevices.

When I remember, I try and do this with my normal painting water since I use that most of the time to do washes anyways.

Looks good so far.
The commander in particular is nicely done.

Well done, like the bits sticking out from the bottom of the basilisk. Colour scheme also superb

Quick update!

First thing is ideas for the future. Here's what I've got lined up.

- Steam Powered Sentinels : I've got the models, and I've got a prototype assembled. Heavy Flamers and Hunter-Killer Missiles, which I've been told is very effective.

- Clockwork Rough Riders : Putting pistoleers with some heavy resculpts, onto skeleton horses with clockwork bits inside/on.

- Clockwork Men : Orgryns, made to look as though composed of armour plate, cogs and gears, and giant clockwork keys in their back.

- Hellhound, with steam cannon.

- Armoured Fist Squad with open-topped Chimera.

- Baneblade "Dreadnought", a tall metal tank with a superstructure, turrets, and various other naval-themed what-nots.

- A pair of steam tanks, likely regular Russes or, if the rules come back, exterminators, without turrets and the main gun embedded in the hull.

Second, some sample models from the Fusiliers, the second platoon with plasma guns.



There's thirty of these bastards, and I'm just finishing the last squad in the platoon and it's been miserable. The Kreigmarines were too good to me, with barely any infantry compared to the horde of tanks. I'm not used to painting soldiers in these numbers!

ooo i like those ideas, the steam cannon and battleship themes just make me think of steamboy, if you've not seen it get a copy and give it a watch. Should give you even more inspiration. Steampowered handgliders for rough riders?......

raaaaaagh i cant see the pics!

That's because you've resurrected a thread that's over a year old.

Scrazza wrote:raaaaaagh i cant see the pics!

Could this be anything to do with the thread being over a year old?

Threadro.... I can't bring myself to say it.

Cheers,

Jack.

Thread is being locked due to thread necromancy.