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Why: Basically I hate the way the IG plays and feels. Primitive tactics, archaic vehicle designs, it just doesn't match what I feel a future human military should be like. I wanted some mix of modern infantry, anti-gravity tanks, and Mobile Infantry power armor....lots of power armor. So basically, a Tau army. I used to have a Tau army and I sold them because I didn't like the figs.


This pic was the inspiration for my Fire Warriors & Pathfinders:

I decided against going full-out camo on the Fire Warriors; I think a well-executed camo scheme does exactly what it's supposed to do: make your figs hard to look at clearly. So I've gone a simpler route:



File down some of the details on the cargo pockets to make them look like pieces of carapace armor. Green stuff a visor (probably full-face on future figs) and a Camelbak. The next figs will also have: no bayonet or canteen, more "open" poses so I can attach mag pouches/grenades to their chests, and longer rifles (instead of this figure's "carbine"). I think I'll achieve the longer rifles by scavenging from my box of Catachan bits and essentially using their lasguns to lengthen the ones on my Cadian figs. Pathfinders will probably get the full camo scheme and lots of terrain on their bases.

Speaking of Catachans, I didn't snap a pic of my test fig, which will serve as a Kroot. The idea is that these big blue genetically-engineered humanoids, made for laboring in the mines (think Neosapiens from Exosquad), happen to be pretty good at close combat, and get pressed into service. I'm considering buying bolt-action rifles from The Assault Group and sprucing them up with various spiky bitz to look more like Kroot rifles.

The core of the army will be Crisis and Broadside suits. People might remember the models from this thread. I had some Broadside parts lying around that's my prototype instead of a Crisis. Of course these pictures came out the worst:


All of the suits feature magnetic hardpoints for weapons customization on the fly:


Unfortunately there are some problems with these guys:
1) The broadsides at least are ridiculous front/top heavy. That's why I'm holding the figure instead of showing off a mounted model. I'm probably gonna have to weight their bases and glue them down with epoxy or something.
2) They have some kind of sealant that makes them damn-near impossible to strip. I left one sitting in that purple stuff (from the article on stripping figs) for days on end and it did nothing. Painting directly over them is a pain as the paint doesn't adhere well. I could just re-prime them but I'm a bit concerned about losing detail.

My Devilfish and Hammerhead will be based on Renegade Legion TOG designs. I haven't cut any plasticard yet for these but here are some pics of what I have in mind:






The Lupis/Devilfish will be scratchbuilt. I have a largely-built Horatius grav tank lying around here, much harder design, so I'm sure I can do this. I'm thinking of kitbashing the Aeneas/Hammerhead from a Kitech 1/48 Merkava MBT.

The bulk of the army will be the suits though. The plan is to take the minimum FW squad in a Fish, a good number of Broadsides, a Hammerhead, and as many Crisis Suits as a I can cram into the list. Things like Pathfinders, Kroot, Stealth suits (I have some AT-43 Steel Tacarms) and maybe Piranhas (any ideas how big those AT-43 King Buggy's are?) will be phased in as they get converted.

Thoughts?

I personally think IG are pretty well balanced for gameplay the way they are. I agree though that they could use a overhaul in some areas. I like your idea alot

This looks like a really cool idea Nice test figs, I can't wait to see how it progresses!

Nice idea! I think someone wrote a mini-codex in PDF format for the Gue'vasa (humans who have defected to the Tau Empire), so keep an eye out for that. Your local gaming group would probably allow you to use it in casual games.

I have that codex and I think It may be in one of the Tau codexs. The humans are still pretty much weak with a better gun in there.

Why does your camera look like you stole it off a softcore pornography set?

Phryxis wrote:Why does your camera look like you stole it off a softcore pornography set?

the softcore porno look is all the rage my friend stay with the times

Jon Touchdown wrote:I personally think IG are pretty well balanced for gameplay the way they are.

Sure, they are balanced on the table, I just don't think they are very "futuristic". I suppose some mix of grenadiers and veterans in Chimeras and Valkyries would come close.....no, that's more like Soviets in Afghanistan with BMPs and Hinds.

I took the pics with the same camera (my G1 phone) as the pics in my gallery. The difference is the gallery pics are in broad daylight outside, while these were all taken in my dark office at twilight, with a single bright light source.

I did some more work tonight on a 2nd infantryman (still needs a greenstuff Camelbak) and a 2nd suit (greenstuffed shoulder mounts instead of just plasticard). It's going to be a busy week so it might be a while before I throw up some pics.

I wish they would give them some more futuristic options that could be balanced in a way like less troops but better gear

WHAT! Ma.K. models!? Man, do them justice, please. I love those things, so make them beautiful above all else.

any chance of a scale shot with your broadside next to a guardsman?

Nice Idea
ide love to see a finished army
congrats

For generic futuristic grav vehicles have you seen the Old Crow models?

Flinty wrote:For generic futuristic grav vehicles have you seen the Old Crow models?

Those are pretty sweet. would they be the right size for 40k I dont know bout all this 25mm 45mm ect

I don't know... I think you have some interesting ideas here, but the figures--at least as I'm imagining some of them that aren't built yet--don't seem to fit together very well as a force.

What you're talking about fielding are Cadians with all the details filed off, cut-down lasguns, and what look like humpbacks (at least at a distance), blue Catachans, stock Maschinen Krieger stuff that's glued to stock Tau heavy weapons, and scratchbuilt grav tanks.

I'm not saying it will necessarily be a mess, but I have absolutely no idea how I would tie those things together--visually--on the table. You may be a far better painter or modeler, but I can't conceive of how I'd do it. Consistent and very strong paint scheme (black/white or bright red/yellow/blue)? Large, original, and striking iconography that's repeated across all units? 3" tall 'hot lava' bases on all figures? I just don't see how this doesn't look a mess when it's all together.

I like the idea of using Catachan models to count as Kroot - with a little bit of fluff writing, you can probably justify all the Kroot attributes and rules.

Hmm, now I'm trying to think of models to count as Krootox and Kroot hounds...

I hear what you are saying about IG, they almost feel like orks technologically speaking. Nice project

This model from the old thread looks really cool.

http://www.hlj.com/product/HSGMK-01

Interesting Idea, but how will the army play? Tau renegades? Renegades? Imperial Guard?
I'm guessing the broadside would count as sentinels with lascannon?

Also, you may want to note that the Imperial Guard may mostly be a little backward, but not universally. There would be some systems with very advanced technology. Or they could be the experimental force of a promising Machine God Adept.

P.S. in 40k, the average guard is worth less than thier gear. Why bother prepping up cannon fodder?