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Hey Ya'll.

Well for a while now I have been working on an IG army so I do not have to play Tau all the time. As I do not like the normal close combat armies and I want to avoid Space Marines, I choose the IG. It also helped that I enough Steel Legion, Karskins, and Vols, to make a couple of squads. So I traded some stuff and got the Tanith First and the Last Chancers in a trade to boost my numbers.
So in contrast to my Tau army which was plastic (with the exception of the Vespid), this army is metal, but the vehicles are the new plastic models.

A note on the army, I have mixed army in that I have different models, steel legion, tanith, last chancers, volstrans, karskins, cadians, and catchans. Every squad is painted differently and the overall theme is the basing. The vehicles are also painted differently, but I think they look good.
Also for those who have seen my tau, I once again used bright and cheerful colors for the majoirty of the army.

So here are my painted figures so far.

My sniper command squad. Telion was a model I bought just wanting to paint, but I think he makes for a fine Company commander.



The Commissars. Hook is my Lord Commissar with a power fist, the other two, while I am not sure how to use them yet, are there to look good.


Aliem, my Primas Pskyer, I bought him because I liked the model.



Ratlings, going for the old BDU style theme. I love the new models and think GW did a great job with them.



My marbo count as. I think this is a great way to use Knife from the last chancers. Also the assassin, is a good count as to.



The troops

My steel legion, whom I call the Noir Nightwardens. They will get a chimera as their ride and it will be painted in their colors.


Next are the Volstrans, or the Żołnież of Polska. They to will be getting a chimera in their colors.



This squad is made up of last chancers, two catchans, a metla cadian, an extra female tanith I had and an escher, no name for this mixed squad yet.


A picture of the girls.


The tanith/Forresters of Benland. Also with Harker(whom I call bragg and two other catachan snipers)





The vehicles that I have done will posted later. Thoughts, comments, and cristisms are welcome as always.

I think that some of them look great, but then others not so much.

Agreed. The paint is sloppy in many places. Tidy them up if you have the time, but if you're just going for tabletop then kudos to you! It's always nice to see a new army.

Out of curiosity have you read the Last Chancres, or do you just have the models? and i agree with death, if ya go in and fine tune them they will look a lot better.

Oh yeah, and the Tanith First and Only (Gaunt's Ghosts) miniatures, along with the Last Chancers, were pretty much created as collectors' models for those who enjoyed the books they were featured in. Just an FYI. You can still use them as guardsmen or shock troopers or whatever if you want, but keep in mind they were not actually created for gaming purposes.

So what models, do ya'll think I need to tidy up?

@romeo.lima, No offense, but I kind of fail to see how they where not made for gaming purposes, they have the standard IG gear and a couple of them even have the special weapons. Plus with the older codex, you could field Guant and the Last Chancers including Colonel Schaeffer.

wish they made a Sergent Kage model. you know, him being the main character and all. but ya, they were meant as a collectors item, to be painted then put in a display for all to see etc. but like he said you can still use them, they just weren't made for it.(hence why they were in the collectors area and not troops or elites...)

Full of colour and character, very nice. Creative and different models, I like

funny, i had tau then guard but my tau were very, well lets say 'flamboyant' where as my guard is all plastic with lots of dark green camo...

Interesting, I assumed they where in the collectors section so GW get away with a hirer price for them. But it does not matter, I am the type of person who likes to use the minis that I have. The whole waste not want not, plus I think they are some nice looking models to boot.
Also I am still working on a plasma karskin squad, with the sarge counting as Bastonne. And I am working on another composite squad made up of different IG models, (and possible some reaper models too.)
But now for some tanks.

I have four tanks painted up thus far, with a Valkyrie, 2 sententials and 2 chimeras to go. More chimeras are probably going to be added in the end. As the nightwardens and Żołnież currently claim the first two chimeras and the karskin will get the valkyrie
A group shot



The hellhound


My bolter baby Russ (I abloustley love the new models for the Russes. Plus this one has some extra sister bits on it for flair.)



the demolisher



and last but not least, my executioner



and as a bonus, a sister hopsitlar, that I will use a medic if I ever run a plasma company command squas

I like your idea of a theme being for the squad/unit and painting to match that.

It's an unusual concept at first encounter, then I started to think about it and it made sense in terms of a characterful army.

Your figures range from very good to good but needs some shading or wash to bring them up to the standard of the best. You've obviously got the skills, you just need to find the time to apply them across the whole range.

Your vehicles look somewhat flat despite the colour coding to the squads and the use of different colours on various panels of armour and so on. To some degree this is because the pictures are smaller than the model which reduces the impact of any shading done.

That said, based on the look here, I suggest more hard edge highlighting is needed to bring out the texture of each vehicle. You could do this with a bit of drybrushing.

Overall I like the concept you have got for the army and I encourage you to keep on with it.

It won't be a cookie cutter army!

About the collectors models: I have no clue why these aren't just fine to play with. You can play any model you want, and the only requirement I've seen for tournaments is that 80% of a model should be GW stuff.

romeo.lima, xblackdog: WTF? Models not made for gaming purposes? Back that statement up. Schaffer's Last Chancers had rules in the last codex, and so did Gaunt. They may not have rules specifically for them now, but their current rule status could hardly affect why they were created in the first place.

Ultimately, they were all created to line GW pockets. But I would dearly love to know where you are getting your info that these models were not made for gaming purposes. As far as being in the collector's section of the website, so what? All that means is that they are not the most up to date models. GW uses the main section of the site to pimp their latest and greatest.

Neat idea - I sort of like how you've used what you like instead of just picking one group and going for uniformity. I do the same for my chaos army and I think it gives a lot of character.

Some of the models look better than others. Some look like you had good ideas but you rushed the execution. One example would be the Commisar's yellow buttons - I believe (cameras can lie) I see a lot of splashover onto the black coat. Just a minute relining black around the buttons will give a lot sharper look.

Models need a wash, particularly the yellow on the Voys.

Tanks look pretty good, but I agree that some hard-edge lining will make them pop. Pick a stupidly brighter shade of whatever the base color is and use the edge of your brush to lighten up the corners - it makes for a really nice effect.

Like the autumn-basing. I keep telling myself I'm going to do an autumn board but I never get there.

I really think you should re-letter your names. It looks like it was written with a white-out brush. It's perfectly legit to use a sharpie marker for some things (I know they sell a silver color similar to what you've written). I use an ultra-fine point sharpie to draw tattoos, symbols, etc. Paint is too hard to work with at an ultrasmall scale for my skills. Lettering with a paint brush is too hard for me too.

To all, I will try the highlighting as suggested.

@ 1-up: I have a sharpie that I will be using to write the names down. So those that have the names painted will be blacked out and written down. As you say, it is a lot easier using it then painting the names. Thanks for complements about the basing. Autumn is my favorite season, so it seemed natural to do an autumn theme base. I will work on trying to tidy up the models. I got some new fine detail brushes so, that should help with the neatness.

@shurbs and grizgrin: Thanks for agreeing with me about the ghost and chancers.

I'm not saying you can't use them for gaming! What I am saying is that they were made very well along the lines of the LotR vignettes that Citadel made, which can be found here: http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/armySubUnitCats.jsp?catId=cat1600000&rootCatGameStyle=lotr

You wanna use those for gaming? Go ahead, no one's stoppin' ya. All I'm saying is that yes I agree with you, grizgrin, that they were made for lining GW's pockets as collectors' models. What this means is that they were made for people who liked the books and might want to have characterful models, either for display or to add personality to their army. Nowhere have I said you can't use collectors' models for gaming. That's the number one rule: do whatever you will.

Now, to get back on topic, I do agree with 1-UP, some washes would add some very nice shading and bring out the detail on your models. Additionally, when I said tidy them up, the one that stood out to me was your commissar, the one to the left in the picture. His buttons have gold paint spilling out onto the coat, from what I can see. Just work on picking out different parts and details of a model, and they'll look rather nice just from that.

It's a very interesting concept, your army; it reminds me quite nicely of a "combined arms" operation of the Imperium. The same basing adds to that effect. Kudos!

I'd be more than happy to play against that army, as for the painting, just slap Baddab Black on everything an call it job done.

How about dipping them ? as the colours are nice and bright they just look abit flat.

Nice work. The integrated army look is very unique.

romeo.lima wrote:I'm not saying you can't use them for gaming! What I am saying is that they were made very well along the lines of the LotR vignettes that Citadel made, which can be found here: http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/armySubUnitCats.jsp?catId=cat1600000&rootCatGameStyle=lotr

You wanna use those for gaming? Go ahead, no one's stoppin' ya. All I'm saying is that yes I agree with you, grizgrin, that they were made for lining GW's pockets as collectors' models. What this means is that they were made for people who liked the books and might want to have characterful models, either for display or to add personality to their army. Nowhere have I said you can't use collectors' models for gaming. That's the number one rule: do whatever you will.

You're thinking of this: http://www.solegends.com/citle/citle2000/blacklibrary/blgaunts/blgaunts.htm

That's the special edition Black Library vignette that was made for the Ghosts. The other ones are made to be gaming pieces, plain and simple. There were rules for Tanith regiments once upon a time, starting in 3rd edition Chapter Approved.

Anyways the Imperial rainbow coalition rules.

To all, I have started working on cleaning up the models, new pictures might be posted in a week or two depending on work. But I appreciate the kind works and suggestions. I am not sure if dipping would be a good idea as I have based them. But some washes and tidying up will be done.

@romeo.lima: sorry if I am getting to defensive. I am not trying to start a flame war. I guess I always see any mini that gw makes as a model that can be used a gaming piece first, but as you said, it does not matter, and I will work the commissar that you mentioned.

I'd be real interested in the progress of your minis ass you clean them up. I am certain that you can really make them pop on a second go round, lessons learned and all.

The models do look a bit 'clean and fresh', so do add some washes as many others have suggested.

Update, I have gotten my plasma gunners and will be completing my plasma squad sometime this up coming week. Also the first two Chimera will be getting their paint job. I still have two more to buy (hopefully they will get me to 2500 which is my target total).
Also I will getting some more minis for my 6th vet squad.

I got two games in yesterday, on at 2500, the other at 2000. I won the 2500(spearhead, annihilation) vs space marines pedro with sternguard and lost the 2000 (Dawn of war, capture and control) vs horde guard (but it was a major blood bath on both sides). Some lessons learned, while the sents, can useful outflanking, I think I will stick with the Valkyrie doing the scout move, from now on. I have done outflanking with twice and both times, the bugger did nothing other than getting killed rather quickly.
Also marbo is fun to play with and a master of ordinance with a sniper CCS is not to bad. In the game vs the space marines, thanks to spearhead forcing him to bunch up, the MoO was able to reap a bloody toll on the marines, so I am going to continue to play with him.
Also with the exception of harker's squad everyone needs a ride. Plain and simple.
It was fun getting them on the tabletop and seeing them do well. I am learning every time I play and I am getting an idea of how use each unit to their potential.

Good stuff but I wouldn't like to drive into battle in a multi-coloured tank,simply beacause you'd stick out like a sore thumb! Just a recommendation use those autumn clours on the tanks in a camo (should look nice!)

As an idea, I am thinking of converting an Ork truck into a IG truck, I have looked on interweb for ideas, but I have been surprised at the lack of material, I have found. Has anyone tired this before. I know it will involve plasticard and a lot of work, but I would like to do it, so I have a tad of variety with my transports.
Can anyone push me in the right direction?

guardpiper wrote:As an idea, I am thinking of converting an Ork truck into a IG truck, I have looked on interweb for ideas, but I have been surprised at the lack of material, I have found. Has anyone tired this before. I know it will involve plasticard and a lot of work, but I would like to do it, so I have a tad of variety with my transports.
Can anyone push me in the right direction?

Here: http://davetaylorminiatures.blogspot.com/2009/06/troop-transport-truck-tutorial-part-one.html

Be warned I did one of these myself and it takes between four and nine hours because of the large amount of cutting involved (aswell as me being useless with plasticard!)

Some are good, others just look like you didn't even thin your paints.

Major update, with the infantry mins being done for a while, I have worked on buying enough Chimeras to give out to all my squads. Well this took a while as the bloody things are a pain in the but to find and as I love the new version, I only wanted to work with it. But I finally got it all done so here are some pictures. Highlights will be done at a later date, but major concern was getting everyone painted up. Once again, I went for the bright and cheery, so this might hurt some eyes.

Command Chimera




With the squad


The Nightwardens (aka steel legion)




With vet squad with grenade launchers


The Żołnież of Polska (Volstrans, and yes I know it looks like a Minnesota Vikings vehicle.)




Vet squad with 3 metlas and the Lord Commissar, as when I run him, he goes with the squad, so they are a bodyguard of sort, hence the purple.)


Composite Squad 1




Vet squad with grenade launchers, I am not sure if Guant will be the squad leader, but he looks good leading them, so he is staying for now.


Composite Squad 2




Vet squad with meltas


Last but not least the Bird, the theme I did is reminding me of something, but I can not place a finger on it.






The Askum Rangers with CMS Watt (My Bastonne count as)

I like the individual character of each squad.=. my only complaint is the Valkyrie looks like the Partridge family bus("come on get happy...!")! you can see that bad boy coming a mile away!