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Hello all,

My IG army is undergoing a major revamp, and I thought it was high time I start making my army a little more unique than just in color scheme. I've been trying to go down the list and find at least one conversion or addition I can make to each unit type to make them different. It doesn't need to be a radical difference, but I'd like my army to not resemble winter cadians so much.

So far, all I have is putting my rough riders on those german half track motorcycles, and my heavy weapons on wheeled carriages (pardon me if I disbelieve two guardsmen can carry a lascannon )

Mainly I'm trying to find a difference for my infantry. Not a large difference. I was thinking of making some molds of large furry cloaks, seeing as how they are essentially valhallan in nature. I really do like the look of the cadian models, so i would like to keep the armor uncovered, along with the helmet and the lasgun. But if you've got a great idea that covers it all up i'm still willing to hear it!


Many thanks,

DaBestestKlan

If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you could do a different type of headgear. Likewise, there are easy things you can do like "rolling up" their sleeves and modifying the look of their lasguns.

But you're doing winter, right? That's easy, as it pretty much only involves additions.

By this, I mean add a bit of GS to work as a neck scarf (or put some over the bottom part of their faces) like these guys. As well, I would recommend putting some GS on the end of the shirts to widen the garment at the wrist. This basically turns a shirt into a coat (like the wrists on this model). Or you could add fur trim to the boots, wrists, or helmet (sort of like these guys).

If you're feeling really ambitious, then yeah, do GS cloaks. It might be more bother than you think, even with the moulding, so perhaps you might want to start small. You DO have a few hundred to make, after all.

If it's winter you want, how about trying to use some greenstuff and extend the bottom part of the cadian tunics over most of the legs to look like trench coats? You don't have to make them furry unless you really wanna.

then you can look at some of those sites that make extra heads, maybe someone makes heads with those furry russian hats that have the floppy ear covers. or even just an enclosed helmet could look good.

If I had to do it (seems like a lot of work), I would start with a winter camo. paint job (white/blue/gray).

The furry parka look may be a way to go, a triangle of green stuff on the back with a line of "Fuzz" near the neck and make from green stuff the occasional parka hood up (more work) to show what they are.

Or I would add small "pads" of green stuff on knees and elbows to show reinforced areas to protect from the cold when kneeling or shooting with elbows propped. Make a textured area by putting small lines across the length of the pads with a knife. Quick but would need to be done 4X however many guard you have. This would be distinct and thinking about it now it would look cool (paint black to look like rubber pads with gray drybrush to pick out the scoring across the pad) probably would be the way I would go if I was into the winter look. Or only a pad on right knee left elbow (kneel on the one knee, prop left leading arm). Half the work and still look stylish.

Could smear over the three fingers on each hand to create mitts with trigger finger out and paint accordingly.

Smear over lower face to look like a scarf to protect from the cold (the long scarf is just asking an enemy to choke you with it). Added bonus to look like ninja guard (or is it Cobra troopers?), oh yes it is working for me...

Any thoughts of creating some kind of "ice axe" to hang from their belt for that extra authenticity? Coils of rope on the odd guy, to show they are used to climbing nasty areas? Do you think they would have anything as a replacement for snow shoes or skis. Creating a walking pole or ski like pole may be cool (Lascannon on a dog sled??!!) Create blocks of ice like for igloos on the heavy weapon stands. Cavalry could be the dog sleds or snowmobiles or take the legs off the walkers and convert into armored snowmobiles (I could do it!!! I see it now).

Put small lines of green stuff across the eyes and make a small slit across (like Jordie from Next Gen) for snow blind goggles.

With green stuff continue the collar all the way around to protect the face (substitute if you do not want to remove facial features for scarf), mark a diagonal hatching across for "quilting".

HAHAHA Change all plows on the front of tanks to be at a 30 degree angle and smooth them out to look like snow plows!!! Hellhounds to lead the way (fast vehicle new age snow plow: melt the snow!!!) with salt/dirt spreaders to assist vehicles behind them. Do not forget the blue light. Every vehicle with tow hooks and cables, hammers, shovels, lots of bits for getting unstuck.

I think I am insane now. Hope my loss was worth it to you.

Necros wrote:If it's winter you want, how about trying to use some greenstuff and extend the bottom part of the cadian tunics over most of the legs to look like trench coats? You don't have to make them furry unless you really wanna.

then you can look at some of those sites that make extra heads, maybe someone makes heads with those furry russian hats that have the floppy ear covers. or even just an enclosed helmet could look good.

The hat is called a ushanka. That's a great idea I bet it wouldn't be hard to mod those up with GS

Oddly enough I am thinking of doing the same thing with my Tanith... Just keeping Gaunt and his Ghosts as show pieces and removing all that paint to go off in some new direction, was considering coming up with my own world.

Hm, what about a german winter look? An easy conversion would be the little spiky bit on top of the helmets.

You could always do that combined with some modern military extreme weather gear.

do those nuke guys

Skies of Blood wrote:do those nuke guys

OHHH... I may need to do a wasteland themed IG army.. All Brotherhood of Steel style...

Skies of Blood wrote:do those nuke guys

Man, that's really, really vague. Capital letters and punctuation would be lovely too.

I know it's really, really cliche to use Pig Iron heads for your Guard, but you could try the Kolony Milita winter heads they have:


http://www.pig-iron-productions.com/hd11-kolony-militia-winter-head-sprues-p-18.html

Talizvar wrote:Could smear over the three fingers on each hand to create mitts with trigger finger out and paint accordingly.

Yeah, at least do this one. This conversion would be super-easy, and while it wouldn't be all that obvious, would definitely help with authenticity.

Talizvar wrote:Change all plows on the front of tanks to be at a 30 degree angle and smooth them out to look like snow plows!!!

Win.

These are all some pretty good ideas. I have no greenstuff experience, how hard would it be to lengthen their jackets with greenstuff, to say knee length?

I forgot to provide a little background here, since this is a themed army. My IG army is engaged in war with the orks and tau (who are not necessarily on the same side, of course) on a perpetually wintery planet. It's not complete ice like Valhalla, but it's always cold enough to snow. The planet is dirt poor from the war, essentially newer regiments are sent out without any gear except their rations and weaponry. This particular group of guard have had an unusually lucky time of it, surviving battle after battle without getting wiped out, which happens more often than not on this planet. So, I was thinking that they would be decked out in all sorts of equipment to begin with, just because they've been around for decades without suffering hideous losses. Additionally, I was going to give them some more heavy-duty looking uniforms against the cold, maybe some specialized armor... But it's all theory at the moment, for now I'm just trying to get a feel for my new army.

Thanks all, these suggestions are excellent. Should I try painting on the scarf? Or greenstuffing it? I'm also considering having one soldier at least with helmet off, and i'll fill it with fur, like my IG obtained some helmet lining too.

I like the pad idea too, but I don't think I'm going to do that for rank and file. I'm going infantry heavy, i'll have 150+ basic guard. Maybe for my veterans and stormtroopers though...

I was also thinking each soldier should have a backpack. I mean, you don't survive by not having extra food and ammo!

Thanks all, keep em coming!
DaBestestKlan

EDIT: Can someone tell me how to get white paint so smooth on models? Even with primer, I'm failing miserably, and I'd like my IG officers to have solid white armor, to stand out a little more. Thanks!

GS Scarves. Start out small with GS, get a good understanding of how it works, then start to get crazy with it. Also remember you can always cut away and carve down GS, so don't make it to thin, or get to frustrated with it!

Also Airbrushing works great to get a nice solid white base. You can also try watered down layers (2 or so) and maybe a pearlized layer too.

Thanks, grav, i'll try both those out.

I was also thinking about changing out the IG's bayonets for something a little longer, maybe more threatening. Anyone have any ideas on where to find packs of something like this?

Also, I was looking around the internet, and found some 28mm beer bottles. I could only find the picture, can anyone point me to a company that makes really small stuff like that? It would all be perfect for my IG.

For My Catachan Vet Squad I cut down their knifes to use as Bayonets, however you could probably also use a weapons pack of WW2 stuffs...

Model your tanks with double wide tracks to lessen their ground pressure in the snow, and put logs/tree trunks lashed on the back deck. Russians did this and used the logs to throw under the tank treads when they got stuck

If your starting out with greenstuff then i recomend a colour shaper {its like a paint brush with a rubber tip} as this will make any sculpting 200% better.
as for backpacks it souldnt be too hard to make a basic mold for them. as for fur just roll thin sausage shapes put them along the edge of there clothing and get an old damp tooth brush and use that for the texture.

Thanks for the ideas all.

Any thoughts on commissars, officers, chimeras, etc?

And can anyone point me to a guide to doing realistic clothing? I'm thinking of making the tunic of cadians into more of a greatcoat.

Thanks,
DaBestestKlan

How are you with sketching? I found the change to 3d media easy... but the more I practiced at it the better I did. Look up any old sculpting tutorial... like these:

http://www.figurines-sculpture.com/clay-sculpting.html

or

http://www.librarium-online.com/modeling/beginners-sculpting-guide-by-a-beginner-297.html

or

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Female-Game-Character-from-Wax/

and toss out what you don't need. LOTS OF REFERENCE MATERIAL! That is super important.

My sketching is of the stick figure variety, but I suppose I could try.

I have a pretty good idea of what I want in my head, it's getting it onto the model that's the difficult part!

Start collecting source material. Pics of WW2 germans, the coat you want etc. Then try it out with something basic and cheap, like silly putty or scuply... then move to GS.

Thanks for the help all, and wish me luck!

Emperor willing, I'll have pictures up of my first squad in a week or two.


Thanks,
DaBestestKlan