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Hello, Dakka Dakka forums.

i am little more than a n00b to the 40K universe. i've been building GW models for a few years now (mostly fantasy) but i'm beginning the jump to 40K. i'm more of a hobby builder than a gamer, but i'm starting to get into playing.

Anyway, i'm very interested in putting together an IG army. I purchased the Cadian battalion box, and a couple of different vehicles to begin with, and i also own the codex. i've begun assembling troops, but i have yet to select a color scheme, or even any kind of "theme". And here's what brings me to these forums, specifically the 40K Background room:

When you're building a Cadian army, are you free to design any kind of regiment you want (color, regiment number, etc.)? Or, more to the point, if i did create my own regiment, how badly would this offend other players? Is there a resource for designing your own regiment? Perhaps i have overlooked it, but my internet searches have not yielded any solid answers, so i thought i would pose the question directly.

I would like to stay as accurate to the overall 40K universe as possible, but to build my own, unique Cadian battleforce. I've seen pictures online of Cadians painted in a variety of colors, and while i suspect the colors are accurate to 40K canon, i don't know any more about what units any one particular regiment uses.

Example: i've read a bit of information on various Cadian regiments on the Lexicanum website, and i really like the look of the 512th regiment, but what prevents me from painting my army that color and furthermore marking the troops/vehicles with "512" is that i am uncertain that the force i assemble (troops, heavy weapons, vehicles, etc) will correctly represent the 512th... i don't want to anyone to say (for example) "Hey, you can't use Hellhounds in that army! The 512th never used Hellhounds!" This is really the main reason why I want to build a unique regiment - so that i do not misrepresent an existing regiment.

Also, if i make a Cadian army, how badly would i be violating the story if i included a Steel Legion style Sentinel (heavy armor/plasma gun) in an army that is clearly not the Steel Legion? Obviously, i would pay for the points in my army build, but story-wise, is that sort of thing "kosher"?

Can anyone give me some advice? My apologies if this room was not the correct place to discuss this.

BTW - i read a little tidbit online about the Cadian 23rd regiment, and that it was destroyed by Necrons. The resource for this seems to be the Necron codex. Does anyone know where more info about the 23rd can be found (history, color scheme, etc)? Thanks!

For game purposes, a Sentinel is a Sentinel.


for Astetic purposes, Rule of Cool prevails. if it's cool it's ok.


for Designing your Own Regiment, the Sky is the limit. no one will care what you call it or the background it has(provided you don't directly insult anyone) again, the Rule of Cool prevails.

there arn't any rules for making your own regiment. feel free to do what you want.

the 23rd was destryed on the planet Triasta
and the 512th are an orbital defence regiment

Grey Templar wrote:For game purposes, a Sentinel is a Sentinel.


for Astetic purposes, Rule of Cool prevails. if it's cool it's ok.


for Designing your Own Regiment, the Sky is the limit. no one will care what you call it or the background it has(provided you don't directly insult anyone) again, the Rule of Cool prevails.

there arn't any rules for making your own regiment. feel free to do what you want.

This. and welcome to Dakka

I dont think any would it would offended if you made up your own colour scheeme, background or used a steel legion sentinal in your army. The SL sentinal looks (imo) far better than a standard one so it would be a case of counts as if there really arsey about stuff.

40k is open to people being creative, having your own amry with a theme and your own created background is welcomed by some people. My brother started an IG army not long ago and he has done his own back story colour scheme the lot, his are IG sepratist's who have left the imperium as they see it as flawed. His special rules for it are he cant take any comisars he is working on what the + side to that will be. best bit about that is play testing his rules, stupid as it sounds its comedy and a laugh if there terrible lol.

colours for your army, were are they from, whats there planet like with weather and terrain all that jaz. Then think what colours would be used in those situations.

What Gray Templar said, mine are all Cadian but mine come from a mid tech world called Angelus Prime. I figur that the Cadian designs are the standed template for most Guard regiments out there.
If your stuck for a colour for them, take a look around the gallary or my FB gallary id=1726975714&l=93a111423b
" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8315&id=1726975714&l=93a111423b
(you'll have to scroll past most of it )

Thank you for all of the positive responses, everyone. I've actually posed this question to a few people who hang out at my local GW store and only received blanks stares in return. Or else they just scoff. As you might suspect, I don't spend more time there then i need to. And the clerk seems more interested in selling me more stuff than talking about flavor... Don't get me wrong: i don't think all of their stores are like this... maybe i've just had bad luck when i've been there.

Grey Templar: it certainly is not my intention to insult anyone (for example, i would not adorn my minis with offensive symbols or language), but from the vibe i got at the store, i guess i was paranoid that if i made an non-canon army that i would be told to "get lost". Also, i do genuinely like the 40K universe, and would like to at least attempt to be in step with it. i will keep the "Rule of Cool" in mind - thanks!

Darth Lakey: Thanks - do you happen to know more about the 23rd? i thought breifly that it might be fun to build an force from the 23rd - even though they are dead. It could be representative of what they looked like before they were wiped out - maybe have some Necron heads at the feet of the commanding officer or something.

gloomygrim: Cool - if i can't find out more about the 23rd, or decide against that theme, i will start by thinking of a planet type and go from there.

Da's Forever: Thank you! i am glad to be here. It's a nice change from the unfriendly nature of the people at the GW shop. i do have a few friends that i look forward to playing with, but they are only into Tau and Eldar, and could not comment with certainty on Imperial Guard lore.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ribbon Fox: Cool, although, i seem to be having trouble with the link you gave.

Imperial Guard are easier to DIY because there are so many regiments.
Get a 1,2 or 3 digit number and a planet name and maybe a armour/airborne/whatever designation and you're all set.
Often the planet/system an Imperial Guard regiment comes from will greatly affect it's composition so bear that in mind if/when you build your army and it's fluff.

Also, remember that equipment has some degree of standardization across the imperium. Lots of imperial guard armies use cadian-pattern armor or catachan-pattern lasguns. Just because you buy a box of cadian shock troops doesn't mean that it must therefore necessarily be a cadian imperial guard army.

Of course, if you're trying to do a specific regiment on purpose, I'd stick to that regiment's fluff/organization. Taking an ultramarines first company, for example, with nothing but scouts and speeders might be somewhat tacky.

Firstly hi and welcome to dakkadakka. Like you I'm currently at the stage of deciding what my IG army is going to be. In the case of home world, colour scheme and troop composition. I'm going to subs to your thread and I will share my ideas on here too.

Yup a great many of the guard regiments around the Eye of Terror use Cadian equiptment as standard-as do many PDF armies millions of light years from it too. You ca build a 40k army however you like, in fact I think its better if you don't use out of the box models and the pre defined colour schemes that everybody and their mum uses. You can use whatever models and colour scheme you want to represent your guard, well as long as they are human enough and close enough to the models stat line, so you could well have a tank manufacture on say Armageddon being found within a Cadian, Valhallan, Arcadian or (heh) Kelsin army, its your decision. Also Cadian models are some of the easiest models to convert out there. I've used them to represent at least five different regiments with varying conversion work, but all you have to do is come up with your own colour scheme and you'll be set if you want. Oh yeah, but Cadian regiments are overdone and quite restrictive fluff wise, making your own planet and army allows you to do what you want with their background and uniforms, and also allow you to say convert your tanks as you like, rather than conforming to the local Cadian patterns.

I like the idea of the Tanith first and only (aka ghaunts ghosts) but the don't fit my actual troop build. I want more vehicles so I figure I'm going to combine elements of the tanith with the vostroyon serpents known for tanks and artillery. I like the idea of tanith being constantly refreshed with new troops taken from new conquests... Often ideas don't fit what you actually want to play. So you have to work the ideas and make them fit..

brainscan wrote:I like the idea of the Tanith first and only (aka ghaunts ghosts) but the don't fit my actual troop build. I want more vehicles so I figure I'm going to combine elements of the tanith with the vostroyon serpents known for tanks and artillery. I like the idea of tanith being constantly refreshed with new troops taken from new conquests... Often ideas don't fit what you actually want to play. So you have to work the ideas and make them fit..

You're doing a kind of detatchement thing? Tanith First supported by the Serpents?
I like that...

Thanks again for the info, everyone!

Well, i know i want to do a "Urban Ruins" feel with the basing (crumbling bricks, concrete, etc.), so i guess i will start there. At first i thought it would be fun to paint the troops to resemble the Imperial troops of the Star Wars empire - grey suits w/ black helmets... but now i'm uncertain.

Now that i have all of this freedom, i'm not sure how to use it!

Heh, two words; Panzer Cops.

purplefood wrote:

brainscan wrote:I like the idea of the Tanith first and only (aka ghaunts ghosts) but the don't fit my actual troop build. I want more vehicles so I figure I'm going to combine elements of the tanith with the vostroyon serpents known for tanks and artillery. I like the idea of tanith being constantly refreshed with new troops taken from new conquests... Often ideas don't fit what you actually want to play. So you have to work the ideas and make them fit..

You're doing a kind of detatchement thing? Tanith First supported by the Serpents?
I like that...

Yes. But I hope it doest go the way it did in the books. Serpents bombarded the tannish infantry to pieces under orders..... Even though the were on the same side.....

brainscan wrote:

purplefood wrote:

brainscan wrote:I like the idea of the Tanith first and only (aka ghaunts ghosts) but the don't fit my actual troop build. I want more vehicles so I figure I'm going to combine elements of the tanith with the vostroyon serpents known for tanks and artillery. I like the idea of tanith being constantly refreshed with new troops taken from new conquests... Often ideas don't fit what you actually want to play. So you have to work the ideas and make them fit..

You're doing a kind of detatchement thing? Tanith First supported by the Serpents?
I like that...

Yes. But I hope it doest go the way it did in the books. Serpents bombarded the tannish infantry to pieces under orders..... Even though the were on the same side.....

That was the Ketzok Serpents right?
You could say the reason they are there is because they feel bad about blowing everyone to pieces...

Just go with what you think looks nice and it'll be fine. Cadian equitment is probably a standard stc for all the imperium. Have fun converting kits and messing about. There are some CRAZY IG conversions out there (and even here on these forums) Nobody should get mad at you for making up an inventive back story and color scheme.

yes, the Cadians are the ideal model the IG uses for all their Regiments.


unless a world has a particular advantage that is worth exploiting, then they will have the same equipment and, more or less, training that the Cadians use.


In reality, no IG regiment will be alike. there are hundreds of different Lasgun, body armor, and kit designs floating around the Imperium due to there not being a central manufactoring center or standardization. Regiments typically use a design that is avaliable and/or that they are skilled in using.

Catachan regiments don't use the Bulkier Flak jackets that the rest use because they specilize in an area of warfare where the Bulky protection would be more of a hinderence. use little things like this to add character to your army.



it doesn't sound like your local arena cares for this sort of thing much and that's a bummer. but hey, youre doing the fluff mostly for yourself right? who cares what anyone else thinks. you can always tell us here on Dakka, most of us like this sort of thing.

i don't think it's that the people at my local store aren't into customization, it's just that whenever i've been there, my experience with players i've met are more like: "Well, if you don't already know about 40K, I'm certainly not going to associate with you..." It's like they're more interested in being rude than friendly.

The store clerk will say: "Hey, you should bring your models in sometime and work on them here in the store with the other guys."

And i think "Yeah, that'd be cool if everyone i've encountered here wasn't so ill-mannered."

Anyway, i really appreciate all of the encouragement/info. This has really reinvigorated my goal to complete an army and play. Still haven't landed on a design yet, but the creative wheels are turning.

Well, you could read some BL books and strike up conversations about them when playing.

there are some really good IG books out there.

When it comes to color scheme the same regiment can have different color schems depending on what campaign they are part of also so dont feel limiited just because you have seen one regiment with a certain color scheme. If it's a winter camo they would probably not use the same uniforms if deployed on a desert planet... of course there are some exceptions such as vostroyan.