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Right, I have only just started getting into War hammer. I am planning on playing as Imperial Guard and have a pretty good idea of what I want my army to look like but before I field my army I have a couple questions about how to put it together. First, my dumbest question: I bought a Valkyrie, a unit I plan to have many of in my army, but I also want Vendettas, now I know that the two share the same mode and that I just add some modifications to show the difference. My question is thus: where do I get the parts/instruction for the modification? Are they in my Valkyrie box? Is there a separate box for the Vendetta? DO I just need to scrap pieces together from other boxes? I have the same question about the various artillery pieces
Now that that embarrassing question is out of the way I have a few others: Do I need to place primer on my models before I paint them? Should I build then paint OR paint then build? I don't think I am going to be very good with detail; any advice on getting those small pieces( IG belts, Valkyrie controls, eye, ect..) What is the best type of paint to buy? And lastly how come none of the stores near me have Hydra anti air tanks?

I know that I rambaled some there, but I am just a nub. Thanks for the help.

First off, it's Warhammer! One word.

Vendettas have lascannons on them - unfortunately, GW doesn't sell a kit. You can buy a kit from Forgeworld, GW's "boutique" specialty modelmakers: http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/VALKYRIE-VENDETTA-CONVERSION-KIT.html but that's very pricey. You could also use lascannons from the Space Marine Land Raider and jury rig that up. Magnets are the best thing to swap parts out. For that you'll want to get some "rare earth" magnets off eBay. 1/16" or 1/8" for bigger parts should work.

There's a few tanks the IG have that don't really have models. Forgeworld makes some kits that look similar, but mostly you'll have to convert your own for some of the more esoteric options.

Finally, always, always ALWAYS prime your models first! This lets paint stick to the model, and in the case of black primer, will fill in some areas you may miss with a brush and look like shadows. Make sure you buy PRIMER though. Krylon makes a good, cheap spray primer in black, grey, or white. As for paints, GW paints are generally pretty good. Their washes, foundations (meant to go over dark colors) and metallics are all excellent. Their regular acrylics are good too, but some people like P3 or Vallejo paints more.

As for painting small pieces - that comes with time, practice, and a small brush with a good point. Hope this helps!

along with what Brother SRM said, all of which is fantastic advice, your brushes will last longer and your models will look better if you keep very little paint on your brush and paint small areas at a time (for small models) also drybrushing is really good for the cloth parts of imperial guard, drybrushing technique: http://youtu.be/FggeDHPW2s0
actual tutorial starts at 2 minutes, model is from warmachine/hordes, i do not take credit for this video, that is not me.

Thanks for the help guys! But questions breed more questions: When is the best time to paint/prime my units? Before or after assembly?

its personal preference, i get antsy so i dont prime on sprue, i just wanna build the model already but i know a few people that fully paint the model on sprue then build them then cleanup "sprue spots" as they call them...the problem i see with this mostly is you cant get a feel for the shadow effect until after the model is built. plus glue doesnt bond to paint very well and the models fall apart from the slightest bump...plus if your in a rush to play, why would you paint them on the sprue?

KayTwo wrote:Thanks for the help guys! But questions breed more questions: When is the best time to paint/prime my units? Before or after assembly?

I do a little of both. If it's a big boxy thing, like a rhino, then I do all the assembly and then prime it, then paint it. On the other hand, if it's something that will be tough to paint after assembly, then I do subassemblies and use blu-tac to hold the mini together befor priming. For example, a ork on a warbike, I assemble into 3 parts: the ork with arms blu-tacked on, the bike, and the gun on the back. I prime them all together, then paint all the subassemblies seperately, then glue them together and seal will dullcote to finish.

Speaking of Dullcote, you want this. After you assemble, prime, and paint your miniatures, the last step is sealing them so the paint doesn't easily chip or rub off. You're in the US, so you can get some Testor's Dullcote at a Michaels or Hobby Lobby near you. Make sure you do this step on a warm, sunny day when possible, as humidity can cause this to fog, and that when you spray them with the dullcote, you're using short smooth bursts from around a foot away. That last step is applicable to every spray paint, including primer.

also, good luck to you, IG is fairly challenging for new players, because your temped to take upgrades that generally sound good, but in reality are total and utter Gak. along with other upgrades

EDIT: dangit ouze...you append-jacked me