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Going to be using a mix of Cadians/Catachans for my new Imperial Guard army based on a heavy jungle world. I figure the Catachans basic color scheme is fine (green pants, bits of tan, red and black). What color scheme would fit well on the Cadians? I'm thinking green soft armor, greyish/black hard armor? Or should I blend the hard armor and the soft armor iinto the same color?

I think Cadians stand out more (look better) if the armored shoulder pads and chest plates are different from the soft bits (sleeves and pants). Perhaps a dark green on the hard bits and light green/yellow on the soft bits? Or vice versa?

1. From experience, and because the effect is reaaaalllly simple to do with an airbrush; use as a base vallejo's red beige. It makes for an excellent drab to build anything on, and can be brought up to a skin tone easily where relevant.

2. Building on the above, for the armour and helmet, whatever colour you use consider adding in Vallejo (or equivalent)'s Metal Medium in a 5~:1 colour:metal ratio. This gives it depth by adding in microscoping brighter spots of pigment.

now for the actual colour if you're doing flat instead of camo colours i'd recommend whatever scorched brown is called these days with 1:1 mix of water on top of the beige for a darker shadow colour on the cloth, and DA green with a brighter highlight for the armour.

Make them all red shirts!

This is what I'm thinking so far for a jungle world. Can't decide on black or brown boots.

http://gtazz.com/kataan/igdesigner/index.php?skin=1&_skin=ffcc99&feet=2&_uppers=663300&_gaiters=663300&legs=2&_trousers=669933&_legtrim=669933&torso=2&_abs=003300&_arms=669933&_belt=333333&_body=003300&_buckle=333333&_chest=003300&_cuffs=669933&_eagle=cccccc&_mid=669933&_neck=003300&_shoulders=003300&head=2&_skull=cccccc&_skidlid=003300&_cheeks=003300&_chinstrap=333333

I'd recommend black armour with Caliban Green fatigues - I saw it in DOW2 with the renegade Guard "Xenobane" regiment, and it looked pretty good for a regiment fighting on a jungle world

Are you looking for a realistic colour scheme, or one which pops a bit on the table? The one you've put up there is going to be really...REALLY bland on a table. Is that the goal?

me I go with a city camo type with light grey soft parts and dark grey armor with a bit of black tossed in on the boots and such.

 jreilly89 wrote:
This is what I'm thinking so far for a jungle world. Can't decide on black or brown boots.

That’s really close to how I do my SM scouts.


I went with black boots. I also use a basic tiger strip on the soft parts of the armor, and a dappled camo on the hard armor. To help them “pop” on the table, I use bright accent colors where I can, like on the cables on the sniper rifle. Keeps them interesting, and from blending in too well with the terrain. Nothing sucks like forgetting to fire a unit because their camouflage was working as intended.

 Elbows wrote:
Are you looking for a realistic colour scheme, or one which pops a bit on the table? The one you've put up there is going to be really...REALLY bland on a table. Is that the goal?

I wouldn't say I want it to be bland, but I want it to make sense and be semi-realistic. Think Catachan jungle colors.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Nevelon wrote:

 jreilly89 wrote:
This is what I'm thinking so far for a jungle world. Can't decide on black or brown boots.

That’s really close to how I do my SM scouts.

Spoiler:

I went with black boots. I also use a basic tiger strip on the soft parts of the armor, and a dappled camo on the hard armor. To help them “pop” on the table, I use bright accent colors where I can, like on the cables on the sniper rifle. Keeps them interesting, and from blending in too well with the terrain. Nothing sucks like forgetting to fire a unit because their camouflage was working as intended.

That's basically exactly what I want. Cheers!

While this is a science fiction game you can go semi-realistic and still have plenty of colour/pop/style to the figures.

Even on the "standard" Catachan jungle fighters the boring green is off-set by the flesh tone and the bright red bandanas, etc. I still think they look a bit crap, but oh well.

You could find some inspiration with real jungle fighters, like the Chindits from WW2.



While a bit boring of a scheme the brighter khaki hat, the wood of the rifle and again the flesh-tones help break up the camo. They also use a bluish-green uniform which is pretty cool.

Just make sure (if you go all greens) you get some greens which work together and you have some good contrasting elements to make it work. Also, if you're going to do camo - consider getting some Vallejo paints with real camo colours.

Here's a start on my color scheme. My Comissarr is headless because I was painting it and set it down and his head rolled off my desk into the vastness of space



Here's my Leman Russ. Not sure how I'm feeling about the colors or the weathering, but it's a start. Never done the striped-camo before, so that and weathering vehicles is all new to me.

Martel732 wrote:
Make them all red shirts!

Dang it, I was gonna use that!

I mean, have you (OP) considered looking at historic and current military colors? digital camo may be a itch to paint on guardsmen but on tanks it may be easier to get away with. Also the various WWI/II or Napoleonic schemes are neat. Just don't let me catch you using the French 1916 colour scheme for anything but a commisar (or whoever else you normally see getting skulled in the opening turns.

Another thought: what about using totally different palettes and schemes for unique units? You could pick out a unit you want to recognize as a veteran or elite unit from among the refuse and grunts, or particular commanders and squads could have different uniforms to the rest of the 'toon. Could even be as simple as painting the helmets differently to organize one platoon.

Alternatively: Elite units get Star Wars stormtrooper paint jobs. Sentinels, you know what to do.

Mraj__Undefined wrote:

Martel732 wrote:
Make them all red shirts!

Dang it, I was gonna use that!

I mean, have you (OP) considered looking at historic and current military colors? digital camo may be a itch to paint on guardsmen but on tanks it may be easier to get away with. Also the various WWI/II or Napoleonic schemes are neat. Just don't let me catch you using the French 1916 colour scheme for anything but a commisar (or whoever else you normally see getting skulled in the opening turns.

Another thought: what about using totally different palettes and schemes for unique units? You could pick out a unit you want to recognize as a veteran or elite unit from among the refuse and grunts, or particular commanders and squads could have different uniforms to the rest of the 'toon. Could even be as simple as painting the helmets differently to organize one platoon.

Alternatively: Elite units get Star Wars stormtrooper paint jobs. Sentinels, you know what to do.

Hey thanks for the advice! See my latest post. I'm pretty happy with my infantry color scheme, but I'm not sure how I feel about my tanks.

Personally for the Cadians I'd go for dark earth brown fatigues and dark earth green armour with bright white highlights/decorations.

For an alternate scheme. Go for very dark blue, almost black, fatigues and carmine red armour with blueish white highlights/decorations.