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Greetings, gents.

I am a bit new to the Heresy, but decided to do all (!) the campaign forces for the Prospero campaign.Got a bit of a problem with the Spireguard though.

What models are you chaps using for Imperial Army? Not plastic Cadians... surely?

I was going to go the Solar Auxilia route for the Spireguard (putting them a cut above normal army plebs), but that does not really feel right to me - I think the more normal Imperial Army is the way to go, and give them a boost via greater access to special weapons and equipment. But what models to use?

What do people normally use for Imperial Army forces round these parts?

Easiest would be Cadians with head swaps. Something to make them look more like the 80s Imperial Guard models, perhaps? Even painting them in grey and black with the colourful helmet and shoulder insignia would make them look different. Especially if they're not surrounded by Leman Russ and Chimera chassis.

What about Space Marine Scouts? Or even Cadian arms and legs on Scout torsos with something else for the head; Skitarii Vanguard heads, perhaps,?

Do you still have any Starship Troopers light infantry lying around your office? Use those.

 AndrewGPaul wrote:

Do you still have any Starship Troopers light infantry lying around your office? Use those.

Just wondering what other people were doing for the Imperial Army (if they are doing it?). Cadians just feel... wrong, somehow.

You can do far worse than victoria lamb miniatures.


And yes, regular army works for spireguard.

Cadians torso/gun, elysian head, high elf spearmen legs.

Or you could do something akin to the ventrillian nobles.

basically cadians with pistoleer helmets

+1 for Victoria Miniatures, they are amazing kits and really able to make your army stand out on the table top. I'll post pics in a bit of mine.

Chris Peach's Ventrillian's were my first thought on reading the OP, too. Fantastic looking army. Who knew the profound difference a simple head swap and a spiffy paint job could make. I remember seeing that army in White Dwarf and it almost made me want to start a Cadian army.

Ack, sorry guys, I am going to have to come back to all of you again!

I thought I had this sorted - first with the High Elf/Cadian hybrid. But GW don't do those models any more (could use eBay, but that might well end up being more trouble than it is worth). Then I started looking at the Cadian/Empire head swaps. Which are really nice, but those Pistoliers are just way too expensive to use just the heads, and even the parts services are a bit pricey, if they have them in stock at all...

So, I have settled on a Cadian base for this force... but I need something that is readily available and looks the part. Probably a head swap, but would look at a leg swap too...

Basically, I need another dollop of inspiration!

MongooseMatt wrote:
Ack, sorry guys, I am going to have to come back to all of you again!

I thought I had this sorted - first with the High Elf/Cadian hybrid. But GW don't do those models any more (could use eBay, but that might well end up being more trouble than it is worth). Then I started looking at the Cadian/Empire head swaps. Which are really nice, but those Pistoliers are just way too expensive to use just the heads, and even the parts services are a bit pricey, if they have them in stock at all...

So, I have settled on a Cadian base for this force... but I need something that is readily available and looks the part. Probably a head swap, but would look at a leg swap too...

Basically, I need another dollop of inspiration!

Go look at madrobot miniatures, they have head swap galore, every imaginable head available that will fit right onto existing GW plastic kits, you won’t be disappointed, I like them over Victoria miniatures sculpting wise.

Mad robot as mentioned above, puppetwar and anvil industries all make lots of interesting head swap options.

For what it's worth, they mentioned on Warhammer TV that the Outriders box comes with fifteen heads per box - Make one squad of Rough Riders, and you've still got enough heads for a full Infantry squad.

Another option might be Skitarii. You might want to kitbash some lower legs in place of the bionics they all have and do some arm swaps.

All good ideas, thanks for this chaps, looking at all the options!

Inferno mentioned different branches of the spireguard being equipped differently. One group actually was in Solar Auxiliary template armour.

Okay, thank you for all your advice - I think I have made a decision!

Going with Cadians as base, with a Shako head from Anvil Industries (officers get a cap... maybe a tricorne, but that might be going too far).

Tunics a darker red (so they are a bit drabber than the Thousand Sons) and maybe the Shako too. Trousers white or cream. Still haven't decided on the armour - either gold or silver. Should go silver, but worried it might appear a bit wrong, will have to experiment.