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I've seen this hundreds of times, so can someone please tell my why most people put the IG heavy weapon team backpack with the shovel upside down? The grenade is upside down and the pouch opening on the side as well. Its frustrating me.(As if the world catered to my needs only) Just some though. I've had people say, "oh sh*t, they go the other way" I'm not expecting an answer, just something i'd thought I share my feelings and emotional problems on. (This is the place for that right?) My name is Rich, and i'm addicted to buying more imperial guardsmen.

[url]]http://www.bitzbox.co.uk/images/catachan_heavy_weapon_team_backpack_2_larg.jpg

The strange thing about it is that they're keyed. It's not like you could accidentally put one upside down without removing some plastic first.

Well, for the cadians at least.

Exactly, and the people i've seen do it aren't conversion (at all) friendly. Yes, they were on Cadians to. Mind=Blown

Teenagers :p

lol.

Back in MY day, we knew what a backpack was, and we knew how to put it right side up, damn it.

AND PULL UP YOUR PANTS!

You look like an idiot.

 Ailaros wrote:
lol.

Back in MY day, we knew what a backpack was, and we knew how to put it right side up, damn it.

AND PULL UP YOUR PANTS!

You look like an idiot.

Ha! love it

Clearly this is the work of Xenos anti-grav tech and is therefore Heresy! *Blam!*

There really is no excuse for doing the backpacks that way. Then again I've seen SM Pauldrons done incorrectly too...

Yeah, that one really makes me cry.

No, no, brother Aeserus. This is a new innovation. It protects your shoulders AND collects rain water, WHILE YOU FIGHT.

Brilliant!

 Evil Lamp 6 wrote:
There really is no excuse for doing the backpacks that way.

Well, there is. As Aileros said, on Cadians, they're keyed. You need to actually cut part of the connector to get it to work. A lot of people throw them together quickly, and if the joint is keyed, they're just going to assume it's the right way.

Sure, you can look closer and see the details are upside down, but a lot of people just don't bother looking that closely. Especially on RnF guardsmen.

But they're keyed for the backpacks to fit right-side-up.

You'd have to go to the effort of converting the model to make them go on upside down.

I guess I don't know about catachan models, though. And GW HAS made plenty of non-keyed stuff in the past. My first chimera-chassised vehicle still has the front hatch on upside down (they've since keyed that, though).

Ah, I thought they were keyed to fit upside down.

Well, then there's really no excuse. Just dumb people dowin dumb things.

 -Loki- wrote:
Ah, I thought they were keyed to fit upside down.

Well, then there's really no excuse.

Well, I'd like to think that GW would always do something like this right, their chimera instructions STILL have people putting on the tracks backwards...

At least it's not a problem with the models themselves...

Because most wargamers never wore a rucksack?

I think it's some sort of fashion statement, like with people who glue the boltguns on with some of the pistol grip left. (Like, half of it). I don't need to listen to no instructions, dammit!

I will admit I did this once - they key on the backpack isn't much of a key. If you're not paying attention you can easily put it on upside down and it'll still fit.

I did have the sense to rip it off and reattach it when I got to the painting stage and saw the grenades were some how dangling upwards...

 xredninja wrote:
I've seen this hundreds of times, so can someone please tell my why most people put the IG heavy weapon team backpack with the shovel upside down? The grenade is upside down and the pouch opening on the side as well. Its frustrating me.(As if the world catered to my needs only) Just some though. I've had people say, "oh sh*t, they go the other way" I'm not expecting an answer, just something i'd thought I share my feelings and emotional problems on. (This is the place for that right?) My name is Rich, and i'm addicted to buying more imperial guardsmen.

[url]]http://www.bitzbox.co.uk/images/catachan_heavy_weapon_team_backpack_2_larg.jpg

So you're telling me people are putting the backpacks on guardsmen like how it looks in this pic?

...

How have these people not cut their finger off with an X-acto knife, or passed out from eating glue yet?

I mean, I know most mini wargamers aren't exactly outdoorsmen, but REALLY?

Also, I will admit that a couple of my Leman Russes have the tracks on with one set going one way and one set going the other way. My tanks must spin around in circles a lot...

Yes, people actually do this, and it makes me want to cry a little. If the commissar was around he'd surely execute them for heresy. THE SHOVEL HANDLE GOES DOWN. And as far as tank tracks, the old school ones, those were a complete bitch to do so I can respect that.

"This is how you backpack trooper!, now go assault those Dark Angels on the other side of my desk!"

So how is anyone supposed to know that the shovel handle goes down? The only cue to the way it faces is the orientation of the grenades.

... and the way that the extra bit of belt hangs down, and the orientation of the pockets, and the fact that the top flap would be a bottom flap.

The top of the backpack also curves to be in line with the curve of the flak armor, which means you'd get a big, awkward space on the top if you put it in upside down.

And, poorly done so or no, it's still keyed.

I think I see the problem. The grenade isn't immediately obvious... and not being military myself, if you ask me to imagine a pack with a bedroll I'm going to imagine it with the bedroll above the actual pack, probably thanks to some Hollywood standard.



The shovel (which could go either way) and the bedroll are your eyes' natural focus when first looking at it, and will end up being your points of reference if you're in a rush.

That's the thing, I see the bed roll and think - hey! That goes on top!

Whaaaats the deal with Imperial Guard Backpacks?

If this is the biggest problem you have in a day, you're having a good day.

I think it's strange that they put the entrenching tool on the backpack at all. It looks like it would be a PITA to get off without the help of a buddy. Maybe it's because it'd be hard to model a shovel on the belt?

The problem I see with the handle going down is it looks like a pretty bad tripping hazard, particularly if the guy plans on jumping over low fences or anything.

Don't they have folding shovels now? In the 41st millennium I'm surprised they don't have that technology.

 Griddlelol wrote:
Don't they have folding shovels now? In the 41st millennium I'm surprised they don't have that technology.

Considering this is the force that uses modified tractors for tanks I wouldn't exactly be surprised that they don't have folding shovels...

Also, I find it weird that a lot of people see bedrolls and think of them going on top. Almost every pack I've ever seen had the bedrolls on the bottom. Of course, I hiked in boy scouts, maybe the military does it different.

The packs are probably inspired by the WWI haversacks.

 TheCustomLime wrote:
I think it's strange that they put the entrenching tool on the backpack at all. It looks like it would be a PITA to get off without the help of a buddy. Maybe it's because it'd be hard to model a shovel on the belt?

Trust me, you're not gonna dig a trench while wearing your backpack anyway. You don't need it to be combat ready. I've stripped down to my tshirt digging a trench in -10 celsius.

 Griddlelol wrote:
Don't they have folding shovels now? In the 41st millennium I'm surprised they don't have that technology.

They have not yet discovered the STC for those.

But honestly this same thing bothers me when I see it. Sure it doesn't matter as they are not my miniatures but... but... but... it is just so wrong. How can they do this? How?

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

 Griddlelol wrote:
Don't they have folding shovels now? In the 41st millennium I'm surprised they don't have that technology.

Considering this is the force that uses modified tractors for tanks I wouldn't exactly be surprised that they don't have folding shovels...

Also, I find it weird that a lot of people see bedrolls and think of them going on top. Almost every pack I've ever seen had the bedrolls on the bottom. Of course, I hiked in boy scouts, maybe the military does it different.

First folding shovels were seen in World War 2, I say with that level of advancement we're looking at a Stormtrooper exclusive.

In the Scouts for Backpacking and for the bit of unofficial military training I got (hey, when my buddies come back might as well show me some stuff they learned) everyone has put the bedroll on the bottom. The whole bedroll on the top comes from Hollywood, because admittedly it does look better.