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ah.. griffons... how I miss thee... the fw one is a masterpiece but sadly gone forever. damn that I never had the funds to bag one...
this one is looking great with the missile team as artillerymen. they truly are ideal.

its inspiring me to reconsider my plans to build one up out of a converted manticore/deathstike kit. Id planned to make up the rear like the fw one but make up the mortar out of one of the missle pods + bits but I kinda rejected the idea as overambitous but now I've seen this... who knows...

outstanding SL conversions in here. hard but satisfying work no?

Thanks!

Flapjack wrote:Cool stuff all around! Good to see some other regiments getting love. Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks!

osjclatchford wrote:ah.. griffons... how I miss thee... the fw one is a masterpiece but sadly gone forever. damn that I never had the funds to bag one...
this one is looking great with the missile team as artillerymen. they truly are ideal.

its inspiring me to reconsider my plans to build one up out of a converted manticore/deathstike kit. Id planned to make up the rear like the fw one but make up the mortar out of one of the missle pods + bits but I kinda rejected the idea as overambitous but now I've seen this... who knows...

outstanding SL conversions in here. hard but satisfying work no?

Thanks!

The FW one is a superior design, and hopefully I may one day be able to pick one up, but certainly not a near goal...

Glad I could be of inspiration! Sounds like a good base for the conversion, I'd be interested to see that. If your hobby thread is anything to go by, you would pull this off no problem

Thanks! It is definitely a labour of love, have to be very patient when working the metal, but I am pleased with the results so far. I could do with getting a decent rotary tool, but that is down the priority list at present.

+ + +

Further work on the Griffon. I found this catalogue image which shows the original crew. I notice one of them has a vox, which makes sense for responding to fire missions. However, I have no idea why they would carry the caster as a backpack when they are on a self-propelled vehicle...


So for mine, I am going to mount the vox to the vehicle, and I have used a pintle-mount gunner arm and the Scions handset piece to craft a right arm holding a vox receiver for the missile launcher model. When I assemble it on the vehicle, I will need to add a cable connecting the two. The loader is pretty much unchanged, just need to fill the hole on the back where the missile ammo backpack connects. The image below has a dry-fit of the comms operator.


Ok, need to get some Dettol or something to scrub the old paintjob off this thing.

Loving your conversions so far!
I currently use Dettol to strip paint and find I have to scrub models with alcohol gel before I rinse with soapy water in order to reduce the smell and chances of gunking up...
I hear 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol not Indian Pale Ale) can be used as well with less of the stink, gunk and a lot easier to find than the right kind of Dettol...

 Guardling wrote:
Loving your conversions so far!
I currently use Dettol to strip paint and find I have to scrub models with alcohol gel before I rinse with soapy water in order to reduce the smell and chances of gunking up...
I hear 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol not Indian Pale Ale) can be used as well with less of the stink, gunk and a lot easier to find than the right kind of Dettol...

Thanks!

Hmm, good advice. I need to look at my options. Never stripped any models before, but it will be useful experience because I have a number of secondhand models I need to repaint (mostly Vostroyans and 3rd ed stormtroopers).

+ + +

Change of pace today. I've parked the Griffon project until I can strip it.

Worked on a flamer conversion for the original kill team. This model took a LOT of filing, cutting, clipping, and trimming, with a little gentle bending, to remove the lasgun and fit the Catachan flamer. I am very pleased with the result. Will pin to a base at a later date, it took me two and a half hours just to achieve that and my thumbs ache. Someday I need to overcome my irrational fear of greenstuff and learn how to sculpt to speed this up...

An unaltered lasgunner is next to it for comparison.

Great steel legion conversions! I'm working on my own and inspiration is always great, I like your medic, comms, flamer, etc.

That's a good conversion.
Don't see how gs would have made the job any better to be honest. As for stripping. Metal minis are best done in nitromoors paint stripper. Place the model in the metal cup of a tealight (take it off a fresh one) and cover it in nitromoors for a few hours. Then just rinse it away over the sink in running water. More than 90% will come off normally, just use a toothbrush and the rest will follow. Can be reused too..as for the tank. If you're up to sending it over to me I can strip that in the safety clean tank at work no trouble... Best thing there is for plastic mini stripping...

It has been four months since the last update. A lot has happened since then in none-hobby life (adopted a rescue rabbit amongst other things!), but I am back to doing some bits here and there. The Catachan command squad I ordered in January also finally arrived in April (supply issues on GW's end), so I have some of the parts I have been waiting for.

I have finally built a meltagunner! This conversion has been in the works for some time. It started life as a grenade launcher model, which was badly converted to a flamer trooper by my teenage self. When I was building the flamer conversion above I decided the pose was not great for a flamer as there isn't much need to hold a flamer in an aiming position so it would only look right firing over a barricade. In the end, I decided to convert a different model to a flamer, and shelved this one until I could get hold of a meltagun. The Catachan command squad sprue had just what I was looking for, and the pose makes much more sense when trying to hit a critical spot on an enemy vehicle. the left forearm and hand come from a sergeant arm with the chainsword removed and the handgrip carefully filed out to fit around the meltagun grip. The fairly rough join has been covered up with a bandage crafted from thin strips of foil wrapped around the arm. Here it is:






Here was the original old conversion:


Much improved in my opinion!

I see the meltagunner and flamer trooper as being from the battalion engineering company and attached as support. I plan to build a 2-flamer + demo charge special weapon squad and 3-melta hardened veteran squad with shotguns that are attached from the engineering company. One of my few painted vehicles would fit perfectly as the transport for the special weapons squad- it is a battered veteran vehicle with extra armour, a reinforced plough*, extra gear, and twin heavy flamers for close-in work:


Might work on some shotgun veterans next. The Griffon project is parked currently, probably until I've moved house to somewhere with a shed (hopefully soon).


*This is the plough that once killed a full 10-strong squad of freshly-deepstriked Chaos terminators when it tank-shocked them off the board

Well, instead of working on some shotgun veteran combat engineers (although I did dig some parts out of my bitz box), I decided to put together a standard bearer conversion I have planned for awhile.

This model is built from a standard sergeant with a Catachan furled banner, a plasticard pauldron in the 5th-edition-rulebook art style also found on my lieutenant up-thread, and a holstered pistol. Simple conversion overall, but I am pleased with the end result. I would want the command guard standard to look like the one in my profile picture rather than furled, so that will be more complicated when the time comes.





This classic artwork is the inspiration for the furled banner:




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just realised I can assemble a company command squad now. At some point will probably swap out the officer for a different model and maybe the veteran with lasgun, but looks good as a group:

The furled banner looks great, really tempted to replicate it!

 ph34r wrote:
The furled banner looks great, really tempted to replicate it!

Share pics if you do

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Today's update is a WIP for a combat engineer veteran. This trooper has a shotgun in one hand and a breaching charge in the other. There is some other extra equipment hanging from the waste, I consider the rope to be det-cord or something else useful in the laying of explosives. The combat engineers are getting equipment inspired by the old 4th edition Cities of Death expansion stratagem, which gave such troops breaching charges, smoke grenades, jammers, and wire cutters. I have parts in mind for most of those, still working on the jammers.

This image shows where I removed the sergeant chainsword forearm (visible in the background) and the GSC shotgun arm for the right arm:


Here with the hand holding the breaching charge (also from GSC neophytes) attached. The equipment on the belt is from the old SM scouts kit:



I am thinking a base with some rubble, perhaps some evidence of fortifications like barbed wire would suit this model. Will work on that over the coming days. More engineers including shotgun veterans will be following at some point too. To complete my intended engineers, I will need 2 flamers, 3 meltaguns, and a demo charge trooper for the special weapons.

Haven't based the other combat engineer yet, but I have built a new one armed with lasgun and a jammer to disable booby traps (as per the old 4th edition Cities of Death combat engineer stratagem).


This trooper will be part of a special weapons squad with two flamers and a demolition charge. The jammer is made from the old sentinel pilot control stick top, the sentinel missile launcher/autocannon targeting module, and a bit of cheap "jewellers" thread from Ikea of all places. The arm is from the Steel Legion missile launcher model.





I will likely finish the special weapons squad before trying more shotgun veterans.

This is a really cool project, great progress so far.

 PaddyMick wrote:
This is a really cool project, great progress so far.

Thanks!

Working on a second flamer trooper. I have some work-in-progress pictures that show how the sausage is made on the weapon swaps.

Firstly I gouge out as much material as possible with my sturdy old pair of clippers. They have been fairly battered by this kind of work but haven't broken in 16 years of use.




Then comes the long, long process of filing down the weapon space. I also use my trusty Stanley knife to shave and slice material off where it is easier than filing. I have a venerable set of variously-shaped needle files that really help with getting into the different angles. This stage involves a lot of dry fitting of the weapon being substituted in. I also sometimes bend fingers or arms a little to fit better.



I sometimes trim the weapon being fitted too. This model isn't finished yet, but the arms are almost filed enough to fit the flamer. I think just the pouches need a bit more taking off.

I also ordered a bunch of Imperial smoke grenades, a GSC demo charge, and a DKoK vox caster that I have decided to use for my Steel Legion as it is nice and compact. Those are the only parts I need to complete the special weapons squad and will also be useful for the veteran squad.

Nice to see you still making progress, keep it up!

Wow what an army you'll have! I'm almost jealous seeing all these sweet Steel legion! Keep up the work it's awesome!

That’s a serious amount of work for a weapons swap! It s impressive how seamless you’ve managed to make them all!

Maréchal des Logis Walter wrote:Wow what an army you'll have! I'm almost jealous seeing all these sweet Steel legion! Keep up the work it's awesome!

Thanks!

gobert wrote:That’s a serious amount of work for a weapons swap! It s impressive how seamless you’ve managed to make them all!

Thanks! It does take a bit of time, but I am pleased with the results.

+++++

I completed the filing and fitted the flamer (which is from the Catachan command squad).

Here is the last WIP pictures showing the completed filing:



Here is the finished model:




Finally a group shot of the completed special weapons squad so far:


Halfway there! Will be no updates for awhile as away from home for now.

Great stuff. Certainly takes some bravery to convert metals.

These conversions are perfect

Man, I *love* Steel Legion. Massive kudos for the work converting them - that metal is not a forgiving medium. It looks like it's going really well

RaptorusRex wrote:Great stuff. Certainly takes some bravery to convert metals.

Cap'n Facebeard wrote:These conversions are perfect

Scarper wrote:Man, I *love* Steel Legion. Massive kudos for the work converting them - that metal is not a forgiving medium. It looks like it's going really well

Thanks! It has been a painful process at times, but mainly just takes patience and persistence.

------------------------------------------

Update time. I have been working on the demolitions trooper, which is also the last eteran guardsmen kill team operative I do not have covered.

It looks like a normal trooper at first glance, but I have carefully removed the left arm that grips the rifle, and removed material until the rifle and coat look as they should. The arm is based on a GSC Atalan Jackal demo charge and will appear once I've constructed the model.




Hopefully will have this trooper completed and based soon.

Completed the demolitions trooper.






The combat engineer special weapons squad is coming along, just needs two more troopers:


The demolitions trooper also marks the last model I needed to cover all veteran guardsman kill team operatives! I might build a second Confidant with a boltgun though. The only one I'm not so happy with is the zealot, but not particularly inclined to try again with that at present.



Could do with applying some paint to these...

My current plan is to finish building the combat engineer SWS, I have some parts for the remaining troopers, incl. smoke grenades!

Two more combat engineers with lasguns and various gear completed, so the whole squad is now assembled. Might try to get some paint slapped on these if the weather holds out long enough to spray them.

Firstly we have this trooper carrying some wire cutters, a meltabomb, and frag and smoke grenades:





The second engineer I am a bit more proud of- this one is carrying an entrenching tool and some tube charges (breaching charge). The tube charges are built to match the GSC charges held in hands, with the three sticks bundled together. No fuse attached yet, not sensible to carry a fused charge around! The charge is constructed from three lengths of wire that have the same thickness and length as the tubes on the plastic model, glued into place with a thin strip of foil as the connecting strap:





A shot of my first complete assembled squad for the army. I've added a couple of extra pieces to models since they were first posted in this thread- the demolitions trooper has some grenades too, and one of the flamer troopers has a hand axe. I think the squad has a good spread of equipment that covers all of the roles that Imperial Guard combat engineers are expected to perform.


Next I need to work out what company markings the engineering company will use. My mechanised regiment is using the company colour/platoon colour/squad number pattern for the line companies, but I envisage the regiment being divided into battalions, each consisting of 6 line companies of 6 platoons (at full strength)- corresponding to the 6 colours in the 3rd edition codex. Each battalion then having an engineering company, recon company, light artillery company (Griffons), and AA company attached, for a strength of 10 combat companies per battalion. I haven't worked out what markings to use on the 4 support companies. Battalions are by no means universal in Imperial Guard regiments, but do exist and make especial sense for very populous worlds like Armageddon that can probably raise oversized regiments. It also overcomes the limitations of the company colour system, allowing 6 colours to go much further by being repeated for each subsequent battalion- such as red company 2nd battalion, 3rd battalion etc.

The amount of character you're giving to this steel legion is amazing, can't wait to see even more of you're work and i'm still incredibly jealous of your box of legionnaires and modelling skills