Desert themed mechanised IG army

[cob]

Thanks for the compliments guys-I'm hoping I can really improve the detail when I get some more time, things like picking out the pouches and adding more highlights to the camo (right now its a bit blotchy-you can't see it from a table-top distance but it is noticeable up close). I also have seen some fantastic weathering on other blogs which I hope I can emulate on my tanks.

I have just seen the forgeworld barbed wire..it looks better than the GW wire thats for sure..but using some twisted up electronic wire sounds like a great (and cheap!) idea.

I've also got a question for you if you don't mind, what did you use on the devildog conversion? It turned out really well.

Sure, its one of the redeemer cannons from a land raider with alot of the side bits cut off, and green stuffed to look fairly symmetrical. It ended up looking a bit bare/flat so I added the 'thing' on the top of the barrel...to be honest i'm not even sure where its from but I know I have a few more of them laying around..might be from the actual redeemer for all I know lol. Ill try and find out. The back part was my first go at using plasticard...I'd like to add some rivets to it at some point.

I love that picture you posted Kreigfreak! I need to find a model pram lol =P.

When I saw the model I used for the objective marker it did remind me sooo much of Doctor Who! I knew I had to implement it somewhere..I had planned to use it on the base of a valk but the problem is she is very very small and probably would look out of scale. She is from a company called Hasslefree Miniatures by the way, called 'Rose'. I will be using alot more of their miniatures for my future objective markers =].

Love the paintjob on the infantry! Fairly similar to the one I've got planned for my own Guard.

What colours did you use for your main uniforms? I was planning on a desert yellow/bleached bone mix over Dheneb Stone, then a combination of browns for the darker patches and bone/white for the highlights. Is this along the lines of your force? If so, any advice for a fellow desert warfare fan?

To be honest with you the colour scheme I used is very very simple =P (I haven't got the patience otherwise!). I used desert yellow from the Vallejo line for most of them and for the bases, sometimes using also desert yellow from the GW line (they are quite similar but GW one is lighter-adds a bit variation IMO) over a white undercoat. Then I did desert yellow + a little bit of white over the top of this, followed by a devian mud wash over pretty much all the clothes, but focusing on the recesses alot. I then did 1/2 desert yellow, 1/2 white on most of the raised areas followed by a final very light highlight of mostly white + a tiny bit of desert yellow. Finally I did another devian mud wash but only trying to only get the recesses. It is a quick and relatively effective looking scheme IMO and I kinda stumbled upon it by accident. The actual camo again was simple, snakebite leather to start with, scorched brown/snakebite leather with a bit of black for the darker bits-trying to stay near the snakebite markings and sort-of cover them. Finally bleached bone 'dabs' very close to the darker markings. The bleached bone part is probably the worst part on the model and the bit I will try and improve when I can.

The boots were bleached bone + a tiny bit of desert yellow, I did use a pure white as a highlight on most but I actually ran out on the last 10 or so-I still need to do this =P.

[Kriegfreak]

I like the mentioned objective marker even it was a bit scary and grim but then you posted this pic and I somehow felt kinda different...
Is this a real pic from somewhere in this world or is it a posed one?
Cheers

Wasn't the author who posted, was me. And yes it was real. But back on topic, I don't wish to thread-jack or derail any thread, I just figured the pic was in-taste with the model being presented.

@ Cob

I was taking a further look at your models, especially the sergeant with the brick work on the base and the awesome trooper with the road sign. Definitely do more of that. I hadn't even really noticed the first time.

[Lu&Pu]

Hasslefree has lots of cool stuff which seems just made to be worked into objectiv markers, problem is I just never came around to buy some of them.
Are they really in scale with 40k or not?

A word to Kriegfreak.

I know it was you posting the pic and the quote plus the lines under it were just dedicated to you.

Back on topic. the road sign is really great, guess would work very well in a diorama. Just don´t use it to offen, would take the "magic" if it.

[Aurelius 12]

@ Cob,
Cheers for that, most useful.

In case you're interested (and I hope this doesn't count as threat hijacking) I've just painted up some of my guardsman now. You can find them here in my log.

[cob]

Hasslefree has lots of cool stuff which seems just made to be worked into objectiv markers, problem is I just never came around to buy some of them.
Are they really in scale with 40k or not?

A word to Kriegfreak.

I know it was you posting the pic and the quote plus the lines under it were just dedicated to you.

Back on topic. the road sign is really great, guess would work very well in a diorama. Just don´t use it to offen, would take the "magic" if it.

To be honest, I'm not sure on the size of most of the hasslefree stuff..I ordered some civilians/kids/women mostly and they are quite small..alot less chunky than the cadians thats for sure. IMO the kids are perfect size though. 'Rose' is 20mm high or so, the other girl is 25mm.

I totally agree on the signs-I only intend to use 2 in my army (the mortar was just made for fun, I doubt it will ever be used in a game sadly xD)-the one on the flamer dude and the vendetta =]. Others will only be on a display board if I ever can be bothered to make one (ye right!)...

Aurelius: No problem, I've been watching your plog with interest! Love your conversions and the paint job is looking good so far! I will leave a comment there too =].

Just as an update, I made + painted 3 heavy flamer guys today..converted 2 of them from my normal flamer dudes since I didn't need 6 >_>. I will try and take pics tomorrow.

[hur@n]

Very good army

[Explodingboy]

Nice army you have here.

I may have to look into mixing up my own metal Cadians in amongst the plastics some time soon. I was surprised to see how nicely they fit side by side.

[cob]

Yeah they do fit in quite well, the only one I couldn't incorporate was the mortar crew man holding the shell =(, the shell is just too big for the plastic mortar and I've lost the old mortar xD. I love the kneeling plasma gunner too, and even though I haven't got any plasma guys planned for my army maybe he will be painted just for kicks =P.

Another leman russ sans the turret got finished this morning, pics to come when the turret is done =].

[Hammer49]

Fantastic looking army.
On highlighting the difference between the Vets and normal squads you could put additional equipment on the vets like spades etc from HW sprue to show they have been around for longer. You could also pain there fatigues slightly different colours to give them a more rag tag appearance to show they have to make do, unlike the other units who are still in pristine uniforms.

[cob]

Yeah thats a decent suggestion Hammer49, might try and incorporate that into my next squad =].

Onto the blog..I've been quite busy with real life recently..only had time to paint 2 objective markers and a few colours on the vendetta =(.





I'm not sure of this base..I may put some plasticard under the bottom and make a little pool of some liquid..not too sure water fits in xD but perhaps slime or something? =/.

Sorry the lighting on the pictures isnt the best. Wanted to keep the civilian objective theme going.

Hopefully more to come soon including my plastic inquisitorial stormtroopers (from scouts) and vendettas finished (ye right..)

[Kriegfreak]

Love your objective markers. I'd go so far as to say they are some of the best objective markers out there - period. Very life-like and tons of narrative character.

[cob]

Wow, thanks for the kind comment Kreigfreak.

As an update..unfortunately no pics but I was in artistic mode today at my girlfriend's house and finished two 2 lascannon teams and finished the 2nd vendetta base (with her help =P). I also started on the manticore missiles. The lascannons and vendetta base look pretty good to me, hopefully worth the wait until I get home and take some shots.

Next to paint: finish manticore missiles, leman russ turret number 2, 3 more melta guns (yes more >_>) and my inquisitoral stormtroopers. Finally 2 vendettas which are only base coated. When all thats done it should be 1750 points completed.

[jdp]

Nice looking army so far, you have struck to a strong theme for your troops and tanks, which I very much aprove. The objectives are nice, although the kid in the gasmask looks like she should be lost on the wasteland of Vraks, not the sandbox. Keep up the good work this is a solid force!

[cob]

Update coming on friday when I get home-almost finished 1750 points now (with a spare guard squad >_<), just 2 vendettas to finish. Have a tournament I'm going to in a week and a 1/2 so need to have them finished by then.

By the way I may be interested in selling the army after the tournament (I am a poor student after all), so if anyone wants to make any offers before I put it on ebay in a few weeks then feel free to pm =].

[cob]

Small update this time.. curse you hot weather!

I picked lascannon teams in my vet units for the derby tournament for some odd reason, and I realised that I didn't actually have any painted so..





Here's the bases for vendettas, they are nearly done >_<, I love the models but goddamn hate painting them.




More to come soon I hope.

[Tommygun]

I'm not sure of this base..I may put some plasticard under the bottom and make a little pool of some liquid..not too sure water fits in xD but perhaps slime or something? =/.

Make a little "Face Hugger" out of green stuff crawling out of the pool.

[MrP]

Lovely work on those!

[LokkoRex]

i really love your work so far, excellent use of bot metal and plastic cadians, i didn't notice any difference between the models at first, but at a closer look i saw the difference.
keep up the good work!

[cob]

Okay so I got back from my first 40k tournament, and I had a blast =P. I hadn't had much practise with the army beforehand (perhaps 5-6 games all at 1500 point level) so I was usure how I would actually do. I eventually came 6th out of about 30-35ish people which I was happy with. The tournament was 3 games and I lost the first to mech orcs, won vs another Imperial Guard army and finally won (just) vs necrons.

I had stayed up till around 5am the morning before the tournament finishing off the vendettas (which as you will see are missing nearly all the details, including the fact the lascannons aren't painted at all lol). They were the 'units of the tournament' so they deserve better treatment! I will hopefully be able to go back and finish all the details but right now I consider this army mostly finished. I recieved positive feedback from other players at the tournament which I was very happy about and also some ideas for improvement-it's amazing how simple things other people pick up on that you don't even notice.

Here are some shots this evening after I was fixing up all the travel damage and seeing if I had left anything behind =P. You also get to see my messy floor once again.







Imperial guard wise what I have also painted is 1 chimera and 10 more vets...I also have left to paint 2 hydras. Also some bar stewards at my local store stole 2 of my melta gunners and the stormtrooper melta gunner, more repainting

In the shots you might be able to make out my next project..already started on it and having fun converting those terrible models =P, I will hopefully put some regular updates of how that progress goes a long with any updates on this army.

[Kriegfreak]

Dude, I love it.

I meant to comment earlier on the irony of Hot Weather hindering the ability to paint Desert Themed Imperial Guard

Those Valks looks pretty 'hot' in desert theme.