Duty and Honor! An IG Project Log

[Light of the Emperor]

EDIT February 2012:
Wow, almost 6 years since the start of this log and it's still going! Having read through this again, its interesting to see which projects I finished and those that I abandoned. But more importantly, I am reminded again of all the help I have received from fellow Warseers along the way. Vostroya advances!

EDIT October 2009:
Welcome to the beginning of what has become an ongoing, three year journey! Over the next few pages you'll see the start of my guard army, the first steps of a bigger project...far bigger than I thought! While this thread is well over 100 pages long, there is much to discover...everything from color schemes, to fluff, to artwork. If you want to see the last full army picture, go to page 123. Hopefully everything can fit in the shot!
Definately leave comments, suggestions and the like... or, if you have questions about Vostroyans, feel free to PM me.
Now back to the original post...

Over the past three years, I have played many a game with one army. My all stormtrooper/inquisitor DH force accompanied me to three US GTs and quite a few RTTs. I've always received great remarks from my opponents while they beat me into the ground . Yes, the army is themed which tends to place me at a great disadvantage in terms of gaming. Afterall, isn't the whole purpose of building a DH force to get the Grey Knights? I must admit that my ratio of losing three games out of four is beginning to wear on me...but everytime I look at other armies, I go right back to my inquisitors, rhinos and stormtroopers. It takes some impressive models to pull me away. And earlier this year, I saw them:
The Vostroyans.

After seeing the rumors and previews of this new guard regiment right here on Warseer, I knew I had to have them. Antique looking guardsmen with fur hats and scary gasmasks? Count me in. I immediately picked up a platoon box set and started converting. Over time, I finally decided to start a new army and devote myself fully to vostroya's finest.

So after a few more purchases and trades I currently have:
2 platoon box sets
1 vostroyan squad box
2 officers
3 snipers
4 commisars
and alot of Heavy Weapons

My objective is to paint and convert a 2000 point army of Vostroyans. The basic troopers are just too nice to convert, but I like my armies to be different. So, maybe its just me, but I think the Vostroyans have a second edition feel to them. I plan on converting all the heavy weapons to be mounted on wheeled chassis a'la 2nd Ed. Guard. I also plan on putting the "Imperial" back in Imperial Guard by adding servo skulls, cherubim, tech priests, servitors, aquillas...you name it. Blending the dark, gothic motifs of 3rd and 4th edition with the wierdness and classic ideas of 2nd edition should give me the personalized look that I want.

I hope that this project log will be of interest to all. I am running this log not so much for motivation, but for the great feedback and suggestions that everyone has.

Now then, on with the show.

LotE

[Light of the Emperor]

With a nod to 2nd Edition, I began working on my heavy weapons:


I used the plastic artillery wheel sprue, an ork zzap gun chassis and the plastic heavy weapons from the cadian HW sprue.
The neat thing about the sprue is that you get 5 different kinds of weapons. So buying 3 sprues gives you 15 total weapons that can make 5 Heavy Weapon squads! Not bad when the single vostroyan lascannon team costs 15 dollars.
I plan on mixing up the models for gunners and spotters with other vostroyans. I find it kind of wierd looking when all three HW bases have the same posed figures.

[Calgar]

Absolutly brill!!
The glorious Red Revolution a la 1917 ( although in the future), anyone??
Keep it up

[schoolcormorant]

yeah, vostroyans kick ass for the emporor, i love these sorts of threads, where people have the stones to convert stuff.
are they going to be typical urban or vostroyan countryside (if there is any?)

[Light of the Emperor]

These vostroyans will be a bit different.
Imagine the 'eavy metal scheme. Take away the red and replace it with catachan green and camo green.
As for bases, I'd like to avoid the popular urban set up. Snow is great, but snow tables are very rare indeed which would make the army look odd on regular table tops. With that in mind, any ideas?

[schoolcormorant]

why not try a muddy base scheme, you can stipple browns round the bases of theri cloth.
it would involve plaster and paint and glue, but also you'd need to do the bases then glue the fig on, a little difficult with metal figs...
or even just typical countryside, but, with their green tunics they wouldn't look out of place.

[Light of the Emperor]

I've always liked the standard GW basing of brown rims with patches of static grass on top. Its simple, yet effective.

[UnRiggable]

more vostroyans?!
Did you make an army list?

[Light of the Emperor]

I know right? Outta nowhere there's all these new vostroyan armies.

The one codex that I actually need right now, I can't find. I don't have a set army list, but having played guard before, I know what I'm after.

Command HQ with lascannon squad, mortar squad, autocannon squad, sniper squad, demo squad
Platoon 1 with command squad, 3 infantry squads (all with heavy bolter and grenade launcher)
Platoon 2 with command squad, 2 infantry squads (all with missile launcher and grenade launcher)
Armored Fist squad
Rough Riders
maybe a hellhound
2 Leman Russ. One might be an exterminator variant.

Doctrines: carapace armor, iron discipline, rough riders, special weapon squads, enginseers

Kinda stereotypical for a guard army...but I like it. I am open to ideas.

[schoolcormorant]

can i suggest you use a demolisher variant too, that way you can have multi melta sponsons, then you will get some meltas in the list.
thats one hell of an army list though. cant wait to see it finished.

[Light of the Emperor]

The demolition squad will have 2 meltas and a demolition charge...but a demolisher is a good idea.
I'm currently working on some conversion pieces which I'll have up later tonight.

On a seperate note, does anyone know why it takes so long for photobucket to resize pictures?

[Anvils Hammer]

looking good so far mate.

for the bases, I recommend muddy, with about half the base covered in patches of snow and dark green flock.
This creates a snowy look, but one thats not to snowy, itll look good on almost any board.

[Light of the Emperor]

I apologize for the large pictures. They are resized, but I don't know why they don't show that way.

I've made a start on my new models. First off is the commander. He's loosely based off Commander Harazhan in the IG codex. He is reading/dictating battle orders with the help of his map cherubim. I might add one of those inquisitor sages that are writing down all of the commands.



An assortment of various models for the force. Commissars are a must because they are just too cool. A couple of weapon swaps and they are good to go.



And here's my Demo squad. The conversions are quite simple. Instead of using the medic as Dave Taylor did, I used the heavy bolter spotter. Once you put some green stuff over the exposed ammo in the drum and add a handle, it looks like a perfect "teller" mine/ demo charge. These guys have suicide squad written all over them. Who could blame them when you're throwing a St. 10 weapon a mere 6 inches?



A close up of the heavy bolter.



More to come. And hopefully a paint test model by Tuesday.

[Bluesabre]

Cool, another metal IG army. Liking your conversions so far. Looking forward too see some painted examples soon.

[UnRiggable]

Post #12 Pic #1: Isn't that captain pointing like low-ish? Looks wierd...

[The Judge]

Wow, there's some cool ideas here. I feel annoyed that my own Vostroyan army is already nearly finished... missed the opportunity to do cool wheeled guns as well.

[ghostmaker12]

looks cool but i was wondering why you used commissar gaunt from the ghosts?

I found that the Ice Warrior Lieutenant and Chenkov make good looking vostroyan commissars.

[Aegius]

I really like your conversions. When are you going to start painting them though?

[MrAnderson]

I like the Melta coversions. Nice and simple.

[-=B@toun3T=-]

Very good job (heavy weapons & meltas)
I wait for the color schem.



Batbat.