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Starting Guard from scratch


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After putting off starting/selecting an army I had a passion/interest in modeling or painting, I finally settled on Imperial Guard. I picked up the DV boxed set over a year ago and barely touched  it. I painted a couple of units from DV and even got some more off Ebay. I've been away from the game for a very long time, but I missed the hobby aspect. I'm in no rush to play, I have taken time to do such things as put magnets on. Yesterday I picked up the start collecting set for IG, I have the other larger boxed set on order and plan to add to the army once all models are complete. 
 
I'm fairly happy with progress on my HWT. The HB, LC, or AC are all interchangeable due to placement of magnets under the base. I slapped the commissar together, it's an incredible model, but I couldn't bring myself to use the plasma pistol (I never will understand why people would want a weapon that can kill themselves). I started to put the Russ together too, will use magnets on it as well.
 
I'll hold myself accountable to complete these by updating with pictures.
 

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Edited by LeonAudacity
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Welcome to the Guard! It looks like you're off to a great start. The Cadian Defence Force was my first purchase, some seventeen years after putting some Catachans and a Chimera together as a kid. It's a great starting point, and coupled with the Get Started box, you have enough to hit the ground running with a decent, balanced army.

 

I somewhat agree with the concern for using plasma weapons. I only run them when I have some way of countering the gets hot rule like preferred enemy or prescience from a psyker. 

 

Do you have any idea of the kind of Guard army you're going to be playing? 

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I would like to start with some troops and tanks. The way I see it is mortal men fighting tooth and nail in desperation under the belief that the Emperor protects (or strict discipline/getting shot by a commissar for cowardice).  I like to see it as an age of heroes where the troops find comfort that their IOC's are made of the right stuff and make the right decisions to steel the men.

Eventually I would like to perhaps branch out a little more and be specialized with some air support, perhaps a sprinkling of scions for the tougher targets that have to go (very much like special forces).

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Indeed, it was interesting to attempt with magnets and took a few attempts.

 

I'm heavily leaning towards the standard colour scheme, it seems very appealing to me. I tossed up the idea of grey fatigues with black armour, but I've somewhat committed myself now after buying the required colours.

 

........

 

Todays tinkering has seen the complete assembly of the Russ, complete with magnets being installed on the main gun for options. I decided to leave the sponsons loose as they should be nice and snug with some paint. The big decision really was hatch up or hatch down. I decided hatch up and give myself more to paint.

 

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Edited by LeonAudacity
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Just a quick update. All the guard are now fully assembled. Next up will be basing and primer coats. I'll test out a grey ultra flat Krylon primer (way cheaper than Games Workshop spray cans). I used the flat white primer on some death wing terminators last year with good results and for about 1/3 of the price.

 

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Plasma pistol on a commissar (or any guard model) is something that will never meet my list. It is overpriced for what it can do and will rather kill its' owner before kiling anyone else with only one 6"-shot.

Try command squad boxes both cadian and catachan. Juicy bits are inside including heavy flamers, some cool heads and badass-posed catachans. The only bad thing about those boxes is they have only 1 special weapon of each type (plasmagun, meltagun, sniper lasgun etc.)

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Thanks for the advice Shamansky. How would one obtain a bunch of special weapons in general (since a command squad box only has one of each) the most efficient way?

 

..........

 

On another note, I sacrificed one of my DV cultists as a test model for the ultra flat grey Krylon primer, the spray went on beautifully. The sand I currently have for basing is a little too fine for my liking and not what I'm after, I'll keep an eye out for a could area to source some as I will not be paying a large sum for any.

Edited by LeonAudacity
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I would recommend diffrent bits Sellers, both on ebay and other places. I have had good respons from them. Otherwise you have 3rd part seller that sell "similiar" looking weapons.  Of course that can gvie problem if you go to some tournaments or play in a GW store.

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I have some pre-grav space marine boxes and those marines became Black Templars. I took plasmaguns and meltas from BT-upgrade boxes. So all special weapons were inherited by Guard which was enough to equip 2 veteran squads with either meltas or plasmaguns. Not sure if it is legal to recommend to look for rouge casters. So i won't.:whistling:

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Basing and some base coats.

 

I haven't had too much free time recently, I have done a little. Picked up a box of 5 push fit guard and a CCS box. Soon I should have the Canadian detachment box in.

 

Behold, the mighty Leman Russ tank will soon be rolling off the lines with a small meat shield.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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Mildly side tracked... I picked up a beautiful kit. The Valkeyrie really caught my eye. I have also had a thing for assassins, so I picked up the last box in my local store (I couldn't bring myself to spend so much money on 1 vindicare assassin, so I got the bunch and some extra's).

 

...

 

I also have my squad of 10 troops just about complete, minus a little highlighting. I took a pic, but the file is too large to attach. My LR is getting fairly close too.

 

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Edited by LeonAudacity
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Looks like a similar scheme to my guard... I'm reworking them with an milspec khaki brown fatigues and OD green armour plates

 

 

As for starting guard... I'm working intermittently on rehabilitating guard myself... I like a flexible collecrin... so being able to deploy mech vets or foots logging platoons or a mix is nice.

Edited by Canadian_F_H
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I think guard has always been the army I wanted when I first got into this hobby some 17 years ago. I remember reading a white dwarf battle report when they wen up against some Elder. The imperial guard in that list has storm troopers and an evasor assassin, great batrep...

 

Thanks WF, I'm fairly happy with the colour schemes.

 

FD, from what I can see (having not played for at least 16 years), guard are probably one of the most flexible armies to collect and look incredible on the table top. I think the colour schemes you have also choosen look very striking. I caught the bug again after seeing IG batreps on youtube, even tho they lost about 3/4 of the battles (just makes me hate elder and necrons more even tho there were no necrons in my day).

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IMG 5101

 

 

Behold, the mighty Valkyrie.

This monster kit took me a huge chunk of the weekend to put together. I have magnetised the back ramp, weapons, and the heavy bolters inside (just about ran out of magnets).

By far this is the most complex thing I have built in the hobby to date (didn't have big fancy models in my day).

As much as I swore with the tricky parts, it was a pleasure to put together.

 

...

 

Now, since my Cadian battle force is now here, plus a pysker model... I really have to finish off my highlights on my first squad of 10 and the heavy weapon team. I'm fairly bad at starting multiple projects and jumping back and forth.

 

I hope my painting skills will be on point by the time I get around to painting my assassins.

 

Stay tuned. :wink:

Edited by LeonAudacity
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IMG 5202 (640x480)


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Hopefully this works.

 

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I found them way more detailed than painting space marines. Similar to when I painted some of my old Necromunda gangs (but this time with a lot more painting skill and help from youtube).

 

Next up, I'll finish off my Leman Russ by applying highlights and such, then complete the paint job on my heavy weapons team...

 

After that I have a primed Commissar, built Valkyrie (then ill take a look at my psyker, battle box, ccs, and assassins). 

 

Maybe once I decide on decals after picking up what I need to put them on, I'll write up a little bit of a story for my regiment (I've been tossing it around lately, inspired a little by the Vimmy Ridge 100th year anniversary I attended to honour the fallen yesterday amongst my proud ties/family/dual nationality). 

Edited by LeonAudacity
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  • 2 weeks later...

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First completed HWT. Magnets were put on the stand and weapons to make them interchangeable. Also, magnets were placed at different locations on the base to allow for different firing positions (guardsmen also had magnets to allow or this). I'm happy with the result and like the dark gritty colour scheme.

 

Before completion of this team, I also applied transfers and varnished my first guard unit seen earlier. Everything is starting to look uniformed.

 

I've build up another unit of guardsmen and will be basing them soon and getting them ready for the painting table.

 

On the painting table currently is my base coated and fully assembled LR that can be used with all weapon options that came in the box.
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