I don’t know what it is about them… perhaps it’s because I’m
interested in military history… perhaps it’s because it’s easy to set up a plot
train when the characters are part of a military chain of command – “Here is
your mission… go do it!”… Perhaps a bit of both. Oh and (as a miniature wargamer) I’ve always had this
megalomanic dream of running a military role-playing game where the players
would start as grunts and work their way up to being the platoon/section
commanders – at which point the engagements become skirmish wargames - then
maybe after more campaigning they could even take command of companies and/or
become part of a battalion’s staff – and then the combat engagements become
another game entirely (possibly using Blitzkrieg/Cold War/Future War Commander)
I don’t even now how I started
collecting up these things… Actually I do know the Void stuff I originally
picked up from the bargan bin at the Dragon’s
Den and I think I picked up a few odd Imperial Guard in lots off
ebay. I looked into picking up a few more after I got Rogue Trader and even more after picking up Only
War last year. More recently I scrounged up a copy of an old Imperial
Guard codex to see how the guard is theoretically organized – so I could
organize this growing force of Imperial Guard that I seemed to be acquiring.
It’ll be awhile before I ever
get around to running either Rogue Trader or Only War – but I got looking at
these guys again after I picked up a few more Only War books during the annual Fantasy Flight Games
Black Friday/Xmas Sale. I found I had a number of half painted guys (probably
form last winter when I picked up the last batch of books/minis) and decided I
should at least finish them off… then looking at the organization I realized I
was one or two figure from finishing off a platoon – so I finished up a few
more…
(Remember: click on the pictures
for a bigger version):
Assorted Imperial Guard (and
proxies) I painted over the last week.
These are (mostly) old I-Kore
Void Viridian Commandoes (the fellow with the flamer is a Kryomek trooper). As
I mentioned I’d originally picked up a few out of bargain bin for $1/pack – I’d
originally planned to just use them as generic sci-fi military dudes, but then
realized they’d make pretty good proxies at Imperial Guard Catachans. This
particular lot I picked up off ebay to finish off a couple of squads of them
(see the complete squads below)
These are some monks from Black Tree Design
that I tried converting (with some gen-u-ine GW guard bitz) to use as
Ministorium Priests of the Ecclesiarchy (I hope GW doesn’t sue).
Some Gen-u-ine Games
Workshop Imperial Guard Catachan Jungle Fighters.
Adding these guys to troops I
already have I end up with:
Blast! I’m TWO GUYS short of a
(rather understrength) platoon of proxies (the platoon HQ should have two more
guys in it…).
A few of the new guys allowed me
to finish up a complete platoon of Catachan Imperial Guard.
The three older Ogryn I’ve just
finished up look like little kids next to the other newer (but previously painted) Ogryn I have. I guess I’ll call him the Bone’ead of this attached
Abhuman squad. Two of these guys came with goofy helmets with horns(!?) so I added a plastic GW Warhammer Fantasy ogre head to one and the other I just carved off the offending helmet and added a beret made of Green Stuff. Teh head swap looks pretty cool, the beret conversion... well.. it's not my best conversion ever - but it's better than the silly horned helmet!
These are some of the other guys
I just finished that will become part of some other platoon’s command sections
(or something).
I also have a Company Command
section and another attatched abhuman section of Ratling
snipers - which are already painted. I have enough figures to make a
second complete three-infantry-squad all GW Catachan platoon (as the one above)
and another Platoon HQ, an infantry squad, a Heavy Weapons squad (three heavy
bolters), and a smattering of additional light support weapons (flamers, plasma
guns, melta guns snipers, and SIX guys with demolition chargers!?) I’m not sure
what to do with them – perhaps organize them into special weapon squads? I have
a batch of old Rogue Trader Era guardsmen that I thought I could use as a
Veteran Squad. Oh, and a Scout Sentinal Troop….
Oh, and that’s just the Catachans…
(I’ve acquired a smattering of Tallarn and Cadians – about a platoon of each)
(Oh, and then there’s the three
1/48 WW2 KV-2 tanks I picked up – along with a few GW bitz – to convert into a
squad of Guard Ragnarok tanks – anybody remember those from Epic?)
I’m done with these for now
though…
Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:
I have some Irish Wolfhounds that
I’m just finishing up on the workbench and a few other odd and sundry items.
Stay tuned for that Looking Back
at 2014 post.
We’ve been playing a LOT of
boardgames this past week – perhaps I’ll post about that as well…
Very cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks Barks!
DeleteWow, that is a lot of painting! Twilight 2000 and Top Secret take me back!
ReplyDeleteI bought a used copy of the original Top Secret for $4 - played with that alone for years. I don't think I ever got more entertainment per dollar spent out of any other game.
DeleteWe never did figure out how the heck the hand to hand combat system really worked... so we mostly just stuck to sneaking around and shooting people.
I'm glad you posted this - I have some of those I-Kore troopers, and I couldn't remember who manufactured the figures (and some of their Celtos line). Armed with what you posted I was able to track down the manufacturer of some of my figs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your paint jobs on the Catchans is pretty inspirational - I have a box of them and I really should assembled them and paint them.
Thanks Peter. The old I-kore Void and Celtos stuff is still available. Brigade Models sells the Celtos stuff (http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/) and Scotia Grendel sells the Void stuff (http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/ - under Sci-fi - 28mm)
DeleteI am always impressed by the speed and quality of your painting. You even manage to find time to play with them as well!!
ReplyDeleteI am very envious!
Well, I haven't had any opportunities to play with THESE guys recently - and probably won't for some time - but I can dream about it all day!
Deletethanks!