Veterans and Storm Troopers help

[cadian808th]

Hi guys,

I am new to 40K and IG.

I have 0 experienc in painting/modelling and would rather take the lazy more expensive option (if models are available) than trying to convert at this stage to be honest.

I am a big fan of plastic and resin but not of metal (I am sure there are lots of you out there that will think completely the opposite but hey, we are all different hehe ;D)

I was just wondering whether the forgeworld models for Hostile environment Cadians can be used as Veterens...or if there are some rules for them that exist in Imperial Armour which makes usng them as a proxy for Vets difficult?

I am thinking of:

Cadians with respirators as Vets
Cadians with hostile environment as storm troopers (if these are even used in lists)

Or

using Elysian drop troopers as vets (would official games allow this?)

Many thanks for bearing my silly questions

808th

[Canis]

I don't think there are any requirements when it comes to veterans, for the majority of my own I use helmets from other lines. I think the rebreathers would work fine as Veterans. It all depends on whether or not you go for the Carapace Armor option.

However for Stormtroopers I would think you would need a way to represent the Hot-Shot Lasguns as well as the Carapace Armor. I don't think the hostile environments kit is enough to represent Stormtroopers but a lot of this also depends on your opponent. Some are pretty lenient when it comes to WYSIWYG.

I think pairing the Elysians with Cadians can work with Cadians representing regular Guardsmen while the Elysian can represent Stormtroopers. You could get the Death Korps of Krieg Grenadiers as Stormtroopers, costs about the same as a squad of Elysian Drop Troops except I am 100% sure the Grenadiers were designed to be used as Stormtroopers. Grenadiers was an option in the 4th Edition codex that were basically Stormtroopers as Troops.

[3ff3ct]

I agree, although it does depend on your opponent. If you turned up and said 'respirators are vets, Hazmat suits are Stormies' I'd be totally fine with it.

If you really want to do it, go for it. It'd be the opposite players loss not to play against a very cool looking and inspirational army (and they'd probably just be jealous anyway )

HOWEVER (yes I'm ranting more ) You could use bits from other kits mixed in (EG space marine scout parts) which would require little less than assembly really and possibly save you some money too.

The third option would be to get busy with some green stuff. There's a few tutorials around on converting weapons, greenstuffing kneepads etc, which with a tiny bit of practice you could do very easily and save more money (or have the haz suits too.....).

Good luck anyway mate! And post some pictures of those lovely suits for us when you get them done

[Rolling Thunder]

Hmm...

Frankly, and I know I'm being a berk here, but I'd recommend you do a little converting before claiming that your guys are Stormies. Upgrading flak to carapace armour doesn't need to be massively complex - just sculpt on a pair of knee pads for each model (trust me, it's worth it just for the ease of identification). Also, modding the Stormies weapon's to show the difference between them and the regular, lasgun-armed Guardsmen, is also a good thing to do - boltgun magazine swaps are a quick-and-dirty means of differentiating the weapon.

[johnboy069]

Everything that has been said works. It all boils down to you really. I have been working on Stormies and Vets myself (After getting a bunch of CCS and Scout boxes for special weapons and bits to make shotgun vets).

For the Stormtroopers I used the 1 piece officer body from the Catachan Command Squad. Then I used the beret head for the SGT, as well as scout and bandanna heads for the rest of the squad. I then cut off all of the lasgun magazines and swapped them out for boltgun magazines. I now have a full squad with all weapons options but the plasmaguns.

For my Vets, I used Cadian Torsos with Scout legs and heads.

[Trooper One-Nine-Seven-Four]

Here's how I did my Stormies:



Here's an example of my carapace vet:



Since my guys are Catachans, I differentiate the normal troopers in their flak jackets (or shirts/bare chests) as being flak armored, and then the vets/Stormies with the Cadian armor bitz as carapace armor in comparison. My rationale is that they don't bother with the knee and thigh pads because they would be encumbering, and if a leg is shot off it can always be replaced with bionics.

The hellguns/hotshot lasguns my Stormies use are the plastic sniper rifle with the barrel shortened.

[Ignatius]

Don't forget the definition of a veteran. It's simply an experienced soldier. So in all honesty you don't need to have them look at all different. It's a little boring but it would be fine.

What I like to do is have my veterans look like they have been in the field and know what they are doing. Basically, I paint them to have no sleeves, rolled up sleeves, more grenades (in places that isn't just on their belt), fewer men with helmets on, ect.

[Soap]

Im mid way through making two vet squads (just like I'm mid way through with everything in my guard army). What iv done is given my guys helmet less heads were i can, and also given them back packs so it looks like they are a deployed unit, rather than a platoon dug in. Back backs are the ones you get in the battle force box I think, with the shovel hanging out. And also to show they have 'acquired' and customised their equipment, they have the old plastic storm troopers back packs. Also they have converted shotguns, which in another life where bolt guns!