Spring Cleaning Challenge: Imperial Guard (PROJECT COMPLETE!)
Recommendations: 67
About the Project
A while ago I started a custom 40K Imperial Guard Regiment. After a year on hiatus this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Related Game: Warhammer 40,000
Related Company: Games Workshop
Related Genre: Science Fiction
Related Contest: Spring Clean Hobby Challenge (Old)
This Project is Completed
Work so Far
An Example Squad, At this Point all Ten Sergeants, Grenadiers and Artillery are Painted. Now the slog begins.
Everything so Far
Some Characters
I Don't Want to Load up a Ton of Heroes and Rambo's in a Single Company but I Couldn't Help Myself Adding Just One.
This is Corporal McGallen, he was Crushed by a Mighty Ork Warboss who Dropped Him on the Floor and Like a Moron Just Wheeled his Chair Back to Look for Him then Heard a Horrific Crunch.
Only in Death does Duty End However. A Guardsmen's Life is the Emperor's Currency and it can't just be cashed out at the First Mishap like the loss of a major limb now can it? McGallen Continues to Lead his Squad in Combat, He still lugs his Rifle with him in Combat although he hasn't fired it since the incident. He's only a few years away from Retirement and with the Regiment just returning from active duty no one bothered to transfer him to safety. The Order of the Broken Sword, now made whole thanks to the Primaris Marines, now calls upon it's Neighbors to aid them in hunting down the Traitors. Unable to be transferred to a Safe Position Corporal McGallen has accepted his lot and will lead his men in the Emperor's Name no matter his wounds.Now the Next Guy is a Hero of the Entire Battalion.
Captain Zacharius Gallawaay Michaels, A Recent Graduate from the Galland Military Academy Cptn. Michaels joined the Regiment Halfway Through it's Eight Year War with the Orks Off-Planet. Thanks to a Financially Crippling Bribe that Left his (unaware) Parents Destitute he Found Himself an Ensign with a Combat Regiment in Desperate Need of Any and All Reinforcements. Normally Ensign's Learn their Craft in Combat but they Normally get Posted to a Quiet Sector where they can Do Much More Watching than Leading.
He Quickly Proved Worth his Rations. When his Position was Overrun and his Entire Platoon's Officers Either Killed or Wounded Ensign Michaels Grabbed the Nearest Gun and Charged the Enemy. The Sight of the Young Man Charging the Orks didn't Really Do Anything to Motivate the Men and Michaels Went off not on a Heroic, Inspirational Charge but a Suicide Mission. That Was until Four Companies of Guardsmen (and the Battalion Commissar) moved to Reinforce the Position and the Men Returned to their Posts now that Help was on it's Way. What Happened and What the Sergeants Decide Happened are Often not the Same thing However and all their Accounts talk of Them Frantically Trying to Rally their Men (They themselves didn't run of course) when Out of Nowhere this Ensign Ran towards the Orks and Inspired Everyone.
What Ensign Michaels didn't Realise However was that he had, in his Haste, Picked up a Training Pistol. The Tiny, Non-Lethal, Pistols Modeled After the Revolvers of the Past Pack Quite the Sting and Can Be Fired Rapidly almost Indefinitely but Are of No Use Against a Rampaging Ork Nob. Upon Realising he Had a Training Pistol Ensign Michaels Drew his Sword and Charged teh Nob, Firing at It's Head to Distract it. The Plan Almost Worked and Ensign Michaels Managed to get a Few Cuts in and Remove One of the Orks Arms but was Thrown Aside by the Nob Once it Regained It's Vision. He Would have been Killed Were it Not for the Battalion Commissar's Timely intervention. 
Now a Captain he was Gifted Veteran Status by the Surviving NCO's of his Platoon, in Exchange for not Mentioning the Whole Running Away Fiasco, and Wears them with Pride. He Still Carries Two Modified Training Pistols into Combat with Him. They Have Slightly More of a Punch than Before but they Still Won't Hurt a Man in a Well Padded Coat. They do However have Almost no Recoil, a Fully Automatic Mode and Near Unlimited Ammunition which Make them a Perfect Suppression Tool. Many an Assault has been Lead by Cptn. Micahaels Blazing Away with his Pistols and Keeping the Enemy Suppressed while his Platoon Followed him. His Fame Saved Cptn. Michaels' Family from Financial Ruin. No Creditor would Dare Call on the Parents of a War Hero and The Gifts Flowed Freely. Now the Battalion's "Poster Boy" Cptn. Michaels Prepares to Lead His Men Against the Chaos Filth that Once Called themselves Men, Now he Will Find out if the Gimmickof Going Into Battle with Toys will Pay Off and Bring Him Great Glory or Cause His Death.The Company is Lead by Major Thomas Howard Neemack and Company Sergeant Major Donall MacHenry
Still Nursing a Wound From the Campaign Against the Orks CSM MacHenry Will Take a Leadership Rather than Face Smashing Role in the Up Coming Campaign
Major Neemack is an Officer from the Old Class. The Youngest of Fifteen Children from a Moderately Aristocratic Family he Carries his Birth on His Chest Like a Badge. No Man has Ever Seen Him at any Less than Bolt Upright or Ever Seen him Take a Hastened Step. He Prefers to Lead his Men with a Calm Head and Good Posture. Every Man who Fights with him is both Shocked and Inspired by his Non-Chalant Attitude Towards the ENemy, he Prefers to Lead his Men Ratehr than Bother with Things as Trivial as Bullets and Blades, Both of Which are Better Left to Sergeants Anyway.
Of His Ten Brothers Seven Have Been Killed In Action, Two are Jabbering Messes in Veterans Colonies and One has a Colonelcy in the Cavalry, the Only Member of the Family to Join the Branch Since he Married Very Well.Got to Have Some Tin on Your Chest
I Decided to Give my Officers Some Quick Medals. They'll be Touched Up Later Just a First Coat So Please Excuse the Roughness
Major Neemack. With Two Rows of Medals and a "Legion Ribbon" in his Button Hole None can Call the Major a Dandy or an Armchair Officer. The "Legionary Ribbon" is Actually "The Order of the Most Gallant Legion of the Emperor" a Combination of a Knights Cross and a Minor Peerage. The Few Recipients Are Known as "Legionary NAME" In Official Circles and are Officially a Very Minor Aristocrat. Only a Handful are Issued Because it Take You Dying to Get One. The Award was Initially a Posthumous One to Elevate the Widow and Orphans of a Hero but Restrictions have been Slackened, a Man Must now only be Considered Medically Dead to Qualify Rather than Permanently Dead. Less than Two Hundred Men Currently Hold a "Legionary Ribbon" and Still Breath, in an Army One Billion Strong.
Captain Michaels Has Less Medals but the Same "Legionary Ribbon". He Also Wears the "Hero of Galland" Medal (VC/MoH Equivalent) for an Action that will be Described Later Once the Details have Been Fleshed Out.
Quick Medal Guide
There are Countless Medals in the Guard Especially in an Ever Changing Army like Galland.
These are Narrowed Down Into Four Major Categories.
Red – These Are Medals Issued While an Officer was a Platoon Commander or an Enlisted Man was a Private.
Blue – These Are Medals Issued While an Officer was a Company Commander or an Enlisted Man was a Veteran or NCO.
Yellow – These Are Medals Issued While an Officer or Enlisted Man was on Exceptional Detached Service. (Eg. An Infantryman Attached to a Tank Brigade or Tanks Supporting Infantry, These Medals are only Given by the “Parent” Commander who doesn’t normally want to share the Glory so anyone with one of these earned it big time).
Purple – These Are Medals Issued Only to Senior Officer or Aristocrats. No One Below the Rank of Colonel and Without Serious Influence will ever get one of these.
Diamonds – General Non Combat Awards, Good Behavior, Exceptional Skill on Parade, Marksmanship, ect.
Circles – For Feats of Exceptional Bravery Under Fire.
Triangles – For Extreme Bravery Under Fire.
Crosses – Given Only by a Marshall of Galland to Men he Personally Saw Commit Acts of Heroism. Seeing as a Marshall is Rarely Ever on the Front Lines If you get One of these You’re Either a Lacky or You Took Part in a Last Stand at the Main CP Which Means Oh so Much S**t Hit the Fan it Wiped out Your Entire Corps.
These are Just "Blanks" Medals would Have Motto's, Engravings and Badges on them, These are Just the Ribbons.
The Prestigious "Hero of Galland" MedalCrusaders
The “Order of the Tooth and Claw” of Galland are a Relic of the Pre-Heresy Days. They were the Original Warriors that defended Galland when it was first colonised.
Clad in a Primitive Powered Armour they fought the many Wild Beasts of Galland with Massive Armoured Gauntlets and Large Shields.
Through the Millennia these suits dwindled and fell into disrepair before being forgotten in the halls of the “Crusaders” who maintained their Order as an elite Big Game Hunting Club once all the Dangerous Beasts had been exterminated. Membership was not limited by any social or financial standings but approval was needed by a majority of current members before a new member is inducted and the new member must don a suit of the Powered Armour, Wield the Clawed Gauntlet and Carry the Shield of the Watcher, then slay one of the few mighty beasts that remain on Galland.
With Galland returning to the Imperial Fold after a 100 year Succession it was noticed that this Order existed and they were given an ultimatum, send men to fight for the Emperor or disband the order and hand all equipment over to some Bureaucrat. Ever since then the men of “The Order of the Tooth and Claw” have trudged their way through dozens of battlefields, lending their weight to assaults and plugging gaps in the line with their stalwart shields.
They operate as Mercenaries. They’re considered private citizens who are exempt from Military Conscription and many of their members are ex-military Veterans who could find no more work but did not want to re-enlist for obvious reasons.
They are often employed by Marshall’s as personal bodyguards or “Riot Control Squads”.
The Members of the Order originally fought with no helmets, showing their bravery in the face of the enemy but that changed two decades ago on Praximus V.
After Two Companies of Militarum Tempestus Scions were slaughtered to a man Fifty Brothers of the Order of the Tooth and Claw were sent to secure the site and repel the Tyranids that had killed the Scions.
The Mercenaries achived their goal and in the process found themselves in possession of two companies worth of Scions equipment. Their Contract states they can keep all weapons, equipment or objects taken from the enemy so long as they are deemed safe and proper by the correct authorities. Everything they don’t want can be sold back to the Imperial Guard at a nice markup.
The Order argued that the Scions equipment was technically in the possession of the enemy when the Order found it so they legally owned it. The Scions disagreed and soon a literal standoff took place between the Scions and the Order of the Broken Sword around the conquered position. Both sides poured in reinforcements and many men were wounded and a few killed in minor skirmishes.
The Higher Command did not even attempt to intervene for many reasons, they didn’t want to get involved, they didn’t want to piss off either side, they didn’t want to set a precedent and frankly the area they were in was a pretty crucial point to hold and the two sides putting the best fighters in the area was what Command wanted anyway.
After months of stalemate the scions made their move, they stormed the complex in an attempt to drive the Order away but things quickly escalated. The Order slaughtered the Scions though they took enormous losses themselves. The Order of the Tooth and Claw emerged victorious and claimed hundreds of Scion Corpses for their Order.
Ever since that Day Three things have happened:
1. The Order of the Tooth and Claw wear Scion Helmets and Berets into Combat.
2. The Order of the Tooth and Claw can NEVER be assigned to the same Planetary Task Force as Scions since the two will constantly try to kill each other, endangering missions if it means reclaiming one of their precious helmets or to rub it in to the Scions.
3. Brothers of the Order of the Broken Sword must submit 10% of their Number to the Inquisition for use as Retinue members. This was done to calm down the situation after Imperial Troops and Imperial Mercenaries basically slaughtered each other over hats. The Scions dare not defy the Inquisition and so relented and the Order got to keep their cool new gear and get a reputation boost as Inquisitorial Retinue members.
An Old Friend and Some Progress
Now in the painting Home Stretch. Six Coloured Highlights to do now, Blue for the Water Bottles and Pants, Golden for the Guns, White for the Slings, Light Skin for the Flesh, Silver for the Grenades and Pink for the Lace in that Order.
Should have them finished in a day or two.
While I was looking in by Pile O’ Stuff I found the very First 40K Mini I ever bought and that got me into the Game almost ten years ago.
He’s been stripped and He’ll be painted up like the other Commissar.
I just love the Mini. Everything about it is Grimdark and Guard.
He’s holding a Riding Crop on a Battlefield and his stance is so calm and upright he looks like he was standing still, hands behind his back then he saw some COWARDS so he quickly drew his pistol and is now going to take the shot, return the gun and go back to brooding with his hands behind his back.
A Priest and a Commissar
When I found the Commissar I also found an old GW Fantasy Warrior Priest and with a bit of work I turned him into a Priest of the Emperor Instead.
They are both blocked out with colours but they still need a fair bit of work.
Artillery Finished
The Rims still need to be done but I doubt I will have the time before the deadline.
The Battery attached to 3rd Company, 122nd Galland Regiment, 2nd (infantry) Division, 1st Corps.The Crusaders Finished (Order of the Tooth and Claw)
Brother Champion Taranthos, Former Sergeant in the Infantry now a Mercenary who leads a Band of Crusaders
How they Fight
The Role of the Galland Guardsmen wasn’t really something I had in mind until the last few days. I wanted to create the fluff and minis and then fit them into a role rather than sacrificing Lore to fit a category.
Then I saw this….
So I have a group of Guardsmen that seem to be having trouble getting with the whole “Imperium of Mankind not just you guys doing your own thing” and super cool Sci-Fi Hovercraft…..
So what’s the worst, most dangerous thing the Imperial Guard need done by expendable troops again and again and again?
OPPOSED BEACH LANDINGS!!!Not just water landings either.
Lake of Acid? No Problem you’re in a Hovercraft just don’t fall in.
River of Toxic Waste? Hold your Breath.
Enemy at the Top of Cliffs? Why do you think we gave you those ropes?
The Men of Galland have taken on a Reputation of Insane Heroism along with a good amount of skill in Opposed “Beach” Landings. Lacking any Craft of their own the Adeptus Mechanicus begrudgingly allow them to use their Hover Craft as long as it means the Mechanicus doesn’t have to waste it’s valuable soldiers taking the beach.
The Enemy is Dug in on the Other Side in Those Mountains. Mount UP!Suicidal beach Assaults also fit the fluff.
Don’t Entirely Trust Your Troops? Good Luck Running Away from a Beach Assault.
The Enemy has Fled to some Lava Covered Area. Mount Up!Rules Wise if they can’t be Deployed in the Transports then I’ll just take the Transports Separately (maybe with very minor Ad Mech Support if you need to take one unit per Transport) and say this is after the initial landings and now they’re securing the Beachhead.
Of Course after the Landings you then need to knock out the enemies AA and Bunkers so the Rest of the Guard can follow you in, this means the Men of Galland can play normal games of 40K.
Some Artwork
The Good Thing About Converting Minis from Real Life Soldiers is That There's Quite a Bit of Artwork Out There To Build Stories With
The NCO's of the 122nd Galland with the Regimental Colonel (Left), Battalion Lieutenant Colonel (Centre) and Battalion Major (Right). All the Men are in Fatigues which for the NCO's is a Turban without a Helmet, Less Baggy Pants to Assist with Manual Labour and a Non-Armoured Jacket with Cuffs (Near the Wrists) In Pink. Officers Wear a Cap but Otherwise Maintain the Uniform. On the Far Left is the Colonel's Son, Serving as Ensign. Ensign's Wear the Uniform's of the Men but Replace the Turban with a Cap in Fatigue Dress.
With his NCO Dead a Private Leads the Rest of His Squad Up From the Beach. Note the Lack of the Faux Hair Coverings on the Helmets. These are Stored in the Waterproof "Bread Bag" Not Worn During the Initial Assault but Attached Once the Troops have Secured a Foothold. Fighting 8 Foot Tall Orks, Giant Space Bugs and Mutants is Bad Enough without a Giant Wet Mop Head on your Head.
A Corporal Bravely Leads his Men Off the Beach. Note the Number Five Satchel Charge. Basically a Napalm Grenade.
Battalion Veterans Ford a River. Many of the Men are Carrying Explosive Charges and Additional Grenade Pouches.
Infantry of the Tank Corps (Tank Regiments Maintain an Infantry Company Dressed in a Black Tunic and White Pants) Pose for a Postcard Photograph. 
Grenadiers Doing Weapon Maintenance. 
The Best Food (and Cover) You're Likely to Get
Some Good Old Propaganda
Women are Exempt From Conscription Since they Make up the Majority of the Civilian Labour Force but Can Voluntarily Join the Guard as a Reservist for Home Defence. The Reserves (Galland's Word for PDF) Wear a Blue Jacket and Red Pants. They Are Not Permitted to Wear the Faux Hair on the Helmet.
Veteran Masterson, 32nd Galland. Shown Here in Propaganda Artwork after Winning The Hero of Galland Medal while Fighting Tyranids. In Reality he did Indeed Perform an Act of Total Heroism, He Threw a Detonation Charge in the Mouth of a Monstrous Tyranid Creature, what the Propaganda Leaves Out is that he was Then Immediately Slaughtered by the Thousands of Smaller Bugs. His Actions Sent the Tyranids Defending the Acid Pool's Shore into Disarray and Enabled the Rest of His Company to Secure a Foothold, without his Noble (and Fatal) Sacrifice The Company Would have Been Lost.
"And I Got This One When I Ripped It's Arm Off and Beat it To Death With it" Battalion Sergeant Major Kallius Describes His Latest MedalSome More Tanks!
Picked these up for Super Cheap and raided the Bitz Box.
Counts as Leman Russ
Counts as Bane Wolf (Chemical Flamethrower)
The One on the left had an issue with the Tracks so it got Schurzen
Heavy Flamer Hull Mounts. I like the Multi Melta way better than the heavy Flamer Mini it looks much more 'Industrial'
Leman Russ 'Executioner"
Different Angel
2nd Executioner
Leman Russ Punisher. I believe that gun is from the Baneblade Kit.
Everything in Red comes from the 40K Shipping Containers Kit including the Stormbolters which was cool.
I’ll get some paint on them and see how they turn out.
What do you guys think are they acceptable proxies or should I change some things?
