Spring Clean Challenge Bauhaus Imperial Guard

As if there isn’t enough to do I recently converted an extra unit of veteran guardsmen.  These were based on the bodies and arms of a Wargames Atlantic Grognard sprue I had as a sample from somewhere.  These were then combined with the heads from a sprue of Warlord Games Crimean Russians – note to self, thanks for never throwing anything away.  I then went for the basic colours of the rest of the army which is largely based around Vallejo Game Color Sombre Grey.  To this I added a uniform of Tyrian Navy.  This was touched up with a blend of the Night Blue used on the Mordians and Vallejo Model Color Dark Sea Blue.  Blanket rolls are Vallejo Model Color Sky Blue.  Overall I wanted an effect reminicent of the Mordians but looking either like an older uniform pattern or a faded guard uniform.

The other half of this kitbash, the bodies of the Crimean Russians became a unit of deranged cultist infantry for my Silver Bayonet 1850 project.  They use heads from North Star’s Frostgrave Cultists.  You can see the entry about the “Cult of the Count” here.

The Mordian squads are accompanied by some artillery pieces.  There are two lascannons and a misslie launcher with associated crews.  As they are artillery I thought I’d change the trousers for the same blue as the jackets, just like the Royal Artillery.

Second unit finished.  I’ve used the same technique as before, so mostly layered acrylics, repairing errors as we go.  It has taken ages but I’m please and the two units look good together.

The originally finished models need rebasing.  A more contemporary scheme than the 1990s neon green highlight is needed.  I decided to go with an urban mud and melting snow style.  I had bought some MIG Ammo Acrylic Mud basing texture in a greyish shade (Turned Earth) and been wanting to find a project for it.  I saw someone using the AK Interactive Snow Sprinkles paste, adding the Ice Sparkles scatter to get a good snow effect.  The Snow Sprinkles can be used neat but also watered down to get a thinner slush/melt effect.  The sprinkles add a sparkle that mimics the effect of light catching ice crystals in the snow.
This is what we start with on the painted minis.  This one is a Warzone 1st Edition Mounted Venusian Ranger who acts as a commander for this army (he’s the one from the cover art).  The base was covered in Polyfilla/spackle and then got a coat of watered down dark olive green, followed by the bright green highlight, which in my defence was quite trendy at the time.  I’ll stick with the black base edging and redo the top.  Mud on first, then the snow sprinkles clumps with some watered down bits and the sparkly sprinkles to finish:

The first unit is done.  This was the part painted unit of Mordians that had been started using standard acrylics.  My current style is mostly Speedpaints so I’ve had to blend my approach, some Speedpaints and some standard acrylic layering.  I started these over a decade ago so don’t have the paints or even remember what I was using at the time.  The dark blue matchs quite well to Vallejo Game Colour Night Blue.  The gun metal was a Tamiya paint and I was worried as it is quite dark but it turns out that Vallejo Model Air Black metallic is almost identical, phew!

As you can see I’ve decided on a basing scheme – very simple as I’ve got loads of them to do.  I’ll do a separate entry about how this was done next.  I also have sabot bases for each unit to help with movement and storage.  I’ve decorated these as well.  Here are some close-ups with them in the tray:

Having done well in previous Spring Clean Hobby Challenges

with my Slaine project getting a runners up prize and the year before with my Sassanids finally hitting the table in full effect I was keen to get another majorly stalled project over the line.  This time I’m looking at my Imperial Guard force which is basically a Warzone Bauhaus army.

This is what we start with:

Working from the top right across each row we have:

1x GW Basilisk self-propelled gun (painted)
1x Archon Studios Mammoth Walker (zenithed)
3x Prodos Grizzly Tanks (zenithed)
2x Target Games Strike Skimmers (undercoated)
10x Target Games Mounted Hussars on dinosaurs (undercoated)
6x Target Games Vulcan Battlesuits
1x GW Armoured Scout Sentinel
Infantry left hand column:
10x Target Games Jungle Kommandos (undercoated)
3 units of 10x Target Games plastic Ducal Militia (painted)
Infantry central column:
10x Target Games Hussars
10x Target Games Ducal Militia in night strike uniform (painted)
2 units of 10x Games Workshop Mordian Iron Guard (part painted)
Infantry right column:
8x Target Games Jaegers
4x 2 man sniper teams Scotia Grendel Urban Wars Viridians (undercoated)
8x Target Games metal Ducal Militia Commanders (painted)
APC scratch built based on Tamiya Sd. Kfz. 251 with a Forgeworld turret (painted)
Working across the bottom row from the left we see some Venners Crimean War Russian flags
3x Target Games Ducal Militia HMG teams (painted)
8x Converted Grenadiers using Wargames Atlantic Grognard bodies and arms and Warlord Games Crimean Russian heads (unpainted)
8x High Command, various manufacturers, mostly GW (part painted)
Mounted Target Games Venusian Ranger Commander (painted)
Super Heavy machine gun from the Target Games Bauhaus Bunker set (undercoated)
3x Games Workshop Mordian Iron Guard heavy weapons teams, 1 Rocket Launcher and 2 Lascannons (part painted)

So we have 120 infantry, 7 heavy weapons teams, 15 vehicles and 11 cavalry.

The plan is to get them painted and based in a matching scheme prior to the conclusion of this Spring Clean Challenge.