MODELLING
WORKSHOP
S E L C I H E V L A I R E P W M I
With all the talk about the new Imperial Guard infantry, it’s easy to forget the heavyweights of the army – the tanks! Chad Mierzwa shows us how to customise your vehicles. Introduction
ith the release of the new Imperial Guard Codex, treadheads across the world will be getting their armoured companies ready to rumble out across the battlefields of the 41st Millennium.
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Modelling Workshop is your indispensable guide to getting the most out of your models and terrain. In this installment we show you how to add details to your tanks.
The tank crews of the Imperial Guard attribute personalities and character to the armoured behemoths that they ride to war. The hulls of these great tanks are adorned with all manner of honorifics and blessings, or customised to better suit the battlefields they fight upon. We thought that the release of the new Codex was a great opportunity to revisit some of the great Imperial Guard tanks in our collection, as well as take a look at the brand new kits available this month. We’ll show you just some of the many ways that you can customise and personalise your own vehicles. We asked Chad Mierzwa – no slouch when it comes to converting and customising tanks, as you’ll see at the end of the article – to show us how to add personal touches and details to your tanks.
If the information about tank markings in this issue isn’t enough for you, then check out the Apocalypse book, as it has a whole section on the subject!
Leman Russ Battle Tank Chad started off by building a Leman Russ Battle Tank, Tank, but rather than building it straight out of the box he performed something of a kit bash. To create a tooled-up command tank to lead his tank squadron, he has used extra parts from the tank accessory frame, the command upgrade frame and the Baneblade sponsons and accessories Bitz Pack. The tank has extra aerials and antennae, as well as extra flourishes such as fuel tanks and extra armour plates.
This marking, taken from the Imperial Guard tank transfer sheet, is closely associated with the Steel Legion regiment.
This Leman Russ is equipped with extra fuel tanks, vastly increasing its range and allowing it to roam far ahead of the main battlegroup.
Chad painted the Leman Russ in the camo scheme of the Armageddon Steel Legion – Codex Grey with Rotting Flesh stripes. The side panels of the turret are painted with the squadron markings, applied using a masking technique, and a campaign badge, taken from the tank transfer sheet.
Chad has used the Baneblade Sponsons and Accessories Bitz Pack, pictured above, to add many of the details to his Leman Russ. You can order the Bitz Pack especially for the conversion, or you might already have a similar array of bits left over in your bitz box from your Baneblade.
Extra Details
A
Chad added all manner of extra details to the Leman Russ, taking many of the bits from the tank accessory frame, the command upgrade frame and the Baneblade extra armour frame. The Imperial aquila antennae array has been added to the turret, along with all manner of aerials (A and B), marking the tank out as command vehicle. A searchlight from the command frame D was added (C), and he has affixed two of the Baneblade armour plates to the side of the tank (D) in place of sponsons, serving as ablative armour. armour. Extra fuel tanks, taken from the Baneblade extra armour frame have been added to the back of the vehicle (E and F).
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C
E
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Armoured Sentinel After his success with the Leman Russ kit, we tasked Chad with assembling the new Sentinel, showing us just how versatile the kit is. Chad decided to assemble the model as an Armoured Sentinel (the kit also makes a Scout Sentinel) and, in the same vein as the Leman Russ, he added all manner of antennae and radar dishes to the top of it. This may represent the Sentinel being a command walker walker,, or it could be used for long-distance reconnaisance operations. As the only walker in the Imperial Guard army, the Sentinel’ss base offers plenty of Sentinel’ opportunities for really adding character to the model. This has been mounted on a scenic base covered in rubble and pieces of debris, suggesting that the Sentinel is prowling through the ruins of a city.
Sentinel Assembly The Sentinel kit contains a multitude of different options, allowing you to build either an Armoured Sentinel or a Scout Sentinel, armed with a wide choice of weaponry. Chad has assembled his as an Armoured Sentinel armed with a missile launcher, launcher, making for a versatile option in his army army..
Chad has mounted his Sentinel on this fantastic scenic base that really shows off the poseability of the Sentinel. He started by using the scenic Dreadnought base, and then added additional ruined masonry taken from the Cities of Death ruins.
Squad Markings
The Sentinel was painted in the camouflage pattern of the Steel Legion, to match the colour scheme of his Leman Russ. He has added squadron markings to the side of the Sentinel with a transfer taken from the Imperial Guard tanks transfer sheet. The number denotes the number of Sentinel in the squadron, whilst the colour denotes the squadron.
The rear of the Sentinel, showing the detailed exhausts and the improved comms array, taken from the Imperial Guard tank accessories frame. Chad has painted the exhausts to look heatblackened, in stark contrast to the gleaming metal pistons on the legs.
Other Sentinels Here are some more examples of the poses and options you can make with the Sentinel kit, as well as examples of the colours that other regiments paint theirs. Armageddon Steel Legion Armoured Sentinel with plasma cannon.
Cadian Scout Sentinel with missile launcher and searchlight.
Vostroyan Armoured Sentinel with lascannon.
Markings and Organisation 1st
Imperial Guard tanks are drawn from dedicated armoured companies, attached to infantry companies for the duration of a campaign. A tank company comprises three squadrons each made up of three tanks, and one command tank. The vertical stripes denote which company the tanks belong to. This example shows a complete 2nd Company. 21
2nd
4th
3rd
5th
6th
Examples of different company markings. Colours can vary between Imperial Guard regiments.
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1st Squad HQ
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2nd Squad
3
rd
Tanks will often be repainted by their crews as they are transported to various theatres of war war..
Squad
Sulphur desert
Camouflage
Urban sprawl
Polar
Temperate
Jungle
Night world
Ferrous waste
Ash waste
Death world
The Valkyrie Stormtrooper Valkyrie Chris Peach painted this Valkyrie to belong to an ace pilot, denoted by the eagle wing design painted on the wings. He carefully cut a template out of tracing paper, using that to help him paint the design onto the wings.
This Valkyrie has obviously seen plenty of action. Chris has heavily weathered the paintwork, and painted the engines to look scorched. He even weathered the eagle wing design, chipping it away to show the paint and bare metal underneath.
Catachan Valkyrie Valkyries are drawn from the Imperial Navy Valkyries Navy,, and as such aren’t necessarily painted in the same colours as the regiment to which they’re attached. For this Valkyrie Chris has created a jungle camouflage scheme, perhaps for operating with the Catachans.
Chris has painted a freehand shark’s teeth design onto the side of the Valkyrie. Valky rie. He used photographs from modern-day helicopters as reference for the markings. You can also see the multi-laser,, one of the alternate multi-laser weapon options available.
Other Regimental Colours The ‘Eavy Metal team painted tanks in a number of different regimental patterns especially for the Imperial Guard Codex. Here are a few examples, focusing on some of the details and insignia added by the experts.
Mordian Hellhound The Mordian Hellhound stands out on the battlefield for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the distinctive yellow and black patterning on the dozer blade and fuel tanks, achieved by masking out the pattern with tape. Secondly is the dark blue, almost black hull, designed for fighting on the night world of Mordian. The squadron markings are distinctive too, very different from the usual red and white stripes on the Cadian tanks.
The yellow and black warning stripes immediately stand out on the Hellhound, especially against the dark colour of the hull. Whether it’s intended to act as a warning to friend or foe is unclear.
Valhallan Leman Russ Battle Tank Tank camouflage is not necessarily designed to disguise the tank or help it to blend in to the surrounding environment – a vehicle the size of a Leman Russ is hard to hide. Instead, tank camouflage is intended to break up the outline of the tank, making it harder to target on the battlefield. With its jagged pattern, this Valhallan Leman Russ is a good example.
The Valhallan Leman Russ is adorned with all manner of regimental titles and badges. The home world of the regiment is proudly displayed on the dozer blade, along with the Imperial Eagle. The turret displays a distinctive campaign badge alongside the squadron markings.
Cadian Demolisher This Cadian Demolisher is a great example of the multitude of tanks in our Studio Cadian army. The tank is camouflaged for operation in a temperate or wilderness environment. Extra details from the tank accessory frame have been added, such as the improved comms unit and the tank commander.
The Cadian Demolisher has been assembled with a tank commander poking out of the top of the turret. The commander has been painted to match the uniforms of the Cadian army.
Vostroyan Vostroya n Basilisk This Vostroyan Basilisk has a very distinctive colour scheme, with a light brown-grey hull and brass detailings. The squadron markings of the Vostroyans differ dramatically from those of other regiments, with irregular red stripes on the hull.
The breach of the earthshaker cannon has been heavily weathered around the edges, suggesting that it is slammed open and closed. Kill markings have been painted on in freehand.
Tallarn Chimera When they go on long campaigns, the Imperial Guard use their vehicles as mobile headquarters and rudimentary barracks, loading them up with stowage in the form of extra supplies and ammunition. The Tallarn Desert Raiders are famed for their hit-and-run warfare, using mobile elements to strike through the wilderness and attack the enemy from an unexpected angle. This Tallarn Chimera has had all manner of details added to it, such as cases of ammunition, tools and stowed equipment.
The regimental markings have been painted onto the side of the Chimera (above top), displaying both the regimental home world and the platoon number. Bed rolls and blankets have been affixed to the outside of the tank (above).
‘Chad-eptu ‘Chad -eptus’ s’ Mecha Mechanicus nicus Ever since the Baneblade was released, Chad has been tinkering away with this personal project, his highly customised Baneblade (nicknamed ‘the Procrastinator’ by his comrades for the length of time time it’s sat on his desk). He sees the Baneblade as some sort of prototype tank built by a Techpriest. He kept the bare metal showing, reasoning that as Techpriests revere machines, why would they cover them with paint? Many of the parts come from Chad’s extensive bitz box, which is almost as old as he is! Is this strange device an exotic weapon, or does it have some other, more mysterious purpose?
This Servitor is hard-wired into the back of the Baneblade, tasked with carrying out essential repairs and maintenance during battle.
This plastic gumball has been painted to resemble a glowing ball of energy, perhaps an experimental power source for the super-heavy tank.
