The rush begins!!!

Well, All of Golf company is now here, 110 infantry, and 2 full heavy weapons platoons. And I want this all painted by... The 7th of January.

I am insane. But since you already knew that heres a picture of the first of these models (Better quality this time, I promise!) Its one of the new commissars with his head replaced (obviously) This is Lieutenant Gordon Comstock, Third platoon CO, Golf company, His Most Britanic Imperial Majesty's Sixty-fourth Praetorian infantry regiment.

I apologize for the extremely shoddy image quality but I have been unable to find my good camera to take the pictures with and am so relying on a really crappy five year old camera. Still it should give you some idea about the model quality and, in this case more importantly the amount of units that are here. I got these two infantry platoons (plus almost another full squad) and heavy weapons platoon for $150 and it came with a set of 10 ratling snipers and 7 converted roughriders, Cadian style. overall an amazing deal and I'm going to have to get my Friend a very big Christmas present for hooking me up with this. I've already started making the changes and have the heavy bolter squad nearly done in their new colours. The existing command squad will go into service elsewhere in the army and the catachan lieutenant (yes he's in there!) will be replaced with an officer converted from a commissar (I'll have four like that, one for each of the new commissars and one for the forge world DKOK commissar.

Note, the quality of this message has been lowered by high levels of sleep deprivation. I'll fix it in the morning.

Golf Company, Fall in!

Yes!!! YES!!! YES!!!

My great friend Greg has just aquired Golf company for me and I must say, They are splendid!

They are painted to a better standerd than I could paint at present so the only things I have to change are the collars and cuff to my standerd Shadow grey. Theres a full three platoons with command squads and a full heavy weapons platoon without a command squad. The Heavy weapons are being painted to match the uniform of the Praetorian Artillery as outlined by Colonel Gravis in his regiments of foot document.

Also I have apporximatly the same number of models (Unpainted but for three times the cost) now in the mail from great Britain, they shall form Charlie Company of the 64th

When I Save up enough money I'll be buying the DKOK command squad, commissar and two Malcadors.

UP THE 64TH! HUZZAH!!!

Stuff is Happening

Well I'm now broke. I've paid for almost two hundred Praetorians, now all I can do is wait for them to arrive. In the meantime though, I've come up with some new ideas for units. Enter the regimental band! GW already produces Bugler models for the Praetorian Range, but what regimental band has just bugles? Besides, twenty Buglers all posed exactly the same? No thanks! Instead I'll have my Buglers scattered throughout each battalion, PLUS a ten man drummers unit in the Battalion Command. They'll use the New Empire Drums for their instruments and they'll have their lasguns slung accross their back (Or in some cases the opposite) Can't wait for the Praets to arrive so I can get started converting and painting!

Purchasing!

Well right now on ebay I'm buying two platoons of Praetorians, some painted some not. This seller will also be adding another two platoons worth of Praetorians after these auctions and I plan on buying those to so this will give me... seven infantry squads with special weapons, four platoon command squads, six heavy bolter teams, five lascannon teams, three missile launcher teams, and three mortar teams! Holy shit!

I think this will be enough for Golf company, it will be arranged in this layout;

Company HQ

Command Squad (As detailed in lower post)

Lascannon support squad

Missile Support Squad

Pioneer Squad (Special Weapons squad with flamers)

Infantry Platoon

Command Squad, With Plasma and medic

Two Infatry squads with special weapons.

Infantry Platoon
Command Squad, With Plasma and medic
Two Infatry squads with special weapons.

Infantry Platoon
Command Squad, With Plasma and medic
Two Infatry squads with special weapons.

Fire Support Platoon

Command Squad with lascannon

Fire Support squad with heavy bolters

Fire Support squad with heavy bolters

Fire Support squad with Auto cannons

Mortar Platoon

Command Squad with Mortar

Mortar Squad

Thats a big army! And painting it will take quite awhile!

I think I might drop the back packs as I don't think I've done a good job of them, I'm gonna look through the IG range to see if there are any good ones.

Progress!

I've got 15 Praetorians now, the first infantry squad has been equipped with their standard backpacks and canteens and has begun the painting process. The first command squad has almost finished the conversion stage, the only remaining thing is to change the flamer to the cadian varient. Heres a picture of the first Guardsman to be completed.

I've also added a sidebar with useful links to other cool sites including the good Colonel Gravis's blog for his own Praetorian regiment, from whom I've gotten a lot of inspriation. More pictures as more models are finished.

Arrivals and new deals

Well, I have just recieved the first squad of Praetorians in the mail today. they are marvolous and I am now in the process of painting them and adding canteens. The first model should be done this very hour. Also I have purchased a Lost and the Damned army this weekend which may slow the Praetorian Project down a bit, but should provide some alteration to the regimented lines of battle troops. More once the first guardsman is done.

First package!

Well my first purchase for my Praetorian army has arrived I now have a Imperial Guard codex in my possesion and I've worked out what items I will need for a 400 point combat patrol. I will need to buy at least one more squad of infantry to complete the first platoon as well as another squad to either convert to roughriders or simply to use as a third squad for my platoon, I'm debating between these two army lists for 400 points.

Infantry heavy list

doctrines
Close Order Drill
Iron Dicsiplene
Hardened Fighters
Diehards
Rough Riders


Infantry Platoon
Command Squad; Jounior officer, medic, trademark item, refractor field, power weapon, surveyor, diehards, Iron Disciplene, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
113 points

Infantry Squad; Plasma gunner, Sergeant, diehards, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
96 points

Infantry Squad; Plasma gunner, Sergeant, diehards, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
96 points

Infantry Squad; Melta gunner, Sergeant, diehards, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
96 points

401 Points


Fast response list

doctrines
Close Order Drill
Iron Dicsiplene
Hardened Fighters
Diehards
Rough Riders


Infantry Platoon
Command Squad; Jounior officer, medic, power weapon, surveyor, diehards, Iron Disciplene, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
88 points

Infantry Squad; Plasma gunner, Sergeant, diehards, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
96 points

Infantry Squad; Plasma gunner, Sergeant, diehards, Hardened Fighters, Close Order Drill
96 points

Rough rider squadron; five rough riders, hunting lances, diehards
60 points

Rough rider squadron; five rough riders, hunting lances, diehards
60 points
400 points



Now, for modeling

Obivously I do not want to use stock rough riders for this army, but I have an idea thats a bit better than the average praetorian rough rider conversions as well. I'll be making my legs and horse largely the same way that the good Col. Gravis is (see his work over at http://colgravis.blogspot.com/) But my torsos and head will be substantillay different. I will be useing standerd Praetorian and Mordian torsos but with fany lace added with greenstuff as well as hats like this one added to the models. With a paint scheme of either red or green tunics, I have not yet decided.

Also I intend to model one member of my platoon command squad as a native scout, to represent the surveyor choice in that squad, I will use either a catachan painted with dark skin or a kroot merc.

And more Ideas, and more, and more...

On with the crazyness I say, on with the crazyness! Well, in the scant time since my last post I have thought up a considerable lot more ideas for my force. Starting with the Command HQ squad and working downward


When reading a thread on Work In Progress (an excellent site by the way) I ran across the idea of a man serveant to carry an extra pistol for an officer. Naturally I loved this concept but wanted to take in in a slightly different vein. Instead of an extra dueling pistol my "Bat man" will be carrying a silver tray, with a box of cigars and a cup o' tea! But how will my Senior officer look? Strikingly posed and with one of those nice polices that I always seen Brunel and Mickmican wearing. Now where could I find a model like that I suppose? Above of course(see, hes not just hanging out there because he looks cool)! This Death Korps model was the answer to my prayers! of course, it'll cost me $50 for his squad so I'll be looking for a Kreig player to buy the rest off me, but even if I can't find one, a Tau player (which I also happen to be) will generally pay close to $40 for their HQ so this isn't much more. Of course I'll need to make some adjustments to this model to bring him more in line with the Praetorian style. The gas mask will have to go and I'll need to use a mix of greenstuff and careful shaving to make his armour plate look more like a standerd tunic. But once complete, this guy will make a stunning Officer. And he'll not only be smoking a cigar, he'll also be sharing his base with a four legged friend. Any dog looks a lot more impressive when he's standing on the remains of a dead Ork. Stll this leaves three spaces in my Squad to play around with. A Standerd bearer is practically non optional and as thus will be included, though I have yet to decide how I will convert him, as I don't much care for the stock pose. On the other hand that pose does have its uses and will actually find its way into this squad, with a simple hand rotation and greenstuff scupt of a medical bag, and the replacemnt of the standerd with a strecher that same model will become a medic for my command squad. For the last model I'll have either a master vox operator, converted to be using a morse code type intrument to transmit messages, or a 1st Sergeant modeled to represent one of the most grizzeld individuals in the army and my Senior Officers most trusted advisor. Thats not to say he doesn't have other advisors though. In fact I'm almost certain I'll include Sanctioned Psykers in this army, the models actually fit rather well, and with the appropriate paint scheme should look rather striking. And for their point cost, who could resist? Commisars are a bit more iffy, I have yet to recieve my codex so I can't be sure whether I need one in my HQ squad to take them in Platoon command squads, if I don't then I will take them for all platoons, if I do, well I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Ideas Ideas

Well, my head is filling up with conversion ideas, but as of yet, I don't have the models to take those Ideas farther. But, I'll explain some of my evil plans right now anyways. First off, special weapons squad. Most people deepstrike these with meltas or flamers. For me, I'm taking an entirely different approach, my squad will consist of two corporals armed with Elysian Sniper rifles (because I think they look damn cool) One spotter with binoculars, and one Sergeant holding a clipboard tallying kills! I know exactly which bits I'll need, and I know where I can get all of them except the clipboard, I'll need one of those ones from the dwarf cannon sprue so I'll have to ask around at my local Games Workshop.

Also with Elysian weaponry will be my stormtrooper squad. I'll be giving them each the Bullpup lasguns with guitar wire energy hoses to a power pack on the back of the tunic. The helmets will be getting a small horsehair plume and a nice coat of shining gold, also for this unit will be a flamer equipped trooper, fitted with the Cadian flamer rather than the somewhat less desirable 2nd edition models. This will also reflect a general trend in my force, as, while I will keep the Lasguns the same for this army, most units will be updated to 4th edition weapons, (especially heavy weapons, for whom I plan to field almost entirely from the new Cadian weapons. Also, my Storm trooper squad may be receiving gas masks across the board, just on the flamer model, or possibly none at all, I have yet to decide.


I should hopefully get my first squad of Praetorians this month and when I do I will make no alteration with the exception of greenstuffing rank stripes to the sergeant and two corporals, as well as adding another Cadian flamer.

In the beginning

Today I embark on a project that will be a very long labour of love, filled with hours upon hours of careful modeling painting and writing. The final aim? To Create from pieces of metal and plastic a living regiment, a company of heros. To bring to life mere models, with careful sculpting, labourous painting, and unique writing.

This is no easy task I set to myself, but I accept my own challenge with vigour and detrimination, and I hope to show you my army of heros, from start to finish, as it is created.

Acquiring an army of out of production Praetorian Imperial Guard models is easier than it sounds, as long as your willing to pay over $500 USD; but unless your made of money thats not such a great option. So I'm going to be purchasing most if not all of this army off of everyone's favorite auction house. eBay. I will need to buy over one hundred Praetorian Guardsmen, the good news is that I have already purchased about a dozen, but there are still many more that will be needed for my project.

Captain Steel, CO, Golf Company, 64th Praetorian Regiment, Stationed on Cassius