Cadian 287th - Veterans

The lads and their Taurox

 Motivation for painting is still somewhat elusive, and pesky actual work is leaving me tired and rather unenthusiastic by the time I get home.

All I've managed so far this month is to get this one small unit completed.

Back in May...

I decided to start with this squad as four were mostly done as part of an earlier test-run, and the group's equipment and colours were already sorted out.

I had to make a few changes for 8th edition - dropping out Sgt. Harker with his Heavy Bolter as his "Catachan" keyword wasn't going to fit with the Cadians.  The new Sergeant started out as an attendant for an officer - a "look out Sir" figure - with his arm in a sling to suggest he'd already taken a hit for his boss previously. With these bodyguards going away the figure was freed up and the only conversion was replacing his Laspistol with a plasma pistol to give him a bit more punch. At the same time a test figure I didn't like much was replaced with a Forge World figure armed with a meltagun for the squad's third special weapon.

Trooper with shotgun, Veteran Sgt. with plasma pistol, and vox-caster.

The paint scheme isn't far off my SAS/LRDG troops for Bolt Action, other than the uniforms being base-coated in Iraqi Sand. The flak armour has been treated as though it were a WWII leather jerkin, and the anklets painted to match.

Troopers with shotgun, meltagun, and heavy flamer.

To help emphasize the veteran status of this squad there is a range of heads: a few bare, a few helmeted, and some in Arabian style Keffiyeh.

Troopers with shotgun and meltagun

 The shotgun torsos and some of the heads are from a Forge World upgrade pack of Cadian Hardened Veterans and add quite a bit of character and individuality, while this meltagun trooper is from the Cadian Command HQ squad pack.

Troopers with shotgun and meltagun, both in Keffiyeh

The Keffiyeh were formed from green stuff, and moulded over bearded heads kindly donated by some Warhammer Imperial soldiers.

Detail of weathering

After painting the figures were given a coat of varnish and then weathered with an AMMO of Mig Jimenez ochre filter and AK Interactive dust effects.

Veteran Sand Scorpions

So, that's one squad done.  I'm planning to alter the colour scheme a little for the regular troops to again help distinguish these as hardened veterans. It won't be anything dramatic, perhaps just a little less of the Flat Brown and more Khaki or Camo Beige - less "leather" and more "cloth" in effect.

Now to try and find some more enthusiasm for painting...