19 - Imperial Guard Veterans Squad Demolitions Specialist

As predicted, I couldn't help but resume painting my Imperial Guard Veterans Squad. Converting models is almost as fun as painting them, honestly, and my Veterans Squad has been my most highly customized unit of models to date. To the right, we have Specialist Slagan, the squad's demolitions expert. In his left hand, he is holding a "counts-as" demolition charge (which was originally a meltabomb from a Space Marine Devastator's sprue, I believe). His head, as mentioned in the WIP post, is from Pig Iron Productions. Pig Iron sells them 10 to a pack and they're really great for adding individuality to models. Scale-wise, they're perfect fits for Games Workshop's models, and even though the helmets aren't exact matches for the standard Cadian pattern helmets, they're close enough especially when you paint them the same color. Slagan is also wielding a shotgun appropriated from a Space Marine Scout and on his back, he is humping a backpack from a Catachan Heavy Weapon sprue. Also, if you look carefully, I finally applied decals to my Imperial Guard models. On Slagan's right shoulder pad is a white skull - the symbol I'll be using to identify my Veterans from the more rank-and-file troopers.

I wouldn't consider Slagan's paintjob good or bad. It's a bit messier than the level I've been achieving as of late, but overall, it's of the same quality. The confidence I gained highlighting the Vampire Counts Zombie from the previous post completely disappeared with this model. As I wrote in that post, when I'm forced to pick out highlighting points on my own (rather than simply following the obvious peaks and valleys presented by a model like the Zombie), I often still make poor choices. I do like how Slagan's backpack turned out though. I personally think the worst part of the model has to be the demolition charge. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably re-paint it green, black, and grey with maybe some red thrown in, but the yellow just didn't work at all.

Well, the Veterans Squad is now 6 strong. I have the vox-caster operator (whom I haven't given a name yet) ready to go at my workstation, and then the heavy flamer operator still awaiting my attempt at buying cheaply either a Cadian Command Squad box or a heavy flamer bits off of eBay. I've also been scavenging on eBay for a cheap (and when I say cheap, I'm talking 50% or more off the MSRP before I'll actually buy something) Cadian Heavy Weapons Squad box to round out my Veterans Squad.

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