Guard Showcase- The Necromundan "Ash Rats"

It's the turn of the guard now- and what better pic to start off with than the iconic Leman Russ battle tank!
This one has camo netting, hunter killer missile, extra armour and a dozer blade. I also thought that adding a storm botler would truly give the feeling of a tank bristling with weaponry!! More about that in a bit...

The Guard army started way back in the miod 90's, when I got a boxed set of Mordians, Catachans and Tallarns for xmas one year. The Tallarns really caught my attention, and I originally painted them all up in colours indicated on the box. It was years before I began coordinating the troops together.

The introduction of plastic Catachans and Cadians revolutionised guard armies for collectors, but I suffered in silence, as plastic Tallarns are hardly featuring...
I had fevered dreams of a guard army with Tallarns riding desert beasties and tanks, but it was not to be.

I also dabbled in Necromunda as a pass time, and the Ratskin models were really great. My thought juices reached optimum levels, and thus was born the necromundan Ash Rats- and army made of regular guardsmen, but with Ratsking scouts!
The original plans was just to include a squad as an afterthought, but I had other plans and got all carried away (how unusual...)

Thus was the final product born!
The army itself uses a few models from Necromunda (a whole platoon of Ratskins!) as well as some mental conversions (check out the commisars etc) alonside the regular units. Everything seems to complement itself so well, and the look and feel of the army is of a rag tag band of hard asses!
I'm not a guard player as a rule. I tend to favour my loverly Chaos marines, but this army gave me occasion to think about something a bit different, and TANKS!!

HAVE A NICE DAY!!! LOL
Thoug I'd try an "oh crap" perspective shot of the tank. Hopefully you get the feel of a massive mass of metal clanking towards you, with a hint of "I need new pants" about it.
The new codex allows up to 3 tanks to be fielded as a single force selection, which is nice...
Hard hitting and full of firepower, the leman russ can take hits as well as dishing them out. Great for drawing fire, pouring on the pounding and looking sweet, every guard army must have one!


The fast attack options I have are a hellhound flame tank and an armoured sentinel walker. The Hellhound also has a hunter killer missile and sarcastic slogans on the dozer blade for added "personality" They don't pack as much punch as the leman russ, but they certainly provide that vital element of infantry support when the army has to go forward. Who says Guard armies are defensive?

Preachers! Praise the Emperor and pass the ammo! lol

The priests are converted from Necromunda Redemptionist models, with the central model representing my "Deacon". The Codex states that an eviscerator is treated like a powerfist with a bonus for armour penetration ( like a chainfist really)- so I thought to myself- what the hell and thats exactly what the deacon got- a power fist with a chainsword attachment. They give the infantry an edge in assaults, and add colour to the force!

Commissar Lord- In that damned ruin again! Another conversion- with bolter and power axe- he provides that steadying influence to the rank and file, as well as being quite a hard nut himself! STAND AND FIGHT YOU APES!!!

Same model, out of the ruin this time! I reckon he looks best in the ruin though. Lol!

The command squad. Regimental standard bearer, colonel and master vox are all conversions- simple weapon swaps and added "bits". The medic is an old Mordian I had knocking about. I wanted to have the "orderly" look to the medics, and the Mordians really gave me the feel I was looking for.

Ratling Snipers. 'Nuff said! That long range firepower can really pin down targets for me, but they need the protection of decent cover and high ground to be truly effective. You only need 3 in a squad now, which kinda narked me a bit, coz I am 1 short of 2 squads !!!!

Thought the Praetorians were wiped out? Whatever!! Great models never die! I got these back when "BIG TOOF RIVER" was all over White Dwarf and Games Day. I use them as veterans now, but they are good models always worth having a good look at, if nothing else!

"BACK IN THE RANKS AND STAND FAST, YER MELINGERERS!!!"

What the hell are they? I hear you cry! These guys are the original storm trooper models from games workshop. Nowadays, they are merely veterans in carapace armour. the sergeant is a conversion though, wiuth the worthy addition of a plasma pistol. They provide stoic resistance and steady firepower from the heavy bolter and melta gun.

The Commissars- Well, the middle one is a proper commissar at least. The other two are made from a mordian lieutenant and a valhallan officer (Yes he is converted- did the power halberd give it away?)

First Platoon- Fire! Lol.

An "aerial shot" of the regualr platoon. Note the two dedicated transports both Chimeras (though one is converted from a leman russ chassis). Again a bit of camo netting chucked in, along with dozers and extra armour, not to mention the obligatory hunter killer missile. For fire support, I have a heavy weapon squad of 3 (yes 3) lascannon! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzap!

Showcase Models: RATSKIN SCOUT PLATOON

I had to do a fair bit of conversion work for these guys to make it in, adding flamers, melta weapons , back packs, water bottles, grenades, comm links and even a power fist to the guys to make them "guardy."

The paint scheme was kept in line with the regulars, with the addition of bones and claws on the "rat skins"

Spot the medic...

These three models are, from left to right- a heavy weapon trooper carrying what I class as an autocannon/ heavy stubber, Platoon commander in the center with a power fist and bolter and of course the platoon medical officer. In the background you can see the lone tallarn model. He is the advisor/ translator on attachment from the "regular" troops. The heavy weapon trooper is "Brakar- the avenger- he that brings death" from the Necromunda "Outlanders" Rule book. Great miniature, big gun!!

This shot focusses on the platoon commmand squad, with the rest of the platoon following behind. The ratskins with musket I would use as sniper rifle guardsmen. In the back ground you can male out the ratskin sergeant with a spear and a plasma pistol.

Overview of the Army:

The whole army has this great look and feel to it, complemented by the contasting colours of the specialist individuals, like the priests and the commissars. They may be fodder, but they always go down fighting!!!

I havent played with these guys in eons, and the new rules for guard promises a lot in terms of new rules and organisation. I'm eager to see how they perform!

I do have more guard, but they chose a different path. All will be revealed soon enough.... (hehehehheheh)