stargrave troopers - the catachan we have at home

[Mammoth miniatures]

I enjoy the Hazard stripe fluff - very fitting with the Catachan background I've read! 

Your minis are great. They look like an up to date and much improved version of a kit I used to love (though age has not been kind to them!) You've used an eclectic mix of bits and it works really well. Is the bandolier across the chest of the fella on the far left of your unpainted image hand-sculpted?

Cheers for the kind words - yes, I'm aiming for something that hits the oldhammer style whilst also bringing the balloon armed catachan look down to a more realistic level.

The bandolier is I think from the commonwealth commando set.

[Mammoth miniatures]

Behold - the pigdog.

"The pigdog APC holds the record for the least requisitioned vehicle in the imperial arsenal. This is in part because it doesn't actually appear on command requisition forms, the ink needed to do so having been dubbed a waste of administratum resources. As a result only those that know the pigdog exists actually use it - this normally boils down to fresh faced officers that lack the clout needed to requisition more expensive armour, and oldhead commanders with a nostalgia for the ugly old transports. Luckily one tends to lead to the other. The pigdog is built on the venerable rhino etc, having been designed shortly after the heresy as a way of building up armour from captured traitor vehicles. It lacks any armament, but makes up for this by being incredibly roomy, extremely heavily armoured, and boasting an engine far more powerful than is strictly needed. The result is a vehicle perfectly suited to the rough routine of jungle warfare."


I built the pigdog from some recast MK1 rhino hull pieces I made during the pandemic for something long forgotten, and a few odd bits from the bits box. Camo wise I'm happier with this look - I think it fits the men better.








Also pictured is marksman "sleeves" - so nicknamed because he's a stickler for dress regulations and as such always wears his sleeves according to official guidelines. Some say he does it because he once had a nasty encounter with the acidic web of a venuisian mauler spider. "

[LouieN]

A nice addition and back story. 

[commissarmoody]

Those dudes just look badass!  I need to pick up the stargrave troopers set some time. 

[mikedemana]

I love the look of these figures...and the Pigdog! Funny, that was one of my friends' names he'd call people who did something to him in a game. "I'm shooting these pigdogs over here..." 

Mike Demana

[KGatch113]

A little thread-cromancy never hurt anyone...


I converted up these proxy catachans based on the stargrave trooper sprues back when I made the original figures, but then I moved house and they got shoved into a box and forgotten. Anyway fast forward and I was looking at a wonderfully painted catachan army and lamenting how ugly the plastic figures are (even 20 years of nostalgia isn't making them look good...) and how expensive the metals are, and I remembered that I had started a small planet 28 warband of converted catachans. Coming back to them I realise that the arms I used (from the arguably much less horrific catachan command squad) are still a bit gorilla like on these torsos, so moving forward I'll be using anvil industries arms or warlord games desert rat arms .

Anyway, here's the first test figure given a very rough paintjob just to get the vibe right - Captain gorilla hands ready for service.

Love the head on this guy, where is it from?

[Mammoth miniatures]

I think his head is from the warlord games american GI sprue, but I'm not 100% on that.

[KGatch113]

Yeah, Warlord stuff is smaller than Stargrave stuff

[Mammoth miniatures]

Yeah, Warlord stuff is smaller than Stargrave stuff

It is a bit but if you mix your parts carefully you'll be fine - The warlord heads and arms actually just look fairly realistic on stargrave armoured torsos as it makes the armour look bulky. I think they'd look silly on non armoured bodies but on the troopers it all blends fairly well.

[Cosmotiger]

The steel pot helmet looks great on that mini. I've often thought the Catachans should have helmet head options, for the true Space Vietnam experience.

[commissarmoody]

The steel pot helmet looks great on that mini. I've often thought the Catachans should have helmet head options, for the true Space Vietnam experience.

Agreed, the space Nam figure range does have helmeted heads as a separate option and I think they look great on the models.