Imperial Guard Praetorians - started 1997 and found again

[dadlamassu]

Way back when our sons were 11 and 14 and "into" WH40K I bought the Imperial Guard Praetorians on a whim.  This morning I moved a wardrobe so that we could have fitted wardrobes and found a bag that had fallen down the back.  They appear to have lost some deserters: a seated gunner, a cannon with split trails and maybe a couple of soldiers.  Maybe they will appear!  If not then they will have to do without given a short ebay trawl.  The prices there are way beyond my pocket money.

Anyway here they are and maybe I might just fit renovating them in between other projects for fun. 

[Major_Gilbear]

Lovely old army! 

The basic paintjob looks pretty solid on most of those, so with a few repairs to the scuffs, they would be a great starting point for some shading washes and considered highlights. I’d personally re-do the bases to have sand or texture paste too, instead of the flock.

With respect to the missing crew/weapons, I would note that:

1)   Whilst the crew were specific to each weapon, the weapons themselves were universal across all Guard armies – so if you need a Lascannon, it might be cheaper to look for something like a Catachan one (I’ve seen just the gun go for around £6-7, which is much more reasonable).

2)   If the crew are not physically attached to the gun (such as a Lascannon, Mortar, etc), you can just use gun from a different era, and add the crew you already have. This gives you more options.

3)   For the sit-on guns, if you have a crew member missing, you can probably press-mould one from another gun. The “sitting” crew are all very compact, and come in two parts, so they mould quite well – plus, they are hard to see well once attached to the gun. A good paintjob also camouflages the copies well!

4)   You generally want the guns to be: (1) Anti-troop, so a mix of Autocannon and Heavy Bolter, (2) Anti-vehicle, so a mix of Lascannon and Missile Launcher, and (3) Mortars. Generally, in most editions, you couldn’t mix guns between these three categories, but you could add one of any type to a trooper squad.

[dadlamassu]

Lovely old army! 

The basic paintjob looks pretty solid on most of those, so with a few repairs to the scuffs, they would be a great starting point for some shading washes and considered highlights. I’d personally re-do the bases to have sand or texture paste too, instead of the flock.

With respect to the missing crew/weapons, I would note that:

1)   Whilst the crew were specific to each weapon, the weapons themselves were universal across all Guard armies – so if you need a Lascannon, it might be cheaper to look for something like a Catachan one (I’ve seen just the gun go for around £6-7, which is much more reasonable).

2)   If the crew are not physically attached to the gun (such as a Lascannon, Mortar, etc), you can just use gun from a different era, and add the crew you already have. This gives you more options.

3)   For the sit-on guns, if you have a crew member missing, you can probably press-mould one from another gun. The “sitting” crew are all very compact, and come in two parts, so they mould quite well – plus, they are hard to see well once attached to the gun. A good paintjob also camouflages the copies well!

4)   You generally want the guns to be: (1) Anti-troop, so a mix of Autocannon and Heavy Bolter, (2) Anti-vehicle, so a mix of Lascannon and Missile Launcher, and (3) Mortars. Generally, in most editions, you couldn’t mix guns between these three categories, but you could add one of any type to a trooper squad.

Thanks for the extremely helpful advice.  I only ever played WH40K in 1st edition, Rule Book now passed to my son who is starting up again with Space Wolves(?) and has bought a Tyranid army for me.

Anyway:
1 &2) I will look for a suitable gun/cannon on ebay.
3) I will try a press mould of search for a 3d print
4) Thanks - I might look for a Missile Launcher.

[area23]

I believe the Praetorians go for quite a bit on ebay these days.
Of course the Mordian Iron Guard are the same miniatures with different headdress. In another universe I would have collected a small platoon of Praetorians with a squad of Mordians painted as Naval Brigade or something.

[v_lazy_dragon]

Awesome find - and making me regret selling all my Praetorians years ago!
Whilst not identical by any stretch of imagination; the Wargames Atlantic Bulldogs (https://wargamesatlantic.com/products/bulldogs) share the same aesthetic/design intent so might be an option if you want to add some Strom Troopers/similar or possibly just pillage for heads to convert Mordian weapon crew

[dadlamassu]

The Mordians have a sort of Czarist Russia look and may make a suitable hostile force. 

The Bulldogs certainly show some promise for spare parts and conversions. 

Ho hum ... another project!

[Major_Gilbear]

I believe the Praetorians go for quite a bit on ebay these days.

They do. There's also quite a few that are re-casts as well, but still at eyewatering prices.

Of course the Mordian Iron Guard are the same miniatures with different headdress.

They are, but becuause of the way the Praetorians were made (via 6-7 heads, cast and swapped onto Mordian bodies, and then re-cast as Praetorians), the have more sculpt varieties than the original Mordians did. This includes Autocannon crew, which they have two different loaders for.

Whilst not identical by any stretch of imagination; the Wargames Atlantic Bulldogs (https://wargamesatlantic.com/products/bulldogs) share the same aesthetic/design intent so might be an option if you want to add some Strom Troopers/similar or possibly just pillage for heads to convert Mordian weapon crew

The Bulldogs are a great idea! I think they would work well with the current 40k plastic heavy and special weapons as well, and might be a good way to get you much of the way towards some Rough Riders too.

However, of all the metal Imperial Guard regiments GW made, I think the Mordians may have been the one of worst-selling. I say this as they are much less common second-hand than their contemporaries, and so they often tend to be edging towards the Praetorians in price. You can still find they for a reasonable sum if you're lucky and/or patient enough, but I wouldn't expect to do an army of them on the cheap. Of course, I also think many people buy and convert them into the much more popular Praetorians too, which reduces their availability further.

The Mordians have a sort of Czarist Russia look and may make a suitable hostile force.

I can certainly see the resemblance! I always thought they looked like US Marines in their Dress Blues.

Really though, they are a mash-up of various mid-1800s European uniforms with a dash of 40k added in I think.

At the risk of jumping the gun, do you know what edition of 40k you might intend to play these with, and do you have the army book for them? Might be useful from an organisational point of view before you get to painting them, and it'd be helpful if you're planning some games with your son.

[dadlamassu]

At the risk of jumping the gun, do you know what edition of 40k you might intend to play these with, and do you have the army book for them? Might be useful from an organisational point of view before you get to painting them, and it'd be helpful if you're planning some games with your son.

We will be using whichever version he is using.  He has my First Edition and also one recent (no idea which). 
-
No I do not have the army book.  Probably never did as the figures are unfinished.

[Major_Gilbear]

Well, if it's one of the older editions (1st to 5th), and you'd like some help, feel free to drop me a PM - I can certainly sort you out with what you might need.

[Ragsta]

What a lovely rediscovery! I went for several years having sworn I had a stash of old LOTR plastics but they never showed. Then we broke fish our old bed and they came spilling out of the lining underneath!!?

You can build your own replacements using Anvil Industries parts too… Dangerous site that…

[Daeothar]

Orks, sah! Tharsands of 'em!

 

Kidding aside though; that's a lovely army and quite a bit larger than the original starter box I reckon. All the good advice has been given in regards to replacing the missing parts I suppose, but here's to hoping you will eventually be able to expand on them a bit, as I find them to be one of the most iconic nineties 40K armies out there

[dadlamassu]

Orks, sah! Tharsands of 'em!

Actually, that very thought ocurred to me.  Might try some plastic fantasy orcs, combine with a few scifi weapons and surplus Zulu shields.  An Ork-ibutho perhaps?

[Major_Gilbear]

When the Praetorians first appeared in White Dwarf for a battle report shortly after their release, the studio came up with a scenario based loosely on Rourke's Drift, and the Orks were changed to make them more tech-primitive (i.e., reduced shooting, but enhanced melee).
Those scenario Orks would become the template for all Ork armies in subsequent editions of 40k over the years.
If you were to use any of the "new-ish" Orks, bought second-hand job lots, they'd therefore work as-is.
....Of course, that's very much the definition of project creep!