40k Imperial Guard - conversion and customization

40k Imperial Guard - conversion and customization

There is probably no other faction in the whole Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40k that offers you so many conversion and customization options like the Imperial Guard. Thanks to their universal design - clearly inspired by the types of troops known in our world - you have almost infinite possibilities for making these models more personal and original.

Converting Imperial Guard models to 40k

Converting Imperial Guards doesn’t differ significantly from the basic customizing process if we have only infantry miniatures in mind. Swapping heads, arms, legs, torsos, and even weapons in human-shaped figures shouldn’t be a challenging task. What’s more, if the particular model possesses the multi-pose feature, you can achieve wonders using a hobby knife and glue (both available at Kromlech).

If you would like to convert your Warhammer 40k Imperial Guard models but don’t have a clear idea of what they should look like, you can always browse the Internet in search of some art depicting these troops. Viewing some Imperial Guard ranks or even examples of conversions made by other hobbyists, you can get much-needed inspiration.

Customizing Imperial Guard models

There are numerous ways of customizing Imperial Guard models. Of course, you most commonly wish to switch their weaponry, add some additional features like backpacks, or swap their heads. If you seek exciting counterparts for the Warhammer 40k models from this particular faction, check the Imperial Guard section at our webstore. There you can find miniatures and vehicles designed in a suitable theme and a wide range of bits - enough to (with the help of our hobby magnets) make the most valuable weapons modular.



Besides the stereotypic soldiers, Imperial Guard allows you to create a wide range of amazing, differently-looking characters

The great thing about customizing the 40k Imperial Guard is that - because in this grim dark universe, there are a lot of different Regiments of these troops - you have a free experimental field. If you want to make your soldiers look like highlanders or make a female-only Imperial Guard regiment, you’re more than allowed to do that! What’s even better - the bits required to do so are available at our webstore. And if you’re in need of an enormous amount of specific pistols, etc., consider checking our Kromlech 3D Workshop category. Thanks to printable files, you’ll be able to gather as many pieces of the desired weapon as you wish.

Painting Imperial Guard models

To paint your Imperial Guard models, you should do some research, similar to what we stated earlier when we were writing about searching for ideas to convert these miniatures. Now - in this case - finding some references can be even more valid. It’s always a good idea to browse some different Regiments of the Imperial Guard and look closely at their color patterns. It may happen that you consider one of the schemes enjoyable and choose to paint your miniatures in precisely the same (or similar, at least) manner.

When painting your Imperial Guard army, try to stay true to the one chosen style. Thanks to that solution, your collection - as a whole - will genuinely feel like one complete army.

Of course, unless you’ve managed to gather literal legions of these troops - some may say that it wouldn’t be so unusual. And if that’s the case - if your Imperial Guard collection is so unbelievably large in numbers - then you can easily split it into two (or even more) separate rosters.

Building terrain for Imperial Guard games

Every great army needs suitable terrain. We don’t know who was to say that particular wisdom, but we can fully agree that these words make a lot of sense. That’s why you shouldn’t forget about pieces of scenery that will fit your Imperial Guard troops during any battle they’ll take part in.

In the case of this faction, the terrain can be a significant feature. And we aren’t even talking about the rules of the game! No, we’re talking about our hobby’s visual (not less important) aspect.

There is no doubt (at least in our minds) that the Imperial Guard is exclusively terrain-friendly when taking pictures or simply presenting the models in pre-prepared scenery. A good thing to remember is that depending on the Regiment you decided on during modeling and painting your army, the recommended scenery may vary. For example, troops in the clime of Catachan Jungle Fighters or Tallarn Desert Raiders may be associated with specific kinds of terrain (as the names themselves indicate).



Dvergr Commando on a mission in a city environment

No matter which scenery you choose, check the Tabletop Scenics category at our webstore. Whether you would like to afford some bunkers from our Imperial Planetary Outpost line or buildings in a Hive City theme, you’ll find them there.

Playing Imperial Guard games

Your Imperial Guard army - personalized, original, and simply breathtaking - is finished. You possess a wide range of suitable, amazingly looking terrain to deploy them in. What more do you need? To play, of course!

As a significant part of Warhammer 40k - and, in conclusion, our entire hobby - playing games with your army could be much fun but also very complex. Remembering all the rules while simultaneously handling your collection of beautifully made and painted miniatures can be complicated. When you aren’t wholly prepared (or begin your adventure with the gaming part of this hobby), you can easily forget about all the happiness because of constantly forgetting about some important rules or the inability to encompass an enormous battlefield.

The significant thing to remember is that playing Warhammer 40k (or any other wargame) should be enjoyable in the first place. It’s expected that sometimes you forget about particular rules or misunderstand something. There’s no need to be frustrated.

Nonetheless, if you’re the one who truly dislikes such situations, or your primary intent is to play as professionally as possible, let us show you some accessories that might help you. More precisely, let us show you our gaming accessories, available at our webstore. Among them, you can find many valuable tools that make your game much more dynamic, comfortable, and - in effect - more fun.


If you don’t believe us, check yourself. Highly visible and handful tokens, markers, and templates should make your battlefield more “clear” - easier to read. On the other hand, battle rulers will make such processes as checking the range of movement or shooting (the cases highly probable to occur during your games) much safer for both your figures and your nerves. All these accessories are especially handy when you play an army like the Imperial Guard.

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