The command squad perches at the top of the command structure: every unit in the army answers to it. Formed of the best strategists, soldiers and propagandists, they ensure the smooth running of any army. But with a standard Imperial Guard Command Squad costing from £15 to £25 (depending on kit and source), at the end of the day that is a lot for five models. So I thought to myself; can I do this for less?
The answer is yes. This command squad was built using Games Workshop’s mini-set of clip-together cultists, which retails at a tiny £6. A significant saving, yes, but in their standard form they would be no good as a command squad: they are simply armed and a bit dull. So, with a few added bits, I’ve come up with five models that will join my overall commander (the model of which varies depending on what commander upgrade I choose) in leading my IA:13 Renegade army.
First up, the simple goons. These two didn’t really need much changing, as they are there to fill the unit to minimum size. I did swap the combat weapon of the model on the left for a grenade, for some variety and to show the unit has grenades equipped.
Next up is a vox-opperator. This model was given an extra antenna, using a piece of paper-clip and a round ring, formally an Ork Shoota's iron sight. I think it needs another aerial or something, and then it can qualify as the command-vox.
The banner bearer was a fun model to make. I used one of the close-combat Cultists from the set, the one that wasn’t running, as this had the best posture. I remove the combat weapon, and used a length of brass rod for the banner pole. The banner comes from a Vampire Counts set, with the wings removed from the skull.
The head is one of Pig Iron Productions, from their Kolony Ferals set.
Finally we have a weapons specialist with Plasma Gun. Now, I did say early on that my Vraksians would have very few “energy” weapons like Plasma and Melta, but considering this is my command squad, in all honesty I think they probably have access to the best kit . I used the beaked Cultist with Autogun as a basis, and chopped away most of the gun, leaving the forward hand. I used a Space Wolf Plasma Gun, as I have a ton of those lying around. I cut away the hands, and managed to squeeze the gun in. It is a little rough around the edges, but Green stuff will fix most of it.
I think I will leave the squad at six men (including commander) but it is still tempting to bring it up to ten or 15 models, just so I can have a big, durable command unit leading my rebels. They will retain the non-dedicated neutral colour scheme of the army, and the banner bearer will be equally neutral, either carrying a large dedication to chaos, or a defaced imperial banner, possibly of Krieg origins.
