3D Printed Imperial Guard: Modern Solutions for Catachan Problems! [How I Paint Things]

It's fair to say the plastic Catachan kits are a little dated. The first plastic options for Imperial Guard players launched more than twenty years ago, and they're definitely showing their age now! Catachan armies are still excellent in Warhammer 40,000 though - what is a budding Catachan Colonel to do when they want a good-looking army on the table? 3D printing is one choice!
After accounting for resin, electricity, replaceables like FEP sheets and resin cleaner (if you're not using water washable resin) an individual 28mm infantry figure still comes in at around 24-32 cents. That doesn't take into account the cost of the printer or STL files, but the same as one doesn't count the cost of a rulebook against plastic infantry kits, those are one-time outlays which will yield consistent returns. If you buy a $5 STL file and print one miniature, then sure, it cost you $5. If you need more than one officer in your Guard army... you get the idea!
If you follow this referral link to make a purchase of any Reptilian Overlords STLs through their site, I net a small amount as part of their affiliate program at no cost to you! reptilianoverlords.com/ref/so...
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Straight to the Painting!
11:44 - The Finished Catachan
Thanks to Producer level Patrons Alan Nuttall, Kyrie Crawford, Trainboy, Fred, and Jimmy - as well as all the other Patrons that made this video possible, and Exit23 Games for recording equipment that helps keep the channel ticking over! Find out more at the following links:
/ sonicsledgehammer
/ sonicsledge
/ sonicsledgehammer
ko-fi.com/docwholigan
exit23.games
Grab your own Sonic Sledgehammer mug (or more!) from Redbubble! www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/841... Note that shipping is charged according to where the product is made, so those charges will be higher or lower depending on where you are in the world - this, unfortunately, is something I can't control!
PAINTS USED:
PRIMERS:
Death Guard Green
BASE:
Abaddon Black
Death World Forest
Catachan Flesh
Caliban Green
Mephiston Red
LAYER:
Loren Forest
Ushabti Bone
White Scar
Bloodreaver Flesh
Knight-Questor Flesh
Wild Rider Red
Dawnstone
SHADE:
Seraphim Sepia
Agrax Earthshade
DRY:
Necron Compound
Nurgling Green
VARNISHES:
Vallejo Matt Varnish Spray

[@huwtindall7096]

Top paint job mate. GW should be embarassed about the current Catachan models. For such an iconic Guard regiment they deserve a swish new range.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

You'd think with the speed these days they can crank out Necromunda gangs, Warcry bands and Blood Bowl teams, they'd find room in that schedule to spruce up some of the old kits. Aspect Warriors are one thing, but Khorne Berserkers could really use a hand...

[@akumaking1]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudiowhere do you find licensed printers in an area?

[@MLaak86]

It's a shame that they've got so many regiments with intriguing Lore and such that they've not updated in forever - even if they'd be 'cosmetic' only.

[@alrethianscraftsbattles]

He looks exactly like dillon in the 1st predator, Just without the mustache😁 ..loved that movie when i was a kid...very cool 👍

[@Verdigris04]

I got a bunch of the Spacenam dudes a while back, I need to get around to printing some out. Thanks for this! :) Also, I should mention that if you watch the most recent Army Painter video for their upcoming "Speedpaint" line, some of the Spaceman guys pop up briefly near the end.

[@ethanevenson3855]

Man, he looks fantastic. Really looks like the post 2000 art of the Catachan infantrymen.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Cheers! That cover of Codex: Catachans really did a lot to shift how they were 'supposed' to look. Suddenly they felt a lot more real and dangerous!

[@bellportbattlebunker4682]

This was great! I have used your techniques to paint my beloved Crimson Fists for years and I recently purchased similar third party sculpts to make veterans for my custom guard chapter. This will do nicely. Thanks for sharing.

[@robisonwells1]

Perfect timing! I've been trying this week to learn a proper way to paint dark skin. This helped a lot.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

The skin colours are a really good choice from Citadel. I'd also thoroughly recommend checking out the Foundry triad sets for uncommon skin tones.

[@georgeclarke4834]

This is a really nice scheme, I enjoyed watching the video. I'm definitely stealing this to do some Endor Rebels in Star Wars Legion.

[@JZStudios2]

Honestly because of your channel I get excited to paint skin more and more. It's also has helped me identify why certain colors are picked and as well understand color theory a little better. But as always good work this is the best method I find to keep cracking out armies quickly and without struggle.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

It can be a challenge, but I tend to find that skin and faces are where you can really show off some of the character in a miniature. If you can come to enjoy painting them with a bit of practice, all the better!

[@joesturn7740]

With arms that thick one wonders of these fellas actually put on their backpacks.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

A little help from their friends, maybe! 😂

[@garfusa2]

I always imagined the red bandana was the last thing you saw before he take you out. Catachans were my first army so they have a soft spot in heart.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Good call! I rather like that interpretation.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you ,Troy .

[@galan8115]

Now we just need a little junglier base tutorial to go allong with these and other things that lurk in the jungle... (like a lictor)

[@manolisanastasiou6393]

yeah haha

[@RotGolem]

Hadn't I already a (too) large Catachan IG army, I'd be squeezing every cent to get a 3D printer ASAP. Dude looks leagues better than the official plastics.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Finding the right files to print is half the fun of the scavenger hunt, but when you find a sculptor or supplier you like? It's like gold dust on tap. :D

[@jeffprice4376]

This guy looks excellent. Love Catachans, they were the first GW minis I ever purchased and painted, but really tired of the outdated models.

[@popburnsy3207]

Thanks for doing a darker skintone. So many tutorials say, let's do a tanned skin tone and then end up layering 99% of the flesh with Cadian

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

With that triad of skin tones it's nearly impossible to get it wrong, you'd think!

[@furiousv775]

7:57 is the only reason I tune into these.

[@Strawfoot]

Those gw Catachan models always cracked me up. They got some muscles growing on their muscles.

[@DarkWatch-Ian]

Hi. Enjoyed watching this one. Really useful skin tone technique again and the camouflage, like I said in earlier comments, this would be great for Star Wars Legion Rebels. Quick update for you, I have been painting Malifaux Bandits and Ronin, using your contrast paints techniques, and I'm so pleased with them thanks all to you. You should have a go at these, bit fiddly to build, but excellent detail once painted. Thanks again, your really helpful my friend. Keep the good work coming. Can't wait to see next one I look forward to seeing what else you do next.A joy to watch. Kind regards Ian.

[@cavscout7113]

I bought some of these about an hour ago and am going to do the skin in light blue as Rogue Troopers (2000AD).

[@stephendavinson4441]

Just love it.what a great miniature and a cracking paint job made to look so simple to do but what a fantastic end result 👍

[@j.sternmercedes-benz2754]

Hey.. you are one of my favourite Mini Painters on You Tube... love your Videos... please go on.. greetings from Vienna 🇦🇹🇦🇹

[@johnkelley9877]

This was a very helpful tutorial and explained a lot of techniques I was wanting to learn. Thanks for sharing this.

[@hionmaidenzzz9209]

If you didn't know WGA have made a plastic kit for these from RO with 20 of them in a pack :)

[@anselmvondahl2881]

6:06 I think the name you were looking for there was flak jacket. Nice work. You know how to do a lot of different camouflage patterns.

[@TheEccentricMan]

Cracking work on this Troy. That camo colour combination is along with the best I've seen.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I'm thinking I might end up tweaking my DPM recipe based on how much lighter and more saturated this looks!

[@tp6498]

Hey Sonic, another great video 👍. I consider myself a novice miniature painter despite the fact that I've been painting minis on and off (years of lapses between actively painting) since around 1980 lol. The two big miniature making companies back when I first started were Grenadier miniatures and Ral Partha miniatures. They were so soft I swear they were all lead lol.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

As chance would have it, I've actually got some of those Ral Partha miniatures - in more sturdy white metal, though! That's a name which really takes me back.

[@honestindomitus1342]

I’ve had my eyes on reptilian overlords for a while, it’s great to see one actually printed out and painted. That camo came out great as well!

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Cheers! They're really good STLs, honestly. The ball and socket joint on the torso lets you get a little more range of motion out of them, which is nice when you've got combat blades and grenade arms to consider.

[@stevepickering5978]

Another Top Quality paint job my friend Brilliant

[@euansmith3699]

That mini looks really cool; especially the camo and other gear.

[@yoyoyo9669]

WOW yet again with another video! i wish i had this much drive!

[@diverspudph1310]

Another cool and helpful camo tutorial! Thank you!

[@justanothercaptain6566]

Thank you as always. The dark flesh colour technique was nice to see. Cheers 🍻

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

What's really cool is the Spacenam heads come with a bunch of sculpts for faces that actually look like they'd be dark skinned rather than just painting any old face in darker shades of brown. A bit of variety in the Guard never hurts!

[@borewyrm]

Thanks! Saving this. I dont think I can ever play an official Catachan army again after seeing these. Heading over to purchase the STLs now! Will be using your paint guide for certain.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Much obliged! It's also worth pointing out that they're now available as a plastic kit through Wargames Atlantic, but on the other hand if you've got a printer already... yeah, those STL sets start getting seriously cheap by the time you've printed an army! 😂

[@miniscool5613]

Awesome video as always! Great upload!

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Thank you kindly!

[@yoyoyo9669]

you are just so talented! its amazing!

[@StackingLimit]

Excellent Camo tutorial!

[@andyfisher470]

3:06 I like to try and start from underneath if the brush is fine enough, it may save some time if you've already done the pads, and I always like to make SURE I get all the nooks close to details, cus I hate spotting it on the table

[@Kastoruz]

12:15 f.y.i Heavy weapon teams is being assembled and added to the website right now :)

[@Adeptus_Artes]

"Modern day problems, require modern day solutions. I'm Dave Chappelle and I approved this message".

[@StevenRead]

80% of my motivation to get a 3D printer was for these guys. Went in for tank for my first month of credits. Can I be super annoying and ask what your settings were for the print? Really excited to get stuck into these and great timing with this tutorial.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Bearing in mind that my settings are specific to the machine I'm using and the conditions it's in at the moment, but I'll share what might be useful: 0.03mm layer height 2.1s exposure time (I have a Mars 2 Pro; mono screens make a big difference here) 5 bottom layers 30s bottom layer exposure 10.5s light off delay 35mm/min lifting speed

[@StevenRead]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio much appreciated! I have the Mars 2 so hopefully will benefit from these! Still in the the process of dialling things in and sifting through all the various information I can and doing my own prints.

[@johntailby74]

thats a nice model. I am thinking o making a Harlan Veyl for Stargrave.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

That would be cool!

[@mooseworks_soldiers]

Amazing!

[@johnmascardo7047]

Bought me 3xboxes...totally your fault. That's what I told the missus. I loved the Catachans but hated the GW releases. It took several years till my dream team was fulfilled...

[@andrewormsby6780]

So, I’m doing a bunch (60-70) of these Catachan following this guide (sans the Camo because, well, there’s 70…) But for anyone batch painting, Army Painter’s Army Green spray is basically a perfect match for Loren Forest. Cut my batch painting time down about 40%.

[@Gabbiano88]

Amazing

[@ace_ofchaos9292]

Meanwhile at GW: “Scramble the legal team!”

[@russ5838]

Absolutely bloody gorgeous m8ty, will be taking a look at reptilian overlords after this video, thanks again for your content,

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Enjoy! Their licensed printers cover most of the globe, so you'll not be short options. :D

[@Nobleshield]

A lot of 3d print not-Guard and some others often look better than GW's models, and are usually cheaper to boot.

[@sailorpete1457]

Really cool model and paint job! Do you have any idea what kind of printer this was printed on? thanks in advance

[@Gwerty102]

Hey great tutorial man! Looks absolutely phenomenal. I really appreciate how detailed you were in your explanations. Also, do these figures come with bases you can print? And what do you use to stick the figure on to paint them? I hate having to hold my figures and messing up the paint.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I honestly don't remember if these guys came with a base set. If not, a quick jaunt on Thingiverse will find what you need no problem - just search for 25mm base and you'll be golden. As for painting them, for videos I just blutac them to the top of an old cork, but for stuff I don't have to worry about camera position there's likewise some holders you can print to size.

[@Gwerty102]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio hey thank you so much :) I’m just getting into the hobby and it’s great to get some answers to my questions. Actually, I’m getting into the printing side of it. I dabbled a bit with the GW Catachan, but then my car was stolen and, lucky me, a lot of my possession including my figures went with it lol. I think these Spacenam figures look immensely better than GW Catachans and your paint job just makes them look perfect! Thanks for the great video, I will be subscribing! Looking forward to more

[@StaGusGbg]

The base complements the paint job very well. Good jungle/grasslands look.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I'd love some slightly longer grass as well to add a little more depth and variation in the undergrowth, but this'll do for army work!

[@StaGusGbg]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio yeah, there are lots of possibilities for Vietn… I mean Catachan, bases and terrain. The reddish-brown base rim is just right.

[@valdnorc9xydr957]

I got to get a 3D printer and up my painting game.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

You're never short something to paint!

[@alessiodecarolis]

Great video, only I prefer a mimetic bandana, red ones are more orkish!

[@TheReam1000]

Hi that mini looks amazing and I’m currently using the same sculpts for my Catachan army. Just a quick question, if your doing the pale flesh colour using bugmans, cadian etc.. what wash do you use?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

You can honestly stick with Agrax Earthshade. If you don't like how dark it comes out, a quick layer of Bugman's Glow over the shaded layer will bring it back up and you can carry on painting the skin as you like from that point.

[@Vergast]

Ushabti Bone you madman!!!

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Can't leave me unattended or I'll do something weird!

[@grantus27]

Great video! In an effort to avoid buying yet more paints, what pair of vallejo paints might yield the same results for the skin tone? Chocolate Brown & Ger. Cam Medium Brown? Thanks!

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Saddle Brown shaded with Agrax Earthshade and then highlighted with Mahogany Brown will give you an excellent base. Then start mixing in a tiny bit of a lighter skin tone; I use roughly 50/50 Mahogany Brown and Beige Red for my highlights.

[@grantus27]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio Much obliged!

[@Vergast]

Did you end up doing more of these guys?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

A couple more test pieces and one for display, but not an army. Don't get the chance to put much on the table these days, so there's not a lot of point to that kind of work.

[@Dan-fi8et]

do you think you could make a how i paint things for spacenam but a really simple scheme, like using US olive drab as the main color of the fabric, no camo or anything fancy?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

It would probably look much the same as the US infantry or British stuff I've done. If you want to know how it'd look, why not take a shot at painting one yourself? It's not as if you can't strip a miniature you don't like the look of, or print a fresh one.

[@Dan-fi8et]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio you are right! I will look at those videos, i am just very unoriginal and struggle to decide what colors to use - that is where i always get stuck.

[@Ben-fk9ey]

I hate videos like this because after I immediately want to go out and buy a 3D printer and get cracking on stuff!

[@johnschweiger1079]

Yeah they’ve been the best they are missing a trick with not updating all imperial guard stuff

[@thejonsonator]

one instance where the original metal models are far superior to their newer plastic counterparts!!

[@suaveslav6047]

What size base do these guys use?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

These are still just 25mm bases.

[@ravenshotred]

would you still recommend your Elgoo?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Certainly would! It's still humming along perfectly.

[@PeninsulaPaintingProjects]

Cant paint them and not do a red bandana

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Only way to do them justice, right? :D

[@veritasg9020]

Great job and thanks for the tutorial. Also, I just love that name from ReptilianOverlord: SPACENAM xD.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Tells you everything you need to know about them straight out of the gates, I think! 😂

[@jimmygallagher9843]

1st comment? I really need to do more work!!

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Almost! Don't make me crack the whip! 🤣

[@geronimo8159]

I couldn't see myself actually building a Guard army and not using 3rd party minis...

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Yeeeah... There's a lot of 'fixes' out there for what are some seriously old miniatures, now. Cadians included!

[@davidgpeterson]

His arms look just like mine. No really. I’m serious. I’m not kidding at all. Like…at all…nope. 🤪

[@souldrinkerchaplain7365]

You even lift, bro?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

We gotta get him to STOP lifting, that's the challenge.