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Customizing your Warhammer 40k army is one of the most fun and rewarding ways that you can take your hobby skills to the next level. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with picking a faction, painting them in chapter or regiment-specific colors, and then giving them a textured base with a grass tuft. Heaven knows the bulk of my armies have been made doing exactly that. But there is so much fun to be had in customizing your Warhammer 40k army.

There are several ways to go about customizing your Warhammer 40k army, making the miniatures look unique and stand out on the tabletop. Here are some ideas:

1. Custom paint scheme: Instead of using the standard color scheme for your space marines, you can create your own unique paint scheme that sets them apart from others. You can experiment with different colors, patterns, and designs to make them look distinct.
2. Conversion: You can convert your space marines by adding different weapons, armor pieces, or accessories to make them look unique. You can use spare parts from other miniature kits or even create your own custom pieces using green stuff or plasticard.
3. Characterization: Adding unique character traits to your space marines can help make them stand out. You can give them a backstory, a personality, or even a specific role in your army that distinguishes them from others.
4. Basing: Creating unique bases for your space marines can add an extra layer of detail that sets them apart. You can use different textures, colors, and materials to create a specific environment for your miniatures.
5. Weathering: Adding weathering effects to your miniatures can make them look more realistic and unique. You can use techniques like dry brushing, chipping, or rusting to create a worn and battle-worn appearance.

By using these techniques, you can make your space marines miniatures look unique and stand out on the tabletop.

Customizing Your Warhammer 40k Army: Paint Scheme

Creating a unique paint scheme for your faction is a great way of customizing your Warhammer 40k army and make them stand out on the tabletop. You can choose colors that match your army’s theme, your personal preference, or simply experiment with different color combinations to find what works best for you. For example, while I am a sucker for Blood Angels Space Marines, I will routinely find ways to convert them–maintaining the overall red/orange with blue helmets, while adding different flavors. Or you can go somewhere truly different like my brown and olive Rock Badgers.

To create a custom paint scheme, you can start by researching different color palettes and combinations online (I like to use the color swatch generator Coolers for ideas). You can also look for inspiration from other miniatures or art pieces to get ideas. Once you have an idea of what you want, you can start experimenting with different colors and techniques.

One approach is to start with a base color, and then add highlights and shadows to create depth and contrast. You can also use techniques like layering, dry brushing, and washing to add texture and variation to your miniatures.

Another way of customizing your Warhammer 40k army to make them look unique is by adding decals or freehand designs. You can create your own decals using decal paper and a printer, or use stencils or masking tape to create freehand designs. Freehand can be scary–and I’m not very good at it–but every time I try I get better. And it adds something different and unique, something only you have ever done.

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things! You can always strip the paint and start over if you’re not happy with the result. With some patience and practice, you can create a custom paint scheme that truly makes your space marines stand out on the battlefield.

Customizing Your Army: Conversion

Customizing your Warhammer 40k army can be a fun and rewarding way to make them stand out on the tabletop. Conversions involve adding or removing parts from the miniature to create a custom look. Here are some conversion ideas you can try:

1. Change the weapons: You can swap out the standard weapons on your space marines for different options. For example, you can equip them with a unique melee weapon or give them a heavy weapon that’s not normally available. Of course, you’re going to have to deal with the issue of WYSIWYG when it comes to games, and hope that your opponent is okay with your giving that weapon to that model, but if it’s just for flavor you can have units that are specialized “Warhammer 40k mascots” or centerpieces, the models of your army that are never game-legal but which still are awesome to look at.
2. Add accessories: Adding accessories like pouches, grenades, or backpacks can make your space marines look more detailed and unique. You can use bits from other miniature kits or create your own using green stuff or plasticard. This is where the glory of bits boxes come in. Never throw any sprues away! You’ll never know when you want a pouch or a grenade or a holster.
3. Change the poses: Modifying the pose of your space marines can add movement and dynamic to your army. You can cut and reposition limbs, or add small details like bent knees or twisted torsos to create a more dynamic pose. This can be harder–and I’m not good at sculpting–but it can be very rewarding if you do it. (This brings up all of the multi-pose vs monopose debate, which is something we’ll save for a later time.) A simple head swap can be all that you need, in the case of me expanding my Genestealer Cults into the realm of Necromunda.
4. Customize the armor: You can also modify the armor on your space marines to create a unique look. You can add armor plates or spikes, or even create your own custom armor pieces using green stuff or plasticard. I’m terrible at green stuff, but I still keep it in my desk drawer and pull it out to stretch my skills every now and again.
5. Add a unique base: Changing the base of your space marines can add an extra layer of detail and make them stand out. You can use textured materials like sand or rocks, or create your own custom bases using cork or plasticard. We’ll talk more about bases below

When converting your space marines, it’s important to keep in mind the balance of the miniature and the overall theme of your army. With a bit of creativity and patience, you can create a custom space marine that truly stands out on the battlefield.

Customizing Your Warhammer Army: Characterization

Adding unique character traits to your Warhammer 40k army can make them stand out on the tabletop and add an extra layer of depth to your army. Here are some ways to add characterization:

1. Give them a backstory: You can create a backstory for your space marines that explains their motivations and personality. This can be as simple or as complex as you want, and can be based on existing lore or your own imagination. Customizing your Warhammer 40k army by giving them a backstory can be fun and add so much flavor. For example. I have my Rock Badgers, which are Space Marines stranded on a rocky world and they have taken over use of mining equipment (from Genestealer Cults). Or I have my “swamp monster” Necrons who have emerged from a tomb world by crawling their way up through the ground like zombies.
2. Create a unique name: Giving your Warhammer 40k army a unique name can add personality to them. You can use names that relate to their backstory, or simply choose a name that sounds cool. One of my favorite factions I’ve made were the Sisters of the Malachite Grove, a group of Sisters of Battle who are decked out in bright green.
3. Add details to their armor: You can add details to your army’s armor that reflect their personality or backstory. For example, you can add a symbol or a motto that relates to their history. This is what I did with my Space Marines who I made as Knights of the Grail, researching the heraldry of each of King Arthur’s knights and then painting it on the Space Marines’ shoulder pauldrons.
4. Give them a specific role in your army: You can give your units a specific role in your army that sets them apart. For example, you can designate one as a leader, one as a medic, or one as a scout. This may be best reserved for Kill Team, but one example where it worked otherwise was when I proxied in Imperial Guard Veteran Guardsmen as Space Marine scouts for my Rock Badgers.

By adding characterization to your space marines, you can make them stand out on the tabletop and add an extra layer of depth to your army. Remember to keep the overall theme of your army in mind when adding details to your miniatures.

Customizing Your Warhammer 40k Army: Basing

Creating unique bases for your space marines can help to set them apart from others on the tabletop and add an extra layer of detail to your army. Here are some ideas to consider when creating your bases:

1. Choose a theme: The theme of your bases should complement the overall theme of your army. For example, if your army is themed around a desert planet, you can use sand and rocks to create a desert base. Making sure that your entire army has a cohesive base, or at least a base that makes sense to draw the entire army together, will make them look much better on the battlefield.
2. Use textured materials: Using textured materials like sand, gravel, or cork can create a realistic and varied surface for your bases. You can also use textured paints or texture paste to create additional details. But it doesn’t have to stop there! Of course, there’s the ubiquitous cork, but also bricks (which can be bought or made from pieces of sprue), barbed wire, lichen, and more. One of my favorite basing examples was a World War Two infantry platoon that was walking through autumn-colored bushes and trees (I got them from Woodland Scenics), and another was a US Marine who was crouched beside some bamboo.
3. Add details: Adding small details like grass tufts, rocks, or small terrain features can add a lot of depth to your bases. You can also use static grass or flock to add texture and color. The Citadel Skulls kit is a must-have for this. Any model can be improved by adding skulls to the base.
4. Use color: Using color on your bases can help to tie them into your army’s overall theme. You can use different shades of brown for a desert theme, or green for a forest theme. Citadel offers a lot of different colors, from tan to dark brown to red martian soil to black volcanic rock. But I also really like the Vallejo texture paste range, and I prefer to lay down the texture paste and then paint it to the color of my choosing.
5. Add water effects: Adding water effects like puddles or streams can add a dynamic and realistic element to your bases. You can use clear resin or water effects paints to create these effects. (I recommend UV-curing resin for miniature work, though you can use Woodland Scenics Realistic Water on terrain.)

When creating your bases, remember to keep the size and shape of your miniature in mind. Make sure the base is stable and doesn’t obscure any important details on the miniature. With some creativity and attention to detail, you can create unique and stunning bases for your space marines.

Customizing Your Army: Weathering

Weathering effects can add an extra layer of realism to your space marines and make them look more battle-worn and unique. Here are some techniques to consider when weathering your miniatures:

1. Pigment Powders: Pigment powders come in all colors and can be dabbed onto the base and lower legs of your model, or even into the tracks of your tanks and vehicles. One thing that I like to do is to take chalk pastels, which come in a huge number of colors for very little money, grind them against sandpaper and make my own pigment powders.
2. Chipping: Chipping is a technique where you paint small chips and scratches onto the surface of the miniature to create a worn and battle-damaged appearance. You can use a small brush and a darker color to create these effects. Alternatively, use a scrap of foam held in tweezers to create a random look to your chips. Once the dark chips are on, go back with a metallic to highlight each dark spot, giving an illusion of depth.
3. Rusting: Rusting is a technique where you create a rusted appearance on the metallic parts of the miniature. You can use a rusting powder or paint to create this effect, and add highlights and shadows to create depth. Some people have had a lot of luck using Dirty Down Rust for this, but it has never worked for me despite trying at least seven or eight times.

Takeaways

There are several ways to make your Warhammer 40k armies look unique and stand out on the tabletop. You can create a custom paint scheme, convert your miniatures, add characterization, create unique bases, and apply weathering effects. These techniques can help to add an extra layer of detail and depth to your army, making your miniatures truly stand out from others. With some creativity and patience, you can create a truly unique and personalized army that reflects your own vision and style. So go ahead and experiment with these techniques to create an army that truly stands out on the battlefield!