Warhammer 40K Whiteshields (Astra Militarum/Imperial Guard)

Whiteshields, also known as Conscript Platoons, are Imperial Guard units consisting of either normal Imperial citizens, with little or no military training, conscripted into service, or newly recruited Imperial Guardsmen/women, who have not yet received their formal training. Whiteshield units are typically formed out of necessity, when fresh bodies are needed for the battlefield. Unlike the standard Imperial Guardsman/woman, Whiteshields do not wear regimental insignias or heraldry; instead, they have a simple white stripe painted on their helmets to identify their position within the regiment.

Whiteshields (front)

Whiteshields (back) 

Using my left over plastic Cadian Shock Trooper components (I have ‘kit bashed’ several models with this kit), I built and painted five Whiteshield miniatures in an urban camouflage pattern.  To distinguish the lowly status of these troops (conscripts), I painted a solid white stripe on their helmets.

For more images of these miniatures, please visit the Whiteshields section of the Old Guard; a website dedicated to Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40K miniatures, with a focus on the classic range of Imperial Guard models from the 1990s.