# Imperial Guard: Cadian vs Catachan



## Hattoria (Dec 14, 2009)

Hello. I am going to start collecting IG in the coming weeks, just trying to do my research. I didn't think it was appropriate putting this in the IG Tactics section, or the army list. Think this is the best place to put it.

Currently I am looking at getting the Cadian battleforce and other Cadian forces. I don't have a IG codex yet so I am wondering, can someone tell me what are, if any, the diffrences is between Cadian and Catachan?

Do they have different stats? Tactics? Etc


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## chromedog (Oct 31, 2007)

Models.

The only difference in the current edition is the models.
They are both IG models and use the same rules.

By default, the catachans therefore have the same armour as a cadian (that armoured t-shirt or wife-beater). They have the same guns and access to equipment.

All they have different (apart from fluff) is the look of the models.


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## Hattoria (Dec 14, 2009)

Alright! Thank you for the response and if possible, can a mod delete this thread please


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## the-ad-man (Jan 22, 2010)

yeah, chrome hit the nail on the head, tho it makes me miss the old codex where you could really customise you lowly guardsmen :') good times


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## VX485 (Feb 17, 2011)

Painting wise though, catachans require a bit more time to paint than cadians but by no means let that stop you from getting both (i do)


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

The thing is the different types can be well used to show the differences between your kinds of troops. Catachans allways look good as vets. Obviously not as carapace vets but a bunch of catachans look tough as nails. Harker is a catachan and he is set up for use in vet squads. That way you can use the cadians as the run of the mill troops.


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## VX485 (Feb 17, 2011)

or you could just say that their massive iron 6 packs count as carapace armour. seriously what 'training aids' are those guys taking?


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## MidnightSun (Feb 10, 2009)

I find that Catachans look better in small groups whereas Cadians look better en masse. I think that they look great as Demolitions Veterans, but on Stealth or Carapace you're better off using Cadians or Cadichan (Cadian and Catachans kitbashed together to make something resembling the Tanith).

Midnight


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

A friend of mine used to us catachans as sergeants in some of his vet squads, started off because of a lack of models but it really grew on us. They had a really bad ass mofo leading some fresh fracerd newbies into battle.


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## Uber Ork (Aug 23, 2010)

shaantitus said:


> The thing is the different types can be well used to show the differences between your kinds of troops. Catachans allways look good as vets. Obviously not as carapace vets but a bunch of catachans look tough as nails. Harker is a catachan and he is set up for use in vet squads. That way you can use the cadians as the run of the mill troops.


This is what I was going to say. Catachans have always had that "specialized" feel to them, and indeed when they were developed they were specialized (fighting on jungle type death worlds). Cadians, on the other hand, have always represented the average military unit.

Vets, often having special equipment or an unorthodox style of fighting would be quite nicely represented by a Catachan models...


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## VX485 (Feb 17, 2011)

or you could break the norm and go for a collectors edition army


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## the Autarch (Aug 23, 2009)

Go for the armageddon steel legion, they're gonna be my vets as soon as i have 2,000 points and money lol


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

the Autarch said:


> Go for the armageddon steel legion, they're gonna be my vets as soon as i have 2,000 points and money lol


SL are super cool, and what I would have gone for my Vets as well, if I didn't already have 60+ Kasrkin models from my DH army...which I have discontinued.


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## Hammer49 (Feb 12, 2011)

I use catachan models for veterans, and cadians for general troops, to help me distinguish which unit is which. It also makes it more interesting when your painting hordes of infantry to have some different models thrown in.


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## Daemon Child (Apr 12, 2011)

I would go with cadians over catachens because they have more special characters to give the army more power to destroy any opponent at long range while your infantry march forward using any available cover you can and i would advise taking commissars to keep your men from running


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## VX485 (Feb 17, 2011)

I'v got cadians as my general troops, catachans as my vets and i managed to get 20 retro catachans to make penal legion squads


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## Hattoria (Dec 14, 2009)

Well kinda glad this is still open because I have another question.

I know you need a HQ choice and two troop choice for an army list. I am almost sure I know the answer but I need some reassurance.

Command Squad = Platoon Squad Commander?

Also, if I have the command squad in a platoon, do I need another HQ choice since the command squad is listed under troop choice?


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

HQ choice is called a CCS, and the Officer in that is the most senior ranked you have, and is the Company Commander in your list. You don't need a CCS to have a legal list as there's several other HQ choices to choose from.

A PCS is the Commanding Squad of a Platoon but is a Troop choice, and the Officer in that, usually a Lieutenant, is the Commander of your Platoon...a legal Platoon is 1 PCS and a minimum of 2 Infantry Squads. This only counts as a single Troop choice, so you either need to take another of these to have a minimum of 2 Troop choices...or just choose Vets or Penal Legion instead.


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## the-ad-man (Jan 22, 2010)

i think you are misunderstanding the unit entries. the company command squad is the hq option

a platoon command squad is part of a troops option.
a platoon MUST contain a platoon command squad and 2 infantry squads.
the company command squad is entirely seporate from any platoon.

[EDIT] ninja'd by hobo.....


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## Hattoria (Dec 14, 2009)

Yeah I am totally misunderstanding, and still sorta am. I'm a noob when it comes to IG but they interest me a lot so trying to make an army for them

Is it possible I can get a link from gw.com of exactly what I need for platoon squad so I don't accidently buy the wrong thing. These things cost a bit to much to buy the wrong unit I thinks.


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## vulcan539 (May 17, 2010)

Hey Hattoria.I hope I can help your hq/troop question.

Once you get the IG codex this should make a bit of scenes.

HQ section: Company Command Squad. This is a 5 man squad witch includes your company commander and his adverses, bodyguards, etc. It is brought together and counts as one HQ choice on the force organization Chart.
Hears a *link* so you can see the Cadian & Catachain Company Command Squads. There also the Vostroyan Firstborn Command Squad if you scroll down.


Troop section: 
Infantry Platoon. As per IG codex 5th edition pg36:
1 Platoon Command Squad, 2-5 Infantry Squads, 0-5 Heavy Weapons Squads, 0-2 Special Weapon squads, 0-1 Conscript Squad.
Each Infantry Platoon counts as a single troop choice on the force organization chart.

The minimum you need for a Infantry platoon is. 
1x Platoon Command Squad. this is the same box set as the Company Command Squad.

2x Infantry Squads. There are if I remember correctly 8 different box sets. The cheapest are the Cadian and Catichan. 
thou you can get the following. thses are under *collectors* on the gw site
Vostroyan Firstborn, Tallarn, Gaunt's Ghosts[very hard to find the 10 man squad these days, and only the Company Command Squad shown on the GW sites]. Steel Legion,Valhallan and Mordian.


Sum it up, you need to buy the following if you want to base your IG around the infantry Platoon.

3x Any of the Company Command Squad, 4x Any of the Infantry squads


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## Hattoria (Dec 14, 2009)

Got it! Thank you very much and sorry for being a n00b on this subject XD

And thank you everyone for the responses! I'll order the codex next week with a battleforce and work from there.


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## VX485 (Feb 17, 2011)

dw the guard infantry platoon is one of the most confusing troop choices for new players


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## the-ad-man (Jan 22, 2010)

VX485 said:


> dw the guard infantry platoon is one of the most confusing troop choices for new players


here here! the most absolute truth ever spoken haha

tho once you have the codex and have read it a couple of times, it all makes sense. its also a very good system, it allows alot of freedom and customisation of your army 


the battleforce is a brilliant buy for a new guard player (i think ive bought 4 now  )


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## Hattoria (Dec 14, 2009)

I'm quickly learning that XD But hopefully won't be a noob at this for long!

I'll be ordering the codex and the battleforce hopefully next week!

Side note: I haven't painted any human flesh aside the SM captain and that came out looking like he was from the Simpsons, so any advice which color(s) I should get for painting flesh?


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## VX485 (Feb 17, 2011)

Well i like using tallarn flesh foundation paint. it comes up nice and then its as easy as painting another skin tone on top of that helps it come up well.

Also depending on what colour scheme your army is, a citadel wash will make them look much better, especially skin areas


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## Fire Tempered (Dec 16, 2010)

Two flesh colours and Ogryn flesh wash should be enough for a start. You can take tallarn and elf flesh for example. Paint first with darker one, wash it, then highlight.


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## coke123 (Sep 4, 2010)

Ridiculously fast skin tone which gives a pretty good finish- deneb stone with and ogryn flesh wash. Takes no time flat, and for the effort you put in, it's actually a really awesome finish. It's how I did the flesh in my space marine army. If I were to ever play Guard, painting large amounts of infantry, this is most certainly the way I'd do it. The great thing is, it pretty self highlights, and deneb stone will pick up the colour of any wash you apply over it.


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