Imperial Light Trooper?... Deserter More Likely!

I've decided to take a break from painting my "Very Upset Dwarf" as he is making me very upset. I had forgotten how much i hate painting models with over 50% skin. Its boring and im never happy with the results but ill battle through as i usually do.

Imperial Light Trooper - March 1988 - Citadel

This is the Imperial Light Trooper released in march 1988 by Citadel. I love the simplicity of this miniature. The name for him says trooper but i always saw him more as a downed pilot of some kind or maybe a deserter. He looks alone and vulnerable to me, his face is not one brimming with confidence. Without a doubt he is one of my favourite Rogue Trader era miniatures.

I based him, i must have been happy with the finish.

I had considered stripping this model. Removing the paint job i completed a number of years ago and starting from scratch but i think that makes the whole point redundant. I think that part of the reason for collecting and painting miniatures is to catalogue your own ability and have a visual record of that development. Stripping minis too often wipes that record and i feel you lose the best guide to your own modelling history. Its ok to have a badly painted miniature if the next one is better.

I have no idea why i painted his pack silver?

However, i am not zealous about this at all. I have stripped many miniatures in the past and some were warranted and some i wish i hadn't but its totally down to the individual. I have settled to a point where on occasion its perfectly fine to strip a miniature and start from scratch if you make a mess of the job at the first attempt or you feel a particular model is rare enough that your early attempts dont do it justice. I know i was happy with the finish on this guy at the time and i think thats a good enough reason to keep him the way he is. On a side note.... i can always tell if i was happy with a miniature, i based him and put in some effort.

The full Citadel Release flyer with our guy on the top right. 60p?? what!

I put this miniature up on my old blog but at the time the pictures were very dark and in hindsight i should have waited but my camera EQ wasn't up to the job and this time around my lighting is better. In a way thats improved the look on the paint job 10 fold without dunking him in Nitro Mors.