1996 Imperial Guard Stormtroopers: A Retro Warhammer Kit Worth Revisiting

Introduction

Some miniature kits carry a weight of history that makes them feel special before you even open the box. The 1996 Imperial Guard Stormtroopers are one of those kits. Released during the mid-90s era of Warhammer, these six plastic miniatures have a distinct look that sets them apart from modern releases. They are dystopian, uniform, heavily armed, and about as subtle as a jack boot to the face.

There is something violently pleasing about the old Warhammer boxes. Big fat text, primary colors, saturation, and contrast. The new boxes are cool and dark and gritty, matching the tone of the setting really well, but honestly, this is a work of art. This era of packaging has a charm that is hard to replicate.

What’s in the Box

The kit contains six miniatures, which is a pretty weird number for a squad. Warhammer stuff is usually in squads of five or ten. It is just three sets of the same twin model sprue. The models themselves are absolutely identical, simple four-part models: the body, the weapon (a hot shot lasgun), the power pack for them, and the base.

The mold lines are not that pronounced, which makes cleanup straightforward. However, there is a quirk with the slotta bases: the tolerance is way too tight, and there is no way to get the miniature in without pushing so hard that you risk damaging the mini or the base. A simple solution is to snip the tabs off and glue sand onto the flat surface of the base for that ultimate 90s grassy turf texture.

The Stormtrooper Name

One funny thing about these models is that even though they are called Stormtroopers in English, they are called something else in every other language. In French, they are called “Commandos de Choc Impériaux,” which is just shock troops. In Spanish, they are “Tropas de Asalto de la Guardia Imperial,” which is Imperial Guard shock troopers. In Italian, they are “Truppe d’Assalto,” which is assault troops. And in German, even though the phrase Stormtroopers is literally a German phrase first used in the First World War, they translated it as “Imperiale Garde-Truppen,” which is just a super generic sounding Imperial Guard troops.

For reference, Sturmtruppen weren’t your average troops. They were well-trained, heavily armed, trench clearing, line breaking, and infiltration specialists. Armed to the teeth with automatic weapons, sometimes flamethrowers, grenades for days, and trench clubs. So only the English versions were called Stormtroopers. Everywhere else it got softened, which suggests that someone somewhere thought, “Yeah, maybe let’s not translate that one too literally.” For a setting that is usually incredibly blunt, this feels like one of the few times that Games Workshop actually showed a little bit of restraint.

Painting the Stormtroopers

Painting these miniatures is a journey back in time. The box recommends a specific paint list, and using original 90s paints where possible helps match that classic box art. The process starts with a matte black primer for the Stormtroopers and standard gray for the bases.

The skin tones are built up by mixing snakebite leather and elf flesh together, then using a flesh wash to add depth. The detail on these faces is very shallow and soft, which makes them look a bit like GoldenEye faces, a fun coincidence given these came out the same year as the N64. To give the Stormtroopers a realistic, stubbly look, a tiny touch of gray is added to the flesh tone and carefully stippled onto the jaw area.

The green elements, such as the gun casing and one of the cables on the power pack, are base coated with dark angels green, then highlighted with a mix of dark angels green and snot green, finishing with a thin strip of goblin green. The highlight technique used on the box art models is actually quite modern looking, with intentional edge highlights.

The boots and power pack straps aren’t pure black. They have a little bit of a blue tint to them. Recreating that involves mixing nauseating blue with chaos black for the first pass, then enchanted blue for the brighter highlight points. A rare blue wash from the 90s paint line helps fix any purple tint and makes the whole thing look more subtle.

The metallic parts are fiddly, with lots of little bits to keep neat. A coat of ink armor wash seeks out the recesses better than the traditional armor wash, which dulls everything quite a lot. After the wash stage dries, Mithril silver picks out the highlight points and touches up any areas where the wash had stained parts that should still look shiny.

Blood red base coats the insignia patches, the lenses, and the red cable. Fiery orange adds more saturated highlights to those red parts, and skull white adds the dots of light to the corner of the lenses and paints the lightning bolt insignia on the patches. You can’t get much more on the nose than a white sig rune on a red circle.

Transfers and Bases

The transfer sheets only include white numbers. So instead of doing the white-red semicircular split from the box art, the shoulder patch is left all red so the number shows up properly. Using the tip of a craft knife to position and angle transfers works best, with absolutely no pressure needed.

For the bases, actual goblin green goes all over, then a dry brush of yellow onto the turf. While sunburst yellow is the traditional paint to use, it just doesn’t have the opacity you want. An insane yellow from 1001’s Ultra line works much better, being incredibly vibrant, saturated, and opaque.

Final Thoughts

The finished result is six tiny little Stormtroopers painted up like the box art using mostly retro paints. The process captures a specific moment in Warhammer history, and the models themselves have a distinctive character that modern releases don’t quite replicate.

Whether you are a collector looking to revisit a piece of your childhood or a painter interested in the techniques of the era, this kit offers a rewarding project. The models are simple enough for a relaxed painting session, but the attention to detail required to match the box art keeps things interesting. The 1996 Imperial Guard Stormtroopers are a genuine piece of Warhammer history, and painting them is a satisfying way to connect with that era.