All the best Imperial Guard miniatures alternatives out there compared to Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40k models for your army.
Ready to bulk up your Astra Militarum ranks without breaking the bank or waiting for restocks? You’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re looking at the best Imperial Guard alternative miniatures, showcasing some of our favorite picks from a variety of awesome companies.
But don’t just take our word for it; each of these manufacturers has a ton of models beyond what we can show here, so if a particular style catches your eye, be sure to follow the links in the headers to explore their full ranges!
And hey, this list is by no means exhaustive; it’s just the best we have seen so far. Got a favorite spot for snagging some killer Imperial Guard alternatives? Hit us up and share the wealth! We’re always on the lookout for more great finds!
These Imperial Guard Alternatives Make Your Armies Stand Apart!
Updated on March 24, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest details and companies. Every qualifying purchase helps Spikey Bits keep the lights on and the fun going.
Best Imperial Guard Alternatives By Regiments
If you’re in the market for just one particular Imperial Guard regiment, here are our choices for the best alternatives for each look. However, we’ll also include a list of the best companies below, where you can browse what your favorite designers have to offer.
Armageddon Steel Legion
- Wargames Atlantic – Plastic, affordable, and you get twenty-four troops. That said, they are chunkier than the source material, lack bases, and read more like armored Cadians than true Steel Legion.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Plenty of options, and some of the closest bits you will find. Use the hybrid torso if you want the hose and respirator look. Custom squad, command, and heavy team builders are also available.
- Reptilian Overlords – STL only, but licensed physical printers are available.
- Cults3D – Very close to the proper helmet style. For the best head selection, grab the Heavy Battery Team, too.
- Anvil Industries – Tons of customization, though a perfect Steel Legion head is harder to pin down. Their stahlhelm gas mask set gets pretty close, even if one head has that odd fin on top.
- Tiny Legend – Excellent Steel Legion heads that are very close to the real deal.
- Games Workshop – Official Krieg kits can be kitbashed into Steel Legion with some cutting and green stuff.
- Victoria Miniatures – Head options only, and they do not offer a no-goggles version.
- Pig Iron Productions – Old reliable if you want metal heads and bits that feel close to Steel Legion, though there is no no-goggles option here either.
- RedMakers on MyMiniFactory – A reimagined Steel Legion line with lots of optimized STL support and plenty of licensed printers.
- MyMiniFactory – Tons of unit variety in STL form, and a multipart kit is supposed to be on the way. The monopose version looks good, but again does not have a goggles-down option.
Vostroyan Firstborn
- Anvil Industries – Tons of custom options, with bearskin heads that fit the Vostroyan vibe surprisingly well.
- Wargames Atlantic – These are technically French-inspired, but they land close enough to the Napoleonic Russian and Tsarist feel to work. Plastic is a big plus, and the gas mask head option helps.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Loads of options, custom builders, and some very faithful bits. The proportions are a little chunky, but the look is still close.
- Puppets War – Good head options, though the scaling runs a bit larger than standard Cadians or Krieg.
- Thingiverse – Close-looking STL heads for Vostroyan conversions.
- Cults3D – Free STLs with separate heads, though the proportions are on the clunkier side.
- The Makers Cult – Similar to the source material, but blockier in style. STL only, and there are no licensed printers listed.
- MyMiniFactory – A reimagined Vostroyan-style option from a respected STL creator with solid optimization and licensed printer support.
- Liber Daemonica – A decent reimagining of the Vostroyan look, though it drifts a bit too far from the classic steampunk style.
Death Korps of Krieg
- Victoria Miniatures – Very faithful to the Krieg aesthetic, but a little pricey for a full army.
- Anvil Industries – Tons of custom choices and builder tools. Their Adrian helmet with gas mask works nicely, while the stahlhelm gas mask options skew a little more Steel Legion.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Lots of bits, lots of options, and some very faithful parts, though the proportions are still a little chunky.
- Games Workshop – The official Krieg kits are right there if you want the real thing.
- MyMiniFactory – Close to Krieg visually, sold as STLs, with licensed printers usually available on Etsy.
- Wargames Atlantic – Good plastic proxies, though they lean a little too hard into the French vibe and can start looking Vostroyan-adjacent.
- Tiny Legend – A lot of Krieg-related resin parts and conversion kits. Their quality looks right up there with GW.
- RedMakers on MyMiniFactory – Highly optimized STLs from a respected creator, with good pose variety and a strong Krieg look.
- The Makers Cult – Fairly close to Krieg, but with a different helmet and gas mask style. STL only, with licensed printers often showing up on Etsy.
- Liber Daemonica – Detailed head sprues that nail the Krieg mood without being a straight copy.
Tallarn Desert Raiders
- Victoria Miniatures – Very faithful Tallarn-style minis, but expensive.
- Anvil Industries – Tons of customization, though their Tallarn-style head options are not the strongest fit. The turban heads still get the point across.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Huge range, good custom builders, and some of the most faithful Tallarn-style bits around, even if the proportions are a little clunky.
- Bits of War – Solid Tallarn alternatives, though the gas masks pull them away from the classic look.
- Cults3D – STL heads that look very close to Tallarn Desert Raiders.
- Wargames Atlantic – Afghan-inspired STL heads that work nicely for Tallarn conversions.
- Reptilian Overlords – A detailed reimagining of the Desert Raiders look, sold as STLs.
Mordian Iron Guard
- Victoria Miniatures – A faithful take on the old Mordian aesthetic, though the price is up there.
- Anvil Industries – Tons of options, especially if you want parade caps or field caps for that dress-uniform feel.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Plenty of good bits and custom builders, with some of the closest options to the source material despite slightly clunky proportions.
- Games Workshop – You can get surprisingly far kitbashing Mordians using the cap-wearing heads in the Cadian Shock Troops kit.
- Wargames Atlantic – A good plastic proxy option, though they start looking more Praetorian than Mordian in some builds.
- Cults3D – A decent, realistic-style proxy with lots of head options, though it leans a little away from the classic exaggerated 40k style.
Praetorian Guard
- Anvil Industries – Tons of custom options, and the pith helmet heads are the obvious draw here.
- Victoria Miniatures – Very faithful to the classic Praetorian style, but not cheap.
- Wargames Atlantic – A strong plastic proxy option that gets the job done without much fuss.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Tons of bits and custom builds, with some of the most faithful options despite slightly clunky proportions.
- Cults3D – A decent proxy that leans a little more Mordian overall, but the pith helmet head options keep it in the conversation.
- Reptilian Overlords – A high-quality STL builder with plenty of parts and flexibility.
- Liber Daemonica – Head sprues that are a detailed reimagining of the Praetorian look and fit the theme well.
Valhallan Ice Warriors
- Anvil Industries – Tons of options and loads of customization. Their custom squad, heavy team, and specialist builders make life easier, and the ushanka and pilotka heads are a great fit for the Valhallan look.
- Victoria Miniatures – Very faithful to the classic source material, but a little pricey for a full army.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Huge range of options and some of the most faithful bits out there. Their proportions can feel a little clunky, but they also offer custom squad, command, and heavy team builders.
- Warlord Games – These are true scale 28mm instead of heroic scale, so they run smaller than your average 40k mini. Still, you get forty plastic models, but you’ll have to do some conversion work (they don’t have las guns), so it’s up to you.
- Reptilian Overlords – STL only, but there are licensed printers out there selling physical versions.
- Artel W – Resin only and not cheap, but the quality and detail are both very strong. They also make tons of awesome character proxies.
- MyMiniFactory – This links to a specific product that works great for Valhallans, but MMF has so many files that you can find almost any regiment on there.
Salvar Chem-Dogs
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Lots of options and builder support, even if the proportions stay a little chunky.
- Victoria Miniatures – A faithful grimy-uniform look, though the price tag is not exactly small.
- MyMiniFactory – STL upper bodies that fit the Chem-Dog look pretty well. Great detail overall, though the heads and necks are a little odd.
- Tiny Legend – Near one-to-one Chem-Dog-style heads, which makes them one of the better niche options on the list.
Catachan Jungle Fighters
- Wargames Atlantic – Physical plastic kits based on the Reptilian Overlords Spacenam line. A very solid choice if you want that over-the-top jungle fighter look in easy-to-work-with plastic.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Tons of options and custom builders, though the proportions can still feel a bit clunky.
- Anvil Industries – Lots of useful customization, plus jungle fighter heads and even a Catachan-themed commissar.
- Reptilian Overlords – STL version of the Spacenam line, if you want to print your own.
- Games Workshop – The official Catachan kit is still hanging around if you want the classic plastic route.
Elysian Drop Troops
- Reptilian Overlords – STL heads that fit the airborne look, with licensed printers selling physical versions.
- Cults3D – Close-looking Elysian STLs, with licensed printers often available on Etsy.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – A lot of useful options for building your own airborne force, with the same slightly clunky proportions as usual.
- Anvil Industries – Plenty of custom bits, and the Council Marine helmet works well enough for an Elysian-style conversion.
Tanith First and Only
- Victoria Miniatures – Very faithful to the Tanith look.
- Tiny Legend – Great source for cloaks and hoods if you want that sneaky forest-ghost style.
- Anvil Industries – Camo cloaks plus long and short hair head options make this one a natural fit for Tanith conversions.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Custom builders and faithful bits make them useful here too, even if the proportions are not perfect.
- Cults3D – A strong multipart STL kit that gets very close to the Tanith source material. The same creator also makes a Commissar Gaunt proxy.
Cadians
- Victoria Miniatures – Very close to the classic Cadian look.
- Cults3D – Similar to old-school Cadians, but a little too skinny and STL only.
- Wargames Atlantic – Technically sold as Steel Legion-ish troops, but they can pass for Cadians pretty easily with the unmasked head options. Plastic helps a lot.
- Anvil Industries – Tons of customization, and the PASGT helmet or other sci-fi helmet options make them easy to tune toward a Cadian look.
- RedMakers on MyMiniFactory – A reimagined Cadian-style range with good optimization and lots of licensed printer support.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Lots of faithful bits and good builder tools, even if the proportions run a little clunky.
- Reptilian Overlords – A high-quality STL builder with lots of modular options for making your own Cadian-like force.
Traitor Guardsmen
- RedMakers on MyMiniFactory – A strong reimagining of Traitor Guard with optimized STLs and plenty of licensed printers selling them.
- Wargames Atlantic – Plastic Traitor Guard are on the way through their Kickstarter project.
- StationForge on MyMiniFactory – Good STL traitor guard options, with plenty of licensed printers and lots of unit variety.
- Reptilian Overlords – Close to renegade guard visually, sold as STLs, and usually available through licensed physical printers. They are also multi-pose, which helps a lot.
- Mad Robot Miniatures – Tons of bits, custom builders, and even some old Rogue Trader-inspired guard proxies for the chaos-curious crowd.
Best 40k Imperial Guard Model Alternatives By Company
All these companies have sized their alternative Imperial Guard models correctly so they can be easily used in games of 40k. Plus, most of these are also cheaper than the GW counterpart, which means you can get an army for less!
If you’re more worried about who’s making your minis, this list is a little easier to navigate than the regiment-by-regiment list above.
Victoria Miniatures
Victoria Miniatures is always coming out with some of the coolest bits and hand-crafted minis on the market. If you’ve been looking for a way to set your army apart, especially the Imperial Guard or any human army, you really need to give them a look. They have everything from custom regiments to Ogres to halflings.
As we said, there is plenty for Imperial Guard players, with both bits and full model kits. Meaning you don’t have to spend as much to upgrade your minis. They have even started selling STLs, so there is something for your printers out there!
Wargames Atlantic
Wargames Atlantic has some incredible models, and their kits are always affordable and full of detail. When we say affordable, we mean it! They often sell minis for about a dollar fifty a piece, meaning you can get some huge regiments of IG without breaking the bank!
Plus, most of their kits are compatible with existing Guard kits, meaning you can just get them and kit-bash for something truly spectacular.
They also started a collab with Reptilian Overlords to bring some of the best Catachan alternatives we’ve ever seen!
Artel W
The hobby maniacs at Artel W always come out with some of the coolest minis on the market! They have a great minis catalog already and are always expanding their line.
Their IG alternatives are a little different from the two above; they have a ton of models that would work perfectly for custom regiments, some well-known ones, and more. However, they really shine through when it comes to characters and special squads. With things like Command Squads, Special weapon squads, and interesting characters.
They also have some great traitor guard minis as well if you want to go that route!
Wargame Exclusive
If you want some expertly designed models, WGE might just be the place to be! They have also been shipping once again, which is awesome, so there are no issues about getting their models.
If you’re looking for DKoK minis, then you really can’t go wrong with them, as they have dozens of units, artillery, and characters in their alternative DKoK line, but that’s not it!
They also have a bunch for other regiments, and over 23 pages of Imperial soldiers!
PGTM Ottomarian Guard
Pop Goes the Monkey is always coming out with some of the coolest minis and bits on the market! They have also recently upgraded to Monkey Resin for their kits so that you can get high-quality resin minis for less. Nothing wrong with saving some cash.
Lore Miniatures
Lore Miniatures has run a few Kickstarters already and specializes in alternative Imperial Guard minis! Now, they even have all their models up on MyMiniFactory with a large number of STL files for everything Guard!
Plus, you can also purchase physical prints of their models as well. So, whether you have a 3D printer or not, you can still get miniatures from them!
The Makers Cult
The Makers Cult is a favorite for those looking to boost their Astra Militarum forces with some seriously impressive alternative miniatures. Specializing in 3D STL files, they offer a vast collection of options for your printing pleasure, from hulking tanks and nimble flyers to gritty infantry and commanding characters. Each file is crafted to a high standard and pre-supported, ensuring that your prints come out just right every time.
Final Thoughts on Alternative Imperial Guard Miniatures
And there you have it: a round-up of some of the best Imperial Guard alternative miniatures for your army! Whether you’re looking to add some unique flavor to your Astra Militarum or simply want to explore new options beyond the official range, these companies probably have whatever it is you’re searching for.
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