WH40K - Idea for Battlewagon conversion

I've had an idea. I've got the Goffik Rokkers lying around. They are older minis of WH40K Orks, as a band. I think they could 'count as' an Ork Weirdboy - but they would be a bit bigger on the table top than the Weirdboy's standard 25mm base. I've got an unbuilt Ork Battlewagon. And I've got the old bits box...
So, I will put the Rokkers on stage, and put that stage on a tower, and put that on a Battlewagon. Add amps, speakers, Grot roadies, power source of some sort, and I will have a converted, re-imagined Weirdboy Battle Tower.
The tower was originally an Epic piece, and several people have built WH40K scale conversions since then. Mine will be a rock 'n roll one. I might even put an MP3 player and speakers in. Must leave room for battery changes.
Who knows? Maybe the Weirdboy Tower will re-appear if and when the new Ork Codex is released. I hope I make it the right height. Wouldn't want to have an advantage (or disadvantage) if 'the real thing' was released as a model!

WH40K - Battlewagon with KillKannon finally painted (and photographed)

Some photos taken on my phone, of the Battlewagon with BFG. I used paint markers to pick out the glyphs, and some of the weathering. I also drybrushed a lot of Citadel Bolt Gun Metal and Tin Bitz to make the armour and working parts look worn. Lastly I sprayed Tamiya Light Sand to make the chassis and wheels look dusty. I was a bit heavy handed with the last part, but I won't bother repainting. The wagon just drove through a big muddy puddle before the photo was taken!

WH40K - Ork Battlewagon with KillKannon, a bit of paint and a lot of salt

I started painting the Battlewagon with Kill Kannon, as follows:

- undercoat of Citadel Black spray

- coat of Mr Hobby 'Steel' spray

- coat of Tamiya 'Light Gun Metal' spray

- first ever attempt at using salt to part mask a metal colour, and have paint chips when the next colour goes on

- coat of Tamiya 'Dark Red' spray.

I left the model overnight to dry between colours. I used the two metallic colours because I wanted to come up with a method for painting a vehicle quickly, but with some depth. I am never going to produce a Golden Demon level paint job, but I am happy with the way these toys look at arm's length, on the table top.

As it happens, I overdid the salt (dabbing on water and sprinkling salt) and it only stuck well to the top of the model. I let that dry and sprayed with the red colour. Once that was dry, I scrubbed off the salt, revealing worn 'metal'. It looks like the Orks have been stomping up and down the roof of their car with steel boots on, which they probably have. Next time I might salt the top surface, wait until that dries, and then do each side in succession. However, I am going to have a bit of a bash with more gun metal (actually GW Bolt Gun Metal) and an old tank brush. That should even things up. Then weathering with paint marker pens and a very light spray of Tamiya 'Light Sand'.

WH40K - Ork Battlewagon with KillKannon

Another project which is taking a looong time from impulse buy to playable model: a KillKannon armed Battlewagon. (Orks are strong advocates of the BFG. They also approve heartily of More Dakka.)

I have made some minor conversions on the hull, adding a few glyph plates, some height to the uprights on the rear deck and closing up the cabin with various spare bits. Most of the work was put into the turret. I used polystyrene tubing for the barrel and mounted that on the gun that comes with the kit. The rear half of the turret is made from the sides of a spare turret, taken from another battlewagon kit. 

The gun barrel is much larger than the one supplied with the Deff Rolla sprue (extra bits that you can buy from GW or some games shops.) I think it is also a bit smaller than the resin Supa Kannon from Forge World, but it would probably be acceptable to represent that weapon in an Apocalypse game.

When I put the turret on the vehicle, it looked like it was just sitting there. So, I used some leftover parts of the turret to make a sort of basket. I also used one of the 'boarding ramp' pieces to make a ladder on the basket. It would be a tight squeeze for an Ork but I figure that the gun is operated by Grots.

WH40K - Idea for Ork Warboss Battlewagon

I have stalled in building and painting my Ork Battlewagons, for a couple of reasons. One is that I decided to paint the interior before completing construction, so there aren't any unpainted areas visible when the model is finished. That is enough of a reason to make the cars 'open topped' as per the game rules - so I can stop building them, paint them up and get them on the tabletop already.
So, it occurred to me that I should make a flashy Battlewagon for my Warboss - with lots of 'bling'. (Trophies, spikes, chains, enemy heads, etc). I will build this one with an open cabin, so that the Warboss miniature can stand there. I will probably included one or two of his favourite guns, and a driver figure from the Trukk model to do most of the actual driving.

WH40K - Games Workshop Deff Rolla Sprue

Fresh from Issue 47 of the Games Workshop Newsletter:

Incoming! Ork Deff Rolla
Ork Warbosses and Battlewagon krew everywhere have been awaiting the release of the Battlewagon Upgrade Pack since the Battlewagon's release in Janu-Waaargh!-ry - and today at Toronto Games Day, it was finally revealed.Ork Battlewagon Upgrade PackThis new sprue - the first plastic frame to be designed exclusively as a Bitz Pack - includes the mighty Deff Rolla, a lobba, a brutal-looking killcannon and a cheeky Grot rigger. Available to order from the 1st August, make sure you check out the Incoming! article on Monday to see more of this new Bitz Pack.

I think it is a fine construction - certainly a good addition to the Battlewagon kit, and as spiky and dangerous looking as any of the scratchbuilt versions out there. I will be buying one, and finding uses for all the other gubbins that come on the frame. The only concern I have now is that, since building my own version, this one might look a little small.

Ork, Warboss, Battlewagon, Killcannon, Grot, Deff Rolla and pretty much everything else I have written on this post are trademark Games Workshop. Thanks for the cool toys, guys!

WH40K - Ork Flakka Trakk - Some paint and some Krew

I undercoated the Flakka Trakk with Citadel Black spray paint, and then went over it in Tamiya FS-33 Dull Red spray paint.


I made the driver pretty much standard, with a Burna Boy head (I like the goggles) and a gunner from the Trukk box. The Grot riggers are made from the Ork Grot Mob plastic set, with bits added to the weapons to make them look like tools. The cables are twist ties from the backs of toys - the sort that keep the toy attached to the cardboard packaging.




I will make a Mekboss for the top turret - probably holding binoculars or pointing and shouting at incoming aircraft. I also have to do a lot of weathering, dirt and stowage (ammo and jerry cans, mostly).

WH40K - Test Fit of the Deff Rolla

I did some test fitting of the Deff Rolla (Death Roller) I was worried that it would be too big for the Battlewagon. Turns out, it is.

However, with the roof and turret fitted, it starts to look less ludicrous. Orks are many things; subtle is not one of them.

WH40K - Deff Rolla

Every Ork wagon needs one.





The plating came from a variety of sources, including an expired credit card. Some of the hooked spikes are clipped from the power claw of the plastic Warboss.

WH40K - Ork Flakka Trakk

The main body work on the Flakka Trakk is complete. I used most of the hull of the 1/48 KV-1 tank, just gluing it together and sawing it off at the right length. This made the whole car a bit tall, but it looks better in my hand than it does in the photos. I added a couple of cut up deck pieces from the Trukk model at an angle, to give it some bulk and make it look more like an ork construction.

Then I got lazy and made 'baskets' at the back, rather than continue the sloped sides. These can be used for stores or to carry grots. I will probably use the new plastic grots in these, to represent grot riggers.

WH40K - Deff Rolla and Flakk Turret

Work in progress on the Deff Rolla (Death Rolla) attachment for the Battlewagon:

As I mentioned, I have cut the original rolla into three sections, shorter than the original. I inserted two disks cut from scrap plastic. (The disks were cut with clippers to make a cog/saw blade shape).

Here's the turret for the Flakka Trakk.

It is made from a 1/48 model kit of a KV-1 tank (the WW2 Russian tank with an absurdly large turret), pieces of brass tube and spare bits of plastic, including the aerating tube from an aquarium. I decided that building a turret would be simpler than assembling firing mechanisms for four flakka guns. I will add hatches, battle-damage, grot loaders and other details. I still have to figure out how to mount it on the truck bed of the Flakka Trakk vehicle, so that it has some clearance over the cabin.

WH40K - Battlewagon on Wheels

Here's the next Battlewagon. The eight wheeled configuration is supposed to be reminiscent of an ASLAV, Stryker or even a BTR-80.

WH40K - Deff Rolla

A Deff Rolla (Death Roller) is an ork attachment for squashing foes. I found a toy roller which could supply the bits necessary to add a Deff Rolla to a battlewagon or two. A typical Deff Rolla attached to an Ork vehicle can be seen here, at Waaagh Gargunki.

Here's the toy, made by Bruder and bought from the local toy shop for AUD $30.

Bruder Roller toy with GW Ork Nob (Black Reach box set) for size comparison:

Concept comparison - the roller might be a touch too big for the Battlewagon.

I will add spikes, rivets and other details, so if I decide the parts are too big, I might saw the roller into two or three parts, cut out a short section and glue it together around some 'saw blade' shapes:

WH40K - Searchlight

This is the AFV Club 1/35 searchlight - or Flakscheinwurfer according to the box. It is a detailed model kit of a WW2 German searchlight but I intend to build it as an Imperial Guard emplacement. It may be a freestanding model, or I may put it on a small diorama base as an objective.

Here's a review of the kit from the Perth Military Modelling Club.

It cost about AUD $30 from a local toy shop, which is comparable to Forgeworld Sabre Platform searchlight kit in resin. (GBP 17.60 or about AUD $35 at the time I write this, plus postage.) The Sabre Platform can be found on this page; pics of that kit on various vehicles are here.

Note: I first read the box label as "Flakschweinwurfer" which I took to mean "Antiaircraftpigthrower" or somesuch. The sentiment seemed appropriate.

WH40K - Trukk and Battlewagon Wheels

There is a slight difference between the large wheels that come with the Battlewagon and the Trukk model kits. They are not quite the same in each kit. Both have the 'round' and 'square' style wheels, but the rear axles on the trukk are a tiny bit smaller than the ones on the battlewagon. Also, the battlewagon wheels have a bit of a raised rim on the inside of the wheel, where the axle goes. This means that the battlewagon wheels are a little loose if they go on the truck, or the trukk wheels are a little difficult to put on the battlewagon axles. This shouldn't be a challenge for even an amateur conversion - just use some imagination and your hobby knife... carefully!

WH40K - Flakka Trakk (and new Trukk)

Here's the Flakka Trakk so far:



It comprises the track units and rear bed of the battlewagon, joined to the cabin and front wheels of the trukk. Wheel arches and front pieces come from the old plastic war buggy set.





The 'chassis rails' that join the two structures are from the straights and L-pieces in the modular movement tray set. Fuel tank is from the Imperial Guard vehicle accessory sprue. (The wheels and tracks aren't glued on; I will paint the body before attaching them.)



The trukk has been built pretty much out of the box, but with a lot of the spiky bits clipped off. The truck-bed sides from another trukk kit have been cut down to close in the truck bed a bit more. The gaps in the piece behind the cabin have been covered with Forgeworld ork glyphs and pieces of strip styrene.