Dust Warfare: Axis Heavy Walker conversion

Is an experimental Heavy Laser Walker being tested by Axis forces? Allied intelligence speculates that if this walker is fielded it will be designated Schwer Panzer Kampflaurer VI-LX and take the name "KonigsWotan". An unofficial nickname is "Languste".

First pics of my converted Heavy Laser Walker, using the Axis Heavy Walker and the weapons from the Axis Laser bunker. When I posted pics of the test model (bottom of this post) on a Dust Tactics group in Facebook, people suggested it needed something behind the main hull, to give it 'weight'. I cut into the rear of the hull and added the larger round base from the laser bunker, with a Lego radar dish underneath and some plastic piping inside to make it look like some sort of particle accelerator. The rest of the walker is a pretty straightforward mix of parts from the two main sets. The silver pipes are also Lego, pinned in place with bits of paperclip. There are still gaps where I cut into the hull but with the weapons in place they aren't very noticeable, so I just left them. A good paintjob should hide any sins!

First test model (held together with Blu-Tak), with the Laser Cannon attached to the ammo hopper piece from the "KönigsLuther" walker. I thought this looked more solid and warlike.

Second test model, also held together with Blu-Tak. This has the laser cannon mounted on the parts from the Laser Bunker set. I thought this looked meaner and more agile but it needed something at the back, like a power generator to balance it.

WH40K - Deadly Death Raider... of Deadly Death!!!

The Deadly Death Raider. A Games Workshop Land Raider with extra bits from Scibor Monstrous Miniatures (the rectangular and other panels) , Chapterhouse Studios (the side and front doors), Renedra (the grave markers) and assorted bits (mostly GW, random resin and styrene skulls, plus some cheap chain.)

Paint:
Sprayed in Citadel black, then Tamiya Black, then weathered with Tamiya Desert Tan (very light spray), bit of dry brushing, some silver marker pen, some actual dirt, a Tamiya weathering pencil rubbed on to some sponge and dabbed across the body, and finished with Tamiya flat clear spray.

WH40K - Orkspendables Trukks

After a long gap, here are the Ork Trukks inspired by the vehicles in Expendables 2, or as I call them:
Da Orkspendables.

They started with the Trukk chassis plus resin wheels from Kromlech. The 4 x 4 chassis were cut down, and all of them were slightly rebuilt to keep all the wheels level (theoreticaly. The trukks wobble a bit on the ground.) The bodies are mostly bits out of the bits box. I added the Ork Warbikes to give the trukks that 'Long Range Recon' look, and to make the 4 x 4 variants a bit longer, so they are about the same size as a standard Trukk in the game. The bikes are stock, with some bits trimmed off to make them a bit lighter. These are sneaky Blood Axe Orks, not yahoos like the rest of them.

I haven't decided whether to paint them maroon to match the rest of the army, or sandy coloured to make them look like the movie. Either way, the paintwork will be very 'bashed up'. I know that I have left the drivers in which will make them harder to paint, but I wanted to see what the whole vehicles looked like rather than build sub-assemblies and glue them together later. Either way, I will paint to tabletop standard, not GD winner so it won't be that much of a hassle. Also, it looks like it would be hard to fit 12 boyz (or 6 Mega Armoured Nobz) in those trukks, but they just hang on as best they can.

WH40K - Orkspendables Trukks - Chassis

The usual slow progress on my Orkspendables Converted Trukks. I ordered some resin wheels from Kromlech's eBay store, so I haven't bothered with the Ork wheels yet. I never really liked the 'nailed on armour plating' look that the GW wheels have, although if the undamaged Kromlech wheels look too neat, I might consider their 'Raider' wheel sets.

Ork Trukk chassis with middle axle and suspension removed. 

So, I built the chassis of one Trukk in the regular way, with axles for six wheels and cut the middle axle part from the chassis of the two other trucks, gluing the ends back on. The white square was just a piece of scrap styrene that happened to be the right size to reinforce the join where the cut was a bit wobbly. (It's not just parts that go into the bits box. Offcuts and scraps can also be useful!)

Another Ork Trukk chassis given the 'cut and shunt' treatment.

I also raised the rear suspension of all these vehicles with some bits of plastic, to make them a little higher off the ground than regular Trukks. This will give them more of a Kustom feel, if only by about 4mm. It also allows me to use large wheels all the way around them, rather than small ones at the front.

The cut out suspension areas make the two 4x4 Trukks much shorter than the original, which isn't really fair for the tabletop if I want these to be played as regular Trukks. However, the Secret Ingredient I will add to each trukk should bring the length back to 'regulation'. I am also tempted by a few other bits in my bits box which aren't really on the movie trucks, but would probably look good on these vehicles. We shall see!

WH40K: Even More Dakka on the Dakkajet!

The rest of this kit has been built straight from the box. However, I used a lot of the optional pieces, to maximise the number of guns and bombs this contraption will carry. It's not in accordance with the rules for the model in the game, but it is the way my Orks would go!

The vertical stabilisers on the tail are from old Ork War Trukk kits, and the lower stabilisers on the wings are from the Tau Skyray variant of the Devilfish/Hammerhead kit. I also assembled the ork pilot and Grot gunner, a gun turret, and assorted missiles and bombs, but I will paint those separately. The tan coloured rocket pods are from an old robot model kit that a friend threw into my bits box. I also changed the 'anchor' at the back of the plane for a double chain axe head. The pilot thinks it is funny when that digs into the runway or whatever is on the ground during one of his flybys.

Planned paint scheme will be metallic grey or silver all over, for that classic 1950s look, with dark red highlights on areas like the stabilisers to match the rest of my Ork forces. If I can be bothered, I will add suitable nose art. Any suggestions?

WH40K: Deadly Deathraider... Of Death.

I am building a Space Marine Landraider with a sort of Angel of Death theme. I am using resin add-on bits from a number of companies. I still have to add weapons, tracks and hatches, and possibly some chains.

The rectangular slabs and the odd shaped panels at the front are from Scibor Miniatures. I added some styrene strips to blank off the sides of the 'slabs' over the front tracks. They aren't very even now, but I will file them down. I want to paint them to look like stone, so a few rough edges will be acceptable.

The Landraider doors, front and sides are from Chapterhouse Studios.

I also used some tombstones (in polystyrene) from Renedra, leftover from a graveyard terrain piece I have been making for Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and there are also a few bits from the bits box. (Skulls!)

The plan for painting is basic black with the decorations picked out in stone and bone. This vehicle should be suitable for the infamous Legion of the Damned.

WH40K: Puppetswar Big Gun

Big Momma gun add-on kit from Puppetswar.eu

Another conversion/add on for a Warhammer 40,000 vehicle model, this time from Puppetswar. They are another Polish creator of resin miniatures and accessories. These Poles certainly know how to make a nice wargaming product!

All aboard the Warbus!

I really like their Ork style Warbus, but I plumped for the Big Momma cannon, because I had a spare Rhino in the stash, and the Mekboss in me likes really big guns.

The main piece is a single mould of the big gun and front/top armour, which can be glued straight on to the top of the Rhino kit. (You need both sides, all the floor pieces, the top piece, the rear hatch and the tracks from the original kit. You will also need a hatch, the headlights and any accessory pieces such as badges that you want to add.)

There is also a rear piece with fans moulded on it - this goes directly over the rear door of the Rhino. There is a dozer blade (very large), an ammunition crane, and four ammunition pieces.

In the pictures you can see some brass bits and bobs which I added, partly to hide some gaps, and partly just for decoration. I also used brass tube to extend the crane. I just wanted to strengthen the crane pieces and decided to make it taller.

I realised that, unlike the Vindicator, which this resembles (but much bigger gun - some sort of envy, perhaps?) there is no driver hatch or vision slits. So I added a couple of pieces from the bits box to represent sensors for the driver, who presumably is watching a screen to steer this thing. I also put a spare eagle on top of the gun, for martial decoration.

That dozer blade is huge.

Puppetswar sells it and a similar piece separately as the 'War Plows'. It it would be a wonderful cow catcher for the armoured train I am going to build (one day).