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I think it's absolutely gorgeous! Magnificent Job Klaus! What's next?

First project of 2013 finished - on to the next, shall we?


This new project was in the back of my mind for quite some time now (end of March), since I came across this image on the Facebook page of HobbyShopLebanon, which has some excellent research photos - especially on the war in Syria (I can highly recommend them, if you're interested in wear and tear and weathering).
According to "Military in the Middle East" it depicts a Yemenite T-62 returning from a successful operation.


I'm not really sure what exactly strikes me in this image, but I knew I had to build a diorama from it.
While still working on the "Dr. Nork" diorama I spent considerable "brain time" on this new project, which I named "The Victors".
My version shall depict the return of a Dencaran tank from a successful operation against the Stachelnschweinz Orks, maybe even with a captured Ork, walking behind the tank? They will be on a victory parade through the streets of Xanthium (I won't add any bystanders, but hopefully the poses will show them waving and greeting at the populace....)

So I looked at my available tank designs and stumbled onto an old project of mine from January 2008 - the Actros.


The Actros was to be a family of 3 vehicle types based on the same chassis. One was a standard tank, one a recovery vehicle and one a tank destroyer. I still had the 3 hulls in my cabinet and when examining them I realized the tank design no longer fits the Dencaran style.
But the TD!
The basic shape is very Jagdpanther inspired, and I hope my model will look just as cool


Instead of casting customized stuff, I decided to use more existing WH40K pieces than usual. So I'm using the GW roadwheels mounted in pairs.
Together with the GW tracks it looks rather decent.


And with the superstructure I can see the "shape of things to come" - and I'm rather pleased.
To keep the vehicle within the 40K and Dencara environment, I added track skirts.


To complete the basic layout, I had to create a gun.
As a potent tank destroyer it needs a big gun


For the detailing of the gun I cut several strips of thin 0.25mm plasticard, which I wrap around the basic gun tube.
With this one can easily create wonderful main guns
This baby is very similar to the guns used on the HERCULES.


With rivets, compared to a standard Guardsman.


In another step I added four exhausts to the rear - a powerful engine
At this stage the AKTROS looked like this.


Please bear in mind that all this was done over the course of 4 days - and my wife is on a short trip, so I was able to constantly work on this baby
No magic at all.

The next morning I add more details.
Since I want to call this TD the "Nachtmahr" (Nightmare), it will be a special night fighting version of the AKTROS. For the night sight equipment I looked at the old German UHU and FALKE infra-red equipment.
The gun also received an IR spotlight.


Ah, there is no better sound than that of a rivet gun in the morning *chuckle*
As proud member of the "League of Extraordinary Riveters" my vehicle needs a good amount of rivets.



Together with the other details such as these spare road wheels


or extra track sections.


But this scene needs soldiers!
So here are my IG trooper bits aligned, together with a Commissar, fresh out of the Simple Green bath....


I always loved this one pose found in many WWII images of the tank commander in his hatch.


One of the guys will be sitting on the bow gunners hatch, one leg dangling down.


Another will be standing on the rear deck - he will be holding a large standard (flag). Another soldier on foot will accompany the vehicle through the streets (or the victory parade)

Speaking of the standard.
I have prepared this flag already a week ago from thin 0.25mm plasticard. And I designed the flag already, so it was rather easy to add the design to the plasticard.


Remember the Commissar that just had a stripping bath?
Well, I thing he will lead the parade, goose stepping in front of the Nachtmahr - lol.


I love the idea
So the metal Commissar had to say farewell to his lower body via the means of a mean saw.
Checking through my bits box, I realized that Dencaran Guardsmen seem to live very dangerously, as I had many individual legs or lower bodies with just one leg. Hmm, many amputations on Dencara, I guess.
The first rough assembly of the parts seem to capture the pose rather well


While these pieces cured I finished the Guardsman sitting on the side of the AKTROS, and pinned the other two Guardsmen standing on the rear deck.
- Please be aware the original post on my blog contains 62 images with many more details -
Head over to Dei Greci to see them all
Well, this is as far as I got.
So, what do you think of this new project?
I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.
Cheers
Klaus

Oh WOW! This is Amazing Klaus! I've always Loved the idea of a tank loaded with riders! The Goose-stepping is amazing as well!

Nice progress Klaus! looks excellent and will be a little different than your normal stuff! that last diorama with Dr Nork was so good and quite a firefight with the IG that you pulled off perfectly!

 Klaus, not Santa wrote:


Ah, there is no better sound than that of a rivet gun in the morning *chuckle*
As proud member of the "League of Extraordinary Riveters" my vehicle needs a good amount of rivets.

A wise man indeed!

Love all the little details, including the engine bay and vents, but shouldn't you have painted inside there before sticking the top on?
Good job on the posing as well.

indeed.... indeed....you do make us all proud again...and again to have you amongst us rivet crazy fellas...

man... that is some barrel of a gun...






love the conversion of your commissar... a bit heretic to cut him up but you came up smelling of roses indeed^^... brilliant idea ...

that new project for sure is a new shiney star on the dakka broadway!

Thanks Vik!

*bows*

Hi all,

today's update is mainly around the soldiers accompanying the Nachtmahr.
However, here is one image from the Dr. Nork diorama I didn't want to hold back, as it shows the colors of the scene very well I think.


This here is one of the soldiers walking besides the tank.
He's obviously wounded, but still fit and happy enough to show the Victory sign with his right hand.


I also mounted the standard to the flag bearer.


In the meantime I prepared the base with instant plaster.
I use this plaster, since I know that it cracks up while drying - giving it the ancient look I want.


I will later scribe it to look like a cobblestone road.


I think I mentioned it previously that I want to have an captured Ork tied to the rear of the tank.
I used this model since it is rather bare and tiny, combined with the larger head, he looks a bit strained and starving.
But still energetic enough to snarl his defiance to the audience...


The flag bearer is raising his fist in triumph


The driver is limited to his controls - ensuring not to roll over the goose stepping Commissar in front of the Nachtmahr.


The commander, cool and in control.


The loader also makes a (very limited) appearance and waves at the crowd.


And the group shot


Compared to the original


Tonight will be Commissar time.
I have to cleanup his boots and sculpt the coat.
If the plaster is completely cured, I can start on scribing the cobblestones (oh, sore fingers lie ahead...)
I hope you like today's update.
Cheers
Klaus

Love the ork dio. Great subtle touches an d I am a huge fan of rappelling troops. The touch of the timer in the background being at 007 is an excellent nod

All around great paint job especially the gun flares and the osl.

Is this new project for the brothers in arms competition?

The barrel is phallic-tastic! You work very quickly Klaus!!

Klaus, where are the shoulder tassels from on the tank commander? I haven't seen them before and they look flexible. I don't do a lot with guard so it might be a very common piece?

Hi Theophony,
I created them myslef with Greenstuff (well actuall ProCreate, but it's the same).
I used the "pipe Tool" (links below) for the structure.
http://fromthewarp.blogspot.de/2011/12/review-green-stuff-industries-tentacle.html
http://fromthewarp.blogspot.de/2011/12/review-masq-mini-ultimate-tube-tool.html

Instead of a crowd cheering them on, maybe 1 or 2 pressphotographers to take pics for the "Daily Dencaran" or something

you are still making quick progress here... your wife still absent?

one question... why is that one headlight on top broken? is that planned?

the shoulder of the commander looks really cool...

victory signing fingers... raised fist and the lil ork all are cool looking details...

i asked in my thread if you could maybe point out where you made a banner from scratch? as you mentioned these should definatly be included to my fortress......thanks in advace!

One issue with the new diorama is that imperial doctrine for war against the ork is to destroy and burn all orks (unless your trading with them on the side cough *bloodaxe* Cough.... so the prisoner should really be a pile of ashes somewhere to stop the spread of spores which orks grow from.

aside from that it looks great

Love this thread with all myself

The "Elric" paint on the tank made me go back ten years and I picked up the book again after I've seen It, Thanks

@Mullet: Maybe they're on their way to an Ork burning party!

The speed that you're getting through that build is staggering! Great planning is making for an exceptional job on this one.

 mars2024 wrote:
@Mullet: Maybe they're on their way to an Ork burning party!

borkbecue

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Yeah, fluff-wise my dios often make no real sense, but yeah, fresh from the battlefield and on to the central marketplace to have a Orkbecue

@Vik - what exactly are you looking for in regards to banners?
Cardboard- http://fromthewarp.blogspot.de/search/label/cardstock
Plasticard - http://fromthewarp.blogspot.de/2011/07/flesh-tearer-banner-bearer-how-to.html
Samples - http://fromthewarp.blogspot.de/p/resources.html
Latin Phrases - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_phrases_full
?

The banner used in this dio was created from very thin 0.25mm plasticard, which I bent into shape - it helps to use your breath to warm it up a bit (maybe taking a swig of hot tea first?). For the basic "flow" of the flag I used this image of the Joan d'Arc staqtue in Paris


I hope this helps a bit - if not, keep asking

Last night I began to sculpt the longcoat for the Commissar.


Still needs many details and the right shoulder area needs cleanup.


But the pose comes together nicely now.


While the coat cured, I started on the road.


First I did a final positioning check to see where all the protagonists will be


to determine where to draw any ornaments.


Then I started to scribe the cobblestone pattern into the plaster


After that I drew the first ornament - a stylized Griffin -


and scratched it into the plaster

The other end of the road received the lower part of a skull (nothing spectacular)

Last thing yesterday night was to place every piece in its final position,







You may have realized that there are no heads on the troopers yet.
The reason is that I waited for a delivery by Mad Robot Miniatures.
It just arrived!
So with any luck I will be able to select heads tonight (I have art class though, so not sure how much time I'll have).

SDKFZ on Warseer was inquiring about the camo pattern I plan to use on the Nachtmahr.
My initial plan was to use the standard Dencara Tiger Flash, like on the HERCULES, but there are also suggestions for a parade paint job (like on the ZEUS), or a more sinister, dark "Night Camo".
I found this "Fiddler" on CMON by Darkmessiah and I could envision this camp pattern for the Nachtmahr.

What do you guys think?
Cheers
Klaus

oh....my cup overflows....many thank yous klaus! eaxactly what i was looking for and even more of that!!! ... you are a cornucopia of awesomeness!

now after having smeard hiney all around you... here comes a bit of sourness

as much as i like your goosestepping commissar... the gun is first: hold wrong... the hand should rest under and around the stock:





and it should definatly not be hold by the stock in the current fashion... also... i would totally skip the gun... maybe go for a sabre instead?

as for the look of the tank... i wuld rather see a similar parade scheme like the herc... much better to tub it in that they captured and defeated these orks...

and have those cords where the ork is tied to tied to a hook rather than around the exhausts? looks a bit too foolish for me...

and...funny you used the joan d´arc statue... i didn´t knew that one at all but it took me one second from just seeing the banner to think... oh... that must be her...^^

Hey Vik,
glad I was able to help
The cable from the Ork is tied around 2 hooks between the exhausts (open your eyes! ).
I get you on the rifle for the commisar....hmm...will probably change to sword then, huh?
Thanks
Klaus

*zooooooooooom in*

oh...my bad....

and yeah... sabre, sword... something that says officer... gun says trooper to me^^

Um Vik, I think that you meant to say that you smeared Klaus with honey.

lol... oh... i better say something inteligent now...damn... nothings coming up

latley lots of these kind of typos happening to me...

oh and nice avatar...!

As mentioned yesterday, my order from Mad Robot Miniatures arrived.
I had ordered one set of each
-Beret Heads
-Bald Heads
-Boonie Hats
-Tanker Heads Classic
-Colonial Defense Heads
-Heads with Aviator Sunglasses
-Marine Utility Heads
-Personalities Set


Here you can see a close-up of the Heads with Aviator Sunglasses.
Absolutely sharp details and excellent cast.


The first soldier to get his head was the driver, with a standard Tanker Head.
Perfect fit!


For the TC I selected the Bruce Willis head from the Personalities Set.
Due to the shoulder ornaments, it looks a bit funny - like missing his neck.


A small blob of Greenstuff, sculpted to a scarf solves this quickly.


The flag bearer got a yelling head from the Beret set - fits the pose so naturally, almost like custom made.


The guy with the drink got a head from the Sunglasses set, cool pose, cool head.


The loader got another standard Tanker Head.


This is a standard GW head from the IG Command Squad sprue.


The well known and well used Sergeants head.


Another head from the GW command sprue.


For this wounded soldier the friendly Sunglasses Head was the natural selection


And a Sentinel Pilot's head completes the troop.


The Commissar gave up his rifle (Thanks Vik for the feedback)


The Commissar still needs sculpting work, everything else is now complete.



What do you think of the Commissar? Is the pose proper now with the sword?


Finally I exchanged the wire cable for the Ork with a Greenstuff rope.


I think this is better now.


So, what you you think?
Suggestions, feedback, comments?
Cheers
Klaus

I have to say I really like this Klaus, you churn stuff out so fast I didn't even see you'd started this until now! I actually have something to add for once rather than pure praise, im struggling with the commissar atm, in theory the goosestep is a great idea, but currently the vibe i'm getting is more slipped on a bannana skin and is about to fall on his deriere, (no offence meant of course, it could just be the angle you've photographed him in? Whilst I'm being negative, although i agree with Vik on the sword idea, it currently looks a bbit awkward, maybe a slightly thinner sword resting on the shoulder like the gun was before might look a little less cumbersome? Just my two cents! Otherwise, as always, stunning!

Fantastic! I really love all the V vor Victory fingers up!
I think maybe the Commissar needs a formal Jr. Commissar or Color guard companion..maybe?