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I have been looking over my collection, and I would like one "different" tank to use as a command tank in an imperial Guard formation. Basically I would like to have a lower, wider, more modern looking tank that looks like a one-off field conversion for a seasoned tank commander.

Here is what I'd like. Chimera tracks made double wide, Leman Russ Hull, and a Baneblade turret with a Storm bolter instead of the autocannon. This would count as a Leman Russ Vanquisher with a Rough Terrain Modification.

Does anyone forsee any problems with the bits fitting together?

The Baneblade turret is far to large to fit onto the Leman Russ Hull, and the Chimera tracks are to short to fit onto the hull as well.

i use an extra long Leman russ for a command tank, got the ideal from reading the Gaunts Ghost series. they had a description of a armoured company command tank. your gonna need 2 russ chassis...cut the front quarter off one set, and the back off the other and put them together...and presto you have a extra long Russ chassis....room for the commander and a extra Radio officer...

since you want a lower, wider tank, the obvious option would be to turn a Chimera into a Russ. Fluffwise, it would literally be a damaged/spare Chimera which has been up-armoured and up-weaponed (and probably up-engined) by IG engineers. A possible reason for them to have done so would be that the commander wants to use the chimera passenger compartment for a map table or comms equipment or similar

Modellingwise, bulking up the HB mount to become a lascannon mount shouldn't be too hard, ditto for bulking up the turret (or simply use an entire Russ turret?). The lasgun portholes will need filling in somehow - maybe add small round observation hatches/ports to the holes?

But if you want side sponsons, I cant see any easy way to add them, short of major surgery to the hull sides.

I made one of those back in 2nd ed, along with a couple of mates. I think they were called Chimedons (there were three chimera hull tanks in epic. The others being a chimerro and chimerax (had quad autocannons in the turret (more like a ZSU-23-4 than wirbelwind/current AAA IG vehicle)).

The top plate needs some serious mods, but it's easy enough to do if you take your time and work out where the cuts need to be made.

chromedog wrote:I think they were called Chimedons (there were three chimera hull tanks in epic. The others being a chimerro and chimerax (had quad autocannons in the turret (more like a ZSU-23-4 than wirbelwind/current AAA IG vehicle)).

I used the turret from an Abrams tank for the Chimerax. It's a little big on the Chimera body and I wish I'd widened it beforehand, but it still looks great. The Chimedon was really simple requiring only a couple tabs cut into the Chimera's turret slot and a Leman turret.

mars alpha pattern hull with double wide tracks (the lemanruss tracks are the same as chimera)and a vanquisher turret