Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Bored by all the identical Battlewagons out there, I cut my 2 kits in half and made an 8-wheeled Battlewagon. (I will of course next be making a 4 tracked one with the leftovers.) It's all GW bits (some over 10 years old) plus plasticard and tubing. The wheels are NOT finished, otherwise it's pretty much complete. Gameswise, it's a Battlewagon with a killkannon and hard top and reinforced ram:




In hindsight, I probably should have put the engine on the top instead , but never mind:

And after deciding I needed some sort of connection to the rear wheels from the engine(!), I spent far too much time on the underside, I should have simply covered it all with an armoured bottom, but at least it shows the construction:


EDIT: finally painted - comments and criticism welcomed.

Now that's an Ork tank! Give it some weird red/dark green camo like scheme. Kind of like this but then with red, dark green and grey or something! Orky camo isn't supposed to be stealthy anyway, however...I'm not a fan of the overly flamboyant and bright colours many people give their Orks, so dark, dirty, vague colours are the way to go (I think).

That's quite impressive.

The kannon itself could do with a bit of gussying up; maybe spikes or riveted plates around the outside rim of the barrel of the kannon itself. The base of the thing (turret, mount) are all excellent, but that front firing end just looks like it could use something, even if it's just some chain wrapped around the barrel.

Likewise, I think you're losing a bit of an opportunity by leaving the back so open and flat like that. I'd consider maybe putting some support work (like a railing, planks, that sort of thing) around the back rim of the vehicle, behind the turret, where orks could theoretically stand, enter, and exit from. I realize the 'ard top negates your Open Topped deployment bonus, but this suggestion comes from more of an aesthetic analysis than any WYSIWYG concepts.

The front end of the vehicle is solid, and excellently done. I particularly like the extra teef added to that grill, between the existing plastic ones. Nice touch.

Looking at it some more, would some sort of wheel guards be out of place? Extending out from the vehicle, parallel to the ground; they may give the vehicle some extra 'armored' appearance, plus they'd serve as a good place for orks to stand when getting on and off. If those side hatches are placed by design to allow orks to get in and out, they might have a hard time getting over the wheels, particularly if the thing is moving. It just seems like there's this abrupt line right above the wheels where the vehicle itself starts.

Your riveting is great, and fits in with the orky style well. I sort've feel the vehicle is a bit narrow (based on that rear view) but I understand that is neither fixable nor important at this stage.

What's going on in the back there, on either side of the engine? It almost looks like you've got door hinges set up, but no doors on them.

All in all, this is an excellent job. I can see this being blue, myself.

Truly impressive work.
I think jam covered most of the points that I wouldve adressed as well. I tcould really use a "plattform" or some sort of wooden planks on the back there.

Concerning those "hinges" on the back. I think it would be cool if youd add at least one door, or have it barely hanging on there ....

Im quite excited about the other one now

*yoink*

Great idea and work on this. I'm so stealing the idea (and i don't even play orks).

Excellent look to your wagon. very 'impenetrable'.

Excellent work. The stock Battlewagon is very poor IMO but you've reworked it perfectly. It looks like a cross between a WWII German Puma and a Russian KV-1e with a hint of German Brummbar.

I've yet to see a bad conversion of the Battlewagon kit.

Inspired by this?
http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/html/features/starwars/technology_gallery/pages/Juggernaut%20HAVw%20A6.html

Hell YES! Thats Orky and very killy. Thats a tank that makes your opponents think "crap" nicely done

Nice work!

looks orktastic.

It looks nice, now make a nice 4 wheeled leftover like you said and lets all drool over that one too!

Success.

Lovely conversion. setting of a set of Ideas, it is.

thanks for comments, all

@ jamsessionein and others, yes the back has broken hinges on the sides for doors'hatches, maybe I will build one door and hang it at an angle, but I don't want to hide the engine. My fluff excuse is that the unprotected engine explains the back armour 10

I'll look at tarting up the killkannon a little. Not sure about wheel guards - they'd be very fluffy for an open-topped wagon, being great for passengers to stand on as suggested, but maybe not for this one. I'll strongly consider the idea for my 4 tracked version.

@ Fiendcrackar!, no it wasn't inspired by the Star Wars vehicle (although I do like it), it's a coincidence, I was simply going on the principle of a mekboy building a new battlewagon out of two wrecked ones, and wanting an armoured car look, and the body shape just organically grew from there

Absolutely ingenious. The card is cut very accurately and the whole thing is nice and tightly built. It seems to want more glyphs on it, but that could be painted on as well.

Beautiful work. Can't wait to see it painted.

Looks like an oversized riot APC to me Very cool. I'd have to say that it's a near masterwork piece of scratchbuilding when it comes to ork vehicles.

Very impressive. Here are my suggestions:

--> Needs at least one spare tire bolted to the outside

--> Needs more guns for use by the passengers/crew. It'd look really cool to add shootas/big-shootas to the back on ball mounts in a similar fashion to a chimera. You could look at it being the ork attempt to mimic a chimera.

--> Needs glyphs. An ork vehicle of this size and level of armour absolutely has to have glyphs proudly displaying the owner's power and battlefield triumphs.

--> The chimera acess hatch on the rear quarter on the right hand side looks extremely out of place and needs at the least, to have the imperial skull and wings vandalized.

--> Needs battle damage! No ork vehicle is complete without bullet holes, dings and damaged panels of improvised armour.

Good point, I'll 'vandalise' the chimera acess hatch with an ork skull - that matches what I've done elsewhere in this loota army, which considers any Imperial icons as trophies to be shown off.

And I'll add some more damage and glyphs.

this looks great, going by this the 4 track version will be even kooler looking

That looks excellent!

Any chance you made templates for the plasticard components?

No, no templates, sorry. I made it up as I went along - I started by assembling the joined chassis and hood and hull bottom, then cut each plasticard wall one at a time to fit the top of the hull bottom and any already-fit bits, thus ending up with a rough box shape. I then added a roof, again from multiple bits of card individually cut to shape and to fit any existing components like the turret mount. Most of the basic box was then covered in bits of 'armour plate' thinner card, and detailed and rivetted.

For anyone thinking of making their own, start by working out which kit bits you want to keep, e.g. the the turret and mount in my case, and other non-BW kit bits you want to include, e.g. the rhino bits in my case, then design all the wagon walls around those bits. Any blank space leftover can then be filled with more 'armour'.

As the BW wheels are completely below the wagon body, I could instead have just made a simple plasticard box and stuck that on top of the chassis, that would have been much easier - but I liked the angles of the kit hull bottom, I think they give the finished vehicle character

No worries Clang. Thanks for the modeling description though - probably better for orkish individualism anyways!

Pictures of the painted model now added to the first post.

Very impressive work on the battlewagon!

Excited to see the 4 trakked one now if its even half as well done as this one

I guess it's OK.

I mean assuming you wanted something totally awesome and sweet.

Very cool , nice clean paint job as well .

Great work, especially the proportions, which are comical as well as badass (a good combo for Orks!). Can't wait to see the next one!

that is orkgasmic! Great stuff, cool conversion.

That thing is awesome.

Your rivet-fu is powerful. That is a loverly looking ride. Envious!

That's fantastic Clang, I love the way you have painted it, any chance of a painting guide ?