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Hi folks.

Right then, time for my second post. Thought I'd show one of the most recent things I've been working on (completed about ten minutes ago). I'm working on a praetorian army, and was really keen they had unique tanks. I've already done a bromhead pattern leman russ (which looks surprisingly like a ragnarok), and I wanted an apc to go along with it. I toyed with the idea of a saracen, but all those crazy angles and I'd soon run out of wheels. In the end I used the FV 423 as my inspiration, essentially the British equivalent of the M113.

The finished model is smaller than a rhino, which really helps to accentuate the stupidly oversized russ tank, and of course has british roots just like the Praets themselves.


Click the images to zoom. I've got loads more photos and rambling in my project log on my site.

Paint wise I'm either going for a nice dull red, although that will probably look too similar to my other guard army, so the alternative is flat grey/aluminium. We'll see.

I've got plans already sorted for the hellhound (very similar, but a turret and sloping rear similar to the Sherman), and I'm about to start a wheeled version for the command squad.

They're not perfect, but I'm definitely getting better with my scratchbuilds, and they're certainly cheaper than kitbashing

Cheers for looking,
Si

Very nice!

I like the design of it, however i think it needs more decals or something, it looks alittle flat and boxy, but nice!!

Nice and simple APCs... great models.

Very nice an simple APC's as mentioned. a little fill out on detail and they'll rock. My question is where's the Multi-laser turret?

Nice, as soon as I saw the images I thought M113.

Thanks guys, feedback always appreciated.

Should have mentioned the shot on the right is a few days old and just shown for scale, the other two are newer.

Armament wise, one has a hull mounted hvy bolter and twin linked hvy bolter on the pintle. The other has a hvy flamer on the hull and another on the pintle. I was going to do turrets, but I was aiming for the vietnam era m113 feel with the .50cal with the shield type thing. If you get me.

Detail wise I'm going to add a few bits and bobs once they're painted. Always have a hard time painting stowage on the tank without knackering the paintwork, I'm just clumsy like that.

I don't want to clutter them though, going for clean simple lines to echo those of the praetorians themselves.

I've just sprayed them with primer, once they've got a lick of paint I'll do a comparison with the leman russ and the guardsmen to give a better idea of how it'll fit in.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Bromhead pattern LR. Made me smile.

Nice, but a bit too boxy IMO.

The model is far too rhino like for me, tasteful conversion however.

The chimera will always be a BMP-1 to me

Those are really cool! Nice work

Although this project (and several of your other ones that I checked out on your site) are definitely inspired by modern tanks (WWII-now) they are also original and have a definite Imperial feel. Well done and I approve. You may have even inspired me to try my own hand at total scratch built vehicles.

I like em

I once had a platoon (real life) of four M113s. I like your models a lot. There are some noticeable differences from the actual vehicles though. You've got the vehicle commander's hatch off to the right side instead of centered (where he could get the best LOS). Your driver's hatch is on the wrong side. Essentially you've got the driver sitting in the engine. You also have no exhaust or air intake vents for the engine and lack the smoke launchers.

Of course, GW's vehicles have most of the same design flaws, including a huge lack of vision ports.

You've inspired me to add extra track racks on my Chimera fleet. I think I will also look for ways to add more stowage.

Ooh more replies. Actually in the process of painting these, I'll get some more photos up asap. I don't normally work this fast, but feeling inspired.

I was going for boxy, most apcs are just big boxes on tracks. And since the rhino was originally based on the m113 I think it's a good thing it looks similar

JB, mine was actually based on the FV432 apc rather than the m113. Most noticable aesthetc difference is the engine and commanders hatch reverse places! However since I needed a spot for the gunner, I sort of had to tweak things a little.

The way I figure it the gunner is up front, the driver is behind him using some sort of remote visuals, then the engine is small (hey it's the future, doesn't need a 20litre engine, right?) and in front of the commander.

What's a little artistic licence between friends? As you say GW took minor liberties with the laws of physics so what the hey.

I'm quite happy with these though. They're simple enough to make some more, but interesting enough to add a little character.

I'm also very happy at finding a picture of the fox armoured car. That's going to be the command chimera based on this platform, but with wheels, and using a predator turret. It's all coming together wonderfully!

Cheers for the feedback, all taken on board.

Great model, and simple too.
They look like they can handle all sorts of rough terrain, but you might want to add something to the effect of the amphibian rule. Those things would sink like a rock.

Well the M113 is amphibious and looks pretty darn similar.

But all my armies are stationed on Kataan IV, a desert world, so I think they'll be ok

Ok painting has begun. Kept it fairly simple, since despite my many years of practice I'm still pretty damned lame. Besides I wanted something understated so as not to overpower the shiney red and blue praet uniforms.




The grey is just codex grey, streaky badab black wash, then drybrushed codex grey over the top. Needs another going over I think to pick out the edges.
The blue edging is just enchanted blue. I was going to higlight it, but in person it seems to glow against the dark grey, so I may just leave it alone.
The metal work has just had a tin bitz drybrush. It'll get a lighter grey metallic drybrush next.
The front plate is done with a tamiya metallic, and I really love the way it shines when it catches the light. I tried to pick it up in the photo, but it's almost like a mirror at times.

Needs lots of detailing (like the searchlights lenses), but that's the sort of stuff I come back to at a later date. I've got to be honest, I'm just thrilled to have got them from plasticard to this stage in only a couple of weeks or so. Especially since I painted a baneblade in that time. Really not like me, my projects are normally slow burners over several years as I chop and change, and painting is almost unheard of in this house.

I included a scale shot against my bromhead russ/ragnarok. As you can see it makes the chimera look tiny, which was entirely the point. When the army is finished that beast is really going to dominate the battle line and hopefully look fantastic. I'm going to add a basilisk at some point, so I'll try and keep that small even though I don't think it'll work on the apc platform.

With luck my predator will arrive this weekend and I can get going on the armoured car version of this platform.

Oh and I'm thinking of Chard pattern Chimera. Seems only fitting

Cheers for looking again,
Si

Im loving these they look like M2 Bradley or the british equvilent the Warrior APC

_Si_ wrote:JB, mine was actually based on the FV432 apc rather than the m113. Most noticable aesthetc difference is the engine and commanders hatch reverse places! However since I needed a spot for the gunner, I sort of had to tweak things a little.

The way I figure it the gunner is up front, the driver is behind him using some sort of remote visuals, then the engine is small (hey it's the future, doesn't need a 20litre engine, right?) and in front of the commander.

What's a little artistic licence between friends? As you say GW took minor liberties with the laws of physics so what the hey.

Cool...a new vehicle that I need to learn about. I've seen M113s, M114s, and M59s but not FV432s.

Smaller engines in the 41st Century? But then you couldn't get more techpriests around them to chant and burn incense. I see your point though. Look at LRBTs. Tiny engine compartment compared to current tanks. And I can't even begin to tell you where the GW Chimera has its engine. It might be on the front left side (as you face it) but then why have a vision block on the hatch?

The paint looks good though your color scheme might look a little odd on Cadia. Good thing you're on another forsaken planet.

Nice job very well done.

Nicely done Si.

I take it you're my fellow Praetorian compatriot from Phoenix?

I've an image showing the interior detail of the chimera, from Imperial Armour - drop me a PM if you're curious.

Also, I think the chimera has engines in the track sponsons.

Very nice. Congrats on building your own thing. Really good work.

JB wrote:I've seen M113s, M114s, and M59s but not FV432s.

Smaller engines in the 41st Century? But then you couldn't get more techpriests around them to chant and burn incense. I see your point though. Look at LRBTs. Tiny engine compartment compared to current tanks. And I can't even begin to tell you where the GW Chimera has its engine. It might be on the front left side (as you face it) but then why have a vision block on the hatch?

As I understand it, the fluff is supposed to be that the engines and fuel in the Chimera and LR variants are in those side sponsons. So obviously the 'engine compartment' bit of the LR model is where they put the gubbins that is behind the hatch that leads into the "heavy bolter sponson". And the vents underneath the applique fuel tanks on the chimera are actully the engine exhausts. I suppose to one way of thinking having the propusion, fuel and drive for one side of a tank as a de-mountable unit does make some sort of sense...

Hello again! Thought I'd keep this thread going rather than start new ones each time.

I've begun work on the hellhound and command chimera, but nothing to show at the moment.

However I do have some wip pics fo the basilisk. Rather than base it on the same chassis as the chimera like the GW ones, I wanted to do a slightly different one, but with visual ties to the apcs. It's loosely inspired by the hummel and wespe spgs, though not intended to be a direct copy of anything. Still needs much work of course, but..



The gun doesn't yet sit straight in the supports so I'll need to redrill those before I can mount it. I'll detail up the chasis, add a few rivets to match the apcs, then it's probably ready for painting.

Unfortunately I'm now out of road wheels. If anyone has any suggestions on a good source for 16/17mm road wheels I'd love to hear them. Buying 1/35th tanks isn't the best solution, and the resin detail kits for 1/35th are bloody expensive.

Cheers for looking,
Si

Another work of art Si. Love the 'site as well.