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Rather than constantly clogging up the modelling forum I thought I would start a new P&M blog for my armoured recon Guard force.

The Battlegroup is made up of elements of the Dunedin Guards (Mechanized Infantry), Dunedin 2nd Rifles (Greenjackets) and the Dunedin 43rd Armoured Regiment (Deadly Nightshades). As an aside, in case anyone is actually interested, the naming conventions are vaguely based on UK units, i.e. 51st Highland Division, Rifle regiments being referred to as Greenjackets and the use of the vehicle recognition flash of an Edinburgh regiment. Scottish and English flags will be applied as appropriate to the vehicles, and potentially the units.

TO&E as follows (updated to meet 2000 points):

Mechanised (Guards) Company Command, with medic, missile launcher, Vox and Master of Ordnance, Astropath (Carapace armour) - Callsign Ambush

Mechanised (Guards) Veteran squad with 2 flamers and heavy flamer (Grenadiers) - Callsign Bravo
Mechanised (Guards) Veteran squad with 2 meltas and plasma gun (Grenadiers) - Callsign Cordon

Mechanised (Rifles) Platoon command with medic, 2x flamers and heavy flamer - Callsign Deluge
2x Rifle squads with sniper, heavy bolter

Penal contingent - Callsign Ethic

Stalker squadron (rough riders) - Callsign Foxtrot

Sentinel (Guards) squadron with 2x autocannon and 1x missile launcher - Callsigns Stalker, Tango and Uncouth

Vendetta (Guards) - Callsign Vengeance
Stormtrooper squad with 2x Melta (Attached to Guards)

2x Russes (43rd) with various sponson and hull weaponry - Callsigns Quarrel and Resolve

KC Pask

2x Hydras (43rd) - Callsigns Highlight and Illume

The force is partially constructed and painted as revealed below. The Rifle infantry is based on Cadian bodies with Pig Iron Heavy Infantry heads and Hasslefree bullpup rifles.

Russes and Chimeras are both based on Chimera chassis combined with Predator turrets.

Hydras, when I get around to finishing them, will be Rhino chassis with Old Crow AA turrets.

no pics are showing up.

Company command is yet to emerge, although I've just finished whomping up the Master of Ordinance (and my does he have a lot of gear).

lord marcus wrote:no pics are showing up.

I'm working on it

Platoon command is almost finished, just awaiting a medic (sniper is for one of the rifle squads).

Transport and heavy support are build and undergoing painting

Very impressive Im liking these.

Mechanised Recon is also pretty much constructed and awaiting painting... I think I still have a pilot left to do for one of the AC Sentinels.

The concept for the sentinels is based on Tachikomas from the Ghost in the Shell anime series and Manga. The missile sentinel harks back to the Forgeworld Support Sentinels armed with MLRS and indirect frag missiles, hence the weapon mount. I rather like it though (and it took a while to put together) so I will be bringing it into the new Codex as a standard Missile Launcher armed sentinel.

The Guards Mechanized Grenadier squads will be Kasrkin based. I have one squad painted up already, but I'm not tooooo sure if I like the camo scheme any more, and may well replace it with an updated one to bring the squad into line with the rest of the force. Probably be similar to the painted Russ, but the colours swapped about a bit, i.e. green base with brown and black contrast.

Also the models are a little chipped these days, so we shall see.

The final set I've got constructed is the mortar squad. Using these guys as test models for the camo scheme... definately WIP

awesome army, going to go for something like this myself only with a ton of mechs

Flinty wrote:Mechanised Recon is also pretty much constructed and awaiting painting... I think I still have a pilot left to do for one of the AC Sentinels.

The concept for the sentinels is based on Tachikomas from the Ghost in the Shell anime series and Manga. The missile sentinel harks back to the Forgeworld Support Sentinels armed with MLRS and indirect frag missiles, hence the weapon mount. I rather like it though (and it took a while to put together) so I will be bringing it into the new Codex as a standard Missile Launcher armed sentinel.

woot! another ghost in the shell lover! *e-high five*

also, nice models, how did you make the MOO's backpack, and what heads are you using?

lord marcus wrote:

woot! another ghost in the shell lover! *e-high five*

also, nice models, how did you make the MOO's backpack, and what heads are you using?

The heads are Pig Iron Heavy Infantry heads. If you get the multi-pack there are visored heads and a whole bunch of other heads with and without helmets. I'm not using the unhelmeted heads but I like the helmet with the additional optics attached. These are being used for my officers, MOO and snipers. I have this well held belief that bettlefields are dangerous places and that helmets should be worn... call me Captain Health and Safety

MOO backpack is a standard vox set with the speaker removed and replaced by the targetting optics from a Marine HK missile. The main antenna has also be cut down and topped with part of a Tau flamer barrel (I've got millions of the things, and I don't use any of them). I started doing this on my tanks as some kind of laser/microwave/EM transceiver and liked the look of it so rolled it out to my whole force.

Excellent log Flinty!!! I especially like your tanks... good mixing of the Pred turrets and sponsoons, kinda modernises them.

This is an excellent log with excellent conversions. I've always really liked you tanks and stuff.

Also, I made a Master of the Ordinance model which is inspired by (read: completely rips off) your model. Because it's a really good idea.

thank you so much for that rundown of parts...that is going to help with my =I= storm troopers immensly.

p.s. If your needing to relocate a mound of tau flamers, give em here. i'm making a few kamikaze crisis squads for when i face bugs or orks.

thanks to all... responses below

Ebsolom Dhaark wrote:Excellent log Flinty!!! I especially like your tanks... good mixing of the Pred turrets and sponsons, kinda modernises them.

Yeah, I find that the Russ model looks too high, while using the chimera chassis makes a lower looking tank. Not ahving any actual Russ models I'm not entirely sure if there is a real difference in height. Regardless I was rather pleased with the way my tanks look low, squat and mean

lalabox wrote:This is an excellent log with excellent conversions. I've always really liked you tanks and stuff.

Also, I made a Master of the Ordinance model which is inspired by (read: completely rips off) your model. Because it's a really good idea.

Heh, I'd remembered an old UK Army recruitment advert, kind of a "what would you do?" thing where some poor PBI is hiding in a ditch from a couple of trucks of bad guys. The preferred response, apparently, was to continue hiding in the ditch, while using your hand held comms laptop thingy to call in support fire and banjo the blighters

Therefore my forward observer was born, and then immediately loaded with lots of kit!

lord marcus wrote:thank you so much for that rundown of parts...that is going to help with my =I= storm troopers immensly.

p.s. If your needing to relocate a mound of tau flamers, give em here. i'm making a few kamikaze crisis squads for when i face bugs or orks.

I think postage to the US would make this an expensive solution You must be able to find someonea little more local. Anyone with a reasonable amount of 'suits must be drowning in the things.

Almost forgot one!

This was supposed to be a dedicated transport for an Enginseer. However, even before I'd played a game it was obvious that it was a collosal points sink for no real gain. What remains is an engineery chimera that I may well tear the work arms and dozer blade off and give to the Platoon Command squad. Its different enough to the rest of the transports that it looks like it should be part of a separate formation.

And so the command squads are almost complete!

Company Command, currently including Major, Vox operator, Medic and Master of Ordnance. Still have to whomp up a missile launcher team for this squad, but its too late and I'm too tired just now :(

Platoon Command is now complete, model wise. I still have some filling to do in both squads, however I will wait until I have more GSing to do at one time. I will also be adding some GS straps to weapons at some point, rather than have them hang mysteriously in mid-air

Flinty wrote:I have this well held belief that bettlefields are dangerous places and that helmets should be worn... call me Captain Health and Safety

Well they need all of that 5+ save they can get ;p

Excellent work, the tanks look fantastic, I agree totally about the Leman Russ model being too tall. Can't wait to see further models and stuff getting painted. Will probably steal ideas for an upcoming Dh/guard list I have in mind. Thats after my orks tho ;p, might take the camo stuff for the snikrot I'm painting on the side too.

An easy Sunday work rate has given me the basic models for my Company Command Squad missile team. More scenery will be provded around them to make the base a bit more interesting, but the models are done (just in time for an evening FLGC visit). Some filling still required but I will wait a bit and do a whole lot of GSing at once.

Anyway, for your delectation, the CCS Missile Team! (take a bow boys)

Cool.

Flinty wrote:thanks to all... responses below

Ebsolom Dhaark wrote:Excellent log Flinty!!! I especially like your tanks... good mixing of the Pred turrets and sponsons, kinda modernises them.

Yeah, I find that the Russ model looks too high, while using the chimera chassis makes a lower looking tank. Not ahving any actual Russ models I'm not entirely sure if there is a real difference in height. Regardless I was rather pleased with the way my tanks look low, squat and mean

lalabox wrote:This is an excellent log with excellent conversions. I've always really liked you tanks and stuff.

Also, I made a Master of the Ordinance model which is inspired by (read: completely rips off) your model. Because it's a really good idea.

Heh, I'd remembered an old UK Army recruitment advert, kind of a "what would you do?" thing where some poor PBI is hiding in a ditch from a couple of trucks of bad guys. The preferred response, apparently, was to continue hiding in the ditch, while using your hand held comms laptop thingy to call in support fire and banjo the blighters

Therefore my forward observer was born, and then immediately loaded with lots of kit!

lord marcus wrote:thank you so much for that rundown of parts...that is going to help with my =I= storm troopers immensly.

p.s. If your needing to relocate a mound of tau flamers, give em here. i'm making a few kamikaze crisis squads for when i face bugs or orks.

I think postage to the US would make this an expensive solution You must be able to find someonea little more local. Anyone with a reasonable amount of 'suits must be drowning in the things.

not true. a small bubble mailer cost like 3 bucks to send to me.

Why not use the Engineering Chimera for a squad of Sappers as one of your Veteran Squads as it'd be a shame to damage such a lovely model. Or simply have your Enginseer loan it to another squad they just have to board on the first turn rather than start inside it.

Well the Engineering Chimera has had its arms removed now. It was a nice concept, but I just don't think Enginseers are worth taking

The 51st Dunedin had its first outing Sunday night against Orks. By Turn 2 it was looking pretty good, but then too many power klaws got into my line and minced my vehicles :(

Wazdakka is a bit good, really. Turn 1 he turbo-boosted directly in front of my Hydra squadron with a bike mob, and then the squadron was just shaken enough by firing so they couldn't shoot :( In the end the Hydras did nothing all game. Similarly KC Pask did nothing due to shaken results.

On the other hand I was very pleased with my MOO, who consistently dropped heavy ordnance on Ork mobs for large damage

After a shocking week at work, including a 14 hour Saturday (when I should have been tucked up with glue and plastic), the 51st progresses slowly

Finally found some peace to work on one of the last substantial construction of reserves. Vendetta ahoy!

I am following a scheme I've seen in numerous places on Dakka by providing a TL lascannon in the mountings either side of the cockpit. The 3rd set of cannon will be set in a nose mount that has yet to arrive from Old Crow (along with my Hydra turrets)... damn these 21 day delivery times

The fuselage is obviously shaping up, and I think its one of the best models I've ever build. Solid and sturdy. The side cannon mounts are constructed using the angled weapon baseplates included for the LC and ML mounts. Cannon are scavenged from Predator turret LCs, of which I have quite a few left over from my tank building project.

Thanks for the play by play, this is some interesting stuff.

Thanks, Napalm. Probably no updates until later this week due to obscene amounts of work pending. One interesting tip I got from some of the other Valkyrie owners on these boards is that you should paint the engines before fully assembling the kit. Otherwise there are serious access problems to the undersides of the engines.

Now I have obviously glued the engines down to the fuselage, so I think I might have to paint them before attaching the tail assemblies. Oh well, a good excuse to get the paint brushes out, rather than ignoring them for more construction goodness

Some really characterful conversions in there! The spider Sentinels are a great touch and I like what you've done with the tanks also.

Its good to see the pig iron heads and accessories used also as I often wondered about those particular helmets and scale.

I've got a resin pig iron APC myself, it was a fantastic kit and really well produced.

Flinty wrote:Thanks, Napalm. Probably no updates until later this week due to obscene amounts of work pending. One interesting tip I got from some of the other Valkyrie owners on these boards is that you should paint the engines before fully assembling the kit. Otherwise there are serious access problems to the undersides of the engines.

Now I have obviously glued the engines down to the fuselage, so I think I might have to paint them before attaching the tail assemblies. Oh well, a good excuse to get the paint brushes out, rather than ignoring them for more construction goodness

Thanks for the heads up on the engines, I've got a Valk still in box that I'll be making in a few weeks. It looks like I'll have to prime & spray it in sections to get the interior done and stuff like the engines.