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I'd long wanted a Hydra to add to the fleet, but the Forgeworld version always looks a bit top-heavy to me.

I had a LeMan Russ tank under construction, and spotted some likely looking turrets on Old Crow Models' website.
Hydras have a 4-gun turret, Old Crow's turrets are either rocket launcher (box type) or missile launcher (4 missiles).

I bought 1 of each type. The 4-missile turret is now a "Manticore" platform.

For the Hydra conversion, I drilled out the centre of each rocket launcher box, and glued in metal gun barrels (also from Old Crow).
Mount boxes/guns onto turret, and turret onto tank. Very simple job as conversions go, add a lick of paint and it's ready to do battle.

See pics under "IG armour" in the Gallery.

I did the same thing.

Multi-missile turret, drilled to fit 4 50mm cannon barrels (and some spare IG autocannon drums on the rear outside) and the tac-missile turret for my Manticore.

Did the job fine and they were much cheaper (and far better casting quality) than FW.

Looks pretty much like mine, too (turret, that is - I used a chimera hull for both of mine).

Nice work.

pic is kinda dark, but from what i can see it looks nice.

I'm gonna be honest here, I don't like it. The chassis is wrong for representing the chimera chassis armor, and what you have made is basically a Leman Russ Exterminator with its guns pointing up. Sorry.

ph34r:
Being a LeManRuss chassis it patently wouldn't represent a Chimera chassis!?!

Different forgeworld, but still blessed by the Omnissiah.

And, IIRC, Exterminators only have 2 guns.

Get over yourself, please.

IG GENERAL wrote:ph34r:
Being a LeManRuss chassis it patently wouldn't represent a Chimera chassis!?!

Different forgeworld, but still blessed by the Omnissiah.

And, IIRC, Exterminators only have 2 guns.

Get over yourself, please.

1. Yes

2. Oh, so they just take a Leman Russ, un-build the armor from 14 to 12, and slap on a hydra turret on top? Yeah... no

3. The 2nd edition Exterminator had 2 guns. The current IG codex shows them as having 4 guns.

If you can't take criticism without getting mad, don't post.
The entire world is not required to like your creation.
Ironically it is you who needs to get over yourself, based on your treatment of someone who does not agree with you for logical reasons which they stated rationally and politely.

ph34r

Thank you for your comments.

However, in the original post I pointed out that it's built on a Russ chassis. Your point that it didn't represent Chimera armour is therefore pointless, like saying an orange isn't a lemon.

As this is the painting & modelling thread I wasn't bothered about gaming values, de-armouring or whatever, merely producing a model that I think may encourage others to try converting, mix & match bodging, or generally being creative and using some imagination. If I were offering it for comment in regard to gaming points, I suggest the value of armour would be for agreement between my opponent and me.

I have the current IG Codex as I write, and can confirm that Exterminators have a single twin barrelled autocannon, ergo my "2 guns" comment.

Going back to your first reply then, it seems the only useful comment you have is that you don't like the model. Entirely your prerogative, but it's hardly constructive criticism.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Chromedog
On your conversion, did you modify the Chimera body, eg blanking out gun ports, or just put the turret over the main hatch?

Any pics?

Weird, I must not have looked close enough at the exterminator. It does just have 2 guns.

By chimera I meant "chimera chassis"

I still don't like it. I'm not going to come take your model away, but I'm not a fan of making a conversion that is closer to a different model than the one you want to represent.

Too dark... remember , the place where light shines on = the bright parts.

IG GENERAL wrote:
Chromedog
On your conversion, did you modify the Chimera body, eg blanking out gun ports, or just put the turret over the main hatch?

Any pics?

Just this one.


Neither, as it turns out.

Like I said though, I had the same idea for the hydra turret when I saw Jez's work. The other missile turret makes a very nice Manticore. They can both fit on the same mounting, but due to the angle of the missile mounts, that turret can't rotate.

The Chimera hull was picked up in a garage sale very much the worse for wear - hence the plasticard track guards (covering missing tracks).
It was also painted with a trowel. It took me a week of soaking and scrubbing to remove most of the paint (this is pre-stripping).

The hull itself was stripped (as in plastic was removed) back to a basic hull (the passenger compartment piece was cracked and broken (it had been stepped on) and a new mount was assembled for the OC turret. The turret can do a full 360 rotation (but the guns stay elevated).

I've gotta get a more recent shot. It has since been repainted for my NovaCastrian 99th Colonial Militia IG army. I've yet to field it (the army isn't finished yet. Still have too many infantry to assemble.

Like the ammo drums, not sure about mounting the turret so low though. Looks neat anyway.

If the guns could elevate (they are glued in place), then 0* elevation would be 1mm above the forward hull (they can't do a -ve elevation).

Any higher and the piece looks too top heavy (there simply isn't enough mass in the body work to make it look balanced).

There's similar debate over the Bombard/Colossus IIRC.
Codex has it on a Chimera chassis, FW have it on a Russ, or vice-versa.

Codex has the Colossus on a chimera hull.

FW has the Bombard (similar gun but different tank) on a Russ hull (so does epic).