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I actually would prefer a redesign. I'm not a real big fan of the WWI style tracks for EVERY tank they use. I think it does look good on the bane blade with all of those rivets. But for the chimera and russ variants I would prefer the WWII or modern panzer style tracks. I always like the way the tracks "sag" on the panzer variants.

GG

I think the aesthetic of the IG tanks is crucial to their character. If you can keep that aesthetic and apply it new designs I don't think there's anything wrong with a redo or face lift. FW has done several kits and variants on the IG aesthetic, which shows it can be done. I think, as John reminds us, design cues from the Baneblade could easily be applied to an update.

Often the complaint by non-40k players are that the tanks don't look realistic. I think this is product of the models age, that a few fixes could help.
-Make turrets that make sense
-Added articulation to sponson and hull weapons (like the baneblade has); The way sponsons mount and fit together could be done better, to look less like boxes slapped on, baneblade is a good example.
-Some sense of suspension, (it doesn't have to be a smooth ride just a smoothER one.) Kinda how the baneblade does it.

As you can see in my hit list, the issues are mostly due to disproportion and just how parts fit together. An update could easily fix those. I think the best comparison for what a difference it could make is to look at the 2nd ed Predators vs the current one. Thats the sort of face lift that'd make things awesome.

The Leman Russ will just get a minor turret redesign to look somewhat like the Baneblade turret. The Chimera gets a spacier turret redesign and slimmed down side sponsons. Other than that the kits remain the same.

BrookM wrote:The Leman Russ will just get a minor turret redesign to look somewhat like the Baneblade turret. The Chimera gets a spacier turret redesign and slimmed down side sponsons. Other than that the kits remain the same.

we are just talking about how much we hate the over all / current ww2 chasis design.

Over all it seems like current / older players are "used to" the design so they dont mind or care.
The rest that have seen better alternatives mostly agree it looks like junk.

Personally im not waiting another decade till they are willing to make new ones so im going to
use something else. ( surely the store will never let me, because its too cool looking and will bring the LR to shame )

i think GW should keep the WW2 looks

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http://www.starshipmodeler.biz/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1355

I rather enjoy the rustic look of the IG Tanks. If I want Sci-Fi tanks I will play my Tau.

JohnHwangDD wrote:Does nobody else like the converted Russ as a new-style Russ?

I like it, but would prefer a bigger turret (outwards not taller - more Abrams than Sherman). I'm not to sure about the sponsons though (to be honest I'm not to keen on GW tank sponsons in general)

I really, really like that conversion DD. If the Russ looked like that and greatcoat gaurd plastics were a reality, my wallet would cry.

I think there are ways to accomplish both. I think its possible to capture the imperial aesthetic on a more modern tank. I think the large "modern" turret look would send some wrong signals about the IG though. One reason Leman Russ' look the way they do while SM tanks look that other way is because unlike Rhinos et all a Leman Russ is meant to be able to be built in lower tech facilities, since most Imperial worlds have only a minimal grasp of technology. IG aren't suppose to be modern, they're suppose to be technologically backwards. "Modern" looking too much and it conveys a degree of mastery over technology that isn't that common.

I think they look great the way they are. You want futuristic looking stuff, play ANY of the other races.

JohnHwangDD wrote:Does nobody else like the converted Russ as a new-style Russ?

I think it looks prety awesome. Though the turret looks to small and I think the sponsons should be slightly further forwards. Is there a blog of that thing being made anywhere?

I think the current line of IG tanks looks absolutely slowed. If they all had a chassis similar to the Baneblade, I would be very happy indeed

I say yes. I like the WW1 look but like most of you there is just something about the Panzer look

AlfredTheStrange wrote:

JohnHwangDD wrote:Does nobody else like the converted Russ as a new-style Russ?

I think it looks prety awesome. Though the turret looks to small and I think the sponsons should be slightly further forwards. Is there a blog of that thing being made anywhere?

I assume so, but I don't know where it is.

I pulled it off a rumor page because it's the most awesome Leman Russ that I've ever seen that adheres to the GW Guard aesthetic, and normally, I think Russes look like crap.

Hell no, I don't want some mini baneblade for my leman russ. It is fine as is, but needs an update for more detail/sponsons/etc. Same design, make it better.

ph34r wrote:Hell no, I don't want some mini baneblade for my leman russ. It is fine as is, but needs an update for more detail/sponsons/etc. Same design, make it better.

Something like this? *put put put put put

LOL

Arg no metal slug tanks.

Overall, I like the IG vehicle aesthetic The Chimera looks fantastic, even if you ignore the age of the kit. The LR could do with a new turret (wider, longer and with a slightly smaller calibre gun), but I really like the basic hull shape despite how horrible it is in a functional sense.
The artillery could do with a few upgrades, mainly some way of actually reloading the big guns (like a crane to lift shells to the firing platform) and a place to store few spare shells. Some crew should be included as well, considering that the tracks are open topped and the cannon is obviously designed to be operated from the outside of the vehicle.

Of course I'm all for recuts to simplify the sprues, the tracks in particular.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:It's depressing how our school system fails to teach kids essential life skills like recognizing 20th century armor..

(sarcasm on) Right because they need to tell them apart from the new smart cars and other vehicles that are seen daily on the streets.. (sarcasm off)

Although there are some good identification schools, most of them are Military and even then, you will only get the silhouets of the current or modern machines being utilized world wide.. You really don't want your own soldiers shooting down their allies now do you? (don't laugh too much, it happens alot more than the military wants to admit)

Yeah, I see where the chimera is like the BMP-1, right down to the fuel tank on the rear of the troop compartment.

I personally started playing IG because of the way the tanks looked. The other armies looked too wierd for me and the boxy look IS what the IG is all about. No finesse, just a blunt tool.

That "leman russ" looks pretty awesome,
but im not sure if you want to stab your wallet like that.

Well, I personally like the current Leman Russ, but at this point I have too many IG vehicles to want to switch over. If the old Russes become unavailable (and they were never made or sold in the numbers approaching the old rhinos), then I'd have to scrounge for old stuff if I ever want more tanks.

I wouldn't mind an upgrade, but there are things I'd rather have first.

One thing people tend to ignore about 40k vehicles is that they are suppose to almost as much of a caricature of a tank as an Imperial Guardsmen is of a human. The proportions are off. 40k is cartoony relative to "true scale" and the same goes for vehicles. This is why a battle cannon would be equivalent to battleships cannon if you took its scale literally.

So maybe the proportions are askew, but that the nature of the whole miniature line. That said there are ways to bring the details into a much more grounded reality, a more reasonable interpretation.