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.

The idea was not to only make a magna grapple but to make it functional for gaming. i used the ironclad dreadnought and plan to magnetize the parts later. In the BA codex, the MG has a 12" range and is described as a "grapple and several yards of tempered adamantium chain. So as you can see in the picture the chain extends to exactly 12". This wont require you to have to measure out the distance with a tape measure but instead use the actual weapon for measurement. I do admit having 12" left of chain when the grapple is on the arm is a little overbearing. On the back i made a little hook type element that you can just wrap the chain around. It still touches the ground this way but doesn't get in the way when moving the model.

For the grapple i used:
- Ironclad seismic hammer hand part with a cut off rocket to give it a point
- Ironclad chainfist arm
- 12" of chain
- Vindicator's extra ammo armor (the one found on the back of the vindicator
- various other parts on the back for the chain
- Green stuff to hold chaint o plastic


I guess I could of used the seismic hammer arm as well but I wanted to save that to make a force weapon arm if i decide to have a libby dread. And also the thought of using a smaller string or chain crossed my mind but i like to keep it real with the lore in the codex and this was the only chain i have. Plus the chain has to be thick if the dread is going to pull a tank! Another good idea would be to use those retractable badge holder things but those always seem to break after too much use.



Front

Rear

Side with MG retracted

Side with MG extended

It looks cool, and is a great idea, but the chain is way too big. Might want to find a thinner one.

Agreed - a good idea that needs a significantly smaller chain!

Use Dog Tag Chain

Or just use some fine jeweller's chain.

Love the concept.

You could construct a fake enclosed drum-and-winch in which to hide the retracted chain by making a cylinder with its ends capped and a hole cut in the side near one end for the chain to exit. With the current chain you'd need something the size of a barrel affixed to the dreadnought's rear, and would have to make one of the drum ends removable so you could pop it off to pull the chain out and put it back inside. With a smaller chain - being tempered adamantium should count for something, right? - you'd need a smaller drum, which could then be mounted on the back of the arm, and you'd be able to pull the chain directly out of the drum and feed it back inside using gravity rather than having to pop the end off.

Very cool idea, but I have to agree with the others that it needs a much smaller chain. I believe Construct has it with the fake winch idea, or possibly hide it inside the arm itself, although this may present problems with 'rewinding' the chain.

Meh, personally the thickness of the chain looks about right to me considering it's supposed to be flinging tanks around.

Thanks guys. i think you may be right with the smaller chain idea. The drum thing would be pretty sweet. I think I may have came to 2 options:

1)
- smaller chain
- drum for retracting chain
- possibly make a nice hole through the arm to pull the chain through, kinda like he is pulling it?

2)
- use one of those retractable badge holder guys and cut it to the length of 12". This would offer the easiest solution except it wouldn't look like a chain


i have one of those retractable badge things available but for the chain i might have to scrounge around the house. originally it was going to be an addition on the top section of the dread's shoulder but I like th concept of him "pulling" the tanks closer to him with his arm. I guess the best thing to do is to test a few ideas out and see which one is the best.