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Ok I hope I picked the right topic for this, and if not I apologies before hand, also if you don't like the idea I have brought fourth, don't be rude and just shoot me down please just go on and harass someone else. The Idea I have is for a Tau Manta to be used by the Space marines or IG. But the things so big it truly is a flying fortress. So I am asking anyone with a decent imagination, what would you modify for use with it, if it was used by space marines or IG. What type of role would you put it in, and what other weapons would you attach to it. Thank you

 To_hell_with_negotiations wrote:
Ok I hope I picked the right topic for this, and if not I apologies before hand, also if you don't like the idea I have brought fourth, don't be rude and just shoot me down please just go on and harass someone else. The Idea I have is for a Tau Manta to be used by the Space marines or IG. But the things so big it truly is a flying fortress. So I am asking anyone with a decent imagination, what would you modify for use with it, if it was used by space marines or IG. What type of role would you put it in, and what other weapons would you attach to it. Thank you

AN idea...

I don't think it would look right. The Manta has all organic shapes and lines while Imperial aesthetics are decidedly Gothic. But, if that's what you like than go for it.

Hhm didn't think of it that way

[b]I think it would have to be an offshoot chapter since it is a xenos vehicle and thus not to be used. However, if you have a Tau army then you could still give it the human element by giving it to Imperial Guard since the Tau have taken human worlds, and use humans for their cause. IMO

As said you could make it work with IG, but you would be converting the IG to look more Tau (Tau weapons), not converting the manta to look imperial.

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

 To_hell_with_negotiations wrote:
Ok I hope I picked the right topic for this, and if not I apologies before hand, also if you don't like the idea I have brought fourth, don't be rude and just shoot me down please just go on and harass someone else. The Idea I have is for a Tau Manta to be used by the Space marines or IG. But the things so big it truly is a flying fortress. So I am asking anyone with a decent imagination, what would you modify for use with it, if it was used by space marines or IG. What type of role would you put it in, and what other weapons would you attach to it. Thank you

AN idea...

I don't think it would look right. The Manta has all organic shapes and lines while Imperial aesthetics are decidedly Gothic. But, if that's what you like than go for it.

THEN go for it.

Do you want the stats for a flying fortress or the model?

If you want the model...yeah, I would say play tau...it just does not fit the imperial style.

If you want the stats, sure make giant flying cathedral and use it for a manta "counts as". There are pics of imp landing craft like that....

Look at the background of this pic for example;
http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1800113a_99800101007_DACompanyMaster_873x627.jpg

best of luck!

I've never noticed that pic! The DA's just show up and plop down churches wherever they go. GW didn't even try to mod those into space craft. They literally are descending churches with thrust engines. lol


OP, the only role that the aesthetic look of the manta works with imperial stuff would be if it flew through space refueling the battle fleets. I cannot in good conscience let you spend that kind of money on a fuel plane.

LOL, well rethinking it over, I have to agree, the only idea would it work is the use with one of my colonial tithe unit attached to my expeditionary chapter. And yes to the bemoans of many a members there will be a Tau detachment attached. The chapter will be under the direct command of the great emperor. As for the space marine drop ship its self, it will have to be scratch built or built upon another model. Another possibility would be some thing as so http://kallamity.com/products/view/IG-prog1
and build upon it with cathedrals and kit bash some space marine aircraft such as the Caetus Assault Ram http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine_Aircraft/CAESTUS-ASSAULT-RAM.html
and or with the Storm Eagle http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine_Aircraft/STORM_EAGLE.html
None the less it would indeed require a bit or bashing here and there.
What would you suggest Moltar?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The main thing for the drop ship, indeed the most important thing other then troop capability. That would be fire support, since it would be operating as a spear tip insertion vehicle and or forward op's it would have to be on stand by for the force it would be supporting. Secondary is it would have to have the adequate armor to support itself with out say being taken out with a single shot from ack ack. With that I am planning on digging up some helicopter hind gunship weapons, IE gun pods, rockets, and ATM ( Anti Tank Missiles). As well as electronic jamming gear from aircraft. I will malso plan on using some armor sponsons as well.

As for the space marine drop ship its self, it will have to be scratch built or built upon another model. Another possibility would be some thing as so http://kallamity.com/products/view/IG-prog1

I think that would be your best option. It cheaper then what you could use from FW. It requires kit bashing from some terrain pieces like imperial building and such. But, It would work out better in the long run. It retains enough hard edges that it could be considered a StormBird. I would say this is your best bet. Doing a manta is too costly considering that you would have to cut away most of it. Its too smooth in its design/alien in its design. And, I doubt you would want to toss out that much money on something that you'll have to cut to pieces. You can try and build your own Ceastus assault ram. That I imagine would be fairly straight forward to accomplish. While being a challenge, it would be more readily accepted then using a cut up Manta.

Using an actual Manta would seem very expensive and not particularly fluffy (few marines would condescend to ride in a xenos vehicle unless their lives depended on it).

Making a counts-as Thunderhawk or Thunderhawk transporter, either by making a 'flying cathedral' out of Cities of Death bits, or a whole lot of plasticard, would seem a much cooler project

This is what I am looking for, input and ideas expanding on what I am looking at doing. Not one liners criticizing me about my ideas and telling me what ever basically don't bug us. Thank you guys I appreciate your input and creative critique. So ok its something I will have to build from scratch with a heavy emphasis on cathedral style and so fourth, if I am reading this right.

That's bout the long and short of it.

I think your first decision is whether:
- it'll just be a display model, so has to look cool but otherwise has no restrictions as it will have no game effect (other than being scenery occasionally?) Just maybe you could give it removable sides or roof, to show interior detail including the troops waiting to land? (Cool, but a lot more work)
- or it needs to count-as a standard Apocalypse unit in your army (it certainly won't be usable in a standard game), e.g. a Thunderhawk. Then the usual counts-as issues apply: it needs to be roughly the same dimensions as the standard model, and have rules-legal weapons that look roughly like what they count-as.

Regardless, you'll need to work out how to actually make it.
- Any landing ship is by definition a big cargo box with engines (jet/antigrav/rocket/whatever), so think about how you'll represent those engines. I'd sort out the engines (and how they'll mount to the rest of the vehicle) before going any further, they'll probably be the hardest part.
- Then the 'box' where the vehicles and soldiers are held during the descent to the planet's surface - maybe you go for the 'flying cathedral' look (but you don't want it to look like it's just a Cities of Death building) or the classic plasteel armour look of marine vehicles (but you don't want it to look like you just made a boring plasticard box). Either way, maybe it needs a big heat shield on the bottom, and landing ramps for troops and vehicles to leave - combined with the engines, that should help avoid the building/box look.

What's your army's background/fluff? I can imagine Dark Angels having a 'flying cathedral', but not Space Wolves so much.

Another possibility: design a smaller dropship, e.g. around the size to carry a land raider, but make careful plans of it, then make multiples each with different cargo pods, giving you a whole landing fleet.
That brings up another point - how will you store/transport this vehicle? Unless it will never leave your home, you'll need some safe and easy method to move it around - just shoving it in the back seat of the car is not a good idea. Consider possible solutions (e.g. a big plastic toolchest from a hardware store?) while planning the vehicle - you may even want to buy a storage box then deliberately build your vehicle to fit that box. (I build most of my scenery that way.)

Well Clang the detailing isn't a issue, as someone who has been doing models since I was a kid. In-fact I would say I am kind of addicted to detailing of my vehicles and in some case my figures. Since it would be used for some as ground support and in a support role it would have to be equipped with standard game weapons, and it would also work in the apocalypse game as well. As for the engines modify modify modify. Also some orders from specialize detail parts shops for 1/35 scale harrier engine exhaust nuzzles. As well would also serve to solve the question about scratch building the cockpit area, Some items from a 1/48 scale Hind cockpit, and some details from a 1/48 scale Harrier cockpit parts, and round it out with a swivel pop up hud target flap that was used in the Huey gunships. And presto you have a cockpit made for a WH 40K model.
My back ground fluff would be for there to be a expeditionary fleet, with a small detachment of Tau, and some tithes units from some of the colony's and a retinue and IG units that are detached to investigate a planet that a support Imperial craft crash landed on as well as a several Tau ships. And yes yes I know the died hard gamers are going to go "OMG, your throwing Tau with Space Marines how dare you". Well if those died hard's would look at the story's they would see that in the story's the Imperium and the Xenos have worked together when needed and have gotten along fairly well and need I shock everyone when I say have even used Xenos and other chapter gear, even some chaos gear. Anyways the expedition fleet is detached to investigate this planet. Needless to say due to the unstable geo-thermal-gravitational pulls and high solar gravitational pulls a good portion of the fleet crash's as well and so every one must then learn to work together, and blah blah blah.

Have you looked up the background of the Stormbird? That sounds like its on the right lines. A bigger badder version of the thunderhawk. Also from memory they are described as curved deltas, rather similar to the manta.

Very awesome I didn't know there was something bigger then a Thunder hawk. I love the forward plow bow on the it. It does look like something that I would enjoy building. Not to mention the weapons to boot. I believe it would be big enough to be used in a apocalypse setting and at the same time could be used in a large standard game. In my search on line for the info on the Storm bird I came across several links to some pretty interesting miniature company's. I am sure a lot of you have them but I thought I would provide the links just in case.
1) http://www.hk-hobby.com.hk/list-realmodel.html
2) http://miniature-heroes.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=26537
3)http://the4thsphere.blogspot.com/2012/07/stormbirdwarhawk-fan-rule-project.html

4)http://www.pig-iron-productions.com/pi3-vehicle-accessories-p-33.html
5) http://maxmini.eu/index.php?route=product/category&path=61
6) http://gravengames.co.uk/iron-guard-allies-mechanicus-inquisitor-conversion/
7) http://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=80&product_id=309
8) http://bitspudlo.com/t/category/216-bitsbox-dot-eu/237-infantry-weapons-and-accessories
9) http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=217_218_60_72&products_id=3136
10) http://hitechminiatures.com/2/product/info/117
11) http://kallamity.com/products/type/0
12) http://privateerpress.com/warmachine/gallery/the-protectorate-of-menoth/warjacks
13) http://www.beastsofwar.com/thon/havok-fired-world-thon/
I don't know if any of these links I posted will be of help to you folks but I thought they where interesting. So defiantly I will start to look into more about the Storm Bird.
What immediately comes to mind is using about four Thunder Hawks and two to four Land Raiders converted into the collective of the hull. Then finding some thick plastic board and cutting the wings my self or combining the wings to of the Thunder Hawks and kit bash them together. To enhance the cockpit area I would use IG pilots, there by allowing space that I wouldn't have with the Space Marine pilots due to there bulky size and the space they take up with there armor. The interior troop compartments could be detailed using interior kits from 1/35 scale helicopter kits and plastic styrene as well as bits and pieces I have in my hobby box. I realy appreciate every ones input and what they have to say.