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Didn't quite get it finished last night:



STILL need to finish the cabling on the roof panel and make a driver's hatch...

Mate..... that's class!! Pure Class.... so much going on and lovely wee details... but it still looks and feels like there is enough space for the troopers themselves! Awesome job!!!

Cheers buddy!

I was going to make a hatch for the driver on the inner bulkhead however I think it would be lost behind the cradle (if you look in from the back anyway). Besides, I have some graphics I'd like to print off as 'motivational material' for the troopers.

Painting has begun on the Chimera using my airbrush. I haven't picked up the airbrush in about 18 months and boy does it show! Luckily all the splatters have been covered with camouflage stripes and will be masked even more so when the weathering takes shape. For these tanks, I'm going to opt for the sponge-chipping technique.

Colours used are from the AK Interactive DAK set and Vallejo interior green for the, well, interior! I'm not convinced on the interior though... Pictures are to follow when I have something decent to show.

Doooooooooooooooooies anyone have any ideas on how I could make the Cadian Heavy Bolter look more portable (besides replacing it with the Elysian/DKoK one)? I have thought about leaving off the gunshield, shortening it and cutting a good portion of the top/bottom off...

Bit of progress:

Excellent progress, love the weathering.

Cheers Cam. The weathering didn't take all that long actually: I've since spent longer painting the lasguns mounted on the interior!

Need to paint the tracks and glass sections then pigments can happen!

This is some mighty fine work. Just flicked through the previous 19 pages to catch-up and now sub'd

Thanks Ruglud and welcome aboard!

I should probably be able to get some more done to this on Friday and *hopefully* I can get started on my Leman Russ conversion.

But I have a confession: I may have screwed up my Punisher variant in my attempts to re-purpose it and remove the snow and mud from the tank. I might just have to go crazy with the earth pigments to cover up the bits I can't get off!

Right folks, question time: what can I do to make the exterior of the Chimera more interesting?

I have thought about making my own track guards for it and attaching jerry cans (supplied by the wonderful MagosBiff) along with other miscellaneous items. The reason that I didn't do this earlier is because I am still waiting on some bits to turn up and I just wanted to break out the airbrush and actually paint something for a change!

Additional markings on the track units? I have tried to simulate a hand-painted unit marking to the turret but think I will add red to the interior of the numbers to replicate the type of decals on DAK vehicles in WW2.

Lights on top of the tank tracks? Do I bother putting guards on the entire length of the sloping surfaces of the track units? I'm thinking that having only the horizontal track surface covered would suit the light weight/desert reconnaissance look I'm going for... Maybe...

I think extra baggage and stowage is a good way to go, maybe stuff like entrenching tools or spare parts as well as jerry cans and such. Basically anything the guys would need with them on deployment. With the rugged, desert theme you're going for, resupply might be sporadic at best, so having the tanks loaded down with all sorts of gear might help with the 'lived in' feel.

(Unless of course you were to do a dedicated logistics/cargo Chimera, which would be awesome and fit with the theme of the force so well....)


And since I forgot to comment before, the weathering on the Chimera is lovely!

Thanks Paradigm!

Funnily enough, I was contemplating doing a Chimera that was heavily laden after having a skeg at Goat Major's DKoK mechanised column... Perhaps the Command Squad's transport?

Anyhoo, hopefully the Elysian plasma guns and other bits have turned up from my buddy while I've been away and I can start building some infantry next week

Personally I like to throw loads of stuff on the outside, but then thats not necessarily "battle ready", mine tend to sit on a shelf. I would cover most of the tracks, and Tank boys being what they are you often get "added" bits, like chains for towing, or spare track links, acting as extra armour.

Excellent progress. The weathering is especially good and the interior is looking brilliant.

EDC

@Cam, yes I reckon that if I put guards on the top, I can use the spare lengths of track as extra armour on parts like the turret/glacis.

@EDC, thanks buddy! I have templates done so I *should* be able to replicate it easily enough... I need to print off some motivational material for the interior bulkhead to make the flat surface more interesting. I have some 40k posters that I need to size.

Well I have failed miserably to get anything noteworthy done this weekend. I did manage to drop by Halfords and pick up some more primer but apart from that, all I managed to do was spray the tracks for my Chimera!

I am working away this week (again!) but this time have remembered to pack my hobby supplies.

Question regarding the tank track guards: I was thining about making them with a mesh section so they aren't solid all the way along. So the sloping sections and the front half of the horizontal will be plating with the rear half mesh. Thoughts?

Nooooooooo! I've left my zoggin' cutting mat and clippers at home! Zogger-ation...

On a different note: I'm persevering with what I have and it's not going well. I may jist have to go with horizontal guards because anything else I come up with looks awful.

Ah well, I should probably get on and build some infantry...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Didn't build any infantry. Instead I soldiered on with the track guards:







Comments?

Looks absolutely brilliant to me, like the panel, though not sure of practicality of it, it definitely looks the part. Though surely you have that on the bottom at the moment? Hope its not glued!

Yeah it's just a dry fit so it's not glued on

Do you mean the hinged panel at the front or the mesh? I saw the mesh as a weight saving thing and an homage to WW1 tanks. Plus it's a way of adding an extra feature by allowing observation of the tracks underneath.

The hinged panel is a reference to the mudguards(?) on more modern tanks and also as seen on some Baneblade and other Guard superheavies.

The mud guard looks spot on, and perfect. The mesh looks brilliant and you have done a great job, it may even be more practical than I am thinking, but can just seeing it getting clogged with mud in no time, but then you are in a desert so maybe that is the reasoning, please don't get me wrong, I really like it, just something niggling me, not sure why really.

I get what you're saying matey. I also thought about how the old Forgeworld track guards had the sunken ammunitiom crates so I might stick some extra bits on top of the mesh at some point.

Stuff is amazing. Love the conversions and the paint schemes.

Thanks ghostmaker. It's slow-going (to say the least!) but I'm trying to make the effort with these guys, even if they are 'just Guardsmen'.

While I sit here on my lunch break, I'm thinking of ways to make desert bases more interesting to the point of making bullet impacts in the sand and walls as if they're happening. I am actually contemplating a little diorama at some point and entering GD (though I don't fancy my chances!). Still, you never know unless you try.

Deserts are generally not just sand, most have dried scrubby bushes, and dried grass, easily made from cheap paint brush bristles. Also the bullet impact idea is good, you could also have track marks running through, tank tracks wheel tracks and footprints. All sounds good though, and you have a good chance for a GD, you have an excellent eye and good patience, go for it.

Thanks Cam, I appreciate that.

I have been doodling ideas for bases: broken walls of an ancient human city, scrubs, pillars etc. Basically any of the maps from BF1 based in the desert!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Quick update: done some sculpting...

Didn't get much done today. Managed to slice my thumb open so have called it quits...



I need to sort out a right hand. Was thinking the vox operator one from the HQ squad so it would look like he's ducking under fire.

Cracking work my friend! Realy looking good! I like the look of the track guards! Nice change and added detail!

I know its still really early doors... and I seem just to have a thing for damage.... but I think the front of the mud guards would be pretty cool to be slightly warped or twisted... from the rocks / stones being kicked up... and also some bullet damage as you suggested would be cool too!

Loving the details though buddy and I agree with Camkierhi ... with your level of detailing... and good paint skills... IMHO... have a crack at GD!!

Thanks Magos! Funny you should mention warping and damaging the mud guards: I've already done it but haven't taken any pictures of them

I still need to make a mounting frame for the jerry cans you sent me AND make head/rear lights of some fashion... Probably something quite basic like Panzer IV headlights on the main hull of the tanks.

ah ha... you pre-empted my thoughts! lol... cool... look forward to seeing them!

Definetly a good idea to go for something utilitarian and basic for the headlights ... on kind of non related point... IMHO the form of the German WW2 tanks including the Panzer IV were pretty awesome! so that's a really cool base to draw inspiration from for the details!