Latest Forge World news and rumour thread : P99 Bulletin #50

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**Haighus**

I like the new Stormhammer, although I would have prefered for it to have a twin barrelled main turret. As for the bullet-trap flap, it would be good for protecting against artillery fire, and probably useful in city-fighting where the enemy often attacks from above in buildings, and the ranges are so close as to allow shots to be aimed at weak points easily anyway for shots coming from ground level. Seeing as this tank is coated with multilasers in addition to the big guns, it would appear to be designed for city-fighting.

**STC_LogisEngine**

All I hear is "waaah! waaah! waaah!", It's a stormhammer, the Stormblade don't have missile-racks anymore either. Don't hear you crying about that.

**e.earnshaw**

I know the old design was a classic but impractical and fw want to make a product that looks realistic.

**Alpharius**

e.earnshaw wrote:
I know the old design was a classic but impractical and fw want to make a product that looks realistic.

Ha!

That's a good one!

**Yodhrin**

Alpharius wrote:
e.earnshaw wrote:
I know the old design was a classic but impractical and fw want to make a product that looks realistic.

Ha!

That's a good one!

Perhaps "vaguely plausible" would be a better term.

**ImAGeek**

'If you don't look for more than 5 seconds it works' has always been GW/FW design ethos.

**timd**

warboss wrote:

Now that is a sexy looking tank (that I'm working towards in WOT) and is one of my favorite visually from WW2 (along with the pzIV). The smooth turret and pike nose just resonate as cold war futuristic for me.

I assume you have seen the futuristic Dust versions of the JS3:

http://store.fantasyflightgames.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=DT052

and support versions
http://store.fantasyflightgames.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=DT056

tim

**warboss**

timd wrote:
warboss wrote:

Now that is a sexy looking tank (that I'm working towards in WOT) and is one of my favorite visually from WW2 (along with the pzIV). The smooth turret and pike nose just resonate as cold war futuristic for me.

I assume you have seen the futuristic Dust versions of the JS3:

http://store.fantasyflightgames.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=DT052

and support versions
http://store.fantasyflightgames.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=DT056

tim

Yup, I'm a fan of that one. I almost picked it up a few weeks ago during a sale at my local store but I was picking up alot already (40k RPGs, BA Codex, and X-wing wave stuff) and was already over my own self imposed "are you mad??!" limit. I may still eventually once I figure out any plausible use for it. I could try to use it as one of the smaller FW superheavies but I'd feel guilty about ruining the brutal elegance of those lines by gluing or magnetizing sponsons and front plate weapons. I've already got the dual robot stinkers of robotech and heavy gear weighing me down in the useless gaming stuff category so I've been trying only to buy stuff that I'll actually use relatively soon (although I broke that rule for the 40k RPGs as they were 75% off).

**Kosake**

ImAGeek wrote:
'If you don't look for more than 5 seconds it works' has always been GW/FW design ethos.

The Taurox was hat at first sight though, didn't take even those 5 seconds...

**carabine**

GW has never been truly practical in any of it's designs... maybe some of the FW ones get a tiny tiny bit closer but thats about it.

Personally I'm liking the new design for the most part, it looks like they went with a bunker gun design instead of a true turret on the front. Like all GW designs it take a certain design queue from WWI. In that vein i can undestand forgoing actual design practicality for a constant theme around separate models. Rule of cool in models tends to win over proper military and ballistic design.

That said I'm kinda POed that the top turret doesn't have two barrels, thats my bigger complaint, the change from a full secondary turret to a partial turret doesn't bother me so much, it allows the primary turret a better set of rotation while lowering the overall profile of the tank. Also I never mind when FW redoes a classic but obviously dated design. I really enjoy the stormhammer alpharius posted that was done by machinator, honestly I think it's awesome for a land battleship look. That said I figured the tank should be a tank, and leave the land battleship ideas to the even bigger superheavies.

**SirDonlad**

e.earnshaw wrote:
I know the old design was a classic but impractical and fw want to make a product that looks realistic.

can you IMAGINE the design brief to end up with that thing!?!

**scuzz_bucket**

BrookM wrote:
People are upset because it looks nothing like the old Epic model.

The paintjob Forgeworld will present theirs with will probably look about the same.

**ClockworkZion**

NAh, FW at least thins their paints. And then adds about a pound of dirt to the final product in the way of weathering powders.

**aka_mythos**

I like their new tank, but I think it goes a little too far from the original concept. Why bother calling it a stormhammer at this point, unless they've run out of names?

**jonolikespie**

aka_mythos wrote:
I like their new tank, but I think it goes a little too far from the original concept. Why bother calling it a stormhammer at this point, unless they've run out of names?

Between them and GW that is a VERY real possibility.

**Kosake**

jonolikespie wrote:
aka_mythos wrote:
I like their new tank, but I think it goes a little too far from the original concept. Why bother calling it a stormhammer at this point, unless they've run out of names?

Between them and GW that is a VERY real possibility.

Nah... their generator can still run for years, especially if someone bothers to throw in some more words. Basically it's just <coolword><medievalweapon>.
Once they are done with shadowswords and stormhammers we'll just see venomaxes, lavamauls, lighninghatchetts and novadirks... And while I personally don't mind big, good-looking tank models, by now I feel it's the contemptor problem part two. It would be nice if they could release some unique chaos/dark mechanicus armor for a change, something that isn't automatically demonic.

**treslibras**

warboss wrote:
Alpharius wrote:
Again, FW is now calling this...thing a Stormhammer, but hopefully it is just a particular type/pattern of Stormhammer, and there are others in the works.

Once that look more like...a real Stormhammer

The FW one is no less "real" than their jump packs, rhinos, land raiders, or anything else that they've come up with that differs from the original concept drawings and older art or even the current models. In the end, it'll likely be a "forgeworld specific" variant like the ryza pattern or lucius somesuch. Even changing the actual function of the weapons isn't new either. The MKIIB land raiders have a much more restrictive fire arc than the current plastics and more than the original plastics. As stated above, conversion is likely the only option until if and when FW decides to make two patterns. Since they're on a decade long HH kick, I don't think we'll see multiple patterns though like in the old days. There just isn't room inbetween all the contemptors! In any case, I do prefer the older version but also like the new one as well. It looks like it would visually go quite well with a Macharius whereas the older version goes better with baneblades.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

prowla wrote:

IS-3 has a similar small rear-hinged protective flap above the gun mantlet. It's pretty thin, so it's mostly against dirt etc. getting into the mantlet gaps.

Now that is a sexy looking tank (that I'm working towards in WOT) and is one of my favorite visually from WW2 (along with the pzIV). The smooth turret and pike nose just resonate as cold war futuristic for me.

Ironically, that flap is the IS-3's fatally weak spot (one of the few tanks that I like to aim at me - because it makes hitting the flap so much easier

).

**prowla**

warboss wrote:

Now that is a sexy looking tank (that I'm working towards in WOT) and is one of my favorite visually from WW2 (along with the pzIV). The smooth turret and pike nose just resonate as cold war futuristic for me.

There's always a chance the IS-3 might appear in Bolt Action range in 28mm size, as it was the last Soviet tank to enter production during WW2. Didn't reach the front line in time to participate in the Battle of Berlin, though.

**Kosake**

prowla wrote:
warboss wrote:

Now that is a sexy looking tank (that I'm working towards in WOT) and is one of my favorite visually from WW2 (along with the pzIV). The smooth turret and pike nose just resonate as cold war futuristic for me.

There's always a chance the IS-3 might appear in Bolt Action range in 28mm size, as it was the last Soviet tank to enter production during WW2. Didn't reach the front line in time to participate in the Battle of Berlin, though.

Would have made for some awesome pictures though, one of these big boys in front of the Reichstag...

**MajorStoffer**

Kosake wrote:
prowla wrote:
warboss wrote:

Now that is a sexy looking tank (that I'm working towards in WOT) and is one of my favorite visually from WW2 (along with the pzIV). The smooth turret and pike nose just resonate as cold war futuristic for me.

There's always a chance the IS-3 might appear in Bolt Action range in 28mm size, as it was the last Soviet tank to enter production during WW2. Didn't reach the front line in time to participate in the Battle of Berlin, though.

Would have made for some awesome pictures though, one of these big boys in front of the Reichstag...

There was some anecdotal references to them being deployed for Operation August Storm.

I don't fancy a Chi-Ha's chances against an IS-3.

As for Forgeworld, I actually like the "Stormhammer" design; it feels pretty similar to those various insane German Landkreuzer designs which were basically rolling bunkers. I get that it isn't the "traditional" Stormhammer design, and the top turret looks a little perfunctory, but objectively I don't mind it.

Also, CS Goto would be proud of the serious multilasering going on with the Solar Auxilia.

**BrookM**

Main reason for the multi-lasers is because energy weapons are preferable over other weapons, plus aside from the odd vehicle mounted heavy bolter, bolters aren't to be found in the Solar Auxilia.

**Lone Cat**

zedmeister wrote:
H.B.M.C. wrote:
That's not a Stormhammer...

Well, alright, but it's Forgeworld's interpretation of one. Here's that piccie from Conquest under the Stormhammer entry. You can see similarities, though there are some differences

It's NOT the same Stormhammer I Used to know. It's entirely different.
The known stormhammer is a true Land Battleship. with two main gun turrets, each has double naval cannons.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/215081.page

**Darth Bob**

From what I can see, I personally think that the new Stormhammer looks better than the classic version. I always thought that the original looked a bit crowded with all those sponsons. The way they've re-worked it makes it look more like a new pattern of tank, rather than a Baneblade with a bunch of sponsons and an extra turret tacked on.

**Kirasu**

Yeah, the new version looks quite a bit better. Old epic models are old and need updating. I mean why would we want half of those models, the Eldar stuff in specific is terrible looking..

Times and technology changes! (Except in the imperium)

**Kosake**

Darth Bob wrote:
From what I can see, I personally think that the new Stormhammer looks better than the classic version. I always thought that the original looked a bit crowded with all those sponsons. The way they've re-worked it makes it look more like a new pattern of tank, rather than a Baneblade with a bunch of sponsons and an extra turret tacked on.

In all fairness, I think the idea of a Baneblade version with two main turrets and a metric ton of spnsoons, mini-turrets and pintle-mounts to be kind of cooler... Not sensible (but then again, neither is any imperial vehicle except the chimera), but cooler and more fitting with the other antiquated design elements of the IoM tech.

**Alpharius**

Hot damn!

You mean to tell me that...

...people like different things?!?

People have different opinions?!?

What is the world coming to?!?

All kidding aside, yes, we have firmly established that FW has drastically changed the design of the Stormhammer.

Hopefully this is just one 'pattern' of Stormhammer, and that the Classic Stormhammer will also someday be made.

Or, we all just use Machinator to make it ourselves.

**H.B.M.C.**

I could'a lived with it if the top turret had two guns*. I actually like the re-imagining of the double sponsons into a "bank" of guns. That's a nifty idea.

*And don't be a pedant and tell me "But it does! It has a multi-laser!". You know damned well what I mean.

**angelofvengeance**

In fairness the bank of guns on the sides is actually a better look than just having all those little turrets everywhere.

**Alpharius**

The turret 'everywhere' look just fine!

My RSO Pattern Stormhammer looks ace!

**angelofvengeance**

To each his own Alpharius