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Made in us
Focused Dark Angels Land Raider Pilot





Virginia

How to Build a Ravenwing Talonmaster or Sammael in Sableclaw

In the last Dark Angel Codex, the Dark Angels got a new headquarters land speeder, the Ravenwing Talonmaster. This last Codex also favors Sammael in the land speeder Sableclaw. In typical Games Workshop fashion, neither model is now sold. Nor does the Codex illustrate what either vehicle looks like. This may change, but in the meantime, how does one build either land speeder?

The Talonmaster and the Sableclaw are both build in the same way. Any difference is a matter of styling. Both are built from the Space Marine Land Speeder modified by some of the parts found in the Ravenwing Accessory Pack which is available through Games Workshop or even through a bits supplier. (Many players who have built bikes often have excess Ravenwing Accessory Packs.)

To build the Talonmaster or the Sableclaw, start by building a Land Speeder following the directions provided with the Land Speeder model. This is an older model and the directions are poorer than the newer models. Unlike later models, the individual parts are not numbered. The instructions are basically three pictures without explanation showing how to assemble a Land Speeder.


Land Speed Instruction Picture 1



Land Speed Instruction Picture 1

This first picture includes the most difficult steps in assembling a Land Speeder based model. The picture suggests that these parts may be put together in any order. That is not true. Instead, assemble all the Land Speeder as shown in Instruction Picture 1 in any order except for the top piece, the two side pieces, and the doors. This three pieces need to be placed last after all the other pieces have been assembled in the order specified below.



Land Speeder Assembled as Shown in Picture 1 without the Top and Sides.

The prior picture shows the model before putting on the sides and the top. Place each door as shown in picture above so that the tongs, the two little rods or hinges sticking out from the bottom of each door, are properly aligned in the floor before placing on the side. Do not glue the door as it should swing freely. For the Talonmaster and the Sableclaw, use the door with no window. The door with the little window is for the Typhoon missile launcher.



Land Speeder with the Right Side in Place and Door Opened.

Placing each side is tricky. Dry assemble the side until you have totally figured out how it fits. There are several tabs that need to be messed together. Some of them are outside the side piece; some are inside the side piece. Each tab needs to be properly placed and the sides just don’t snap on correctly without adjustment. There should be no gaps between the side where it joins the top or bottom of the model. If there is a gap, you have put the side on wrong. Play with it until you get it right before gluing it.



Land Speeder with Right Side in Place and Door Closed

The door should swing freely from the open to the close position. Compare the two pictures above. Repeat these steps for the other door and the other side. This is the trickiest part of building any land speeder, including the Talonmaster, or the Sableclaw.



Land Speeder with Left and Right Sides in Place

Finally, glue the top assembly on the Land Speeder.



Land Speeder with Top Assembly


Land Speed Instruction Picture 2




Land Speed Instruction Picture 2

The steps in picture 2 are much easier to follow than those in picture 2. So follow the steps show in picture 2 except for the following.

Do not glue on the antenna yet. The standard Land Speeder antenna is the wrong size and needs to be replaced with the antenna found in the Ravenwing Accessory pack.



The Two Antennas

In the picture above, the Ravenwing antenna is on the top. The standard Land Speeder antenna is on the bottom. The standard antenna will crowd out some of the Ravenwing insignia. So hold off putting on either antenna on the Land Speeder until later.

Also hold off assembling the pilot and gunner. Add them later. You will need to make several decisions of what pieces you will use for the pilot and the gunner. Both the Talonmaster and the Sableclaw have a sword and you will need to decide which character, the pilot or gunner will wield the sword.



The Land Speeder without the Antenna, Pilot, and Gunner


Land Speed Instruction Picture 3




Land Speeder Instruction Picture 3

In this step, use parts from the Ravenwing Accessory Pack. Still, use the Land Speeder Instruction picture 3 as a guide. Although the parts shown in picture 3 are for the Land Speeder, the parts from the Ravenwing Accessory pact will go on almost the same way. Use the twin assault cannons and the twin heavy bolters from the Ravenwing Accessory pact. Use the railing in front of the gunner, the left and right steps, and the ammo box from the Land Speeder kit.

Start with the twin assault cannons. Notice in Picture 3, that the single assault cannon has a mount so it is side by side with a spotlight. Both the spotlight and the single assault cannon fit neatly into the mount. A single ammo holder fits on the single assault cannon.

The Ravenwing Accessory pack has two assault cannons, two spotlights, two ammo holders, and two mounts. These are identical to the parts for the single assault cannon except these parts are doubled. One solution is to mount each cannon with ammo holder on a mount with a spotlight and then mount both cannons on the bottom of the Land Speeder. This is how I have mounted mine. It is also possible to mount both assault cannons on a single mount and I have seen several models built this way. This loses the spotlights, although the spotlights could be both placed on the other mount. This is a matter of styling.



Twin Linked Assault Cannons with Spotlights Mounted Under the Land Speeder

Note that I have the two assault cannons mirror each other with the ammo holder on the outside. Again this is a matter of styling and I could have put the spotlights on the outside or a spotlight on one side and the ammo holder on the other. Finally, be aware that there is no specific place for the mounts to attach on the bottom of the Land Speeder. Place them wherever it looks good. I actually cut two of the little tabs on the bottom off to mount the assault cannons where I wanted them.

Put together the twin heavy bolters found in the Ravenwing Accessory Pack. Add the ammo carrier from the Land Speeder kit to the right of the twin linked bolters if desired. Notice that I have drilled the barrels in the assault cannon and the twin linked bolters. I have no real trick for doing this other than a steady hand and patience with a hand drill. I love drilled out barrels.

Mounting the twin heavy bolters is tricky since it mounts both on the railing in front of the gunner and the firing grip between the gunner’s hands. I mount the gunner and the twin heavy bolters at the same time so that I can properly level the heavy bolters.



Top View of the a Ravenwing Talonmaster showing Twin Heavy Bolters with Ammo Pack

Other styling bits in the Ravenwing Accessory pack include an open book, the Dark Angel insignias, and a Dark Angel figurine. Place these bits as you like. I like the open book and added that to both the Sableclaw and the Talonmaster. Be aware that there are a number of extra bits in the Ravenwing Accessory pack for Dark Angel bikers and for a Dark Angel Dreadnaught. Don’t feel a need to use them on your Talonmaster or Sableclaw.

The Ravenwing Accessory pack also has Dark Angel shoulder pads and chest pieces. You can substitute them for the standard space marine chest and shoulder pads on the gunner and pilot.

One reason I have waited to assembly the pilot and the gunner is what to do with the sword, the power sword on the Talonmaster or the Raven Sword on Sableclaw. The sword that comes with the Ravenwing Accessory Pack is a left handed sword and must be mounted on the pilot if used. Although I have seen this done, this makes little sense for me. Is the pilot going to fly the land speeder and participate in a sword fight simultaneously?

I decided that it made more sense to have the gunner have the sword. This required, however, a right handed sword. I had several left over from the Ravenwing Command Squad kit and I picked one of them.

The bigger problem is that I had to cut off the gunner’s right hand supporting the firing mechanism for the heavy bolters. Then I had to find a piece that looked like a pistol grip. I cobbled this together and was pleased with the results. On a later model, I just made a grip with green stuff. It wasn't great but it was enough.

The last step is to add the antenna on the front. I used the antenna supplied with the Ravenwing Accessory pack rather than that supplied with the Land Speeder because the book on the hood of the Land Speeder crowded out the space needed for the larger standard Land Speeder antenna. The fit for antenna supplied with the Ravenwing Accessory kit was poor and I had to grind portions of it down to make it fit right.



Upper Front Top View of the a Ravenwing Talonmaster

Over all, I am pleased with how the Ravenwing Talonmaster worked out. This is a tricky conversion in part because the Land Speed itself is tricky to put together and neither the Ravenwing Accessory pack nor the Land Speeder instructions show how to make the conversion.


This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2018/10/22 14:04:06


 
   
Made in us
Focused Dark Angels Land Raider Pilot





Virginia

Ravenwing Talonmaster

It is painting and styling that make each model unique. This is the Ravenwing Talonmaster although it is painted with a camouflage pattern rather than the traditional Ravenwing Black and White scheme. The heads are PuppetWar heads rather than the traditional 40K space marines.




Ravenwing Talonmaster – Top Front View




Ravenwing Talonmaster – Right Sidet View




Ravenwing Talonmaster – Rear View




Ravenwing Talonmaster – Left Rear View




Ravenwing Talonmaster – Left Side View


Their helmets are pinned on the side just below the cockpit.

   
Made in us
Focused Dark Angels Land Raider Pilot





Virginia

Sammael in Sableclaw

For modeling, the difference between Sammael in Sableclaw and a Ravenwing Talonmaster is just a matter of styling. Although it seems to be missing in the newest Dark Angel Codex, the older codex give Sammael a special cloak called the Adamantine Mantle. The Sammael model on the jetbike, Corvex, has the Adamantine Mantle. It also shows Sammael with long hair. These are two of the styling details that I added to the model to indicate that it was Sammael in Sableclaw.




Sammael in Sableclaw – Right Front View


The cloak is made from green stuff and is actually fairly easy to make following the instructions I outlined in the tutorial How to Make a Cape Out of Green Stuff. https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/671876.page

The head is from the old Warhammer Bretonnia® knight’s set. Games Workshop has discontinued the old Bretonnia knights but I bought a few bits for conversions and find them useful.

I added two more details: 1) the book on the hood of the Sableclaw which is identical to the book on the hood of the Talonmaster, and 2) the winged Dark Angel Captain Helmet from the Dark Angels Upgrade Pack. The winged helmet is mounted on the side of the Sableclaw.




Sableclaw – Right Side View


The sword is also from the Dark Angels Upgrade Pack.




Sableclaw – Left Side View


A regular Dark Angels helmet is mounted on the left side for the pilot.




Sableclaw – Front View




Sableclaw – Rear View

   
Made in us
Focused Dark Angels Land Raider Pilot





Virginia

More Views of Sammael in Sableclaw

I took a lot of pictures of Sableclaw. Here are some more views.




Sableclaw – Right Front View




Sableclaw- Right Rear View




Sableclaw – Left Front View



   
 
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