Vehicles

Tanks, APCs, and Fighting Vehicles


FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle)
Fast Attack Vehicles (FAVs) are very light four wheel drive scout cars (little more than dune buggies).
To model the FAVs I use a 1/48th scale US Army FAV model, available from several manufacturers, at most hobby shops that carry scale model tanks.

Chimedon
Chimedon assault vehicles have had their turret strengthened to mout a short barreled battle cannon similar to those carried by a Leman Russ. The battle cannon's powerful armour-piercing shells can easily smash opposing tanks, giving it tremendous tactical flexibility when combined with the Chimera's sturdy and maneuverable hull. They provide supporting fire for platoons of infantry which are facing enemy armour or dug-in infantry. They are also used in the mobile formations such as the SOCs and armoured cavalry to replace tanks.
To convert a Chimera to a Chimedon, all you have to do is replace its turret with a Leman Russ turret. This is an easy conversion.
Chimedon Stats

Chimerax
Chimerax assault vehicles are easily recognisable because their turret has been upgraded to mount four light autocannon. These multiple autocannon allow the Chimerax to lay down a withering curtain of fire. This is highly effective for keeping enemy infantry, light skimmers and flyers at bay even though the Chimerax is not equipped with complex tracking and ranging sensors like its larger cousin, the Hydra self propelled anti-aircraft gun.
To convert a Chimera to a Chimerax, use the turret bottom from the Hellhound, which is available through GW Mail Order to give the turret more height, make your four autocannons either using different sized tubing or thick-walled straws. If you look at the picture of an autocannon while doing the modeling of the cannons, you will see that it it very easy to make by just using different diameters of tubing. You will have to make a gun shield to hold the four autocannons, but this can be done by heating plastic card stock in boiling water and then just forming it across a large diameter dowl to give it its curviture. Just look at the pictures of the Chimerax in White Dwarf 185 or in the supplements for Epic Space Marine. You can add extra bits like the turret armour plates from the Hellhound, etc. from your bits box to individualise your vehicles.
Chimerax Stats

Valhallan Skimobile
The Skimobile is a bike-type vehicle, but instead of wheels it has a track where the rear wheel would be and a ski where the front wheel would be that is used for steering the Skimobile.
To model the Skimobile, take an Ork Warbike, remove all Ork emblems, remove the autocannons, take the front half of a Spotlight from the Tank Accessory Sprue and glue it to the board on the front of the Warbike as a headlight, glue two bolters to the top of the handlebars, and give it a Valhallan rider. Replace the front wheel with a ski made from plasticard stock. Paint it in Valhallan colours and add Valhallan decals/transfers. If you wish to go further, you can add the winged fairing from an Imperial Space Marine bike.
Skimobile Stats

Valhallan Snowtrack
The Snowtrack is a tracked vehicle with twin driving tracks and twin skis mounted in steering forks controlled by handlebars. These tracked vehicles are used to mount heavy weapons and to support Skimobile squads.
To model the Snowtrack, use an Ork Wartrak, remove all Ork emblems, replace the crew with Valhallan IG crewmen, replace the front wheel with two skis made from plasticard stock, take a spotlight from the Tank Accessory Sprue, cut the front half off and glue it to the board on the front of the Snowtrack for a headlight, replace the Ork weapons with IG weapons, mount two bolters on the handlebars, paint it in Valhallan colours, and add Valhallan decals/transfers. If you wish to go further, you can add the winged fairing from an Imperial Space Marine bike.
Snowtrack Stats

Imperial Guard Bikes
Imperial Guard Bikes are light, fast vehicles used both in the reconnaisance and the assault role. They are heavily built for their size, and they have an armoured faring protecting the driver from the front that incorporates twin-linked bolters. It has farings around the wheels of light armour plate, and incorporates special run-flat tires and other special combat systems. It is heavily muffled and silenced to make it effective in its reconnaisance role.
To model an IG Bike, use a Space Marine bike, and any appropriate IG Heavy Weapons gunner as the rider. You may have to modify the figure by removing the arms and replacing them with appropriate plastic arms that will be able to be placed so that they are gripping the handlebar grips (the arms from Necromunda figures are good for this purpose). Then paint the model in an appropriate Imperial Guard paint scheme.
Imperial Guard Bike Stats

 

Gobsmasha
The Gobsmasha is an Evil Sunz war buggy characterised by its blocky, armoured hull and four large metal wheels. The Gobsmasha benefits from having thicker, fully enclosed armour armour and a bigger gun than ordinary war buggies. Evil Sunz use Gobsmashas to teach their young and impetuous Wildboyz the benefitz of Orkish kultur and the joys of driving around at top speed - the heavier armour comes in particularly handy when the Wildboyz keep crashing into things. In battle each Gobsmasha is crewed by two or three Wildboyz (who jump around and try to grab the steering wheel off each other) and a hoary old Ork veteran (who fires Da' Big Gun and keeps the young Orks from doing anything too daft).

 

Grizzly Support Robot
These are great hulking robots armed with heavy support weapons and are used in support of the Ursa forces in battle. These are heavily armoured, and carry a variety of weapons in two arm mounts and a shoulder mount.
To model the Grizzly, use one of the old style Imperial Dreadnoughts and add the shoulder mount weapon to it. It is a straightforward and easy conversion, and makes an impressive model.

Wolverine Robotic Tank
These are fast, three-wheeled armoured vehicles used for both fast raids and in support of the Ursa ground forces. They use a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence with a highly developed predictive and intuitive program, making them capable of operating independently without any need for local control. They mount a powerful fusion beam cannon, plus secondary armament.
To model the Wolverine you can use several different three-wheeled tankette models that are available from different suppliers. For the exact vehicle I used, e-mail me.

 

Squat Gyrocopter

The Squat Gyrocopter is a simple, but effective machine used by the Squats for patrolling and carrying messages on their hostile Homeworlds and for reconnaisance and fast attacks on the battlefield. They are armed for a combination anti-personnel / anti-vehicle role.
Gyrocopter Stats

Squat Thor Heavy Assault Tank
The Thor Heavy Assault Tank was developed from an armoured crawler that was used originally to carry mining crews and other personnel across the hostile surfaces of the Squat Homeworlds and to shield them from the many meteor showers that occur. The crawler was modified by installing side sponsons to carry battlecannons and ball mounts for heavy bolters, and converting the passenger compartment to carry ammunition. Also, the front armour was reinforced and commander's and driver's preiscopes added. While the Squats were doing the modifications, they also strengthened the tracks and added targeting devices to make it a more efficient tank. The Thor is a strange and ungainly looking vehicle, but it serves its purpose quite well, and has been a highly successful design.
To model a Thor Heavy Assault Tank, use a British Mk IV "Male" heavy tank in 1/72 scale, change the Howitzer barrels on the sponsons for battlecannon barrels, and take the front half of the plastic heavy bolter that comes with GW tanks (if you can find the heavy bolters that came with the Land Raider, and cut the front halves off of them to use, they look better) and glue them to the ball mounts, replacing the machine gun barrels (it will look better if you enlarge the ball mounts in proportion to the heavy bolter), then take a stormbolter with its mount from a GW kit, and place it just forward of the hatch on the roof of the tank, make two periscopes from scrap plastic, and glue to the roof just above the two vision ports on the front hull, then add whatever equipment and details you see fit to personalize your tank. The tank would be too small for IG or Space Marines, but it is perfect for Squats.
Thor Stats

Squat Blitz Light Tank
The Blitz Light Tank was developed for reconaissance, to be a high speed vehicle, with a rapid-firing weapon for engaging massed infantry and light vehicles. It is also used to support the heavier tanks and give them protection from infantry assaults and assaults by fast moving light vehicles. It is a very small and maneuverable vehicle, relying more on speed than it does on armour for protection.
You can model a Blitz Light Tank by using a 1/72nd scale ICTV33 Italian Light Tankette, cut off the end of the barrel down to where it leaves just a small nub sticking out of the larger diameter portion, and drill six holes around the nub to represent the muzzles of the gatling laser. Then cut off the barrel from a greande launcher and mount it to the front of the hull just below the driver's vision slit. Make up twin-linked bolters with a pintel mount and mount it just forward of the gunner's top hatch. Paint it appropriate colours and then put Squat markings on it.
Blitz Stats

 

Stegadon Armoured Fighting Vehicle
The Stegadon is a walker type vehicle that has somewhat the appearance if an ancient dinosaur. It has four legs, with a large body, and a cockpit weapons capsule on a flexible extension that appears to be the head and neck of a great beast. The shielding around the flexible coupling looks very much like the armoured plates protecting the neck of the ancient beast called a Stegadon. It is from this resemblance that the vehicle gets its name. The Slann have purposely designed the vehicle to look like the beast, giving it horns and scale-like metal plates. The Stegadon can transport ten troops plus one character in addition to its crew.

Slaan Salamander
The Salamander looks somewhat like a giant metallic lizard that shoots forth flames from its mouth. It is in actual fact a walker designed to carry the powerful Inferno cannon. The very sight of it causes fear in troops that have to face it. The walker has a crew of two with most of the body taken up by the immense fuel tanks and the powerful pumps needed to fire the weapon.

Slann Terradon Jetbikes
Any squads indicated may ride jetbikes as described in the army list entry. Any Slann character may ride a jetbike. If a character rides a jetbike its cost is added to that of the character and is included as part of the Characters points allowance.
Weapons: Terradon Jetbikes are equipped with twin linked boltcasters with a targeter (+1 to hit), and a heavy flamer.

 

Space Marine Hornet
The Space Marine Hornet is a special skimmer APC developed by the Adeptus Mechanicus for use by Marines on penetration attacks, recon, and fast first strike missions.
It's based on a Rhino body, utilizing scratchbuilt rear engine pods a top turret derived from a Dreadnought weapons arm. Chin mountedweapons based on those of the SM Tank side sponsons and Cyclone missilelaunchers from the Termie models.
Hornet Stats
Hornet Mk II

Space Marine Sentinel
The Space Marine Sentinel is a light vehicle used for reconnaissance and as flankers and roving pickets. They rely on their speed and maneuverability even through difficult terrain instead of heavy armour for protection.
To model a Space Marine Sentinel, you can take one of the new Imperial Guard Sentinels and replace the driver with a Space Marine and modify the weapons as needed. Then just paint it in your chapter's colours, and apply appropriate transfers.
Space Marine Sentinel

 

Imperial Hydra
The Imperial Hydra is a Predator variant with a massive "Negacannon" replacing its turret.

Imperial Hydra

 

Chaos Blood Slaughterer
Amongst the Greatest of Khorne's Weapons are the Daemon Engines. Daemon Engines are literally Daemonic machine creatures made of iron and brass, covered with heavy armour of black steel, and marked with the brass runes of Khorne. They are deadly hulking monstrosities, bristling with weapons. The Blood Slaughterer is a deadly opponent as it hurtles across the battlefield on its iron bound wheels, spraying death from the heavy bolters mounted in its chest, or tearing its enemies apart with its axe and whip in hand to hand combat. The Blood Slaughterer will charge anything that gets in its way, attacking ferociously until it is destroyed.
You may include one Blood Slaughterer in your army for each unit you have that is marked with the mark of Khorne.


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