Modelling: Land Raider Prometheus conversion

[Gurth]

Here's my way of converting a standard Land Raider into a Prometheus variant from Imperial Armour volume 2. Since the main difference between the two is the sponsons, I'll start with those. I've started on the different hull front, but haven't finished it yet, so (with a bit of luck) a later post in this thread will detail how I did that part.

Making the heavy bolter sponsons is actually quite easy. What you need is the following parts:

• A Land Raider (duh …);
  
• Two sets of heavy bolter sponson from a Predator;
  
• Four heavy bolters from some other source, such as Imperial Guard heavy weapons or the hull-mounted heavy bolters off a Land Raider (which means you only need one other Land Raider, because the one you'll be converting comes with a pair);
  
• Some plastic card.
  

The Bolters

The first thing to do is adapt the bolters to fit the central pivot of the Land Raider's sponson mounts, onto which the lascannon are normally mounted. To do this, take the Predator's heavy bolters and cut off the ammo feed belt, then ream out the mounting hole with the tip of a knife until it fits over the axle on the mount which is normally used for the lascannon.

The other heavy bolters will also need some cutting done, but what exactly depends on the parts you're using. I used Imperial Guard bolters from a heavy weapons team, and trimmed off the mounting at the bottom of the weapon as well as the sights on top.

The following photo shows the bolters after modification:

Then all you do is glue an Imperial Guard bolter underneath a Predator bolter, like so:

The Mounting

For this, you can use the central pivot from the lascannon mount, but you need cut off a few bits to make the bolters fit. To be precise, the notches on both sides of the central shield need to go and the curve smoothed out, and also the reinforcements at the bottom have to be removed. You may also need to shorten one of the axles (if you look closely at them, you can see one is longer than the other).

You can see the differences in the following photo by comparing the modified pivot on the right with the unmodified one on the left.

Putting Things Together

All you then need to do is glue the bolters to the pivot. You might be able to make them elevate, but I didn't want to try that and instead simply glued everything together. The pips on the Predator's bolters (used to locate them to the ammo boxes on that vehicle) will neatly line up with the pivot's front, giving a more secure bond. There is only a gap to fill with a bit of plastic card to finish the bolters, as the following photos show:

Top view:

Front view:

Bottom view:

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Simple, and effective. Very nice.

[Gussy]

Now lets see the entire vehicle....

[Terminatorinhell]

wow thats cool

[Gussy]

It won't be cheaper for those without extra parts lying around.

[Gurth]

It won't be cheaper for those without extra parts lying around.

That's when you beg/borrow/swap/steal parts from/with other players … Anyone who's built a Predator with the lascannons will have the bolters left over and probably has no use for them, and any IG player with a few heavy weapons teams is likely to have spare heavy bolters. I had one set of Predator sponsons and two IG heavy bolters myself, and got a second Predator set from another player, and someone else gave me a few heavy bolters. All you need is to know a few people at, say, a game store :)

[f74]

Wouldn't it be easier to just but the £16 forge world kit? I mean its not that expensive! you get the cool Sensor setup as well

[Gurth]

Easier, maybe. More satisfying, I doubt it …

[Stella Cadente]

Easier, maybe. More satisfying, I doubt it …

once you sniff the resin shavings up your nose trust me it WILL be as satisfying.

mmmmm resin fix :down:

[Gurth]

once you sniff the resin shavings up your nose trust me it WILL be as satisfying.

After 15+ years of working with resin parts, I've gotten a bit immune to the smell :drool:

[death given form]

Besides, with the US economy in the toilet, I need to save all the money I can. :P

[Galenus]

Nice tutorial, m8! Been thinking of adding some Land Raiders to the Deathwing I'm working on. Currently looking to build: Stock Raider, Crusader, Prometheus, Ares, and Redeemer, and am contemplating the viability of a home converted Helios, and maybe, if I feel like really wasting my time, a Land Raider Terminus (I appreciate it being a designated weapons platform, instead of a schitzo-APC/MBT hybrid, but seriously, there is nothing short of a Titan that warrants having 5 Lascannons pointed at it, and since its not a Warmachine, no independant targeting.)

 

On the topic of the spare bolter-bits, another option you might consider is getting a Razorback for the spare Heavy bolters, as this way you get a second pair of HB from the APC, plus can still run it as a Razorback w/ Lascannons or a Rhino (or if you have some spare bitz around, a Predator or a Whirlwind! Emperor bless the Mechanicum for their use of STC tech!)

 

I know for a fact that the Razorback turrets fit the Land Raider hull mount as well, and in turn, the reverse is true (once ran a VDR designed Razorback with a twin linked assault cannon. More kills than the squad it carried that game. XD)