Land Speeder Storm

[Brother Gothard]

Hopefully you my brothers and sisters in arms will allow me the humble privilege of having this count as my Call of the Imperium April update #1. I have a good reason! Hear me out! I'm finishing a semester of university, and, starting tomorrow, my world becomes as busy as all heck until April 30. The only reason I got as far as I did with the storm is that I just couldn't study anymore, and blitzed through it in about 3 hours last night.

 

Anyway, I let myself fall upon your mercy!

 

Here are the second-to-last set of WIP pictures of my Land Speeder Storm conversion. I say that because everything I can think to do is "done:" the second fins are done, the grab bars are on, there's a bench in the expanded compartment so it doesn't look empty, the weapons have been moved to a more "practical" mounting and have been entirely magnetized, the cerebus launcher is done (simple is better!), and the antennae array is finished as well. There's only two problems:

 

1- There's no third "baffled" engine. The CAD concept pictures from GW show a three engine design, but mine only has two, and at this stage its too late to add a third. Can you forgive me?

 

2- Now that the weapon system has been mounted to the hull, I'm left a loss as to what to do with the gunner. Currently, he is only blue tacked on. So I have some options. a- remove the gunner and make it a one man vehicle, and use the front seat as an extra passenger seat. I'll put more grab bars on that side, and a stepdown as well, or perhaps a pintle bolter. b- convert another "driver shield" for that side, and model his left arm as though he's also driving (after all, if the "driver" gets shot, who'll pilot the speeder down?! I think I'm going to go with #b, since its easier. Comments?

 

On to the pics! Oh, two more things: 1- sorry the top isn't glued down, i'm going to paint them separate and for ONCE make painting easy on me (gotta finish my CoI, right?). 2- Please enjoy the sneaky pictures of my home made Imperial Ruin in the background! :P

 

Here they are:

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1443/llsfront.jpg

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6391/llsside.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8353/llstop.jpg

 

And the magnetized gun options: AC, HB, HF, MM!

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2720/llsguns.jpg

 

Its just the standard LS, cut up, extended, and then some bits of wire for hand bars, a piece of sprue for the elongated top brace, and bits of plasticard to fill gaps and create the second fin pair. OH, and Chaos Vehicle sprue Smoke Launcher cut up and reglued with a piece of sprue as a spacer for the Cerebus launcher.

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

PS- YES, I know the top hand bar is slightly bent - I will fix that. And I just realized you can HARDLY see the bench in the compartment. I`ll get a better picture of that when I update the driver shields, etc. Also, I just noticed that these pictures dont really showcase my work AT ALL. I`ll try to update with better ones - but we`ll see, because I have a paper due tomorrow...hmmmmmmmmmmmm...probably no updates unless I work hard and finish the paper first.

 

edit - to be painted in these colours but the scout version.

[Inquisitor =D=]

Pretty... Very Pretty.

[Skirax]

Nice idea...could you do a tutorial?

[Brother Gothard]

Hm. I guess I could. It could not do it for a couple days. I will certainly THINK about it, though. I have another Land Speeder that I want to convert, but I only need one for my lists. I suppose having a second really could not hurt anyone ;)

 

.. OKAY I will do it! You twisted my arm!

[Perry T]

looks rather good. i made mine in a similar method to this.

for your first point - i wouldn't worry about it looking exactly like the CAD drawing and it would be VERY difficult to incorporate a third engine in without tearing up a second kit.

for your second point - i would suggest that you make it a spare seat for a scout but as the legs come attached that could be difficult otherwise your second idea makes sense.

 

your cerebrus launcher looks good. how did you make it?

[Brother Gothard]

Thanks for the comments, Perry. I have given up on the third engine (although, actually you dont need to destroy a second kit for this: when you separate the LS into two horizontal halves, there is an engine shaft or something in what will become the passenger compartment that you remove to make space for the passengers; this piece is similar enough to the other engines that it could easily stand in for a third.

 

As for the Cerebus launcher, its a chaos vehicle accessory sprue smoke launcher - you know, the quad barreled launchers? I cut the two halves apart, and then cut one of the halves into quarters, giving me 3 identical "firing tubes" but in 2 pieces. It was a simple matter of filing down the tubes so that they would make a gapless fit.

 

As for my quandary, I have solved it. I simply created a new "blast shield" for the second driver, and extended the old gun handle down to the base of the speeder floor, giving me a new "steering stick." Et Voila! The LSS is complete (except for the small GS details that I will not update for).

 

Detail shots!

 

Here you can see the detail on the center bench:

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/7073/lssdetails.jpg

 

Here you can see the details on the new fins, and some detail on the new blast shield:

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/7822/lssdetails2.jpg

 

Here you can see the full detail on the blast shield, including the "hinges" on the bottom:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3872/lssdetails3.jpg

 

I will add little rivets with GS when I fill the gaps. I will probably prime the bottom half of it tomorrow (if the weather gets better) and begin painting on my study breaks between now and May!

[Brother Gothard]

So, I finished 1 of 2 papers. And on my way back, as a reward to myself, I picked up a box of scouts and some foundation blue. Since I can never decide what armaments to give my units, I thought, heck, why not ALL of them! So I'm magnetizing the scouts. The close combat armament was easy, but the bolters are proving quite a bit harder. I had in mind to glue the 2 arms together, and magnetize one to the torso, but then I thought, "what if I ever want to use shotguns?" Oh well, I'm sure I will figure it out.

 

So here's a picture of the first wave of magnetized scouts (with magnetized PF sergeant):

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1365/scouts.jpg

I dont like the head on the sergeant, so I think I will switch it out for something else.

 

Here's a group shot of my Call of the Imperium Pledge, assembled and almost ready for priming:

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2592/groupxyw.jpg

 

Its coming along ...

[wiplash]

very nice scratch built terrain there its superb

and the landspeeder is good too :)

[Messanger of Death]

Looks awesome, your skills with the plastic card are great. And I can relate to you with the whole papers (essays/case studies) being due. Ive completed 2 of my 3 with the last one due on tuesday (and im working that day as well lolz). I'm curious as to what sort of foam you used for the ruins? Also I agree with your opinion about the sarge head. Maybe a head from a space marine sprue or possibly just changing the angle of the head.

 

Cheers, Messanger

 

Edit - had a second look at the foam and noticed the pink tinge, so it would be high density foam then. First time I looked it seemed white lolz.

[Skirax]

.. OKAY I will do it! You twisted my arm!

Ha, I knew those goon-school lessons would come in handy one day :whistling:

[Dragonkin Arenis]

I thought the LSS was piloted by Scouts...?

 

 

Sill, not a bad conversion, love to see the painted model!

 

Arenis

[Brother Gothard]

@Wiplash: hey, thanks!

 

@Messanger: Its 1" pink insulation styrofoam sheeting. Comes in sheets of 4'x8' for about $10-20/sheet. I dont know how else to describe it: its the stuff you would find on construction sites for insulating underneath stucco or sometimes in bathrooms and for radiant heating floors.

 

I think I have a good solution for the Scout Sgt. You'll see :)

 

@Arenis: It does not actually specify that, does it? My copy of the codex is, uh ... *cough* too low resolution to see whether the drivers are scouts or marines - any help.

 

The painted model will come slowly. There is still some green stuff work to do on the top half of the speeder, but the bottom is done. I think I'll prime it on my break today.

 

Thanks for the replies guys!

[Perry T]

it doesn't actually say that they are piloted by marines but the vehicle has a BS of 3 whereas marines have a BS of 4. so it can be assumed that it is crewed by scouts but since in the fluff it is claimed that marine armour is stronger than LS armour you could say that they have been given marine armour as better protection.

[wiplash]

art work shows it as being driven by scouts but who cares

[Brother Gothard]

Hmm. Ah, screw it. Its my design! My chapter does not allow such valuable resources as a land speeder to be left in the control of mere ... SCOUTS.

 

Pah!

 

:P

[War Angel]

you could say that they have been given marine armour as better protection.

 

 

part of being a scout is youre black carapace isnt developed enough to interface with the power armor...

[NemFX]

Looks good so far :)

[Sons of Horus]

wow that's a nice speeder. i just wish chaos had speeders too.

[Messanger of Death]

Cant get the pink stuff as easily in Australia as you do over in the States, dont use it in constructions sites or with bathrooms as far as I know (would be great if it was that easily available though). And looking forward to what you have planned for the sarge.

 

Messanger

[Chaotic Death]

Very nice work. You can consider this idea stolen. :angry:

[Brother Gothard]

So, the heads for the plastic scouts look terrible and the more I look at the scouts the more I think, "those are going to look terrible in my army." Terrible. Terrible!

 

So I went picking through my bits box and this happened:

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4549/nhs1.jpg

 

Since my regular space marine are ALWAYS wearing their helmets, I wont miss the bare heads. The only one I'm not sure about is the one in the middle; he's made from the plastic Chaos Terminator Lord head. Its actually the same size, proportionally, as the rest of the heads. But it seems .. magnitudinally larger.

 

Anyway, that certainly has solved the problem of the Sergeant head. I have also decided that at least the sergeant will be getting a very slight leg repose. Maybe the awkward head guy will end up being the sergeant head. Who knows.

 

Anyway ... that will be the last update for awhile, I think. Universityyyyyyyyyyy :whistling:

[Pig Of Sparta]

part of being a scout is youre black carapace isnt developed enough to interface with the power armor...

 

However, the Adpetus Sorortas make use of power armour without the black carapace, they just can't utilise it to its full capability, so I think there's enough leeway fluffwise to allow the scouts crewing the landspeeder to have power armour for the additional protection it'd provide.

[Messanger of Death]

Those scout heads are alot more appropriate. Makes them look less immature and inexperienced and more of the warriors they are. I think i'll use your approach to the scout heads when I add my neophytes to my crusader squads (just looks great). The Chaos Lord head seems fine to me. But if it is going to bug you then I would strongly suggest doing somthing about it now before you paint it, otherwise you will regret it (already ripped off 6 or so arms from some of my half painted Templars because I was unhappy with their pose).

 

Cheers Messanger

 

BTW what are you studying at university?

[Brother Gothard]

Thanks! I rather prefer the way they look now. The squat, fat heads just looked awful. On a side note, I decided to just ignore the shotgun option and went and magnetized the bolters as one piece. Then I glued on the 'extra pouches' to their chests, and, lo and behold, I CAN'T PUT THE BOLTERS ON ANYMORE!!! So I pulled off the extra pieces so the bolters would fit, and, GOD DAMN IT, the glue fudged up the chest eagles!!!!!! I have half a mind to return them for a new kit ... I mean, if the extra pieces aren't going to fit together why the #@$* are there extra pieces?!

 

On that note of anger, why would I take shotguns on my scouts? If I shoot pistols and shoot then charge, I one shot at Str4 Ap5, and charge in for 3 attacks at Str3. If I shoot shotguns and charge, I get 2 shots at Str3 Ap-, and charge for 2 attacks at Str3. Both get the same number of attacks, but the pistols have a stronger attack. If you are going to charge anyway, the pistols are the better option. If you`re not going to charge ... :cuss are you doing with those shotguns at 12" from the enemy?!

 

BTW what are you studying at university?

I'm actually changing my degree POSt right now. I started with Philosophy Specialist; Poli sci minor; Women & Gender studies minor. But since I am now considering teacher's college as a Post-graduate study, and since they do not accept Philosophy as a "teachable subject," I'm switching it to Phil Major; Women & Gender studies Major; and maybe Poli Sci as a Minor.

 

Anyway, the focus of my philosophy study is Ethics and Morality, and the poli sci and w&g studies make up the "Visions of a Just & Good Society" practical approach to applying those ethics.

 

Heh. You?

[Messanger of Death]

Im studying nursing at the moment with intention on doing further studies 5 or so years after I complete my degree (in 2011). Might go into psychology or if I like working in hopsitals go on to study medicine. I'm finding ethics rather interesting in the courses that they have for nursing (the essay due tomorrow is going to partly focus on ethics).

 

Rather gay what happened to the chest eagles. Maybe putting purity seals over the stuffed up sections will hide the damage enough. Someone else on the forum may have a more effective solution to your problem. If not seems like you will have to replace the torso for the models.

 

Messanger