The woes of True Scale

[Firepower]

Sooo I'm plotting and planning a true-scale project, but I've hit a bit of a snag. Most of the army compositions I come up with involve Landspeeders, specifically typhoons most often, but I can't find any guides (or even attempts) to true-scale these things in my net-searches. Note that the intent isn't really to make the vehicle look bigger/more imposing, it's just that if the two Marine pilots are midgets compared to their brothers, it might look...off.

 

I dont have any experience with those particular models, but i was thinking one solution might be to "cheat", in a sense, using scout pilots from the LS Storm on a regular LS. Seeing as the scouts seem just about the right size as is compared to a SM+a few millimeters (growth spurt+power armor=much bigger), they wouldn't necessitate any conversions themselves. Problem is, I dunno how they would fit in a regular LS, so that's one concern.

 

Thoughts, ideas, recommendations?

[SCC]

Simple - enclose the cockpit. Then no one will know if your LS pilots are big or small and it'll be a darn sight more sensible too :D

[Firepower]

Hmm...well that would certainly do the trick. Save me a lot of time on fine detail painting, too. Now I'll just have to see if i can figure out how to do it, since the FW Tempest is something like $70 :verymad: .

[Hellios]

Hmm...well that would certainly do the trick. Save me a lot of time on fine detail painting, too. Now I'll just have to see if i can figure out how to do it, since the FW Tempest is something like $70 :P .

 

The question is can you scratch build vehicles? If you haven't done it before pick a fairly simple vehicles and something that is blocky... Tau and Eldar vehicles IMO are a lot harder than Imperial vehicles... while Ork vehicles go for a somewhat different look that won't help with Imperial vehicles :P. Don't worry about scale with your first attempt just try and practise using the materials and don't be afraid if you muck bits up...

 

Then scratch build the real deal :mellow: enclosed or open cockpit and pay attention to the scale this time... if anything during the building phase the a bigger scale vehicle IMO is easier to scratch than a smaller scale although mistakes will be easier to notice and they are harder to paint :D

[Slyen]

I've thought about the same kind of thing and its been the issue with me doing true scaling.

 

I don't have much practice working with Greenstuff and none with plasticard. Would scratch building be the best way to up scale a vehicle such as a Rhino?

[Firepower]

When it comes to the rhino, some people argue against even bothering, saying the scale is actually appropriate. Still looks a bit goofy to me, though. I haven't found any tutorials, but I've seen a few random WIP's that just wedged an extra layer of plasticard in at key joints and joinings to bulk it up a bit.

 

Likewise, I have little GS skill and absolutely 0 plasticard skill. True-scaling the marines in the first place will be my real trial by fire, and the vehicles I'll probably only confront after gaining some confidence. Still, I'm not sure scratch building is likely to be easier than sealing up a pre-made cockpit :)

[madscuzzy]

To truescale a vehicle requires you to enlarge it about 10 to 25% larger, depending on how 'truescale' you want to. The current marines are 28mm heroic, or about 30mm. Rather than making marines larger, the rest of the line should be smaller, especially if you are comparing them specifically. FW has done this more than GW making IG or certain marine parts more realistic by not exaggerating and/or by sculpting smaller models.

 

Even based off this scale, the vehicles in the line are generally not to scale. Ironically most of it started with the rhino. Most of the vehicles are based off how large the current rhino is, and the current rhino is based of the original model, which was 25mm scale. The figures have grown, but not the vehicles.

[Joasht]

Even based off this scale, the vehicles in the line are generally not to scale. Ironically most of it started with the rhino. Most of the vehicles are based off how large the current rhino is, and the current rhino is based of the original model, which was 25mm scale. The figures have grown, but not the vehicles.

 

This.

 

No matter how you look at a Rhino, there is just simply no way ten guys could possibly fit into that thing :/

[Firepower]

This is the best beefed up rhino I've seen yet, though I'm not sure who did it or how it was done. The beauty has already been basecoated, ruining the chance to at least get a glimpse of where plasticard, GS, and spare parts were used. Beyond my skill to reverse engineer but I'm working on hunting down the mad genius behind it.

 

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz201/Wills40k/truescalerhino.jpg

[FuriousFerret]

I've long had plans to build a true-scale Rhino, Razorback, or Predator.

 

Basically, I'll base them on Land Raiders. :P

 

Take a Land Raider, remove engine at rear, scratchbuild a rear hatch from plasticard and the front hatch, close up the front hatch with plasticard, greenstuff one door on each side until you can't see there used to be a door there.

 

Tadaa, true-scale Rhino.

 

Of course, now the LAND RAIDERS are out of scale..... :lol:

[Doghouse]

This is the best beefed up rhino I've seen yet, though I'm not sure who did it or how it was done. The beauty has already been basecoated, ruining the chance to at least get a glimpse of where plasticard, GS, and spare parts were used. Beyond my skill to reverse engineer but I'm working on hunting down the mad genius behind it.

 

This was made by Apologist. You should be able to contact him here. :)

 

There is a formula that I have worked out in regards to getting truescale vehicles accurately scaled, I'll see if I can dig it out if I can remember where it was that I wrote it down.

 

Space Marine vehicles are seriously massive though, I put the following truescale rhino together using the fourth edition space marine codex as a guide because it has size comparison pictures of marines next to most of the vehicles.

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/a1ilmr.jpg

 

Forty Kay vehicles have never really been in scale which is what makes them look odd in my mind when you add a crewman to a hatch manning a pintle weapon.