Alternate tank models

[calgar101]

I have a reasonably sized Imperial Guard army and have a good number of tanks. I want to add more tanks - especially Leman Russ- to my army but I want variety amongst my armour. I was thinking of converting 1/35 WW1/2 tanks for my force. I am asking for some advice from those who have done something different. I'm interested to know how much difference in size there is between GW tanks and 1/35 tanks. Aside from swapping weapons and adding iconography what would you suggest I do to make them fit in?

 

I am looking at;

WW1 Whippet tank

 

WW1 MK IV Male

 

Big Bertha Howitzer

 

1/72 Morser Karl

 

-Cant add photos of those tanks

 

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

The most common scales of historical tanks (1/32, 1/36) are quite a bit larger than a leman russ - this will depend on the individual tank, though.  WWII tanks typically end up about 1/2 way between a russ and a baneblade in size (so about the size of a FW Malcador).  Not sure haow big the WWI tank is compared to WWII tanks - if smaller,, the scale might work.  The big bertha, assuming it is just towed artillery and isn't self-mobile is likely the right size - FW artillery pieces are fairly large, and 40K guns in general are far larger than they would be if they were to scale.

 

Incidentally, other 1/32 and 1/36 scale items (such as walls, oil cans, tool kits, etc) are about the right size - except weapons (expecially small arms) which look tiny.

[calgar101]

Thank you for your reply. The tanks I am looking at are the WW1 ones, I'll have to buy one to test it out. I'm just not sure if sticking 40k weapons to these will be a good enough conversion.

 

Yeah I think that the big Bertha gun will fit in quite well.

I've also thought a Flakk 88 would work well.

[Venix]

1/48 is approximately the correct scale for most things scale wise. For example the tamiya 1/48 russian KV2 tank is maybe 10% longer than a leman russ but is just as wide, with a lower profile, however turret is scaled correctly for implementation of grafting turret cupola and weapons from the LR kit, and makes up for the hull's lower profile.

 

Additionally the revell 1/48 mi-28 hind is also similarly scaled to the valkyrie proportionally as well.

 

Generally 1/48 is most compatible, with 1/35 being the next closest depending on the kit you are using relative to the 40k equivalent sized model you are attempting to proxy.

 

I have used elements from both models in conversions, incidentally to represent both Ragnarok tanks, as well as grafting the hind cockpit to a valkyrie thus have found 1/48 to be the most consistent scale to work with generally speaking.

 

Iirc the 1/48 stug, panther, and tiger have been used in several other conversions around the net.

 

Some 1/35 wwi kit was used as a transport conversion to transport organ. I think it was a British tank.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Venix

[Inso]

As Venix has already mentioned, 1/48th is a better scale unless you want to go large.

 

You'll probably struggle finding WW1 kits in that scale so you may end up having to go for the larger 1/35 scale. Incidentally, you may be able to find tanks in 1/56 scale which is what 28mm is roughly equated to. If you want to take that route, I would check out the plastic tank platoons from Warlord games... although these are WW2. 

[calgar101]

Thank you Ventrix and Inso for your replies, I appreciate it. I forgot about the 1/48 and 1/56 scales and will look at those. They dont have to be all WW1 vehicles, I have seen some good WW2 tanks. The Panther looks great.

Edited February 27, 2020 by calgar101

[Inso]

Thank you Ventrix and Inso for your replies, I appreciate it. I forgot about the 1/48 and 1/56 scales and will look at those. They dont have to be all WW1 vehicles, I have seen some good WW2 tanks. The Panther looks great.

 

Just for information, the Meng "World War Toon", King Tiger is almost identical in size to the Leman Russ tank (the hull is not as tall but the turret is slightly taller to even things out). It isn't scaled and has some chibi proportions but it isn't as bad as some of the others in the same range. Here's a converted (just the weapons) one:

 

 

Shown with Squats :) .

[dice4thedicegod]

This has some very useful info:

 

https://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Scale_Model_Kits_for_40K

 

 

(Personally, I’ve used a 1/35 elefant as a base for a macharius vulcan)

[calgar101]

Thanks Inso, that tank does seem chibi like and im 50/50 on it. Loving the Squats. Dice4thedicegod I will give that a good read now, some great info there.

 

[calgar101]

The WW1 Whippet and Female tank both 1:72 kits look quite suitable and are tempting to me.

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by calgar101

[Inso]

 

The WW1 Whippet and Female tank both 1:72 kits look quite suitable and are tempting to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/72 scale will be tiny... 

[calgar101]

I found a conversion I built many moons ago and it isn't that much smaller than a Russ. Its height is a little smaller, width is the same but its longer. I'll post a picture in the morning.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

My friend has used 1/72 scale tanks for conversions in his ork armies, and they come out to about the same size as a grot tank - so, roughly as long a space marine bike and about 1,5x as wide.  Way too small for an IG tank, IMHO.

[calgar101]

Oh I might have remembered the scale I used wrong. Edited February 29, 2020 by calgar101