Space marine specialist squads and Vehicles

[jimbo1701]

 

 

Hi all. 

I harken from second edition Epic era and was thinking about a lost piece of game lore. For those not familiar with the game this was played at 6mm scale and typically infantry were arranged on square bases with circular slots for 5 models. At this point, there was only a space marine captain and commander model and so people tended to proxy these models as specialists, of which the typical 4 existed: chaplain, apothecary, librarian and techmarine. In game each unit would therefore consist of 5 models, the other 4 typically being standard marines, and a rhino, usually coloured to that specialty same as the armour. 

Later in 40K some of the specialists would be incorporated into other squads (such as the apothecary into the command squad) while the rest retained independent status. The blood angels command squad was unique in that it had not only a sanguinary novitiate and a tech adept, all with jump packs. Bike and terminator command squads were a thing for a while as was the reclusiam command squad, effectively the same as a standard one but led by a chaplain. Techmarines would also lead units of servitors. 

 

While I’m sure the reason for the original epic units existing as they did was simply game mechanic related, the idea of dedicated squads and transports for these specialist appeals to me. For example:

 

Techmarine - rhino variant loaded with spare parts / lifting and repair equipment and an entourage of standard / heavy servitors and a tech adept. 

 

Chaplain - rhino with laud hailers and reliquary with an entourage consisting of serfs carrying relics, junior chaplain and judiciar. 

 

Apothecary - rhino variant with medical bay, stasis equipment and gene seed storage. Entourage with apothecary adept and medical servitors. 

 

Librarian - perhaps a rhino with psycho amplifying equipment, and a choir of librarians ( junior ranks such as lexicanum/codicier) led by an epistolary. 

 

Just for fun. Has anyone seen any conversions for epic or 40K along these lines? 

[Xenith]

There's no reason you can't convert or paint transports to reflect the speial nature of the occupants!

 

GW revisted this maybe...10 years ago (?) with the Reclusiam Command Squad, a dedicated bodyguard and transport for a chaplain. This was maybe a 7th ed formation?

 

 

 

I'll move this to the Space Marine section where it will get more responses, and as it's a SM topic. 

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

Chaplain Rhino:

Stealing bits from a Sororitas Rhino would help.

 

Librarian Rhino:

Maybe attaching more purity seals to the vehicle? Also inscribing runes onto it would make it look more proper although it will go into Word Bearers territory and you don´t want to do that. Apart from that look for techno wizard apparatus gubbins, glue it on and claim it´s a psychic amplifier.

 

Medic Rhino:

These would look from the outside not different than other Rhinos. Reduce the transport capacity to that of a Razorback though to represent the medical bay. 

 

Techmarine Rhino:

You need a trailer hitch to tow damaged vehcles. It would need a stronger engine to do so which can´t be represented by modelling so fewer work to pull off. A spare part compartment would mean again less room for occupants. Make it six like with the Razorback. Maybe you want to graft a huge servoarm to the vehicle but then you transgress into Ork territory so you maybe not want to do that.  

 

Captain Rhino:

Go to 30K and grab the Command Rhino upgrade kit. Done.

Edited December 24, 2024 by Deus_Ex_Machina

[Evil Eye]

A Techmarine/"AVRE" Rhino would be very cool; I'd use the Razorback top plate and turret mount to construct a crane/servo-arm, and also give it a mine plow. Some kind of pintle/turret weapon that Rhinos don't usually have would be cool- maybe an anti-infantry mortar/grenade launcher (like an Imperial havoc launcher counterpart) would work as a means of defending the Techmarine and his vehicle?

 

For the Chaplain's Rhino, aside from the obvious decorations, giving it a little pulpit would be very cool. Again, you could use the Razorback top plate with the turret ring as the basis.

 

An Apothecary "ambulance/field hospital" Rhino would be very cool; I'd possibly say it'd benefit from an expanded troop compartment ala the Repressor. You'd need some scratchbuilding skills (or a printer, or a recast Repressor upgrade kit) but anyway.

A Librarian Rhino...hmmm. I personally wouldn't go too crazy with conversions for it as a Rhino with a psychic amplifier array on it is likely turning an already potentially vulnerable asset into a giant lightning rod/target for anti-psyker shenanigans on the part of the enemy. That said, an otherwise-standard personal Rhino for a Librarian and his squad could have some nifty markings and also some storage for scrolls/tomes etc.

 

Some other ideas I had for specialist Rhinos included:
>Civilian service models (construction or agricultural vehicles for instance); in earlier fluff at least the Rhino was so ubiquitous they used the chassis for basically everything, and I can see it seeing some use in non-combatant roles.

>Supply hauler, with no armaments and the troop compartment converted into a storage space for munitions, weaponry etc.

>Corpse cart/pallbearer, for the ceremonious recovery of the fallen (presumably only used after battle).

>Field kitchen/Imperial "NAAFI wagon" (even Marines gotta eat sometimes! I think?), obviously a non-battlefield vehicle but still.

[jimbo1701]

Some great ideas evil eye. Thanks for sharing. I did a little bit of googling and found these images: