I don't know about anyone else but I'm not the type of person who likes to proxy models. It just feels wrong. I know that for friendly games it really doesn't matter and I don't mind when other people do it, but I try my hardest not to. So when I decided I wanted to try a Thunderfire out I had two choices. Buy one or build one, and building one was way easier on my wallet. I started with styrene tubing for the individual barrels of the cannon.
I had a barrel piece left over from a Bane Blade/Shadowsword kit I used for housing the barrels. I decided to use tracks, to keep it as close to the real model as possible. The problem was what to attach the tracks to. I found a couple of rectangular sprue pieces that are identical and glued them together making a frame.
I then attached a Razorback back hatch piece to form the base. To the base I added a Landraider engine piece and styrene card for detailing. I destroyed a junk tank kit to get the tracks I used. Small time military model conventions are a great source for cheep parts!
For the cannon its self I started with an old GW paint pot, one of the 2nd ed hexagon shaped ones, and added the Shadowsword/barrel housing piece to the top of it. To connect the cannon to the base I again stole from my Landraider bits. I used sponson uprights turned on the side as the gun's supports.
All mounted to a 25mm base so it would fit into the Razorback hatch piece. I then began to add detail parts to give the model a more complete look. I added the old metal frag launchers from a Landraider Crusader and a sensor module from a new plastic LR kit. As well as plastic card and other bits I felt made the model look complete.
I thought I was done...until I put a model next to it and realized I had completely lost all sense of scale when building the base. I scrambled to find a replacement base idea. I again returned to my Landraider bits. It wasn't until writing this that I realized how many Landraider parts I used! I found a couple of Lascannon bits, using only the half of the Lascannon with holes for the sponson to attach too, I glued them to the tracks. The Lascannon bits worked perfectly to give the model a smaller more compact look. It's still larger than the real thing but I am very happy with the results.
5 comments:
That's a really hefty thunderfire, the model kit as sold is significantly smaller. Looks good though. Notice you play DA? Can't take Thunderfire in a DA force... you playing with them as a different chapter?
I play DA too, and bought one thinking they would make the Redeemer and Thunderfire available via White Dwarf or a FAQ or whatever, similar to my belief that the storm shields would be FAQ'd. That took several years to come true, and the Thunderfire and Redeemer still aren't in our list. Oh well.
Well I play DA as much as possible but use the vanilla rules when I want play with the new toys. I'm assuming the toys not FAQ'd in will be added in a new codex in a couple years.
This post reminds me that I haven't scratch built anything of note in a long time.
I may have to go diving in the bitz bin.
To all the readers out there, JayHammons is a long time friend of mine and is one of the Co-contributors of Funderhammer. Hes got some cool projects in the works and I cant wait to see them.
Wow, yet another TFC kitbash that I would trade mine for any day. Yours is epic!
Thank You, I like yours as well!
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