There are two land speeders missing from my DW/RW force. Let me put this delicately...I hate putting land speeders together. I love the finished model, but with all the weird clamping, rubber bands, and luck needed to get them put together properly, I know that when I get into the build process I will be frustrated at some point.
Knowing this, I decided to magnetize my land speeders so I could produce all of the variants in the codex. My goal was to be able to change from The master of the raven wing, to a tornado, or to generic tank popper or infantry hunter without hassle.
I started with one Ravenwing battle force, and one stand alone land speeder box. My first surprise was that the land speeders are different kits. The RW boxed set had the old land speeder, along with enough missle launchers and twin linked assault cannons to last me forever. The regular land speeder added a heavy flamer to the mix, so I am glad I got both kits.
My magnetizing method is very easy, though there are a few gotchas.
- figure out your magnet facings first, using a pen to mark them. The little buggers shoot all over the table while working, and I kept gluing them down upside down.
- My tweezers are metal...ugg! You'll need some non-metalic implement for pushing the magnets around. I kept grabbing my tweezers by accident causing the magnets to de-seat from the glue and stick to them instead!
The process:
- Cut two small chunks of plastic-card rebar (not sure what it is called) to make magnet stands for the land speeders. Glue one magnet in the recessed center portion of each. Then glue the rebar chunk to the inside of the LS hatch area.
- Cut the nibs off of the doors/missile pods, and glue a single magnet as shown.
- done.
Right on, those are awesome. I have my one magnetized as well, but only the heavy bolter and multi-melta.
ReplyDeleteThank ONI! I have an update not posted yet that I am really proud of. I am really happy with the book. I am now kind of book crazy, and have dry fitted another one to my rhino.....I know I shouldn't do it! It makes the thing look like a weird book mobile, but I just love the recipe.
ReplyDelete1) Prime white
2) clean coat of gryhonne sepia
3) controlled develan mud just in the creases and around ropes
4) then paint the pages.
What do you think about adding all kinds of purity seals to the bikes? Do you think it would be going too far?
These are super awesome. I also really like the paint-chipping. I've done that with my blood angels' rhinos. I simply painted little chips of mithril silver on the hard-edges. How did you do yours?
ReplyDeleteI used a sponge from one of the blisters and just sponged chainmail on. The structure of the sponge produces a really nice effect, and is super easy to do!
ReplyDeleteOld Shatter Hands, any thoughts on a small tau list? I am having a terrible time list building and really just want to get to painting. Iv'e got a battleforce, two sky ray kits, and another fire warriors box. I am not used to a codex where all the options seem to be non-bit upgrades! I'd like to paint with a list in mind, so any help is much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteDrathmere...let me think here a moment. Battleforce + 12 more Fire Warriors + 2 Skyrays...what points level?
ReplyDeleteRegarless of points, the Crisis suit has to be your commander because you need at least one of those. I'd kit him out like a fire knife suit. Make him a Shas'el and give him Missile Pods, Plasma Rifle and Targeting Array. Hard-wired multitracker. 3 stealth suits should be given burstcannons, upgrade one to a team leader, give him a markerlight (they have relentless) and give him two markerdrones (you'll have to convert a gun drone into one). 12 kroot, good to go. 2 squads of fire warriors one in Devilfish with disruption pods and multitracker.
Make one skyray a hammerhead with railgun and the other a skyray, you'll need those seeker missiles for high strength shots.
This way, your stealth suits can mark targets for the skyray and stay aorund 30 inches away, in safety from their stealth rule. They can move, shoot markerlights, then jump again. The rest of your army moves, shoots, moves. Kroot can outflank or be used to protect your fire warriors on foot. Deploy them in a wood for 3+ cover or 2+ going to ground. Them and the fire warriors hold home base and your commander, hammerhead and devilfih move out to attack. Stealth suits hang back with skyray providing support via markerlights.
Its not an unbeatable list but it is playable with what you got.