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ChapterAquila92
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Heyo! Liam here, and I've been working on the titular project for about 3 years now.
Lore-wise, the Imperial Guard doesn't normally field vehicles that make use of anti-gravity technology, given the logistics required to manufacture and maintain repulsor plating being beyond most Imperial worlds. However, the setting is vast and vague enough that such oddities and more can exist.
Thus, in honour of the Soviet scientist who designed hovertanks back in the 1930s, I'm giving life to the Levkov-Pattern Grav-Russ.
--
Starting off, I already had in mind that this would be an Executioner variant - something about plasma cannons on a hovertank made sense to me - so I went out and bought myself a Leman Russ Demolisher kit, which included the necessary parts to build one alternatively. From there, I started working on the hull of the grav-tank-to-be.
THREE YEARS LATER
Oh boy. Yeah, it's been sitting for that long with no progress.
A lot has changed since then however. Games Workshop, as part of their promotion for 8th Edition, introduced the Primaris Repulsor grav-tank for the Space Marines.
Considering what I was trying to go for with the frankenjobbed Leman Russ chassis, I took one look at this and went "I want that hull!"
It was pricey, but well worth it.
Credit where credit is due, I have to hand it to Games Workshop for getting better at making kits that fit well, especially in the case of the Repulsor. I had little issue getting parts to fit, and even the side sponsons I nicked off of a Predator kit were easy to install (albeit with a 2mm-thick plasticard spacer to make the upper braces flush with the side door overhang).
Very little putty was required to clean up any unsightly gaps before I started going to town with the primer. For now, the repulsor plates are being handled separately until I'm done painting the rest of the model, and for that I'll need to first figure out what to do about the PD turrets, sponsons, and the main turret itself.
I've already got it in my head that, aside from the hull-mounted lascannon, this grav-russ executioner is destined to be a flying plasma brick, so I'll need to play around with what I can pull off with the sponsons.
Meanwhile, the main turret is my biggest concern. The repulsor's turret is not able to fit the Executioner's plasma destroyer without extensive reworking, and while the Leman Russ turret is my safest option on that front I don't find it adequately large enough in comparison to the rest of the model. At this point, it's looking like my best option is a slightly modified Baneblade turret.
All in all, it's a big leap forward over the past week compared to the previous three years.
--
As this is still a work in progress, I will be using this thread to chronicle further developments on the project, and I'd definitely like to hear what your thoughts are on it, so feel free to leave comments, queries, and suggestions as I continue on with this.
Lore-wise, the Imperial Guard doesn't normally field vehicles that make use of anti-gravity technology, given the logistics required to manufacture and maintain repulsor plating being beyond most Imperial worlds. However, the setting is vast and vague enough that such oddities and more can exist.
Thus, in honour of the Soviet scientist who designed hovertanks back in the 1930s, I'm giving life to the Levkov-Pattern Grav-Russ.
--
Starting off, I already had in mind that this would be an Executioner variant - something about plasma cannons on a hovertank made sense to me - so I went out and bought myself a Leman Russ Demolisher kit, which included the necessary parts to build one alternatively. From there, I started working on the hull of the grav-tank-to-be.
Three years ago I said:With some carving with a modelling knife, I reversed the track housings and separated the turret ring from the sloped front of the tank. From there, I started including plasticard to build up a frontal extension, as well as set the turret ring back about 2" on the hull.
As the track housings aren't going to be used for their intended purpose, I've started cutting into them as shown below, keeping in mind the side profile of a Helghast Heavy Hovertank from the Killzone series.
Continuing on, I assembled the hull-mounted weapon housing before building a more gradual slope to the front with plasticard.
A minor error of mine at this stage forced me to remove a piece of the housing in order to properly insert the cylinder that the hull-mounted weapon will use as an axis.
Working my way further aft, I decided that I'd do away with the engine housing on the back of the normal Leman Russ, and after much scoring with the knife I finally had what I wanted. The issue I had now was how to support the main hull while I decide what to do further with the track housings. Two lengths of "I" beams, secured underneath the turret ring, was more than sufficient for what was required. Also not wanting to leave that part of the hull bland, I used the turret bustle piece for the Executioner to add more to the impression that this is a highly-advanced vehicle.
THREE YEARS LATER
Oh boy. Yeah, it's been sitting for that long with no progress.
A lot has changed since then however. Games Workshop, as part of their promotion for 8th Edition, introduced the Primaris Repulsor grav-tank for the Space Marines.
Considering what I was trying to go for with the frankenjobbed Leman Russ chassis, I took one look at this and went "I want that hull!"
It was pricey, but well worth it.
Credit where credit is due, I have to hand it to Games Workshop for getting better at making kits that fit well, especially in the case of the Repulsor. I had little issue getting parts to fit, and even the side sponsons I nicked off of a Predator kit were easy to install (albeit with a 2mm-thick plasticard spacer to make the upper braces flush with the side door overhang).
Very little putty was required to clean up any unsightly gaps before I started going to town with the primer. For now, the repulsor plates are being handled separately until I'm done painting the rest of the model, and for that I'll need to first figure out what to do about the PD turrets, sponsons, and the main turret itself.
I've already got it in my head that, aside from the hull-mounted lascannon, this grav-russ executioner is destined to be a flying plasma brick, so I'll need to play around with what I can pull off with the sponsons.
Meanwhile, the main turret is my biggest concern. The repulsor's turret is not able to fit the Executioner's plasma destroyer without extensive reworking, and while the Leman Russ turret is my safest option on that front I don't find it adequately large enough in comparison to the rest of the model. At this point, it's looking like my best option is a slightly modified Baneblade turret.
All in all, it's a big leap forward over the past week compared to the previous three years.
--
As this is still a work in progress, I will be using this thread to chronicle further developments on the project, and I'd definitely like to hear what your thoughts are on it, so feel free to leave comments, queries, and suggestions as I continue on with this.
