JamieM - 30k Salamander support teams and weapons (61 Points)

Having finally finished the 30 bolt gun wielding salamanders last week I was amazed with how much fun I found the other salamander stuff I decided to do as a reward to myself for finishing them. I decided that all the grunts needed some serious support, so here is the first of said support, a heavy weapons team.

In 30k all of the unit has to have the same weapon, even the sarge. The weapon I've chosen to arm these guys with is the Volkite Culverin. It's a particularly nasty weapon based on plasma technology that burns through its targets and is especially effective against infantry, chucking out 4 shots per weapon each turn. I blackened up the muzzles to represent the damage done by firing it and tried a relatively subtle warming of the coils along the gun using an orange shade.  I chose this weapon for a number of reasons:

1. It isn't available as a weapon in 40k (the tech has been lost) so it was a new thing for me

2. Hot plasma death seems to fit the salamander scheme

3. The gun looks cool with the ammo feed going round the back

4. My mate had ordered some from forgeworld a while ago that he wasn't going to use so I acquired them from him with the minimum of fuss

My only complaint is the pipes (painted in blue on my lads) that connect the gun to the ammo feed. I suspect the pipes are supposed to be individual, but the forgeworld casting has them with thin resin run off connecting them. I tried to cut this off, but the whole thing is so fine that the pipes started snapping. I then had the option of hurling the lot at the wall in poor-casting generated frustration, or deciding that they were cables more like scart leads and just paint them as such. I chose the latter option.... But it was a close run thing.

When I was a lad, I bought the "Epic scale" Space Marine boxed set and the thing I loved most was the way that instead of the single land raider that you would have in 40k, you needed a squadron of 3. Instead of one dreadnaught, you could have 4 or 5 to a squad. And I could afford it too. This was awesome to me. As it turned out, I spent far more time daydreaming about it than playing it, but when we decided to get into 30k, the thing that excited me most was the fact that dreadnaughts came in "talons" of up to three hulls, land raiders and predator tanks were bought in squadrons of up to three, etc. This was how we were going to play 30k, en masse and not worrying about "competitive" choices.

So please find the pictures for my first, hopefully of a few, dreadnaught talon.

Three dreadnaughts, who are essentially battle sarcophagi for near dead heroic marines once they've fallen on the field of battle. Whatever is left of the marine's physical body is kept alive in the dreadnaught and they can stride the battlefield in their new form, dealing death to the enemies of the Emperor and providing words of wisdom to their battle brothers. In the old days, the marines didn't need to be injured and the imperial guard even used dreadnaughts as they were exo-skeletons as opposed to sarcophagi, but I guess that's the difference between rogue trader and newer 40k......

Anyway, I digress. This first chap has a multi melta (great for burning through armour at short range) and a heavy flamer (great for roasting infantry at short range) as that seemed to fit the salamander theme. It's a standard dreadnaught with the front cut off and replaced with a venerable dreadnaught front and spare head from a contemptor class dreadnaught. I added some tusks from another warhammer kit to represent trophies from hunting salamanders on their home planet of Nocturne.

It's the first time I've tried weathering on vehicles having been inspired by some great weathering in your entries to the challenge and whilst I'm generally pleased, I think I went a little over the top! Oh well, it's all a learning experience.

The second chap has the same weapon load out, but is the newer style of dreadnaught front. A large piece of brass etch in the shape of the salamander badge, more trophies and he was away.

The third chap is a longer range support option as he has some twin linked auto cannons and a twin linked missile launcher. He had the same treatment as the first dread, with his front chopped off and converted using a venerable dreadnaught front piece, a jolly impressive trophy from a salamander and another contemptor head.

I think this puts me within fingertip distance of my revised 750 point target and I have another couple of things I'm trying to get completed so I can get there......

From Curt:

I really enjoyed reading this entry Jamie as it's obvious that you've really considered each and every unit and model in this force. The enthusiasm is infectious. I've always loved the the 'fluff' behind the 40K dreadnoughts (as you say they're basically walking sarcophagi) and have been consistently disappointed in how all that rich lore has been let down in the various editions of the rules (I guess I'm too much of a role player). That being said I really like how you've given each of these living machines a distinct character - it's wonderful stuff.

Well done!