Mudry's Messa - From Mike W. 28mm Imperial Guard Walker and crew (60 Points)

I've wandered over to Murdy's Messa

I'm loving this Grand Tour of the Challenge Island, it's really getting me to drag out old lead and plastic from the mountain to create new entries.

One of Greg's inspirational Titans

This is a case in point, moving to Mudry's Mesa the challenge is to use an inspiration from last year's challenge to create an entry for this year.

When I saw GregB's Titans <here> I thought wow! How Cool!

These Titans were something I'd liked the idea of years ago when they came out bit never got around to doing anything about.

The nearest I got to doing my own Titans, back in the day, was to do some Imperial Guard Walkers, modelled straight out of the box, and painted to conform from my view on the Cadian forces that I had raised for 40K games.

Some of the 'spare' parts used.

Later I found some cheap generic Sci-Fi figures that included two out of scale 'Titan' like models - these where handed over to my sons, 20+ years ago to play with they were battered beyond recognition. Luckily, when it came to throw away the battered toys, I put a few spare parts in my spares box where they have languished for many, many years.

On seeing Greg's entry last year I dug out these parts but decided that I did not have enough other 'spares' to build a Titan of my own.

This year round I thought - why not do a new 'Locally built' Imperial Walker rather than a Titan scale model. With that change in perspective I was able to pull in other Imperial Guard arts form the 'Spares Box'

So the basic generic figure this was built on stands about 65mm tall, it was missing it's right arm, back and head.

Finished scratch built Imperial Walker

To this base figure I have been able to add an armoured cockpit from an Imperial Walker model, to replace the head, this is perched upon a box like body, made from an old Warhammer 40K Supply box kit and the lower body and back is a re-visited Oil Drum from the same kit. Final model is around 90mm tall, and nearly as wide!

Rear view, showing reconstructed
back of the model

Left side view, not sure what this weapon or
equipment represents, possibly high powered
search lights?!

To this was added weaponry from spares that I have for an Imperial Guard Heavy Weapons section, the pre-existing left Arm Weaponry was removed at the shoulder and fixed to make a new right Arm, whilst an Auto Cannon was deployed under the left shoulder, with a rocket launcher inserted into the left shoulder its-self - for some extra punch.

Top down view, showing base details

Additional power packs, ammunition boxes, cable and chains were added to taste before painting the whole model charcoal grey. I highlighted the figure with a couple of progressively lighter shades of grey and added wear and tear to the model on the form of silver lines along joints and edges.

The shoulder pad was painted a muted yellow - to tie in with the colourings I use on my Cadian troops, decals from an old Imperial tank were added to taste before washing in Army Painter Dark tone.

The base was created in my usual manner with sand, static grass and tufts plus - as it is bigger than usual - some other bits and pieces I found in the spares box to give a view of some wire defences and a hint of destruction beyond.

A quick note on the crewman. He is one of the toy figures that came in the toy Sci-Fi set mentioned above, he is wearing some sort of body hugging number that suggested he might be inserted into the cramped cockpit of such an Imperial Monster. Painted grey and with similar muted yellow webbing and washed to give definition and shading.

Another view - showing the waist line articulation on the model
still works plus a view on the Auto-cannon and rocket launcher
in the right shoulder housing.

I found his friend in the box at the same time and painted him up as well, whilst i was at it! I have included one of my previously painted Cadian Guardsmen for reference and hopefully it 'explains' why the colours are not usual Cadian colours - I'm just akward that way!

Crewman, his friend and old Cadian Model,
to show colour scheme I was tying into...

I remember for the first ten users or so playing Warhammer 40K I had a Space Marine Chapter called the 'Imperial Tigers', they had lime green armour with a blue and black tiger stripe - a nightmare to paint and on reflection, pretty horrible to look at!

So there it is, not worth very many points in the challenge but a huge amount of fun building this beast and adding to my Cadian forces, shame is I haven't used them for years now, maybe I should dust them off


POINTS
1 x 28mm Vehicle = 20 Points
2 x 28mm Crewmen = 10 Points
Mudry's Mesa Bonus = 30 Points
TOTAL 20+10+30 = 60 Points


Your second splendid entry of the day! Nice going Mike!

TamsinP