From GregB - ...and finish with a BIG FRIGGING TANK (30 points)

Here comes "Hope" - you had best be prepared for it...Fellblade for the XVI Legion.

For my second submission today we will remain in the same setting, but switch scale rather dramatically, moving on from very small models of light Space Marine vehicles to this one very big model of a very, very heavy piece of Space Marine armour. This is a Fellblade super-heavy tank painted (no surprise) in the colours of the XVI Legion Astartes. This is a Forge World model, and like my Contemptor Dreadnought last week, it is a re-paint project, part of my ongoing OCD-brain-monkey-management efforts to ensure important parts of kit in my collection have the same shade of green.

Motivational poster for the year 30,000. My thanks to Kevin H for making this image for me many years ago...it is always fun...

Who could be against "Hope"? Why, no reasonable being could be against such a sentiment...but sadly, it seems, the universe of the year 30,000 is full of unreasonable people, and thus "Hope" must be delivered rather directly at times. One must choose to believe in the hope represented by Horus Lupercal, because those who foolishly stand against him no hope at all...

 

Horus for hope!

"Hope" here will deliver using a variety of tools...let's see, checking over the spec sheet we have the "Turret Mounted Fellblade Accelerator Cannon" that will help ensure a level playing field in every community. There is the "Hull Mounted Demolisher Cannon" which can help any community reach net-zero goals by eliminating the emissions of residents, particularly loyalist ones. There are two "Sponson Mounted Lascannon Arrays" providing high doses of "green energy" to assorted deserving targets. There is also a "Twin Linked Heavy Bolter" on the front to ensure community safety. 

So many big guns!

You'll need whisky if this thing comes at you...

Quad laser cannons too...because quad laser cannons!

"Drive closer, I'll finish them off personally..."

And if all of those weapons are not enough, we have the tank commander brandishing his bolt pistol. Because Space Marines. Sometime "Hope" requires a personal touch, and this crew is ready to accommodate that!

 

Not exactly low emissions for this vehicle, but just as in our time, in the future it's OK to cause emissions as long as you are a "green".

This is a fairly old model, one which I could not assemble myself and only have thanks to the resin-model-building talents of occasional Challenge participant Steve B of Winnipeg.

View of the gunner, complete with targeter mounted on his helmet.

As you can surely surmise from this bonkers weapons assortment, the Fellblade lies at the very, very heavy end of the armoured vehicle selection for the Space Marine Legions. The weapon loadout is daunting and will dominate in any small game, so unless one is staging a rather large battle (on a rather large table to boot) it is best used in niche-scenarios. For example, we deployed it one time as a knocked-out objective...which unfortunately for the loyalists, still had working main weapons in the turret, as they learned to their hilarious disappointment... 

Another view of the turret.

Who has just ONE big gun, when you can have TWO?

It is great to have this re-painted now to match my preferred shade of green, as this monster has pride of place on the shelf, and the hobby-OCD-monkey will be soothed as it notes how the tank "fits" colour-wise with other pieces of the collection. 

Let's roll!!

In terms of points...well, this is a 28mm vehicle. A big frigging 28mm vehicle. But still one 28mm vehicle...so that's another 20 points, plus 2.5 points per crew member, so perhaps together they would count for five points, for a total of 25 points.

Hold out hope for Horus! Because you have no hope if you hold out!

What a tanker! Good to see ole' JD still being around in the 31st Millennium, although by that time "old" might no longer be the best word to describe it. Such a nice little detail, Greg. A smashing job on this grossly over-armed monstrosity. The Challenge Scoring System being what it is, it is what it is, even if your tank occupies half your standard 6x4 table. May it be some small solace that if  there ever was a 28mm vehicle in the Challenge, this is it.  However, methinks it  definitely qualifies for a Completely  Ridiculously Oversized Bonus of 5 points. Thus, great job and 30 points.

Martijn