Cry Havoc...

...and let loose the dogs of war! I have returned, dear readers, with more tanky goodness from the forges of Sadoukad 16. I am working on 2 test models to use for my Russ MBTs. Here is the first one...

The base for this is a Tamiya 1/48 Tiger Tank. I am a new fan of this line, as it seems to match up great with GW minis. In addition to the size, these 1/48 scale kits include a die-cast bottom hull, with axles. Not only does it allow for fewer steps when building, the hull gives some real weight to the model and makes it feel extremely TANKY.

I did my best to work in some 40k-ish details...rivets, larger cannon, imperial icon, etc. I'm pretty happy with the way it's come out and I have 2 more on the way.

Here are some pics of my second test model...

It's based on the Russian KV-2 Heavy Tank. The kit is from the same 1/48 scale series by Tamiya. I have gone and started to do some additions to this tank to make it simillar to the DKK Ragnarok.

Another pic to show scale. I think this 1/48 scale works really well with my IG foot sloggers.

A close up of the front. I "boxed out" the front of the chassis to allow for installation for a heavy bolter and I have completed one of the front remote turrets as well.

Here's a comparison to the GW Russ...

(BLURRY...sorry, it's getting dark here...)

So that's it for now, priming will happen as soon as this current system of snow goes away. I will also have pics of my Senitnel Helis.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Sentinel Stand In Progresses...

No pics today but I thought I would post an update anyways. I have finished my 3 Sentinel Helis and priming is coming soon, hopefully. As for the future, my house is going up for sale in a month so painting will be put on hold indefinitely as I start to pack everything up. I will continue to build anything I have laying around and will try to get as much of it primed as possible. Painting will resume once I have set up shop out in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

Since I recently finished a squad of Vets, I have also been working on their transport and I will hopefully have pics up of that and my Sentinel Helis this week.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Sentinel Stand In 3

I think I finally have this first Sentinel Copter where I want it. Work should progress quicker with the next two since I made all my flubs and tests on this one. I still am unsure about the length of the rotor blades but they will suffice for now.

I will be starting on a 2nd squad of these at a later date. Here's pics...

I've finally added the pilot and some more little bits
to make it look as Imperial as possible.

I sawed off the slightest bit of the rotor arm so it
sits level now over the cockpit.

Some plastic from a blister was scrounged to serve as a windshield.

And, in the interest of flexibility, I took the time to
magnetize the weapon options.

I think the final thing I need to add is a healthy dose of rivets, which will happen as soon as I get my rivet tool in the mail. That will be followed by a final clean-up and then it's off to paint.

Of course, C&C is welcomed and appreciated.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Sentinel Stand In 2

Work continues on this protoype. I have added a tail and fin and tried a 1st attempt at some proper legs...

At first I liked it but it soon became obvious that the rotors would have to be lengthened in order to maintain a consistent look. So I scrapped the legs (damn...) and went with this instead:

I scrounged a landing foot from my Valkyrie kit and it seems to be the winner. I like it most because it helps maintain a nice, compact look...which is what I wanted from the start.

This does not complete my work, I am still considering how to address the rotors. I am looking to straighten them out a bit or maybe build new ones from scratch.

Please feel free to comment and leave thoughts, your feedback is much appreciated.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Opinion Needed - Sentinel Stand In

I have done some more work on my "counts as" Sentinels. It is a mutation of Deffkopta and Sentinel parts. Because of the shape, I have un-officially dubbed it the Scorpian.

Obviously, this is very much a work-in-progress. Feel free to offer suggestions or criticisms. The design isn't written in stone so I can always make adjustments to the prototype.

I am interested to read your feedback.

The wars goes on,
Hessler

Hardened Veterans & More...

I finished 5 of my first 10-man Vet squad. The next five will have some helmets without camo to offer some variety in the look of the unit. I want these guys to look like they are allowed to fine tune their uniforms to their own tastes.

I have started some work on the squads Chimera, as well. I wanted to go open topped, with a canopy of some sort. This variant is designed to be more of a fast attack transport than an AFV. I'm not sure about the wire "supports", I'm still considering something a little more substantial...maybe some lengths of sprue(?)...not sure.

The multi-laser has been converted to an automated turret that responds to the HUD of the driver.

Finally, I was inspired by the Sentinel stand-in that a fellow blogger did HERE. Although I tried his method, it wasn't enough for me so I am revamping the concept and have started clean with the cockpit/engine.

I will be using some of the frame from the AoBR Def Kopta but it will be scaled down and cleaned up a little. I am still deciding between a gyrocopter design or a helicopter deisgn, the main difference being the tail rotor.

More pics to come. C&C is welcomed and appreciated.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Hardened Veterans 01

Well it was great taking some time off and I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. I painted up the first of a 10-man Vet squad; the 1st of 3 such squads I will be painting over the next months.

This veteran trooper, armed with a shotgun, is wearing a camo pattern from the Boadasil Campaign. Like all Sadoukadi veterans, has has adapted his camo to reflect the particular foliage and season of the battle. In this case it was late autumn during the battle for the Salinese Valley, just outside of the capital city of New Carson.

It was there that elements of Battlegroup Hessler, under the command of Col. Stephen Hessler, first clashed with the forces of Chaos. Using an elite, handpicked force of veterans and mechanized troops, Hessler brought the Emperor's wrath to the dogs of Chaos in what would turn out to be the first of many bloody, hard fought battles.

Anyways...hope you like. More to come as I continue to re-connect with my paintbrushes.

The war goes on,
Hessler