Very quick update today – making progress on the Praetorian Tripod (now that the Scions are off my to-do list)… here are the latest WIP shots:
I’ve been working on the cabling for the hydraulics, and I decided to add a gantry arrangement to the side – my mate Steve-O gave me the idea by suggesting a side-gunner, but I think he was politely pointing out that it didn’t really tie in with the rest of the army:-/
A couple of exposed crew should sort that out – I’m probably going to add a searchlight or something to the grab bar and include another bloke for good measure (yet to decide on a suitable model). I may also craft a railing, depending on how health-and-safety conscious I’m feeling…
And I couldn’t resist adding a hinged ladder (though you’d need a platform of some sort to reach the ladder in the first place of course!) :-)
Next up – rivets…. Lots of rivets! She’s still looking a bit sleek and Necrony around the legs at the moment, she needs roughing up! I want her to look like a re-purposed piece of heavy duty equipment rather than a purpose build war machine… I’m hoping to get some quality time to finish the build over the weekend, and maybe even a lick of paint before battle on Monday night!
Leadballoony - It's a lead thing 
That’s cracking! I often feel that the Guard models lack some of the weirder elements that appear in the artwork and fiction. The Imperium is vast and complex, and all kind of odd things should populate its armies, but all too often that doesn’t come across. Nice work putting some strange machinery back into the ranks! What are you planning to use her as?
By the way, you mention that one would need some kind of platform to reach the access ladder. However it looks to me like it would bend at the knees when ‘parked’ bringing the ladder down to ground level and allowing the crew to embark/disembark. Just a thought :-)
Why thank you! That is very kind of you to comment, and I couldn’t agree more regarding the weird and wonderful – I think that is a symptom of the modern game if I’m honest… you get your codex entry and your model… you don’t really need to use your imagination if you don’t want to – in fact, you could argue that the whole STC fluff kind of discourages it! I remember the good old days – Scout walker/zoid mash-ups for titans, templates for cardboard ork battlewaggons, deoderant grav-tanks… *sigh* happier times… I may blog on this very subject in the near future!
Anyhow, this particular creation is going to count as a knight – it’s big, it walks, it has the right number of guns and choppy bits and is on the correct base… I thought about how one might get in and out as well – I like the squatting idea, but the pistons don’t have enough travel… maybe rungs up the back leg would work, but it also sounds like a good excuse to build an access tower to me ;-)
Then building an access tower is the way to go! Looking forward to seeing the finished model and good luck with your game tonight! :-)
Looking great man! I can’t wait to see this in the flesh (steel) tomorrow!