Machinator Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 So I'm sure some of you have been wonder where I've been for the past couple of months. Well I wish I could tell you I spent the entire time somewhere warm and sunny drinking margaritas. But, alas, that was only the first two weeks. The rest of the time I've been working on this secret project: The Mastodon Super-Heavy Siege Transport! Some time ago I got a request to build something unique for a client's custom Space Marine army known as the Emperor's Knights. The tank had to be big, have transport capabilities, and he wanted it to reflect the chapter’s unusually close relationship with the Ordo Malleus. This dovetailed well with a build I had been wanting to do based on a super heavy tank seen in the background of the Black Templar’s pic on the 3rd edition rule box set (sorry, can't find a good pic of it). In the pic there was this HUGE tank just bristling with weapons. As life would have it this commission ended up turning into a secret gift from his fiancé and so I had to keep it under tight wraps until the surprise could be unleashed. That time is now..... The return of the Indomitable Resolve to the armies of mankind is a recent one considering the war machine itself is over ten thousand years old. It’s discovery occurred during the early days of the Harper Crusade on the planet of Chicaron in the Corvus system, which had fallen to a heretical uprising that plunged the entire human population into civil war. It was also here that the Imperium decided to establish the beachhead in their quest to reclaim the system in the name of the Emperor. And so it was on the day of Saint Nathanial’s Ascension that Inquisitor Salvator of the Ordo Malleus along with the entire Emperor’s Knights space marine chapter descended from the heaven onto Chicaron to bolster the few remaining imperial troops held up in an ancient and long abandoned fortress known as the Crow’s Nest. Within a few short weeks the combined effort of the Emperor’s Knights and Inquisitor Salvator’s forces quashed the rebellion and reinstated the rule of imperial law to the planet. With Chicaron now secure Salvator returned to the Crow’s Nest intrigued by the potential secrets hidden within its catacombs. It was there behind a vault sealed since the time before the Horus Heresy that Salvator made his great discovery. Identified as a mastodon super-heavy siege transport this design dated back to the Unification Wars on Terra and had once accompanied both the Imperial Army and the Adeptus Astartes during the earliest days of the Great Crusade. It eventually fell out of favor as the more versatile Baneblade chassis became more available and now only a scant few remain after ten millennia. How and why this massive siege engine arrived on Chicaron so long ago remains a mystery. Although it was strip of much its pre-Heresy weapons and technology Salvator saw its potential and pressed the techmarines of the Emperor’s Knights under the watchful eye of his Adeptus Mechanicus to rebuild the mastodon to his specifications. Rechristen the Indomitable Resolve the ancient war machine returned to war. At first it acted as the mobile command center for the crusading forces but after being the devastating spearhead in a number of attacks at the hands of the Emperor’s Knights the Indomitable Resolve was reassigned to the chapter for the remainder of the campaign. Once order had be restored in the Corvus system and the Harper Crusade had come to an end Inquisitor Salvator gifted the Indomitable Resolve to the Emperor’s Knights in honor of their valiant service to the forces of mankind. However, the seal of the inquisitor is still boldly displayed on the front of the tank as a reminder to the enemies of mankind, and to the Emperor’s Knight, that the Inquisition is ever watchful.http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2305.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2306.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2307.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2308.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2309.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2310.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2311.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2312.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2316.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2314.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2313.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2315.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2317.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2320.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2321.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/Indomitable%20Resolve/IMG_2322.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial Deceit Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Jesus. Look at the size of that whammer! Awesome model, why is it Inquisition though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Wow, that's a pretty beastly transport. What I'd like to see, considering it resembles a huge Leman Russ, is one of these with a turret. Anyway, very nice build, brother. :pinch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysere Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I have no words to properly describe how awesome that is. So allow me to sit here and continue to drool into my computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DibbZi Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psyberius Daemonbane Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 HOW COULD ANY CHAPTER AFFORD TO REQUISITION ONE OF THESE FINELY TUNED LAND-RAIDER-LEMAN-RUSS-VINDICATOR-BANEBLADE-RAZORBACK-RHINO-REDEEMER HYBRID OF DOOM AND AWESOMENESS!?! Wait..... The Inquisition owns it? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolemai Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Haven't you got a Dark Angels Fellblade to finish? :cry: Joking aside, that a nice Mastodon you have there. Did you think about adding any of your custom tracks to it, or where you restricted due to it being a commission piece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DibbZi Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Haven't you got a Dark Angels Fellblade to finish? :devil: Joking aside, that a nice Mastodon you have there. Did you think about adding any of your custom tracks to it, or where you restricted due to it being a commission piece? Not to mention that inferno gun turret so I can build my Firedrake/Obsidian Chariot Tank?? LAWL - Kidding no rush I know your busy. Dude this thing is boss... What are the chances of one of these going up for sale on your ebay store, or is was this a one time deal thing??? I really enjoy your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinator Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Jesus. Look at the size of that whammer! Awesome model, why is it Inquisition though? There's a reason for it, just read the short story :devil: Haven't you got a Dark Angels Fellblade to finish? :P Joking aside, that a nice Mastodon you have there. Did you think about adding any of your custom tracks to it, or where you restricted due to it being a commission piece? Thanks! Yeah I plan on building some new parts for the DA fellblade in July. I should be caught up enough this summer to get back to it. It's been a busy year! :D I thought about using my Liberator Pattern 1.0 treads on it but I was concerned about the gaps between the treads. Ultimately I decided to go with the Baneblade treads as they had a more solid feel and I have a ton of tem laying around. Here are the preliminary rules for it. I still need something to represent the assault ramp. I don't know whether to use the Space Marine rules or the "Treat as open top for purposes of disembarking" rule that the Imperial super-heavies use. Any suggestions? https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwtHo3MTNiIBWHIwODE1dkdKSzQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Richard Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I am impressed.. thank you for creating such a treasure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinator Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 AH-HA! That was the pic I was looking for ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montuhotep Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Needs more guns. ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chapter Master Ignis Domus Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I was thinking 'A Leman Russ chassis? I'm not getting the super-heavy aspect of this.', until I saw the marines in comparison to the whole thing and realised it was Baneblade size, making it one of the coolest tanks I've seen in a bit. You and Brother Morgan should start talking to each other. The results would be incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinator Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 I was thinking 'A Leman Russ chassis? I'm not getting the super-heavy aspect of this.', until I saw the marines in comparison to the whole thing and realised it was Baneblade size, making it one of the coolest tanks I've seen in a bit. You and Brother Morgan should start talking to each other. The results would be incredible. Oh Brother Morgan and I have been talking for a long time. Who do you think got him his treads :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Morgan Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Nice work Tom!! I think the whole piece is awesome. How many hours did you have to put into finishing this? Did you keep any templates for future use, or is this going to be a one off commission piece? Give me a PM if you have anything you wish to share. I've seen the artwork that Brother Richard posted and have wanted to do one myself but keep on getting sidetracked by other projects (and unfortunately, my daytime work!). After I finish my 10cm GD2009 SM with double handed thunder hammer, I want to go back to my first love of tank building - the recent FW Spartan looks cool, but £95.00 is too high, so I'll try and build one myself (I have stockpiled 6 LR already to be converted). I look forward to buying a few more treads from you in the very near future. PS I'm looking for a very large Plasma cannon (Titan size) to be mounted an a LR conversion. where are you at the moment on creating one for your DA Fellblade? Speak to you soon, Brother Morgan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DibbZi Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Mach how do you end up making your own data sheets that look so amazingly legit??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinator Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Nice work Tom!! I think the whole piece is awesome. How many hours did you have to put into finishing this? Did you keep any templates for future use, or is this going to be a one off commission piece? Give me a PM if you have anything you wish to share. I've seen the artwork that Brother Richard posted and have wanted to do one myself but keep on getting sidetracked by other projects (and unfortunately, my daytime work!). After I finish my 10cm GD2009 SM with double handed thunder hammer, I want to go back to my first love of tank building - the recent FW Spartan looks cool, but £95.00 is too high, so I'll try and build one myself (I have stockpiled 6 LR already to be converted). I look forward to buying a few more treads from you in the very near future. PS I'm looking for a very large Plasma cannon (Titan size) to be mounted an a LR conversion. where are you at the moment on creating one for your DA Fellblade? Speak to you soon, Brother Morgan. Thanks Brother Morgan! I didn't keep track of all the hours but it was at least 100 for the build and maybe another 25 for the paint. I did make a template for the track sides in a 2D program as they're made from multiple layers of plasticard (i believe five all together on the outer piece). It made it a lot easier to be able to print them up at a 1:1 scale, glue them to the plastic and just cut them out. As for the Fellblade plasma cannon, I hope to finally be working on that next week along with a giant flamethrower/thermal cannon. It won't be titan sized but it will be plenty big. Mach how do you end up making your own data sheets that look so amazingly legit??? GW has a blank Apocalypse data sheet on their website. I downloaded that, imported it into Paint to remove all the text except for the disclaimer at the bottom, and made it the background in PowerPoint. I then added all the text boxes and tables needed for the layout. OK, got some pics to show you the scale of this thing next to the other vehicles in the customer's army: http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/IMAG0391.jpg http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab340/machinator248/IMAG0390.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Loken Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Holy moly that things big. Funny this should pop up just after I finished reading The Lion. Incredible work sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzy-xc Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Wow, that's pretty epic looking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pall Ironbear Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Another fine 'mini'. Top job sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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