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| Adeptus Arbites wrestle with rioting citizens. |
I suspect that if you had to specify a riot control vehicle for your local law enforcement outfit, the sort of thing that would spring to mind would be a wheeled APC, perhaps with a turret mounted watercannon. Possibly with a dozer blade for clearing out barricades and shunting aside burning wrecks.
Something like one of these:
A few years ago, I used my Adeptus Arbites in a couple of games. I didn't have anything suitable ready to go, so I picked up a marginally over-scaled but cheap toy police vehicle (with sound and light action). This vehicle has seen a fair bit of use in games which require swift deploying of Arbite troopers. It can even be operated by Jokaero. The flashing lights and nee-naw sounds are of course, a bonus.
In reality though, the toy police car was only a stop gap until I got round to replacing it with something more suitable. I'd been keeping an eye out for the Forgeworld Repressor tank, but sadly the kit is out of production at Forgeworld and only available at rather high prices on ebay.
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| Forgeworld Repressor. OOP. |
As luck would have it, I happened upon the Chimera Urban Response Vehicle conversion kit by Models and Minis. After incurring a little delay from casting, transatlantic postage and a short stay with Her Majesty's Customs Officers, the kit arrived last week. For some reason, I fancied putting it together and painting it pretty much immediately.
The Urban Response Vehicle kit is intended for use with the GW Imperial Guard Chimera. It includes two side panels, 6 wheels, a dozer blade and support, and a rear door section. The resin is nice, high quality, with only a few air bubbles requiring filling. I had to do a small amount of filling at the back of the APC body with milliput in order to cover up some gaps, but hopefully that won't be too obvious on the table. The little gun port hatches come from Zinge Industries.
I painted up the APC in the same colours as my Adeptus Arbites - a field grey with flashes of blue and white.
The dozer blade got traditional hazard markings, while the viewports are the same orange as I used on the helmet lenses for the Arbites themselves.
I did intend to add a few transfers in a couple of places, but the ones I had to hand were so old that they simply disintegrated. So I didn't bother in the end!
I am certain that the APC will see an awful lot of use, both as an active transport vehicle and purely as scenery to play around. Any suggestions as to what should I do with the cheap toy the new vehicle replaces?
That's brilliant Jon!
ReplyDeleteI think it will do the job, right? Cheers Tom!
DeleteExcellent, every arbite should have his way to get to work safely.
ReplyDeleteThey should - the unions have fought hard for such rights.
DeleteNice one! But I have to ask: does it have sound and light effects to match the previous vehicle?
ReplyDeleteSadly, the player will need to make their own sound and light effects with the new vehicle.
DeleteI'm a little puzzled Jon, you couldn't find anything similar to that kind of vehicle aftermarket? Like a scale model kit? It looks great though, just curious, as always :)
ReplyDeleteI love that dozer blade, real menacing.
Use for the other vehicle? You could armour it up and paint it up as an ash waste vehicle.
Cheers mate :)
I'm sure there are scale model kits out there. I invariably find them too 'real-world' with fine details that do not lend themselves to being gamed with. I think only once ever have I used a model kit, and I wasn't that pleased with the results. Toys on the other hand... ;)
DeleteAsh Wastes vehicle you say...hmmmmm!
Brilliant- brings to mind the Saracen APC.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Pete.
Thanks Pete. I've had to google the Saracen APC - I can see the family resemblance!
DeleteInterestingly the third of your examples looks to be a Saracen painted in police colours.
DeleteJust goes to show how little I know!
DeleteLove it. Reminds me of poll tax riots in Hackney when I was a youth ;0)
ReplyDeleteHappy days, right?!
DeleteYer
DeleteChannelling classic McVey is a sound decision, that's the business. Love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks cheetor! It does mean that the sound and lights action toy probably won't appear in our next game where such a vehicle is required.
DeletePapafakis is on the right track. You should surely save the vehicle. But it needn't be a ganger ride. With some added bits and a little paint it could be in the same motorpool as the APC. Honestly, even paint alone might suffice. Surely you don't want to take the locals back to the cooler in the APC?
DeleteAnyway . . . splendid stuff!
I think sorting out the door (as Lasgunpacker said) would be a priority- it throws the scale off a bit. I could still work as an Arbite vehicle to carry the drunks home in :)
DeleteExcellent paint job, and that conversion kit really gives it the classic arbite look, as prescribed by McVey way back when.
ReplyDeleteAs for the old vehicle, I think it would work better if you added a new faux door to help rescale it. Possibly an armored wind screen too, something mad max-ish.
Thanks Lasgunpacker. Excellent ideas for the old vehicle; I note no-one has yet suggested I give it to my kids ;)
DeleteOh, the windscreen is a good idea. Maybe add a spotlight if you have one, and perhaps suggest some ventilation ports in the back . . .
DeleteI'm sure I could rustle some of those up!
DeleteI remember seeing a vehicle a lot like this on the back page of an older issue of White Dwarf. Wonderfully recreated! ^^
ReplyDeleteThat might well have been the Mike McVey one. Google it - it's ace :)
DeleteI love this! It looos great! I need something similar for my arbites
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think every Arbites unit needs a decent ride.
DeleteCracking work on the riot vehicle!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it Richard :)
DeleteSeen a lot of Chimera conversion kits out there and this one looks the best so far to me. Very nice result, though those Arbites need a tongue-lashing for allowing it to get so banged up!
ReplyDeleteOld vehicle could be used as an Ork transport of sorts?
It's a great kit. Pretty straightforward to use too. You're right - a respray is in order!
DeleteI guess it stands to reason that the Imperium's idea of riot control involves a flamethrower...
ReplyDeleteIt certainly disperses the rabble!
DeleteAbsolutely and extremely cool. I cannot but approve. I scratchbuilt a vehicle of this kind long ago, but yours is way better, I have to say. The hive mind works, as I'm with my own Arbites these days too; I'm keeping an eye on your work. A vigilant, law-enforcing eye, of course.
ReplyDeleteMuch kudos to you for the scratchbuild- vehicles require too much precision for me to attempt them.
DeleteSounds like you have snoopers and a surveillance operation underway!
Very nice work Sir.
ReplyDeleteI would argue that it's a bit unrealistic as it lacks the profound odour peculiar to the public order van and the fact that the lights and radio probably work and possibly even at the same time.
Other than that, a triumph.
I'm sure I could find a synthetic bottled odour to enhance the authenticity :)
DeletePlease please do a Halfling as part of this force, or as part of your excellent SWA Ratling band.
ReplyDelete"Ankle Arbiter".
A Ratling arbite. I wonder....I'll have to give it some thought!
DeleteExcellent punning Curis :)
Looks great axiom. You did a good job on the APC for sure. As for "a riot control vehicle for your local law enforcement", I an 'overkill' kind of guy and would've went with a Astra Militarum super-heavy tank i.e. a Baneblade ;)
ReplyDeleteWow! A baneblade is certainly ultimate force :)
DeleteJustify your "over-scaled but cheap toy police vehicle" as being designed for Ogryn drivers.
ReplyDeleteSounds like I need an ogryn Arbite as well as a ratling one!
DeleteJust found this, glad you liked the kit. Awesome paintjob!
ReplyDeleteJim - MaM