Monday 19 September 2016

Ash Wastes Crawler - Finished!

Back in December 2014, I showed off a WIP scratch-built Ash Wastes Crawler I'd started making for my Ash Waste Nomads, based on the old Action Force HISS tank.

For the best part of two years, not very much happened with the crawler, other than sitting, gathering dust, unloved and unused. And then motivation in the form of the imminent Ash Wastes campaign came along. In a few weeks, I'll be playing with a new Maniac road gang, accompanying my Water Seller Journeyman on Logan's World. So I've been gradually adding to the crawler - a platform here, am aerial there. And then over the course of a number of painting sessions over the past week, I've finally painted it too:


I decided to keep the heavily weathered white paint job I'd used on the dune buggy and bike previously.


The only concessions to colour are the flags, jauntily arrayed on a line stretched across the hull. I wanted a splash of colour, without altering the colour scheme. They're just small rectangles of paper, painted and folded over black thread with some PVA glue.


One of the major changes to the crawler from the WIP version, is the addition of a range of platforms and firing points on the hull. This was done for game purposes (to have places for my crew to stand), but it also helps to give the crawler a slightly ramshackle look.


I've kept the turret hatch unglued so I can place a driver in the front part of the vehicle. The hatch is from Zinge Industries, placed onto a Leman Russ hull.


I've already noted a few areas where I need to go back and sort out a few little painting errors, but by and large the crawler is more than ready for the tabletop I think.

A Journeyman convoy is ambush by Ash Wastes mutants.

24 comments:

  1. That is so cool! Nice work Axiom. ;)

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  2. Lovely job. Can't wait to see the battle reports :)

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    1. I suspect much of the reporting for the crawler will be uneventful - it's hard to kill and only moves 3" per turn!!

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  3. Man, I'm shocked about how the tiny flags can give such personality to the vehicle. They look pretty evocative to me, I'm stea... borrowing the idea :D
    Cool job, seriously :)

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    1. It's strange isn't it? I'd done the painting and hadn't yet strung the flags, and the whole thing looked a bit boring and half-finished. But with the flags it's suddenly interesting and vibrant :)

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    2. Suber nailed it: its lovely but the bunting takes it to a new atmospheric level altogether.

      Brilliant

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    3. More bunting required for future project I think!

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  4. Cool Axiom! I like finished projects :)

    Those flags remind me of the Tibetan prayer flags you see on the peaks of the Himalayas. They do add some nice colour to it don't they!

    How'd you go with the tracks? Where they joined. I couldn't see from the angle of the photo's. Did you manage to separate them?

    I really like the overall weathering you gave it too. The yellowish wash really works quite well. The only thing I think you might want to consider doing is giving the tracks/wheels a quick hit with a metallic dry-brush? They look a little too weathered IMHO. But it's a minor critique on an otherwise awesome vehicle...congratulations on an epic build, finally finished :)

    Top stuff Axiom!

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    1. Yep, I was looking at pics of Tibetan prayer flags as I made them :)

      In the end I didn't do anything about the tracks. I'm happy enough that its not too obvious, so I decided to leave as is. That and I couldn't work out what I could do about it ;)

      I did do a metal drybrush on the tracks / wheels...possibly I could do more.

      Glad you like it and thanks for the input :)

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  5. Very nice and I love how you managed to remove the potential dullness of a big monochrome vehicle by adding spots of colours. Clever thinking here.

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    1. Cheers JB! I used to hate painting vehicles because of precisely that - big flat areas of monochrome. But my magic weathering sponge has changed all that :D

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  6. Those prayer flags certainly add life to the piece. And it looks suitable imposing on the tabletop too!

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  7. Love it mate - the perfect dune crawler if you ask me. The shape of the tracks are interesting eough, but not obviously Imperial, and the flags are a lovely little touch :-)

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    1. I was attempting to channel my inner Jawa!

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  8. Excellent! I agree the flags really add that je ne sais quoi!

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    1. There should be more flags in 40k I think. When I get round to some buildings, it would be cool to put some on them I think.

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  9. Tibetan Prayer flags or those ones I see in the mexican restaurants about here. Regardless, an inspired and lovely touch that really adds more character to an otherwise beastly vehicle. Really good work mate.

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    1. Mexican restaurant eh? Still works for me :)

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  10. Very cool pal! Have thought at all about the rules you'd use this vehicle with?

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    1. In 40K / RT? No idea. We're going with the slightly clunky crawler rules for Necromunda / Ash Wastes games

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  11. Cool work! I love it. :) I myself have an Ork Trukk lying assembled but unpainted for more than THREE years!!! It's so dusty I'm afraid to go near it (sinus problems and all that jazz). I just saw Mad Max Fury Road and am inspired to go finish it BUT all that dust. O_O

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    1. A careful brushing outside with a face mask perhaps? ;)

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