++++INLOADING DATAFILE 032++++ First post for a while

Ok I'm back, at least for a few weeks. So I moved recently and now I have a studio and am getting mini work done again. I've been building up a stock of projects to post about, so hopefully I can get you guys a reason to check out this site again.



Enough on that though, this post is about a new tank conversion I'm doing, the Merric MkII. I don't have a clear name for it yet, but it's a STC main battle tank designed in the same philosophy as the rhino and Land raider. If that sounds familiar my old IG army had a conversion along the same lines from 5 years ago and another conversion I started a bit back

The chassis uses a rhino's side hull lengthened out a bit to roughly land raider length. The front glacial of the hull is from a Land Raider Ares, I love that bit and had a buddy cast up a few for me.



The upper deck of the hull is from a storm raven kit I had torn up a while ago. The lines merge well, though I may widen the turret well later on. I really like how the angels merge the upper and lower portions of the hull.



The tracks are land raider track, which were pretty challenging to get on just right. I actually needs 1 extra track piece from a 2nd kit, to finish them. This is stage 1:



Here is stage 2. I have been "Land Raidering" the sides with layers of composite armor. Tried a few new methods, the sloped edges are just careful filing work. The goal is to have the finished version not have any visible rhino parts.



Here is a stage 1 shot of the rear hatch. I decided to try something different from a rhino rear hatch, which would have been too narrow with the expanded chassis, and a land raider front hatch which would have been too big. I just used the sides of the storm raven's cockpit and a spare hatch, wallah.



I'm undecided on whether to have the exhausts filling that gap between the upper deck and the rear hatch, or to have them be 'rhino-esk' on the sides.
Here are some shots of the turret. It's a work in progress, I'm not sure what gun to mount but it WON'T be a quad missile launcher, that's just a placeholder.



I'm rusty with plasticard but the theme of the turret is 'super predator turret'. The sloped sides are challenging to do it turns out.



The back is barely started.



Alright more to follow later on this guy.
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