Stormtroopers get snazzier kit than the regular Guard: carapace armor, respirators, night-vision, grav-chutes, and most notably: hotshot weaponry. More powerful than the regular lasgun, they still lose range in favor of superior penetration. It always baffeled me why the old Kasrkin models had beefier lasguns than the regular Cadians but still lost range; the older metal stormies' and the new Scions' hotshots... Well, I'm not a fan of the look. All the stock lasguns look too long to me. And for such a mobile force, the cables from the backpack to the weapon seem a silly design. Modern forces carry magazines and boxes of spare ammunition for a reason. So, I cut the models up. Edit: apparently Mad Robot Miniatures now makes a set of heavily-armored infantry that looks and quacks much like a Kasrkin.
Take a standard Kantrael pattern lasgun from the Cadian sprue. Lop off the muzzle / muzzle and bayonet, saving them for later. At the join between the skull and right-hand wing, cut again and discard the excess. Should have a skull with a wing flaring off the left. Shave off the integral sight. Chops complete.
Glue a thin piece of sprue on the top of the weapon, replicating the optics rail seen on the old M-16 series weapon or the newer FAMAS weapons used by the French.
Sand down, glue on, and smooth it out. Add armor, bayonets, and optics to taste.
Since the Scions got their own codex back in 6th Edition, they had access to the hotshot volleygun. A fantastic weapon: high rate of fire, good penetration. It's been a staple for my storm troopers ever since. With my previous collection I'd settled for gluing an extra barrel onto a Kantrael pattern and calling it a day. However, since I obviously hate myself, my new ones are extra. An extra magazine to extend the existing one, underslung secondary barrel, optic mount from another Kantrael on the side to beef up the assembly... Hellfire.
As with all hobby pictures, it looks better in real life, held from an arms' length away.
-Six out.
No comments:
Post a Comment