The: better stormtalon challenge!

[fuzzbuket]

while looking at the new stormtalon i have been wondering how it should look better! So with my most recent blog post (http://fuzzbuket.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/40ks-new-fliers-and-fuzzs-thoughts-and.html) i made a quick shop of what i think would be a vast improvement!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zTMOGToUSOY/T8Hsx2D_v0I/AAAAAAAAB1I/UUF3UAugus8/s1600/planeSM.jpg

so the challenge is to simply draw, paint photoshop or convert whatever you think it should look like :D

sadly no prizes (unless we can get a sponsor) apart from a promotion on my 200-400 views a day blog!

its really just to get your creative jucies flowing and to have fun

NOW OFF TO MS PAINT!

-fuzz

[Kawauso]

That does look pretty sharp.

Personally I'm fond of the chin-mounted turret gun, as it really conveys an attack helicopter vibe - just not that fond of the Stormtalon's execution. Little too big and the landing skids look silly.

I think making it look somewhat like the mount for the Assault Cannon on Land Speeders is something I might consider trying, whenever I pick one up.

[DarkLink]

I dislike it as it is, but if you tore off the engines and stubby little wings and replaced them with something a little more reasonable, then I'd agree with Eldargal. It's cute, in a kind of special way.

I think downscaled Valkyrie wings would be appropriate.

[Kawauso]

Like if you took the half of the wings after the 'bend' off the end of the Valkyrie, Darklink? Minus the landing gear, obviously. That would also have the cool-factor of adding MOAR THRUST.

[olberon]

im up for that challenge!

[antennafarm]

i think it's fine as is, but i'd like it more if it didn't have the tail and were more upright, like Boba Fett's Slave ship.

[DarkLink]

Like if you took the half of the wings after the 'bend' off the end of the Valkyrie, Darklink? Minus the landing gear, obviously. That would also have the cool-factor of adding MOAR THRUST.

I think the kink in the wings should still be there, but the wing would obviously have to be a lot smaller, so basically yes. And you'd have to replace the engines with much sleeker ones for it to work, obviously.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

For me, the twin-linked weapons look kind of silly - just too much gun-mass! I'd make the entire ship a bit larger longer (apart from the cockpit), shift the cockpit a bit to the left and put a single H. Bolter stacked on top of a single Assault Cannon on the right of the cockpit.

[Kawauso]

Shifting the weapons about like that would detract from the helicopter gunship vibe of the whole thing, though (one weapon pod either side and a chin-turret). But to each his own. :)

[flekkzo]

while looking at the new stormtalon i have been wondering how it should look better! So with my most recent blog post (http://fuzzbuket.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/40ks-new-fliers-and-fuzzs-thoughts-and.html) i made a quick shop of what i think would be a vast improvement!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zTMOGToUSOY/T8Hsx2D_v0I/AAAAAAAAB1I/UUF3UAugus8/s1600/planeSM.jpg

so the challenge is to simply draw, paint photoshop or convert whatever you think it should look like :D

sadly no prizes (unless we can get a sponsor) apart from a promotion on my 200-400 views a day blog!

its really just to get your creative jucies flowing and to have fun

NOW OFF TO MS PAINT!

-fuzz

Rip off wings, add helicopter rotors, done.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Shifting the weapons about like that would detract from the helicopter gunship vibe of the whole thing, though (one weapon pod either side and a chin-turret). But to each his own. :)I guess so, but for me, the helicopter-feel of the model was thrown off from the beginning by just how big and chunky those guns are! I never really realized it until GWs started making small-scale aircraft (not counting hovercraft), but the vehicle-based weapons are so huge and chunky. Feels weird on a small flyer. I'd probably like the Stormtalon more if its weapons were more the size of Devastator/Terminator weapons.

[The AKH]

I was looking at the new WD yesterday, and I think it would do wonders for the Stormtalon if you removed the engines from the sides of the fuselage, added wings bulked up with plasticard, then mounted the thrusters on the ends of the wings for more of an Osprey-esque look.

[fuzzbuket]

I was looking at the new WD yesterday, and I think it would do wonders for the Stormtalon if you removed the engines from the sides of the fuselage, added wings bulked up with plasticard, then mounted the thrusters on the ends of the wings for more of an Osprey-esque look.

i can see where thats going,and that would look really nice :D

also the lack of complaints about the wee antenna things on the top is surprising :P

[The Madman]

Rip off wings, add helicopter rotors, done.

and that box on the top of it would be a good place to add a rotor blade.

for me i don't particulally like the idea of space marines having all these gunships. I'm stuck in the concept of them having only drop pods and thunderhawks are their aerial/orbital transport while the imperial navy took care of the air support. the whole thing feels forced, but thats just me.

[Cpt Codpiece]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zTMOGToUSOY/T8Hsx2D_v0I/AAAAAAAAB1I/UUF3UAugus8/s1600/planeSM.jpg



-fuzz

well that just about makes the new flying brick look at least semi cool.

why they put that rediculously hideous and gigantic turret there on the bottom is anyones guess.

but i've said it before (think it was in the relese pic thread) if you used the raven wing kit and used the assault cannons from that you could have a cool nose mount cannon without the bulk and the stupid landing gear, then just mount the secondary guns to the hull with magnets on the mountings so you can swich out weapons :)

i do think rotors would be a bad idea, keep the 'simple' 20th century tech to the greenskins.

while i love the VTOL aspect i just hope a revised Vyper is in the works with the 'pop up' rules again, thats why they were cool in the 1st place.

[daboarder]

the gun was probably put under the chin to tie the model in with the basic concept of the havoc gunship

[Cpt Codpiece]

i dont have a problem with the chin mount, infact if BA can use the storm budgie i may get one :)
i would use ravenwing assault cannons though

but my problem is the size of the guns and its mounting.
i dont get GW inconsistency with their guns, a termi can carry an assault cannon, a land speeder can have one and is obviously upscaled slightly as you would imagine it has slightly different mountings and internals since it is fired differently, but then you get to tank/flier based assault cannons and they are HUGE (and its only the assault cannons that are liike this, bolters/melets/plasmas all seem to scale ok)

oh yeah, if you know the origins of my avatar, then you will follow this :)
as was mentioned when they were leaked, the 'new' storm budgie looks remarkably simmilar to an old GI JOE/COBRA toy the 'sky hawk' and cobra VTOL

http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/dreadnokairassault/airassault_right.jpg

[daboarder]

they have two models of assualt cannon, the old chunky as big one. and the newer sleeker one. why they used the old one on the flyers I have no idea but oh well.

[Tynskel]

they have two models of assualt cannon, the old chunky as big one. and the newer sleeker one. why they used the old one on the flyers I have no idea but oh well.

Big Guns! Roar!

[Meph]

That's a good concept Fuzzbukket, it's a major improvement over the stock model. I actually really like that dual weapon setup, although attack chopper-like turrets are always fun to have. It does seem nigh on impossible to translate that weapon loadout to something that actually looks cool.
Personally I'd enlarge the tail section and change the vertical rudder. That useless large tail on the bottom just looks as silly as it did on the Stormraven. And they could've come up with a better turret design as well, even just a single AC would look a lot sleeker and attack chopper-like. That dual mounted thing just clunky and waaaay to big.
And personally I'd try to add a static wing section between the fuselage and the engine pods. Somewhat a mix between the wings of KA-52 and the rotating pods of an Osprey.
http://www.russianpatches.com/images/helicopters/ka52-1.jpg

[miteyheroes]

I dislike the chin guns, I dislike the side weapon pods. They just don't fit with Space Marine aesthetics at all.

I'd probably go with bigger wings & either weapons under the wings or sponson-style weapons. Possibly move the assault cannons to a top turret, Thunderhawk style?

[DarkLink]

You mean like the stupid Storm Raven top turret?

[gruebot]

Storm Speeder!
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j247/gruebot/Image5.jpg

[Lane]

I think I've figured out what the problem with recent Space Marine fliers is.

GW must have hired the designer of the Super deformed Gundam kits to design the Storm Raven and Talon.
check http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN74427 for reference.

[Cpt Codpiece]

I think I've figured out what the problem with recent Space Marine fliers is.

GW must have hired the designer of the Super deformed Gundam kits to design the Storm Raven and Talon.
check http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN74427 for reference.

LOL thats more of a case of the general scale of marines ATM LOL

i dont see any major issues with the shape/scale of the kit, yeah the tail is a bit grande but nothing a knife cant fix, and as discussed previously the gun mount, people do already intend on changing.

[miteyheroes]

You mean like the stupid Storm Raven top turret?

The Storm Raven has a top turret, the Thunderhawk has a top turret. It may be stupid, but at least it's an established Space Marine design.

[fuzzbuket]

@gruebot

thats a great design :D it looks like a landspeeders big brother but still like a marine vehical!

@lane
and i thought the armoured core sd's were bad :P thats.... WHY

[gruebot]

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j247/gruebot/StormSpeeder.jpg

[Kawauso]

No thanks.

Looks like...a land speeder with stuff slapped on, as opposed to a helicopter/flyer/gunship thing.

[FireHazard]

Am I the only person who thinks the Talon is a little reminiscent of the old Squat Gyrocopter from Space Marine/Epic?

Wow. That just made me realise how old I am... :(

[Meph]

^hah! True, it does look a bit like it. Although the tail section on the Squat craft was a looot longer.

Yup, I'm from that era as well. ;)

Wait, did I just say, era?... Crap!

[Kawauso]

Am I the only person who thinks the Talon is a little reminiscent of the old Squat Gyrocopter from Space Marine/Epic?

Wow. That just made me realise how old I am... :(



What's a squat? ;)

But seriously, even though I know about 'em, I've only been playing 40k since around right before the time 5th edition dropped.

[lattd]

Squats were dwarves in space but having seen the models i really don't get the fuss, maybe the background was great.

[inquisitorsog]

Squats were dwarves in space but having seen the models i really don't get the fuss, maybe the background was great.
Keep in mind that was >12 years ago. They were on par quality wise for about everything else GW at the time.

I recall an email exchange with Gav that was posted somewhere a few years ago(or at least allegedly w/Gav) that said they couldn't figure out a way to "fix" the background to fit into the evolving grimdark. The main gist was that they had more players that continued to want to treat them as something of a joke than GW was comfortable with. And thus, they got sentenced to an appointment with the nids. (At least FFG brought them back in Death Watch, albeit as abhumans under an alias).



No thanks.

Looks like...a land speeder with stuff slapped on, as opposed to a helicopter/flyer/gunship thing.
That pretty much sums up my take on the rules, not just the image you were replying to.

[fuzzbuket]

congrats to gruebot for winning the challenge :D if you have a blog or anything that needs a bit of promotion just ask :D
and the summary post is here
http://fuzzbuket.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/better-stormtalon-challenge.html

its great to see that we all have a manic little inner hobbyist ^__^

[PedroKantor]

not so good at photoshop.. but i imagine something like this???
predator turret on top... predator weapon sponsons on the wings instead? maybe push the engines to the back and cardstock a bit longer wings?
just ordered one, so perhaps in a week or so, will submit a real picture of my build
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7160536327_89ef7e1ca7_b.jpg

[Kawauso]

Just my 2 cents, but...
having the weapons mounted on the thrusters would make it hard to shoot, considering the nose of the craft is what points at its targets, not the thrusters. Those weapons are going to be pointing in the air like that most of the time, especially whenever it needs to hover.

[Meph]

Hmmm, but the lascannons might fit nicely in those front air intakes on the side. And with the turret replaced with a lighter model (they're currently oversized), we might be onto something here...

[fuzzbuket]

wow thats really cool :D i think that if you wanted to mount the lascannons there itd be a good idea to mount them UNDER the wings (if your expanding them)

[miteyheroes]

This is my favourite I've seen so far:
http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=253575

Missile pods mounted on top is just genius, and trimming down the assault cannons so they fit inside the nose makes them less stupid. Not sure about the changes to the tailfins, but I do like the extended wings.

[Bracchus]

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j247/gruebot/StormSpeeder.jpg

Hmm I kind of liked that look. If they are decent in 6:ed I might just have to do that :)

[Meph]

Something I quickly coughed up. Not 100% what i envisioned, but still...

http://postwarvandal.com/Meph/Land_Raiders/BA/StormTalontest.jpg

[Foxhound2delta]

This is my favourite I've seen so far:
http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=253575

Missile pods mounted on top is just genius, and trimming down the assault cannons so they fit inside the nose makes them less stupid. Not sure about the changes to the tailfins, but I do like the extended wings.

Yeah this is a pretty good conversion. I would use the smaller raven wing assault cannons though and maybe leave the tail alone. When I look at this conversion I am reminded of the failed U.S. Army Comanche helicopter rather the Apache attack helicopter.

[fuzzbuket]

wow these are all brilliant :D

[plawolf]

Well, here is my take on it.

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?p=203861#post203861

[PedroKantor]

arrived in the mail yesterday.. been playing around with converting it to look a bit cooler.. this is what i've come up with so far.. still some trimming and cleaning up to do. Still not 100% sure about the turret on top either... would appreciate peoples thoughts
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/7970_3068854774827_1433580934_n.jpg
https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/246583_3068854974832_853117450_n.jpg
https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/270804_3068855134836_5491322_n.jpg
if i keep the turrent on top, gonna need to do something to the bottom where its 'supposed' to be

[Brandoncbaker]

The only thing with the above design is that it isn't game legal..too many weapons

[isotope99]

One is out of ammo for game purposes ;)

More serious;y, it does make a too short model look even smaller.

[PedroKantor]

One is out of ammo for game purposes ;)

exactly....

[PedroKantor]

decided to ditch these missiles altogether and just ordered some sentinel missiles which will attach to the bottom of the wings, more like an army helicopter.. think that is gonna look badass, will post more pictures when they come!

[Foxhound2delta]

Yeah that sentinel missile pod is a great ideal!!

[KINGS]

Here is my ST, I just gave it smaller AC
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2130&stc=1&d=1339743023

[PedroKantor]

Here is my ST, I just gave it smaller AC
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2130&stc=1&d=1339743023

very nice!

[Foxhound2delta]

Here is my ST, I just gave it smaller AC
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2130&stc=1&d=1339743023

I really, really like your paint scheme for this model. But to be honest I'm surprised that I have seen other conversions out there yet. I would think that people would come up with some awesome stuff. PS, I'm not a big fan of the Spikey Bits walker storm talon. I want to see a flyer not a damn walker.

[fuzzbuket]

great work :D these are all fantastic!

[PedroKantor]

missiles included!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7402811850_82b33ce863.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7402812524_98a862deb3.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7402812310_3b03350f93.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8019/7402812156_4fdca89338.jpg
looks way cooler IMO..

[Pendragon38]

Here's my ST and how it should look in my eyes.
http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t499/Pendragon38/100_0064.jpg

http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t499/Pendragon38/100_0063.jpg

http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t499/Pendragon38/100_0062.jpg
what do you think?

[Meph]

@PedroKantor: I really like the placement of the lascannons. They look so much better there. The turret on top is a bit boxy and out of scale it seems.

@Pendragon38: great replacement of the guns. Lighter assault cannons are a great improvement to the design and balance.

The other thing that bothers me are those clunky missile pods. As aerodynamic as a brick with a wind trap attached.
I think something like this would suite the model superbly. But perhaps with a beveled, more rectangular cross section to better suit the classic SM design philosophy.

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/gripen/images/gripen4.jpg