Astra Militarum Wyvern Suppression Tank

Astra Militarum Wyvern

The Wyvern Suppression Tank exchanges the Hydra’s anti-aircraft autocannons for a pair of twin-linked stormshard mortars. The tank excels in the claustrophobic environment of urban warfare, raining curtains of shrapnel down upon enemy infantry with ever exposing itself to harm.

Retreat from Kitzu VII

This diorama was one of the displays at Warhammer World.

Responding to reports of alien-worshipping cults rising on Kitzu VII, Kayvaan Shrike leads his Raven Guard to reinforce the planet’s Imperial defenders. Upon arrival, the Space Marines discover a world already overrun by Tyranid monstrosities.

Determined to salvage something from the disaster, Shrike’s warriors hunt down and kill several of the evolved xenos beasts, harvesting bio-samples for future study. In danger of being surrounded and devoured, the Space Marines stage a fighting retreat across the Celestrus macro-viaduct, their Stormraven gunship moving to extract them.

Many of the Tyranid miniatures were from the (dismantled) Valedor diorama. The Valedor diorama showcased Eldar defending again the Tyranid hordes.

Sicaran Venator

A variant of the Sicaran battle tank introduced towards the end of the Great Crusade, the Sicaran Venator is a purpose-built tank destroyer.

Sicaran Venator

It mounts the fearsome neutron laser system and the atomantic arc-reactors required to power it. The neutron laser is a formidable anti-armour weapon, and is capable of penetrating any known armour.

Sicaran Venator

The combination of mobility, protection and firepower being highly valued by the Space Marine Legions.

Sons of Horus Land Raider Proteus

The Land Raider is regarded by many as the finest armoured fighting vehicle of its class in the Imperium’s arsenal, and is the mainstay battle tank of the Space Marine Legions. It is a phenomenally powerful war machine, its multi-layered composite armour and reinforced hull all but impervious to even heavy weapons, being a sealed unit designed to resist enemy attack from any approach. Intended to serve in almost any environment as both war machine and exploration vehicle, it can operate freely in war zones ranging from acid swamps to rad-deserts without any noticeable impediment to its performance, and can even operate in hard vacuum, ensuring there is no open battlefield on which its armoured wrath cannot be unleashed.

This (resin) Sons of Horus Land Raider Proteus was on display at Warhammer World.

Land Raider Proteus
Land Raider Proteus

Those of us who have been playing Warhammer 40K since it was first released will recognise this model. It is of course a new version of the original Land Raider that was released back in 1987 following the release of the 1st edition of Warhammer 40,000, Rogue Trader. Forge World released a resin version a fair few years ago, and since then, a plastic version of the kit has been released as part of The Horus Heresy range.

I have been thinking about getting one for my workbench.

Land Raider Proteus Miniatures Gallery

Great Unclean One

Great Unclean One

The Great Unclean Ones are Nurgle’s mightiest daemons. Towering over their enemies, these living hillocks of rotting flesh lumber across the battlefield swinging their rusted weapons, vomiting streams of filth and unleashing diseased magics upon the foe.

Great Unclean One

Great Unclean Ones are terrifying when roused to wrath, wading through enemy ranks, crushing foes beneath their bulk and pulping survivors with their enormous swords and flails.

Great Unclean One

Some toll rusted summoning bells to draw forth fresh daemons, while others unleash terrible outbreaks of magical plague.

Arvus Lighter on the workbench

I have the new Horus Heresy plastic Arvus Lighter on my workbench.

The Arvus Lighter is a small, general purpose cargo shuttle that is widely used by the Imperium of Man for many tasks, both in space and on the surface of planets. The Arvus is commonly used by both Imperial Navy warships and Imperial merchant vessels, including Rogue Traders. The Arvus is just one of many types of small, void-capable shuttles used by the Imperium. The Arvus is piloted by a single pilot, and is not equipped with any weapon systems, in fact, the Arvus possesses only the most basic navigation equipment, external sensors, and proximity alarms. The Arvus has a powerful engine that allows it to carry heavy cargo to and from a planet’s surface

There are three sprues in the box along with a flying base and clear plastic parts for the canopy.

I have been thinking about how I will construct and paint the model. One of the additions to the plastic version of the Arvus Lighter model is a rear ramp gunner. I like the idea of this, but it will add to the time to paint the model. As well as painting the gunner, the inside of the craft will also have to be painted.

With most of my models I constructed them fully and then paint them. This is okay for many of my models, but I have with a few undertaken some part-assembly, then painting before putting the whole model together. One example of this on my workbench is the Typhon Heavy Siege Tank where I painted the tracks, sponsons and main weapon separately before putting them together.

I think with the Arvus Lighter I will do some partial assemblies and then put the model together at the end.

You can model the Arvus Lighter with the undercarriage down or up. I am thinking down.

I am still thinking about the paint scheme, I am not sure if I will go with a grey scheme, or go with the camouflage scheme I used with my Aeronautica Imperialis Valkyrie transports.

Leviathan Siege Dreadnought

Leviathan Siege Dreadnought
Leviathan Siege Dreadnought

Heavily-armed and impressively armoured, the Leviathan Siege Dreadnought is an alternative development of the highly successful Contemptor design. These rare and mighty engines are prized by Astartes commanders, recognised as savagely powerful siege and hunter-killer units that can crush any opposition with an unstoppable wrecking charge.

Ork Battle Fortress – Skullhamma

This Apocalypse conversion from 2007 took the then new Imperial Guard Baneblade super heavy tank and it was converted into an Ork Battle Fortress, the Skullhamma.

Larger then a Battlewagon, Battlefortresses are used by richer and more powerful Ork Warbosses as super-heavy assault vehicles and mobile command centers. These enormous heavily-armed vehicles bristle with heavy cannons, energy weapons, and explosive launchers. As a rule any Ork vehicle of sufficient size will be called a Battlefortress by the Orks themselves and like most Ork vehicles there is very little standardization and they are highly customized, though several variants exist such as the “Dethrolla” and “Skullhamma”. Nonetheless, these vehicles are a match for any enemy counterpart on the battlefield short of a Titan. Ork Mek Boyz consider the construction of a Battlefortress to be one of their greatest achievements.

I first saw this conversion at Games Day 2007. These photographs were taken when it was on display at Warhammer World in 2024.

I do like the details on this model, the tracks have been converted and some of the road wheels have been replaced.

When this model was first shown I did consider buying a BaneBlade to copy the conversion and create my own Skullhamma. However as I wasn’t too sure about how it would turn out, also time and money, decided I would leave the idea as just that an idea. In the end I got a Battlewagon.

More photographs of the Skullhamma Battle Fortress.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

These Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport were on display at Warhammer World.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport
Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport
Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport with Leman Russ in background

The Dracosan Armoured Transport is a heavily armed personnel carrier, manufactured to the highest standards and configured with systems that allow the Solar Auxilia to traverse the most hazardous battlezones. The Dracosan is large enough to accommodate a full strength section of 20 Solar Auxilia infantry, protecting them from all but the most intense enemy fire while using its own weaponry to pound enemy positions to dust.