Battlewagon 1

Okay, so now that I don't have any Battlewagon's left and with a serious need for them I turn my head back at the past. Way Way back, to an unfinished project from 2005 maybe 2006, a looted Imperial Guard Leman Russ...
Not great, and not exactly complete I know. But hey I didn't pay for the Leman Russ. Then again the Leman Russ wasn't exactly a complete model and without a receipt I couldn't go in and say, um hey I'm missin a sprue here!

So I originally went the extra step and not only made my own trakks but the side plating as well, which still is not completely Imperial in design, or finished being Orkified.

Not a perfect copy, I admit it, but I am so pleased that I went to all the trouble in doing it. With GW's recent new and improved *cough cough* Leman Russ they released a couple sprues of the old Wagon on their Bits section. Expensive, but I've ordered 2 of the old Chassis sprues which has the center chasis, the top half of the Turret mount, a lascannon, heavy bolter, something I'm guessing are hand grips (I haven't held the sprue for a couple years) and some other assorted bits I might use, all at about 1/3rd of the cost for a Leman Russ.

And since I still have one of the sides to work off of I think I can replicate and then Orkify to a point where no one will suspect its Plasticard instead of GW grey. Or at least I hope.

One other useful addition is this...
Yum beer... But there is a reason for supergluing a Beer bottlecap on the interior of a Leman Russ (soon to be Battlewagon). What exactly? Well its fungus Beer what do you think powers Ork vehicles and gives them a good buzz? No actually the metal used is magnetic, allowing me on the back to mount something which I have planned but never actually as of yet built.
A magnetic KFF which can/will detach from the Mek when he enters a vehicle and that KFF attaches to a point on the vehicle for quick reference and as a reminder to me to exactly where the KFF is.

Last but not least is that I know that a Leman Russ is a little small compared to the release of the new Battlewagon mini from GW that honestly is one of the worst kits they ever produced. It lacks imagination, width, intrigue, and just looks god awful. (I could go on and on, but I think that's sufficient). I will be creating a Base for the Land Raider(s) which will add height, an extended back portion, access doors, Sponsons, armor plates, and all other gubbins so by the end it'll look propa.