Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Steampunk Motorcycles (6)

Thanks for all your feedback and suggestions.
I agree that Sentinels could be a solution, but IIRC Sentinels can only be used in packs of up to 3, can't they?
With Rough Ridres, you can use a swarm of up to 9 .... wouldn't that be a sight? 9 of these little bugs swarming over the battlefield, closing with the enemy and engage them in close-combat?
Anyhow, since I never really play I don't really have to worry *lol*
But somehow I still have the idea that someone else might like my idea or design and try to build it himself and use it in an actual game, so I may as well think about it some more.
I actually dig the idea of the driver holding a lance, or having it stored on the side, but this is something I need to look more careful into, as I think the current width of the bike makes it rather hard to hold the lance outside of the wheels (without getting tangeled up)...
I agree with the Inner Geek, that those little bugs are really small and agile vehicles that could easily avoid most obstacles. I just added another rail at the bottom, to protect the bottom part of the vehicle, that should do it.
I am however still thinking about adding a armour plate at the front...

@TSINI - here you can see, that the rail is actually mounted on the inner wheel (that remains stationary while the outer runs around).

Last night I added two pedals (from this image they look quite croocked, which they really aren't).


Also I added two exhausts. Not the typical steampunk chimney exchausts, but I think they still fit the bill.


And here are the current pieces of the little bug.

In the foreground you can see the two bolters I plan to mount on the side railing.

8 comments:

  1. I do like it. Seems like a lot of work. Now if only they did not decapate the drivers all the time. Just kidding.

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  2. looks great, but I think the exhausts could be shorter? It would keep the vehicle more compact. If it were going down hill or rolling off an edge, those exhausts may get caught or smashed up by the landscape! but overall I think its a fantastic model!
    Craig @ cadian8th

    PS thanks for following and commenting at my blog Klaus

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  3. A lance held by the rider seems a little unwieldy given the mechanics and positioning of the driver. I could see it for a guy in a side-car/fighting platform, but that's about it.

    However, who says the Hunting Lance has to be a spear held by the driver? I could just as easily see something mounted to the bike itself. This could even be worked into the idea of the ram prow: where the mass of the bike's initial hit represents the lance. It could be as simple as just spikes or a spear mounted on the ram all the way to as complex as a hydraulic harpoon launcher or pseudo-jackhammer.

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  4. Perhaps the spear when unused sits back at an angle protruding form the top/rear of the bike between the wheels. Then it can be swung down into position and points straight out the front between the wheels? Or I guess it would be more work, but the Guard holding the lance in the attack position could be leaning out a bit on one side? Remember, lances were generally not used on foes directly in front of you anyway, but off to one side as you rode past.

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  5. lol cheers m8, i didnt fully understand the genius until i saw that pic :D

    one the roughrider/sentinal debate, i too find myself in both camps.

    i like the idea of the sentinals as they wuld be better with bigger guns :) (plus you could still model on spears to represent the close combat attacks that a walker gets (too lazy to get out of the vehicle they just wave pikes at them)

    but at the same time they look like agile vehicles, more suited to moving more than 6" so on that note, roughriders fit the bill,

    or peter's idea of space marine bikes is a good compromise too.

    oh its all so confusing :D

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  6. New here! Absolutely LOVE the bikes and the whole Steampunk theme. You are AMAZING at greenstuff work. I am nowhere close!

    I realize this will not help much, but I am making a 40K / Gorkamorka hybrid. You could use the bikes in that...? (SlavesToDarkness.blogspot.com)

    Otherwise just write up a Datafax and use them in Apocalypse only. Nothing wrong with large swarms of IG bikers in units of 5-10 (they're only T3(4) anyway!).

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  7. Wow, this looks great - way more technically designed than mine.

    For the lance on my design, I made a removable lance, and mounted it on the chassis between the two wheels in front of the driver. I figured that since the lance is a one shot weapon anyway, it would make sense if the impact of the charging hit would destroy the lance, and I could just remove it after that round of combat.

    Are you planning on casting these?

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  8. Love that monowheel-dywheel design, would much enjoy sharing some related design sketches I am working on.

    patron.zero@gmail.com

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