Author Topic: Kamas' Chop Shop and general minis thread (Read 11039 times)

ANS Kamas P81 · « **on:** 12 June 2023, 16:45:34 »

I finally got my Rifleman and Archer minis to mod up, and despite the shaved-off fingerprints in superglue I'd say they turned out well. The artillery piece in the Archer's missile bay is a little smaller than I'd hoped, but they only are supposed to be Thumpers and I can live with their size. They fit quite perfectly into the missile door, so that was a nice bit of serendipity. The other Archer and the Rifleman swapped their arms nicely, though a bit messy. Stats for the Rifleman and Archer arm swap can be found in this post; it's not a Frankenmech conversion but a more dedicated custom build for each.

Painting will come next month, I spent all my allowance on buying the mechs to mod up first. They'll be in an olive-green/black pattern like my avatar shows. Nothing special there, it'll be my first time painting minis in 30 years so I expect it to turn out horribly bad. But we'll see in July.

Any suggestions on other 'mechs to mod up?

(P.S. forgive the photo quality, I have a potato for a phone camera)

Daemion · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 June 2023, 17:07:53 »

What are they supposed to be? The mods look pretty clean. Now for some paint.

Daryk · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 June 2023, 18:37:26 »

Nice mod work! :thumbsup:

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 June 2023, 20:08:02 »

Quote from: Daemion on 12 June 2023, 17:07:53

What are they supposed to be? The mods look pretty clean. Now for some paint.

An Archer with an artillery piece on it, and an Archer and Rifleman swapping arms.

Quote from: Daryk on 12 June 2023, 18:37:26

Nice mod work! :thumbsup:

Danke!

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 June 2023, 21:49:48 »

Added two more to the chop shop, this one being the Archer-Warhammer arm swap. Cutting under the Archer's flanges was a pain, but it worked out well in the end. The WHM was easy to disarm, so that was a pleasant bit of work.

Stats for the Archerhammer is here: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/battlemechs/artillery-archers-for-3025-and-3050/msg1941007/#msg1941007

Stats for the Punch Hammer is here: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/battlemechs/artillery-archers-for-3025-and-3050/msg1941271/#msg1941271

The Archer's arms on the Warhammer frame look kind of dinky, while the PPCs on the Archer frame look pretty big and imposing. I think perhaps the ARC turned out a little small, compared to the same-weight Archer, but I can live with it.

I want to make more Archerhammers, but I don't want to go through that cut job again, augh. I would have loved having these in pieces...

Charistoph · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 June 2023, 22:39:06 »

Kind of makes me wonder how it would look with the Archer with the Large Lasers. I can't remember which box that one is from, though.

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 June 2023, 23:15:33 »

It'd look a lot better with the LL version, you could also swap in Thug arms perhaps. But the only mini I had was a 2R Archer; the seller is out of the 5R models now.

Daryk · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 June 2023, 03:25:52 »

I think the Archer arms look fine on the Warhammer! :thumbsup:

Luciora · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 June 2023, 03:32:20 »

Looks how I imagined them! Nice!

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 June 2023, 21:50:23 »

I finally found my camera, so I took some better photos of the minis I modified.

The Archer with the Warhammer arms really turned out great, it's a mean looking machine with the missile racks and the big PPCs. The Warhammer with Archer arms...seems a little underdone; the arms still feel a little small but it works and the stats turned out nice enough.

I'm not happy with the size of the artillery piece I got for the Artillery 'Mech, it's just too small. A Shadowhawk's AC/5 is bigger than that is, so I'm going to replace them with larger guns - not sure just which yet, but it'll probably be oversized in the end.

The WHM with Archer arms is growing on me; they don't look nearly as gashed at the shoulder when you look at the mini. The flash from the camera and the shadow there really highlights how much it shows up; I'll probably end up greenstuffing it closed anyway. The arms don't look as undersized as they did before, I'm coming to like how it looks.

The Archer with Rifleman arms doesn't look as mean as the ARC-HAMMER, but it's still a good looking kitbash I think and it turned out pretty good. I might make another, this time off an ARC with LRM20s instead of LRM10s.

And of course the Rifleman with Archer arms, gotta tuck those ERPPCs into a tight fit which gives it a Thug look.

glitterboy2098 · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 June 2023, 22:18:26 »

no riflehammer (warhammer arms on rifleman body?)
not sure what rifleman arms on a warhamemr would be called. Warman?

Luciora · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 June 2023, 22:38:03 »

You know, the Waracher could proxy pretty well for the Patlabor Hannibal.

https://www.mahq.net/al-97b-var/

Look at the art for the UN version.

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 June 2023, 22:48:12 »

Quote from: glitterboy2098 on 13 June 2023, 22:18:26

no riflehammer (warhammer arms on rifleman body?)
not sure what rifleman arms on a warhamemr would be called. Warman?

Riflehammer would be the opposite, WHM arms on a RFL frame. I could go with Warman for your idea. I have an extra RFL, but I'm out of Warhammers until next month's budget comes through - and hoping the seller still has any for sale by then.

Paypal donations accepted? (kidding)

glitterboy2098 · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 June 2023, 01:59:13 »

i'd actually worked up a "warhammer arms on rifleman body" for a Robotech game i was planning some years back, using the macross art.

https://www.deviantart.com/glitterboy2098/art/MBR-05-Mk-I-Hussar-Main-Battle-Robot-284762012

curious to see what the BT version with the classics would look like.

Daryk · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 June 2023, 03:23:24 »

Those are MUCH better pictures, thanks! :thumbsup:

That artillery piece might be small for a Thumper, but I think it's just right for a 'Mech Mortar... 8)

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 June 2023, 03:57:51 »

Quote from: Daryk on 14 June 2023, 03:23:24

That artillery piece might be small for a Thumper, but I think it's just right for a 'Mech Mortar... 8)

Yeah, I agree - it would make a good 'Mech mortar, and I'll save them for that future mod, but it's not the artillery I'm looking for. I found these 155mm guns at GHQ. Fortunately they come in packs of three, so I won't have any leftovers sitting around. Plus I like the muzzle break on them, I'm just not sure the size will turn out right compared to the Archer. We'll see, I may end up shaving down some of the elevation assembly to make it fit.

That's the plan, anyway...time to kill a few weeks.

Luciora · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 June 2023, 09:40:35 »

Hmm I keep thinking I may have a modded unseen Rifleman with Warhammer arms in my collection for some odd reason. I know I have Rifleman mods using Victor arms and a Rifleman mod that uses the Vulture / Mad Dog missile pods and Mongoose arms.

Daryk · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 June 2023, 18:17:57 »

I'm sorry I never prevailed on my friend that put an LTAC on an Orion mini to post a pic... that thing was AWESOME! :thumbsup:

And he probably could have told you where he got that barrel... it was the perfect size for an LTAC, and I bet the company that made it had smaller tubes too...

Daemion · « **Reply #18 on:** 14 June 2023, 23:32:22 »

Okay. I won't be happy until we see a whammy with Rifleman gun arms.

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 June 2023, 01:36:33 »

Quote from: Daemion on 14 June 2023, 23:32:22

Okay. I won't be happy until we see a whammy with Rifleman gun arms.

Behold the Warfleman

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 June 2023, 01:47:09 »

And adding one more Rifleman with Archer arms, this time with the MLs of the ARC-2R - I'll see how the stats turn out for putting the 'Mech together. Four light PPCs, probably, replacing the MLs in the RFL's torso and ARC's arms.

Daryk · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 June 2023, 03:22:01 »

Nice work on both, and "Warfleman" sounds hilarious and RIGHT! ;D

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #22 on:** 15 June 2023, 03:54:38 »

The Warfleman's arms don't pivot downward, the missile launcher and spotlight sponsons are in the way. They can tilt upwards, but otherwise it's pretty fixed in place. I'd need to extend the arms outwards or else cut back the sponsons, and I don't feel like chopping that much. So it doesn't get any gun depression, but can still elevate to 90 degrees to take on air targets.

It's growing on me, even if it feels like a gun turret on legs instead of a proper battlemech. Maybe I should trim back the sponsons after all, and put in a little spacer between the shoulder and torso...

Daemion · « **Reply #23 on:** 17 June 2023, 15:01:12 »

Quote from: ANS Kamas P81 on 15 June 2023, 01:36:33

Behold the Warfleman

How about the War Rifle? But, that looks clean. Now for some paint!

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #24 on:** 19 June 2023, 02:36:40 »

So I got bored and took the PPC arms off the Archer and put them on the Rifleman, and this is how it turned out. Behold the Riflehammer, with an HPPC in each arm and an MVSPL in each side torso.

Daryk · « **Reply #25 on:** 19 June 2023, 03:50:14 »

Looks good! :thumbsup:

Sapphirus · « **Reply #26 on:** 19 June 2023, 14:36:33 »

Quote from: Daryk on 15 June 2023, 03:22:01

Nice work on both, and "Warfleman" sounds hilarious and RIGHT! ;D

Almost sounds like Roflman :P

Nevertheless, Kamas, you did great! :thumbsup:

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #27 on:** 25 June 2023, 00:18:38 »

Welp, I did an arm swap for the Warhammer arms on an Archer's body above...but what about an Archer -5R's arms on a Warhammer? It basically gives the WHM hand actuators, and the ERLLs make fine substitutes for ERPPCs.

Painting these next month, but I'll have a few more chopshops to post this coming week.

Also I closed the missile doors on the ARC-5R to make it fit whatever LRM launcher I want it to be, and put PPC arms from a WHM on it. This turned out better than I'd expected, but I think I will only close the LRM launchers on the two Archerhammers.

Daryk · « **Reply #28 on:** 25 June 2023, 05:10:16 »

More nice work! :thumbsup:

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #29 on:** 27 June 2023, 00:53:07 »

Some more from the chopshop, stats are posted in my Archer mods thread.