amphibious IG

[Deleted]

So my thought is to make some form of army notorious for its use of hovercraft probably too attack enemy unexpectedly and fast. I cant see why that would be a bad idea other than of course the lack of reasons to make it when you don't fight over water.

I was originally thinking of making a tallarn like army with little jeeps for sentinels like this: www.tauonline.org/Article/113/GunJeepWalkthrough/
Looks to me like it would be the right sort of size to be a sentinel. Correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway since there was already tallarn I wanted something a bit different. Hovercraft is what I've come to think as a fun idea. Picture them jeeps without wheels but a skirt and plays like a sentinel. I figured the chimera already fits the bill but rather than treads, use the center and again create a hovercraft shape and skirt. About the same size so no problems. I figured some hovercraft will have big fans, so salamander open top fast hovercraft are perfect. Not too sure how to convert that since buying a chimera and the salamander forgeworld stuff too then only use bits is a waste. Plus it would be nice to make it out of plenty of GW stuff.

Stupid idea or a fun fluffy army? I'm picturing them units in an armored company (if them rules are still usable?) with stormtroopers getting converted too navy seals maybe. But maybe just lots of chimera troops with the mechanized doctrine suits it better. It would lack good ol' russ in general but maybe basilisks would fit in fluff wise as artillery from afar while the crafts hover in in a sweeping strike of force. Then again who says hovercraft leman russ tanks wouldn't be feasible in the future.

So um I haven't actually done it. More testing for reactions to this recent fantasy in my tiny little mind.

Just a note: I say amphibious and then say hovercraft, maybe chimera with wheels would fit in since that is just like current amphibious vehcles but all hovercraft would certainly look more impressive

[Deleted]

i think amphibous would need a exp converter and design would change alot with only a chimera to work around this looks like a job for forgeworld. hmmmm if u do good u neva know you could sell your stuff to them or somet cuz i love the idea... sea wars and stuff but im sure the aerial combat would far supreme chimeras and the like.... a leman russ wouldnt float... a big boat with 20 leman russes would though,

[Deleted]

I like the hover jeeps idea. Chimera's actually already have the amphibious rule if you check the Forge World books. In game terms it can cross and water feature with no penalty. This mean it's like modern amphibious vehicles I guess, so it'd float and propel itself.... somehow. I've always liked the hover vehicle idea though. Maybe try something like:

Build a chimera but leave off the tracks. Make a new sloped side, and have the bottom be the air cushion skirt you described. It'd have a nice streamlined look to fit with the "high speed over water" idea. I can try to draw out some ideas if you want. I'll be keeping an eye on this idea though! Good luck with it.

[Deleted]

Another thought: GW released rules for fighting in marshes too. Your army could be more swamp or wetlands themed than beach or open water themed. Hover craft would be much easier to get around in than tracked tanks in a nasty muddy swamp.

[Commissar]

Chimerae are amphibious...they can swim...like a duck...then walk ashore...and beat up children...like a duck...
But if you want hovercraft try putting large waterproof seals around tanks...like the kind of tanks at D day...
I dunno...

[Deleted]

as far as hovercraft are concerned, the fluff says that Guardies can't have 'em. but that's just fluff.

see if you can find some small fan thingies, about the size of a half-dollar (us currency) or a fan shape thing about an inch and a half around. stick those at an angle to the bottom of the chimera. same with everything else.

[Deleted]

Yeah I realise that chimera have the special rule. That is why they are pretty much automatically in the list. But they don't look capable of moving swift with the tracks. While a chimera converted to a hovercraft after plenty of patching and building would have the same rules and weapons I would want it too represent the armys feel of fast nimble attack. Well I have my hands on a friends land speeder that got a bit sat on. Came in the starter game thing I think he said (tau player) so its mine to see if I can salvage anything out of the snapped bits I'm finding in his bitz bag. Who knows what will come out of this tinkering

EDIT: upon tinkering it occurs to me that this can swap out as a sentinel base size quite nicely but height wise the sentinel is taller. Potentially a problem in gaming?

[Sappmer]

Leman Russes are slightly water proof too, if not then you could make it so they look like the amphibious tanks the Americans used at D-Day (but make sure they get to the beach)!

[Deleted]

Nah I dunno about any one else but I think a gun jeep is a perfectly good sentinel proxy. The inch or two it loses in height are no big deal. In fact, GW encourages people to make sentinel proxies on their own web site (the light tank article)

[Mabus]

How many water boards have you ever seen? your army will just look silly on a normal board. If you already have water terrain then I fully support it. Good luck!

[Deleted]

actually even on a normal board it would look fine.. hovercrafts can go over most things.. land included.. just goes faster on water.. I think if done right this could be a very cool idea.. if you get anything made post pics for all of us to check out..

Cheers
Gris

[majorjav]

I like the feeling of it.
You could base the army around the "brown navy" during the Vietnam war with todays hovercrafts to have a force combatting in swamps and so on....

[Sappmer]

my store has an awsome D-Day board, but now one ever plays it lengthways, they always play it width ways

[Mabus]

Where is your local store?

[Sappmer]

Northampton, dim agos Cymru

[Deleted]

You said Northampton and I got excited. I live in eastern Pennsylvania in the US. I live like four minutes away from A Northampton, but not yours, unfournatley.

do you mean hovercraft that fly a few meters off the ground or those balloon-bottomed things? just curious.

[Mabus]

Yeah, thinking about it Hovercrafts would actually be pretty cool. before the Horus Heresy the Imperial army used grav-tanks.

(How come you speak welsh night 12? I'm confused!)

[Deleted]

I mean more like a hovercraft and not a grav tank. So the one with a balloon/skirt whatever you want to call it and that creates a tiny air cushion reducing friction allowing it to hover over surfaces. Mostly known for use on water but can then come straight onto land with no problems.

I would presume night was from wales and moved?

[Commissar]

Hover tanks would look cool, very star warsy.

[Sappmer]

mabus said:

(How come you speak welsh night 12? I'm confused!)

(I lived there for a while, when I came to the UK, i went to Wales for 7 years and then to England. I'm a South African-English-Welsh person

Hover tanks were band from the Imperium after the Herisy.

[Mabus]

(Oh right, now I'm confused! Go South Africa, Wales and England Woo-hoo!)

The Dark angel chapter master has a hover vehicle. How come he is allowed one and the Imperial guard aren't! That's not fair!

[Sappmer]

(haha, I am split into three, but England got pounded by SA in the RWC and Wales are not doing to good either so, GO SA!!)

Thats not a hover vehiacle I dont think, its more of a it-happens-to-fly-because-it-goes-fast vehiacle.

[Commissar]

Oh, what about scuba troopers?
Scuba guard?
Imperial Marines, well, thats mine...but what if you stuffed em' in a wet suit of the 41st millenium?

[Mabus]

(Yeah, I have been watching the RWC too, Wales ain't doing too badly! Cymru!)

I've always thought boats and ships woud be cool, very hard to construct using only GW models though......

[Commissar]

Yeah, use card and parts of GWs.