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BUILDING A RAVENWING DREADNOUGHT BASE
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Forge World model painted by Andy Foster |
The updated Codex: Dark Angels is less restrictive when it comes to Ravenwing armies – before, you couldn't take Dreadnoughts. Now, there's nothing to keep you from fielding these ancient warriors alongside your Ravenwing squadrons. When you think about it, a Dreadnought might make an ideal fire base for the coup-de-grace ending to a Ravenwing attack. Of course, the trick would be getting this lumbering brute into position where he could help his high-speed brethren. A Drop Pod can solve this problem.
That led me to a question: if a member of the Ravenwing was interred in a Dreadnought, wouldn't it be a Ravenwing-styled Dreadnought? What would that look like?
The paint scheme was easy to imagine based on the existing Ravenwing colours, but it needed something more to drive home my concept of what this Dreadnought might look like. A lumbering Dreadnought would only make sense in a Ravenwing army if it was closely associated with its rapid-deployment Drop Pod transport. Thus, I opted to theme the base to make my Venerable Dreadnought look like it was stepping off of a Drop Pod door. It'd be insane to slice up the door of a Forge World model to make this base, so it was time to scratch build.
FOAMBOARD STRUCTURE
Foamboard is the material of choice for the bulk of the Drop Pod door end's structure. Start by cutting out about 4" tall, gradually tapering isosceles trapezoid. Bevel the edges of this trapezoid at about 45 degrees. Cut down the trapezoid so it's only 1" tall, and cut out two 1/2" x 1" rectangles to serve as the side walls. Bevel these side walls to match the angle of the bezel on the trapezoid, and at a slight slope along the long edge of the bottom of the side wall (it should have one straight long edge, while the other long edge should slope so the door will angle up from the ground slightly). Clip out two 1/4" lengths of paper clip for each side wall, pin them in place on the trapezoid floor, and glue them down with white PVA glue or wood glue.
PLASTICARD DECK PLATE
If you look at the picture of the Forge World Drop Pod, the outside of the door angles down toward the ground, while the deck plate is perpendicular to it. Your foamboard structure angles down, so now you have to make a deck plate that will sit inside the side walls in the right dimensions so it fills the space and remains level with the ground. Carefully measure out a trapezoid of plasticard and cut it out a little larger than you need. Gradually trim down this shape until it seats between the walls so the narrow side meets the edge of the floor while the wide side rests about 1/8" above the foamboard. Use this shape as a template for cutting out the textured plasticard and glue them together.
COVER THE STRUCTURE
Glue the plasticard in place with super glue – be careful not to get any glue on the foam, as it will melt. Next, carefully trim a strip of thin cardboard (cereal boxes work well) and score it at the corners so it will wrap around the outside of the door structure. Use sewing pins to "bolt" the two edges to the tops of the side walls. Cut these pins (with pliers, not sprue clippers) down to the right height, and then glue the whole thing in place with white glue. Wait for it to dry.
ADD DETAILS
Add two rectangles of cardboard to to the outside of the side walls with white glue. Cut out two rectangles from a leftover blister package, trim them to form the side wall interior plates, and glue them in place with super glue. Then, clip out the running lights from spare bits you have (a sprue frame will do) and attach them to the clear plastic plates.
END COVERS & BASE PIN
Time to cover up the exposed foam so it won't melt when you undercoat the model. Carefully trim down two pieces of thin card so they cover up the foamboard ends. Punch a small length of paper clip through the centre of the back-bottom edge and glue it in place with white glue. Once this dries, drill a hole in the edge of a 60-mm round base and super glue the pinned door so it's facing in toward the centre, but with a gap underneath so the deck plate is level with the base. Add a Green Stuff crater around the Drop Pod door, and you're ready to flock and paint.
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