Grey Knight Stormraven

On one of my annual visits to Games Day UK, in 2011 I decided to purchase a Stormraven. Same price as normal, but it's my (I got something while I was there treat). Well this is the almost completed model for my Grey Knights 4th Brotherhood army, and also one of the reasons for collecting Grey Knights. Other than Blood Angels, they are the only other army that lets you take one. OK, so they trade off devastating Blood Strike Missiles for Mind Strike missiles, but gain Psychic Pilot with Fortitude that has served me well and kept it in the air.

Anyway, the photo above is a little attempt to display the model on a cinematic background. More pictures below showing some of the little conversions I managed to accomplish. Unfortunately I did not take any WIP photos but will explain the techniques I used.

So here is a front shot, This is pretty standard for the Stormraven kit, as long as you don't glue the fixture, the front hatch will quite happily open and close. I did however place tiny notches into the little bits that stick out, for a finger nail to go in, to help open it. After painting they do sometimes get a little tight. The Multi-melta does turn left and right slightly but it cannot be swapped out as I fixed it in. I guessed that I would only ever use that weapon over the Heavy Bolter or Typhoon Missile Launcher, bit of a no brainer for me but depending on the battlefield roll, others may do differently.

Knowing from the start that I did not want to add on the Hurricane Bolter side sponsons, I set myself the task of getting the hatches to open and close. Before assembling the model I drilled a 1mm hole through the rear of the side panels straight through the hatch hinges and the same on the hatches themselves. I then threaded in some 0.5mm wire through the two component thus hinging the side hatches. The problem I had was that they kept falling open.

To solve that problem I inserted four 1mm magnets to each hatch opening and hatch so when closed it would happily stay shut, you can just about see them here. After painting the model I then had the same problem with trying to open them so after adding the icons to the doors I carefully place a notch into the side to help me open them. Worked really well I think.

I wanted to be able to remove the turret weapon if I had a weapon destroyed result. Everyone I know has glued the air intake down so you cannot remove the turret. I set about magnetising this to make it removable. I added two short cut sprue's to the underside of the air intake and set eight magnets into the model. Maybe a bit of overkill as I can even lift the model by the air intake, but then I was not sure what it would need. As you can see this lets me remove the turret nicely.

Last was tackling the rear hatch. I basically cut off the moulded plastic hinge that was on the hatch to start with and then drilled out where the holes should be. I then added two small sprue blocks to the side with a little shaping and drilled through the lot with a 1mm drill bit, and then threaded some 0.5mm wire through. This produced a great hinge. I placed the hatch into the closed position and carefully glued down the two end blocks. Ta da! One rear hatch that can open and close. I did make sure I layered the paint up a bit so it was stiff in the closed position, It did have a habit of falling open.

I still have to finish off the vehicle markings, I have just acquired some skull transfers that will be ideal to add to the Stormraven, but I will reposition the white stripe as I'm not happy with these. I might add an updated photo when complete. The interior detail is just as goof and I did paint it however, it is not very easy to see.

Hope you like it and if I ever get around to doing another one, I will take WIP photos and do something to be able to swap out the front weapon. I will even magnetize the missiles, so when used they can be removed to represent it. I might even dabble at making the landing feet retractable?

PPS - 22.5

~ If you die, make it a glorious Death ~