Reinforcements Encore - Predator Tank for the XVI Legion

Treads for hope!

The reinforcement parade moves to the motor pool this week.  Here is a Predator tank for the XVI Legion. I have to once again recognize and thank local gamer Steve B for putting this !#$!#$ing thing together for me...these Rhino upgrade kits don't always proceed smoothly for me...but thanks to the skills of Steve, I was able to paint another asset for the Sons of Horus.

The Predator was once part of the core of a Space Marine armoured forces - Rhinos to carry the troops, Predators to the support them, Land Raiders to do both, and Whirlwinds to back it all up.  Of course the vehicle lineup has expanded significantly over the years, but I still wanted a Predator to have a "classic" shout-out in the lineup for  my Sons of Horus forces.

Forge World has found a design that blends the classic Predator with the new Rhino - it's lovely

In game terms the Predator is OK - decent armour, an interesting assortment of weapons to choose from, helpful for your Legion chaps as they slug away at their particular mission - but there are only so many "heavy support" spots on your roster, and the current 30k lineup is so full of Crusade-era goodies (like these and these) that using up a spot for a Predator is a bit of a downer.

The Eye of Horus is always watching...even from an access ramp...

So the Predator for me has a nostalgia value as opposed to value as a clever force selection.  Full credit to the Forge World guys for sticking with a design that matches the original model released to support Rogue Trader.  While the armament selection available now has become quite exotic (melta weapons and conversion beamers are available for the turrets, for example) the look is still very much a shout-out to that original model.  This makes me think so much of the original Space Marine figures. Great stuff!

Brass etched icons are not cheap, but they come out soooo much nicer than the decals

View from a Titan's perspective...

And based on that nostalgia I opted for a weapon load-out that reflected the original model - the "autocannon" in the turret and lascannons on the sponsons.  A flexible fire support mix that will chip in usefully while hopefully drawing fire away from elsewhere.

Bring on the loyalist fools!

There is just one more 30k figure I needed to paint as part of this little run I started back in the summer...it is connected to the thrashing I received during the side-duels of the 2015-16 edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge...that will be up next...as always, stay tuned!