My Ork Squiggoth moving forward. This photograph was taken on my unfinished desert terrain boards, which as a result are a dark purple-red colour.
This is the Forge World model and is armed with a Forge World Kannon. I have been seriously thinking about getting another one, you can never have too much Heavy Support. I really ought to also finish off the howdah with some Ork krew and some grots hanging on.
My Ork Squiggoth prepares to move forward. This photograph was taken at a weird angle (don’t remember why) and on my unfinished desert terrain boards, which as a result are a dark purple-red colour.
This is the Forge World model and you can see how I painted it in my workbench feature on the model.
Of course the rules for this model are not in the standard rules or the Ork Codex.
I use to use the Forge World supplements, but more recently I have been using the rules from Apocalypse.
At GamesDay 2003 there were a lot of Forge World Warhound Titans which has just been released. Amongst all that Imperial heavy armour was this lone Ork Great Gargant.
Ork Great Gargant
This was from Armorcast in the days before Games Workshop took large scale resin models back in house and created Forge World. It was only (in theory) available in the USA and was very difficult if not impossible to get in the UK.
Ork Great Gargant
If I could find one, afford one and have the time to paint one, I really would like to get hold of this model, but alas I think everything is against me!
With the release of the plastic Stompa you can compare the detail of the Armorcast Gargant versus the well detailed plastic Stompa now available. Large plastic kits are now certainly achievable technically from Games Workshop, of course the business case has to be made. It is this business case which I suspect means we may never see a plastic Gargant. The main problem will be having such a large kit in the stores. Taking up a large amount of shelf space, means that less space for smaller (probably more profitable) kits. Games Workshop have already started to
reduce the space taken by particular models, by combining all variants into a single box. So no longer do we have separate boxes for the Land Raider variants such as the Crusader, but now have a single box containing all variants. This has made room for the larger kits such as the Baneblade, the Shadowsword and the Stompa.
However to make room for a Gargant kit would mean removing more than just the variant boxes.Interestingly we could see a Reaver, though just as tall as a Gargant, certainly does not need such a large box as it is not as big as a Gargant (in terms of girth).
So what will be the next big plastic kit?
My view is that we will probably see a Space Marine Thunderhawk.
This has been rumoured for many years, it’s not a matter of if, more a matter of when.
One tidbit to think about with the release of the Skyshield Landing Pad is the following description.
Landing pads are launch bases used by flight-capable craft to unload or evacuate troops and vital personnel. The Skyshield landing pad used by the Imperial Navy, though originally purpose-built to accommodate Valkyrie and Vendetta gunships, is robust enough to serve even the Thunderhawks of the Adeptus Astartes, and has field generators that protect the craft and its crew from incoming fire.
Note my emphasis. Now obviously this could be referring to the Forge World model, but why note this in a kit description. In the rules yes, in the marketing for Games Workshop mainstream, generally they don’t mention Forge World models as part of describing other products, normally as a separate page or link.
The Skyshield landing pad is a very nice model, perfect for the Valkyrie.
So no plastic Gargant but maybe a plastic Thunderhawk…. perhaps…
This is the Forge World model and you can see how I painted it in my workbench feature on the model.
Of course the rules for this model are not in the standard rules or the Ork Codex.
I use to use the Forge World supplements, but more recently I have been using the rules from Apocalypse.
The Squiggoth has a Zzap gun mounted, and with the recent change in the rules has meant that it is less effective than in the original rules. In the original Ork Codex, the Zzap gun would automatically hit and you would roll 2D6 for the strength. With the new version of the rules, you still roll 2D6 for the strength, but now you need to roll to hit!
We are considering a house rule that uses the old rule.
One of the nice models from the Epic 40,000 era was the Deathstrike Missile Launcher.
Epic Deathstrike Missile Launcher
This one shot super weapon was often at the heart of many an Imperial Guard Artillery Battery. This model is from Simon’s collection.
Yes I know this is the Epic model and the blog post title says 40K scale, well it is rumoured that we may be seeing a 40K scale model of the Deathstrike Missile Launcher.
Back in August when I originally posted this photograph I wrote then:
Unlike a lot of Imperial Guard Epic vehicles this one has never been made into a 40K version by Forge World, though this has not stopped others from scratch-building their own.
With Apocalypse I wonder if we will now see a Forge World version?
Well according to Bells of Lost Souls aggregation of various Imperial Guard rumours there will be rules (and thus possibly a model) in the forthcoming Imperial Guard Codex.
Cannot be fired on Turn 1. Each turn roll a D6, weapon can be fired on a 6. Modifiers: +1 per turn, -1 for each crew stunned or weapon destroyed results sustained. Can always be fired on the roll of a natural 6.
Any weapon destoyed results received are ignored, the only effect they have is to delay the launch.
Hits on vehicles in the area of the Deathstrike Missile are not calculated at half strength but at S10.
