40k: Thunderer Siege Tanks, Cargo Vehicles, and a second Mars-Pattern Baneblade

I picked up a second Mars-Pattern Baneblade some time ago. I didn't intend to. It was just one of those coincidences. This one didn't require nearly as much restoration work, but it was still a slog to assemble. The certificate puts this tank in the late 400s of the production run, so plenty of mold errors were present.

I didn't convert this Baneblade at all, though I'm tempted to make a dozer blade in the style of this obscure pic from an Imperial Armour.

IA Vol 1 2nd Ed

As far as I know, this is the only picture of this conversion. It's easy enough to replicate (four 2nd Ed dozer blades and some plastic tubes), but it's an interestingly painted and weathered vehicle. I've never seen this tank in any other books (except as a copy of this photo) or in a Forgeworld display. If anyone has any information on it, post it in the comments.

I picked up three Thunderer Siege Tanks for the Moribundan 1st Armoured Regiment. I'm not a huge fan of the design, and I'd be much happier with three more Laser Destroyers, but there was a chance to get all three at once, just after I'd found 3 Vindicator dozer blades. I suppose it was fate. The tanks needed a lot of restoration work, but some blue stuff casting helped replace the damaged bits.

The Chimerarch-pattern Mobile Pulpit is a modification of the ubiquitous Chimera chassis. It is designed to carry one member of the Ecclesiarchy into battle and protect them with a temperamental refractor field.

In situations where a preacher is not available, or where crowds are likely to become unruly, the Chimerarch is sometimes fitted with a twin reaper autocannon turret. 

Cargo Vehicles

Civilian vehicles are pure self-indulgent fun. At least a Baneblade has rules; other than very expensive terrain or custom scenarios, these models don't serve any real function. But that's part of the fun. 40k doesn't have to be all about giant guns and piles of skulls.

The Arvus-pattern Lighter is used throughout the Imperium as a shuttle and light transport. If the passenger bay is removed, the shuttle can be used to haul a standard Munitorum Armoured Container. The handling characteristics of the Arvus are significantly altered by this variant. Given the choice, pilots prefer to fly fully loaded, as an empty Arvus can flip end-over-end if the throttle is adjusted too quickly.

The Hyracon-class Traction Shovel is an ungainly but necessary vehicle. In the Gloaming Severity of Dark Posterity, someone still needs to clear all that gothic rubble. The Hyracon shuffles forwards, bent in half like a pensioner shoveling snow. It's a de-chaos-ified version of u/TarasTeeNL's "Miley".

The Marah-pattern Rigid Cargo Dirigible is capable of lifting a full Munitorum Armoured Container and transporting it with efficiency and grace. The gas bladder contains Cavorite-IV gas, which is (by some alchemical quirk) lighter than vacuum. Question not the mysteries of the Machine God.

The blimp was a fun speedbuild. One evening to build, one evening to paint. Hopefully it can evade the Sump Pirates.

These two vehicles do not follow a known STC pattern. The leftmost vehicle is a simple cargo crawler, designed to winch and transport large containers or wrecked civilian vehicles. It has controls facing in both directions of travel. The second vehicle is a light servo-hauler, currently transporting a fuel barrel.