iron mitten: Cybertronic Tank

I had the idea to look on eBay for some small space vehicles for this project, I wasn't really expecting to find much in the right scale. However, I finally found a range of Micro Machines that were called Galaxy voyagers. These are a mix of land and air vehicles, all with a futuristic spin. Well that suits this project down to the ground. There are a few tanks and aircraft that will make fantastic Cybertronic vehicle forms.

As well as being perfect shapes and designs they are also the right scale for some on the larger Bots. Wildfire here has now found a vehicular mode.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to play the transform rule in Xenos Rampant, maybe it can add to the movement rate. I thought a nice touch would be the mortar support team could be one of these tanks. He would stay in vehicle mode to lay down a barrage on to the choose area.

I imagine I won't get around to creating vehicle modes for all the characters. I imagine placing a vehicle amongst a group of Bots would just be a marker to show the group had transformed. Of course when the rest of the tanks arrive, I could use them as reference when making up Bots, so I could create the vehicles Robot form. The fun just goes on and on.

Indeed, once these vehicles are painted up, they could be Bots in their own right. Autobots and Decpticons that have chosen to adopt their warlike battle modes to fight in. A mixed unit might look quite good actually. A bit like in 'Men who would be kings' where Irregular cavalry are mixed mounted and unmounted figures.

I like the fact that these tiny vehicles are toys too, they certainly have that naive charm to them, as well as moving guns and turrets. A bonus in any game I say. The man made laser sounds are optional though.

This childhood dream of mine to wargame a Cybertronic battle is going from strength to strength. I love the idea of turning toys into playing pieces.

Update: I thought I'd try anew technique on the bases, cutting and creating the base is always the boring bit of these Bots. However, this new way is so much quicker and still looks the part.

It's a simple job of just sticking and scoring card to create metal panelling.

These were then sprayed with purple paint.

I also found a military base toy when scanning eBay, I thought this would be good for a bit of Cybertronic scenery. A few old light fittings and some other odds and ends and we're good to go.