Catachan Heavy Weapons Box

[Commander Currans]

Okay, so I am thinking about plunking down some money for three Catachan Heavy Weapons team boxes, the one that goes for 35 Dollars. I am a bit confused however, how many weapons teams this can create. Does it supply, say, three mortars, three lascannons, etc, or just one of each? How many Guardsmen are in this box? Basically, what I am asking is, how many weapons teams could I concievable create from one heavy weapons box?

[kevin vanrooyen]

There will be 3 heavy weapon teams (6 guys, 3 large bases) included with 15 heavy weapons, 3 mortars, 3 heavy bolters, 3 autocannons, 3 missile launchers, and 3 lascannons. There will also be some other bits and peices to spruce up your army, I beleive there's some jungle plants and extra guns in there.

The Emperor Protects

[Ratus]

Correct, although there are not enough tripods for the 9 weapons that needs it. I have made three bases with two operators and a tripod. On this I can switch the weapon (autocannon, lascannon and heavy bolter).

[counterwavecounter]

If you're semi-creative with converting you can easily make 15 teams out of it (3 HB, 3 AC, 3 LC, 3 ML, 3 M)

[Commander Currans]

If you're semi-creative with converting you can easily make 15 teams out of it (3 HB, 3 AC, 3 LC, 3 ML, 3 M)


Go on...

[AppleCookie]

Go on...

Well for one, the mortar team uses a bipod not the tripod so there is a free extra HWT without even getting creative as long as you dont mind using two other guardsmen on the base.

The missile Launcher doesnt actually need the bipod since the model itself can hold it up without one, personally I think it looks better without anyways. For the other three you could mount one set on the tripod and put the other two on some other kind of custom mount. You could even use the sandbags it comes with... Unless the catachan one doesnt come with that.

**
What I do is not glue anything to the large bases. That way I can swap out guardsmen and weapons on them to what ever I feel like.

[Commander Currans]

I was thinking that...about the Sandbags. I bought three Basilisks...because they are awesome, I know, I know, everyone hates them, whatever. But the basilisks came with sandbags (with knives sticking out of them, no less!) And lots of other crap. I am leafing through those sprues as we speak, and everything I see is a potential gun rack.

[Helga]

...In fact, you can even lay it down or make a bunch of rocks that will hold the weapo relatively up. As the LoS is measured from guardsmen's eyes, you can place the gun in any position that seems natural. A autocannon held by two guardsmen on their shoulders (one near the muzzle, one near the trigger) comes in mind. There should be some hands in the box that can be useful for such conversions.

[Commander Currans]

So three boxes could make potnetially 45 weapons teams. Let me grab by debit card...i'll be back in a bit.

[AppleCookie]

I was thinking that...about the Sandbags. I bought three Basilisks...

I want some Basilisks :( To me they are the best looking unit in the entire game, by far. I was planning on buying two but I was convinced not too.

[Commander Currans]

They have always served me well...a bit unpredictable, but they serve thier purpose. I have been playing a lot of Traitor IG opponents, so I don't necessarily need to get a direct hit to get something under the template, you know what I mean? Not to mention, my tactics in tourneys are as follows: I drop Earthshaker Cannon rounds to soften everything up, I bring in the Russes and Hellhounds to get those hard-to-reach stains, and then march in the Infantry to claim objectives with light resistance from the enemy.

[counterwavecounter]

Go on...

That's something more for the modeling forum, but I'll post here. You can make your own tripods with balsa wood, or even spure plastic, however sprue plastic is very thick and might look awkward when its finished, plus it requires a lot filing. Though it requires some bending, twisting, and green stuff filler, you can use regular Guard bodies lying down on the ground for holding weapons. Similarly, the heavy weapons don't have to be manned, make them automated, like the Sentry Guns in "Aliens".

Here's what I would do:
1. The Missile Launcher doesn't need a bi-pod, so just model the Missile Launchers perched on the shoulder. I would use regualar Guard bodies from the Infantry box for the crew.
2. Use the bi-pod in the HWS box for the Mortar and, again, you can get away with a crew from the Infantry box. Possibly use the Tank Commander torso from a Tank box glued onto some regular Guard legs to represent a spotter.
3. I would put the Heavy Bolter on the ground with a crew lying down to hold it. Look at the Armageddon Steel Legion Heavy Bolter teams for inspiration (They're available in the GW range on their online shop). Make a small bi-pod from balsa wood that's similar to those used for Machine Guns nowadays.
4. You can use the same trick for Auto-Cannons that you use for Heavy Bolters.
5. Use the crew and tri-pod from the HWS box to make your Lascannons.

That should cover it.

P.S.
I'm not a very practiced converter and these ideas are just speculative and over-simplified, converting well is no easy task. Ask over on the modeling forum, I'm sure somewhere there will be able to help you out.

[kevin vanrooyen]

I want some Basilisks :( To me they are the best looking unit in the entire game, by far. I was planning on buying two but I was convinced not too.

Get them, just because they aren't the best unit in the codex point for point doesn't mean they aren't good. Actually they're $50, so see if you can find the old basalisk battery, or squad set, (whatever it was called) released around the time of Apoc, it costed about $100-110, they have one left at my LGS.

The Emperor Protects