Warp Lightning Cannon

Here’s a kitbash project utilising an Airfix historical kit. I wanted to come up with a Skaven Warp Lightning cannon that moved under it’s own power. I wanted a steam-punk sort of look, to go with my Doomwheel. So, in a spirit of taking the direct approach, I got myself a kit of an early engine: Trevithick’s 1804 steam loco.

First I built the kit, which was a blast from the past considering I spent (mispent?) my youth making Airfix kits, some many times over, and then made them again but with a ‘sci-fi’ twist (T34’s became grav tanks, WW2 trucks became Mad Max vehicles, and that sort of thing).

I had to paint the bits while they were still disassembled, that way I could use them for a story piece in my campaign of the time, when I skaven engineer finds the abandoned machine, in pieces, in a disused mine tunnel. He was so excited, I can tell you.

When I later put it together, I shortened the funnel (don’t ask me why, I’ve long since forgotten) and painted the whole thing metallic. I liked it already, although there was nothing ‘Skaveny’ about it yet, not even a weapon.

Then I set about working on the warp-lightning cannon to mount on it, and platforms for the skaven crew to stand on.

I decided on a platform on the back, plus another long one along the side for the crew to do ‘maintenance’ and access various vital bits. There’s no way of feeding coal in or such like, but who cares because I decided there was a super hot chunk of warpstone inside heating the water to create the steam. There was also a huge chunk powering the cannon (a sanded D8 no less).

I painted the warpstone chunk and added a chain-ladder at the back for the crew to scramble up. The someone said my warpstone looked like a strawberry! And they pointed out I had forgotten to rust up the gun.

So I added yellow lines between speckles …

… and rusted up the gun.

I was going to make special crewmen on wooden bases to match the platform, but I never got around to it. (Or did I? I am too lazy to find the box and see now if I did!)

I was proud of this new behemoth. Wondering if it would sit nicely alongside my existing warp lightning cannons, I sat it next to them …

.. and discovered it was indeed the daddy cannon. Mummy cannon was still impressive. She was made from the standard kit, but in such a way that I got a cannon and a catapult out of one kit by adding balsa bits (I’m a cheapskate) .

My very first cannon, now my baby cannon, was still quaint, what with its toothpaste top barrel.

But when I put all three together the baby one did now look just a wee bit silly!

Then I decided there was something wrong with the mummy cannon. It was the woodstained frame – it just didn’t seem to suit the rest of my army. So I painted it.

And, imo, it looked better. Notice the three brass globes feeding some mysterious liquid ingredient into the cannon? They are my favourite part! Definitely a marbellous addition. (See what I did there?)

Now the mummy cannon matched the catapult I made out of the rest of the kit. Once again I added platforms. Notice the actual beach-combed pebble used as a counterweight? That’s my favourite part of this model.

While I am here, you might as well see some earlier kit-bash/scratchbuilt skaven weapons. First my take on a ratling gun. (I couldn’t afford the official models).

And here’s my own version of a warpfire thrower.

Last of all is an abortive test model. I wondered if I could make my own poison wind globadiers. When I saw the end result – this womble – I changed my mind and forked out on the proper models!

I know it’s not a popular stance, but oh boy do I love skaven.