Yeah, MechaNovember. Last Year. I did say I had some backlog to post up, didn’t I? This is an original Rhino kit from WAY back in 1989 that had been through at least one rebuilding, and a lot of abuse until I decided to rehabilitate it as a Plague Marine Rhino back in the mid-oughts. It’s been through at least two partial repaints since then but never managed to get to the finish line until the end of last year when I managed to managed to use the momentum off the back of completing that Flesh Tearers Razorback to get to the “just fucking finish it” mentality on this Rhino kit.
As a kit that had been built and rebuilt a few times, not to mention copping a fair bit of converting, it’s got a lot of parts from random kits such as cut down (original) Necromunda Bulkheads replacing the original side hatches, plasticard on various parts of the hull, corrugated card in a few spots, a huge strap-on …barrel from some Verlinden aftermarket armour kit on the rear, an undead shield, GorkaMorka dozer blade, (metal) Chaos Terminator trophy racks, a chopped-in-half Plague Marine from the mid-90’s as a crewman rocking a pair of twin-linked linked (Ork) Bolters from the late 2nd edition era as well as a Puppetswar Shoulder pad and an Anvil Industries opposite pauldron and backpack for that slightly cut down vehicle crewman look.
The wooden parts were used to give a consistency between that particular line of Plague Marines that had a lot of wooden furniture on their weapons. The door on the front as well as the top hatches came from some random plastic model kit, while the front hull panel was from a metal Warhammer Siege palisade that I got, damaged in some purchase or trade. Finally, the Nurgle Icon is from an Icon Bearer model, while the Iron Wariors Icon is etched brass – and I added a friendly nod to the Imperial Fists in the form of a Primaris helmet on a wooden mount.
I tossed up whether to go with hazard stripes, as I typically would for Iron Warriors but decided in the end not to add them, letting the rusty iron and reddish wood tones play to both the Iron Warirors Legion as well as to the copper armour of those Legionaires that had decided to follow the path of the Plague Cult. I wanted the vehicle to both fit in with and stand apart from my other Iron Warriors vehicles.
Finally a shot of the Rhino alongside some of the Iron Warriors Plague Marines that will be riding this thing into battle.