At the moment I expect the APC version to also be the 'dakka' version, with multiple assault and bolt cannons. I don't think there's really room for heavy AA as the very large hatch leaves little spare - the actual space available is comparable to a Baneblade otherwise. I also don't want to make the tank much taller - its already very tall compared to most Marine vehicles.

The tank should be quite capable against urban targets. Anything that can't be effectively destroyed by the array of assault cannons would likely be assaulted by jump pack or regular infantry carried aboard.

Flyers are trickier, but I don't know that a dedicated weapon system is necessary. I may add a radar scanner to the FW turret though.

It's been a while.

So its been seven months or so since my last post, but I've not been completely idle - not all the time anyway. I've kept poking away at the Mycenaean or at least thinking about it. 

I feel I rambled a bit in the previous couple of posts so I'll be fairly brief here. 

I've largely finished the outer hull structure. Still a few details left to tidy but I may be able to get that part painted some time fairly soon! I've also done most of the structural work for the actual assault tank/APC version of the tank, including all the hinges. A lot of detail work remains.

Rear quarter view showing side doors:

Rear upper armour plate:

Engine block detail (note the reactor access plate similar to an Imperial Knight):

Radiator/hatch and surface detail:

Armour plate atop the sponson (protecting a super high power searchlight):

Sponson detail (the weapon mount itself will have to be redone):

Upper assault compartment roof and prow hatches:

Prow showing the upper and lower prow hatches and multiple headlight arrays:

Open lower prow hatch (hatch armour is approximately 350mm thick - standard Land Raider armour is 95mm), also showing hydraulic rams:

Assault compartment headlights and ramp hinge:

Upper assault compartment roof hatch - open:

Upper assault compartment prow hatch/firing position - open (Marines can fire from this position in support of their disembarking brethren. Jump pack equipped marines can also launch directly from the upper deck):

Upper assault compartment floor detail (There is a lot of details left to add to this compartment):

All hatches open:

Scale/fit test (The seats are definitely small for a marine but broadly feasible. The Centurion does fit though - and he's a few millimetres taller than most):

Group shot of the three main components (the inner hull is held in place with magnets and the upper deck helps):

Upper assault deck and inner hull section side by side (The inner hull will be the base for at least one other variant, yet to be built):

Adding detail to the weapon sponsons:

I removed the drop pod missile launchers, originally installed to provide close in light infantry defence. They do rather complicate the weapon layout.

So here's an example of how it goes. Each step is easy, it just eats up time.

First, I use a cutting board to make sure everything is rectangular. The steel edged ruler USUALLY keeps edges straight.
  

In this case I used the first set of seat I cut out as a template and just cut the same lines into a second piece of plastic.

Easy. I can use the same trick in other places. For example, the rear wall of the troop bay. Here I've used a pencil to trace out the door frame.

This ladder is made using the ruler again. Then I simply cut out each section - note this is all much easier with 0.5mm or 0.25mm plasticard, and NOT the thicker 1mm stuff.

I then use the same cutouts for the steps - recycling makes things easier!

I've been using plastic rivets I found on HLJ and ebay, but you can easily use plastic rod instead (or even plasticard cut fine if you don't mind a square cross-section). Just cut the rod finely as shown here, and glue in place.

Here is some of the original concept art from a decade ago that led to this tank. I always had plasma in mind for sponson weapons as existing Astartes vehicles don't really use it much. I sourced part from Ebay in the end as I wasn't keen to try scratch-building these (though I now think it would've been easier than I'd thought).

Not too much progress the last few days. I've clad more of the rear and added a few details. I'm getting very close to being able to paint the H hull section, if only I can work out what sort of side hatches and detail I want.

And I got bored and worked on the interior a bit. Despite promising myself I would NOT detail the interior I wound up doing precisely that, at least to the extent of starting on the troop bay.

 

 Space marine seats and lockers:

Seven to a side, so at least 14 marines I guess, not counting any left standing. There's a thought, maybe I'll add a central roof console with grab rails, like a metro train. I really like that idea now I've had it!

I considered servitors or space marines on external seats behind the plasma arrays. While this would be very interesting it'd be a bit too Mechanicus for an Astartes tank.

So I went looking for alternatives, and found this little sub-assembly:

It bolts onto the weapon mounting as follows:

I like the way all those exhaust vents match up. 

Ever watch Macross? Remember all those bits where the pod doors open to reveal ALL THE MISSILES!!!!!?

To make it all fit I had to stretch the forward arm of the weapon mount, adding another hydraulic arm. Still some detail to add here, because you will actually see some bits past all the guns.

 I've made some progress on the rest of the tank, believe it or not, with steady progress on the hull sides and rear section. A lot of plasticard and rivets. Oh, and test fitting two belt fed semi-automatic cyclone missile launchers. I'd welcome your thoughts on these?

  
So the final weapon load-out probably looks something like this: