Fixing, converting and magnetizing a Chaos Rhino and Land Raider

With the latest changes to 9th edition Warhammer 40k, most vehicle upgrades became free. Given how well the tanks performed during their latest games, I was inspired to make them WYSIWYG. They were bought second hand and are pretty damaged.

Main body assembly & magnets (Rhino)

This is the starting point - an old Razorback hull. I had to magnetize 3 options for it: Havoc Launcher, combi melta, combi bolter. I decided on two marines leaning out of the two hatches (that are missing and/or open) and a pintle mount near the closed hatch.

First of all, scrape off any Imperial symbols, including that aquila on the front plate.

I forced off the front plate to access the open hatch. This is the idea - glue in a piece of plasticard that is magnetized below.

I actually couldn't find my plasticard sheets, so I cut up an old credit card. Discarded the chip, though. Don't forget to triple check the magnet polarities. I wanted to have the same polarity all over.

Superglue the magnets, then reinforce with green stuff.

Glue in the plates.

This is a bit iffy, and needs a bit of gumption for proper placement.

Put superglue on the upper edges, then finaggle the pieces inside. Triple check and dry fit, just in case.

Reinforce with green stuff.

Glue the back hatch and front plate in place. Dry fit the pieces. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Rhino weapon options

For the pintle mounted combi bolter, I decided to drill a hole right next to the hatch and insert a 2mm magnet, as that was all the space I could afford. Then I prepared this pintle mount by gluing a 2mm magnet into a plasticard tube (by some wonder, it fit exactly). Then I filled it up using green stuff, as I noticed that when cut, the tube bends. Once the green stuff solidified, I could cut it up without warping.

Use a small ball of green stuff to affix it to a defaced storm bolter. I scraped the aquila off with the knife.

The havoc launcher will be this marine, which I cobbled together from a CSM torso (drill a magnet inside), a plastic missile launcher arm, a 2nd (or first?) edition space marine laspistol arm, and a head and backpack.

For the combi melta, first create the weapon using this melta arm which fell off a marine during its stay in IPA. I scraped the top flat, and glued on a chopped up scout shotgun.

Prepare the random parts. Magnetize the torso.

I then realized that I should have left the torso with at least the top of the thighs, due to the hatch sides. I compensated by having the marine lift the gun. Use three small balls of green stuff at the shoulders and wrist.

Main body assembly, magnets and weapon options (Land Raider)

Scrape off any crux terminatus, aquila, cog etc symbols. Force the front hatch open.

Drill the pintle mount magnet near the closed hatch.

Prepare the combi melta using an old bolter and a combi melta piece.

Prepare the pintle mount as for the Rhino.

Magnetize this havoc launcher bit.

Glue in a magnetized bit of plasticard underneath the open hatch. Glue a hatch rim over to cover up the damage.

Both weapon options mounted.

Conversions and chaos bits

Replace the Rhino aquila with a green stuff scroll/plate. Unfortunately the green stuff I have in my freezer is worse by the year.

What do Chaos Marines love more than anything? Even more than pillaging and destroying stuff? That's right, armor trim! I bought some L-shaped plasticard profiles just for this purpose some time ago. Chop it up and glue over any edges.

Spice up the look by adding these lovely sparkly crystals over any places where it makes sense for huge, rough bolts to be - holding together this 10,000 year old vehicle in the Eye of Terror.

I discovered a small cache of etched brass chaos symbols - glue them on.

Do the same for the Land Raider.

Add some resin bits - and evil book instead of the aquila, candles and flaming skulls.