Pariah Medusa for my 30k Blackshields

o/

After acquiring a $20, on-the-sprue rhino on ebay, I was able to make some progress on my big momma conversion kit for my 30k marines...

Beware black primered models/minis in ebay listings...because you won't see just how badly the model is assembled till it arrives on your doorstep!

The rear deck plate shown in the link above wasn't included in the ebay auction, Luckily though it doesn't look like anything is actually missing if you didn't know it was supposed to be there in the first place. There is a bit of minor damage that needs to be repaired due to being thin resin that was manhandled by the prior owner, but its nothing a little bit of plasticard can't easily cover up. 

easy fix, moving on...

The only piece of the original rhino I kept was the top deck which thankfully hadn't been glued in place. Whilst it doesn't look bad in the top photo, when looked at from the side, you could see right thru the tank due to a large gap. Thus, the front hull was tossed aside, and a goodly portion of the top plate had to be cut away as well. I also needed to do a bit of filling in of said gap on the bottom of the cannon itself. I suck at greenstuff application, but luckily a strip of plasticard fit in perfectly!

Front and top partially removed...!

Plasticard to the rescue!

With that all taken care of, it all fit together nicely. I swapped out the havoc launcher for a sensor pod which presumably mounts a targeting array for the cannon, not to mention cameras so that the driver can actually see forward and...ya know, drive this beast!

Hmmm...that add-on is a bit too traitorish for the Salamanders, so to the Blackshields this will go!

Look at that gun! Now that is how you over-compensate!! Screech this is normally your M.O., so I hope you're taking notes!

Side by side with one of Kushial's Vindicators, this gun makes the Vindi's Demolisher cannon look like a mere pop gun! As such, this will be used as a Medusa instead. But that presents another problem: along with any sort of a forward vision, there's no room for the front hull-mounted heavy bolter. So...to the pintle mount! 

That works!

Seriously, where else would it go? The weapon is so friggin' big that there's no internal space for...well, anything! Best not to ask how many rounds are stored internally (assuming one is already in the breech, I'm guessing two!), or where the engine, driver, gunner(s?) and other internals would actually go with a gun this large mounted on a mere rhino. True, the Legion Medusa is supposed to be on a reinforced basilisk hull, but the Blackshields already have pariah weapons and power armor, so why not add vehicles to that list?

Now aside from a little bit more work on the hull and of course paint, all that's needed is a 2nd rhino to follow this tank around, acting as an ammo carrier (but don't hold your breath).