Rise of Xaphan: Vraks Army Redo Part Twelve

by | Jan 20, 2015

The Vraks conflict is ever closer to erupting, as this week sees me very close to completing the first Malcador build, and getting the models needed to finish my essential troops choice.


 A Malcador was always going to be the centrepiece for this army. Everyone seems to have either a Baneblade or a Knight titan these days, and the Malcador is under-represented (probably because it has no “super-heavy” weapons). Even so, it is iconic in Renegade armies, whose resources are less advanced than true military forces. Also, it’s far less likely to attract complains when I bring it out for 1000 point games (it’ll be my only battle tank too).

The battle cannon section is now complete. I was struggling to figure out how to make the mantlet curved. In the end I went for a cloth-covered design, which hides the angles and looks pretty cool at the same time.

The front gun mount was also done with a cloth covering. This helps create the illusion of pivoting, without the need to make anything work in real live.

The guns are all held on via pins, which go through two layers of plastic to stop it drooping.


I’ve make the Autocannon (Ork Shoota), Lascannon (devastator) and Heavy Bolter (Jetbike) for the front.

Alongside the weapons, I've added these trench rails, to bring it in line with other Malcadors. They were made susing bent plasticard strips glued around curved cuts, with plastic pipes and aluminium pipes for the pistons. They need a few brackets and hinges before I call them finished.


The only weapons left to do are the front Heavy Flamer, and the sponson guns. For now though it is likely to be run with either three Lascannons, or two Lascannons and an Autocannon at the front.


Next up is the final squad needed to run a platoon. There’s not much to say yet as it is just a few bodies on bases as of today. I’m doing something a bit different with these guys, and am going for a combat-themed Khorne squad, which will be armed with Anvil Industry shotguns (just waiting for the mounds to be remade) and a Meltagun.


The unit champion has a massive axe of Khorne, with is simply the standard Flagellant’s two-handed weapon, cut down with Zhufor’s Chain axe on the end.

With the spares from the Flagellant kit, I’ve made a couple of Rogue Psykers should I decide to run a squad. The spares have been added to a couple of spare Chaos Cultists to make a pair of rag-tag unlicensed Psykers. I’ll be making a full unit of five, as they’re cheap enough and could be fun models to use, even if they are easy kill-points.

Once these units are built, I’ll be finishing off building the Command Squad, Mutants and Grenadiers, then having a big painting binge to get them all finished before the next stage of this army takes off.