Colonial Marines APC proxy

Another change in the stuff I post over here ;) It's a commission work for a friend who wanted the Dreamforge APC (the Keilerkopf) but in the Aliens' Colonial Marines mood.

Let me say, the kit is awesome. It's totally another different level of modelling kit. First thing you notice when you open the box is that... it comes with screws and a screwdriver!

 

And you can only say 'oh, man, I'm so screwed...'

 

At first it looks a little bit intimidating, but in fact there is no big deal. Once you follow the instructions, your pulse begins to regulate again.

 

Believe me, you totally want to paint before sticking stuff together

 

Eisenkern Strormtroopers' armour has nothing to do with Colonial Marines, but I tried to paint them in a similar pattern, imagination will do the rest.

 

You know how the bus gets on the rush hour...

Man, did you just fart? Not cool, bro

 

The inside is absolutely cool and detailed. Enough to say it comes with an emergency fire extinguisher. Delightful.

 

The red thingie on the upper piece

The APC is huge, seriously. You gotta see that motor

Begins to look like something

 

Then it finally came to the screwing part... Wheels are supposed to spin! No joking, this is the most complete wargame kit I've ever constructed.

 

Wheels are, of course, made of rubber

 

That part is a little bit tricky, as you have to make the screw fit in without actually damaging the plastic pieces. I managed more or less with most of them, but unfortunately there are a couple of them that are permanently fixed (ooops).

Colour was quite easy going. Green, dark brown washes, green again and highlights. I later added some USCM insignia and so:

 

Now you're getting an idea of the real deal of this thing

 

After some weathering, I finally got this:

 

I hope it's not too overdone

Dirty, but not tearing apart

You can open every single door and hatch of the model. Amazing

As difficult to assemble as rewarding to see it finished

 

I've also taken a few outdoor pics:

 

Starbuck, what the frak are you doing there?

BTW, forgot to tell, the turret is entirely mobile

Aaand the convertible option, ideal for summer time

 

The kit is beautiful, a lovely experience for any modeller. If you ever get the chance to put your hands on one of them, don't hesitate, you'll totally love it!