This remote control (RC) Warhammer 40k Space Marine tank is the work of YouTuber Brent Goudie, host of the GroundEffected channel. A month of research and development went into the kit conversion, which uses 3D printed tracks and radio controlled servos to bring a vibrantly painted Space Marine Razorback APC to life.
Goudie tells Wargamer he has twenty years experience building remote controlled vehicles, but the Space Marine Razorback conversion was still a challenge. “Figuring out the 3D printed parts for me was the toughest”, he says. He adapted the tracks from 3D model files by a maker called Jani Kablin – they were originally part of a much larger RC tank, designed to carry a camera that allows first-person control. Goudie scaled these down, but says his lack of experience in CAD proved a challenge: “the gears and treads wouldn’t mesh well, as I had scaled them down really small”.
Most of Goudie’s time for the project went into the design phase. He says: “I went through many different versions of gears and bearing mounts before I settled on how to mount things”. Once the electronic and mechanical components were installed, “it took all in about two days to build and paint”.
Goudie says that “the combination of rich shadows and bright highlights” is what makes his paint schemes so vibrant. “My colour palette is very saturated in general”, he says, adding “It’s not just one thing, it’s a combination of a few things together that give that effect” when painting miniatures.
Goudie says that the tank is a blast to drive: “You can see in my video the silly look of pure excitement on my face”. If you have a 3D printer and want to try this project for yourself, you can download the files for free from his website.
With almost all of the 9th edition Warhammer 40k codex rulebooks now released and Warhammer 40k 10th edition not far away, hobbyists may be reticent to commit to a new army – which makes this the perfect time for big, time-consuming hobby projects. Recently we’ve seen some excellent Warhammer 40k conversions, like a Warhammer 40k Scooby Doo crossover warband, and a Space Marine Kill Team in Formula One team colours.