[BKZer0]

Ok, so it is getting close to time for me to start painting my broadside battlesuits. I haven't assembled them yet, so I have an opinion question for everyone.

How should I assemble but broadsides. It is a toss up between using the arm mounted missiles, and shoulder mounted rail guns. Or, Should I be adventurous and and put the rail guns on the arms, and the missile pods on the shoulder.

My personal conflict is that I like sticking with stock units, and don't usually modify my models, but I am sort of digging that arm mounted rail gun look...

Thoughts?

[The Gear Mechanic]

Well... I've done it both ways and then some (when I finally get ahold of a digital camera I'll try to throw up some examples)

The main thing I think you might want to keep in mind though is how stable the model is going to be when you're done (Rail Guns high vs low) and how easily it will fit in a carrier or some other storage.

If you're not sure about whether you want Plasma Rifles or Smart Missiles then I would highly suggest you try pinning or magnets to allow you to switch between the two (and if done right might even let you use it as a regular crisis suit as well).

That's all the advice I can think of for now so Good Luck ;D

[BKZer0]

you know... you have a point. I am doing the whole rare earth magnet thing to my crisis suits as is, so I could probably do it the the broadside as well.

I unfortunately cant double my broadsides and crisis suits because I am planning on modifying the broadside to be a little beefier by adding Firewarrior shoulder pads tho the knees, and possibly shin guards.

The only downside is that I am 0 experience with drilling into metal bits... but there has to be a first time for everything.

Thanks

[knightperson]

While I kind of like the look of the arm-mounted railguns that is a fairly popular conversion, I don't like it for physics reasons. It might be more stable, but those big bad rail guns need line-of-sight so they should be mounted high. The smart missiles could be "lobbed" over the kroot squad in front of you, but there's no arc to a railgun trajectory. I think the railguns need to be up on the shoulders as originally designed.

Most of the pictures I see have one of them pointing up (mounted further back on the shoulder) and one pointing straight. I mounted all of mine on the forward slope since they're twin-linked and should be pointing the same direction. It's a touch harder to paint and harder for the suit to "see", but I think an XV88 has enough fancy sensors that he can get around that problem.

[The Gear Mechanic]

Actually I did most of my work with hobby knives and some green stuff when things went bad (no pinning stuff avail). I've just ordered some pretty powerful magnets online to retrofit my suits. Got a great deal. They pull with a force of 1.06 lbs. (yikes!) and only 1/8" x 1/8" x 1/16" thick! I'm hoping they might even be able to secure the Railguns. and 100 of 'em only cost me $11. They should arrive in a week or so and I can let you know how they do if you're interested. ;D

[BKZer0]

Those are what I have 1/8" x 1/16" rare earth magnets. One holds the Metal
Cyclic Ion Blaster on my Crisis Commander's arm just fine. In fact, it doesn't even rotate. My suggestion is 2 magnets per rail.

[bloodfire]

i did my broadsides with rails on the arms some worked out better then others







i sugest putting them both on one arm else his arms look way to long like my middle one

[Gareth]

A rail gun on each arm. But remove the forearm and mount straight at the elbow. In fact reworking the elbow joint to allow left and rght movement and up and down movement.

Missiles on top laid on their side.

This looks the coolest set up by far.

[Monolith]

Example no.1: combine the two railguns and have them for example on the right shoulder and let the right hand hold it like a bazooka. and let the smart missile system (or plasma rifles) be on the left shoulder.
Example no.2: remove the arms and put the rail guns on each side where the arms were. but smart missile system (or plasma rifles) on the shoulders.

[khanaris]

The two best conversions for Broadsides I can recall are short-barrel railguns on the arms and a single large railgun converted to look like a giant Rail Rifle. The latter is around here somewhere, and the other was done by a local player here.

The short Railguns look a little odd at first glance, but they have a lot of practical advantages. The models are more balanced and they don't get caught on things. They are also easier to store in a case. He makes them by simply removing the middle part of the barrel and then carefully pinning and gluing the ends back together (this is also what I do with my Pulse Rifles).