Its probably no secret that I quite like the Orks in the 40k universe, there is something exaggerated, dumb and just plain ol fun about these green hooligans hammering together vehicles and weapons from stolen scrap and then going to war. And there is one set of troops I've always enjoyed and meanwhile also felt wasn't fully explored by the various ranges. The Tankbustaz. While I love the metal ones I've gotten, I did happen upon an few paragraphs in a rulebook that inspired me to go beyond that.
The set that I have, which has been converted since then.
An Ork finds something glorious in being able to boast about killing something twenty times his size. The Tankbustaz' desire to hunt down and slay the biggest, most dangerous tanks they can find echoes the primal instinct of the big game hunter. Indeed, as primitive hunters might claim a gruesome trophy from a fallen beast to better brag of its demise, so Tankbustaz will strip the choicest loot from the wreckage of a ruined tank.
Just as a Feral Ork may take the talons, horns or skull from a great beast he has killed, a Tankbusta will invariably take a trophy from a vehicle he has destroyed and display it about his person. Colourful hull plates are hammered into crude armour, internal gubbins worn proudly as warrior jewellery, and the flayed skins of crewmen are draped round the Tankbustaz' shoulders like pelts. The victorious warrior becomes the focus of grudging admiration and envy from his fellows, a feeling to which a young Ork can easily become addicted.
Not all of these proclaimed "big game huntas" have claimed their first tank kill. Aspirants tend to hang around more experienced Tankbustaz, waiting for their own moment of glory. A Tankbusta who has succeeded in scoring his first confirmed kill of an enemy vehicle enjoys being "tanked up" after the battle, a ritual that involves devouring the wrecked tank's crew and drinking engine oil from the vehicle's smoking remains.
I love this whole ritualization surrounding their hunts, initialisation, hunters competing for trophies, and indeed wearing them proudly. At least to me there seems to be a lot of culture tied to them, culture that isn't as well portrayed at times. Mostly they are just orks with explosives. But its this view on wreckages as trophies rather than loot that I'd love to capture. Regular 40k orks strip things for bits to build guns and armour, but I'd love seeing some tankbustaz that really embrace the notion of displaying trophies from past hunts on their person more prominently than just have them draped in scrap plates.
And I think has been circling on Instagram that once again had me feeling the itch as one does. So I started brainstorming a project for when I can afford the money and energy. I'd want the savage orks as my base-line, since I want someone who isn't too dressed up, and instead dress them with bits and ritual scarification or piston tattoos.
Of course to actually have some bits for them, I'd want some sort of imperial vehicle that isn't too big or clunky since I want a lot external parts to use for trophies. And I've settled on the Sentinel for now.
There is some good pistoned legs, exhausts, plates guns and extras like the lamp that I can decorate my orcs with. And finally I'd get myself some stormboyz since that set has so many rockets and grenades, which after all are the tankbustaz favorite weapons for prying open vehicles as well as adding some slightly more choppy weapons and heads for the veteran hunters in the pack.
Its all a bit outside of the budget considering this is the time for gifts too, but something I'd like to challenge my kitbashing with regardless.
Comments
Post a Comment