Magical Mystery Tour Bus

Here's a 40k landmark for me: I've finally bought, assembled and painted my first vehicle!

Why I chose to freehand it as well is anyone's guess...

I have two unfinished Imperial Guard vehicles, as well as a Land Raider languishing in the motor pool, and while I do possess three Chaos Rhinos, all the hard work was done by the time I bought them.

But for the Thousand Sons, these were properly off-the-sprue constructions - and however attached I am to my favourite legion, I had to push myself through to completion. There's something about painting the big, flat panels of vehicles that hasn't yet clicked with me (unless we're counting Helbrutes - I'll happily paint another half-dozen of them).

But I was determined to make a good show of it. And so for Rhino #1 I bought the upgrade hull and doors from Forge World.

I also bought a new set of Rubrics when I discovered I'd used up all my spare heads (mostly on Space Wolves bases) and needed to kit out the gunner. And then a new set of Chaos Space Marines to get the melta gun so I could convert the combi-melta on the roof.

This Rhino basically cost as much as a Baneblade.

The one bit I really enjoyed was the Rubric gunner. I've got my swing in for painting them now, and I could happily do more of them (luckily I suddenly acquired a whole new kit, eh?)

As well as the basic hull (more of which below), I added some freehand(ish) flourishes by adding bits of a Tzeentch decal (I had to cut it up and space it out) to the top doors, and then painting over it, making it bigger and more natural. The same went for smaller Tzeentch symbols around the top doors (nine each side, naturally), then painting over them too, taking the edge of the bright yellow (which helpfully makes them glow).

Having made an austere and very Rubricae -like Rhino, I let rip on a machine that the Tzaangors had gotten their claws into.

I festooned this one with spikes, then added bits from my Tzeentch box: both banners from the Pink Horrors and original Chaos Space Marine kits, then adding more of the Rhino extras and adding some space daemon faces to the hull, merged in with greenstuff.

And then my favourite flourish: a Tzaangor in the gunners' turret. I've wanted to add this long before I even thought I would add Rhinos to this army, and he's worked a treat (an old Silver Tower extra, I believe).

He also gets a combi-melta - the Thousand Sons don't have a lot of anti-tank weaponry, so it's a pretty cheap way to turn the Rhinos into a small threat.

When it came to the paint scheme, at least I was on familiar ground, as it's basically the Rubric armour:

• Blue panels: Thousand Sons base, Nuln Oil wash, Thousand Sons layer, Ahriman Blue layer
• Gold trim: Retributor Armour base, Reikland Flashshade wash, Golden Griffon drybrush
• Spikes and ram: Ironbreaker base, Nuln Oil wash
• Yellow panels: Averland Sunset base, Cassendora Yellow wash, Yriel Yellow layer
• Tracks: Charcoal grey base, Nuln Oil wash, Karak Stone drybrush, Valhallen Blizzard

I've often said I would never want Rhinos in my Thousand Sons army, which just goes to show that a) you can't believe a word I say, and b) how much things have changed since the start of 8th Edition.

There's a lot more emphasis on movement and staying power in 9th Edition, and I think transports are going to be doing very well from that (Impulsors are noticeably sold out right now). But even before the edition change, I had my eye on getting some Rhinos to throw across the field with the new Sorcerous Facade power from Psychic Awakening.

I also couldn't see how Rhinos could fit the aesthetic of my army, but I think I slapped on enough mystical paraphernalia to overcome that.

So watch out: The Court of Miracles is now mechanised!