"Crawler tank" - scale 1/35

THE TANK WITH "REAL" TRACKS!

The Tracked Tank! Inspired by a wild idea and originally part of the upcoming role-playing game created by LapinBaulGarou & Bricedenice, a completely original game that can be played in the traditional way (armies battle each other) or in a comical way (my favorite), adding a twist to the usual take on this style of game...

The base is a German King Tiger. The hull has undergone a few modifications. The engine compartment has been cut out to make room for the new “fuel” setup! ... The hay and lettuce leaves that will be stored there...Some of the engraved details on the body have been removed, and the body has been sanded down...

The tank will be covered with wood—Medieval-style—in this case, balsa wood. The Henschel turret is also modified. The original 88 mm gun is replaced with a resin "naval gun"-style howitzer. The drive shafts of the road wheels have been sawed off; only three remain in place...

The side skirts are either covered or also made of balsa wood. The rear is equipped with a panel in place of the exhaust pipes...

Some plaques are damaged to show signs of wear and the "hardships of battle"...

The entire tank is covered in wood. The hatches for the tank commander and the loader are also covered... You can see the ammunition, which looks like “galleon cannonballs”—here, they’re beads made to scale...

A top view showing the various components... We're keeping the episcopes...

Another view showing the details. The machine gun in the body has been replaced by an arquebus muzzle. The headlight has been replaced by a candle. Metal fittings have replaced the hinges on the various hatches...

Nails are attached to the boards. These are made one by one from stretched plastic...

Side view...

Another view... The model is ready for painting...

Caterpillars

LapinBaulGarou sculpted the caterpillars out of Plastibo—an air-drying modeling clay...

 The heads of the two caterpillars, now finished, are drying...
Assembly and gluing. The three remaining bars on each side of the box will be used to attach the tracks. Straps are added to show how the animals are hitched to the vehicle...

Painting

Spraying Humbrol oil-based paint 119 + 93. Dry-brushing with base 103 + white...

The aging effect is achieved using Winsor & Newton artists' oil paints—Umber and Sienna. The nails and various accessories are painted...

Painting the barrel. The scratched metal parts of the barrel and hatches are painted silver...

The tank's "power steering" is glued and painted. A set of levers and "fishing rods" that allow the vehicle to move forward or turn and are used to hook food onto the tracks... The tracks are colored...

The "fuel tank" is full and features a fork...

Another view...

The painting of the caterpillar on the left is finished...

The tank is ready to head out on a mission, even though the right track looks a little worn out...

... you can clearly see the "power steering" system in both photos...

The caterpillar on the right, which was a bit drab, was repainted in a slightly brighter color and stands out better...

The figurines

Les Orcs sont des figurines plastiques à assembler, en 25 mm...
The tank commander, ready to move out, gives his orders...
Some receive German helmets on a 1/35 scale, including the regiment's frog mascot...
The tank's fuel attendant...

The diorama

The floor is made from plaster tile adhesive, cat litter, and various types of dust and sand. Shrubs and mosses complete the scene. The bricks in the low walls are real, though scaled down. The entire scene is painted with Liquitex acrylic paint...