# Fire Raptor Conversion Questions!



## Xabre (Dec 20, 2006)

So I've been looking at getting a Fire Raptor for my Thousand Sons for the longest time. And while it's a nice model, I'm not a huge fan of it. 

1. It's obviously based off the Stormraven, except it's the size the Stormraven SHOULD have been (ie: Chapterhouse).

2. The Stormraven (without extension) is too small to be a decent transport.

3. The Fire Raptor, built off the Stormraven/Storm Eagle, is the SIZE of a proper transport... but is not a transport. It's a gunship.

So with all of those things in mind, I felt that the Fire Raptor should actually be smaller... more to the scale of the Stormraven GW kit. But even that was a little too.. bulky. So I've decided to do a conversion, hopefully very soon, using possible the Stormwolf. Why that one? Because it's also a transport, establishing that the original Stormraven scale should work.

Because I wanted something a bit sleeker, I plan on adding some larger wings to the craft, either the Dark Talon wings or the Stormraven. Since it IS a hover vehicle, I'm aiming for the Raven's wings. In either case, I have the missiles underneath the wings for the Hellstrike rockets. But I have a few questions for people that do a lot of kitbashing.

1. Since a Fire Raptor is just a gunship, would a smaller model be okay with most people? If anything, it hurts me for a shorter front end for measuring weaponry (I always get confused with angels and measuring for aircraft. Feels like range gets gimped having to fire from above).

2. I'm trying to decide how to add the turrets. Because I want a fairly sleek-looking craft, I really DONT want the sponsons on the side. I'd rather have those act as boarding doors (which it doesn't need, not a transport). I'm considering adding the autocannons under the wings of the Raven, in place of the missiles, the way the Fire Raptor does. The guns would still be WYSIWYG, but the independent turrets wouldn't exist. *Would this be okay with most people in a game, if the weapons were at least represented?* I've seen people talk about moving, for instance, the turret guns on the Stormraven to the nose, for the same reasons. To a lesser extent, I could add the autocannons to the sponsons if I really had to. Just don't want to.

3. Assuming 'Yes' for #2... where would you suggest adding the missiles? I'm currently thinking of mounting the Avenger Cannons _and_ the missiles into the front of the craft, since I don't need a loading bay. Might even use the missiles that come with the Stormwolf, except it'd be a grand total of 6 missiles where the Raptor only has 4. Or I can cut them down to 2 and two.

4. Am I a fool for even trying all this?


_(yes, I know I'm kind of rambling)._


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## DelvarusThePitFighter (Aug 31, 2015)

Oh God its a lot of work- its up to you how much time you're willing to put in, I'm in the process of a Fellblade scratchbuild- its taken over two years so far....:angry:


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## Xabre (Dec 20, 2006)

Old post. here's the update.


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## DelvarusThePitFighter (Aug 31, 2015)

This is my Fellblade so far - no baneblade beneath. Nothing. All from scratch and has so far cost me less than £13


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## DelvarusThePitFighter (Aug 31, 2015)

I can see what youre aiming for, it's nice but admittedly I can imagine there are people out there who would be unkeen to play this as a storm eagle.


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## Xabre (Dec 20, 2006)

DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> I can see what youre aiming for, it's nice but admittedly I can imagine there are people out there who would be unkeen to play this as a storm eagle.


Never planned on it being a Storm Eagle. With 20 passengers, I find that the FW Storm Eagle is a perfect size. the Fire Raptor, with NO passengers, was too big. hence this smaller version.


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> I can imagine there are people out there who would be unkeen to play this as a storm eagle.


There's people out there that won't accept anything scratch-built. 

Those people generally suck.


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