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While my 40k Elysians will hope for a fair amount of support from their Valkyrie troop carriers, I also wanted them to have some pure gunship support. When Forgeworld originally came out with the line of models, they included the Vulture Gunship to accompany the Valkyrie troop carriers.

While the plastic Valkyrie has (mercifully) replaced the Forgeworld model, they still offer Vulture gunships, and I picked one up as part of my Elysian splurge. I finished the model this weekend. Here are a few pictures.

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These models, once solely resin (and almost impossible to assemble for experienced and patient modellers, never mind someone with my limited patience) now take advantage of parts from the plastic Valkyrie. Basically, you get a full plastic Valkyrie with a bunch of resin bits - the engine, the cockpit, and the tail assembly and extra wing hard points.

The Vulture has a chin-mounted heavy bolter, and then four hard points to load additional weapon sets to your taste. For a weapon load, I opted for twin punisher cannons. I think that gives this thing like 20 ST 5 twin-linked shots, which sounded pretty good, plus it looks cool. Only downside is the two weapons take all four hard points.

But even that down side is limited. The weapon loads are more limited...while you might think that loading this type of vehicle up with AT capability would make the most sense, the rules (ah yes - the 40k rules) are such that you are actually wasting points on a Vulture model, becuase the rules don't let you stack up on one weapon (i.e. all missiles, or all autocannons). In an actual conflict, a mixed weapon load would make sense. In 40k, where being really good at one thing leads to maximum value in the game, mixed weapon loads are a flush, and you actually end up with a Valkyrie that can't carry troops.

Also, the "Vendetta" variant of the Valkyrie, with three twin-linked lascannons, is likely to hunt tanks as well as any Vulture, plus it can still carry troops. So while GW may be successful in selling some more Valkyries this way, they kind of put the conventional Vultures out of a job.

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The paint scheme is the same green to match the Elysians. I had a lot of trouble with the decals on this one, with heavy silvering despite my efforts to prevent it (gloss underneath, then dull-coat after).

And while the combination with the plastic parts is a frigging dream compared to the previous all-resin model, the combo still has some slight oddities. For example, the canopy (from the Valkyrie) doesn't quite seamlessly fit the Vulture cockpit. And as always, you have to watch out for the stupid, bukly skull-shaped shoulder pad on one of the pilots.

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Chances are this thing will be shot down regularly, but I do hope one day it catches one of Dave V's Dire Avenger units in the open and ventilates them, soul stones and all.

Now, back to more Elysian grunts, and more Valkyries....