Fighting Tiger Transports (Part II): Razorbacks and Drop Pods
The Razorback was introduced during the Bad Old Days of 2nd Edition, and it was, frankly, an odd beast. Back then, it could carry a 5-man squad and the only armament it had (if I recall correctly) was the awkward lascannon/plasma gun combination. Third Edition added room for one more Marine (making it ideal for transporting an Independent Character and accompanying bodyguard) and provided more weapon options: twin-linked heavy bolters, twin-linked lascannons, or a multi melta. 

I’ve recently added Razorbacks to my Fighting Tiger army to address two needs:

1. My collection needs more Tactical Marines with mobility. Though I have a wide selection of specialized (and often expensive) units, I need more “grunts” to lay down fire and suck up casualties. Each Razorback allows me to add another small Tactical Squad. 

2. My collection needs more anti-tank firepower. While my Tigers can butcher infantry fairly well, they’ve struggled recently against mechanized forces (especially in small games). Though the Predator is a popular tank-killer, I already have 8 (yes, EIGHT) Heavy Support units and don’t need more. By arming each Razorback with lascannons, I can create “poor man’s Predators” that don’t use limited Heavy Support slots.

I collected my two “tactical” Scout Squads in a similar fashion: the number of models in each squad, the poses of the models, and the equipment are identical; the only difference is color—one squad is Fiery Orange and Chaos Black, the other is Bubonic Brown and Besital Brown. 

I intend to use these new Razorbacks at the same time, often side-by-side, so I built and equipped each Razorback to complement the other. Each has:

• twin-linked lascannons, 
• extra armor, 
• smoke launchers, 
• a searchlight, and 
• a bulldozer blade. 

Above: Man-eaters V and VI, the latest additions to the Fighting Tiger motor pool

As I mentioned before, lascannons give each Razor some serious punch against armored vehicles. Extra armor, smoke, and searchlights are almost mandatory for any Marine vehicle, in my opinion. Dozer blades are good on Razors because then the vehicle can move 6", re-roll difficult terrain tests, and fire without penalty. What’s not to like?

You’ll notice in the photo below that one Razorback has a gunner, the other has a closed turret. Why not have both gunners? While I like the look of vehicles that seem to “belong together,” I didn’t want to make them exactly alike. Besides, you almost never see Razors without a gunner. 

Another thing you might notice: no gunner shields on the Razors. Why not? I just didn’t like the look of them, so I left them off. In my opinion, each Razor looks sleeker without the shield. 

Painting the Razorbacks
Like my other transports, the Razors coordinate with the squads they are expected to carry. Thus, one is Fiery Orange with Chaos Black stripes, the other Bubonic Brown and Bestial Brown. Weapons were done in Boltgun Metal or Dwarf Bronze. Like all other Fighting Tiger vehicles, each received a white undercoat and was finished with gloss varnish from a spray can. Tigers can’t help but look colorful, so there’s not much point in using a matt finish, is there?

Each Razor has fewer stripes than previous tanks, as you can see below. Not only is it faster to paint, but also looks less “busy.” Years ago, when I started painting Tiger vehicles, I covered them in stripes; now I'm prone to leaving more “open space” on them.

To continue the theme I established with my Rhinos, each Razor takes the name “Man-eater” with a number to distinguish it. 

Drop Pods
When the latest version of Codex: Space Marines came out and gave players the options of using drop pods, I resisted the temptation to run out and buy some. Sure, there are all kinds of nasty tactical tricks you can do with them, but I didn't need more stuff to build and paint. My friend Ken apparently did not get the memo, because at my 40th birthday party, he presented me with kits to make three pods.

It would be rude, of course, to turn down such a fine, well-intentioned gift, and even ruder not to build and paint them. After struggling with my Land Speeder Tornadoes, assembling the pods was a relative snap. Being thick cardboard, they went together with Elmer's white glue--much easier than epoxy! 

I covered all my other Tiger vehicles with stripes, but I did something different this time, in keeping with a "less is more" mentality I've had about painting lately. Instead, I sprayed each black, drybrushed them with Boltgun Metal, and painted tiger stripes on the big vanes (or whatever they are) on each pod. Because I like my transports to coordinate with the squads they carry, I painted the vanes in the four color combinations (orange and black; mustand and brown; white and black; white and brown) that my Tigers use. So now the pods will go with any squad they're allowed to carry. 
 
 

Next page (pg 9): Fast Attack Previous page (pg 7): Transports, Part I

Related Pages
Painting Fighting Tiger Vehicles
Fighting Tiger Troops
Tactics: Fighting Tiger Troops

Posted April 2002. Revised December 2007 

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