AMG Staff Crashes Star Wars™: Legion Vehicles for Spec Ops Part I

Part of hobbying is challenging ourselves, and with the inclusion of a crashed vehicle scenario in Star Wars: Legion Spec Ops, our team decided to take on the challenge of crashing vehicles from our armies so that we could use them as terrain for content and home games.  Below, each of our participating team members will introduce their project. In the coming weeks, you’ll be able to follow along with their projects and see how they come together!

Dallas Kemp – Grand Army of the Republic – LAAT Crash Inspired by a Downed Helicopter

What army have you decided to build a crashed vehicle for and why? 

I was thinking about my Lucky 13’s for use in Spec Ops, and after playtesting the downed vehicle scenario I immediately knew I needed to have a crashed LAAT. I wanted to get the feel of Blackhawk Down for my intrepid Clones on the table top. Nothing beats a group of warriors fighting against the odds!

Why are you interested in creating your own crashed vehicle when there are already crashed vehicles sculpted and available for purchase? 

One of the unique aspects of miniature games is the ability to make it your own and tell a story. My Lucky 13’s are my clones, so getting to tell more of their story is such a fun opportunity when I play a game with them.

Which vehicle options did you consider for your army and how did you land on your final choice?

The LAAT was it from the start. The scenario gave me that moment where I knew exactly what I wanted to recreate on the tabletop.

How are you incorporating narrative into your crashed vehicle and what is the goal for the finished product? 

I will take the time to build a custom base and basing elements to show the downed LAAT. Of course, being for my personal clone force, the paint job will have to incorporate that storytelling element as well to tie it to my clones. I may sneak a busted B1 int here as well. ?

Can you describe how you are breaking down the project into steps in your mind in order to make it to the assembly deadline?

First step will be to build the LAAT. Then cut out the shape of the custom base in plasticard at approximately 150mm diameters to be close to the actual base size. Then it will be about creating the damage on the LAAT and attaching it to the base in a believable manner before applying paint.

Anne Richmond – Rebel Alliance – A-A5 inspired by Sabine Wren

What army have you decided to build a crashed vehicle for and why? 

My ultimate goal is to build a Rebel army for both Spec Ops and traditional Star Wars: Legion games. I’m a huge Sabine Wren fan and I knew that I would want to incorporate her into my list – which gave me the fun idea of theming things around her and incorporating what I love about her unique artistic style – as well as the starbird as it appeared in Star Wars: Rebels. I needed a vehicle with enough flat places in order for the graffiti to read, so the A-A5 Speeder Truck made a lot of sense.

Why are you interested in creating your own crashed vehicle when there are already crashed vehicles sculpted and available for purchase? 

I don’t have a lot of experience kitbashing or reimagining miniatures and I felt like this would be a great opportunity to face my fear of “ruining” stuff and move through a challenging process with the support of our team at AMG. They’ve been awesome to bounce ideas off!

Which vehicle options did you consider for your army and how did you land on your final choice? 

The AT-RT was too small, but the T-47 Airspeeder did tempt me! However, I didn’t think it would be as forgiving when it came to room for Sabine’s art.

How are you incorporating narrative into your crashed vehicle and what is the goal for the finished product? 

What ended up exciting me was the idea of a story where perhaps Sabine had been driving an A-A5 Speeder Truck and gotten in a wreck during battle and the Spec Ops team went in to support her. I’ve always loved the vast amount of environments, flora, and fauna of the Star Wars galaxy, so I decided I would have the final crash site be into a cherry-blossom inspired tree so that i could play with the blossoms on the truck and the basing.

Can you describe how you are breaking down the project into steps in your mind in order to make it to the assembly deadline? 

1. Cut the 150mm base out of plasticard.
2. Assemble the truck to a halfway point. This will allow me plenty of space to cut into places for crash damage and find opportunities to reveal some of the inside of the truck which is completely sculpted but we don’t end up seeing it at the table except through partially open doors. I can also work on placement ideas for the plasticard base and the tree element, as well as potential pools for water features and blast craters.
3. Assemble my spec ops team!
4. Use greenstuff and wire to build the tree for the base where the truck is crashing.
5. Once all the destruction is done, I’ll prime everything.
6. Cut some stencils for the airbrush.
7. Paint the pieces of the truck as I have them assembled until they’re ready for graffiti and the airbrush!
8. Luckily I have folks at the office who can give some welcome advise on using the airbrush, because this will be my first time.
9. Paint and detail the base.
10. Paint Spec Ops team!
11. Bring everything to the studio for photography!

Kevin Kircus – Grand Army of the Republic – Immobilized TX-130

What army have you decided to build a crashed vehicle for and why? 

I’ve gone for the Grand Army of the Republic. Mainly because I have 2 full clone armies, but I have two full clone armies because  I’ve always appreciated the aesthetic of the clone army – especially the narrative of how their equipment slowly gets twisted into Imperial kit.

Why are you interested in creating your own crashed vehicle when there are already crashed vehicles sculpted and available for purchase?

It’s always fun to make pieces that are uniquely your own. Especially for the narrative scenarios you find in Spec Ops. By picking out a kit that sees use in a lot of my lists I can create a continuity between what goes on in my larger legion games and the games of Spec Ops that I play.

Which vehicle options did you consider for your army and how did you land on your final choice?

I looked at the LAAT and the Saber tank mainly. The final decision to go with the TX-130 is that you can buy the notion that its immobilized but still dangerous, and that plays into the scene I plan to set up for my piece.

How are you incorporating narrative into your crashed vehicle and what is the goal for the finished product?

The end goal is to essentially create a diorama that will look nice on the shelf and still make sense in Spec Ops. The hover pads on the saber will clearly be immobilized by heavy fire, but the tank commander will still be directing fire of the main guns from the turret while crew attempt to get the tank mobile again.

Can you describe how you are breaking down the project into steps in your mind in order to make it to the assembly deadline?

The first step is to broadly determine the composition of the scene. From there I’ll know which clones, and which parts of the tank, need to be converted to suit the story I’m trying to tell. Once those conversions are done I’ll start general assembly, and finally painting, followed by final assembly.

Justus Morschauser – Separatists – Modular Crashed & Playable AAT

What army have you decided to build a crashed vehicle for and why?
I’m building out my crashed vehicle for the Separatist Alliance. Of all the factions in the Star Wars universe, I’d wager the Separatists are the ones with the highest count of destroyed vehicles, so it feels fitting.

Why are you interested in creating your own crashed vehicle when there are already crashed vehicles sculpted and available for purchase?

I’ll be making my crashed vehicle modular, where I can set it for use as a playable unit versus solely being a terrain piece. That adjustability can’t be done with the available for purchase versions.

Which vehicle options did you consider for your army and how did you land on your final choice?

The AAT immediately stood out to me as my vehicle of choice. I recognized I could use its extruding weapon barrels and available hatches for “modular” destructibility. The ability to reattach and seal away areas are essential to making the model multifunctional. It also allows the damage on the vehicle to reflect the gameplay taking place.

How are you incorporating narrative into your crashed vehicle and what is the goal for the finished product?

• The AAT has a lot of armor, but it isn’t unbreakable. Taking a flurry of detonators will wear it down, I plan to have 3 stages of damage to visually represent how close the tank is to being defeated during the scenario.
• Stage 1 – (4+ damage total) An AAT driver droid emerging out the top hatch with smoke rising.
• Stage 2 – (8+ damage total) Teetering the tank, having lost some of its hovering capabilities, and tilting weaponry.
• Stage 3 – (12+ damage total) Smoke pluming out from the front central hatch with the tank completely grounded

These damage indicators can also be reversed during the game if the player manages to repair enough sustained damage!

Can you describe how you are breaking down the project into steps in your mind in order to make it to the assembly deadline?

• Cut models
• Reassemble models
• Prime models
• Paint models
• Create extra finishing props
• Ship to AMG studio for photography

Check our social for updates on this AMG staff hobby challenge, and if you’re creating your own along with us, share it with the hashtag: #AMGHobbyChallenge.