Stormtalon
 Expect huge amounts of derp and rage, punctuated by /tg/ extracting humor from it. |
The Stormtalon gunship is a light attack aircraft used by the Space Marines. Armed with a twin-linked assault cannon and your choice of sponsons (either Skyhammer Missile Launchers or Typhoon Missile Launchers). It's also about as aerodynamic as a toaster, yet still the fastest light aircraft in the Imperium. Honestly, you would think the Guardsmen's flyers, resembling actual aircraft, would go faster than a god-damn guppy-potato metal box with turbocharged jet engines. Guess the engines are just that powerful. Which brings up the question of why larger versions of those engines aren't mounted on Navy atmospheric craft. Not to mention why they don't replace the giant dead weight rocket on their fighters with the type of engine used on Thunderhawks or better yet, Marauders. Crunchwise, its the faster, weaker, less resilient little brother of the Stormraven. You thought that was the Land Speeder, didn't you?
In all seriousness, though, laughing at it won’t stop it from mowing you down with lots of dakka.
Overview
The thing is little more than an armored compartment with two engines strapped to the sides and a massive gun hanging underneath. Like a Sentinel with a jet pack. The vehicle is meant for lightning-fast anti-infantry support fire, a niche already filled by a number of other Imperial vehicles, most of whom are a lot sturdier than the Stormtalon. GW noticed this little oversight, so in order to force you to buy it anyway they made it a flyer in 6th edition. If you've played Command and Conquer you might notice a certain resemblance to GDI's Orca gunship (as well as being about as fragile to boot). Obviously purely coincidental, after all, ripping off other franchises is bad. (Also looks kind of like the Iron Eagle Gyrocopter.)
No evidence is yet possessed on how pissed off the Imperial Navy are that the Space Marines now have their own dogfighter, which was meant to be solely the Navy's domain.
There have been several doomed valiant questionable efforts by modelers to convert the Stormtalon into something that doesn't look completely ridiculous, but their success on the matter is debatable (just remove the jets and add proper rotors, the hull's already taken from an attack helicopter).
The new Stormhawk Interceptor, which appears to be a variant of the Stormtalon design, also looks for all the world like it's ripping off the Stormtalon conversions people have been making. Just look at it!
Gallery
Conversions
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There are those who attempt to make it appear less silly...
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...some more successful than others. This one has a nice A-10 vibe to it.
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This "Mars pattern" looks slightly better.
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Talking about walkers, made by a certain Rob Baer of Youtube glory.
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A Nephilim Jetfighter converted to serve as a Stormtalon. This or the A-10 is how it should have looked in the first place, really.
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...or maybe this...
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...or this!
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Converted from a Nephilim Dark Talon.
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To make such an awesome model from such drek is worthy of the highest praise. Well done, Fallout Hobbies.
