Air Mobile - Building an Air-Assault Platoon

O.K., so I've been busy. Although I lack the funds for ship's weapondry, ship's fittings and/or crew, let alone the air-assault platoon that these will be lifting, I've decided to proceed with the scratch-building portion of creating a Praetorian Air-Assault Platoon. In addition to the fully built, armed and crewed HMAS Dauntless, I have the basic deck/hulls for the platoon's other air assest.
This consists of (2) Additional Valkyries / Vendettas: The HMAS Endeavour and the HMAS Fortitude, and (1) Vulture: The HMAS Galliant.

The two Valkyries side-by-side. The HMAS Fortitude has part of it's railing installed, but both are lacking the armoured wheel-house. My current plan for the arming of the transports is to have enough magnetized weapons to equip either (3) Vendettas -0r- (2) Vendetta + (1) Valkyrie (with all the various Valk configurations, so: Deck gun will be either a Las Cannon or a Multi-Las, Wing Weapons either:Rocket Pods, Hunter/Killers -or- Las Cannons).

Side View of The HMAS Endeavour.

Rear View showing the Anti-Grav panel shutters and the rear door for troop deployment (regretably it is not a nice trop down door like the actual Valk).

Air Mobile - Praetorian Style

Not the the Valkyrie / Vendetta models are not utterly fantanstic (because they are), and in no way is offense intended towards other Praetorian Armies (such as those of the honorable Col. Gravis or Crazy Red Praetorian) that field the Valks, but to me the Valkyrie does not quite have that "Praetorian" feel to it. Just too high-tech, IMHO.

But what is a Praetorian Officer to do? (Especially one such as I that has limited funds). Well, I pondered and pondered this very question, with little success in nearling an answer, until one day I was cleaning out my shed. Going through some of my old gaming stuff, I happened across some books for the Space 1899 RPG. And there in my dusty and disorganized shed, I had an epiphany, in the form of the Aphid-Class anti-Grav gunboat.

I put my over-ambitious imagination to work, and tested my meager scratch-building talents to their fullest. Before you is the result: The HMAS Dauntless, a Chard-Class Anti-Grav Assault Airship. (Sorry for the Rourke's Drift reference - I couldn't resist).


The Dauntless is currently equipped as a Vendetta-Equivalent, although throught the use of magnets, I will be able to do weapon swaps to configure it as either a Vendetta or a Valkyrie, once I purchase the right bitz.

As Equipped, it matches a standard Vendetta: (3) Twin-Linked Las Cannons, (2) Heavy Bolters (aka Door-Gunners) and a 12-Man Squad carrying capacity.

The crew of the Dauntless is N+1 over the standard Vendetta: Helm, Gunner and (2) door-gunners, with the additional crew member being the Captain (in his spiffy trench coat).

So, what ya think?