MOC: HMF Suppressor

[Bainreese]

Hi all,

I've been lurking and gleaning a lot of good ideas for months from the boards and actually had this MOC 90% completed for months but just wasn't happy with a few details. I finally decided today to finish it off and realized.....I don't think I'll ever be completely satisfied. So it is time to post this...my first MOC since I was a child. And that was a long time ago. I don't have photoshop and thus no ability to delete my background. Sorry!

The HMF Suppressor

Heavily Modified Fennek

Survivor's log:

The invasion took everyone by surprise. It wasn't anything like the storybook author's envisioned. There was no first contact, no probe, no scouting team discovered and taken to a classified military airbase in Nevada. They hit us fast and they hit us hard. Within days the earth, once home to 6 billion and growing, became the scorched outpost of a dying human race; no more countries, no more borders. In the end it was not superior technology, or superior intellect that gave the aliens the advantage. It was our own preoccupation with our earthly neighbors that made us wholly unprepared for the brutality and scale of the attack from above. Destroying our atmosphere, they nearly brought about our extinction. But a few thousand escaped death by taking sanctuary in the very earth we all fought so selfishly over before.

And now, months later, we begin to push back. We start to reclaim what was ours. Using salvaged parts from vehicles and equipment that managed to survive, we refit and reuse for a higher purpose. The survival of the species.

Country of Origin: Germany

Original Chasis: LGS Fennek

Original Release: 2003

The Fennek was first sold to the Netherlands and was first deployed in Afghanistan. What remains of that vehicle now little more than the drivetrain and original frame. The original engine compartment was too lightly armored for our needs. So we rebuilt and reinforced. The added weight has slowed the HMF-S down, but it has made it harder to stop as well.

Having shown vulnerability to rocket propelled grenades in Afghanistan and given the similiar explosive effects of the alien weaponry, we were forced to refit the rest of the body with 5cm thick steel plating; removing the side view of the original design. It was a necessary sacrifice. Given our attackers' weakness in physical combat, there was seldom a threat from direct confrontation. So we equipped the HMF-S with external equipment racks, making it more efficient for our crews to access the tools they needed quickly and return to the safety of the vehicle.

The HMF-S' main purpose is in keeping the alien presence at bay while our crews collect the materials they need to continue to refit and supply our fighting forces. Therefore it is equipped with a dual-mounted heat-pressurized M2A1-7 flamethrowers. Originally used in the Vietnam war and long-since retired, these have been refitted and mounted on the HMF-S' raised-roof platform. The M202 which eventually replaced the M2A1-7 as the U.S. Military evolved into more 'combat at a distance' was not effective at close range.

The M2A1-7 supply tanks are housed in the rear, protected by the oversized tires and reinforced wheel wells. This is also the HMF-S' only point of entry.

Depending on the purpose for deployment the HMF-S is mission capable of transporting up to 10 infantry units or up to 6 cubic meters of cargo.

Given the enemy's preference for aerial attacks, the HMF-S has been fitted with enlarged, steel reinforced fenders that provide full coverage from overhead attacks.

The driver has direct view of any forward engagement similar to that of a tank driver, while side and aft cameras provide additional viewable area.

Thanks for looking everyone! Hopefully I will improve a bit on my next project!

Edited February 9, 2012 by Bainreese

[brickmack]

Looks very nice, definitely doesn't look like a first (recent) MOC. Very Blacktron-1 looking. I like the ladder and greebling on the side. The interior looks cool also, even has room for helmets.

Also for image editing, you might try Gimp. It's very similar to Photoshop but free.

[Buckshot]

Nice MOC, and an interesting backstory. Are you going to use the Lego alien attackers or do you different ideas?

Looking forward to seeing more of your creations--

[JackJonespaw]

Good MOC. I would cut down on the font size, though.

[Batbrick]

Fantastic! I love all the little details and greebles, like the use of the phone piece on the sides. I'm utterly jealous of your amount of the Hazmat guys as well. I'm not usually a fan of black and yellow together, but your sparing use of the latter works really well here.

Damn that backstory is bleak though!

Batbrick Away!

[nismogrendel]

Very cool, I really like the driver's area/windshield. Very beefy and sturdy looking truck.

[K-Nut]

As other have said, it reminds me of Blacktron I. Great work!

Edited February 12, 2012 by K-nut

[Si-MOCs]

Wow!

That's really well done. Why aren't you satisfied? It looks great!

I love the over all shape and the yellow highlights - especially the grill in the front.

The little air lock / decontamination is nice too :)

[Bainreese]

Thanks for the encouraging comments everyone. I'm hoping to significantly raise the bar on my skills with the next MOC I'm working on. The discovery of Brick Link....is pure love.