As we all know, in the grimdark future of Warhammer 40k, there is only war. So naturally, when 40k fan Danial Nightwalker decided his cats needed the best possible protection from heretics and xenos scum, he designed a huge Icarus Pattern Land Raider model that could be 3D printed. It turned out so well, his infant son Azrael commandeered it for some of his own maneuvers.
There are plenty Warhammer 40k miniature kits out there that represent all Warhammer 40k factions, but sometimes we all wish they were a little less miniature. This was the starting inspiration behind Danial’s quest for a plaything for his furry friends.
“I always wanted a giant tank for my cats,” he tells Wargamer. “I looked around for months, but the best I could find were some weak cardboard ones online. Then it dawned on me that I could make my own.”
Danial – who we reckon would make an excellent Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priest – put his mind to the task and started by looking at other 3D models similar to the iconic Land Raider Warhammer 40k tank. Using Blender, he took all the coolest bits from these designs and meshed them together into his own magnum opus.
With his up-sized Land Raider design cleaned up and completed, Danial fed it into his Ender 3 S1 Pro 3D printer. Using .2mm height, 3 walls and 10% infill settings, roughly 3 rolls of 1kg PLA, and about a month of print time, the end result you see in the pictures above rolled out.
The results were so good, Danial’s son, Azrael (no relation to the Supreme Grandmaster of the Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines, we’re sure) decided the tank was too good for mere felines and took the Raider out for a stroll himself.
The results are immediately heart-warming and magisterial. The Emperor of Mankind would be proud. We’re especially jealous of his little chainsword, and would like to see a selection of them in the toddler aisle, right next to the baby grows.
When asked if Azrael was willing to relinquish control of the tank once he had liberated it from his animal brothers, Danial said: “He’s a good boy, so he has started to share control with the kitties.” Did the cats also enjoy the tank, we asked? “It’s a box…” he confirmed – “so yup”.
If you too fancy building something, but don’t have one of the best 3D printers for miniatures at home, check out our guide to the biggest Lego sets. If you also have cats, check out our Lego Ideas Tuxedo Cat review, it’s sure to be right up your alley.