LT silhouette fail

[GranitePenguin]

With all the discussions lately about exact counter mixes, I just had one of those "DUH" moments.

Looking at the silhouettes on the counters, I just realized after 40 years I've been visualizing the LT with the front as the back. Looking at unpunched sheets, it's obvious that all the units face from left to right (i.e., the front is to the right of the counter), but for whatever reason, the LT makes more sense to me with the lower profile end as the front. I think it's because it reminds me of things like the ship in the Defender Arcade game.

That also explains why I've always thought the minis design of the PE LT was weird (I still do, but for different reasons).

[TheAmishStig]

Originally Posted by GranitePenguin

With all the discussions lately about exact counter mixes, I just had one of those "DUH" moments.

Looking at the silhouettes on the counters, I just realized after 40 years I've been visualizing the LT with the front as the back. Looking at unpunched sheets, it's obvious that all the units face from left to right (i.e., the front is to the right of the counter), but for whatever reason, the LT makes more sense to me with the lower profile end as the front. I think it's because it reminds me of things like the ship in the Defender Arcade game.

That also explains why I've always thought the minis design of the PE LT was weird (I still do, but for different reasons).

This is why I have a pile of Plastic Ogre Miniatures missile tanks in "Run away while shooting the entire time" configuration. I wasn't thinking about the art/etc while I was gluing, saw the sloped section, and assumed that was the front / where the cockpit would be.

[Dave Crowell]

So the tower would be at the rear? Interesting. It's still a weird design.

[GranitePenguin]

Originally Posted by Dave Crowell

So the tower would be at the rear? Interesting. It's still a weird design.

I never knew it was a "tower." At least, not in the "mini conning tower" sense of the word. I don't know what I thought it was, never really cared, I guess.

Considering the image on the counter is 5mm long, not a lot of room for fine details. :-)

[Mack_JB]

Originally Posted by Dave Crowell

So the tower would be at the rear? Interesting. It's still a weird design.

Tower at front, radar dish towards the rear -- hammerhead hull shape forwards.

[CON_Troll]

Originally Posted by Mack_JB

Tower at front, radar dish towards the rear -- hammerhead hull shape forwards.

Yep. I've always interpreted the LT with this orientation.

Would be really weird if I've been wrong all these decades...

[Knockman]

If you scroll down to the bottom of this webpage from Mr W. Chung himself, you can see a tiny sketch for the LT.

http://www.projectrho.com/ogre.html

There's another wonderful art item here too:

http://www.goingfaster.com/ogre/bestchung.jpg

I always considered it as a 'mast' not a conning tower as such, and it sort of reflects some of the military design theory going on at that time. Today, the idea of a retractable mast for sensors/comms has come back into play for some real-world designers. Personally, I think that would be a bit of a cul-de-sac, and time would be better spent on slave drones that the armoured vehicles could launch and operate themselves. But that's leading away from the OP's thread.

It's a quirky design, but I quite like it as part of the Ogre canon. After all, we've had plenty of real-world incidences where you look at vehicle design and just think 'why?'

[ColBosch]

I'm a little confused that anyone considered the LT's blade antenna to be a "conning tower." I think people's comments on a conning tower were about the missile tank's odd little cockpit.

[Tim Kauffman]

Originally Posted by Knockman

There's another wonderful art item here too:

http://www.goingfaster.com/ogre/bestchung.jpg

I like the PE Heavy Tank more in this illustration with it's beveled corners.

I always disliked the PE Light Tank looks because it just didn't seem right...what was that big overhanging frontal compartment anyway??? Until recently here it was pointed out that it is more of a recon/observation/command tank. They may not be, but in the front those "slots" look to me like some sort of viewports. Either way, I'm a huge fan now.