Onager Dunecrawler Conversion – Spyder Dome AdMech

We have an Onager Dunecrawler Conversion guide from Reddit user Eyecon 74. This is a great way to make a unique kit for Warhammer 40K.. The Adeptus Mechanicus have always been a great go to for conversion ideas, check back to our Dark Mechanicus Ruststalker Conversions.

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Eyecon 74

Here is the STC for the Spyders, the are really simple to make, its 95% Onager Dunecrawler, 4% Gunhauler Balloon and few bits from a bits box.

The tricky bit is the bit you do not even see! Its the bottom section of the turret/hull, you do not want this to be perfectly flat as it will look odd, it needs to have some engine parts sticking out, it needs to have some ‘bulk’ so it appears there is enough space for the crew to actually fit in them. Just use any bits you have kicking about, I used a spare melta cannon from an Imperial knight, cut it in half and that filled up most of the bottom hull nicely.

The only other tricky area would be re positioning the legs, I have only done it on 1 of them (not this one) and its a pain !

Weapons can be magnetised, this is purely optional but I prefer to have some flexibility with my units.

I am absolutely hopeless with green stuff so someone with some skill in that department can probably improve on the design, as for me, I am quite happy with the way they came out..

Enjoy and feel free to replicate!

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Onager Dunecrawler Conversion

Start with basic layout, Balloon halves (Note that you can use the balloon halves in a number of ways, this adds variety to the variants) and bottom plate of Onager, construct the missile launcher pod as this will be the engine/counter weight/power supply section.

Put together the mount for the weapons, at this point glue in the magnet.

Now glue the half of the balloon to the bottom plate, file away from of the rounded section to make the fit nice and smooth, glue in the gun mount.

Glue in the ‘engine’ section (note that you do not need to glue in the missile ‘bit’ but this is one I had spare, still working out a way to add a missile launder to this variant).

Depending on which way you position the ‘balloon’ half, there are a few plastic supports on it, I cut mine off and then added them to look like it holds the engine section. If you position the balloon half the other way then you do not need to cut the support.

Glue on the other half of the balloon, now you have your rough shape, use the missile pod doors to start filling in a few gaps.

Add the top hatch from the Onager kit and now just fill in any remaining gaps with bits from your bits box, I used a Hull Section from a Titanicus Warhound kit and a few suspension bits from a Imperial Taurox. Go nuts at this point, add in as many bits as you feel is right, as long as you close the top hull.

That is roughly the finished Hull, make sure the weapons are magnetised correctly (nothing worse than putting in a magnet and have it the wrong way round !)

Bottom section of the hull example, this is the one I used on my first one I build, its got 2 halves of the Melta Cannon, a couple of armour plates cut from spare Titanicus leg armour plates, plenty of cabling, glue in the exhausts etc, since I use the normal Onager bottom plate it already covers most of this section, as I said, you do not really see it much, but it needs to be there so you can see it from the side.