Hi all,
well, here's something I got myself into. The AMTL list I used for getting all worked up to participate in the ToxG 2nd ed included the CI, and this was the very first model I planned - trouble is, the current list excludes it! Nonetheless, I'm now too keen on the idea to let it drop, so - here goes.
A word of warning: my version of the beastie is big, far larger than the old CI, and almost as tall as a Warlord. Mind you, my 'real' CI would have this size - it does contain a LOT of troops. But I realize not everyone will like these dimensions.
In order to make this conversion easy to replicate:
1 - I won't include sculpting (can't do it myself, anyway ?
)2 - I'll use only currently available bits (and mounds of plasticard and stuff)
3 - I'll try to keep it as cheap as possible.
There is a baseline to the $ issue, however, and mine is set at 15GBP. An Epic superheavy is cheaper, and built up with plasticard can make a creditable CI - too small for me, though. Several historical tank models (1/76 scale in particular) can be similarly converted. But I'm starting with something available from GW online, so that everyone will be familiar with the material used.
The 15GBP are spent on a 40K scale Rhino. A Chimera or Leman Russ hull would be useful as well, but the Rhino is cheaper ( Chimera = 18GBP, LR = 20GBP). This beastie is 120 mm long, 80mm wide, and 50mm high, so it IS big compared to Epic stuff. The old 40K Rhino is slightly smaller, but equally useful. The Chaos Rhino can be used as well. I dare say assembled 2md hand Rhinos can be found for a relatively low cost, and these too can be modified to CI status.
Anyway, that's it for the first post. Right now I'm jotting down ideas for the conversion. Hope this will work! ?
Better delete Dafrca's post about visionarism then - gulp! 
Rhino !