Re: Crimson Fists - Rogue Trader
The servo arm is a really cool addition to the rhino and I hope you follow through with it. I think you are right though in that it has a rather orky feel but I think it can be remedied with some tweaks if you are not happy with the current version.
I think the area of interest is the claw itself (in that the arm is fine). What you have there is pretty closely mimics the power klaw design that has been used several times on various ork models for a long period. Fairly iconic by now I guess.
A blend of bestial talons and hydraulic power shears. Beast + destruction = good Ork formula I suppose.
If you want a recovery/utility vibe I think the first thing to modify would be the contact areas of the gripping appendage. Sharp blades destroy, blunt implements do not (unless you apply enough crushing force, in which case they do that really well too
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I think the claw digit+joint layout can be experimented with more freely. The hands-with-fingers of the dreadnought arm looks more organic, if that’s something you prefer. If you want a more artificial/mechanical look you could substitute that for the sliding hydraulic tongs of this techmarine servo-arm. Sources of inspiration from real life could be excavator claws and assembly line robots. They all perform various handling tasks. The thing they have in common is that they don’t present a sharp blade to the objects they manipulate. If you want your contraption to be less “Orky” I think this would be something to consider.
And playing devil’s advocate, the more I look at your servo claw the more I like it. It’s a nice juxtaposition of styles and there can be a story in there somewhere, if you want to. Just saying that it doesn’t have to be wrong as it is, it’s more that it’s up to you. If you are ambivalent about how it fits in to the force but actually like the look of it, maybe you can address it with a narrative instead of rebuilding the claw.
Maybe it is in fact an ork implement, salvaged and re-appropriated by desperate marines in a resource-strained war theatre that encourages quick improvisation and economical, yet functional builds? Or of different origins, but likewise hastily cobbled together from available materials by clever techmarines in dire need. Maybe it is a multi-role vehicle using it’s servo-arm for not only salvage but also clearing paths through rubble and breaching lighter enemy fortifications and barricades? If you are not keen on rebuilding the arm I'm sure you could get around it with a narrative.