This metal Rogue Trader-era tracked heavy weapon appears in the 1988 catalogue as the Imperial Guard Rapier along with two crewman. Designed by Michael Perry as per the 1991 catalogue credits.
It can be seen in White Dwarf #100:
Assembly ought to go as shown:
This model is featured in the April 1988 edition of White Dwarf, stating the following:
Rapier carriers are incorporated into Imperial Army forces at both the company and regimental level. Each troop company has a support squad which ideally includes 5 Rapier carriers as well as other mobile support weapons such as Mole Mortars. In practice, the natural attrition of campaigning tends to mean that support squads operate with whatever they can get! They are easily distinguished by their blue ‘artillery’ uniforms, with yellow shoulder pads bearing the company insignia. Individual Rapiers are also used in the front line to support infantry squads.
At the regimental level, Rapiers and other heavy weapons are organised into whole support companies. These unwieldy outfits are used to provide heavy bombardments or en masse support for major offensives. In theory, a company comprises 10 machines, often divided between 2 types, such as 5 Rapiers and 5 Mole-Mortars. But. they are often reduced to so few weapons that they are forced into a supporting role on the battlefield, rather like the company support squads.
Regimental support companies wear the same blue tunics as the company support squads, but with a distinctive red shoulder pad rather than yellow.
Based:
Undercoat: Vallejo Mecha Black
Silver: Black Metal, drybrush of Thrash Metal, drybrush of Cobalt Alchemy, drybrush of White Alchemy, wash of Nuln Oil (old formulation), wheels washed again with Seraphim Sepia
