Monstrous Creatures Galore

Monstrous Creatures Galore...


Well this past week has been particularly busy...after dark.  I did a lot of cleaning, building, under coating and painting. Lots of Monstrous Creatures are being added to the Hive Fleet.  Some are old models being built/converted others are new models. 

Working with resin is somewhat of a pain because it adds the extra step of cleaning/scrubbing it with soap and water to remove the mold release.  Otherwise if you leave that step out then paint will likely start chipping a lot more down the road.

I do not like the clear flying stand that is now used by GW.  It works for flying vehicles (in some cases) but for flying monstrous creatures it just looks horrendous from a modeling perspective.  I decided to use carbon fiber rod as it leaves so much more modeling/conversion opportunities for the flying base.  I plan to add a Space Marine to the base shooting at the Hive Crone and shell casings as well.

This is a modeling idea I have had for a few years and just never got around to it.  I wanted a Hive Tyrant to lead a pack of Ravenors.  I know there are no rules for it but I may come up with some house rules.

I used the upper

body of a WFB Black Dragon (ugly model by the way, never liked it) for the lower body of the Hive Tyrant, and the upper body is the old metal Hive Tyrant.  I have it equipped with a twin-linked devourer and the bone sword lashwhip.  I used the extra tyranid warrior armor upgrades for the armor plating of the Hive Tyrants serpentine body.





 



The Hive Crone is flying over at an angle ready to spit acid on its target.

Scythed Hierodule and Dimachaeron from Forge World, cleaned and drying. 

Interestingly, while many Tyranid names have Graeco-Roman origin, this is the first to be named after a Gladiator style. The Dimachaeri were known for being exceptionally skilled fighters who used twin swords to both attack and defend, they were usually more lightly armoured than their opponents and were either large men who used their strength and reach to overpower their opponent, or smaller men who used speed to win.

The Forge World Harridan cleaned and drying.  This thing is going to be a beast to paint and convert.  The flying base is way too small in my opinion and I will have to do something about that.  It will have a much stronger support and base once I get around to it.  I wanted to get as much stuff cleaned and dried as I could with making Paula go nuts with my "trinkets" lying around.

The Barbed Hierodule cleaned, trimmed, assembled and primed.

Hive Crone Primed.

Ravenor Hive Tyrant primed.  I wanted to leave the top of the model unglued so it is easier to paint.

This is the base for the Barbed Hierodule.  I could not just let it go unconverted.  The Space Marine took several wounds to the chest and is dragging himself to his bolter for one last attempt to kill the beast that is hovering over him (The Barbed Hierodule).  He will have a blood trail dragging behind him.

Space Marines head is lifted up as he reaches for his bolter.

The Space Marines back pack was ripped off by the force of the blow.  Wires are hanging out of the back pack and the joining carapace in the power armor.

The base for the Scythed Hierodule.  Space Marine has been pinned down with a scything talon through the chest.  He ran out of ammo trying to kill the beast and tried to throw a melta bomb.  He was just not quick enough.

 The beast in all its raging glory.  Probably has really bad breath.

This is what is currently on my painting tray.  The 8 tentaclid missles for the 2 hive crones, 3 termagaunts, and 3 Zoanthropes.

 I tired a purple paint scheme for the armor of the tentaclids so they would stand out more in the sea of yellow underneath the hive crone wings.  I don't like it right now.  I need to let it sit for a couple days and chew on it.  I may just end up going with the yellow still but it does not pop as much against the yellow wings.

I finished 6 spore mines they now just need a coat of sealant and put away into foam trays.  These took longer than I originally estimated to paint.  The layering always takes a while no matter how small the model is.  I plan to start painting the army of spore mines that are assembled in my many boxes of Tyranid bitz.

Thanks for looking and may your hobby tools never rest.