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After the pod now its time for a new bugger for Chapterhouse.

I drawed the concept:


to sculpt:




Just a funny little extra, its not for sale and its just a gift I did for a dear friend of mine:


Gotta love bugs

Isn't the little one Boo from Monsters Inc.?

Nice Malanthrope though, although I personally feel the aesthetic is a little rounded compared to the usual 'nids.

Nice work.

I would much rather that smaller dudes aesthetics in a counts as 'nid army.

I love the little bug, I would buy a few of them. Con't put my finger on it but the big dude doesn't do it for me

Another awesome sculpt

awesome. i like your work.

Thanks folks... after googling it now I want to sculpt Boo Cool stuff.

I like the thicker tail in the concept art than the thin tail in the sculpt. Otherwise the majority of the thing is super cool and well done. I'm guessing Doom of Malantai?

I like it, but I prefer the concept to the actual piece. I think the green looks a bit top heavy, while the drawing is very well balanced. Good stuff though.

The bug is cool too.

I love the little guy.


Have you ever thought of doing a few alternative ripper models?

Sweet. I know a Nid player whos going to love this.

I really like it, but (like the other posters) I like the lines of the concept art a little bit more. Chapterhouse makes great looking stuff. I really wish I could talk myself into getting that Tau Super Heavy... its awesome, but I'd never be able to use it....

Doesn't do it for me personally, but it's certainly well sculpted and accurate. Both qualities that are not seen much in the modeling world.

Great work as usual, but also not to my tastes. He looks a little too super-deformed I think. Granted, all Zoanthropes have little bodies and big heads, so maybe it's just the lines.

Love the little guy though!

The little one is awesome. I would pick up a bunch to count as hormagants and termagaunts.

Awesome detailing on the neck. Not to single it out, but the Doom's neck is some of the best detail I've ever seen on your sculpts.

I like the original artwork to the model. Especially how the artwork has a carapace of growing thickness to incorporate the vents, rather than the way they stick out like smoke stacks on the Titanic.

- Piousman

I think, for the model, the tail is "off". If it were more whip-like, that'd work, or if it were just a vestigal stub (for a flying base), that'd work too.

Personally, I'd have sculpted it even more like a giant, floating brain.


The little guy is beyond awesome - you should make a squad of them for sale...

The rest of the brain bug is great, but yes, the tail is not working out so well I think.

Just make sure that no women start laughing when you put that miniature next to your drop pod

I suggested that the head spines be more integrated with the head plates, they look added on rather then grown onto the skull at this point.

Also I asked for the plates that are on the small of the back to continue to extend down the tail a little, this would integrate the tail more with the whole model rather then a naked tail. Sorta like a Trygon has tail plates on the top of its tail as well.

Concave holes on both sides of the tail were another request..

Hopefully that will finish out the model.

I am trying to have this cast as one metal model, so no assembly would be necessary, just some nicely spaced pegs on the bottom of the tail so it fits on a 40 mm base.

I could go resin, but it would require assembly and be more expensive (probably).

Spore pod hit production this week Target MSRP is $30.00.

Edges and corners look very soft compared to the crispness of the plastics GW produces. Otherwise I like it.

I love the cartoonish look to the brain and head. Overall aces. Only issue is the chubby arms, but its so minor in comparison.

Ew, its so icky! i love it.

Good start; I think your comments are a step in the right direction for how to proceed. Agreeing with the others... something just isn't right about that tail. Also, and this is just my 2 cents, but I thought that the backplates extended over the body, which gave the Doom a hooded look.

Keep up the good work.

Sorry, although I usually love Navarro-aliens, the "new bugger" does not feel right. At all.

The tiny tail and the cartoony brain sculpt + the lack of "sharpness" (i.e. blobbyness) in the carapace destroys what otherwise (judging from the concept art) could have been a great addition to my Tyranid army.

Perhaps you should start using brown stuff or a similar product to get crisp details and sharp edges in what should look like hard materials?

Presumably, the model in question represents this:



(Doom of Malantai)

The jagged tail from the "official" artwork would add visual interest.

Also, note that that the overall body design is very different, more with much more complex plate edging.

JohnHwangDD wrote:Presumably, the model in question represents this:



(Doom of Malantai)

The jagged tail from the "official" artwork would add visual interest.

Also, note that that the overall body design is very different, more with much more complex plate edging.

Then again if we took some artist work and did a direct copy in a whole model, that is just asking for a GW lawsuit. Something we rather not do (and have not done yet).

looks good, but as others have said, a little top heavy for my likings. The tail is ok but I have a feeling one drop will lead to a lot of shouting and curses. If the problems were fixed I'd definately consider buying one, but this thing reminds me more of radioactive cobra than evil brain bug ready to eat your mind and body.

Chapterhouse wrote:

JohnHwangDD wrote:Presumably, the model in question represents this:



(Doom of Malantai)

The jagged tail from the "official" artwork would add visual interest.

Also, note that that the overall body design is very different, more with much more complex plate edging.

Then again if we took some artist work and did a direct copy in a whole model, that is just asking for a GW lawsuit. Something we rather not do (and have not done yet).

I wouldn't worry about that too much - not even GW does a direct translation of artwork into model. That's why there's endless complaint over why the model isn't as "good" as the original artwork.

Recall the updated "octopus-head" Keeper of Secrets vs the High Elf picture, and the difference can be striking.


And, as noted above, I'd have made the model into more of a floating brain, as an original design, rather than mixing against the GW artwork.