Mad Nids, Cult and ZITs blog (Update: Foetid Bloat Drone WIP1 and new addition )

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**Knightley**

Simply adore the carapace, looks so good!

**Mad..**

So that progress pic of the Tervigon looks pretty good.

That was taken off my phone camera on a cloudy day with no image enhancements. Is it me, or does it look better than my other photos? Because they are with a "proper" point and shoot camera...

I'm just wondering if my phone camera seems to be taking better photos?

**Knightley**

I might have to agree with you, the photo looks better.

**Mad..**

I will experiment a bit more with this... see if I consistently get better photos from the phone.

Cheers

**Mad..**

Evening team,

I have been beavering away at the Tervigon and she is nearing completion.

Have finished all the detailing, just need to do the varnishes now, shiny for skin etc and matt for carapace and she is done!

Stuck the crushing claws on as well. Decided to go with crushing claws on this model as I don't have another model with them on, and I find they don't obstruct the view to the spawning termagants as much and that is a big feature of the model... plus the claws look cool.

Couple of photos:

Have started working on the base as well, using a tyranid marker piece, a couple of tentacles made from green stuff and the normal cork and basing material that I have used for the rest of the army, just need to paint it up, attach her to it, and viola, a big mean nasty spawning brood mother of a tervigon

Next update will the completed beast

**Knightley**

Having held a tervigon box in my hand, painting this behemoth is quite the feat! good work mate!

**Mad..**

Thanks Knightley.

This has actually been a really nice model to paint. Reason it has taken me a while to get done is that funny thing called real life, two kids under five take up a good chunk of time, then throw sport etc into the mix and things slow down.

I'm still keen as to get this army done by end of year, so will keep pushing on and see how I go

**SBG**

Tervigon looks great! Whatever you did to the claws and hooves is great - I really like the blue.

**Mad..**

Thanks SBG.

The blue on the claws/teeth/etc has been evolving and getting better as I go. These latest ones look a lot better than the original warriors and test models I did. Same goes for the ribbed tendon bits in the skin and carapace, definitley got my technique sorted on those too.

**Mad..**

And she is done!

Had a lot of fun and took my time painting this one up, I love the idea of Tervigons.... big beasts that could wreck your day coming your way, but wait.... its spawns even more little ones! What to shoot?!?! Sums up tyranids for me

Modelled with crushing claws because I have no other model with them at the moment, its gives more room for the little ones to get out, and if one gets into trouble she is more likely to be able to do something with claws as opposed to talons. On the tabletop, crushing claws means while she stomps around she is somewhat of a threat to armour, threat overload... the tyranid way isn't it?

Here is the base I made for her, including foot holes to attach her to it:

During painting this model I improved my process and technique for the little ribbed tendon bits in the skin and carapace towers, and I personally really like the newer look, much crisper and nicer. I also continue to improve generally speaking which is good. When I look at some of my earlier stuff I can see good differences which is great

And here is the big mumma bug attached to base and ready to go:

There you have it.

20 models painted so far this year, have a 8 bug brood to paint up now, so watch this space,

Thanks for reading.

**Knightley**

Did you green stuff those little tentacles on the base? if so they look awesome! Also love the spawning sac's top notch!

**Mad..**

Thanks Knightley, I'm glad I nailed the spawning sacs. They are pretty much a focal point for this model so I wanted to make sure I got them looking suitably gross looking which I have achieved.

The tentacles are green stuff, I was doing some work on another model and had a lot left over mixed up, so I rolled out some tentacles and bent them into a suitable shape. They worked well, especially coming out of the little tyranid marker piece. Only the bigger ones are green stuff, the little ones are part of the marker piece itself, so I won't claim that

**Mad..**

So this week I had a small break from painting and worked on some modelling, built three more warriors with deathspitters and barbed strangler, and the remaining brood of termagants.

I also went to put the Tervigon into the storage box and decided to pull everything out and see how I was tracking... here is a picture of what it looks like currently, which to be honest is a lot more than I thought I'd done and it is starting to take shape:

Then I decided to put out the whole collection, because why not? So here is pretty much everything I have currently in it's various stages of completion... the bright yellow gants on the right are to be repainted in the same scheme as everything else.

All I have left in boxes is:

Tyrannocyte
2x finecast hive guard
10x gargoyles
Bunch of spore mines

So I think I'll finish off modelling the remainder then do a big push to get everything painted up and done by end of 2015... ambitious for me, but need to be challenged

Then I'll start adding new creatures to the swarm, also a new gaming club has started up nearby, so perhaps I can get some actual games in as well

**Knightley**

Bloody hell thats one kick arse looking army, you've powered through so much so far. Whats next on the painting desk?

**Slaanesh-Devotee**

Looking good!

**Mad..**

Knightley - I've just finished a MC, so I figure I should knock out another troop brood. Might do the Genestealer squad with the scything talons next as they are ready to go, whereas the other troops all need a bit more modelling work done.

Slaanesh Devotee - Thanks, always nice seeing new admirers

**Mad..**

Weekly update.

Haven't done any painting this week (unless you count priming) as have been building a bunch of models.

Six warriors, Ten termagants, eight spore mines and a ripper base all primed up and ready to paint!

Have a couple of fine cast hive guard that I'm currently working on, first one is almost a perfect cast

Then just a brood of gargoyles and the Tyrannocyte to build, then all models made and the big paint push continues!

**Mad..**

Knightley wrote:
Bloody hell thats one kick arse looking army, you've powered through so much so far. Whats next on the painting desk?

Been a busy week so didn't get too much done unfortunately, however was able to sit down yesterday and do a skin base coat and drybrush on some termagants and spore mines, so should see some progress on these this week.

This photo makes the skin look really really blue for some reason... maybe its because I took it in their container... ah well, they look they same as everything else in reality

**Mad..**

Evening all,

Been slowly but surely working away on the termagant brood and the spore mines. Not long to go, just need to do blue washes and some blue highlighting, purple eyes and then they are ready for varnish and basing

Really like how the tentacles are coming along on the mines, I will give them another highlight before varnish to really make them pop.

So next update should be a couple more broods completed and new brood hitting the table... current options are a six model warrior brood from a few posts above, or I could peel out the two venomthropes and the neurothrope. If anyone has a preference let me know

**Mad..**

And they are done! Had some real life things which sucked up a bunch of painting time... so took me a little longer than I'd hoped, but they are done now.

Here is some pics under the room lights so the colours are a bit off but close enough:

Next up I'm going to paint the two venomthropes as I am really keen to get a game in, and I'll be using venomthropes, so would like to get them and the flying hive tyrant painted and then will reward myself with some gaming!

I'll do the Neurothrope at the same time as the venomthropes because they came out of the same box

Cheers for stopping by.

**Knightley**

Loving the the mini-meat shields.

If you dont mind me asking how are you doing the bases? I wanted a look that was very similar to how you've done yours but I could never get the look right.

**Mad..**

No worries Knightley, happy to share

What I do is pretty basic, gives me the look I want though.

1. Cover the top of the base in PVA/White glue.
2. Then place a couple of big pieces of "rock" at random spots (I use bits of cork/army painter battlefield rocks)
3. Then cover the rest of the glue with some sort of grit/sand. (I use Army painter black battleground)
4. Once glue is dry I base the cork a charcoal colour and then paint the whole lot with gory red including the sides.
5. Once base coat is done I drybrush blood red onto areas that will see light (I dont worry about under the model for this bit

)
6. To finish I do some spots of PVA and stick some different tufts on. (I use army painter wilderness 4mm and jungle 6mm tufts)

Viola you have a red based planet with the odd bit of vegetation on it that hasn't quite been consumed by the rampaging hive fleet (yet)

Here is a photo from an earlier post of the basing before I paint it up.

And one from an earlier post just after it is painted and tufts attached. This was for the Tervigon so I attached her later, but the little guys I just base with them attached... saves time

Hope this helps.

**Mad..**

Time for an update

Went to paint up the Neurothrope and two venomthropes and found I was out of black primer, so rather than waste my limited painting time I decided to work on the remaining Warriors.

I have six that I am painting up, two standard with devourer and scything talons, two with scything talons and deathspitters, one with talons and barbed strangler, and the last one has a venom cannon and rending claws, because that is what he was modelled with. Generally speaking I'll be running a three strong brood with barbed strangler and the devourer guys as part of a living artillery node, but I have some other options there. Anyhow, here is the progress on them:

Just a bit more work to do on the greens before varnish and basing... oh I went and got some more black primer so am back in business

Thanks for checking in.

**Knightley**

Wow, the greens on these ones seem so much more vibrant, if you can keep them looking like that then do so!

**Arson Fire**

I haven't seen anyone use that dappled effect on tyranid carapace before. It's pretty effective. Nice job

**Mad..**

Cheers Knightley, the green is done in a similar way to how I did the birthing sacs on the tervigon... it's getting better especially when I compare it to some of my earlier models

Thanks Arson Fire... after checking out your paint log and seeing your models that means a lot because your Tyranids look pretty sweet!

**Mad..**

Hey all,

Have completed the warrior brood this week, just need to add a few grass tufts to the bases and they are all done!

This brood I'll run with living artillery node, so two standard load out warriors and one with barbed strangler in the middle, I gave him a different head crest to add to her "uniqueness":

Then the other three I did at same time, two with deathspitters (I drilled out the barrels, because they looked silly otherwise) instead of devourers, and one with a venom cannon and rending claws.... because that's what it was modelled with

What's next?

Well I have been delaying doing this particular model because I wanted to have all my colours, techniques and confidence up before I hit my main HQ unit, I also wanted to thresh out what I was going to do for the wing membranes, you may of guessed:

Flying hive tyrant time! I'm pretty excited and keen to do the best job I can on this beastie!

I have a mangled marine that my brother gave me, so I stripped the paint, glued it to the base and will paint that up at same time, I've also filled in the gaps with plastic putty (white bit on tail for example). So she is ready to go!

Stay tuned for Tyrant updates

**Knightley**

Oooh a big beastie! the warriors look very cohesive, top work

**Mad..**

Evening all,

Managed to make a start on the flying hive tyrant this week. Have mostly finished the skin and am now base coating the wings... which took me a bit longer than I thought so have only got one wing base coated thus far, here is a few progress pics:

I'm going to work away at the marine on the base I as get to the washes, and purple eyes on the tyrant, and it will be done up in one of my brothers marine scheme.... you know, to taunt him a bit

My youngest brother has a birthday this week he loves his Tau army, but has been a bit uninspired lately so as a present I got hold of his riptide and got it commission painted for him as a bit of a centre piece for his army.

So hopefully this reinvigorates him and his army, so Hive Fleet Ngaro has some more food to eat

Hoping to make some good progress on the flying beastie this week, so stay tuned.

Cheers.

**Knightley**

That riptide! did you get tristan to do it for you, I swear I just saw this pop up in my FB feed.

The HT is coming along nicely, the first picture looked like a normal black primed model then I readjusted the screen and saw the blue, nice work