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Eventually, GW will get around to releasing models to cover all of the new Tyranids. In the meantime, though, how're people planning on modeling their new 'nid transports? The art in the codex isn't all that clear, so I'm looking for inspiration in the other "spores" - spore mines and meiotic spores.



So far, GW's spores are generally bilaterally symmetric, with generally a brain-like hemisphere distinction. Tendrils, in large amounts, come out the bottom. Most also seem to have valves/vents, presumably relating to propulsion/flotation.

My initial plan: construct a wire framework, and inflate a balloon inside the frame. Coat the bulging balloon parts with thin epoxy resin. Pop the balloon, and use my (now dry) pieces to construct a hollow shell. This should hopefully give me my rounded hemispheres without having to go solid resin (which would be awfully heavy). After drying, I can go back with green stuff/more resin putty and add surface veins & small spikes.

The pod should be quite large, as it can carry a Carnifex. I may try and duplicate some of the hanging sack-look of the meiotic spore, but of sizes large enough to hold a curled-up genestealer; I'm not sure I'm willing to try and model a sack that would hold a Carnifex, as that seems like it might be too unbalanced.

Given that it has an armor save, it should also include some carapace plates, ala the traditional acid spore mines.

Obviously, it needs a whole mess of tendrils. I'm not sure whether these should be modeled coming out the bottom (like the other spores, although this one is immobile), or the top/side, as if it had just finished plunging "head"first to ground.

What're your thoughts?

A little web-poking turned up what might be an old epicast model:


Looks a little too vegetable-like for me. Also, I don't like the obvious "doors".

Well I think this method as a basis would save a bit of time.

Good ole Mahu comin' through. Wish he'd painted it up, though.

@Janthkin: Have you looked to Geiger's Alien/s designs for inspiration?

person person wrote:Well I think this method as a basis would save a bit of time.

Interesting...but would run afoul of (say) Adepticon's model policy (no starting from cheap toys; this really bit some feral ork players a few years back). I don't think I can go that route.

Manchu - I did actually consider the "egg" approach, but two problems occurred to me: 1) atmospheric steering (they are falling from space, but not completely at random); and 2) we're left with a functional creature post-landing and disembarkation.

So organic Space Marine drop pods? Or do they function as more than deep strike?

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/273552.page

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/272802.page

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/271439.page

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/271485.page

Is no one else planning on actually making their own? I get that the Plasma Hatcher is cheap and looks okay (though I don't find it especially suggestive of Tyranids), but I was hoping to run across someone else foolish enough to want to sculpt their own. I need a support group, lest I give in to cheap toys!

Cheeeeeaaaaap Toooooooooooyssssssss.

Cheeeeeaaaaap Toooooooooooyssssssss.

You know you want to. I think I plan to get some myself, though I will of course not be able to resist doing much modifications to them.

@Janthkin: Take a page from the studio's book regarding Tyranid terrain.



It's all spiky rather than simply saggy and fleshy. I see some of that going on with your epicast example but, in truth, that thing looks more like something out of fairytales (it'll turn back into a pumpkin at midnight!) than from the Hive Fleets. In my mind's eye, I don't see doors on this thing because it wouldn't be resuable (hence why I asked that question before). Rather, the troops would tear their way out. But they would need to be able to do so very quickly and without expending a great deal of energy. So something relatively squishy. But, as you pointed out, these things are supposed to survive the atmosphere. So what about a concept where an external spiky carapace shatters upon impact, revealing membranes that can be burst through by troops within?

The problem with troops just tearing their way out, is that this thing continues to live and fight afterward, so I would imagine it's built to allow them exit, rather than just making their own.

So it's more like a Rhino than a Drop Pod?

Manchu wrote:So it's more like a Rhino than a Drop Pod?

It is an immobile Monstrous Creature. A fairly low-toughness one, with a 4+ armor save, but it has a short-ranged attack (flailing tentacles), and fights in close combat. It isn't reusable, but then no Tyranid really is - the ripper swarms will be along to clean up later.

The problem with the spore chimney & related terrain is that it represents a later stage of a Tyranid incursion, after they begin controlling the planet's surface; they grow from the ground up. Mycetic spores are the initial landings - they fall, land, disgorge troops, and (apparently) flail about wildly for a time. But they aren't destroyed by dropping their payload.

But yeah, no doors. Tube-like sphincters seem more appropriate, which brings us back in the direction of the meiotic spores in my original post.

I'll have to try for a mock-up over the next couple days.

Well, I suggested the spore chimney (if that's indeed what that thing is) as a matter of visual coherence, which IMO the megablock toy lacks.

This button from DoW2 seems to indicate a virus/squid/jellyfish design.

Here's what I'm envisioning doing with one of these. The idea in my head is the tough outer shell protects the tentacley goodness on the inside, as well as the troops. It lands, pops open, guys who hitched a ride get out, and it just lashes at whatever non-Nid things are closest to it like a Spore Mine.

From that button, I'd say the smooth end crashes in and then troops exload from the "bottom," which is ringed by writhing tentacles.

Janthkin, may I suggest modeling these into terrain, i.e., half buried with waving tentacles?

Manchu wrote:Well, I suggested the spore chimney (if that's indeed what that thing is) as a matter of visual coherence, which IMO the megablock toy lacks.

This button from DoW2 seems to indicate a virus/squid/jellyfish design.

I was wandering around my house tonight, and found this:


It's a novelty plastic heart, bought at a Halloween shop years ago for a role-playing prop. Has a color-shifting light effect and everything.

But look at the lovely veins. Look at the tubes!

Think how that thing could plow into the ground from low orbit and pick an exit-sphincter (are there really any other kind?) while grabbing the appropriate materials for tentacles to flail from the others.

It doesn't look any more `Nid like than the Plasma Hatcher, at least in comparison to the Spore Chimneys you posted however, so I don't know how you could get behind this and hate the other.

Manchu wrote:From that button, I'd say the smooth end crashes in and then troops exload from the "bottom," which is ringed by writhing tentacles.

Janthkin, may I suggest modeling these into terrain, i.e., half buried with waving tentacles?

I definitely they should land head-first (although probably not straight down - I picture 30 degree angles of descent). Not sure if the, er, evacuation tube is going to be surrounded by tentacles, though - I don't know of any tyranids that have been shown with radial symmetry. Your description reminds me of an anemone.

Aduro wrote:It doesn't look any more `Nid like than the Plasma Hatcher, at least in comparison to the Spore Chimneys you posted however, so I don't know how you could get behind this and hate the other.

Oh, it's certainly not for use in and of itself. But the veined-sac region is almost right - need essentially two of such regions to make up 2 hemispheres. The tubes are almost perfect as they are, scattered all around the "bottom" for easy escape regardless of orientation.

It's not "this plastic heart is mycetic spore," but rather "take a mold of this part, and this part, and this part; now reshape the pieces a little before they dry, and stick them together in this way...."

Using that heart would definitely be the most original idea for the spore that I've seen or heard so far. That plasma hatcher thing is lame in my opinion, and an easy cop-out for players in a rush for new models. Take the time, convert it out of something cool (like a novelty halloween heart), or scratchbuild something to be proud of, instead of using the same toy as everyone else.

To the OP, that epicast thing is pretty much exactly what I've imagined, although the aesthetics remind me of the older generations of tyranids (as the other models in the picture suggest). I would use that as a base idea, but add the modern style carapace (that thing looks like it has a bunch of overlapping fingernails).

-CC

Good point about the radial symmetry. That pretty much rules out a petal-like opening a la SM drop pods or this little pic:



Some kind of spltting? Also, what about vents like on the back of a Carnifex? Tentacles could slide out from them maybe?

@Aduro: I was think of plasma hatcher left mostly "as is" like Mahu had it primed rather than with extensive conversion. I think this thing is going to have to be scratch built after considerable drawing to get a proper nid look.

Not sure if the wire frame/inflation idea is still on the cards at all but below is a messy link to my tyranid terrain. The two small pieces above left/right of the carnifex were made with a spherical wooden stick frame with expanding foam squirted into the cavity. I'm sure it would be possible to use wire or a wiffle ball/laundry detergent ball/dog chew toy melted out of shape with extra holes drilled?
It's a bit uncontrollable but might be worth a thought/experiment?
http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/58650-A%20Carnifex%20stalks%20it%27s%20prey%20amidst%20the%20strange%20alien%20fauna%21.html?m=2

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/273489.page

something tells me that Navarro is a fan of Alien.

very good concepts and models.

Great ideas people keep it up.