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OK, I didn't have the time to scratchbuild a good looking pod, so I copped out with a plasma hatcher egg. To make it a little less toy like I cut the bottom at an angle and mounted it on a crater looking 130mm (5") base. When I made the base I was really thinking of aesthetics rather than gameplay.



It took me by surprise when I used it for the first time this weekend and my opponent complained that I was getting an unfair advantage because the base was too large.

I took a quick straw poll of other players around the shop (none of them tyranid players) we couldn't find anything in the rulebook or the codex that pointed to a proper base size and there really wasn’t any consensus of opinion. Fortunately, it’s not glued on too strongly, so I can rebase it without a whole lot of trouble.

So, is a 130mm base too big? If so what size should I rebase it on, or should it be on no base at all?

My gut feeling is that the Space Marine Drop Pod sets a precedent for acceptable 'footprint' of this kind of thing. If you were to use one of the bases used for Tyranid MC's, be it a 60mm round base or a large oval base, it would have a strong degree of consistency with the existing range and what GW are likely to do if they ever get round to giving more than two thirds of the Codex units a Citadel miniature.

There is no GW model for it, so go nuts

However, a Drop Pod is a good Yardstick as it were.

As others have said no model means no defined base size. As for the DP comparison does that count the doors or not? I've seen arguments both ways as to whether they consistute part of the Hull (and hence the footprint). However wing tip to wing tip (ignoring the dorrs0 the DP is about 5" across so i wouldn't see your base as a huge roblem. Personally I'd rater see it on either the Carnifex base or the Trygon base as it will almost certainly be on one of these 2 bases when released.

I think 130 mm are just fine.

My drop pods are based on the closest thing we have in-game....which is the SM Drop Pod.

People complaining about the size of your Pod are just whiners (Insert "Thats what I told her the other night"-jokes here ).

I like the normal drop pod size...makes it more likely that you'll be able to use your home-made pod when/if the actual mycetic spores are produced.

Well - the Mycetic Spore (drop pod) dies and disintegrates on impact and there is probably now a bio-weapon stalk on the base of the pod sporting a barbed strangler or whatever optional weapon I chose - so should I use 60mm base and model tentacle/whip things on the base (like the extra bits that come with the Genestealer plastic sprue)?

Theres no reason to rebase it, looks sweet and you should tell them to show you where in the rules it says the max size for models without kits, who arent supplied with bases.

As for using a drop pod, thats not a good line of thought, as spore pods arent droppods. So why you should have to model it based on them makes no sense. They arent even really like droppods, no ICS etc.

Right now I have nothing to use for the Mycetic Spore base except for the pustule/short stalk looking plastic bits from the Genestealer sprue and a barbed strangler leftover weapon from my 'Nid Warrior sprue.

There are cheap wooden 3" bases at most hobby stores...

I'd just put it on a 60mm and leave it at that. After all, GW made it very clear in the FAQ that it's not a drop pod (yes, I am bitter).

Hey there bitter buddy, enjoying getting screwed? Yeah neither am I.


A question this makes me think about with the drop pod, if the doors count as part of the foot print can you drop it, open the doors and then place your marines within range of the now opened doors? Do the rules support that?

That is a separate discussion and one that has done the rounds on the this very forum.

Go use the Search function, please.

I'm going for 60mm plastic rounds for bases then. Might put some cracked egg shell-looking debris around the base and place the bio-weapon in the middle (in my case, a stranglethorn cannon. Finally, I'll put the plastic bio-crater looking bits from the genestealer sprue on it - was wondering when I'd have a use for those. Thanks all for the feedback - 60mm should do nicely.