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Hey guys, new tyranid player here, I'm looking to make a skyshield landing pad look very tyranid-ish. I have worked with greenstuff before and done some modelling so thats not an issue. I'm currently just stuck on ideas as to how to work with this thing. Any help?

Maybe check out some of the spore tower art and try and replicate that for the structural supports? Maybe a curved or ridged chitin landing platform?

when i think of nid structures i always go directly to the zerg from starcraft

http://shop.microartstudio.com/hive-fortification-set-p-1011.html

This should give you a starting point to work with for the 'furled state' rim.

I would either build one from scratch (there are some good ones out there) or take the stock model and "tyranid it".

To tyranid it, I would cover it with a lot of organic ....growth.
Think kind of how the alien stuff was growing all over the place in the guts of the reactor in the movie Aliens.

Put some nid bits on it here and there (adrenal glands, armor plates, etc.). Make it look like its part of the nid invasion where tyranid spores are causing nid growths to start covering everything.

This has the added bonus of matching the footprint, shape and size of the actual model - so no one can complain about it.

Best of luck!

Yeah, if you can afford a Skyshield kit, then showing it in captured state (bits eroded by acid, covered in GS spores and tentacles) would be the easiest option, and avoid tedious in-game arguments re counts-as ("It's 5mm too high, that's cheating!" etc )

A nid equivalent of a Skyshield is a bit harder, as fluff-wise you need an organic equivalent of the movable side shields, unless you're happy to pose them permanently up or down. Unless the nids breed a special giant beasty (a variant on a spore tower perhaps) to provide cover during battle, with movable armoured spines around its back which act like Skyshield side shields? Getting it close to Skyshield dimensions, while keeping the organic look, would be difficult though.

Maybe try covering a normal pad with growths almost it is in the process of being destroyed with matted growth similar to war of the worlds

This guy has posted this up here as well, but here is his blog on an amazing nid skyshield.

http://40kaddict.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/nids-part-117-project-y-scratchbuilt.html

davethepak wrote:
This guy has posted this up here as well, but here is his blog on an amazing nid skyshield.

http://40kaddict.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/nids-part-117-project-y-scratchbuilt.html

Cheers for referring my work, my skyshield is all scratchbuilt, the Capillary Towers took about 24 hours to make, the landing pad somewhat less. I have found the hexagonal shape can get a bit congested when a couple of Tervigon's try and leave using the same side so Cypertur may want to think about a different shape. Mine was foamboard, and air drying clay, cheap and easy to work with. There are lenty of other Tyranid Terrain techniques out there, hot melt glue is a popular option have a look at those and see what you can extrapolate for what's out there. I look forward to seeing your efforts.