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Hello all,

I've been away from the posting about my projects for some time now but I think it's time to get back to sharing stuff. Some of you may remember my work on Truescale/Artscale Space Marines from a few years back (mostly featured on other forums at the time). Well, sticking with my personal fetish of making standard models bigger and better I started this doozie of a project. It's without a doubt my most ambitious ever.

One of my dream projects since the Swarmlord made it's first appearance in a codex. The Swarmlord's very description denotes it as superior not just in terms of intelligence and psychic might, but also physical presence. When the plastic kit was released I was a little irked that the Swarmlord was just a slightly differently armed Hive Tyrant.



The basis for the model is the artwork for the Swarmlord from it's codex entry. Since the release of the latest codex that artwork has been updated and coloured. I'll be using the updated version for the final details (things like the spines on the carapace). I may make some alterations from the artwork here and there, but essentially I want to stay true to the source.



To make the conversion I started with the Hive Tyrant kit and basically built an armature on which I could build up the outer layer. The legs and a large portion of the tail came from the Tervigon kit. The legs had to be extensively cut up to fit the bill but worked perfectly. Building a framework like this is essential for creating a sense of an underlying structure as well as retaining symmetry throughout the model regardless of the miniature's final pose. Of course I could have used a number of materials to make the armature, but using the existing Hive Tyrant kit just makes the whole thing go smoother.



Ironically the whole process of sculpting this figure has been very much an evolution; building up and carving back. So far the head has demanded the most attention. As the focal point of any model I just had to get that right before moving on to finishing every other feature. The head in the photos is probably the fifth incarnation since starting the project but it's finally done. Most of it is sculpted but with the horn from the original kit and the teeth taken from a Tervigon head. Note, I decided not to include the pair of mandibles either side of the head that feature in the artwork as I felt it simply be more appealing without.

I couldn't fit the model on the standard 60mm base (unsurprisingly) and the next size up, the oval base, didn't seem fitting either. In the end I opted to make my own from a solid piece of acrylic on a lathe (yes, I am lucky enough to have access to a lathe :-P). The base width is 85mm wide and the model's overall height is 130mm, half as tall again as the original model (about the same as a Tau Riptide I think).

The boneswords are still very much a work in progress. Below is my first attempt. Despite the artwork I'm using as a guideline I have an urge to use a design more akin to 2nd edition Boneswords. I'll have to see how this develops. I have a feeling that I'll perfect one and then cast it to make the other three.



At the moment I'm at about the half way point with the project. I originally started it for my own collection, intending to build a Tyranid force around him. Progress will be slow, but I'll do my best to keep this updated.

Please throw any questions my way, I'm sure I've glossed over a lot of the details.

Kick ass dude, this swarmlord will be a thing of terrifying beauty once it is done.

this is amazing! Could you put a regular hive tyrant or something next to it to get an idea of scale?

thanks for sharing!

Er - WOW! Great GS skills. Will watch with interest.

Awesome! It'll look so awesome

Yup, that's a very impressive start. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Thanks, I'll try and get a comparison pic up soon.

Unfortunately I don't have a Hive Tyrant to pose him with, though I may get one. I really love the idea of having a Tyrant or perhaps a Prime acting as a Mini-Me to the Swarmlord.

That looks awesome, love the work on the bone swords, they look so much better than the standard ones.

Wicked awesome!

Your gs skills make me sick and jealous. How do you keep it all so smooth!

Good job man!

This is very awesome! I will be following this one for sure. As for the base, did you consider using the 100 mm base from the Tyrannocyte kit?

OHBOYOHBOYOHBOY Dis gna be gud.

 Lord Scythican wrote:
This is very awesome! I will be following this one for sure. As for the base, did you consider using the 100 mm base from the Tyrannocyte kit?

Thanks. I hadn't considered it until you mentioned it. Would have been a good choice if it had been available at the time I started the project, but I'm happy with the one I've made for now.

I really need to do some kitbashing with the latest Nid kits. One thing I'm thinking is ditching one of the boneswords for a lash whip (purely for aesthetics of course).

Just a small update on the Boneswords.

I had a look back through all the boneswords on previous editions of models, right back to the original Tyranid Warriors and realised they were all very much in the same style as the current ones. My previous attempt at modifiying the weapon was based on old 2nd edition drawings. Despite the work already done on the first bonesword I decided to stick to the plan and follow the Swarmlord artwork as closely as I could.

It took a hell of a lot of carving and scraping to get the 'edge' that runs down the middle right, but the effort was worth it. I still need to add some very small details here and there but I hope to be making some casts soon.