The Little Mer-'nid (or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Aquatic Tyranids)

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**stinlin**

I have to say, I truly love how goofy the stealers look. Like, they just look dumb in a GOOD way. You've done a good job so far - keep it up!

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Brotherjulian wrote: I agree that most nid creatures wouldn't need to adapt too much from their basic forms, but going with the prehistoric sea creature look I nominate trilobytes and horseshoe crabs. Small ones would be perfect for ripper swarms and larger versions might be good for other nasties.

It seems we think alike, Julian. If you look in my first post, it actually mentions both of those are other possible Ripper choices. Good to know someone else likes the idea!
I plan on doing something like this soon, but the starfish were just something easy to start things on, and get the basing down.
May be a little difficult, need to figure out how to make those at a size where they would fit several to a base yet still be recognizable.

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stinlin wrote:I have to say, I truly love how goofy the stealers look. Like, they just look dumb in a GOOD way. You've done a good job so far - keep it up!

Wasn't quite shooting for goofy...maybe they'll look a bit creepier once I paint them... =/

**The Fox Lord**

Must go to craft store...Must buy big bag of shells...Must spawn Snailagon...

**dbsamurai**

Nightbringer's Chosen wrote:

First draft, so to speak.
Unpainted thus far, of course.
I plan on trying to shave down the ends of his face tendrils so they taper to points.
The shell is held on with sticky-tack for now.
I'm thinking of cutting his claws and repositioning on his other hand.
Want to add webbing between his fingers.
Unsure whether to remove his tail or not.
And obviously my GS-fu needs a lot of work.

Why not make one big one and have it be the brood lord, and do all the other stealers as shell less hermit crabs? could be easily done, use gaunt bodies with the head where the tail should be and stick the stealer arms on? think it's look suitably...crabby? hermity?
As to the pyrovore...um, fire doesn't really do much underwater unless it's something like phosphorus or thermite...why not omit the pyrovore? template weapons would disipate underwater too fast anyways...
likin' the idea for sea snakes on the mawlocs and such but I think going the alien route is too redundant...why not look at some of the actual fish instead? cause like I KNOW there could be some creepy gak in there for a tyrant to look like...hell why not go with one of the other suggestions of an aqua dino? oooo or the leviathan from that disney movie "Atlantis"
Also thought on how to make your spores look more "aquatic"
PotC davy jones style!

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

The Fox Lord wrote:Must go to craft store...Must buy big bag of shells...Must spawn Snailagon...

Sneak preview.

Though it's my Tyrannofex, not Tervigon.

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dbsamurai wrote:Why not make one big one and have it be the brood lord, and do all the other stealers as shell less hermit crabs? could be easily done, use gaunt bodies with the head where the tail should be and stick the stealer arms on? think it's look suitably...crabby? hermity?

Interesting idea. I'll have to work on something like that. We'll see what I can come up with...

dbsamurai wrote:As to the pyrovore...um, fire doesn't really do much underwater unless it's something like phosphorus or thermite...why not omit the pyrovore? template weapons would disipate underwater too fast anyways...

Yeah, honestly the Pyrovore is only on the list for completeness' sake. I'll likely leave him for last, if I do one at all.

dbsamurai wrote:likin' the idea for sea snakes on the mawlocs and such but I think going the alien route is too redundant...why not look at some of the actual fish instead? cause like I KNOW there could be some creepy gak in there for a tyrant to look like...hell why not go with one of the other suggestions of an aqua dino? oooo or the leviathan from that disney movie "Atlantis"
Also thought on how to make your spores look more "aquatic"
PotC davy jones style!

The Mawlocs I have big plans for. Trygons not so much, but I do have some ideas.
More aquatic? They're giant clam shells, how do you get more aquatic than that?! Add fins?

**The Fox Lord**

Nightbringer's Chosen wrote:
The Fox Lord wrote:Must go to craft store...Must buy big bag of shells...Must spawn Snailagon...

Sneak preview.
Though it's my Tyrannofex, not Tervigon.

I've got one of those shells sitting on a coffe table in my living room, cool.

**Morgrim**

Hive fleet Charybdis, the monstrous whirlpool descended from Typhon that stood beside Scylla.

Or Hive fleet Scylla, for that matter.

**dbsamurai**

Nightbringer's Chosen wrote:More aquatic? They're giant clam shells, how do you get more aquatic than that?! Add fins?

No do like davey jones, add littler crustaceans like barnicles and such. I just recall you mentioning you felt the clam's tentacles were a little abrupt, tacking smaller things on would help blend them in, kinda like plague marines, where they have a lot of open sores and stuff usually GSed on (cause metal models are a pain to mess with...)

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Morgrim wrote:Hive fleet Charybdis, the monstrous whirlpool descended from Typhon that stood beside Scylla.

Or Hive fleet Scylla, for that matter.

Had the same idea, actually. I think I may end up going with it. Charybdis, that is.

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dbsamurai wrote:No do like davey jones, add littler crustaceans like barnicles and such. I just recall you mentioning you felt the clam's tentacles were a little abrupt, tacking smaller things on would help blend them in, kinda like plague marines, where they have a lot of open sores and stuff usually GSed on (cause metal models are a pain to mess with...)

I have a bunch of tiny snail shells and such that I plan on using to spruce up the larger surfaces, but that'll be after painting them.

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Update.
It seems like the rubber-silicone-whatever-stuff that those tentacles are made out of doesn't really want to cooperate. I'm probably not going to be able to shave down the ends to taper to points.
Of course, they weren't acting quite like I wanted anyway. I'm thinking I'll use them for some of the larger projects, as they act properly while of greater length.
The problem now, is, what do I do with the Genestealers, mouth-wise? Keep the plan as is and just go with it? Buy some new Genestealers and cannibalize their heads for the feeder tendrils? Some other solution altogether?

**Icelord**

Dude are those warlords saga of the storm cards next to your tyrant guard on your first page pic? I played that game for years!

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Brotherjulian wrote: I agree that most nid creatures wouldn't need to adapt too much from their basic forms, but going with the prehistoric sea creature look I nominate trilobytes and horseshoe crabs. Small ones would be perfect for ripper swarms and larger versions might be good for other nasties.

I love this idea. What you could do for swarms is mix in with some of the star fish some necron scarabs and green stuff them to look like the troglibites. Already has there shape. Would make amazing swarms.

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Icelord wrote:Dude are those warlords saga of the storm cards next to your tyrant guard on your first page pic? I played that game for years!

They are indeed. Sargok deck I use to teach new players. Love that game. Wanted to do cosplay as an Accordlands Elf at Gencon one year, but it never materialized. A shame so few in my local group still play.

Icelord wrote:
Brotherjulian wrote: I agree that most nid creatures wouldn't need to adapt too much from their basic forms, but going with the prehistoric sea creature look I nominate trilobytes and horseshoe crabs. Small ones would be perfect for ripper swarms and larger versions might be good for other nasties.

I love this idea. What you could do for swarms is mix in with some of the star fish some necron scarabs and green stuff them to look like the troglibites. Already has there shape. Would make amazing swarms.

I think I'll keep the swarms distinct, species-wise, though I did consider converting some scarabs like that.
It'll be something for later, need to work on my greenstuffing a lot before I try something like that.

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Well, looks like bits of this project have become a bit stalled.
Tried Dremel-ing the ends of the Mycetic Spore tentacles, only to have it grind down the stone more than the tentacles. Man, paper clips are tougher than I expected. Looks like I'm going to have to go back to filing them by hand.
Need to reconstitute my paints before I can get the Zoanthropes done, which is quite frustrating as I have everything else set for them.
And unsure where to go with the Genestealers, as I don't know if their feeder tendrils look good or if I'm going to have to spring for a box of the new ones to cannibalize.
And the other projects just aren't close enough in work to post anything.

But!

Fear not, this blog is not dead. Just a momentary pause.

**kanelom**

mate this is seriously some crazy original stuff. Really keep on it! I like the idea of only the brood lord having a shell, and just keep the other stealers all googly looking

**AlexGrannell**

Awesome keep it up!

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

kanelom wrote:mate this is seriously some crazy original stuff. Really keep on it! I like the idea of only the brood lord having a shell, and just keep the other stealers all googly looking

Really appreciated. It's good to hear praise.
Still trying to figure out what to do to differentiate the broodlord. I might end up doing this. Not sure yet.

**NiiloTimantti**

What do the feeder tendrils from the Genestealer box look like? I haven't got any Tyranids and was just wondering. Are they like the bits that are dangling from the mouth like the rubbery parts you got on the 'stealer in the 3 pics on page 3 where you got the 2 different sized shells? Would it be possible to just GS those, you'd save money not having to buy a box of 'stealers just for the feeder tendrils?

Keep up the good work!
This is a very original idea you're going for and you're bound to run into all sorts of little problems that'll slow your progress, don't let them get you down

**sum1thtdiesalot**

THese are the coolest nids ive ever seen! keep up the good work!

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

NiiloTimantti wrote:What do the feeder tendrils from the Genestealer box look like? I haven't got any Tyranids and was just wondering. Are they like the bits that are dangling from the mouth like the rubbery parts you got on the 'stealer in the 3 pics on page 3 where you got the 2 different sized shells? Would it be possible to just GS those, you'd save money not having to buy a box of 'stealers just for the feeder tendrils?

Those are the ones from the box.
I've thought about trying to greenstuff them, but I'm, so far, terrible at using the stuff. Maybe later on once I've gotten more practice using it.

(pictures not mine. I suppose I probably shouldn't hotlink them...)

**Gathering Storm**

What about using the Chapterhouse Studios 'stealer heads.

Link

**Munch Munch!**

What a lovely and original idea! You know, you can still use names like Kraken or Leviathan. These hive fleets have split up into smaller branches called 'splinter fleets." That way, they can attack more planets and harvest more biomass that will be shared throughout the tyranid fleets. Also, on an ocean planet, there'd be alot of ways to live. Massive airtight underwater cities (like rapture from bioshock) Gigantic ships for the rich (basically a large cruise ship multiplied by about a thousand, but equipped with everything for everyday life with some pleasures.) small fishing communities set on the planet's few islands, and automated docking platforms with just a few personnel to supply the large cities.

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Gathering Storm wrote:What about using the Chapterhouse Studios 'stealer heads.

Link

Considered that too. I guess I just need to figure out how I want them to look.

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Munch Munch! wrote:What a lovely and original idea! You know, you can still use names like Kraken or Leviathan. These hive fleets have split up into smaller branches called 'splinter fleets." That way, they can attack more planets and harvest more biomass that will be shared throughout the tyranid fleets. Also, on an ocean planet, there'd be alot of ways to live. Massive airtight underwater cities (like rapture from bioshock) Gigantic ships for the rich (basically a large cruise ship multiplied by about a thousand, but equipped with everything for everyday life with some pleasures.) small fishing communities set on the planet's few islands, and automated docking platforms with just a few personnel to supply the large cities.

Why thank you.

And yeah, I know, but I thought to give the sub-fleet its own name to differentiate it a bit.

Heh. I hope that poster earlier in this thread does indeed start up an aquatic IG army like he said he was thinking about. Lots of possibilities there.
And at the very least, that's some more ideas for terrain.

**Fallenbourne**

I love this nid concept one of the most original I have seen. Few things, have you tried possibly greenstuffing your own heads? Also check out warpshadows picture gallery. More specifically this

http://album.warpshadow.com/v/album50/Genestealers/?g2_page=1

His stealer conversion gave me and idea for one of my lictors. But check that out great stuff.

Also you should make a carni or tyrant based off of the Kraken from the new Clash of the Titans. Or maybe a bio-tian instead of a carni. As to differentiate a broodlord. The shell is a good place to start, something bigger or more gnarled then the rest. Or just a larger build, you could try using a warrior body with the tail shaved down.

Well just my $.02

**TempusCorvus**

I love the Idea for this hive fleet, although I'm not so sure about the use of dead sea critters for everything. Still, it's a cool concept. For the Tyrannofex, maybe you should have the front of a 'fex sticking out of the shell, sort of like a giant hermit crab.

Morgrim wrote:Hive fleet Charybdis, the monstrous whirlpool descended from Typhon that stood beside Scylla.

Or Hive fleet Scylla, for that matter.

Sorry to be nitpicky, but as a Mythology nerd, I have to point out that Charybdis was not one of Typhon's children. She was a sea nymph, daughter of Poseidon, and she was turned into a sea monster by Zeus.

**Munch Munch!**

TempusCorvus wrote:
Sorry to be nitpicky, but as a Mythology nerd, I have to point out that Charybdis was not one of Typhon's children. She was a sea nymph, daughter of Poseidon, and she was turned into a sea monster by Zeus.

I knew it! I didn't want to say anything 'cause I wasn't a 100 % sure, but it turns out, I was right!

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Fallenbourne wrote:I love this nid concept one of the most original I have seen. Few things, have you tried possibly greenstuffing your own heads? Also check out warpshadows picture gallery. More specifically this

http://album.warpshadow.com/v/album50/Genestealers/?g2_page=1

His stealer conversion gave me and idea for one of my lictors. But check that out great stuff.

Also you should make a carni or tyrant based off of the Kraken from the new Clash of the Titans. Or maybe a bio-tian instead of a carni. As to differentiate a broodlord. The shell is a good place to start, something bigger or more gnarled then the rest. Or just a larger build, you could try using a warrior body with the tail shaved down.

Well just my $.02

I totally don't have the skill yet to greenstuff my own heads. Project for later, after a looooooot of practice on other stuff.

Wow, fantastic conversions.

My Tyrant is going to sort of look something like that, vaguely.

And yeah, I was thinking about giving the broodlord a spikier shell, maybe extra arms and such. Want to get the normal ones looking closer to where I want them, will branch out from there.

Thanks for the suggestions! Some good stuff there!

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Munch Munch! wrote:
TempusCorvus wrote:
Sorry to be nitpicky, but as a Mythology nerd, I have to point out that Charybdis was not one of Typhon's children. She was a sea nymph, daughter of Poseidon, and she was turned into a sea monster by Zeus.

I knew it! I didn't want to say anything 'cause I wasn't a 100 % sure, but it turns out, I was right!

Just remembered it at the whirlpool that hung out opposite Scylla, myself.

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TempusCorvus wrote:I love the Idea for this hive fleet, although I'm not so sure about the use of dead sea critters for everything. Still, it's a cool concept. For the Tyrannofex, maybe you should have the front of a 'fex sticking out of the shell, sort of like a giant hermit crab.

Most of it is going to be based on the normal 'nid models, just with alterations, like the Genestealers.
Like I said, the Ripper Swarms were just a convenient thing to get done, heh.

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...

Bah.
warpshadow beat me to it, and much more intricately than I would ever be able to do.
*sigh*

**Fallenbourne**

Yeah but he only made 2 different sea nids. Your doing an entire army. Keep at it, its gonna be amazing when your done

**Nightbringer's Chosen**

Fallenbourne wrote:Yeah but he only made 2 different sea nids. Your doing an entire army. Keep at it, its gonna be amazing when your done

I should figure out how he did those mouth tendrils. They look good, though I can't imagine they're just greenstuff. Would be too easy to break, and tough to get into that shape, I'd think...

**Fallenbourne**

My guess is he used solid wire or a bent paperclip and then rolled the GS around it. The owner of the gallery is Pedro Navarro, so it may be the Navarro that scuplts for chapterhouse studios but I dont know. I think he has an account here on dakkadakka so maybe try messaging him and asking

**Munch Munch!**

Pedro Navarro has a website call Buglands, a massive scuplting project. And, iirc, he's also a member on dakka, under the username "Navarro".