New Nids for New Edition. Deathleaper pp45

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**Souleater**

“Have you been eaten by a Harbinger before?”
“Sir, this is a Waaaghy’s”

**Laughing Man**

Tastyfish wrote:
Whilst very nicely painted, that is a spectacularly unhelpful set of comparisons.

In the bit of fiction they have up in the Leviathon queue made me wonder if it will be an alt build of the Norn Emissary, or just another name for one.

"A four-armed colossus. Godlike in size, taller than the trees, skittering and scything, a face too dreadful to look upon, bone blades jutting from a ridged skull. It was repulsive. The flesh on one side of its face had been burned, leaving charred sinew. But it was more than its appearance that filled him with dread, it was something deeper: an understanding of what it signified. It was not merely bringing death. It was bringing the final death. It was the Harbinger."

Pretty sure this is just a screamer-killer.

**Tsagualsa**

Laughing Man wrote:
Tastyfish wrote:
Whilst very nicely painted, that is a spectacularly unhelpful set of comparisons.

In the bit of fiction they have up in the Leviathon queue made me wonder if it will be an alt build of the Norn Emissary, or just another name for one.

"A four-armed colossus. Godlike in size, taller than the trees, skittering and scything, a face too dreadful to look upon, bone blades jutting from a ridged skull. It was repulsive. The flesh on one side of its face had been burned, leaving charred sinew. But it was more than its appearance that filled him with dread, it was something deeper: an understanding of what it signified. It was not merely bringing death. It was bringing the final death. It was the Harbinger."

Pretty sure this is just a screamer-killer.

Nah, it's the Swarmlord. He has the bone blades, and that specific face burn that he got during the devastation of Baal.

**Altruizine**

If it's a Screamer-Killer then trees it's taller than are pretty modest trees.

I think the "Norn Assimilator" is a good prediction for the fellow in that excerpt. It's the harbinger of the end ie. it's there to permanently assimilate them.

**Tsagualsa**

Altruizine wrote:
If it's a Screamer-Killer then trees it's taller than are pretty modest trees.

I think the "Norn Assimilator" is a good prediction for the fellow in that excerpt. It's the harbinger of the end ie. it's there to permanently assimilate them.

Also a possibility. To add context to that stuff, someone on reddit has taken the full excerpt:

By the end, when there was no hope of escape, people turned on each other, tearing at the ones they loved, blind to everything but the terror.

Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.

It meant nothing. In their final moments they were just animals. Shivering and screaming. Flailing at the dark.

Fighting for life.

Tharro howled with them, begging for mercy as though the monsters attacking them might listen. As though they might care.

'Please!'

Then he tumbled to the floor and gasped in surprise. He looked around and saw that he was at home and it was still night. His wife, Valacia, was in bed, sleeping quietly. There were no wings. No bestial horrors. No screams. None of it was real.

He was so relieved that he laughed. A dream. That was all.

But it had been so vivid.

He could still feel the desperate hunger clamouring for his heart and his bones. He stood there for a while, trying to clear his thoughts, trying to think of other things, but he could not rid himself of sickening images. He dressed and headed outside, drinking in the cool night air and looking up at the stars.

Just a dream.

He could not remember ever being so affected by a nightmare, even as a child. Glimpses echoed round his thoughts. Fractured scenes centred on a huge figure. A four-armed colossus. Godlike in size, taller than the trees, skittering and scything, a face too dreadful to look upon, bone blades jutting from a ridged skull. It was repulsive. The flesh on one side of its face had been burned, leaving charred sinew. But it was more than its appearance that filled him with dread, it was something deeper: an understanding of what it signified. It was not merely bringing death. It was bringing the final death.

It was the Harbinger.

'Emperor protect me,' he whispered as he hurried away from his hab-unit, following a narrow path through the rocks, hoping the night air would calm him. He entered a small wood and the trees leant over him as he walked, forming a tunnel. When he emerged on the far side, he was surprised to see lights glittering further down the mountainside. Who would be awake, now? He headed towards them and saw that despite the late hour, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people had gathered in the darkness. He recognised a few of them, but most were strangers. The sight of so many people huddled together in the middle of the night was bizarre and somehow dreadful. They were all looking out from the mountain, staring into the night.

No one was speaking.

They looked terrified, all of them, their faces pale and rigid, like skulls draped in the darkness. The knot in his stomach tightened. It made no sense, but somehow he knew what had scared them. He knew why they had gathered here, at the edge of the forest.

'The dream,' he said quietly, as he reached a young woman.

She gave a short nod, trembling as she looked across the forest.

'The Harbinger.' The name felt strange in his mouth, heavy and cold. He immediately regretted using it.

She refused to meet his eye.

Tharro remembered the sounds of his nightmare: the scraping of claws, the creak of chitin. Blood rushed in his veins. He imagined talons paring him, rooting through his abdomen. 'How could we share the same dream?' he asked.

'It is a portent,' the woman whispered.

'Of what?'

'The end.'

So there's some sort of premonition caused by the Shadow in the Warp that shows them malign aliens intent on their destruction in their dreams.

**Altruizine**

Tsagualsa wrote:
Laughing Man wrote:
Tastyfish wrote:
Whilst very nicely painted, that is a spectacularly unhelpful set of comparisons.

In the bit of fiction they have up in the Leviathon queue made me wonder if it will be an alt build of the Norn Emissary, or just another name for one.

"A four-armed colossus. Godlike in size, taller than the trees, skittering and scything, a face too dreadful to look upon, bone blades jutting from a ridged skull. It was repulsive. The flesh on one side of its face had been burned, leaving charred sinew. But it was more than its appearance that filled him with dread, it was something deeper: an understanding of what it signified. It was not merely bringing death. It was bringing the final death. It was the Harbinger."

Pretty sure this is just a screamer-killer.

Nah, it's the Swarmlord. He has the bone blades, and that specific face burn that he got during the devastation of Baal.

Swarmie only has one blade jutting from his skull. He's also handsome, not repulsive, therefore you are categorically incorrect.

That pluralization could also favour it being the Assimilator. We've seen that the Emissary might have a huge wedge-like crest/blade, and the most straightforward alternate head to that would be one with multiple blades.

**tneva82**

Tsagualsa wrote:
Laughing Man wrote:
Tastyfish wrote:
Whilst very nicely painted, that is a spectacularly unhelpful set of comparisons.

In the bit of fiction they have up in the Leviathon queue made me wonder if it will be an alt build of the Norn Emissary, or just another name for one.

"A four-armed colossus. Godlike in size, taller than the trees, skittering and scything, a face too dreadful to look upon, bone blades jutting from a ridged skull. It was repulsive. The flesh on one side of its face had been burned, leaving charred sinew. But it was more than its appearance that filled him with dread, it was something deeper: an understanding of what it signified. It was not merely bringing death. It was bringing the final death. It was the Harbinger."

Pretty sure this is just a screamer-killer.

Nah, it's the Swarmlord. He has the bone blades, and that specific face burn that he got during the devastation of Baal.

Swarmlords boneblades comes from it's SKULL? Thought it carries in arms.

**Tsagualsa**

Altruizine wrote:
Tsagualsa wrote:
Laughing Man wrote:
Tastyfish wrote:
Whilst very nicely painted, that is a spectacularly unhelpful set of comparisons.

In the bit of fiction they have up in the Leviathon queue made me wonder if it will be an alt build of the Norn Emissary, or just another name for one.

"A four-armed colossus. Godlike in size, taller than the trees, skittering and scything, a face too dreadful to look upon, bone blades jutting from a ridged skull. It was repulsive. The flesh on one side of its face had been burned, leaving charred sinew. But it was more than its appearance that filled him with dread, it was something deeper: an understanding of what it signified. It was not merely bringing death. It was bringing the final death. It was the Harbinger."

Pretty sure this is just a screamer-killer.

Nah, it's the Swarmlord. He has the bone blades, and that specific face burn that he got during the devastation of Baal.

Swarmie only has one blade jutting from his skull. He's also handsome, not repulsive, therefore you are categorically incorrect.

That pluralization could also favour it being the Assimilator. We've seen that the Emissary might have a huge wedge-like crest/blade, and the most straightforward alternate head to that would be one with multiple blades.

We also have persistent rumours of some sort of 'Apex Swarmlord' and/or a new Hive Tyrant kit, so a alternate build for that that gives the Swarmlord a bit more visual distinction is not out of the question, or even a centerpiece-style eSwarmlord that looks more grizzled and menacing. One way or the other, we will know shortly.

**leopard**

will end up a "Swarmlord Prime" given GWs general lack of imagination

**Overread**

Swarmlord Primardial!

Doesn't replace the Swarmlord, is just a bigger better newer version released alongside. The first of the Tyranid Primardial line!

**leopard**

Overread wrote:
Swarmlord Primardial!

Doesn't replace the Swarmlord, is just a bigger better newer version released alongside. The first of the Tyranid Primardial line!

^^ this

**Tsagualsa**

Overread wrote:
Swarmlord Primardial!

Doesn't replace the Swarmlord, is just a bigger better newer version released alongside. The first of the Tyranid Primardial line!

I liked what Warmachine did with their 'epic' versions of certain casters, no mucking around with convoluted titles and such, just called them eMalevolus or whatever. Of course, that's impossible for GW, as it would lead to confusion.

**Shakalooloo**

Assuming direct control. I know you feel this, Calgar...

**Shadow Walker**

Time to make a little conversion work on Tervigons

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Ahhhh!

AAHHHHHHH!

aaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

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Sorry for the crap-o-vision. Dunno why it went so pixelated. But that’s a plakky Lictor! Finally!

Sorry. Deathleaper. It’s a Deathleaper.

**Matrindur**

Better imgages
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/06/12/celebrate-500000-instagram-followers-with-the-tyranid-deathleaper/

They really just randomly dropped an amazing miniature?
Also with new Deathleaper a new Lictor is all but confirmed

**Dudeface**

That's a death leaper as well, 6 eyes.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Kind of digging the flesh cloak. It’s just…..so utterly superfluous, but I think I love it.

**Tsagualsa**

Apparently the Tyranids had a cheat day at an all-you-can-eat Mindflayer buffet.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Kind of digging the flesh cloak. It’s just…..so utterly superfluous, but I think I love it.

The weird random poison(?) stinger on the back of its carapace is also weirdly nice.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Size comparison with the original.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
On the cloak and stinger? One suspects those are deliberate, visually obvious identifiers so we can tell DL from a Common or Garden Variety Lictor.

**tneva82**

Well not lictor but hopefully lictor too and sooeer than seraphon got reqular slann after sc slann(took 2 years for generic slann after kroak was releasea)

**Dudeface**

I actually aren't a fan, it's just a bit "too much" for me, lacking any more nuance to my statement. The bran tail tentacle, the flesh skirt, I don't get it. What evolutionary advantage does the web skirt bring?

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Oh aye, and if you follow on Instagram and comment on the post, you’ve a chance of winning a Deathleaper.

**Tsagualsa**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Size comparison with the original.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
On the cloak and stinger? One suspects those are deliberate, visually obvious identifiers so we can tell DL from a Common or Garden Variety Lictor.

On a practical note, it looks like the upper part of the torso with the two large claws and the stinger is a sub-assembly that can be magnetized and removed, which is probably a good idea if you hope to transport that model in a somewhat-practical fashion

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Dudeface wrote:
I actually aren't a fan, it's just a bit "too much" for me, lacking any more nuance to my statement. The bran tail tentacle, the flesh skirt, I don't get it. What evolutionary advantage does the web skirt bring?

Incoming BS thoughts.

Helps obscure its legs from the rear, making a sneaky attack trickier. Also looks prehensile, so possibly for enveloping prey and muffling them. And given chameleonic, having a flexible material would again likely help with blending in?

**H.B.M.C.**

Not quite sure why he has a tail comin' out the back of his head, but whatever.

Hopefully this just means a plastic Lictor isn't far off.

**Charax**

Nids ate one too many Lords of Virulence.

I don't like it, looks like a 90s edgy comic book antihero, I could absolutely see that thing showing up on the cover of an issue of Spawn drawn by Rob Liefeld

but I'm not (primarily) a Nid player and I never liked their unique organisms anyway, so if people like it then its doing its job

**H.B.M.C.**

Maybe there's a way to leave off the fleshcape and turn the headspike into his tail.

**sockwithaticket**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Dudeface wrote:
I actually aren't a fan, it's just a bit "too much" for me, lacking any more nuance to my statement. The bran tail tentacle, the flesh skirt, I don't get it. What evolutionary advantage does the web skirt bring?

Incoming BS thoughts.

Helps obscure its legs from the rear, making a sneaky attack trickier. Also looks prehensile, so possibly for enveloping prey and muffling them. And given chameleonic, having a flexible material would again likely help with blending in?

Oof, hope you had a nice big stretch before reaching that hard.

**Tsagualsa**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Not quite sure why he has a tail comin' out the back of his head, but whatever.

Hopefully this just means a plastic Lictor isn't far off.

It's his Anti-Character 2+, Extra Attacks, Devastating Wounds, 1 Attack DD3 stinger, obviously.

The article all but confirms plastic Lictors, and more Vanguard Organisms, which probably means the Normalormadingdong dual build kit.