Harpy takes flight

[Nicho]

Hey guys heres apic of my finished harpy made from a trygon kit and some other bits and pieces, Inspired heavily by the artwork in the codex :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0369.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0374.jpg

[armbarred]

I really like this. I can't wait to see it painted.

I've got one being built at the moment. Uses a Carni body, Balrog wings, genestealer arms, a base from a Starship Troopers mini and a lot of greenstuff.

[Just_Me]

I really like it, though the really nit-picky part of me can't help but notice that the wings aren't in the correct place for the modified arms that they are...

Nevertheless it's very stylish.

[Madness]

Remember the tyranids rule, 6 limbs, wings counts as 2, so either plug two holes or move the wings attachments as Just Me said.

The way wings pop out of the carapace is weird, can you take a pictur of that area too?

It still has plenty of attitude none the less.

[Aldramelech]

Goodbye

[Nicho]

took the lower limbs off to coincide with that 6 limb thing, is that a tyranid design rule?, Looks less 'busy' now too :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0380.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0381.jpg

[gcsmith]

Not really a rule. as A HT can have wings and six limbs

[armbarred]

Yeah, I'm not really sure were this supposed 'rule' comes from, I rather like the thought of the hive mind "Well, the weapons and legs are effective, but let's make it grow wings too."

[gcsmith]

Lol when i think of Hive mind i think of H.I.V.E a book serious where the school is managed by the hive mind :p

[Just_Me]

It's not a "rule" per se, but if you read the designers notes when they revamped the Tyranid model line they went with 6 limbs, 2 body sections, 5 plates on the head, etc. as unifying design themes. And while the rules allow Warrior variants and the Hive Tyrant to take wings and 2 weapon biomorphs, if you look at Gargoyles and at the "official" Forge World model kits (1 (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/wtw.htm) 2 (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/hivetyrant2.htm) 3 (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/wingedht.htm)) it's clear they mean to adhere to the 6 limbs guideline. Granted, it's not a hard rule, but every current illustration and model abides by it, and I always liked the idea of a unifying theme of Tyranid biology, it gives the real sense that the Hive-Mind is manipulating the same base design into a myriad of different forms.

However, If you liked your model with the extra set of arms, I'm not going to tell you you have to change it. It still looks awesome either way, by far the best Harpy conversion I have seen yet.

[Nicho]

It still looks awesome either way, by far the best Harpy conversion I have seen yet.

Why thankyou very much :)

ill be knocking up a tervigon next then thats all my big beasties built for my list :)

[Just_Me]

ill be knocking up a tervigon next then thats all my big beasties built for my list :)

That I can't wait to see. I was thinking about how to do one myself, I figure with some green stuff, the leftovers from the Trygon I have coming, and a few 'guants I can modify a Carnifex to make a really spiffy Tervigon. Of course, that's going to be a ways off, between last semester of college, and all the new Tyranid models I've ordered big projects will have to wait...

Please post pics of your interpretations.

[Madness]

Question, do you go and start gluing things together right off the bat or so you make some concept sketch before converting?

[Nicho]

Hey guys, thought i may aswell post this in here instead of making a new thread. Here is my finished (modeling wise) Tervigon :) its meant to vomit up gaunts from it mouth hence the gaping mawloc maw. Thats all the big beasties for my army built now. I'm painting my hive tyrant then my harpy, trygon and this fella will be next :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0400.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0396.jpg

@Madness - Sometimes i sketch up ideas, like i did with my landing spore i poosted up here, sometimes i base it on artwork, like the harpy, and then other times like with this trygon i just kit bash with a general idea in mind. In this case it was "big pregnant looking tyranid thing" lol

[Nicho]

Got my harpy prepped for its wash and painting and my hive tyrants ready for its bone, teeth etc to be painted :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0413.jpg

[paul_nicholls]

Very nice harpy dude!!

I see you are using Balrog wings, I just love those wings :)

I just purchased a pair of Balrog myself last week so I can turn my battleforce plastic Carnifex I hadn't used yet into a Harpy!! :D

I can't wait to see it painted!

OT: I hope GWS are going to release their new Gargoyle wings as separte bitz too so we can use those for smaller conversions (Shrike warriors for example)...that would be great!

cheers,
Paul

[Nicho]

Tyrants done :) except for base...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0422.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0424.jpg

[paul_nicholls]

Very nice colour scheme with your Hive Tyrant :)

cheers,
Paul

[Madness]

Love the effect on the bone. Do you plan on doing something on the large plaques? They seem very bland compared to smaller ones, I'm talking about the sword/gun and the topmost bone plaque.

[Nicho]

Yeh i'm going to work up the edges of the bonesword to white i think. As for the gun and top plague i've been trying to decide on some sort of insect like marks to put on those large blank spaces. Having touble deciding what though. I'm thinking of some sort of black spot like marks maybe.

[Shadow Queen]

Im the words of a guardsman "Im not fighting that!" Bang goes the bolt pistol ......

Fantastic stuff there.

[superscenic]

Hey guys heres apic of my finished harpy made from a trygon kit and some other bits and pieces, Inspired heavily by the artwork in the codex :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0369.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/GW/IMG_0374.jpg

I love the fact the wings are big. Big enough to support its weight. Also you put the weapons on arms and not on the wing tips. COMMON SENSE!:D How is the Harpy supposed to aim while flapping? that stuff is dumb.

[Madness]

Well, you don't always flap, most of the time you glide. Yup, I'm a gargoyle.

[Stiff Neck Studio]

Hi,
Just want to say your Harpy conversion is probably one of the best running around on the internet right now. Also if you don't mind I really like the colors you chose for your Nidz and I would love to know the color recipe. It looks deceptively simple but beautiful none the less. Step by step is prefered.Thanks and keep up the nice work.
You should put a little guant inside your Tervigons mouth for added effect :)

[Nicho]

Hey guys, been away btraining for work alot these last few weeks so hobbying was put on pause. Got my harpy painted today though :) Only thing i havent done is paint his wing membranes as im still deciding what colour to use :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0438.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0437.jpg

[Madness]

I'm not a fan of that purple, and I still think that the wings on the back make little sense, but the paintjob and the model are otherwise quite impressive.

Maybe with the exception of the topmost backplate and the topmost tail plate who lack any kind of shading..

[Nicho]

The wings are meant to be like dragon wings i suppose, i imagined them being attached at the shoulder and ive modeled the wings so that they appear to come out through gaps in the bone and not attached to it.

The paint schemes been interesting as this is the first time i've used my scheme on such a large model, its great for all the smaller stuff but liek you said the top 2 plates could do with some markings or something. I'm still trying to decide what to put on the though.

[Madness]

Yeah, dragon and angels screwed our imagination up big time, the tyranids' wings are limb-based (see gargoyles) so they use the same muscles that arms in that position would use, dragons or angels with wings on the back have no muscle to make those work.

Sadly I'm better at being picky than suggesting, I'm happy that you noticed it too, I wish you all the possible luck in finding something suitable.

[Nicho]

heres a pick of what the rest of my nids look like as an army so far. Still got alot to paint and finish building :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/IMG_0442.jpg

[BuFFo]

What a beautiful army!

I find it hard to paint the scheme that you decided to do. I have tried something like that many times, but it has always failed.

How did you get the purple effect on the wings of the Harpy?

[Nicho]

its just purple wash over a black then white basecoat :)

[Nicho]

Hey guys, Got some more nids done and still plenty more to do lol

2 of these done

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/th_IMG_0454.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/?action=view&current=IMG_0454.jpg)

working my way through 5 of these

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/th_IMG_0459.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/?action=view&current=IMG_0459.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/th_IMG_0458.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/?action=view&current=IMG_0458.jpg)

and heres a pic of my prime :-)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/th_IMG_0446.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Nicho2k5/?action=view&current=IMG_0446.jpg)

I've a Tervigon ill get pics of up soon too
Anyone know how i can alter my thread title?