40kGamers EPIC modeling thread

[40kGamer]

Hi Everybody! :)

With all the uncertainty surrounding the new Age of Sigmar and the 7th Edition of 40k being the only current GW offerings I've done what any self respecting fanatical player would do, shelved both of the current games and circled back to the simpler times of yesteryear... it's the perfect time to modernize my armies for EPIC 40k! Quick run down for anyone who didn't grow up in the EPIC era... there are 4 editions of the game and personally I find all of them fun for different reasons.

1st - Adeptus Titanicus/Codex Titanicus (Super detailed system that is great for Titan only battles)
2nd - Space Marine (Streamlined from 1st - Great for Large battles involving Titans, tanks and infantry)
3rd - Epic 40k (Super streamlined to the point that the existing playerbase mostly hated it and it failed to bring in significant new players - Still the rules are solid and you can play massive games)
4th - Epic Armageddon (An effort to revitalize the game by blending 3rd into 2nd... arguably the best overall edition of the game but lacked the breath of earlier versions as it was canceled before all races were brought up to date)

So onto the painting part. I decided to start by modernizing my titan legions... First up is WIP for the Eldar Titan Clan Fir Iolarion (The Eagles Born of Fire) This is a modernized vision of the original scheme from Codex Titanicus as it replaces the Metallic Brass trim with a more Eldar like Yellowish bone Colour. I still need to add the banners and take pictures of these guys with their feet painted (I updated the feet to the Yellowish bone colour too...)

But for starters here's a 80% complete WIP of the first Phantom Titan Group:

http://i.imgur.com/quwPooN.jpg?2

And the first Pair of Revenants

http://i.imgur.com/swTndGB.jpg?2

And the most time consuming model of the bunch the Warlock Titan

http://i.imgur.com/bGuZQ18.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/mivAEBQ.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/bXPwczQ.jpg?2

Next round of pictures will include the Eldar Knights which offer up 9 different sculpts of awesomely weird models. Cheers. :)

[Insert_nickname_here]

Very nice. I've got a small ork warhorde that I really should get to at some point. This thread might just give me the momentum to get back to them.

[40kGamer]

Very nice. I've got a small ork warhorde that I really should get to at some point. This thread might just give me the momentum to get back to them.

Any excuse to break out the old stuff, right mate? :D

Well I finally got around to basing up the original Eldar Knights. They were upgraded to the new 32mm round bases as they look infinitely better than the smaller ones. I also stayed with the same colour scheme as the larger titans and after looking at the pics think I may need to do some extreme highlights to really pop the minis in photos.

Let's start off with the Fire Gales:

http://i.imgur.com/gWIKIrs.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/UVbAN1L.jpg?2

Move into the Towering Destroyers

http://i.imgur.com/3sy6R7e.jpg?2

And wrap with the Bright Stallions

http://i.imgur.com/JvazTZM.jpg?2

God how I miss the experimental weirdness of the early days. ;)

[40kGamer]

Serious WIP time... I still love most of the original EPIC models but the Tyranids have changed to the point that I wanted to have a go at modernizing the sculpts as well as the paint schemes. The goal of this little side project is simple. Find the easiest way to modernize the Tyranid titan/gargantuan/monstrous creatures. So with that in mind I started mining the 40k Nid kits for parts. These are very early WIP shots so a lot of imagination is still required.

First up is the Hierodule. Really this one has been time consuming but super simple so far. Kits used are as follows:

Termagant: Body and rear legs
Hormagaunt: Both sets of Scything Talons
Forgeworld Rippers: Medium Sized Ripper head (Nid Warrior Head would also work)

The legs and scything talons have to be cut in several places and shortened to get the look. the gun started life as a piece of paperclip and has a couple stages of GS work completed. Still have to finish the GS work on the tail and back to get the full look.

http://i.imgur.com/W2voniw.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/BoMuySA.jpg?2

Even earlier in it's WIP stages is a prototype Hierophant. This fella requires a lot more sculpting and will therefore take a lot longer to nail down.

For parts it uses heavily modified parts from the following:

Tyranid Warrior Kit: Front and Mid-Torso as well as the basis for the head
Gargoyle Kit: Rear Torso/Tail
Carnifex: Front Legs taken from smaller set of Scything Talons
Ravenor: Basis for Rear Legs is Largest Set of Scything Talons
Forgeworld Ripper: Ripper Legs = Mandibles.... might as well since I'm going to scavenge all the heads from the kit anyhow. :P

Still need to:
Flesh out all the details on the rear legs (Yuck)
Find something to use as the weapons
Figure out how to attach the flesh hooks/lash whips underneath. Probably going to use parts from the Harpy kit for these:

So here we have Front, Back and Side Views

http://i.imgur.com/y1tBwwQ.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/JUgwYeK.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/ecPsI2k.jpg?2

A comparative shot vs the original Hierophant (never mind the retro colours)

http://i.imgur.com/h1lKEqW.jpg?2

And a family photo with the Hierodule.

http://i.imgur.com/F7aVrPF.jpg?2

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most welcome. need some motivation to keep these fellas moving.

[Insert_nickname_here]

Wow! That hierodule is fantastic! Really nice work, my friend. I switched off round about Epic 40k, did they have a Epic 4ok/Armageddon era tyranid rules or are they home brew rules?

[40kGamer]

Wow! That hierodule is fantastic! Really nice work, my friend. I switched off round about Epic 40k, did they have a Epic 4ok/Armageddon era tyranid rules or are they home brew rules?

Thanks mate! He's about 80% done... The Hierophant is more around the 40% complete mark!

Nids never got the Epic Armageddon modernization that a lot of the other armies did. As a total EPIC fanatic I can no longer resist the urge to modernize them myself... although it's going to hurt... a lot. :p Thank the maker for the 40k bitz!

[40kGamer]

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... well I hope Mr. Simon Egan finds this scaled down Scythed Hierodule flattering vs a hot mess. :o

So I managed to focus my limited attention on this little beastie and finish putting together my first prototype. I always start any batch with a single model so I can learn what techniques to use and which areas are particularly tricky. Hopefully he paints up to look like a serviceable version of his gigantic cousin.

For the carapace fins I got some advice from a fellow fan sculpting enthusiast and started with locator pins to provide the base structure.

Once you Swiss cheese the model with 10 of these you've hit the point of no return. It's move forward or let the project die.


http://i.imgur.com/XSqzcPp.jpg?3


After 5 separate sculpting sessions where I had to let things dry in between he ended up looking like this:


http://i.imgur.com/9HEWgt3.jpg?4

http://i.imgur.com/NVTBMuM.jpg?4

http://i.imgur.com/4jz0G7K.jpg?4

http://i.imgur.com/YkvDMqK.jpg?3

The modernized Hierodule ends up being more the size of a Knight Titan

http://i.imgur.com/JPFKT4l.jpg?3

[Gotthammer]

Totes impressive work! :)

[40kGamer]

Totes impressive work! :)

Thanks! I'm a bit rusty but hope to find my groove again. :p

[Kirsten]

they look amazing, great job.

[40kGamer]

they look amazing, great job.

Thank you! Nothing like having some fun with our hobby to shake off all that negative energy. ;)

[40kGamer]

Hello everyone! It feels like it's time for a WORK IN PROGRESS WEDNESDAY! :p

Another week of chipping away at some EPIC scale Tyranids has left me with a basically complete Strain 1 version of a modernized Hierophant! This beast incorporates design elements from the original EPIC model as well as the current 40k FW version. I'm about 80% happy with how it turned out... I learned a great deal with this model, made copious notes and shall endeavor to increase my satisfaction with the next one!

Without further ado, here is the beast in all it's glory for comments and criticisms.

Various angles

http://i.imgur.com/EbAnCSG.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/UbBlqPj.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/kl9rqsM.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/OQzPSO4.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/oQyo3ye.jpg?2

Size Comparison shots with an Eldar Titan

http://i.imgur.com/USNtgzr.jpg?2

and the smaller cousin the Scythed Hierodule

http://i.imgur.com/dQWCEn4.jpg?2

Any and all feedback is much appreciated!

[40kGamer]

Additional early WIP shots...

Here is an Exocrine based on a Termagant body with a Nid Warrior gun shaved down for the back. You can see the locator holes for the front scything talons and the carapace armour needs added

http://i.imgur.com/PIiwkB3.jpg?2

And we have a prototype of a modernized Dominatrix. I'm stuck on how to best represent/modernize the psychic creature on the back of the Dominatrix... also need to finalize the carapace design and blend the head into the neck.

http://i.imgur.com/jjtEVmu.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/KP9cHOE.jpg?2

[40kGamer]

Still chipping away. Have 3 x Hieorphants in progress as part of making a how to assemble the big beastie guide, and have cobbled together a makeshift Harpy out of a Gargoyle kit with a FW Ripper head and extra Spinefists from the Termagant kit.

http://i.imgur.com/86s2KeU.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/e0gQ5Rf.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/YT4rueZ.jpg?2

Don't mind the base... I had some WIP Tau nearby and stole one of the finished flying bases from them to prop this little beast up for pics. That's me... too lazy to walk to the supply closet when something within reach will do. :p

Also have to slow down on the sculpting as it's hard on the wrist for some reason... so I took some time to revisit the Eldar titan clan. The phantom shows the final colours used to detail out the feet. All the earlier one's are done in that style as well so I'm down to iconography and banners on the lot.

http://i.imgur.com/MgED1Cs.jpg?2

A couple more Phantoms and a Second Warlock titan and I think I might wrap this clan up... well I'm toying with another group of 3 x Phantoms so maybe not. :rolleyes:

[40kGamer]

Early work on Legio Tempestor. (Storm Lords Traitor Titan legion) The only major color scheme change is in the carapace where I switched from blue to purple. Still putting off the titan banner work and will have to circle back to have a full fledged banner party at some point. All weapons are magnetized and since I converted the Warlord to a charging pose (which is a bit of a pain since the feet are part of the base) I'll be adding a CCW to him at some point.

http://i.imgur.com/P1h0KSj.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/w8lWfW1.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/5W5GEyS.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/hXODcAQ.jpg?2

and for the younger crowd that may have never seen EPIC miniatures... some of these have been out of production for ages! This shot includes a trusty 40k Space Marine... almost everyone in gaming knows the size of one of these guys. :)

http://i.imgur.com/5Z3KKuF.jpg?2

[40kGamer]

Finally starting to work again after a lingering illness. Hope everyone is having a great new year! Got a reposed Eldar Phantom almost ready to paint. :)

http://i.imgur.com/8yppvcZ.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/Rm3b3rN.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/IccVi7B.jpg?2

[YorkNecromancer]

Those Epic Tyranid conversions are F**CKING AMAZING.

I am totally going to try some.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Woooow! Makes me want to do EPIC again. 😜

[40kGamer]

Those Epic Tyranid conversions are F**CKING AMAZING.

I am totally going to try some.

Thanks mate!

I have the rough outline of a 'how to' for the Hierophants. As soon as I get a chance to polish it up I can share it. I'm actually closing in on two broods of Hierophants for a total of 6 of the nasty devils. Then it's on to cleaning up the Dominatrix. :)


Woooow! Makes me want to do EPIC again. 😜

I love playing 40k at this scale. It's actually the game system that roped me into the GW machine. :)

Here's current status of Hierophants 2-4.

http://i.imgur.com/ZFyzhyk.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/37Ix4Vm.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/ABQgzAh.jpg?2

And the spread of arm conversions to represent the various bio-weapons available in Epic. I'm modeling some of the weapon options into the titan itself.

http://i.imgur.com/aZGNiST.jpg?2

[40kGamer]

Hierophant broods are ready to prime! :)

http://i.imgur.com/jj9GNiW.jpg?3

http://i.imgur.com/OkrpVVQ.jpg?3

http://i.imgur.com/tcsFymA.jpg?3

[40kGamer]

Time to move onto the Nid Hierodules. With the test model done it's time to spam out a brood of the Scythed variety

Making the gun shields starts with a cured piece of curved GS. The basic Exacto knife is a good template for these.

http://i.imgur.com/ovi2MDg.jpg?2

After peeling these off a little careful cutting and sanding gets them into the shape one needs.

WIP of the back gun symbiote with it's gun shield in place.

http://i.imgur.com/Mj3Zpfn.jpg?2

WIP of the first brood.

http://i.imgur.com/0KI73kh.jpg?2

Also starting some more work on the Synapse web. Hopefully this will ultimately pass as a winged tyrant.

http://i.imgur.com/18aHhG6.jpg?2

Lots of miles to go before I sleep. :)

Cheers.

[JamesP]

Hi, I've just found this thread and have to say, your work is amazing. The Eldar and Imperial Titans (& Eldar Knights) look fantastic and what you're doing with your Tyranids is quite frankly amazing.

Have you shared your work with http://www.taccmd.tacticalwargames.net/ or the Epic group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/300383749973062/)? I know both would love to see it.

[40kGamer]

Thanks mate! Have shared some work on facebook groups but not on the taccmd link. Will have to set up a thread there for sure. Currently organizing a lot of random notes and photos into rough how-to guides for the bigger Nid beasties in case anyone else wants to have a go at them. :)

- - - Updated - - -

First Hierodule Brood with scything talons. Bas model is Termagants with Hormaguant arms and FW ripper medium sized heads. Cheers!

http://i.imgur.com/5mg3Xvw.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/hXCqbH9.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/1WY92Dv.jpg?2

Scale comparison shots to old Epic Nid models

http://i.imgur.com/8ibsWUN.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/6GQvu07.jpg?2

Off to the next brood with ranged weapons. :)

[40kGamer]

Starting a side project of miniature Ravenors. We'll see how much resemblance I can handcraft into an 8mm beastie... at the moment they are simply bent paperclips scaled to the old Epic Nid warriors.

http://i.imgur.com/jsEmKVi.jpg?2

And the Tyrant is progressing. Had to rip out an redo some of the parts several times to where the picture looks 'rough' but the actual model is smooth enough that it will paint up just fine. Having trouble with the legs. Tried a couple of times and just didn't like them. Going to work up another pair this weekend.

http://i.imgur.com/5v7uaej.jpg?2

[40kGamer]

Test pieces for miniature Ravenors are underway. They main body is pretty easy but the scything talons are going to be slow! Here is a test talon. To get one that I can glue on after the fact I first shape the talon itself on an extra xacto knife while the tiny arm cure around some 24 gauge wire shaped to mimic the shoulder joint + upper and lower arms.

http://i.imgur.com/VBP2gZT.jpg?2

This one uses some ripper arms while the initial step for a second test piece cures.

http://i.imgur.com/h9MKfrH.jpg?2

These are going to take some time.

[40kGamer]

Finally wrapping up the process of turning a few lowly termagants into an EPIC scale brood of ranged Hierodules!

First pic is prior to carapace fins and assembly

http://i.imgur.com/vuDD6uT.jpg?2

And onto the full brood...

http://i.imgur.com/O2dwFTl.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/TE7bT5s.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/Hsp8qIY.jpg?2

Now I'm off to work on the hive command models some more.

[40kGamer]

All over the place at the moment! Did mock up an Eldar Titan clan "recruitment" pose.

http://i.imgur.com/fl372tM.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/rDtQlWz.jpg?2

http://i.imgur.com/Uskl6U0.jpg?2

[40kGamer]

Finalized the Flying Hive Tyrant a while back and forgot to post! :p

Here it is next to the old Angron EPIC Daemon Primarch model for scale.

http://i.imgur.com/cFWfYdR.jpg?2