22 Feb 2010

Getting in on the Nid Fun

So where to start.  Firstly, I love the Nid codex, it's a hard hitting well written codex and gives the gamer a chance to develop their own models.  My army needed some decent anti tank fire support, and what is better than a Tyrannofex.  So I purchased a carnifex model to base it on.  Then inspiration took over.

We went to Cuba about 2 1/2 years ago and whilst there we purchased for $5 a wooden crab that came to pieces.  This has lived in various cupboards, including Mr Artillery's as it was the size of Bio-Titan, and we had planes to make a Hierophant titan out of it. 

You can see the wooden legs in this pic.  After a few practice assemblies I realised this was too big for T-Fex with it spanning 12" across in all directions.  Using the Carnie body I thought it was slightly too small.  Time for a hybrid!  Out with the wooden legs - not enough detail and to big a 'footprint'.  For the legs I used the MC Scything talons from various boxes.  I then placed two heads on it (to fill two strategically placed holes meant for crab claws).  I acquired a few lictor arms from an old Maelstrom auction on Ebay of nids bits in a bag when I first started a Nid Army many moons ago.  These were perfect for the outside of the rupture cannon, and there are some barrels from Venom Cannons and Barbed Stranglers in there as well.

The last issue I had was weight (the model not me!).  The MC Scything talons were never going to be strong enough to support the weight of a mahogany crab body.  So underneath it, and carefully hidden by CityFight terrain pieces, is a stack of foamcard to take the main weight of the body.

So here we go - my first ever scratch built Monstrous Creature.  It may not be as good as some you see on BolS etc, but this one cost me pennies

1 comment:

Eddy Artillery said...

Oh My God!

Looks sweet mate! The legs are spot on - it was why I struggled to know what to do with it as the legs made it huge. Now it looks like a proper Nid artillery piece!

Have you got much detailing on the back? Might look a bit sparse without something like spore vents or painted on patterns.

Nice build!
PS Mrs Eddy says that it is nice to see that mine is not the only desk covered in shite! (her words not mine) ;-)