The Nids
Swarmlord update - Finished!

I finished the Swarmlord friday but only managed to take pictures today. I wanted to use a tyrant head, but since I had none, one of my million fex head did the job. Also, 4 metal tyrant sword arms and 2 whip gave me the arms I needed, I know that they may look small, but the model is so big they actually look ok there.

Click for close-up, as usual.

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This looks good but a few washes esp in the dips and bumps would make it look a little better.

i really like what you did to the model and it looks great but the colors you chose for the carapace and bone swords conflict a little to much. you could try toning down one or the other. i would recommend doing a brown wash for the carapace and a blue wash for the swords with some edge highlights and it should look pretty sharp.

keep up the great work i like seeing converted nids.

i love the IG!
also loving the colour scheme for nids. and the stark contrast
the only thing i'd suggest is something on the teal. like how on bones you start white at the base and end in brown? something to the effect with the teal should help them look 'normal' and not out of a salon....
and i don't know if it's the screen, the pics, or what but it looks like the Tyrant i believe it's called, didn't get the same shading as the previous smaller model did. why not? that looked awesome

-BB

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nice work dude

@stevey293 @darkned1ight Yeah, I think it's the pictures that kept out the washes. I did the same thing, use the same wash, maybe I just used too little since I'm afraid to drown the model with washes.

I'll try to shade him a little more and post a new picture.

@Rhino @darkned1ight I know the colors I chose aren't very easy on the eyes but that's why I like them. I think a swarm army has to create the same visual impact on the table that you get when you watch a small elite army with each individual model painted superbly. Since I won't paint each gaunt with super care, I thought that using strong colors would give me the effect I wanted.

@darkned1ight I'm gonna try shading the swords with a dark teal wash, if it looks good I'll use it on the model.

@darkmessiah Thanks man, I'm trying =p

Since I forgot to create/post the archive photo and I spent the last couple of days either working of painting some terrain, here it is.

Archive Photo: Nightshot taken from Hadrinian aerial support.

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Go visit my WIP thread, check my SW/IG/Nids, comment on them and help me improve!

Also, check out my brand new blog for some painting tips, conversions and finished pieces!

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Started working on a Tyrant Guard I got in a trade. I don't know if you can tell by the pictures but I'm trying to highlight the magenta a little more this time, next step will be edge highlight it, so I can see how will it look like. I'm going to try some things on this model before doing them on my Swarmlord.

EDIT: Looking at the pictures closely I can see that the highlight I've done isn't noticeable, so I'll give it another light highlight before edging.

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You can definitely see the subtle transition there in the carapace and I agree, another few layers to bring it up before the final highlight. Red/ purple can be hard to HL, be careful mixing in white, you may wind up with a very pale chalky pink.

I like your plan of using bright colors but all of the teal needs some depth one way or another. Right now it all seems a bit flat in the pics. I would try to wash the teal in blue or brown and do not wash it like normal. Instead try to slowly layer in the shade tone(wash) towards the hilt/hand/tail/etc. It will just help the eye separate them from the rest of the mini.

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Yeah, that's one thing that's keeping me from trying several layers of highlight, I'm afraid that if I keep adding white to the bright pink I'll end up with a Hello kitty soft pink guard...

The thing about the teal is something I'm trying to work around but with only some success. Just highlighting it with a mix foul green/ice blue doesn't work because there is no contrast, I need something dark as well. I got it when I applied a layer of Thraka Green, then painted the foul green again and ended with the highlight, but the thing is, GW doesn't allow others to sell me the wash because I live in Brazil (and that's ironic, since GW will never open a physical store here...), so I'm trying to find a way to get some wash w/o paying a monstrous shipping bill or stealing from friends...

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Go visit my WIP thread, check my SW/IG/Nids, comment on them and help me improve!

Also, check out my brand new blog for some painting tips, conversions and finished pieces!

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I'm waiting for a trio of old school metal sentinels and I'm assembling 4 Manticore hulls and 4 Sentinel cockpits for the Hydras, and also an Armoured Sentinel (either Plasma or Lascannon, I have no magnets...), but since I took no pictures let's skip the IG update.

The Nids - update: Termagants

Finally found a good pink color to highlight my models. It's crappy paint (PVA paint) and it costs almost nothing but it looks so good...

My pretty boys


A close-up. I found a very bright pink that makes for a great highlight. I took a comparison picture with an old finished, but the lighting was crap...


The Hive's growing, some Termagants on the assembly line


A gift. It's different, but the thought's what count

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Quick update. A friend of mine decided to start collecting some Space Wolves and asked me for help (since I'm the only one collecting warhammer that he know of), so I made the purchase and started assembling his models. Since I had creative control over the army, I decided to make his marines taller than average, but w/o heavy converting, and here's what I ended up with.

Size comparison picture:
Slightly enlarged SW Terminator, slightly enlarged converted longfang, Converted Stormtrooper and my Tallarn captain. Even without heavy converting I ended up with a decent result, IMHO...


Thanks

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Almost finishing my Tyrant Guard, just the right arm missing.

Used a Tyrant whip arm, I had some left overs since I made my Swarmlord.

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Beware: Picture flash flood ahead.

Here's my latest updates. Quick version: Got some minis, painted some minis, converted some minis. There, most of you can skip the rest =p

The nids

My "Zoanthropes". They are a Bathalian Drone, got three of them, and they are about half a cm taller than my already taller than-average SW Terminators, so I think they would do good as a proxy. Also, I love how they look...


My "Doom of Malan'Tai". He's a Bathalian Patriarch, I believe. He's huge, almost filling a 60mm base (which I won't use, I'll keep the 40mm Zoanthropes have so no one can cry about this...). He'll look mean when painted up.


A must have picture which I've been neglecting.
Archive holo-photo: Psychic reading+++Xeno disturbance - Designation+++Zoanthrope+++


The IGs

This is my Storm trooper Sergeant OR a Marbo. Since I got an Arabic model specially for converting a Marbo out of him, I think I'll use him as a Storm trooper srgt. He is taller but the cool factor makes it ok.


Since I'm talking about Storm Troopers, here is my Melta conversion. Don't know if the lighting is helping or not, but if there are no questions about this, I'll just move along.


Got this girl to be my Al'Raheen or a normal Platoon officer. I think i'll replace her hand with a plasma pistol one, but I don't want to destroy her delicate moving hand, so I'm torned. If I keep her l like she is now and just use her as a platoon officer/Al'Raheen, would you make a fuss about it?


Now, this will be my Marbo. I just have one question regarding how would you convert him. I bought him with the idea of chopping his left sword and pinning a SM scout's Bolter pistol, but when it came I'm thinking of just gluing an holstered laspistol on his back.


The Space Wolves

Got him as a Scout sergeant. I'll replace his right sword with a bolter pistol and mount him on a nice base.

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I simply love your converted swarmlord and how you do the active shot things on every model. Not much to say you need to work on.

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@strikingsquirp133 Thanks dude, I try to get a feel of an unit when I create an action shot, I like how they look and it's nice to see that someone else like it as well. After my Tervs get here and I get them painted I'll try my hand at another Swarmlord conversion. Just don't know what I'll do with two lol

Just a note. It's hard for me to keep focused on a single project and I'm sorry for that, but since I use miniature models more as a stress relieve tool than for anything else, as long as I'm having fun I won't be worried by my lack of consistency.

Update: Elite Squad

I was watching a Brazilian movie called "Elite Squad" - IMDB LINK here. I don't know if anyone saw it but it's just awesome, so I decided to create an "In the Emperor's name" squad. It's a skirmish version based on 40k but without using any of their rules and it seems to have caught a nice public around here. Since it's a skirmish based game, I'll need few models. These are the models:

Officer x1 w/ Flak Jacket, Autogun, Power Sword;
Veteran x5 w/ Flak Jacket, Autogun, Combat knife; (2 done)
Veteran x2 w/ Flak Jacket, Grenade Launcher, Combat knife;
Veteran Heavy Weapon Squad
Veteran x1 w/ Flak Jacket, Heavy Bolter, Combat knife;
Veteran x1 w/ Flak Jacket, Autogun, Combat knife;

These are the models so far:

Advancing soldier, front
He was the first one I did, that's why the rifle is like this. I like more the second assault rifle model.


Advancing soldier, back


Kneeling soldier providing covering fire, front
I want to have two kneeling soldiers with assault riflesand one with the grenade launcher.


Kneeling soldier providing covering fire, back


I just don't know how many will be using helmets and how many will be using berets. This is what I got (first 'sculpt' ever). The whole was a mistake, I'll fill it and make a badge or something...



Funny thing, these guys do wear sunglasses and berets while chasing the bad guys, so it's very realistic lol

C&C always welcome.

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Go visit my WIP thread, check my SW/IG/Nids, comment on them and help me improve!

Also, check out my brand new blog for some painting tips, conversions and finished pieces!

http://themechanizedworld.blogspot.com/