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Tyranid conversion tips

5K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  DAMO.R 
#1 · (Edited)
Since there is no word yet of that illusive Tyranid Second wave there are lot of the codex units that are severely lacking in the model department, which i find to be quite frustrating at times as not all of them are practical to convert...however there are those that are.

i was lucky enough to find an already converted Tervigon for sale on Ebay for £15 and even had Termagaunts growing out from underneath.

i am also considering converting Old One Eye, The Swarmlord and a Tyrannofex.

for my Old One Eye conversion:

1. position the legs to make it more upright.

2. take the regenerator head and cut off the top where the carapace plates are and also the bottom jaw.

3. replace the top carapace with a cut down version of the Trygon head carapace (i have also added scratches and damage on the same side as the exposed skull. you may want to use green stuff to get a perfect fit with no gaps.)

4. replace the lower jaw with that of a Trygon (on the same side as the exposed skull there are a few scars and missing teeth. again greenstuff may be nescessary.)

5. take the Trygon prime Mandibles and remove the bits that look like spines, then attatch to the sides of the head accordingly (on the same side as the exposed skull i have added damage and most of the mandible is missing)

6. remove the spikes from the centre of the Carnifex chest and replace them with the Adrenal gland carapace from the Trygon kit (green stuff may be required for a better fit)

7. replace the carnifex tail end with one from the Trygon kit (can be which ever, but im using the one that looks like a stinger)

8. attatch the head and angle it to be looking forward (green stuff will be required for angling the head or you could have it looking more upward, as if about to unleash a deafening cry)

9.the final step is to give it the pair of Crusher Claws in the top sockets, and then im giving it a pair of the Trygon Scything talons in the lower sockets, but any will do.

if you have any questions then feel free to ask and i will attempt to post images upon completion.

the swarmlord is the easiest.

1. buy a Finecast Hive Tyrant

2. buy 2 pairs of the resin Boneswords from Chapterhouse studios

3. combine them...its that simple.

i may go into detail about the Tyrannofex later if anyone is interested.
 
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#2 ·
When you're talking about the Tervigon eBay kit, I think I know what you're talking about. Guys, there's a great kit on eBay for this Tervigon, it's resin and you need a Carnifex for it. As [MENTION=49780]DAMO.R[/MENTION] said, it is a really good cast, and costs about $28 USD from what I can remember, not including postage.

No one plays the Old One Eye, so I wouldn't bother writing a conversion method. For the Swarmlord I just bought this resin pack of boneswords on eBay, basically identical to the one you get with the Hive Tyrant set, and they are superb.

As for a Tyrannofex conversion, I have seen a few come and go, my favourite one looked kind of like a Biovore or Pyrovore with a massive gun coming out of its back. I did a conversion like this myself, where I just built the Carnifex as normal, until I got to the arm sockets and the front plate of carapace. I also used a Bio-Plasma mouth. For the arms sockets closest to the legs, with the aid of some green stuff to extend the arms I positioned Crushing Claws to make it look like he is supporting himself with them. Next, I used green stuff again to give him a pair of Stranglethorn Cannon arms, to make them look twin linked, in the front sockets. For the Carapace, I used the Cluster Spines front, with a large oval cut in the middle. Next, I used a Pyrovore's Flamespurt cannon and stuck it in there, with the aid of green stuff, and sculpted large veins and things coming out and going into the rest of the carapace. I have only received praise for this, no criticism, however that just might be my opponents being kind :p but I reckon it looks half decent.

Sorry if I have kind of stolen this thread from you, just saying what I did.

The Warlord
:terror:
 
#3 ·
Well, i dont know why not a lot of people dont like Old one eye, but its here if anyone does want to convert one.

as for the tyrannofex i will try and get it as close to the codex picture as possible like this:

1. build the carnifex main body and legs.

2. take the standard carnifex head and remove the bottom jaw and attatch to the body. (try and position the legs so the carnifex is looking as straight ahead as possible)

3. using green stuff, attatch 2 stranglethorn cannons together, side by side so as it looks like a large double barreled cannon.

4. attatch the cannon under where the carnifex's bottom jaw used to be and mould it onto the head and torso with green stuff.

5. place the large scything talons in the front arm sockets and position them so that they are holding the carnifex up (this may require a large oval base)

6. then take the other set of scything tallons and remove the talon parts and place them upside down in the opposite sockets (so they are in an upside down V position, or just look at the codex picture to see what i mean)

7. the chances are that they wont quite reach the cannon, so using green stuff create some small finger like tubes that reach onto the gun and mould them onto it.

and thats about it for that one i think... so if im correct after following this you should be left with something that looks very similar to the codex picture.

As for the tervigon, it was actually just one someone had made from scratch using a few spare gaunt parts and some green stuff, but it looked the part and it was cheaper than making one myself so i got it while i had the chance and i dont regret it.

also i could not find the boneswords that you were talking about but i dont think they were the same ones that i was, but i dont know. if you could give me the direct link i would appreciate it :)
 
#4 ·
DAMO.R said:
Well, i dont know why not a lot of people dont like Old one eye, but its here if anyone does want to convert one.

also i could not find the boneswords that you were talking about but i dont think they were the same ones that i was, but i dont know. if you could give me the direct link i would appreciate it :)
The Old One Eye gets so much hate for a number of reasons. For me, it's because it's so crappily designed (out of date) and the paint job looks unappealing which instantly makes me not want to buy it. Secondly, as for rules, anyone here would much prefer a kitted up Tyrant or a Trygon Prime with points to spare rather than this.

As for the link, I believe it was either you or someone else on this forum who found a dual Bonesword and Lashwhip resin kit on eBay for sale. Find them, and it's the guy that sells them that sells the Quad Bonesword kit for the Swarmy :)
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks ;) i have just purchased a set of those boneswords that you mentioned. they were better than the others i had seen and were the same price!.

Anyway, the Old one eye model is very very old and everything looked that bad back then, and as for the paint job, thats entirely up to the player. but thats why im converting my own, because im not that fond of the old Mini.

i dont see too many problems with the rules, i mean it would have been nice to make him an independant character for a unit of Carnifexes and be a synapse creature but thats about it. apart from that:

1. he has higher strength than a Carnifex

2. he has higher leadership than a Carnifex

3. he regenerates wounds on a 5+ instead of the regular 6+

4. he can re-roll all failed to hit rolls of a 1 (scything talons)

5. he has 4 attacks + an extra D3 attacks for Crusher claws

6. all successfull to hit rolls generate an extra attack each (note, these further attacks cannot generate more attacks)

7. all friendly units within 12" can use Old one eyes leadership

if you were to take a carnifex and give it crusher claws and regeneration it would cost 210 points

old one eye is 260 points so for an extra 50 points you are getting, +1 strength, +1 leadership, better Regeneration, the ability for all friendlies within 12" to share his leadership value and bonus attacks for successfull hits.

so im sorry but i fail to see any fault with this unit so either people are mostly put off by the current model or have not thought through his usefullness enough.

if the case is that most people dont like the model, then that is why i have posted my suggestion, if not then please explain to me why he is so bad, because i cant see it!
 
#6 ·
No worries!

I believe that the Old One Eye has been disregarded because the 'Carnifex hit the nerfbat' this edition. The Old One Eye is pretty much a Carnifex. Fire enough guns at it it's going to die. In CC, a lot of combat units are going to kill it (especially Paladins... hate those things) and if you aim it at the shooty units you are wasting the less ferocious combat units' potential in your army. Also I just think the model looks disgusting :p
 
#7 ·
like i said, thats why im converting my own :p

i also managed to convert some spike rifles and stranglewebs for my gaunts.

Spike Rifle:

1. cut the end off of a devourer gun up untill the hole for the other arm.

2. replace the end with one from a flesh borer.

3. take a Flesh Hook and cut it down to size, then stick it in the end of the gun...done.

strangleweb.

1.take a flesh borer gun and place a small pair of mandibles at each side of the barell (i used spare Trygon spikes)

2.place one of the smallest Mawlock quills underneath the barell pointing forward...done
 
#9 ·
Eh, not really. unless you are reffering to the chapterhouse swords that i mentioned in which case yes they are better, but the ones on Ebay that me and Warlord bought look exactly like the actual Hive Tyrand Boneswords except there are both left and right ones and a total of 4.

anyway, conversion tips...hmmm, what to do, what to do...ooh yeah, Parasite of Mortrex.

1.take a tyranid warrior and construct the torso and tail segments, but not the legs (we dont need those)

2.take a head from the tyranid ravenors kit and attatch it to the warrior (alternativley, you could make your own mandables)

3.place in the top 2 arm sockets a pair of Forgeworld Warrior wings (if you have an alternate solution then i would like to know, especially if its cheaper)

4.place in the remaining 2 arm sockets a pair of medium sized scything talons (can be from tyranid ravenor kit or other alternative)

5.place a pair of small scything talons in the leg sockets (can be from Gaunts or again, the ravenor kit)

6.using a pin vice or similar tool, drill a hole up into the models...er...crotch...(this is where the wire or flying stand will go)

7.make any final additions to the head crest or tail to get them how you want them (barbed tail or horned crest similar to gargoyles)...done!

it may not be the best but it will serve its purpose untill an oficial model is released, and you have 2 unused warriors and 2 unused sets of wings, so when a propper one is released you have a basic squad of Shrikes!

also i am struggling with converting a Doom of Malan'tai so if anyone has any suggestions i would appreciate it :p
 
#11 ·
Eh, not really. unless you are reffering to the chapterhouse swords that i mentioned in which case yes they are better, but the ones on Ebay that me and Warlord bought look exactly like the actual Hive Tyrand Boneswords except there are both left and right ones and a total of 4.
Yeah, these eBay Boneswords are extremely good. They are well cast, and I only spotted one tiny little miscast in total on the set. They are better than the Chapterhouse ones. But not better than these eBay ones. Sorry.

also i am struggling with converting a Doom of Malan'tai so if anyone has any suggestions i would appreciate it :p
I know how to convert a Doom of Malan'tai, and it's even easier now GW sells in resin.

1) You will need a Zoanthrope kit, spare Mawloc pieces from the Trygon/Mawloc kit (or you can find the 'Mawloc Upgrade' sold cheaply on eBay) as well as a pair of Genestealer and normal Warrior Scything Talons.

2) File down the head of the Zoanthrope and the inner part of the Mawloc carapace.

3) Use some glue (stringy glue) or Green Stuff to stick together the carapace head onto the normal Zoanthrope head. The end (smallest) carapace segment is cut, and in between 3 spines were placed. Along various parts of the carapace plate, some of the spines were stuck on parallel to each other. The joined areas really need to be sanded and smoothed down. See picture below for reference.

Wood Automotive design Plant Twig Art


4) Assemble the rest of the Zoanthrope as normal, except the arms. Once you reach the arms, with the help of a knife to cut off bits as you need to and green stuff, make the sockets large enough and the joints on the arms small enough so they fit in each other. The Genestealer talons will be the bottom pair, this looks best.

5) Decorate the base as you like, I used an Eldar head and other various basing items of mine, an easy way out is just to use the basing kit.

Credit for the picture and the basic content of steps 1-3 courtesy of Dakkadakka.com.

Have you got any advice for converting a Tervigon?
The Tervigon Conversion kit, made of resin, on eBay for 28 American Dollars I think.
 
#12 ·
Or...

1.build a carnifex with 2 sets of scything talons but give it the back plate with spikes on it.

2.cut off the spikes from the carnifex chest and using green stuff and some spare Termagaunts, model them growing out from underneath.

3.give the carnifex a pair of mandibles.

its only a simple conversion but it serves its purpose. however if you were thinking of something more extravagant then you can look for the Conversion set that Warlord suggested or Chapterhouse have one that looks quite good (the Ebay one may be the same anyway)
 
#14 ·
great, now the tyranids are destroying strip clubs!?!? what next!!!

anyway ive been considdering maybe getting one of those resin tervigon kits myself and just using mine as a regular fex but at the moment i cant afford it so we will have to see and yes it is the chapterhouse one that is also on Ebay
 
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