Oldschool "Epic" Tyranid Trygon

I thought it would be cool to play a big game (approx. 3,500 pts.) with the Retro-Nids this summer. However, I still have to paint some of the medium-sized crawlers and one or two larger monsters are still missing. 

I've fantasised about a Trygon for a while now - in the classic style! They exist for Epic 40,000, but unlike some other Epic monsters, there was no miniature of them from Armorcast. I came across a picture of a raw model from Armorcast on the Modern Synthesist blog, but it didn't go into series production: 

http://www.modernsynthesist.com/2012/02/tyranid-archive-armorcast-tyranids-and.html

However, the community has not been idle and there are print files for some of the old monsters. I was also able to find some of the Trygon! 

https://cults3d.com/en/users/CaitSidhe/3d-models

For me, however, there was a catch - the mouth. It just looks strange and doesn't fit in with the other minis. I have no idea whether this is the case with the Epic models. In any case, the raw model from Armorcast suggests a normal mouth. 

I have only very modest 3D modelling skills and I don't get on at all with Blender, for example. To make some progress here, I took the mouth part of a ripper and used it to roughly replace the beak in the original file. I would bend the rest with modelling clay.

I'm quite happy with the result and after a little more sanding I can apply the primer.

Iron Warriors - Daemon Prince

The Iron Warriors needed a leader and so I decided on a Daemon Prince. Such a monstrous, winged creature will hopefully strike fear into my opponents.

Iron Warriors - Castellan Rhinos

I was planning to use two Rhinos as mobile transports for my Iron Warriors. I initially wanted to use normal Rhinos and convert them. I was about to buy two second-hand Rhinos but then changed my mind. On the one hand, it would cost dozens of euros. On the other hand, it would mean a lot of work.

Whilst researching alternatives, I came across the Castellan Rhinos from the Iron Warriors, which I had not heard of before. I even found some nice files to make these transporters a printed reality. It is breathtaking to see what is possible to make even with a cheap FDM printer. Apart from the smoke launchers and the hatch with the bolter, nothing is original.

Iron Warriors - Khorne Berzerkers

Even if the Iron Warriors are not dedicated to any Chaos deity in particular in the fluff, the army has to be playable on the tabletop. I wanted a fearsome melee unit in my Core Units. And what fills this role better than Khorne Berzerkers?

That's why I painted a unit of Khorne Berzerkers for my Iron Warriors army. Iron Warriors cut off mutations and replace them with bionic implants, but this could be difficult to do with a head. That's why the sergeant has a demonic head...

Iron Warriors - Classic Chaos Dreadnought

I still remember very well how I bought the English White Dwarf 200 in the comic shop in Bonn about 29 years ago. I was browsing through the magazine on the train back home and therein saw the Chaos Dreadnought for the first time. Honestly, the design didn't knock my socks off and especially the Power Scourge was dreadful...

And here I am, almost three decades later, and it seems that I've started to grow old. For my new army project, I bought two of these metal lumps. And I've already finished the first one! 

Iron Warriors - Chaos Space Marines Squad

To have something to show, here's the first squad of Chaos Space Marines. The standard squads are always the most difficult part of a project like this. Vehicles and characters are generally quicker and easier for me. So it's nice to have the first standard unit already finished. 

The painting went very quickly. Lead Belcher spray, gold and a dark grey (not including the warning stripes on the swords). This was followed by a black oil wash and then just the decals and the base design.

Retro Within, Retro Without [5th Edition Iron Warriors]

I haven't posted anything here for the last few months, but I haven't been inactive. I've painted and experimented a bit, but none is worth showing. With the new year, I've decided to start a new army project.

 

With an initial target size of around 2000 points, I will assemble an army of Iron Warriors based solely on classic miniatures from the early days of Warhammer 40k. Supplemented by some home-printed parts, I will create a functional and characterful force based on the 5th Edition rules.

I will also take a pragmatic approach to painting: It's not about getting every detail perfect, it's about getting the army into battle quickly and efficiently. A simple but effective colour palette will ensure the models look good without requiring too much time and effort. The focus is on the fun and flexibility of quick painting and low-cost assembly - all in keeping with the gritty flavour of the Iron Warriors.

 

Anyone who knows my project and me knows that I'm more into old models. See, for example, my Tyranids, Oldcons or Tallarn Rough Riders. There are some great models in the old Chaos range and also many ‘more special models’ that I always fancied but never bought. That's all over now! Stay tuned.