40K Tyranid Combat Patrol

The Tyranid slippery slope continues... so here's my Combat Patrol. I'm thinking of calling it Splinter Fleet Glaurung.

Tyranid Combat Patrol

They're led by a winged Tyranid Prime. I'm neither a huge fan of winged big 'nids, nor this sculpt's original pose with the wings down like a walking bat. It was an easy conversion to a wings-up pose.

Winged Tyranid Prime

The big beasty is a Psychophage, a gribbly that loves to feed on psykers and releases a corrosive ash from its digestive vents on its back. The original model has the smoke effects modelled on- it is easy to carve them off.

Psychophage

There are three Von Ryan's Leapers, named after a throwaway line in the 3rd Edition Codex (2001). They look pretty cool.

Von Ryan's Leapers

Another new gaunt variant is the Barbgaunt. There's a ganglio-parasite that pilots the main beast as it carries around a RPG-like organism that fires transfixing barbs. Targeted units are slowed down. Not my favourites, but nice to have them done.

Barbgaunts

Barbgaunt

Finally, twenty termagants. I 'merely' had to paint another thirteen after my initial brood of seven. These are the old sculpts, not the nice new ones.

Termagants

I've just acquired Jon Hodgson's Sci-Fi Backdrops book, which you will be seeing more of.

Behind the scenes of the VFX at 20th Century Barks Studios