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Gitsplitta's Mantis Warriors


Gitsplitta

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That's a valid point Drudge, and I have put quite a bit of thought into trying to come up with preying mantis like power weapons. I've got chain swords sorted but the power weapons were a problem. This was the best idea I felt that I found as these at least look and would function something like the insect's forelimbs. The problem with making some kind of organic looking mantis arms is that it moves the figures too far over to the chaos appearance... and these are not chaos marines. Down strokes are very powerful (modern military uses them with combat knives) and since these are all power weapons which ignore armor and in this case, re-roll wounds... there is far less need for punch... all you need to do is get to the target. With 4 potential attacks, two from the front, two from the back (only attainable from this position), it would be nearly impossible to block or dodge all of them... thus in my mind is a convincing proxy for lightening claws.

 

If the initial attack failed, the warrior could freely flip the swords around to any position needed for attack, but I see this as the "classic" Mantis Warrior assault position.

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That's a valid point Drudge, and I have put quite a bit of thought into trying to come up with preying mantis like power weapons. I've got chain swords sorted but the power weapons were a problem. This was the best idea I felt that I found as these at least look and would function something like the insect's forelimbs. The problem with making some kind of organic looking mantis arms is that it moves the figures too far over to the chaos appearance... and these are not chaos marines. Down strokes are very powerful (modern military uses them with combat knives) and since these are all power weapons which ignore armor and in this case, re-roll wounds... there is far less need for punch... all you need to do is get to the target. With 4 potential attacks, two from the front, two from the back (only attainable from this position), it would be nearly impossible to block or dodge all of them... thus in my mind is a convincing proxy for lightening claws.

 

If the initial attack failed, the warrior could freely flip the swords around to any position needed for attack, but I see this as the "classic" Mantis Warrior assault position.

 

My best suggestion would be to make use of Drazhar, Master of Blades. The Dark Eldar special character has two swords that are pointing down and curved like a Mantis. How would you get your hands on ten sets of them? I dunno, but it would be a fitting look.

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That is quite some marine there. it is beautiful in the way only a 2 ton volkswagon beatle that hates you and everything you stand for could be that said actual lightning claws may have actually worked just fine orperhaps there is an old version forgeworld makes or something. just my opinion.
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This is the first figure I've done that is actually... somewhat controversial. I like that! Got no problems with differing design opinions, I appreciate everyone's time to consider and comment.

 

@Ravenfeld: I'll look into that. Not sure how I'd get my hands on 10 sets, but it'll give me something to think about anyway.

 

@Stonedog: Thanks! Glad you like them!

 

@lee265: Not sure exactly how to take that, but I love the analogy either way. I certainly could have used regular lightening claws and I'm sure they would have looked just fine, but that wouldn't have been consistent with the preying mantis motif that I've been developing for this specific unit (or the chapter in general for that matter). There will be normal lightening claws in other elements of the army, but the vanguard is special... unique... and I want them to personify the idea of a "Mantis Warrior"... thus the accommodation here. I'll continue to experiment though, perhaps I can find another solution that works better than this one.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A friend made me this "chaos mantis warrior". I liked the figure but was at a loss for how to use it on the gaming table, so I made it into an objective and mocked up an old Mantis Warrior rhino hatch as if he'd just dismantled it and dispatched the occupants & was now looking for his next kill. This is my first serious attempt at vehicle weathering. The pitting and such worked OK for a fist attempt. Have gotten a lot of good advice in response to this piece so the next will be better. I'll still do a little work on the rust around the edges (right now it's just a brown wash, will add some pigment powder effects before I finally call it quits.

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/7/27/251726_sm-Chaos,%20Mantis%20Warriors,%20Objective%20Marker,%20Space%20Marines,%20Warhammer%2040,000.jpg

 

As always, thanks for looking. Hope to have a terminator libby done soon.

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Thanks heathens! I appreciate that.

 

He's quite the cobbled together Franken-libby.

 

- very old metal librarian body

- Chapterhouse storm shield and shoulder pads

- FW axe (from the Red Scorpion line)

- miscellaneous GW bits

- GS ribbon on pole (nothing fancy, I'm still learning)

- base by... Dragon Forge maybe??? (can't recall)

 

 

Anyway... I just never use anything "stock" anymore. I love creating my own figures out of bits & I just can't imagine painting a standard figure. I don't have anything against standard figs mind you, they're beautiful... it's just so much fun to piece together your own! :-)

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Thanks guys!

 

One more for you... just finished up this objective marker that I've been working on on-and-off for a while. I have oh... 6 objectives for my marines but they're just so much fun to do it's hard to stop myself when I think I have a good idea...

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/7/31/253494_sm-Mantis%20Warriors,%20Objective%20Marker,%20Space%20Marines,%20Warhammer%2040,000.jpg

This looks better in person. It's very 3-dimensional as a scene and the conversion to a flat 2-D photograph doesn't do it any favors.

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Yeah, the right hand especially looks over-sized... though some of that is a trick of the camera lens I think. It's just the way this old figure was sculpted. Since it was just a casualty I don't imagine anyone was too cranked up about getting the proportions exactly right.
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I think it's supposed to be. I picked up a group of 10 "African-American heads" somewhere and several look familiar... Either way they're great sculpts and much more realistic in size than the GW scout heads.

 

 

Those are heads from Dragon Forge:

http://dragonforge.com/Painting%20service/...rsion_parts.htm

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@lee: Thank you sir! I know it's a long wait on the vanguard... I'll be doing at least one or two more for trade before I start finally building my squad. I just have a couple of things to finish up so that I can field a "complete" army under my current military philosophy (for lack of a better term). I get the bikes and two LS storms done and I'll be free to give the vanguard my full attention as they're next on the docket.

 

@Kurgan: Thanks for that, want to see them get credit for offering some really nice product.

 

@1000heathens: I appreciate that 1K, it has turned into that hasn't it? Well, eventually I'll be making more and more time for my "modern" Mantis Warriors Penitent... but first things first. I'm pretty close to getting the Badab era army wrapped up to the point where I can set it aside for a bit. Just need to stick to my guns for a few more projects. (2 storms, 2 vindis, few odd sternguard) Ultimately their will be more, but that will give me a solid force that I can play while I work on other things.

 

@PorridgeMeister: Yes! I have 10 jet bikes which I will be making into two squads of 5 (eventually)... I'm working on the other 4 bikes right now. I also have 3 of the original land speeders which I'll probably turn into attack bikes as they're pretty compatible with the old bikes in design and look nothing like the modern Land Speeder.

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