need some advice (Chaos Marines army starting up)

[maverike_prime]

Okay, so I'm starting work on an Egyptian styled Chaos Marine army, not explicitly Thousand Sons, though they will be part of it. And I want to include a pair of Forge Fiends, but the basic model just doesn't look egyptiany. So I'm converting (I know, what a surprise). I was looking at the Necrospynx model and thought it would be a good base for an egyptian styled forge fiend. Take the cannons, mount them on the back, viola. Good to go right?

 

Well, I'm not so convinced.The styling on the guns from the forge fiend are very "not egyptiany" to my eyes (though it could be a color thing). Also there's the point of the large 'basket' on the back. What can I do with it?

 

To help give you a better visual idea of what I'm talking about I threw this together in photoshop:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a316/maverike_prime/Warhammer/thousandsonsForgeFiend_zpsf6dbfece.jpg

[The Acid Dog]

I'm pretty sure the Warsphinx is part of a combined kit with the Necrosphinx, which doesn't have a basket at all.  You won't even need to put it on the model.  Have you looked at the Necrosphinx?  Perhaps you could use that, putting the cannons on the arms, and kitbashing some of the impressive arm-blades and such onto them to make them more "egyptian-y."

[maverike_prime]

I'm pretty sure the Warsphinx is part of a combined kit with the Necrosphinx, which doesn't have a basket at all.  You won't even need to put it on the model.  Have you looked at the Necrosphinx?  Perhaps you could use that, putting the cannons on the arms, and kitbashing some of the impressive arm-blades and such onto them to make them more "egyptian-y."

 

I have, and originally that was my idea but then I saw some stuff from some egyptian styled game or something and one of the things in the game was smaller catepults being carried by what looked liked dinosaur sized Rhinos and I really like the whole beast of burden image for a Forge Fiend which is essentially a walking gun platform.

 

Though I am going to do something close to what you are suggesting with the Warsphinx for a Mauler Fiend. Convert up some un-bladed arms and give him whips to represent lasher tendrils.

[Warsmith Aznable]

You could use plastic tubing and card to make the guns, and use greenstuff pressmolds made from the Warsphinx kit to add the right aesthetic to the palsticard guns.

[Forté]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/2d3a53cd513f7207ca075044a587ebba/tumblr_mf7k2z1Ue01r2psgmo3_1280.jpg

Found this on Google. Hope it helps.

[The_Chaplain]

First of all the "basket" is called a Howdah. Okay now that that is out of my system I can comment constructively.

 

If you were to build a back mounted rig for the cannons, you run the risk of making it look cartoonish like he man's battlecat or something out of zoids; that is- unless you take the time and integrate belt feeds, ammo drums, etc. into the design so it doesn't look like it was just slapped on.  Ditto for the mouth gun.  Although chaos is exactly that- generally you would have to make it look like it has some semblance of logic in the material universe- otherwise it looks cobbled together and orky.

 

I almost want to say use the warsphinx instead of the necrosphinx (like the picture above this post has done) for the basis of the forgefiend because it has the traditional forgefiend profile and make the necro into your maulerfiend.  

 

On a random aside, how's the storm potato coming?

[Prefect Apollyon]

I was about to suggest the Warsphinx option instead, but Forte beat me to it with pics.

[maverike_prime]

First of all the "basket" is called a Howdah. Okay now that that is out of my system I can comment constructively.

 

If you were to build a back mounted rig for the cannons, you run the risk of making it look cartoonish like he man's battlecat or something out of zoids; that is- unless you take the time and integrate belt feeds, ammo drums, etc. into the design so it doesn't look like it was just slapped on.  Ditto for the mouth gun.  Although chaos is exactly that- generally you would have to make it look like it has some semblance of logic in the material universe- otherwise it looks cobbled together and orky.

 

I almost want to say use the warsphinx instead of the necrosphinx (like the picture above this post has done) for the basis of the forgefiend because it has the traditional forgefiend profile and make the necro into your maulerfiend.  

 

On a random aside, how's the storm potato coming?

 

The Storm Tater is coming. If I had realized how demanding the video log was going to be I wouldn't have gone down that route. I would have just a regular work log. Making each part of the video log is more demanding then the model itself. You've seen part 2 right?

 

As for the Forge Fiend situation: I explicitly do not want to use the NecroSphynx (The one with an upper torso) for this. The conversions in the image are well done, but they are also exactly what I do NOT want to do. I do not want to make an Egyptian version of the Forge Fiend model. I want to make a counts as a Forge Fiend.  I will be using the NecroSphyx for my Mauler Fiend basis though. I figure if I paint the arm blades with a "Hot metal" or lava effect I'll be pretty good on calling them Magma Cuters. I was thinking of using the Lasher Tendrils from the Mauler fiend to make a whip style weapon and count those as lasher tendrils (Go figure).

 

I'm particularly opposed to rebuilding the Howdah to support the cannons, though now that I think it through I thin Chaplin hit on a point he didn't intend to. The cannons from the Forge Fiend do look rather cartoony. Or at least lack much in the way of "functionality" to my eye. I may need to look more closely at that aspect.