Dr. Ruminahui's leman russ to defiler conversion (with tyranid bits)

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks, @Firedrake Cordova.

 

Long weekend here, thanks to Queen Victoria, so posting on a Tuesday this week.  This past weekend was leg day at the deflier gym:

 

 

Haven't tested whether it will stand properly without the box in support - that moment of truth will be tonight.  The back 2 leg shields are just like the other side, the front one has a slanneshi symbol - isn't quite as eye catching as the chaos star on the other side, but slanneshi symbols are hard, especially in the weird shaped space I had.

 

So, only one major structural element left, that being the left claw.  Think I can bang that out in the coming week which puts me in the home stretch - asides from building the flail, magnetizing the combi-bolter/weapon and maybe doing some work on the left sponson heavy bolter, its all detail work from there.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Looks good.  

 

Fingers crossed the plastic glue behaves when you remove the support box  

[Brother Christopher]

Wow, it's coming together extremely nicely.

 

In case the model is not stable enough, try reinforcing the 'joints' with metal rods (say, from, paper clips). I think you wouldn't have to undo the work you did - just drill in the vital places/joints and insert the rods.

 

Are you planning on adding a demonic head/face somewhere? I'm confident you can pull it off expertly, given the amazing chaos symbols on the leg shields/armour.

[WAR]

Dang @Dr_Ruminahui that is pretty sick!

[PHS]

Yeah it gets better and better

 

Any decision on the tongue? The idea about adding a small mouth sounded pretty cool

 

Cant wait to see more 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Just a quick midweek update - its stands!

 

 

Thanks for the compliments, @Firedrake Cordova, @Brother Christopher, @WAR and @PHS!  It always gets me so pumped to share my work when its so well received.

 

Brother Christopher, the legs are pinned in that they have a long piece of wire running through the hull and into each leg - you can see an example in the above picture on the upper front, where the left claw will attach.  Knowing that it was likely that someone might try to pick it up by the legs or arms, I thought it prudent to make them as secure as I could.  That said, it created its own issues - it adds some torsion to the limbs that can twist them to an angle and/or position other than what I want, and I accidentally unattached the front right leg trying to attach the front left one (as I was pushing on the wire) so ended up reattaching it and attaching the front left at the same time. The ends of the leg don't touch the inner hull and barely touch the outer hull (if at all) so they are basically held in place by the pinned wires and greenstuff - so no plastic glue Firedrake Cordova.  That said, its a good idea, and I think I will go back and apply some in those few places where the legs contact the outer hull.

 

And yes, I do have a plan for a face (or just a mouth, or just an eye/eyes) on the front hull where the rectangular hole in the hull is.  Not sure which - I will float some options with you guys, probably next weekend, to see what you think.

 

As for the back tongue, PHS, haven't reached a decision yet - I've been working on the stuff I have fixed in my mind first as I wanted to get it to the state I now have it where it stands on its own and I don't have to leave it perched on my mug.  I'm thinking I'll work up a couple of options to see which I like best, and if undecided see which you guys prefer.

Edited May 22 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Got the second arm on, but not without dislodging the first - so if its in a slightly different position, that's why.  It looks pretty much like I hoped it would - the claw arms are a little weedy and thin, but more in a way that looks unnatural than one that makes it look like it wouldn't work, so I'm fine with that.

 

 

So, that's the end of the structural elements.  Now its all detailing, other than a touch more work involving the top hatch options, the left side heavy bolter option, and the construction of the flail weapon option.

 

In terms of detailing, I see myself faced with 2 major choices for which I would love your feedback:

 

1.   What do I do for a face?  My thought was to put one on the front right where the driver's port is (its hidden in the above picture behind the claw).  The question is what to put there.  Some options are:

 

           a) put one of the flat plates with faces on them from the chaos rhino kit.  Here are the options:

 

 

And here are pictures of them in place (note, each of these will be actually mounted a bit higher, as I will be cutting off the hinges for the hatch off the russ which will allow me to cover that area with the face plate):

 

- i) the melty face:

 

 

- ii) the demon face:

 

 

b)  a bunch of eyes

c)  another mouth; or

d) my own scratch built face - suggestions as to what it might look like appreciated.

 

Personally, I'm inclined to go the easy option of the demon face plate, which has a similar visual aesthetic to the original defiler, so creates a nice visual link there.  That said, it might not be the best fit with the rest of the model.

 

2)  What to do with the spaces between the outer and inner hull?  The big decision there is whether to put on the track guards on the top - here is a rough picture of what that might look like, though it wouldn't stick off the back like that but would instead be cut down to fit the size.  As well, I would model some spikes breaking through them like I did the legs through the hull.

 

 

And here is an older picture without it - I had taken a newer one, but it looks like I didn't upload it.

 

 

Note, this is an option where I could do different things on different sides.

 

Where there are no track covers, I intend to build up some stringy flesh connecting the mechanical elements and maybe put some eyes here and there poking up over the edge of the hull.  On the front, probably some eyes clusters on one side, and spikes on the other.  On the bottom, its going to be less detailed with just some lumpy flesh and a couple of cables hanging down.

 

So, poll time:

 

1.  What should I do for a face on the front area beside the front sponson?  Options include:

            a) i) the melty face plate

               ii) the demon face plate

            b) an eye (either a single big one like this guy or a cluster like elsewhere on the model)

            c) another mouth; or

            d) a scratchbuilt face - if this is your vote, please give suggestions as to what it might be like.

 

2. Trackguard or no trackguard?  Options:

           a) trackguards.

           b) no trackguards

           c) a trackguard on one side, but not another.

 

3.  Other suggestions you might have as to what to do with the space between the outer and inner hull (so, between the track wheels), particularly for the front of the model.

[Firedrake Cordova]

I think I quite like the idea of an eye instead of a face.

[PHS]

Yeah me too , a cluster might balance well with the ones on the side of the turret 

 

or maybe a daemonic face forcing its way out with the skin stretching, something more 3d than the plates

 

I like the idea of mismatched sides with regards to the track guards

[firestorm40k]

+1 for an eye/cluster of eyes - either that, or a mouth opening to reveal horrible spike teeth 

 

Great work so far! 

[TheArtilleryman]

2 hours ago, PHS said:

or maybe a daemonic face forcing its way out with the skin stretching, something more 3d than the plates

I second this idea. Like it’s trying to break out of the front of the tank. 

[WAR]

My poll responses:

 

1-Eyes or eye cluster

 

2-Partial track guard ie random sections missing.

 

3-Pustuels, flayed skin, or cracked armor

 

I really love tis project @Dr_Ruminahui