Hello everyone. For those who have been reading this blog you may remember a post about my top ten miniatures of all time (You can read all about it by clicking this link). Those that have read it will have spotted that number 3 on that list was ...
This is the model that sealed my love for the hobby. Others may claim it was some cool space marine terminators, a dwarf on skis, that amazing John Blanche undead bridge diorama or even a giant spined dragon but for me it was the Tyranid Screamer Killer or Carnifex to it's science friends.
I love how alien looking this giant battering ram looks. With its four massive scythe arms, that disturbing head and gaping maw, the fact it also had some amazing stats to go with it was just gravy to an already delicious roast dinner.
Let's talk about the model itself. This is a hefty chuck of lead especially when I first got one as a child. It will require some pre-planning of how you want the scythe arms to look before you put it together (top tip keep the arms off until after painting as they get in the way otherwise). When I first acquired one I youthfully put him together more concerned with seeing him decimate some tanks in a game over how it would look. So the scythes were all over the place and one of the legs was lifted up on its heel like it was about to enter strictly come dancing!
Since then I bought a second one which is in a state of to be painted again currently. This one did get painted but it was more enthusiastic than good and was inspired by the pink head carnifexes that were popular towards the 2nd half of the 2nd edition time period. After that this one got dismantled, took a dettol bath and at one point had a scythe break at the arm joint area.
The above image (In that old prisma app) is how far I got when I first put him back together and got some painting done. He got a white undercoat followed by some base layer painting. Then I stopped and he sat on the side of a desk for about two years....
Anyway let's just pause to talk a little about how the screamer killer evolved from this in 2nd edition to it's current incarnation in 8th. I just don't know who thought crab claws would be a good addition to the scythe arms or why it needs to be able to carry heavy weapons. But mostly what I don't like is how it went from standing upright to a sort of crouched over pillbug pose.
Back to our painting blog and the Screamer Killer. Since the heydey of the mid 90s I have fallen out of favour big time with the pink head Carnifex paint scheme. Originally back in the 90s I painted one of my screamer killers this way but opinions change over time.
I just don't think it suits a Tyranid to have a beige/pale pink head. However the original Screamer Killer paint scheme with the blue head was and still is in my eyes very cool. Thus inspiration taken I began working on the big guy once again (also thanks to a nasty virus keeping us all inside).
My method for painting this large model went as follows.
THE TYRANID SCREAMER KILLER!!!!!
Run for your lives!!
This is the model that sealed my love for the hobby. Others may claim it was some cool space marine terminators, a dwarf on skis, that amazing John Blanche undead bridge diorama or even a giant spined dragon but for me it was the Tyranid Screamer Killer or Carnifex to it's science friends.
Hivemind has consumed an ork.
I love how alien looking this giant battering ram looks. With its four massive scythe arms, that disturbing head and gaping maw, the fact it also had some amazing stats to go with it was just gravy to an already delicious roast dinner.
No weak points to exploit from behind.
Let's talk about the model itself. This is a hefty chuck of lead especially when I first got one as a child. It will require some pre-planning of how you want the scythe arms to look before you put it together (top tip keep the arms off until after painting as they get in the way otherwise). When I first acquired one I youthfully put him together more concerned with seeing him decimate some tanks in a game over how it would look. So the scythes were all over the place and one of the legs was lifted up on its heel like it was about to enter strictly come dancing!
Bio-plasma is ready to be unleashed
Since then I bought a second one which is in a state of to be painted again currently. This one did get painted but it was more enthusiastic than good and was inspired by the pink head carnifexes that were popular towards the 2nd half of the 2nd edition time period. After that this one got dismantled, took a dettol bath and at one point had a scythe break at the arm joint area.
The only shot of the Screamer Killer mid-paint
The above image (In that old prisma app) is how far I got when I first put him back together and got some painting done. He got a white undercoat followed by some base layer painting. Then I stopped and he sat on the side of a desk for about two years....
Da git shud'a stayed there boss!!
Anyway let's just pause to talk a little about how the screamer killer evolved from this in 2nd edition to it's current incarnation in 8th. I just don't know who thought crab claws would be a good addition to the scythe arms or why it needs to be able to carry heavy weapons. But mostly what I don't like is how it went from standing upright to a sort of crouched over pillbug pose.
Aesthetically unappealing for me, especially holding a gun. (Bio-Plasma or nothing!)
Back to our painting blog and the Screamer Killer. Since the heydey of the mid 90s I have fallen out of favour big time with the pink head Carnifex paint scheme. Originally back in the 90s I painted one of my screamer killers this way but opinions change over time.
Still cool, but not my preferred colour scheme.
I just don't think it suits a Tyranid to have a beige/pale pink head. However the original Screamer Killer paint scheme with the blue head was and still is in my eyes very cool. Thus inspiration taken I began working on the big guy once again (also thanks to a nasty virus keeping us all inside).
To avoid screaming alien monsters, use a drone.
My method for painting this large model went as follows.
The only work in progress shot I took.
- Glued it all together apart from the scythe claws.
- Undercoat of skull white.
- Based the chitin armour & sinew joints with red gore, followed with evil sunz red highlights while the joints got some warlock purple.
- Based the scythe arms, guts and carapace rhinox brown mixed with a little chaos black
- Flayed one flesh for the bone sections, drybrush with deathclaw brown then highlight with bleached bone.
- I started with marine blue for the head mixed with a tiny bit of genestealer purple. Then used some very thin Nauseous Blue mixed with a tiny bit of liche purple.
- At this point I gave the whole thing a brown/black wash.
- ... leave to dry for nearly 2 years ... 😜
- Re-highlighted with the same colours.
- Eyes were white with some blood red wash
- Guts had some lovely putrid green added.
- Scythe arms were slowly gradient painted with a red wash, but I'm no expert on this and probably need more patience.
- Glued together and tidied up any areas.
- Base was standard white glue and my batch of Javis Moorland Mixture flock
The last thing you see before the Screamer Killer tears up your tank.
That's it for this long post, I enjoyed painting this guy so much and I am very happy to have him on my display shelf even if an actual Tyranid army is a long way off.
Next time either Blood Axe Kommandos or a mad max style car driven by a mutant shrimp and a potato.
Until Next Time :)
No comments:
Post a Comment