Hello again from Central Virginia, where the snow keeps falling so I keep modeling. I’m keeping steady so far with my Tyranid Waterbugz converting up some Slitherguard aka Tyrant Guard to keep my big bad leader bugs safe.
This time I modeled them in the same style as my Slithercannons from before, but with a little bit of a twist to the head and spine. I tried to make them show a little movement, like they were cracking their whip and the other sets of arms were supporting that movement. It was hard to pull off I think with 6 sets of appendages, but I’m happy with the results.
I started out with a normal metal Ravener torso, and added plastic Genestealer Rending Claws, and a Venomthrope Tendril to make a Lash Whip (hey for 5pts why not). Then I rounded off the head spikes with clippers and puttied up a scarry domed alien head to emulate the guard a bit. Last but not least I clipped down the back spines and filed them nice and flat.
So up next is the Hive Tyrant him/ herself. It’s gotta slither, so should I start the conversion off with the Trygon, or go for the Slitherfex look?
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at the Las Vegas Open, each of which attracts thousands of players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the 2011 Adepticon 40k Team Tournament. He was even featured for his painting in issue #304 of Games Workshop’s White Dwarf Magazine.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
