++++INLOADING DATAFILE 033++++ Defiler WIP 2

My defiler is almost done, here are some pics of it as of yesterday.

As you can see I've done a bit of detailing! My two goals for this conversion were to make the model:

1. Look cool, visually distinctive, and tied in with the awesome newer kits.

2. Look large enough to justify its 4 hull points

Here is a comparison shot next to the newer forgefiend daemon engine model, I think that I pulled off goal number two for certain.

As you can see this is a BIG model now, most people have actually thought I was making an apocalypse super heavy when they first saw it.

In terms of design I came up with a neat idea half way through building it that it would be cool for the vehicle to have two separate heads, almost like it is two entities in one body. This idea played out over time onto what you see now, a savage demonic head controlling the mobility and close combat limbs and a high tech cybernetic head controlling the ranged weapon limbs.

I am currently doing the final detail work, most notably I am green stuffing the 'neck' armor surrounding the cybernetic head to look much like the center armor of the new hellbrute kit's warped and mutated look. So even more horns and tentacles to come.

The back of the model previously had a huge visual gap between the "torso" upper half and "legs" lower half of the model. This problem was solved by using Green Stuff Industries Tentacle Makers. It turned out better that I could have hoped, seriously buy their products these things kick ass!

Another sticking point on the model was how to make the reaper autocannon. In the end I just started throwing bits together with a few odds and ends, and eventually I had this. I still need to "chaos" it up a bit, but it's not bad I think.

Close up of the autocannon and those tentacles. I tried to give the impression of motion that the torso is turning to the left with the tentacles, though its hard to see from this angle.

Here is the back of the "battlecannon" arm. As you can see I've started "chaosing" the arm, these tentacles were free handed. You can also see that leftward movement better in this pic.

Not the best lighting, but again more details of the gun.

Much better. I intend to do some further green stuffing of the ammo feed face, I think it needs cooler horns and one eye should be three eyes for sure. I think the dark gods decide how to mutate people via a similar process: "this part would look much better with a tentacle of two, he doesn't really need a shoulder!"

As you can see I also added some cabling underneath the close combat arms to fill in the visual gap at the shoulder.  I've always wondered exactly how the ball joints of the defiler kit actually move.

The original look of the shoulder was pretty lacking, the limbs seemed almost tacked on and flimsy, so I used a set of gun shields from elsewhere in the defiler kit and some grey knights bits to make a more dynamic and visually meshed shoulder.  Its the future everyone gets two things, shoulder pads and chainsaws.

As I said I'm making the part around the cyber head mutated and chaosed up, it's helping tie the whole piece together so far. If anyone was wondering where I get my forgeworld bits from I get them from friends who have miscasts. Yes, the 'neck' was a some point part of a contempt or dreadnought's torso...

Now I just need to get more green stuff, I ran out this afternoon!!!

Let me know what you think of it, all you people that read my blog...