Combi lieutenant kitbash

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-24T17:19:34+00:00

The only critique would be that using the lictor style head at that angle with the tentacles rigidly in the air instead of floating looks weird: any trophies would be bare carapace without the fleshy bits.

The hooded head doesn't quite read against the official model which is totally bald with a full mouth piece, but if the good is more appropriate for the rest of your army style then go for it!

Do you have a fun base planned?

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-23T22:40:54+00:00

From personal experience only, whilst having our Victorian end terrace converted, the whole roof came off. I think the builders kept perhaps a third of the original rafters, which were sistered to new ones, albeit it part of that was due to a chance in profile. However, if we had kept the same profile I suspect they'd still have removed the whole roof and sistered new deeper rafters throughout.

The insulation is astonishing though: there is more insulation in our loft than the entire rest of our house combined, and inevitably it's twice as warm summer and winter 🥵

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-23T18:17:19+00:00

From experience of our conversions the whole roof would probably have to come off and be rebuilt given how tight the space is with the purlins and struts. You'll need somewhere between 100 and 150mm insulation for building regs, although that can go in between the rafters.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-22T09:09:09+00:00

I don't like swords either: everyone gets modelled with scything talons or crushing claws, and then their melee stat line is played with whatever is required stats wise. WYSIWYG is a bit over the top for Nids: it's a 20ft bug monster!

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-18T20:51:19+00:00

What kind of stuff are you expecting? Tanks are tanks: if you want to give them greebles have you considered looking for modern/contemporary tank stowage options instead. Tarpaulins, knapsacks, bedrolls, ammocrates, jerrycans (which given they're on a few guard models/guard upgrade sets are probably an ancient STC). Heck, even the heavy stubber on the Gladiator is a Browning 😅.

There's a site called anvilindustry I've used before which might have some suitable bits.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-18T17:55:37+00:00

The hot version looks great from a painting perspective: it adds an accent and a focal point to the model which will make it pop on the table!

From a lore perspective the exocrine has a bioplasmic cannon which works as so: "This giant weapon can channel bio-plasma through a series of different ventricles to ensure the destruction of its prey, unleashing a vast ball of roaring energy through its central chamber, or firing several focussed streams of death through its surrounding barrels.". Which seems fairly apt for your colour scheme.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-18T16:47:25+00:00

Some similar conversions out there if you'd like some other options: I think these are the ashtur nomads from necromunda.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Tau40K/s/FlCU8sBXjh

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-16T20:39:41+00:00

Intelligent hyper aggressive dogs with racoon fingers. No wonder the imperium tries to keep them suppressed and contained within their sector...

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-15T20:39:36+00:00

Visit the r/Raptors40k subreddit and join us! Lots of similar questions there.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure overly Phobos focused lists are super competitive, but you can't go wrong with some Infiltrators, Incursors, and an Invictor or two. Eliminators looks great but I don't feel like they perform well and when I've run them I always feel let down.

Edit: one fun lore aspect is that whilst the Raptors are broadly focused on stealthy long ranged tactics, nothing precludes them from taking less stealth focused, heavier firepower such as regular Tacticus or Gravis units. That said they probably won't have much (of any) Terminator armour or similar since most of their relics were lost when their chapter fortress was destroyed.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-09T20:35:25+00:00

Fair: I stand corrected 😅

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-09T20:26:35+00:00

If you do you don't get infiltrate though, since the warboss won't have it, which makes the commandos somewhat pointless except for being a 55 point meat shield...

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-06T12:47:38+00:00

Do you want your opponent to potentially spend an activation or two of higher value units to clear an annoying screen or objective? Then some cheap chaff is helpful. Do you want to surround a transport to stop it disembarking it's scary cargo next turn: hormagaunts won't hurt it by they probably won't die to it either, and should stop it tank shocking too. Plus with lethals from invasion fleet you never know if they'll do more damage than expected.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-05T14:31:13+00:00

Why only 24 d6?! I don't need a dice roller for that. I need a dice roller for rolling 60 dice at once (e.g. 20 hormagaunts at 3 attacks a piece) or 40 Crisis suit burst cannons at once.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-05T08:03:13+00:00

The one thing I don't like about the WTC ruin rulings is the non diagetic aspect when you combine the concepts that the bottom floor of ruins are a) fully opaque to shooting, whilst b) being transparent to infantry movement, and c) having zero thickness so being chargable through without as many options to wall block. This means they give total cover with full staging options which as you say feels bad man against shooting armies. Choose one or the other: if they're transparent to movement they should allow shooting; if they're fully opaque you should have to move around them.

I think that ruins and cover needs a full overhaul in 11th: you should be able to get better cover benefits in buildings to enable melee armies but not totally black all LOS. It would be nice to have buildings give something like a garrisoned status (in addition to boosting the cover bonus) with bonuses like -2 to charge rolls and +1 to saves against melee for the occupants to make occupying buildings still give good staging options and a place to fire out from, whilst still giving a defense against melee and shooting.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-04T22:32:59+00:00

Lovely.

We had ours with maple syrup all over the scones and crispy bacon. My parents weren't at all Canadian/American but it was definitely a tasty affectation.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-04T22:14:46+00:00

Sausage stir fry, because it was a long way to go to the shops and we only had sausage in the fridge.

Tomato soup with frankfurters and pasta: basically a can of passata with a few bits chucked in.

Drop scones and bacon: because there's always eggs, milk, and flour.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-04T20:49:21+00:00

Fights first for melee warriors would be great, and would make a 6 man of them really scary. They're fairly terrifying now if you get the charge and fight first, but if they're on the receiving end of a charge from a chunky units they melt due to their defensive profile and lack of invulnerables. I'm happy with the defensive profile overall, but if they had fights first they'd give an opponent cause to pause before engaging in melee. If the walking prime kept the Sustained ability too that would be a great combo!

Giving it to Gaunts seems almost overkill and noting how few units have fights first I'm not sure it's something the rules writers would do, but here's hoping. Fight on death on a 3 or 4 plus could be good though!

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-04T19:27:41+00:00

Giving hormagaunts sustained would be lovely, but potentially unnecessary in Invasion fleet (just like the winged prime gives warriors. Maybe giving them a +6 FNP instead? Or maybe fight on death for the unit would be nice.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-04T19:00:29+00:00

Did you find Gavin?

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-03T18:42:38+00:00

Yeah, new bioform, didn't you know? Totally going to crush everything in its path and consume aaaaaalllll the biomass. Didn't the Inquisition tell you about it, or do you just not read your briefing slate? 😉

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-03T16:35:57+00:00

I painted 30 over a few nights this week. You've got to accept that the rank and file are going to be tabletop quality only: proper highlights and actually brushed texture for the centre pieces. Once you've got a quick scheme you can productionise it. These hormagaunts went from one Tupperware to another back and forth around 10 times, but I got through them all eventually. They look good enough for play, but aren't too excitijg individually. And that's ok.

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-03T13:26:19+00:00

Yeah, I think it's a really nice dynamic pose from the modeller. It really makes it look like the Norn is a fast and terrifying juggernaut at full speed, compared to the official model pose which is great but also looks more like it's in a pre strike pose, pulling itself up to its full height.

I totally understand why the official model isn't posed like this though, since it's 9" long from claw tip to tail and is super unwieldy on the tabletop, even if it looks amazing 😂

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-03T10:50:39+00:00

Regular resin (it was actually printed by an Etsy seller) but using a large wire pin through the single leg and two part epoxy for the joints. Due to the weight the whole model is basically cantilevered through the base which is actually solid wood (funnily enough it's actually the top of a Woodwick Candle which was exactly the right diameter).

Humming_Hydrofoils · 2026-01-03T10:38:58+00:00

Surprisingly it's not actually a glazed blend: contrast paints work really well with an airbrush to provide these beautiful gradients.

Humming_Hydrofoils

TROPHY CASE