Hi folks,
This month I have been working on a Tyranid Malefactor for 2nd Ed. 40k. The Tyranid army list of that era was conspicuous in its lack of transport options for Tyranids. Many players at the time were ok with this, as transports were considered to be rolling coffins anyway, except perhaps for Landraiders, which were very expensive. Armorcast released this beauty, which is capable of transporting a mid sized brood of beasties into the heart of combat.
It has some lightweight point defence weapons, which have the tendency to nibble away at a few models that get too close. It can also attack in close combat, which elevated it above the level of other transports in my opinion. It is like having a Rhino with two powerfists!
Of course, in 10th Edition, every transport can make close combat attacks with its tracks, etc. But in 2nd Ed. it was a real novelty to be able to hit back.
Painting this model was a real joy, though all the orange/brown blending did drive me a little crazy. It is just a great old sculpt, well worth headhunting if you are an old school Tyranid collector. I particularly love the gills/spiracles at the back, where the Nids can probably chill out during transport.
With one month to go in the painting challenge I can feel myself running out of steam. My health has been declining as well, which means I am going to have to make the final push to finish a little earlier in the month than usual.
See you across the table,
Marc
