CONVERSION 40K: Building a Better Biovore
Okay, let me say it out loud. Biovores are stupid looking. With Nids around the corner it’s time to help the ugly fellow out.
There are models that look good on the tabletop and then there are models that perform well on the tabletop. Then there are models that do neither. Case in point, the sad sad sad Biovore. At least IMHO.
Firstly the model is old. It’s also sort of weird looking, static, and it’s REALLY expensive. Almost 50 bucks and you need three of them, that’s crazy!!!
The Tyranids have progressed a long way from their introduction to the game in 2nd Edition. But the Biovore doesn’t really fit the dynamic of the new Tyranids. But let’s see if I can do any better.
Let’s build a new biovore! I’ll be experimenting with a few of these, until I find something I like, or GW released a kit I love.
I decide for this particular project to base the project on a Tyranid Warrior and to make it into something more akin to a Devastator for the Tyranids. My general idea is to take a warrior, give him an oversized biocannon, maybe some tubbing and a ‘backpack’ of sorts, and bulk him up a bit.
As with most projects I do, my secondary goals are to make the model quickly, able to be duplicated, and proportionally correct, remembering that heavy weapons are often quite larger, even to the models carrying them.
I start with a Carnifex Barbed Strangler, which I feel will work well size wise for this model. I pin the weapon to the Tyranid Warrior torso. To the get the feeder tube arm to fit, I remove most of the tubing, in effect shortening the arm.
I used a little plastic glue to weld them together, making it appear to be an oversized ammo hoppper for this bioweapon.
I want some larger tubing for a form of backpack, so I locate a spare Acid Sprayer from the Tervigon kit and in similar fashion, cut it apart. I sever the hand from the biosac.
I intend to use this bit for the ‘backpack’ of sorts. It’s important to note that I did NOT entirely assembly the feeder tube for the Acid Spray. Since I did not attach this, there was a negative space on the back of the hand that worked well.
A little moving it around and I found a comfortable fit on the back of the Nid torso. Fits like a glove.
Okay, so now I have the basic shape I want for the weapon. I use a heat gun to warm up the plastic tubing in order to bend it into place. I use the heat gun on low, and keep some distance between it and the model.
With the hose bent into position, now I can begin to fill the gaps and re-sculpt areas as needed. I fill in the gaps, then add a few more ‘lumps’ to the symbiote to help smooth over the transition.
Briefly I consider doing a revamp on the warrior itself. Bulking up the limbs, that sort of thing. A lot of work. However, it occurs to me that Havocs and Devastator carry lascannons and missle launchers and they aren’t any bigger than other members of their squad. So . . . using that logic, I just leave the warrior as he is. I do, however, add two extra arms and blend them into the first arm (not unlike the way the barbed strangler is held with two hands) swap the head with a Chapterhouse variant for fun, add a few toxin sacs for good measure, and weight the base a little to help compensate for this now over sized weapon.
And there you have it. A new variant of the Tyranid Biovore. If I scrounge up enough Tyrannofex bits in the form of the bio-sacs I can build a brood of these for about the same cost as a biovore, or at worst at least two of these for the same price. For some reason the biovore is one of the mostly highly sought after figures on ebay for Nids.
After nearly twenty years of nids under my belt, the fascination with biovores baffles me. What am I missing here, guys?
So what do you think? Did I put my mini where my mouth was? Or was it all smoke and mirrors.
If you like this, check out more of my work at White Metal Games. Be sure to show us your conversions as well!
This isn’t the only plan I have for building new variants of this particlar model. I’ve had a few others ideas for biovores, including:
A. Some sort of Frog like creature that disgorges spores from it’s mouth
B. A Slug like mini Dactylis
C. A spore chimney like walking cephalopod
Which of these would you like to see next? Let us know by voting below.
Until next time, happy wargaming,
Caleb, WMG
