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How to convert thunderwolves


Oldenhaller

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So we've got an awesome new unit which will smash all before it (or at least that ths the plan) and for those of us who will play them (no-matter the fluff-I'd like this not to descend into a discusssion of if they're right or not please) they are a pretty chunky unit which will need some appropriate mini's. Now I expect that it'll be wave 2 which will have these in so what to use in the mean time? There have been suggestions of all sorts of other minatures from other companies and the like but as i intend to use them at upcoming tournies that's not really an option. This being the case I'd like to propse some suggestions as to what might be used instead.

 

The first is just to put them on top of a warhammer wolf a'la;

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1610214_99120209019_BitzWolvesMain_445x319.jpg

 

but this would be a little on the small side. I'm not convinced that they'd be big enough to ensure that the marines don't dwarf the wolves. Don't get me wrong, I'll be using them for my packs of fenrisian wolves aplenty...they looked great on the termie bases in my 13th company aand expect they'll look just as good here.

 

Now if bigger is the way forward I'm thinking that elven cats are where it's at. Now you may look at me as if I've gone soft in the head but i'd like you to take a moment to stop and look. These are the white lion chariot lions;

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m431786_25.jpg

 

Now these pretty kitties are prearmoured, have silly chin beards and have sppropriate shaped legs, claws and manes. If the muzzzles and tails are replaced by those of the warhammer (fenrisian) wolf which is simple enough as thier face comes separate; you've got a lithe pouncing/prowling killing machine big as a horse which would easilly carry a marine. Add on some bionic reinforcemet of the legs and it's all gravey. Thick...brown...gravey made of win

 

Thoughts?

 

~O

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are wargs of aa similar size to the chariot lions?

 

EDIT : IK!!!...they're 'orrible!!! ;)

 

Was thinking that as each chariot comes with them spare there may well be piles of the things out there which are unused by elf players...

 

~O

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The tails would be the easiest part to convert, IMO. THe armor could be modded pretty easy too, maybe smooth it out with some GS then place some runes or a Celtic-ish design onto them. Perhaps even attaching some icon/totem item(s) from one of the new sprues.

 

The muzzles are where the serious work would be. The pony-beards could stay if they don't bother you too much. Perhaps start off with a hobby knife and shave down the sides and top. There was a member that used one of these heads on a SW conversion project. I'll have to see if I can dig up the thread and link it. Once the muzzle gets sufficiently thinned as desired, remove the teeth from the upper and lower jaws leaving the lower jaw itself as a frame to build onto with some GS. I would then construct the muzzle with the aid of (the intraweb) some pictures of wolves or even the GW plastic Wolf heads as pictured above.

 

Covering the rest of the body in fur would be the last thing to do as you'd want to blend the overall look AFTER all the reconstruction is done and dry.

 

This isn't a cheap conversion by any means any more than using mdels from other games. Though more easily tournament legal as the parts would be majority GW, though.

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The idea was suggested by my partner for the doubles tourney (cheers emperor's teeth)....although he pointed out how similar they looked to the Canis Wolf :)

 

Rather than doing a whole head reconstruction I'm looking at replacing the heads with those of the normal warhammer wolves and then application of greeenstuffs to make them fit together. I'd suggest fleabay and bitz sites (or blagging down your local gw from high elf players) rather than paying £14-15 for each pair of wolves. Mostly I've seen them being ssold around the 3-4 quid mark so sensible prices.

 

I like the idea of giving them a celticy feel - whorls and knots which could then be replicated on the marine's armour to tie the models and the unit together. Would probably want to put some breast armour on the wolves aswelll so either greenstuff or high elf bits to match the shoulder armour.

 

~O

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I'm not 100% that you're getting models for these - the idea is for you to use Canis as the base model.

 

The standard Wolves are way too small.

 

You might get away with the Lions, but it'll be tricky to fit a marine on without sculpting fresh legs (they're quite wide and many standard mounted legs won't fit).

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Hopefully the Forgeworld ones don't end up looking like angry cows with sharp teeth and claws instead of hooves.

 

This lion chariot conversion idea is a pretty good one, but I'd like to see a test mini from someone before I try it myself, as I do have a lot of minis to buy.

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Though.... bringing up the wolves does spark some interest in perhaps a counts as army....

 

Anyone know of decent sized bears?

 

Space Bears could be cool

 

but so could the Space Lions

Star Lions.. hmmmm

 

possibilities are increasing... :D

 

But I'll most likely stay with wolves unless I find a ton of bears for $10. Which I doubt I will.

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Looked at picking up the chariot last night and then found a distinct lack of £15 in my wallet - may well grab it tomorrow and then do the conversion over the weekend.

 

I think on the leg front I'm looking at either the normal rider legs or even using normal maine legs with the legs and feet repositioned. As the legs are wider spaced than the regular riding legs this could well work better and will allow for a better range of torsos which can be used to make the finished piece.

 

Only issue now is how I'm going to make an iron priest riding one....

 

Reguarding bears...there's Boris' bear from the kislev range if you can find/affford one. Not sure if there are any others which would be tourney legal. I know a few people are looking at a khornate wolf list which will be juggers and flesh hounds...wrong on so many levels

 

~O

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Yeah no worries, will see if I can't break out the digi camera and the macro lenses

 

What I'll probably do tbh is make one and then do a revised step by step which doesn't have all the mistakes so you can have a decent step by step guide. Am thinking that I'm feeling pretty positive for this conversion...will look and see if I can find an old grey hunters box so I can get some decent heads and bodies on there as all my old ones have been used i rekon. Pondering what to do on the knotowork front which doesn't involve sculpting new legs for each marine. That and saddles...what to do for sadles...reins...um...

 

There's a question....would they use a saddle and/or reins? Just pondering on how it'll look and how it'll fit together.

 

Keen keen keen :)

 

~O

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I was honestly expecting to have to greenstuff bridles and saddles onto these guys, but seeing as how one of the wolves main weapons are teeth, I may just do a collar with some reins attached. If you're any good with wires you could do some sort of wierd wiring coming from the space wolf to the mount, but that would be really funky, more of an admech feel to the army than i personally like.
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I think after i've got it sorted on how i'm going to be making these I'll start doing some nifty conversions I'll be looking to do an iron priest one which is just like that. I think the degree of wires, bionics etc will be much greater on him along with hydraulic rams in the legs instead of tendons, maybe ecven a bionic blinkey eye like canis :)

 

As to the saddles and reins I was thinking that they could have some attatched to the shoulder pauldrons of the lions. Not sure what i'd like them to look like or where they'll be held. If I create a saddle they'll probably be wrapped around a pommel

 

~O

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I'd say they would be riding without saddle. Much cooler :P Otherwise your could just get som GS on there, and make som runes on it or something. Does not have to be vary visable when the marine is there = problem solved.
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Don't forget that to be tourney legal, models have to be 50% GW.

 

yup - this is why I'm going down the converting fantasy mionis rather than using some of the excelent D&D ones which I've seen touted about. Am thinking that while those others would be cool, keeping to something GW will be better in the long run as i'll be off to the doubles in january

 

With the saddles i'm leaning towards a saddle cloth made of green stuff.. This'll allow for less moulding and sculpting work needed, won't leave the marine too high on the animal's back and will allow a flat area for painting knotowrk/triskels etc

 

~O

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First off, great idea for the donor model, I have a couple of the High Elf lions in question and they should work very well. I have been looking up pictures of Wolves all morning for reference so that I can start doing some rough out work as a test.

 

What size base should these brutes be on? A Biker base? 40mm? 60mm? I have not seen the codex yet (no local GW store here) so I have no clue.

 

As to how the wolves should be ridden, definitely NO saddle. I am thinking that they would just grab onto a strap (maybe a leather band around the wolfs neck?) and ride bareback.

 

Am I the only one who is picturing a SW riding a Wolf going topless and tattooed? Maybe tribal arm bands, diamonds over the eyes, and a suitably fierce chest\back piece? With long flowing wild hair died blood orange? I keep seeing the scout from the opening of Conan the Barbarian whenever I think about how to model these brutes for some reason.

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Canis Wolfborn model comes on a 60mm base so I would think that is the size for thunder wolves.

 

Since not a single ruler that I can find here at the house is in CM, is that the size of an IG heavy weapon base?

 

Not exactly, I think that is a 50mm. There is a 60mm monster basebut the 50mm, aka Dread base, will work, IMO.

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