Cheloptera Tyranidica
Hello everyone!
Most tabletop fans will know this: A lot of models have some spare parts which pile up in boxes and glas jars. As a tyranid collector I have lots of spare biomorphs, and I thought these could be easily used for building some extras. The tyranid species (and also orcs) is great for that as it allows for a variety of organisms in their background story.
And this is were the story of Cheloptera Tyranidica began. I put different biomorphs together testing which ones would fit and give a good result. Putting a toxin sac and adrenal glands together looks kinda like a beetle.
The whole new tyranid creature needed a name: A friend suggested it could call it after a tortoise. In the end I took the words *Chelonia *(tortoise/turtle, according to wikipedia) and Coleoptera (Beetle, also according to wikipedia) and created the term Cheloptera. Voila, Cheloptera Tyranidica are born!
And now this is how the hive mind creates these little tyranids:
Take some adrenal glands and toxin sacs from the termagaunt sprue, also prepare some greenstuff.
First you need to put a tiny bit of greenstuff on the lower side of the adrenal glands. Then form a little roll of greenstuff and cut it down to make the tails. Take a tail for each adrenal glands and gently press it on the greenstuff inside (see left Cheloptera for reference).
For the next step fill more greenstuff in the adrenal glands as seen on the middle tyranid. Most times you will deform the tail during this step, but this is not a problem as the tail should not stay straight anyway.
Now you can take the toxin sac and stuck it in the greenstuff and optionally give the belly some texture (most times you will not see the belly, so it is not really necessary).
If your hands/fingers are to big, try using tools (e.g. a toothpick, a piece of wire, a sculpting tool...).
*Word spreads around that they are not made of plastic and greenstuff. Instead - well of course - they are born in brood pools on hive ships ;)