Coven Jetbikes

I'm planning an 1850 coven army to take to tournaments for the upcoming year and I need some modeling ideas for jetbikes. The army includes lots of stuff that isn't necessarily coven related (including various allies) but everything will be converted to look like it came out of a haemonculus's workshop. I'm all set for most of the units but I'm a little stumped when it comes to jetbikes, specifically allied eldar jetbikes. Right now the best idea I've come up with is a wrack-centaur based on the soul hunters from the Cryx Warmachine line. Fluff wise it fits pretty well, same stat line with better armor and lack of FNP justified by more metal bits than regular wracks, but for whatever reason I'm not 100% sure I like that concept, anyone have any suggestions on an alternative counts as for coven jetbikes? (Wracks on a jetbike is out btw)

It's definitely a tough one, given that all things related to the covens are somewhat slow in their own graceful way. The centaur idea is actually kind of appealing, if you can pull it off. Otherwise it might end up looking rather silly.

Alternatively you could have them simply being slimmer, faster versions of the talos? Covered in all manners of chains, a syringe at the extremity, pincers galore... (You could quote the talos further by having the head at the front of the reaver. Maybe even some spider-like legs for that creepy sentient touch!)

If you really want to think outside the box, have a look at the old talos fluff-- A victim is bound and sustained in agonizing half-life to power the engine. Thus your reavers could be innovative ,mini-talos that function as completely independent machines, speeding up as the host's screams heighten.

Sounds pretty metal to me, anyway. Hope that helps! I'll keep brainstorming in the meantime.

EDIT: To develop the old-talos reaver idea, you could have the victim tied to the bottom of the reaver, and have a tube link his mouth to the machinery. Maybe have a look at this http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1251779_99110108051_INQThrnOfJdgmntmain_873x627.jpg (figure on the right) for an example. It's a shame GW discontinued their bitz business, they used to have it. I can't remember its name but have a gander at ebay and I'll bet it shows up eventually!

I actually really like the baby talos idea. I've got enough Cronos tentacles lying around to make the tails (which would then mount the twin linked catapults), crypt ghoul torsos with some armor sculpted to the back should be about perfect, and the talos baby claws should be a perfect size as well, add in some chopped up reaver bits and a jet engine or two and they should be good to go... BY JOVE I THINK YOUVE SOLVED IT!!!! Off to the workshops to do a quick mock up (after I get out of work lol). Is there such a thing as rep on this forum? Because I'd hand some out about now.

Not to discourage anyone else, please share if you'd like. Awesome conversion ideas are always welcome.

As an aside they're going to look adorable since I'll have 3 of them next to 3 talos in my army haha.

Eureka! Hahaha so glad I could be of help! Yes, ghouls sound like a perfect fit actually. It seems I didn't understand that you meant allied eldar jetbikes, which is interesting... Do you have any of the liquid vials that come with the sprue left over? One or two could really tie up the look together, I think.

Really excited to see the end results of these, either way! And just F.T.R progress shots would not go unaprecciated. And may your gnarly haemonculi hands bring lots of terrible delights to the coven and the forum! (What coven does your force belong to, out of curiosity?)

Ask and ye shall receive.  Here's an initial mock up.  Already loving the way it looks.  

Parts include: Cronos tenacle, ichor injector fist (forms the hip section), Ghoul body, talos baby claws and tail gun armor plate, and a reaver head.  Add in some wires/tubes and some fluid vials, and flush out some of the armor plates and face mask and he's ready to rock and roll.

I concur, he looks amazing already! You hit the nail on the head with the reaver helmet. The crooked arm is perfectly wretched, I can almost hear it scuttling and twitching about! I'm really anticipating the rest of this.

Are you going to drill holes into the faceplate then? The suspense is killing me. (Oh god, is that a dreadknight leg I spy in the background?  I'll just pretend I didn't see that...)

Bugs_N_Orks wrote:

Fluff wise it fits pretty well,

I hope you're not referring to Coven jetbikes. Like Fidra said, he's 100% right, heamonculi like to go slowly, take their time, they're really the opposite of reavers, who love going fast more than anything.
The wings scourges have are more of an experiment, it's a service they accomplish, 99% of heamonculi would NEVER put those on themselves, the 1% would do it as an experiment big maybe.

I actually like the small talos concept, it's cute in a creepy way. Maybe, they could be some kind of specially tortured ex reavers who got a skimmer engine put on them permanently, this would explain why they go fast, maybe they serve as messengers.

In reality Heamonculi leaver the fast stuff, vehicles, transports to Kabalites and wyches, they they do like to go fast. They give they suiting uniforms at times. Some people have converted wracks operating a raider, it's a nice idea, but not supported by fluff, though it's mostlikely possible.

Honestly this idea is pretty badass and good looking I feel like making a couple of these baby talos thingies, though I won't give them reaver rules. You guy you just made could actually represent a wrack.
Adding a splinter riffle or heatlance/blaster to make it a reaver actually doesn't sound bad if you ignore fluff, though the speed could just be temporary boosts, but this thing would be very slow under normal circumstance. I don't know why but I see these as heamonculus messengers, like the lil goblin hanging around ,used a a mailman in the Hobbit.

Oh, I wouldn't use Ork's thing as a reaver, I'd probably make up something for it like this -
 
Horror Injector - 25 PT
WS4 BS2 S5 T4 W2 I4 A2 LD8 Sv6+
Squad Size - 3-10
Unit Type: Infantry
Wargear: Gnarlskin, Close Combat Weapon (4+ Poison)
Special Rules: Power From Pain, Night Vision, Altered Physique, Horrifying Sight
For ever five models in the squad, 1 may take a Liquifier Gun - 10 Pts
Each model in the squad may take an extra Close Combat Weapon (4+ Poison) for +5 pts a model.
Each model in the squad may upgrade their poison attacks from 4+ to 3+ for +5 pts a model.
 
Horrifying Sight - Due to how horrific the Horror Injector is, all enemy units within 6" of the squad that are not fearless must take a Leadership Check, if failed the unit goes down to Initiative 1 for the remainder of that turn. All units within 12" of the squad go down to LD6 because of how frightening the Injectors are.
 
Although, your opponent may say no to something like this, and if they did I would just them as regular reavers.

It's been mentioned a couple times above but these are for allied Eldar Windrider Jetbikes (not reavers). Windriders have basically identical stats to Wracks (WS, BS, S, T, W, A, Ld are all the same) but trade the wracks poison weapons and FNP for a 3+ save and twin-linked gun. Being a baby talos covers all of that, armored carapace for 3+, tail mounted twin-linked gun, and talos lack FNP and poison. The only things left to account for are I5 and being a jetbike. I basically envision these guys as expendable constructs that the Haemonculi use as scouts/outriders/sentries so they're made to move quickly (jetbikes) and have additional sensors for increased awareness (I5). Khain mor, you mentioned that Haemonculi like to move slowly (which I completely agree with), but there's nothing in the fluff that prevents their various constructs from having just about any ability. I highly doubt that Grot/Talos/Cronos is the complete extent of their creativity.

Cool project!

Khain mor wrote:

Bugs_N_Orks wrote:

Fluff wise it fits pretty well,

I hope you're not referring to Coven jetbikes. Like Fidra said, he's 100% right, heamonculi like to go slowly, take their time, they're really the opposite of reavers, who love going fast more than anything.

Bugs_N_Orks wrote:

but everything will be converted to look like it came out of a haemonculus's workshop.  I'm all set for most of the units but I'm a little stumped when it comes to jetbikes, specifically allied eldar jetbikes.

But the stuff out of the workshop does not need to prefer doing things slow

Wracks on jetbikes woulda been my go, imagine wracks stuffed with drugs and implants that enhance reaction, reflexes and stuff. But you could go with eldar/wyches/kabalites that have been heavily modified by haemis and brainwashed. In the end, whatever creature you put into the hands of your coven can be mindcontrolled etc and simply tranformed.

Conversion wise, I'd use the standard models and bikes. Just stuff the rider with spiky stuff, syringes, tubes, masks, alterations, mutations, cyber parts, extra limbs, huge eye or why not have the rider grafted to his jetbike? They are minions the haemy had its fun with and just for some simple experiments or entertainment.

Your current stuff looks exciting. Be sure to show us the results!