Huge 40k Warboss conversion idea

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**jamsessionein**

Huge 40k warboss conversion idea

I saw this warmachine mini a few days ago and I've been thinking of picking it up and filing down the rocky/spiky bits on the shoulders and covering it with armor. I like the idea of a freaking huge warboss to lead the boyz - something monsterous and hulk-like. It seems a bit feral-boss-ish, but I'm wondering if it's a good conversion idea or not if I were to use this as a base. It'd involve a fair bit of sculpting - covering up all the filed-down areas on the skin, and resculpting the face primarily.

This is the general idea I had in mind:

Replace one of the hands with a bionik one to represent a power klaw, perhaps? I figure also since the model is metal I might be able to properly bend those fingers of the other hand inwards to hold a choppa comfortably. I'm having difficulty figuring out what I'd do with the back of the model - all I've been able to come up with is this fairly lackluster sketch:

A friendly fellow over at The-Waaagh was nice enough to provide me with a picture of a normal boy for scale:

A few people have pointed out to me that orks have five fingers on each hand, as opposed to this model's 4... They've suggested I use the hand that I replace with the bionik as a donor, removing a finger from it and tacking it onto the other hand, but I'm just not sure if it's worth all the trouble over that. Certainly I need to plan the midsection out a bit better - that belly needs some work, to be sure, and armoring up his back is an idea I'm still not sure of.

What do you guys think? I kind've like the idea of such a large and beefy warboss, to be sure, but is it worth all the trouble?

**the_trooper**

Awesome conversions are always worth the trouble. I say go for it. Little warbosses are lame.

**rryannn**

this would be an awesome conversion... Your stompa never stopped you.... why should this?

**ancientsociety**

I think it's a great idea. I would suggest though filing off those silly crystalline spikes on the back and arms, adding a fourth finger (to at least one of the arms - you could always make it like the other was cut off or is a mutation), and bulking out the loincloth a bit more (a boss w/ massive shoulder armor and a dinky little loincloth would look a little unfinished).

**Myrlyn**

I think this is a great conversion idea. If you can reshape the hand correctly, then adding the missing finger is something I recommend. If you need some ideas for the right sized power claw, check out the power claws on the Chrono Gladiator from the Inquisitor line or the power claw from Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka.

**jamsessionein**

Interesting thought. I actually have Ghazgkhull's claw, I just figured I'd end up scratch-building an armored power fist in order to keep the design coherent.

Maybe once I get my hands on the model I can try that out for fitting. I am amazed at how difficult it is to actually get these minis. I've called almost every store listed in on Privateer Press's web site as a Warmachines retailer in New Jersey and absolutely nobody actually has this! I've got a feeling I'm going to have to hit e-bay up and see if I can find anything.

**ancientsociety**

How about here?

CLICK ME

Edit: I fixed your super long link that was breaking the H-Scroll -- yakface

**Boss_Salvage**

Posted By jamsessionein on 02/07/2007 10:49 AM
I've got a feeling I'm going to have to hit e-bay up and see if I can find anything.

Not a fan of TheWarStore? Mauler is $23.99 + $3.95 shipping ...

- Boss Salvage

**jamsessionein**

TheWarStore totally slipped my mind. Great catch.

**ancientsociety**

Yeah, but TWS lists him as their vague, poorly worded "Regular Stock". Which, from my experience, means they have to order it...

**jamsessionein**

I just gave em a ring, and he says he has two in stock that can be shipped out tomorrow, so I'm going to grab one. And maybe some other stuff if the mood strikes me, though I can't think of what would be particularly useful to either my Daemonhunter or Ork armies.

**Anung Un Rama**

sounds like a great idea. (as we are used from you....) what I don't like abouht the dire troll as Warboss are his....ehm....pants? I'm not exactly sure how to call it. anyway, I think as long as you don't want to go all feral orks on him (and I suppose you don't, considering your stompa conversion) I would try to give some kind of pants, and boots for that matter.

I wouldn't use Gazkhuls Klaw if I were you. a hand-shaped power-klaw would look much better on that model. I used the hand from an "army of darkness" action figur, maybe you can find something similar.

**beef**

cool idea, its great when people dont limit themselves to one range of company for models.

**jamsessionein**

So, I got today's mail.

Looks like a dire troll mauler hitchhiked his way in the USPS Trukks all the way over from thewarstore. I suppose I'm going to have to make him a warboss now, eh?

I'm going out to buy proper dremel bits to grind away at those spikes later today, but I figured I'd practice some of my greenstuffing skills (or lack thereof) by making a relatively simple choppa. It's not really suited to being held by him, as he's so much bigger than I initially eyeballed - from elbow to base of the fingers is the size of a single boy!

I'll probably either leave this hanging from a belt around his waist, or possibly embedded in a dead beakie who is keeping him company on the base. Or a guardsman. Whatever!

**Kommisar**

Awesome axe, I can't wait to see this finished. I wish I could model some ork stuff for 40k. With the current state of things I can't quite bring myself to do it though.

**Drake_Marcus**

Love the axe! Have it embedded in some poor beakie. As long as he ISN'T a Salamander

If you do it to a Salamander I'm gonna come find ya

I like the idea of not having it balanced in his palm like you did in the concept picture. That looked too unnatural. Embedded in a dead Black Templar? Well that's just orky.

**Breotan**

A Salamander would be bad simply from the point of having too much green on the model. A Black Templar should do nicely.

**whitedragon**

BIG WARBOSSES ROCK!!!! Can't wait to see it.

And Ancient Society, we know you had one bad experience with the warstore, but don't turn into a lame naysayer. Anybody that wants to can go back and read your post without having you chime in so passive aggressively. (read trolling)

Can't wait to see it finished!

**jamsessionein**

Posted By Drake_Marcus on 02/11/2007 6:17 AM
I like the idea of not having it balanced in his palm like you did in the concept picture. That looked too unnatural. Embedded in a dead Black Templar? Well that's just orky.

Well, my intention was never to have it simply sitting in an open hand. I think I mentioned earlier that as the model was metal I could bend the fingers in around the handle of the weapon.

He may still end up holding a close combat weapon in one hand inaddition to this being stuck into a body on the base.

**Orlanth**

His victim should be a Guardsman (or two) same paint job you intend to use/have used for your Stompa. This way you get consistency.

Honestly it will look odd if some are killin humies, others eldar, tau etc etc, the more armies and races you add the more it will take away from your army.

We havent forgotten about the Stompa, please tell us how it is doing. And your Squiggoth.

**jamsessionein**

Well, the stompa's paint is on hold for the moment. The airbrush I had was borrowed from a friend who now needs both it and the compressor to powder-coat some metal stuff he's working on.

The squiggoth is just being assembled at the moment. Nothing fancy (yet) though I refuse to leave it as-is. At very least I'll be reworking the howdah a great deal and adding grots on everything.

I do thin you're right about the guardsman on the base. I'm going to have to see if I can't get ahold of my regular guard enemy and try to get a model I can slay on the base.

**jamsessionein**

Incoming load of pictures!

You'll notice in full-body picture I have the torso held with a gap in the abdomen area - this is intentional. I'm going to make him stand a bit more upright, I think, both to make him bigger and to try and work around wonky troll anatomy - he has a pretty big bulge in the middle of his back where the hunch is that looks a bit silly. I'll probably sculpt that loin cloth up to hang a bit higher, in addition to putting stomach armor on, but all that comes later. For now, I have spent the past few hours carefully trying to dremel off those godforsaken spikes from his body. It's super-tedious, but I think it's coming out alright - I honestly didn't wreck the musculature as much as I was expecting. I've got some new putty, called Tamiya Epoxy Smooth, that I'm going to go over the skin with at a later date to properly resurface it, but I think I'm doing decent so far. Both legs have also had their spikes removed.

Dremelled arm on the left, original on the right.

Not a bad fit for size, considering I made the axe before I had the boss. I think I'll make a new one, though, a bit meaner-looking, so I can stick this one in a body.

I've been tentatively thinking of names for this dude. I've only thought of one that I would consider, which is 'Big Boss Mungus', and that's kind've weak. I'm well open to suggestions, though.

**fourganger88**

Shagrat the Bestial?

I like it so far, though i'll reserve proper judgement until I see it in full. still, good start. Frickin sweet model too.

**SonofGuilliman**

How about Uzzark Da 'Uge?

I really like where the model is going. You're the main reason I check out Dakka Dakka.

Keep up the good work.

SoG

**Boss_Salvage**

Great dremel action, and looking forward to wear this monstrocity goes! Teh sweetness!

- Boss Salvage

**HFJor**

I just wanted to echo on the dremel work. I can barely tell that the arms had anything on them before at all. Can't wait to see this guy build up.

**Anung Un Rama**

really like where you're going with that. I still recommend pants though....

and yes, you'll need a BIGGER choppa, it's a warboss for crying out loud (I've been watching too much SG-1)

nice work with the dremel btw. what do you wanna do with the face? maybe a normal Ork Warboss Head?

**Lordhat**

Posted By Breotan on 02/11/2007 7:40 AM
A Salamander would be bad simply from the point of having too much green on the model. A Black Templar should do nicely.

I think an Imperial Fist might work better, they yellow will contrast with the green well; You'll definitely be able to see the victim! However it MIGHT draw the eye away from the model itself.....

**jamsessionein**

Had a bit more time to dremel away at things. I've shaved all of the spikes off the back and tried to leave the musculature intact, though it's a difficult task as the body's muscles seem so random and wonky in some places. I'm pretty sure the back will be a fairly large sculpting job - not just to close that seam, but to proper smooth out all of the musculature.

I have just the arm and face left to dremel down before the sculpting begins, I think, though I'm about to glue the torso halves together and try to putty along the inside to try and cement it together.

I think shoulder armor and back armor will help cover most of the awful sculpting I plan on doing

**jamsessionein**

A bit more of an assembled look. <!--emo&

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I've pinned the torso in a slightly elevated position that I think it'll be staying in - he's more upright and looks a bit better, in my opinion, when straightened out like that.

He's certainly big. Dreadnought-sized, I think.

I won't be leaving him on that base - I am just using it to prop him up as I could drill holes all over it without a problem.