Customer briefing

The Swarm’s Skin: Working with Chitin

The client came in with a very clear idea: he wanted a Leviathan Fleet Tyranid army that was as faithful as possible to Games Workshop’s official scheme. He wasn’t looking for reinterpretations, but rather a solid, consistent execution that would look good both on display and on the table.
In addition to the scheme, there was an important aspect regarding the setting. He asked us to give the bases an urban ruin aesthetic, inspired by another of his armies—specifically his Iron Hands.
There was also room for small narrative details. In one of the references he sent us, an Iron Hands marine was shown interacting with Tyranid remains, and we decided to include that nod on the Trygon’s Premium base.

General picture of the project Game and Ornate level

A Well-Constructed Swarm: Assembly, Painting, and Tabletop Play

This project took on a fairly organic approach within the studio. There were four of us painters working in parallel, and each of us would choose whichever miniature we were assigned at any given time. This allowed us to maintain a steady pace without limiting the work.
One of the biggest challenges was, without a doubt, the chitin. The characteristic lines of the Leviathan Tyranids require patience and repetition, and they ended up being the most demanding part of the project. Each plate required that fine work for the final result to come together.
As for the bases, we worked with clear references from the client to replicate the urban aesthetic of his Iron Hands. Cracked textures, muted tones, and small details that integrate the miniatures seamlessly.