So, we have these two basic forms of harvester. Scythe talons and the basic gun arm. We also have the larvae/ small bugs.
Working under the assumption that war games Atlantic likes ideas discussions and brainstorming sessions, what would a specialized harvester look like to you?
I want everyone to take a few minutes, think up their own specialized harvester bio form, and write up a paragraph or two about it as well as a name.
Basically, design a bug and tell us about it.
Well first off I'm looking at converting the spider and Harvesters once they are available so....
Watcher (essentially the simple Spider Bug conversion)
The Watcher variant is specialised in scouting and quick raids against unsuspecting enemies, deceptively fast with a stinger for paralizing victims to be brought back to the hive. Little to no chitin armour however leaving it vunerable to massed firepower, often the most commonly seen variant since the main Harvester warrior variant (the basic melee Harvester) is only unleashed when the hive is on the attack or the defensive.
I'll add a link since the pictures keep failing after a few days https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3202884593364089&set=pb.100009277404708.-2207520000.&type=3
Planned variants
The Keeper variant is going to be a spider with bio weapon arms and spare harvester legs. Essentially the Keepers are guards of the queens inner sanctum and are designed to make approaching via the connecting tunnels all but impossible.
The Queen variant is going to be a spider with Harvester legs. The Queens are a smaller variant of the Hive queen who are used as command and control for the hive, often accompinied by swarms of grubs (the infant Harvesters).
The Judicator variant is basically a spider abdomen, with spider legs and a stinger adapted to suck the brain out of captives for information. Basically a brain bug from ST, but smaller and more mobile.
I've also got a small one that is a spider abdomen, with small spider legs, with two eyes made from the part of the spider leg that usually attaches to the spider trimmed off and front stinger that I'm thinking is a worker type meant to drag cocooned bodies around the hive.
My main type that I would want but cannot easily convert would be a flyer bug, or hopper in the case of limited flight.
Built for speed the Hopper variant is sometimes referred to a resource gather, but has also sub variants built for melee and ranged combat. As the hive has encounted new threats its has adapted the original hopper variant designed for resource gathering in high threat enviroments swifty arriving, gathering material into pouches and then quickly returning to the safety of the hive, into variants designed to protect the hive from aerial attack. While not a warrior variant, the hopper is capable of melee and can be a dire threat to the unprepared.
The Valkriye variant is equipped with ranged bio weapons (the same types as the Keepers) and is most often seen directly directly protecting hives. Similar in size to the main Harvester warrior variant, the Valkriye is built to take punishment and rapidly deploy to elevated locations where is can fire down on enemies or provide air defence against aerial attacks. Somewhat vunerable to melee, the Valkriye has a heavy armoured frontal canopy designed to protect it from aerial fire and can be out maneuvered on the ground to attack its more lightly armoured rear.
The smaller Reaver variant is melee based and is usually used in massed sucidal attacks on enemy position, although often derided the variant is mainly used to pin an enemy in place preventing them from re-deploying or even just as a distraction while the other warrior variant move into position to overwhelm their target. Against the unprepared, a swarm of Reaver is a deadly threat as they slice enemies apart with buzzing slashing attacks that overwhelm the target.
@John Wilson Nice lines, very nice. Ps Hows Mom.?
@Geoff Maybury Basically waiting to hear when she well enough to return home, compared to her last fall this was comparably minor, still dangerous due to pre-existing conditions but she will hopefully have an easier time of recovering from this one.
Also, an artillery bug....basically similar to the ST Plasma Bug.
This would be a large one, built to fire a LARGE bio weapon. Maybe up to the size meant to provide cover from ships in low orbit and/or multiple smaller version designed to attack hardened enemy defences.
No idea about design really, although I do like the Tyranid walking gun design with just a large calibre weapon strapped to the top of the bug.
The type of bug I`d like to see next is one thats the equivalent of a mid size tank, a creature designed to punch holes through terrain to allow the bugs to close in on their chosen target. The bugs at the moment can protect their flanks with the weapon bugs. These have the added advantage of moving with the swarm to take out any marine flamers etc. but with outpost or pill boxes something more armoured needs to step into the fray and hit the target. These are the " Hammers" pulverising all that get in their way. A creature that can operate with the infantry and use its armour to shield the infantry whilst cutting a path for them then deliver that killer "Hammer" blow.
@John Wilson All the best for her. Eileen/Geoff.
@Geoff Maybury Thanks.
I did forget about the tank variant, I would have probably gone with some variant of Hammer as well.
You really do need this sort of armoured assault for what is going to be a mainly melee army. I'm reminded of the Zerg one (i will have to look up the name) which draws enemy fire and can physically deal with fixed defences.
You could probably achieve this by scaling up the Harvester design, adding maybe larger front arms/claws designed to dig through concrete (or sci-fi equivalent). Alternatively maybe an acid or flamer variant. It would be the equivalent of an Infantry support tank, only fast enough to keep up with the Harvesters, well armoured (from the front at least) and melee or short range firepower to deal with dug in infantry.
I'd like a variant with more humanoid limbs, for use as other aliens in other games. So that you could have a biped with tools and weapons.
You can kitbash to get this, but it would be nice to have a WGA kit or sprue to bash with.
I think a big one as in Starship-Troopers... that big black bug... or a "brain-Harvester" or brood-mother... like in "Alien" or GWs Tyranids...
I'd love to see winged versions and arm upgrades that add more chitin to form shield walls when closed together.
I'd also like to see some heavy weapons that attach to the back or belly.
Over all I think it'd be cool to see mutations more as a change to the "weapons platform" than just having them be one of many different castes in some super bug conglomeration. Something a little different than every other "bug" species in Sci-Fi
Bipedal harvesters with hands and weapons, either as some evolution/devolution stages or as infiltrators into human teams.
Use a discarded GW idea for emissary specialist. (ZOATS)
Before a planetary invasion, a group of emissaries arrives on a planet to negotiate surrender with its leadership. These aliens are humanoid, possibly religious zealots who worship the harvesters. They basically arrive, threaten the worst. Attempt to negotiate a peaceful surrender and the relinquishing of 2/3 planetary population, resources, whatever it is the harvesters come for. They send in the emissaries because they'd prefer to take planetary territory or resources without war or risk of casualty, so they send the Harbringers in to basically threaten world leadership into allowing the Harvesters to come, take what they want, and either build a hidden base close to the planets core (they love heat) or take more than what they came for and move on. Because honestly, who wants a war? Especially when you can get what you want without losing a single life on your side. Imagine too that these Harbringers have occasionally negotiated trade and alliances with the more warlike species in our galaxy. It is rumored that even Earth has dealt with trade of technology for population since the early 1940s, all thanks to negotiations of a Harbringer and Human leadership. A deal like this rarely ends wel for either side at the table. But the Harvesters are not beneath making deals or allies. And for this they send in a Harbringer with a quick wit and silver tongue.
These "Harbringers" can proxy genestealer cults, and space related games. Give them teckie space suits. Possibly torn and worn, to proxie as zombies, post apocaliptic. Etc. So many uses for them. Please give them a few head options ( plastic prints of your alien heads would do)
I would love to use them for Stargrave. Look to modern and vintage space suits for inspiration. Hopefully a couple of varying torsos.
