Bat Swarms, fell bats and Spirit Hosts

[MadLarkin]

I really like the new rules for these models, but I hate GW's models. Do y'all know of any alternatives? Spirit hosts I could just convert from some normal empire swordsmen or something and paint ethereal while I have an idea using gargoyle wings and skeleton warriors for fell bats but bat swarms would be hard to convert.

What do y'all use?

 

[Mioum]

For Bat Swarms, you have the LotR swarm, not cheaper and only 1 model, but look nicer. You also have the some Reaper swarm here and here. You could probably mix those to get better-looking swarm.

For Spirit Host, you can obviously use anything and paint them ethereal. But a popular choce is also from LotR, using these guys.

For Fell Bats, another popular choice I've seen around is Ghouls with Tyranid Gargoyle wings.

 

[The_Peacemaker]

The corpse cart comes with 1 bat. And I think some other kits do too(but I don't have them so i'm not sure).

If you know players that don't usually use all their bitz you could possibly buy/swap for a bunch of the plastic bats. Then glue a few onto a base and there ya go.
Also opens up some cool conversion ideas. Like taking the rat from the corpse cart and put it in the talons of the bat so it looks like the swarm is feeding!

or plot a little halfling on the base running away. Or a swordsman swinging wildly at the bats.

 

[Tawg]

Or a swordsman swinging wildly at the bats.

Probably the coolest idea, although I would note that I wouldn't want to make every base so 'Active' kinda draws away from the cool-ness? Although I may be wrong, I just thought about like 3 bases of bat-assailed warriors, sounds rather awesome.

 

[MadLarkin]

Those bats are pretty much exactly what I was looking for! Thanks Mioum!

And I may steal that idea Peacemaker, I love diorama bases. I'm working on two for my 40K guard army with sentinels. One being overrun by gaunts with the pilot using his pistol to blast one while simultaneously being stabbed by another, and one with the pilot trying to crush a space marine but the marine is grabbing the foot and is braced.

 

[Fallen Angel]

For fellbats I really recommend Rackhams Wamphyrs. I use them myself and painted and on GW flying poles they look like this:

For swarms, I really like Reapers bat swarms

Hope that helped!


EDIT: I see now that Mioum already posted the reaper swarms... Oh well..

 

[MadLarkin]

Wow those Rackhams Wamphyrs are pretty sweet looking. Nice paint job!

 

[SotF]

I've been using the murder of crows model from Reaper for my batswarms while adding the head from the Mantic skeleton sprue that has the crow munching on it.

For Fell Bats, I've taken the Mantic Ghoul, the Reaper Demonic Wings kit, and Reaper Dragonman conversion kit to make them with some modifications to the face to make something that looks like a form of gargoyle.

I keep planning on adding some Spirit Hosts at some point, but haven't really decided on them yet

 

[Crazeh]

I really like Flagellants for Spirit Hosts. The whirling hair, fire, books, chains and ragged cloaks look great and give them a real ghostly feel when painted up suitably.