I prefer it to your earlier one, Fester - it really came across as a mash-up of a bat and a wyvern. Honestly a Manticore in name only. The Blizzard wyvern doesn't look very leonine with those leopard spots, even if it's supposed to have some gryphon ancestry.
Yeah, I know the Manticore has combined bat, lion and scorpion features, but giving it a bat face doesn't sit right with me. Let's not even get into what it'd look like with a scorpion's face...
You've done a very good job of using in-game resources, here.
The leonine features are much more in keeping with the mythical creature. I don't think any of us want to see one with a human face. It'd be horrific. (It's a shame that Blizzard didn't have lions as a critter, at least).
The wings are great. That's definitely the part to go full bat on.
Like Wazzz, I'm really looking forward to seeing a version without the rider. It'd be invaluable for a little hobby map I'm working on.
A more scorpion-like tail would be wonderful, but I can imagine what a headache that would be. The current one works perfectly well. The Arachnathid's tail would probably clash with the design you have going.
I realise that the fire is artistic licence, but it feels flashy for a basic attack (dragons being the exception).
Not sure how you'd feel about it, but swapping the attack and spell animations may bring this more into line with its namesake.
Maybe try it for the unmounted version, see what you think?
4/5 from me, in any case. I love to see ingenuity like this on the Hive.
- Sin
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Edit: I just discovered Kuhneghetz's lion, here:
Lion Male
It may be a good source of inspiration.