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I have an offer to purchase about 2,000 points of old Nids, but I'm not exactly sure how to use them. Here's what I'll be getting:

Hive Tyrant with scything talons and maybe wings?
9 Warriors with deathspitters
8 Warriors with twin boneswords
2 Carnifexes
40 Genestealers
2 Patriarchs (counts as broodlords?)
8 Termagants with spinefists
8 Hormagants

What would the likelihood of making this a usable 1,750 or 2,500 point army? I know there are some units I don't have, like Lictors or Trygon/Mawlocs, but as is, is this workable?

Christ, you have genestealer patriarchs? i'm jelly.
Sounds like a good place to start. but if you're hoping to be at all competitive the new codex states "take trygon or you suck" and "take zoanthrope or you suck"
God i hate how codexes do that
It's certainly doable with what you have but you'll need a few other things!

you'd just be missing the new guys, hive guard, mawloc, trygon, and of course the zoanthropes ... too bad ur not getting those nuri .. the old ones are hawt

It'd be a healthy start but Imo only about 1/2 a competitive 1750 army

Best I can figure I have is this:

Hive Tyrant: 255
9 warrior brood, deathspitters: 270
8 warrior brood, boneswords: 360
19 genestealer brood with broodlord: 312
19 genestealer brood with broodlord: 312
8 termagant brood with spinefists: 48
8 hormagant brood: 64
2 carnifexes: 320

Actually, this all adds up to 1,941 points with no upgrades, a little over 500 points for bump-ups, maybe a trygon or the Doom or something...







Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mukkin'About wrote:Christ, you have genestealer patriarchs? i'm jelly.[b]
Sounds like a good place to start. but if you're hoping to be at all competitive the new codex states "take trygon or you suck" and "take zoanthrope or you suck"
God i hate how codexes do that
It's certainly doable with what you have but you'll need a few other things!

Oh, and I wish I could say they are the throned patriarchs, but they're not... you think they could "count as" broodlords?

Some of the old miniatures are quite ugly, so I was glad to sell them myself. Don't know if you care about looks.
My guess: Hive Tyrant and Carnifex 3rd edition, probably also the gaunts (if plastic, which then are the same as the current ones).
Warriors (which I actually like) and monopose genestealers 2nd edition.

But don't be fooled: Your list will only win against the weakest players with the weakest lists. You need much more gaunts (or none at all), you shouldn't use Carnifexes when starting, the Hive Tyrant needs protection, you need antitank, ...

You'll have to add some Gants and Gaunts because the minimum unit size is 10.

Carnifexes are out of fashion now but if they are plastic you can convert them to Tervigons. Or just keep them and use them. I think people have been a bit too quick to dump their Carnies.

As others have said, you should think about a few of the new units -- Venomthrope, Zoanthrope, Hive Guard and Trygon -- to be competitive.

The main problem with what you have got is that there isn't much ranged anti-tank firepower.

My vote is get it, add Trygon/prime
a few zoans.
Pyrovore(just cause I think it looks bada**
Definatly more gaunts, maybe some gargoyles.
Oh forgot to mention minimum of two hive guards.
Might cost more then what you want, point wise and $$ wise, but well worth it to have access to it for a tourny.

Looks like someone offed their really old 2nd ed or 4th ed (although I dont know how they would have had boneswords) on you. Personally I would never use Warriors with Boneswords. Far too costly for such a fragile unit. Spinegaunts, likewise, are not that good. Get masses of cheap, basic termagants, or stick with the stealers if you like. Include a few tervigons by GSing up those carnifex (assuming they are plastic 4th ed ones). Keep the Deathspitter Warriors, they're pretty badass.

Flyrants should be outfitted for CC and you should keep the cost on it low, since it will inevitably be pinged by alot of heavy weapons fire and probably wont last after one or two assaults. If it doesnt have wings, still go the CC route, but get some Tyrant guards for it. This way it gains a Cover Save (which, since it lacks a Invul Save, will be essential to your survival).

Other units you should get, or at least consider:

Zoanthropes (I personally run 3)
Hive Guards
Trygon

Hive Guards and Zoanthropes are tanke popers, Hive Guards for low armored skimmers while the Zoanthrope for the heavy Russes and Raiders. Zoans are also decent at poping MEQs. Depending on what you face, either a Trygon or Biovores will be an asset. 3 biovores can basically lay down half an apocalypse barrage template that can utterly destroy GEQs. Trygons are just an "oh gak" factor when they pop behind enemy lines. You could also convert one or both Carnifexes to Tyrannofexes if you dont want Tervigons, which are also good at poping transports from a distance.