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I just started Tyranids. I have 18 Genestealers, a Broodlord and10 Termagants. What should I get next?

You need an HQ so a hive tyrant or box of warriors is in order. This will get your minimum required slots filled. beyond that t's up to how you want to build your list.

Thinking of getting three Primes. For choice and might make one or two a Warrior if I gets some afterwards.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Luna Dragon wrote:I just start Tyranids. I have 18 Genestealers, a Broodlord and10 Termagants. What should I get next?

I mainly fight Space Marines and Orks. I want some background as well. (A game is only as good as it's story)

For smaller games, A tyranid prime is your best efficiency HQ. A tyrant can be a real damage-dealer but you need some tyrant guard to keep him alive, so you're spending $60-80 vs a warrior box for $35. I suggest the warriors to make a tyranid prime, throw him in the termagant squad, equip him however you feel works best. I like them with 2x scytals and regeneration to keep them cheap, but other people do 2x boneswords or lash whip/bonesword to give them power weapons. Those loadouts are great, except GW doesn't make plastic boneswords, and the metal ones only come with Hive Tyrant kits. So unless you want to convert, go with a traditional equipment loadout on your prime and let it rock.

Your next purchases after whichever HQ you choose should be: Hive Guard! 2 in a pair is good for small games, once you get to 1000 points plus you should have at least 2 pairs, for a total of 4 models ($90!!).

tetrisphreak wrote:For smaller games, A tyranid prime is your best efficiency HQ. A tyrant can be a real damage-dealer but you need some tyrant guard to keep him alive, so you're spending $60-80 vs a warrior box for $35. I suggest the warriors to make a tyranid prime, throw him in the termagant squad, equip him however you feel works best. I like them with 2x scytals and regeneration to keep them cheap, but other people do 2x boneswords or lash whip/bonesword to give them power weapons. Those loadouts are great, except GW doesn't make plastic boneswords, and the metal ones only come with Hive Tyrant kits. So unless you want to convert, go with a traditional equipment loadout on your prime and let it rock.

Your next purchases after whichever HQ you choose should be: Hive Guard! 2 in a pair is good for small games, once you get to 1000 points plus you should have at least 2 pairs, for a total of 4 models ($90!!).

That is my current plan, but I many this post for back up plans or replacements if I find a better idea. Any I don't have too much money to spend, nothing more than £20.50.

You need the codex.

If you have any modelling skills, look for secondhand stuff on eBay. You want a Tervigon to go with your Termagants and there isn't a model from GW so you need to convert a Carnifex. You can usually get them 50% off retail from eBay. A bit of sawing and putty and Bob's your uncle.

The simple Termagant models that come in a box of five for five pounds are better than the expensive set. Once you get started with Tervigons you need heaps of Termagants. You can mix a few of the expensive ones with the cheap ones for a bit of variety.

Get a box of Warriors and convert one of them to a Warrior Prime for an HQ.

Hive Guard are the best all round Elite troops. They are quite pricey from GW though.

Trust me, this is exactly what you should go and do.

Download the codex off scribd, then print it out.

Buy a carnifex box:

You can use the carnifex as either a carnifex or a tervigon, both are extreamly important.

then i would go and buy about 3-4 boxes of termagaunts.

there you go a decent army already,

if you buy another carnifex and about 2-3 guards you can easily have a compettitive army.

Can I sue you now, Dave?
Jk, I did that too, when I started Nids. I didn't know what to get, so I just said, "Screw This!" and robbed GW- I MEAN bought a Nid Battleforce. Basically gave me everything I needed.

EDIT: That was 4th Ed
I'm not sure about 5th Ed, except the warriors. Back in 4th Ed, a broodlord could count as an HQ
So, go Warriors and some heavy CC

Get a Deathleaper to win objective games

Kilkrazy wrote:You need the codex.

If you have any modelling skills, look for secondhand stuff on eBay. You want a Tervigon to go with your Termagants and there isn't a model from GW so you need to convert a Carnifex. You can usually get them 50% off retail from eBay. A bit of sawing and putty and Bob's your uncle.

The simple Termagant models that come in a box of five for five pounds are better than the expensive set. Once you get started with Tervigons you need heaps of Termagants. You can mix a few of the expensive ones with the cheap ones for a bit of variety.

Get a box of Warriors and convert one of them to a Warrior Prime for an HQ.

Hive Guard are the best all round Elite troops. They are quite pricey from GW though.

Dave_Nz wrote:Trust me, this is exactly what you should go and do.

Download the codex off scribd, then print it out.

Buy a carnifex box:

You can use the carnifex as either a carnifex or a tervigon, both are extreamly important.

then i would go and buy about 3-4 boxes of termagaunts.

there you go a decent army already,

if you buy another carnifex and about 2-3 guards you can easily have a compettitive army.

Got the codex over a year ago. I don't have the money for something big just yet . I DON'T want a competitve army, I like what most call "fuffy" armies

A compative army and a fluffy army is one and the same. They are space bugs, they are trying to eat planets, so they should be good at it.

with tyranids the gap between a competetive army and one that always loses is not that big. It is exstremly booring to collect an army you never winn with, and that is quite easy to achive with the codex.

Niiai wrote:A compative army and a fluffy army is one and the same. They are space bugs, they are trying to eat planets, so they should be good at it.

with tyranids the gap between a competetive army and one that always loses is not that big. It is exstremly booring to collect an army you never winn with, and that is quite easy to achive with the codex.

Compative armies and fuffy armies are different. A group of jerks at my local Games Workshop has taught me that. The current fuff for my army. Hive Fleet Lunar is currenting battling on the systems by the chapter planet of the Luna Dragons. The Luna Dragons are currently battling them. I want something adtated to fighting the Emperor's Finest, but swarmy.

In other armies fluff and competetive is not the same but not so with tyranids.

Who is afraid of a big space bug swarm that just dies? If you want to make it fluffy I am suposing the Luna Dragons are using transports. Is that so? Then take 3x2 units of hive guards, and 2 trygons so you can damadge the tanks. The Trygons can be changed out by 6xraveners with rending claws.

Oh wait, the Luna Dragons also have guns? Get some gargoyles with adrenald glands (for the tanks) to screen your units.

And synapse is fluffy, so now you need to include some fluffy synapse creatures of your choise.

Edit: If you want to keep with the theme of swarmy you should use raveners for the bodies. Also, you should use tervigons as troops and HQ as they are very swarmy.

An army could look something like this:

1 Tervigon, Catalyst, Toxic Sacks, Adrenad Glands 195

2 Hive guards 100
2 Hive guards 100
2 Hive guards 100

1 Tervigon, Catalyst, Toxic Sacks, Adrenad Glands 195
10 Termigants 50

20 Gargoyles, Adrenald Glands 140
6 Raveners, Rending Claws 210
6 Raveners, Rending Claws 210

That is 1300 points. You are a bit light on the synapse, but is plenty swarmy, and it can fight space marines (hive guards, raveners) is niddy (gargoyles screening other troops) and it has the hive mind precent (tervigons)

If you want to go up to 1500 I would do it like this:

1 Tervigon, Catalyst, Toxic Sacks, Adrenad Glands 195

2 Hive guards 100
2 Hive guards 100
2 Zoanthropes 120

1 Tervigon, Catalyst, Toxic Sacks, Adrenad Glands 195
1 Tervigon, Catalyst, Toxic Sacks, Adrenad Glands 195
10 Termigants 50
10 Termigants 50

20 Gargoyles, Adrenald Glands 140
5 Raveners, Rending Claws 175
5 Raveners, Rending Claws 175

A bit better synapse, and you have a small plan vs landraiders (Zoanthropes since you do not have more MC's then 3.) If you are going up to 1750 I would advice some more dakka. You got 3 fast attack swarms (yay) and the tervigons are swarmy (before you charge, spawn 3d6 termaganst and charge with them, they are now very powerfull. I still think you are a bit weak vs space marines fluff wice since they have tanks, but that is every matchup these days.

Niiai wrote:In other armies fluff and competetive is not the same but not so with tyranids.

Who is afraid of a big space bug swarm that just dies? If you want to make it fluffy I am suposing the Luna Dragons are using transports. Is that so? Then take 3x2 units of hive guards, and 2 trygons so you can damadge the tanks. The Trygons can be changed out by 6xraveners with rending claws.

Oh wait, the Luna Dragons also have guns? Get some gargoyles with adrenald glands (for the tanks) to screen your units.

And synapse is fluffy, so now you need to include some fluffy synapse creatures of your choise.

Yeah, Primes with Bones Swords with Toxin Sacs, good against Power Armour Space Marines and able to poison them. Lictors to hunt down the their commanders with Termagants to fill the ranks and overwhelm them with numbers?

If you want to go with primes then put them with hive guards, zoanthropes or venomthropes. Warriors just keep dying to all sorts of odd things. (They offer cheap synapse but they do not do so mutch.)

The best use of primes is to put them with carnifexes to give them coversaves.

Lictors do not hunt down commanders. Lictors moastly show up far to late, and when they do they do very little.

Termagants are not impresive unles they get adrenald glands.

Just so you know I don't care if I win or lose, I play the game for the great story afterwards (And fun in the game) . A second tyranid player is going to get hiveguard, but I think Prime are good, cheap HQ able to keep the Gaunts under control. Lictors can appear right behind enemy commander (In cover) and shoot them with two S6 rending attacks and has higher I than Captains and other HQ. A few bare bones Genestealers as decoys could be good, stick them in cover and the enemy shoots them in panic. (A few genestealers with a broodlord has wiped out a Tac Squad for no losses in return, they are feared now )

Buy a carnifex and convert to a tervigon...it's the best way to start building up your army points wise.

ductvader wrote:Buy a carnifex and convert to a tervigon...it's the best way to start building up your army points wise.

I'm going to get some big bugs for my birthday (I hope) so no more big bugs.

Well it sounds like you are on a track so I will wish you good luck.

Just do not invest the ebst paintjob on them before you se how well they fare.

The problem with the lictor poping up and shooting at the comander is that you are using 65 points for 2 shooting attacks at BS 3(4?) S6 rending, but he will just take those on marines with 3+ save. (That is if he is not in a rhino/razorback.)