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So I've slowly been adding Tyranids to my collection here and there over time, and a friend was recently generous enough to give me all his Space Hulk models including a brood of genestealers. As a result, my 'nid collection looks something like this:

* ~26 genestealers including at least two brood lords.
* 2 carnifexes
* 6 warriors
* 1 reaper mini that looks like a cross between a venomthrope and a melee ravener.

Now I love me some genestealers. Their fluff is awesome, I think the models are fantastic, and I feel like a genestealer theme meshes well with my fondness for Hive Fleet Jormungandr's fluff. That said, I realize that this motley assortment of models isn't exactly the intuitive choice when it comes to winning games. I'm not really a tournament player (and for tournaments, I have my eldar), but I'd prefer not to get crushed in friendly games either. Where would you guys go from here with a collection like this? A few additional notes that might affect your responses:

*Flyrants are awesome, but my inner hipster is railing against the thought of bringing yet another one into the world.
*Venomthropes (and malanthropes) are awesome, but they don't synergize especially well with infiltrating genestealers unless I can find a way to infiltrate the venomthrope as well.
* Lictors are sweet, and I remember 5th edition Lictor/Stealer lists fondly, but these units both seem subpar these days. They also don't seem like they synergize especially well any more.
* I'd rather like to find a way to make Mawlocs and/or Trygons work.

Well, there's a Genestealer formation of some kind that uses a total of five x5 Genestealers. I don't know what it does though.

For Warriors, survivability can't be helped much outside of Venomthropes. If you just want to use them offensively instead of a Synapse point, buy the Drop Pod equivalent!

Carnifexes aren't terrible, but not great. Outfit them for shooting seems to be the consensus I've read.

Mawlocs already work. They work incredibly. And #Lictorshame proved that Lictors synergize just as well in the hands of a good player. A Bastion with an Escape Hatch is a good way to fling a Venomthrope forward. Still limits your use, but it can get the bugger forward faster. Malanthrope too.

Genestealers can join the rest of ours. On a shelf waiting for the Genecult codex to be a real thing. Or waiting for Flesh Hooks to be an option again. I honestly have no real option there despite my efforts. Manufactorum Genestealers works for MSU ideas, but not as well as Scouts or Gladius. Broodlord Hunting Pack and Children of Cryptus are interesting, but the issues of the Genestealers are still there. They still die so easily and cost so many points...

If inner hipster hates on Flyrants, you have two options. Find a 2nd Edition Tyrant and give it wings, or find a 3rd Edition Tyrant and give it wings. I'm currently working on my 3rd Edition Forge World Flyrant because I also want to be unique. And I have my eye on this 2nd Edition Flyrant modified with wings... It's so sinister looking.

The immediate answer for all Tyranid players is to use the formations. There's a TON of them for Tyranids across dataslates. They do all kinds of neat things and mix unit types into groups or add new rules like the Endless Swarm that simulates Imperial Guard conscript spam.

In your case, if you want to use Mawlocs and Trygons, the formation that suits you is the Subterranean Swarm. For that you'd want to grab some more Raveners. A lot more.

Flyrants are definitely the scariest beast of the army but you can definitely build lists without one. A fun one I've seen is the three Tervigons with 200+ gaunts. Probably not within your buying range at this time. But with all the formations available, there's definitely some options now besides "as many flyrants as you possibly can".

Some fun stuff:

- Lictors synergize well with Mawlocs, especially if you use the formation that lets them get even closer to enemy units
- Exocrines are already MEQ slayers but can be even sweeter for a shooting army with the Living Artillery Node
- If you get another Carnifex and a Tyrannofex you can run the Bioblast Node and feature them as the core of your army
- Venomthropes can go into deep strike using a Tyrannocyte which is the Tyranid version of a drop pod, might help
- Alternatively, you can just put the genestealers themselves in the Tyrannocyte and deep strike them in later
- Manufactorum Genestealers are another formation that lets you infiltrate EVEN CLOSER to enemies near ruins
- Alternatively, the Broodlord's Hunting Pack runs fewer stealers and lets you do the same thing arriving from Reserves (they get placed into ruins near the enemy)


If you want to buy as little as possible, I'd run the infiltrating genestealers list. It uses just a few more genestealers than you have currently and sets them up for an easy charge. Add a deathleaper and you can get Slay the Warlord on turn 2 with pheromones to deep strike Mawlocs. Support them from the back with the big guns like the Carnifex.

Also, the Aegis Defense Line can act as both cover for your artillery and a rerollable reserve roll to control your Mawlocs.

I don't know that much of tyranids but Lichtors are not bad at all those nasty things are generally high on my must die as soon as possible list. Especially of your army includes a lot of deep striking (re spawning) stuff.

Lictors are actually pretty bad. If you just treat them as 50 point Homers for Mawlocs, though, they're amazingly okay.

Heres my several step plan for dealing with the amazing amount of 'Meh' in the Tyranid Codex.

1. Wait for new codex.
2. Hope and pray everything that is meh has sold so poorly it will be buffed to 'must have' levels. Side note, accep flyrants will be nerfed.
3. Recieve new codex that Cruddace got his gak stained hands all over again. Side note, flyrants nerfed cause lol.
4. Be told by everyone the books fine because three units are worth taking.
5. Feth it, accept youre the npc and be happy with it.

Repeat per edition as needed.