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I'm not a Zer-I mean, Tyranid player, but the long story short is that my friend has had a mega-crappy year and he's mentioned often wanting to start a Tyranid army. I would like to buy him a solid starter set as a surprise early Christmas gift, but have no idea where to start. I was thinking of one of the box sets, but a simple and solid list 500-1000 point list would be even better, I think.

So, here's my question. What would be a solid 500-1000 point list for him?

HuskyWarhammer,

A good starting point would probably be the Wrath of the Hive Mind box if you can find it, or the Tyranid Swarm box with a Hive Tyrant. kinda depends on his play style. If he is all about mass then you could go with the swarm box and perhaps a hive tyrant (probably going to want at least on as they are super good) and/or or tervigon to spawn all the dudes. Carnifexes are also good options and they are giant beat sticks. If he is looking to just have some fun and overrun that is probably the best route. Not sure on your budget. If he is looking for more of a Godzilla type of army Carnifexes are the bees knees.

Are you also HuskyStarcraft? been a big fan if you are!

Best of Luck.

Haha, I'm not, though I am a fellow fan of BROOONZE LEAGUE HEROOOOOOOOOES!

Thanks for the tip, I was actually thinking about the Wrath box as it was, so it's nice to have the conformation.

Well, since we have no clue of your friend's preferred playstyle, you COULD go for a little bit of everything. A Destiny Cloud Fist Tyranid list, if you will. That would let him try a wide variety of units and then build towards whatever he likes the best.

1 Hive Tyrant - Wings, 2 Twin Devourers
24 Hormagaunts (2 boxes, conveniently)
24 Termagants (2 boxes, also conveniently)
3 Zoanthropes
2 Carnifvexes - each with 2 Twin Devourers
2 Biovores
976 points leaves some room to play around with upgrades.

Not the most competitive list, but a decent starting point if you have no clue what style your friend wants to play.

The problem with Bojazz's suggestion is that Tyranids really suck if you try to do a balance between big and small bugs. While that list has everything you would think you'd need, and I've run something very very similar, it actually doesn't perform on the table. The Carnifexen just die or get locked in combat, the Hormagaunts just die or eat themselves, the Termagants atleast die when they're supposed to as a screen for others. But everything dies to a Thunderfire Cannon. And those boxes don't come with that many Devourers anyway from a modeling perspective.

I'd skip the Hormagaunts completely and the Carnifex. Throw in a Mawloc and another Flyrant and build some Rippers out of the Termagant box. It's been so long, literally over a decade, since I bought a Termagant box so I don't know if you can get a full three Ripper bases out of that box anymore... And one of the Zoas should be a Venomthrope, but that's the same box so it's okay.

if you want competitive get him as many hive tyrants and mawlocs as you can get a 1:1 ratio for him

i would recommend the following:


Tyranid CAD

HQ
Hive Tyrant [Electroshock Grubs, 2x Twin-linked Devourer with Brainleech Worms, Wings]
Hive Tyrant [Electroshock Grubs, 2x Twin-linked Devourer with Brainleech Worms, Wings]

Troops
3x Ripper Swarm Brood [3x Deep Strike]
3x Ripper Swarm Brood [3x Deep Strike]

Heavy Support
Mawloc
Mawloc
Mawloc


990 pts

While that's a good list, it's boring as hell. I wouldn't recommend anyone getting just that but the most hardline competitive players when they are just starting off the army.

 SharkoutofWata wrote:
While that's a good list, it's boring as hell. I wouldn't recommend anyone getting just that but the most hardline competitive players when they are just starting off the army.

Could be, although it's a personal preference i believe, OP didn't mention what his friend likes, only that it should be a simple solid starter army. If you have more info OP, please give so we can narrow down the recommendations. Otherwise i think my post is a very simple and very solid starter army if you like the big bugs.

I believe that he's wanting to play a more "get some shooty cover but mostly rip apart d00ds with their claws" style, but I ended up settling on the Hive Mind box. Thanks for all of the help ya'll, you are my favorite.

I giggled more than once at the Destiny Cloud Fist comment.