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So my friend is starting into Tyranids and I'm helping her figure out a decent 1000 point list to build towards.

So far she owns:
- 20 Hormagaunts
- 25 Termagants
- 1 Hive Tyrant

She would like to have an army with a bunch of monstrous creatures since she likes the look of them and has more fun painting them. Our group plays casually with Necrons, Tau, Eldar, and Orks. Nothing super competitive, the occasional single wraithknight or stormsurge.

I had a couple ideas, but my Tyranids knowledge isn't the best. Here's what I've got so far.

Option 1: Skyblight Swarm
- Hive Tyrant: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers, Electroshock Grubs, Regeneration
- Hive Crone: Fighter Ace, Stinger Salvo
- 2 Harpies: Fighter Ace, TL Heavy Venomcannons on each
- 3 units of 10 gargoyles
1000 points exactly

Option 2: CAD
- 2 Hive Tyrants: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers, Electroshock Grubs on each
- 2 Mawlocs: Toxinspike Tails and Regeneration on each
- 2 units of 10 hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs
1000 points exactly

Are these decent lists for the 1000 points range? Which one would you recommend? It's just for casual games but any C&C on these lists or other list ideas focusing around MCs would be great. Maybe some Carnifex spam or something?

Bojazz wrote:
So my friend is starting into Tyranids and I'm helping her figure out a decent 1000 point list to build towards.

So far she owns:
- 20 Hormagaunts
- 25 Termagants
- 1 Hive Tyrant

She would like to have an army with a bunch of monstrous creatures since she likes the look of them and has more fun painting them. Our group plays casually with Necrons, Tau, Eldar, and Orks. Nothing super competitive, the occasional single wraithknight or stormsurge.

I had a couple ideas, but my Tyranids knowledge isn't the best. Here's what I've got so far.

Option 1: Skyblight Swarm
- Hive Tyrant: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers, Electroshock Grubs, Regeneration
- Hive Crone: Fighter Ace, Stinger Salvo
- 2 Harpies: Fighter Ace, TL Heavy Venomcannons on each
- 3 units of 10 gargoyles
1000 points exactly

Option 2: CAD
- 2 Hive Tyrants: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers, Electroshock Grubs on each
- 2 Mawlocs: Toxinspike Tails and Regeneration on each
- 2 units of 10 hormagaunts
1000 points exactly

Are these decent lists for the 1000 points range? Which one would you recommend? It's just for casual games but any C&C on these lists or other list ideas focusing around MCs would be great. Maybe some Carnifex spam or something?

Nothing wrong with those. Though the second one would be better if you lost the Regen, and Toxin upgrades, and purchased something else...I suggest looking at Malanthrope, Venothropes, and Zoanthropes. Lictors could be real useful as well.

Oh, so it's better to run Mawlocs naked? It's so hard to know which upgrades are worth taking for Tyranids.

Looking at the options you suggested I think Malanthropes would better suit the theme of "huge dudes", and my group has no problem with using forgeworld units. I'm only able to fit one Malanthrope into the list, even if i take off every upgrade except wings and weapons from the hive tyrants. Would running the Hive Tyrants without Wings be such a travesty? Here's options with and without wings:

WINGS:
- 2 Hive Tyrants: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers, on each - Electroshock Grubs on one
- 2 Mawlocs
- 2 units of 10 Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs
- 1 Malanthrope

NO WINGS:
- 2 Hive Tyrants: 2 TL Brainleech Devourers, Hive Commander, and Elecrtoshock Grubs on each
- 2 Mawlocs
- 2 units of 10 Hormagaunts
- 2 Malanthropes (separate or single unit?)

The loss of wings gives me another Malanthrope and Scouting/Outflanking Hormagaunts, but I honestly don't know which is more beneficial.

You should only need one Malanthrope at this point level I'd say, it's mainly there to help your HTs survive the first couple of turns while you weaken the most threatening enemy units.

It's with considering Mucolids over the Hormagaunts to free up a bunch of points as well. That may result in an army more polarised than your friend wants (and it definitely makes scoring harder) but gives you a bit more room for killy things. I'd also take a look at using the hive fleet detachment for 3 tyrants and 1 mawloc as an alternative if she's going up against a harder list like one with a Wraithknight.

I'd also get your friend to take a look at the Barbed Heirodule; it's a very cost efficient way to expand her army (in monetary terms), definitely fits her 'big creatures' theme and could expand one of these lists to 1750-1850 or so with minimal other additions.

That's some pretty solid advice, and gives her some more options to pick from. I hadn't even thought of using mucolid spores to get a list of almost pure MCs. That's pretty crazy.

Thanks for the advice! I'll report back with her input!

Alright, So she perused the GW website and fell in love with 2 models. The Tervigon and the Haruspex/Exocrine. The Tervigon makes sense, since it will allow her to use the Termagants she has in the list as well (she'll likely need to buy one more box though). Here's what we've worked out with your guys' advice:

- Hive Tyrant: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers
- Tervigon: Crushing Claws, Cluster Spines
- Malanthrope
- Zoanthrope
- 10 Hormagaunts
- 10 Hormagaunts
- Exocrine
- Mawloc: Toxin Sacs for the re-rolls

What do you think?

Bojazz wrote:
Alright, So she perused the GW website and fell in love with 2 models. The Tervigon and the Haruspex/Exocrine. The Tervigon makes sense, since it will allow her to use the Termagants she has in the list as well (she'll likely need to buy one more box though). Here's what we've worked out with your guys' advice:

- Hive Tyrant: Wings, 2 TL Brainleech Devourers
- Tervigon: Crushing Claws, Cluster Spines
- Malanthrope
- Zoanthrope
- 10 Hormagaunts
- 10 Hormagaunts
- Exocrine
- Mawloc: Toxin Sacs for the re-rolls

What do you think?

Well you need 30 Termagaunts to get a Tervigon as a troop choice. I'd recommend that over 20 Hormagaunts. Then some extra Termagaunts for summoning. Id avoid putting upgrades on a Tervigon. It's not there to get in your face. Take a tyrranofex instead for some tank crushing if thats your goal. You'll want electroshock grubs on your Hive tyrant as well. Toxis sacs on the Mawloc is pretty bad. It usually dies or reburrows and doesn't attack much. Id recommend not taking a zoanthrope. A malanthrope is enough. If you like big I'd say a Tyrannofex/Carnifex unit. If you like the exocrine take him, 3 biovores and a unit of tyranid warriors with a cannon for a formation. If you like hormagaunts, I'd say they need adrenal glands. No upgrade on the mawloc, maybe take two mawlocs. Archae is also nice in the forgeworld list.