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Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum and I believe this is the right spot for this question. I'm starting up a Tyranid army and I have no idea which models are essential for the army. Any tips on where to start?
I currently have a flying hive tyrant with sything talons and 24 hormagaunts bought used on eBay.
Thanks!

well, first and foremost get the codex. beyond that, look into some formations. if none catch your eye, 1 HQ and 2 troops. this should help out a lot: https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Tyranids(7E)

1d4chan is generally a great resource for tactics and help with armies, and it can also be pretty damn funny. though be ware: some pages can be a bit NSFW, though they mark them by having a box at the top of the page mentioning "promotions"

If you want to get another Hive Tyrant (which a lot of people have multiple flyrants) get the Tyranid Starter boxset.

Great price. You get a Hive Tyrant, 3 Warriors and I believe 10 gargoyles. That is like getting the Warriors for free. Not saying Warriors are good, but almost every Nid player has at least one set of Warriors.

ughh... flyrant junkies... INb4 it gets to bad in here...

First and foremost, Tyranids are a swarm army.. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a Deathleaper so you can compare the point cost and army options... the difference between a Deathleaper and a Dakka rant... is like....a full unit of biovores.... or, like, a full unit of gaunts.... or two tyrannocytes.... plus, he's just as hard to kill by ranged... and arguably even more so. I'm an avid 'Nid player with about 5000pts... so lemme give you the best things I've got;

Don't follow the swarm... be your own Hive Mind.
Screw the Tervigon, make a tyrannofex instead... for 175 pts, his stock build will do more damage.

If you got the money and are serious, throw down the $120 and get 3 biovores. It's expensive, but they never stop amazing me every game.

Get your Zoanthropes. These suckers are a bitch to deal with. Stick it to them.

DON'T DISREGUARD YOUR COLLECTED RIPPER SWARMS.... save them, and one day you might have as many as me! (24!!)

Tyranids are unique... the herd doesn't know how to play them. You don't build a well rounded army with them, you overwhelm in an aspect of play. If you want to Deep Strike Galore more than any army, do JUST that! If you want to compete psychically with Eldar and Grey Knights, do JUST that! You want monstrous creatures, do JUST that! you want poison, do JUST that! You want troops and swarm-cereal? do JUST that! Do you want to kamikaze Spore Mines? do JUST that. THAT IS TYRANID. Stop trying to compete with Chapter Masters and Astartes Uniques with Dakka Rants. Tyranid have the most DIVERSE special rules and styles of play of any army, unfortunately they don't quite synergize well with each other. In multiple small focuses, you will fail, but if you DEDICATE YOUR HIVE....like Batman to becoming a symbol.... you will dominate in one aspect, and then when you keep collecting, dominate in the next.

It took me a long time to learn this, as 'Nids were my first army, but I am now righting my wrongs... AND I DID IT ALL WITHOUT A FLYRANT (only proxied once!!!)