Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi guys, I just realised that I actually won a $500 gift voucher in painting competition a few months ago (I figured the was no chance I could win, turns out there weren't many other entries) and I just realised that the offer expires in two weeks so I need to spend it all post-haste. I've decided to start a Tyranid army because I love the models but I have no idea how the faction works and therefore, no idea what to buy. I also hear people in my FLGS talking about new Tyranid models and a codex.

In short, I don't know what to buy. Help?

I don't know where you people get these rumours, but can you tell me of any units that are getting a recast because I'd like to avoid buying those for the time being.

Just to warn you, it is extremely likely that the army is going to be redone in January. Unfortunately you can't wait until the new codex to spend. According to the rumors, most kits are being redone: from the basic termagant kit to hive guard to the tyrant. As to what's going to be good in the next codex, it's anybody's guess.
Honestly, I would just say buy what models you like. Do you want to run a monster list with a bunch of MCs? Get some tyrannafexes and trygons and tyrants. Do you want to run a tide list with tons of little guys? Pick up a bunch of hormagants and termagants. It's really just up to what you like. You can always adjust your list later.
In my opinion, tide lists are the most fun. I love setting down 120 hormagants and seeing the look on my opponents face as he tries to shoot enough of them to stop me from charging. They rarely do.

Spend it on two of every MC, then spend what's left on troops.

PrehistoricUFO has given some good advice there.

The Trygon and Tervigon/Tyrannofex kits are all fairly new, so they will not be replaced. The Carnifex is an older kit but a very good one. Carnifexes fell out of favour in 5th edition because GW nerfed them, so they may well be de-nerfed in 6th edition in order to get them selling again.

If you are worried about buying Troops units that might be replaced with new kits, fill up on the Raveners and Warriors.

The Raveners kit is also pretty new. Warriors is an older kit, but a good one, like the Carnifex.

$500 won't go very far at modern prices. The average price of the kits I have recommended is about $50 each. However it will give you a good core of an army.

that said I'd suggest holding off ASSMBLING until the new codex comes out.

Personally, I would start with the core troops. Hormagants and Termagants will be the mainstay in any army. Start off with 20-40 of each. Then go for a Tyrant. That is your basics. From there, start looking at the larger monsters. Tervigons, Trygons, Hive and Tyrant Guard (if a walking Tyrant or Swarmlord) are always good choices as well.

It just depends if you want horde, nidzilla, or in between.

Thanks for the help everyone.

 necronid wrote:
Personally, I would start with the core troops. Hormagants and Termagants will be the mainstay in any army. Start off with 20-40 of each. Then go for a Tyrant. That is your basics. From there, start looking at the larger monsters. Tervigons, Trygons, Hive and Tyrant Guard (if a walking Tyrant or Swarmlord) are always good choices as well.

It just depends if you want horde, nidzilla, or in between.

I love the look of Nidzilla, I may just start myself on each of the kits you've all recommended and hope Nidzilla is still viable after the new codex.

You can't really go wrong with a bunch of the large, newish kits:

Hive Tyrant
Tervigon / Tfex
Trygon

Gargoyles, Raveners and Hormaguants are probably a good bet too, along with possibly the battleforce. Termagants are unlikely to change much even if they do get a recast, and Warriors are likely to just get all their missing weapon options at last.

Anything currently in Finecast is very likely to be updated to better plastic kits in the next month or two, so avoid Zoanthropes/Biovores/etc. Hive Guard are already confirmed as being redone in plastic.

The new codex is rumoured to drop on Dec 7th, so if you can hold off assembling anything with multiple options until then it will be easy to avoid any terrible mistakes.

I doubt there will be a Tactical-Marines re-vision of current plastic kits.

Anything in plastic is probably save. Stay clear of Finecast, it might be updated.

Either way, it's probably better to spend that money now anyhow. I'd expect prices to rise with the new Codex.

 Zweischneid wrote:
Stay clear of Finecast, it might be updated.

That's good advice whether they get updated or not, really.

If you have to spend the voucher in the next two weeks, at least get a bunch of the most modern kits (Trygon, Tervigon, ect.) that aren't going to be changed. If it comes to the worst, at least you can sell them afterwards.

Ask the FLGS if you can extent the voucher 2 weeks for the December Tyranid release.

Sell it to someone for $500, or buy another voucher with it lol.

Pretty much what they said about MCs, I'd get 2 tervigons for sure, probably 2 tyrants, 1-2 trygons, a load of termagants, at least 25ish per tervigon, then the rest is going to be guess work as far as the new codex goes. Maybe gargoyles, carnifexes, zoanthropes, biovores, etc. All those should be fairly safe bets atm.

A general tip for Tyranids - MAGNETS

Warriors, carnifexes, tervigons, trygons, hive tyrants, etc.. Basically anything warrior size or bigger that has multiple weapon options needs to have the arms magnetized.

Tyranids typically change a lot weapon wise codex to codex and some weapons fall in and out of favour (or even out of the codex). This goes along with new weapons appearing as well as changes in what is and isn't allowed. As a result if you perma fix the arms you can end up with a slew of models (some of them very expensive) that might suddenly not be the best option or worse might not even be legal to field any more.

So protect yourself and take the small amount of additional time to get some neodymium magnets (N52 grade) and magnetize the arms.


IT also has the added bonus that you can then also change your army around as you need to. You might only need two hive tyrant models at any one time; but if you want more than two weapon load outs you'll have to either buy more or use magnets so it saves you a lot of cost as well.

If you can't get an extension of a month or so, then the following kits are safe to buy now:
Tyrants, Tervigons/Tyrannofex, Trygon, Raveners, Gargoyles. I personally think gants and Hormagaunts won't be updated, but a few rumors say they could be, so maybe avoid. And of course avoid Finecast, especially Hive Guard. They're definitely getting replaced, probably Zoeys too.

I can't see much need to update hormagaunts unless they redo how gaunts look entirely. That said Termagaunts could do with a new weapon sprue considering that they've several new guns already - hormagaunts might get similar treatment with a few new weapons or they'll change the gaunt look and make hormagaunts just part of the gaunt sprue.

 jifel wrote:
If you can't get an extension of a month or so, then the following kits are safe to buy now:
Tyrants, Tervigons/Tyrannofex, Trygon, Raveners, Gargoyles. I personally think gants and Hormagaunts won't be updated, but a few rumors say they could be, so maybe avoid. And of course avoid Finecast, especially Hive Guard. They're definitely getting replaced, probably Zoeys too.

Hah, it didn't even occur to me to ask for an extension, I'll try that.

If I had $500 to spend; assuming I didn't already have these models:

2 Trygons
2 Tervigons
2 Hive Tyrant (one for the swarm lord)

Then, whatever a buddy wanted from any other army.

My guess is that anything which is currently Finecast or Metal is going to be completely redone: exa: guard, lictor, pyrovore, zoa's. The Termagants will likely be redone as well - to include new weapon options and decrease model count in the box. Also, my guess is the old carnifex will change again.