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.

Hello! I recently bought a can of white spray paint, brown and red regular paint, a Tyranid codex, and the Tyranid swarm box. I have a 750 point game coming up in 6 weeks with some friends. I'm brand new to Tyranids, so here's my question: Can I build a viable 750 point list from this box? What is the minimum models I need to buy to make it work? I don't think a Carnifex is an HQ unit so I'll probably need one.

Models in box:

10 Gargoyles
40 Hormagaunts
40 Termagaunts
1 Carnifex
4 Ripper Swarms

Since it's a melee Carnifex (i don't think the guns are available?) i'd use him as Old One Eye.

OOE 220 points
10 Gargoyles 60 points
40 Hormies 200 points
30 Termies 160 points
4 Rippers 52 points.

692 points, so only missing 58 more points. (or nothing if you put some upgrades) BUT!
Rippers are probably the worst unit in the codex and that list have absolutly zero Synapses (and it's not a fluffy synapseless list....they all suffer from it except OOE)

You'd need one of the fallowing: Hive Tyrant/Swarmlord, Zoanthropes, Warriors/Shrikes, Trygon Prime or Tervigon.

Hive Tyrant with Wings is considered the best HQ, so it's the safest bet. If not, it depends a lot on your style. Tervigon as a troop ( need a brood of 30 termies) is pretty good and i love Zoanthropes.

OOE isn't that great (same with melee fexes) So you might want to make your carnifex into a dakkafexe (two TL Brain Leech Devourers or one + a cannon maybe) If you don't have the guns, you can make them with the devourers of the termies (though... you probably don't have them in the swarm box?)

Hope that helps!

exaltedrage05 wrote:
Hello! I recently bought a can of white spray paint, brown and red regular paint, a Tyranid codex, and the Tyranid swarm box. I have a 750 point game coming up in 6 weeks with some friends. I'm brand new to Tyranids, so here's my question: Can I build a viable 750 point list from this box? What is the minimum models I need to buy to make it work? I don't think a Carnifex is an HQ unit so I'll probably need one.

Models in box:

10 Gargoyles
40 Hormagaunts
40 Termagaunts
1 Carnifex
4 Ripper Swarms

You do need a HQ, The Tyrant box is pretty awesome, in that it has most everything in it. Wings are the current reccomended way to build it.

I posted this down in General Disscusion...

HQ: Winged Dakka'rant 230

Termigants x15 60
Termigant x15 60
Hormigaunt x15
Warrior Brood: x3, x2 Deathspitters, Cannon 110

Dakkafex (Carnifex with TL: Brain Leeches, x2) 150

Gargoyles x10 60

Thats like ...750-755? Trim a Hormie, and you're golden.

This is Swarm Box, Hive Tyrant, Box of Warriors....not a world beater, but it should be a fun list that gives you an idea of what to purchase to fill out to 1000, 1250, etc....

I would get rid of termagants and gargoyles (I call them flies) they die to easily, Genestealers are much better, carnifex's are terrible, they die to easily, I would recomend a flying hive tyrant, enemies hit only on 6's and you can just shoot them or get into assault nice and quick, if you have enough points, a trygon prime is never a bad thing, popping up behind enemy lines and 18 shots then lots of attacks is very useful and you can get Genestealers into combat via its hole.
Rippers are only good when you have high points, high points is where tyrannids shine

To buy: - flying hive tyrant
- trygon prime is good
- a squad or 2 of Genestealers

I'm sorry you got the box, it is a rip off and gives you very little of what you need

Veggieburgess wrote:
I would get rid of termagants and gargoyles (I call them flies) they die to easily, Genestealers are much better, carnifex's are terrible, they die to easily, I would recomend a flying hive tyrant, enemies hit only on 6's and you can just shoot them or get into assault nice and quick, if you have enough points, a trygon prime is never a bad thing, popping up behind enemy lines and 18 shots then lots of attacks is very useful and you can get Genestealers into combat via its hole.
Rippers are only good when you have high points, high points is where tyrannids shine

To buy: - flying hive tyrant
- trygon prime is good
- a squad or 2 of Genestealers

I'm sorry you got the box, it is a rip off and gives you very little of what you need

Termies are amazing and gargoyles are nice to have. Dakkafexes are considered extremely good.
Genestealers are only decent... and rippers.... never good? I don't see how more points would help. Anything in the troop section is better.

40 hormagaunts might be a bit much for my taste, but it gives a good balance between melee and range for a new player to test. Everything in the swarm box is good, except the rippers.

Sorry, I get termies and hormagaunts confused, you want termies but not hormagaunts
When I used Genestealers they were awesome, destroying high armoured, combat dedicated units, lots of attacks, also mean it destroys swarms, but 5+ save means you need to stay away from shooting as they will obliterate Genestealers in a turn of shooting.
Yes, rippers are terrible but high attacks and wounds mean some people might want them, I once had a swarm trap a squad of space marines in combat for a whole game but I never use them.

Gargoyles have few shots and bad at combat, with a 6+ save I don't see any use for them other than for a laugh

Veggieburgess wrote:
Sorry, I get termies and hormagaunts confused, you want termies but not hormagaunts
When I used Genestealers they were awesome, destroying high armoured, combat dedicated units, lots of attacks, also mean it destroys swarms, but 5+ save means you need to stay away from shooting as they will obliterate Genestealers in a turn of shooting.
Yes, rippers are terrible but high attacks and wounds mean some people might want them, I once had a swarm trap a squad of space marines in combat for a whole game but I never use them.

Gargoyles have few shots and bad at combat, with a 6+ save I don't see any use for them other than for a laugh

Yeah, termies are definitively better then hormies.
I'd use hormies before rippers. For 40 pts, you got almost the same wounds (8 vs 9) but more attacks, not weak vs aoe and you can score. Rippers can buy range weapon...but then i'd just take Termies if i want shooting.
I've used genestealers a little bit, mostly when trying the endless swarm cause i needed troops. You can do fun stuff with infiltrate and they don't care for synapse so it's nice. But i still prefer termies/tervigon/warriors.

Warriors are okay, blast weapons and such but I only use 3 in a 3,000pt plus army, I know troops spam is good, but they die very easily so I like to get lots of monstrous creatures, this way, they either take out swarm, allowing powerful mostorous creatures to destroy them or take out monstorous creature allowing swarms to overwhelm them.

I play for fun so never use objective games, I go for killing so I don't care what scores.

Veggieburgess wrote:
Warriors are okay, blast weapons and such but I only use 3 in a 3,000pt plus army, I know troops spam is good, but they die very easily so I like to get lots of monstrous creatures, this way, they either take out swarm, allowing powerful mostorous creatures to destroy them or take out monstorous creature allowing swarms to overwhelm them.

I play for fun so never use objective games, I go for killing so I don't care what scores.

Yeah, extremely easy to die. One tau blast and they were all gone. I only use them cause of formations or for a babysitter with my biovores. (it's the only cheap synapse with good range)

You should check Endless Swarm + 2 Trygons, then whatever MCs you prefer if you like a mix of swarm and MCs. Even if they kill the swarms, they come back half the time (in the enemy zone thanks to tunnels) And if they ignore them, your MCs have covers and they hurt.

I play friendly games, so never used rules for synapse, except for rippers though, I don't see what is so bad about them being out of range, they assault if they were assault units, if shooty guys they shoot and try and survive so synapse can reach them.
Of course, I am new to synapse so please tell me what I am mistaken about and why it's bad

Veggieburgess wrote:
I play friendly games, so never used rules for synapse, except for rippers though, I don't see what is so bad about them being out of range, they assault if they were assault units, if shooty guys they shoot and try and survive so synapse can reach them.
Of course, I am new to synapse so please tell me what I am mistaken about and why it's bad

Maybe you're confusing with the older synapse rules?
Now in 6th ed, results off 1-3 on a synapse role sucks. Lurk fall back, hunt goes to ground, feed eat itselves.
They are ways around that for hunt and feed though. Hunt, if it's fearless, you're good. (crone and harpy) Feeder, if it's a single model in the unit.
4-5 are not that bad, but they do remove some option ( being able to run if out of range for shooting or shooting for feeder)
6 is like 4-5 but at least, you get a little bonus rule.

Yeah, I must of been thinking about the old rules then, it still doesn't look awful, they don't die or anything, you just need to reach them with a synapse creature and they are yours to control again

Veggieburgess wrote:
Yeah, I must of been thinking about the old rules then, it still doesn't look awful, they don't die or anything, you just need to reach them with a synapse creature and they are yours to control again

Feeders lose their turn completly and suffer a number of hit equal to the number of models in the unit. So they do die.
Lurkers can fall off the table too. =/

Yes, rippers are killed easily, and some other feeders, that's another reason Genestealers are good, they don't need synapse.