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Hi all! I posted on this topic about two weeks ago, but wanted some more specific advice. I picked up a Hive Tyrant and the Swarm box. This is the beginning of my Tyranid army, but I'd like some advice on how to kit them out. For the termagaunts and hormagaunts, toxin sacs and adrenal glands seem like a must... are they? A few devourers also seem like they could be useful for the termagaunts. I'll be magnetizing both the Hive Tyrant and the Carnifex, but what are the most typical set ups people see on those two, especially at the lower point games (750 ish)? Thanks for any help!

Looking likely to see a flying hive tyrant with 2x Devourers (12 str 6 shots), carnifex with the same. Toxin is my preference as taking both makes your hormogaunts too pricey and numbers will trump upgrades with Nids. As for termagants devourers are great but pricey so maybe take half and half (10 devourers and 10 flesh borers in the same squad)

nscg4149 wrote:
Hi all! I posted on this topic about two weeks ago, but wanted some more specific advice. I picked up a Hive Tyrant and the Swarm box. This is the beginning of my Tyranid army, but I'd like some advice on how to kit them out. For the termagaunts and hormagaunts, toxin sacs and adrenal glands seem like a must... are they? A few devourers also seem like they could be useful for the termagaunts. I'll be magnetizing both the Hive Tyrant and the Carnifex, but what are the most typical set ups people see on those two, especially at the lower point games (750 ish)? Thanks for any help!

In general Nids do best, if they minimize upgrades.

The current gold standard for Tyrants is Wings, and brain leeches, x2,, then toss on a thorax hive for 240.
For Carnifexen it is much the same, twin brain leeches FTW!

If I remember right, I painted the Termigants as Spinegaunts ( purely a preference) for x40, then converted 10 Hormagaunts into "Devilgaunts"(devourer equipped) then painted 30 Hormagaunts. I have been real happy with that since.

Good luck! And welcome to the Hive Mind!

I agree with above a Tyrant needs Wings, 2 Devourers and Electroshock grubs, double devourers on MCs are brilliant they do miles more damage and any other weapon, Electroshock are then your cover for high AV which always causes Nids problems. Great spend of 240 points and tge most powerful unit in the entire Codex ( so to take to 1k just add another identical Flyrant).

So likewise double devourers is the best option on the Carnifex. Known as the Dakkafex he's a very strong 150 points.

Gaunts only strength is their low points cost so keep them cheap. Add a few devourers on gaunts for extra shots if you have spare points. Hormmies should be kept vanilla. Same is true of Gargoyles.

Well then I guess I won't even bother magnetizing the Carnifex, and I'll save my first magnetizing project for the Hive Tyrant later! Aside from this forum, everyone tells me to roll the two talons and 2 devourers. So I'll roll with it! Thanks all!

nscg4149 wrote:
Well then I guess I won't even bother magnetizing the Carnifex, and I'll save my first magnetizing project for the Hive Tyrant later! Aside from this forum, everyone tells me to roll the two talons and 2 devourers. So I'll roll with it! Thanks all!

You might want to magnetise the Carnifex...twin brain leeches is the "best" right now, but that could change.

Agreed on magnetizing the Carnifex. Mine weren't magnetized back in 4th, and had the best guns available. TL Devourers weren't a thing back then. They might not be a thing forever. The game changes and it's best to keep your options open.

You might need 20 Termagants with Devourers but that's it. I don't know how many are in the Swarm box but a good way to think of it is minimum 30 Fleshborer Termagants, and once you have that, 1/3 of your total Termagants should be modeled with Devourers. That gives you options in every list how many Devilgaunts you want.

 SharkoutofWata wrote:
Agreed on magnetizing the Carnifex. Mine weren't magnetized back in 4th, and had the best guns available. TL Devourers weren't a thing back then. They might not be a thing forever. The game changes and it's best to keep your options open.

You might need 20 Termagants with Devourers but that's it. I don't know how many are in the Swarm box but a good way to think of it is minimum 30 Fleshborer Termagants, and once you have that, 1/3 of your total Termagants should be modeled with Devourers. That gives you options in every list how many Devilgaunts you want.

I'll put another vote in the pot for magnetizing your Carnifexes (and Hive Tyrants). It's super easy (just getting the right end each way and some super glue) and it'll save you a lot of headache in the long run. I was one of the buggers running the 6 Carnifex list back in the day and thank god I magnetized all of them because now I can still use them, rather than if I'd have glued them the way they were.

20 Devilgaunts are enough to do anything you'd really do with them, in a big brood of 30 to bring in a Terivgon, 20 is the most you'd want before you start cutting into your ablative wounds, and 20 is super fun to drop in a Tyrannocyte (especially if you can catch the rear of something that's AV10)