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Well im brand new to tyranids. Just starting to collect the models. Im looking to pretty much just buy what I would be using to start. After that ill start buying lots of things.

I really like a lot of the monstrous creatures but im just curious whats good and where do I start?!?! Any help would be great. All I have at the moment is 16 gene stealers, 1 carnifex, 3 warriors, and a broodlord. Got a real good deal on the deathstorm stuff from a buddy ($30!!!)

Wrath of the Hive Mind will finish you up decently enough. Tyranids are pretty cookie cutter up to a certain points level. Malanthrope, 2+ Flying Hive Tyrants, Tervigon and 60 Termagant models (30 Troops, 30 to Spawn in), 3 Zoanthropes and 2 Venomthropes (can be skipped if you have a Malanthrope). These are models that nearly every Tyranid player has and uses.

A trio of Carnifex with Devourers and a Tyrannofex is also common. Mawlocs and Lictors in a 1-2 ratio are pretty common. And so is the 3 Biovore, Exocrine and Warriors of the Living Artillary Node. Note that those last three groups are all working together. LAN is a Formation, the Bioblast Node with the Fexen is a Formation, the Mawlocs are just guided in by Lictors for easy placement.

Pick what sort of list you are trying to build, and be specific, and someone can rattle off the optimized choices. There's very little variation in Tyranid concepts...

Thanks! I like monstrous creature heavy. And not so much competitive but a generally fun to play army.

Then you'll need to really look at the Bioblast Node and similar Formations just because it frees up Heavy Support slots in your list. 1 Warrior Brood, 3 Carnifex Broods, 1 Tyrannofex. So min 3, max 9 Carnifex all without taking the Heavy Support slots from your main detachment. There's some restrictions, but nothing crazy, in the Rising Leviathan 3 Dataslate.

You could very easily do a list with 2x Flyrants, 2x Lictors, a Malanthrope, Tervigon as Troops with 30 Termagants, 2x Mawlocs and prolly a Hive Crone with the BioBlast Node using three Carnifex. Adjust as points allow of course, but it's a place to start.

Lead with Carnifexen before the Flyers get in the skies in a tight deployment so as many models as possible get Shrouded. Then the Carnifexen get Synapse via the Malanthrope and Warriors as you move up and the Tervigon can Outflank with Hive Commander on your Warlord Flyrants. Lictors and Mawlocs do their things. It's a workable idea and I wouldn't say it's too competitive.

As you get there, using two Carnifex, a Mawloc, Lictor, Genestealers separated into Children of Cryptus and whatever is left, Flyrant or two would get some games under your belt without taking away too many Mostrous Creatures and using as many models as you have. Won't be competitive at all thanks to Genestealer current rules, but, it would be fun.

40KNobz11 wrote:
Well im brand new to tyranids. Just starting to collect the models. Im looking to pretty much just buy what I would be using to start. After that ill start buying lots of things.

I really like a lot of the monstrous creatures but im just curious whats good and where do I start?!?! Any help would be great. All I have at the moment is 16 gene stealers, 1 carnifex, 3 warriors, and a broodlord. Got a real good deal on the deathstorm stuff from a buddy ($30!!!)

Congrats! Well, some general ideas...You will want a Tyrant or two, so that is a priority. "Nidzilla" is a fun list to aim for, the only "issue" is having so many choices. Wrath of the Hive Mind! could be a good place to start, it has a Tyrant, and a Tervigon. Once you paint up 30+ Termagants you can turn her into a Troop, and add a second Tyrant.

You already have a Carnifex, and Carnifexen are exelent, so why not add more as you go?

It depends on your budget, and what you can find on sale...I think I would add a Tyrant right off the top, then save up for Wrath of the Hive Mind! Just find Termagants on E-bay, or pick up a couple of boxes here and there. You need x30 in a Brood to take Tervigon as a Troop, and I like to have about 20 or so "extra" for spawning. You can recycle kills if 20 is not enough.

Warriors are "pricey" so most folks run them plain, with a Cannon for 100 points for a Brood of x3. As you go along you can try to proxy some of the other "Big Bugs" and see what you like. Very common ones are Mawlocs, and Tyrannofexen. I like both.

Good luck! And welcome to the Hive Mind!

I also would highly recommend taking a look at ebay. You can find some great deals on troops and MCs. I recently picked up 3 carnifexes for around $50 including shipping!