Tyranids - where to start?

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**NG77**

I'm looking to start a Tyranid army at some point soon, as they've always been one of my favourites and I love the fluff behind them.

Where is a good place to start collecting? What kind of units are playable? Is there much value in the start collecting sets?

I'm not looking to go pure flying circus, as my meta doesn't really use flyers, though one or two would be fine.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

**epronovost**

Tyranids have two excellent starter set. The one named Tyranid Swarm and Start Collecting! Tyranid. Add to that the codex, a tervigon and the brood of carnifex box and you have a good start right there. Of course that's if you want to start a rather extensie collection. If you prefer to build a 1500 pts army or so, I would not recommand buying those boxes.

**NG77**

Excellent, thanks. Funds are somewhat limited at the moment, where would he a good place to start?

What would you say the best units are?

**Kanluwen**

If funds are limited, go for the "Start Collecting! Tyranids" box.

It has a playable formation within the box, but you do still need the book/rulebook.

It's 50 GBP for a Tyrant, box of Warriors, and a box of Gargoyles. A Hive Tyrant is 33GBP by himself, Warriors are 31GBP by themselves, and Gargoyles are 18 GBP by themselves--so you're paying 50 GBP for 82 GBP worth of product.

**Freytag93**

If you want to start slow and cheaper, the Start Collecting box is a great start! Gives you a couple units to paint and play with. After you get comfortable with the rules and have played some games, I would recommend getting the tyranid swarm box. It is a good deal and will give you a ton of troops and models to play with. These two boxes are a great way to build up your collection for a good price and provide a solid core for whatever you decide your play style to be.

**DaemonColin**

Freytag93 wrote:
If you want to start slow and cheaper, the Start Collecting box is a great start! Gives you a couple units to paint and play with. After you get comfortable with the rules and have played some games, I would recommend getting the tyranid swarm box. It is a good deal and will give you a ton of troops and models to play with. These two boxes are a great way to build up your collection for a good price and provide a solid core for whatever you decide your play style to be.

Definitely agree with this. Not a tyranid player myself but the Start Collecting box is great value, and adding a Tyranid Swarm would be a good choice. I think that you perhaps need to choose a colour scheme before hand so that you know what you are doing before you get the Start Colelcting box - perhaps maybe try picking up 5 Termagants for £6 to try colour schemes before you shell out £155!
Good Luck!

**Carnikang**

I'll e howhat Frey said, but instead of immediately moving onto the Swarm box, pick up a second Start Collecting. A second HT, another squad of Warriors, and more gargoyles will give you a decent collection. You will be using HTs in almost every army, and you will want more than one, even in fun beer anz pretzels games. It's also cheaper than doing both Start Collecting and Swarm, and is a great deal. But, after that, grab that big box for more gribblies.
Side note, the codex is a must, but there are rumors of a new codex sometime this quarter. Weigh that eh? Good luck and welcome to the Hive Mind!

**El Torro**

I concur that a Start Collecting box and Tyranid Swarm box are a good start. The Swarm also lets you use an Endless Swarm formation which I think actually makes the gaunts useful.

Other than that some monsters like the Elites would be good. Maybe proxy some in until you're sure what your army needs.

I personally wouldn't get a second Start Collecting box as I wouldn't need more gargoyles or a second Tyrant. Opinions will differ on this though.

With the two boxes you can make:

Endless Swarm
3 x 10 Hormagaunts
3 x 10 Termagants
1 Tyranid Warrior unit

CAD
1 Flyrant and 1 x10 Hormagaunts and 1x 10 Termagants as compulsory choices
1 Carnifex and some Gargoyles as extras

Admittedly a couple of extra purchases would make this army a lot better. It's a start though.

**krodarklorr**

NG77 wrote:
I'm looking to start a Tyranid army at some point soon, as they've always been one of my favourites and I love the fluff behind them.

Where is a good place to start collecting? What kind of units are playable? Is there much value in the start collecting sets?

I'm not looking to go pure flying circus, as my meta doesn't really use flyers, though one or two would be fine.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Define your vision of "playable".

**Ifurita**

Definately look to e-bay for large numbers of gaunts and stuff. Save your money for the bigger bugs.

**NG77**

Excellent, thanks for the feedback guys. I'll make sure I pick up the start collecting box first then.

Which of the big monstrous creatures are the best would you say?

@krodarklorr: something that is somewhat killy and doesn't die before it can do anything.

My meta is either CSM, SM or Tau at the moment, alongside my Eldar/DE/harlequins, although everyone is willing to play toned down armies if they need to, so it doesn't have to be overly competitive, everyone is pretty casual

**jasper76**

Keep your eyes out for the Wrath of the Hive Mind starter set as well. It's now out of print, but there are probably boxes still floating around for sale, and IMO it's the best starter for Tyranids.

As far as big monsters go, Flying Hive Tyrants are good. I like Exocrines and Carnifexes. Also, I like Mawlocs, but you really need 2 or 3 to use them best.

**EnTyme**

Here is a ludicrously evil 'Nid's list courtesy of /tg/ (minor editing to comply with forum language filter. Sorry if I missed anything):

Fill all your Troop choices with 30 Termagants. Now give them all Devourers. That totals to 540 attacks, averaging 135 wounds on T4 models and 90 wounds on T5 models. What can survive taking 135 saves? If you want to add more dice drowning, take 9 Carnifexes with two sets of twin linked Devourers with Brainleech Worms. That's another 12 attacks per model. That equals 36 per brood. And 108 in total. That's 648 all up. Then take 9 Zoanthropes for Synapse coverage. Then take 90 Gargoyles, two winged Hive Tyrants with twin linked Devourers and watch as you cannot fit all the dice on the board. 842 dice.

If you don't do this or something like this, use them for cheap *** canon fodder. Note that in any game with a points limit high enough to do this you'll get double FOC anyway. And remember to take Tervigons to smash metal bawkses and throw around more Synapse and powers and gak out free Gaunts. Six Tervigons doing this averages out to fifty four new Gaunts each turn until you start rolling doubles. And if you want more dakka, put spines on the Tervis and crushing claws for melee (plus one miasma cannon). Remember to take four Flyrants and give them all maximum Tyrant Guard (technically they don't need to follow the tyrant around) for twelve mini monstrous creatures.

This means you'll have nearly six hundred models on the table with more coming. And because you'll only ever see this in just for fun no points limit games you may as well just buy all the upgrades for everything for the lulz. Yes, aaaaaaaall the upgrades.

Only problem is that your opponent will probably see this coming and take all of the templates. Still, they can only cover so much. Unless they're packing a Manticore Launcher Tank, in which case you are pretty much incomprehensibly ****ed.

**Battlesong**

The Start Collecting is ok, but Warriors are awful, so I don't know how much value it really holds. I do like the swarm a lot, that's a great value and you do want a LOT of the small bugs. Winged Tyrants are the best unit in the codex and if you're playing even semi-competitively you will want 2 of these. Beyond that, I think Carnifexes and Zoanthropes (as you can't have too much synapse) are good in this edition and the Tervigon still has some value. You also can't go wrong with the Tyrannocyte.

**Davor**

Do you have the codex? If not do you plan on buying it? If so, be careful. Rumour is sometime 2016 Nids will be updated with a new codex. It may happen may not happen.

So you may end up buying the codex and then a few months later, it will be replaced with a newer version. So be careful there.

**EnTyme**

Davor wrote:
Do you have the codex? If not do you plan on buying it? If so, be careful. Rumour is sometime 2016 Nids will be updated with a new codex. It may happen may not happen.

So you may end up buying the codex and then a few months later, it will be replaced with a newer version. So be careful there.

Not to hijack the thread, but this is exactly why GW needs some form of a release calendar. I know I eventually want to build Tyranids, but I don't want to buy a codex that's going to be outdated in two months (I've heard the new dex could drop as early as Q1). If I knew the codex wasn't getting an update, I would go ahead and pick one up well before I started buying models, but I'm not going to buy codex any time soon just in case. If they end up NOT updating the codex this year, I will have wasted all that time, and GW will have lost out on at lease one codex sale. I know I'm not the only one doing it this way.

**Davor**

EnTyme wrote:
Davor wrote:
Do you have the codex? If not do you plan on buying it? If so, be careful. Rumour is sometime 2016 Nids will be updated with a new codex. It may happen may not happen.

So you may end up buying the codex and then a few months later, it will be replaced with a newer version. So be careful there.

Not to hijack the thread, but this is exactly why GW needs some form of a release calendar. I know I eventually want to build Tyranids, but I don't want to buy a codex that's going to be outdated in two months (I've heard the new dex could drop as early as Q1). If I knew the codex wasn't getting an update, I would go ahead and pick one up well before I started buying models, but I'm not going to buy codex any time soon just in case. If they end up NOT updating the codex this year, I will have wasted all that time, and GW will have lost out on at lease one codex sale. I know I'm not the only one doing it this way.

Not just a codex sale but other minis you may have bought as well. I just hate this approach. Just makes us feel like suckers. Really makes you want to buy more doesn't it?

I don't know why GW is so scared. I mean they make say 1000 books and they need to sell all of those 1000 books? If you sell 900 of those books and knowing a new edition is coming out why would you make more potential customers feel like suckers just to sell those extra 100 books? This is where they should say, "if you buy this book we will give you the replacement because in one month this will be obsolete and a new edition is coming out" GW did it once before, they shouldn't have stopped that and keep doing it now, especially with all change of pace they have gone through.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
As for what to buy, as was said the $100 Canadian (could be cheaper where you live) is a great place to start buying minis for Tyranids.

**krodarklorr**

EnTyme wrote:
Davor wrote:
Do you have the codex? If not do you plan on buying it? If so, be careful. Rumour is sometime 2016 Nids will be updated with a new codex. It may happen may not happen.

So you may end up buying the codex and then a few months later, it will be replaced with a newer version. So be careful there.

Not to hijack the thread, but this is exactly why GW needs some form of a release calendar. I know I eventually want to build Tyranids, but I don't want to buy a codex that's going to be outdated in two months (I've heard the new dex could drop as early as Q1). If I knew the codex wasn't getting an update, I would go ahead and pick one up well before I started buying models, but I'm not going to buy codex any time soon just in case. If they end up NOT updating the codex this year, I will have wasted all that time, and GW will have lost out on at lease one codex sale. I know I'm not the only one doing it this way.

I completely agree. There are a good amount of units I'd like to buy more of or add to my Tyranids, but the current book is so bad that I'd like to wait and see what gets updated in a new codex first. So, until then, I'm not buying anything, and GW will not get my money.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

NG77 wrote:
@krodarklorr: something that is somewhat killy and doesn't die before it can do anything.

Lucky for you, pretty much everything in the Tyranid book dies before it gets to do much.

**Battlesong**

krodarklorr wrote:
Lucky for you, pretty much everything in the Tyranid book dies before it gets to do much.

So sadly true

**krodarklorr**

Battlesong wrote:
krodarklorr wrote:
Lucky for you, pretty much everything in the Tyranid book dies before it gets to do much.
So sadly true

Sad it is. I wish Tyranids were more durable.

**Battlesong**

krodarklorr wrote:
Battlesong wrote:
krodarklorr wrote:
Lucky for you, pretty much everything in the Tyranid book dies before it gets to do much.
So sadly true

Sad it is. I wish Tyranids were more durable.

Or at least had shroud or stealth or something. Not to mention more of the assault only units getting something resembling grenades....but I guess that wouldn't forge a narrative............

**krodarklorr**

Battlesong wrote:
krodarklorr wrote:
Battlesong wrote:
krodarklorr wrote:
Lucky for you, pretty much everything in the Tyranid book dies before it gets to do much.
So sadly true

Sad it is. I wish Tyranids were more durable.
Or at least had shroud or stealth or something. Not to mention more of the assault only units getting something resembling grenades....but I guess that wouldn't forge a narrative............

But no, why would Lictors get Stealth and Shrouded? It's not like they literally turn invisible or anything. After all, Stealth Suits and Rangers are stealthier.

/sarcasm

**NG77**

@EnTyme that list seems brutal. How many points does that come to roughly?

I know they aren't particularly durable, but I'll generally be using them against chaos space marines, will they be able to survive against them?

I already have the codex, but when is the new one rumoured to come out? End of the year? Start?

I managed to pick up a couple of carnifexes and termegants for cheap, so once I can afford it I'll add the get started set in too. Any weapons that are must use/avoid at all costs?

**EnTyme**

NG77 wrote:
@EnTyme that list seems brutal. How many points does that come to roughly?

I know they aren't particularly durable, but I'll generally be using them against chaos space marines, will they be able to survive against them?

I already have the codex, but when is the new one rumoured to come out? End of the year? Start?

I managed to pick up a couple of carnifexes and termegants for cheap, so once I can afford it I'll add the get started set in too. Any weapons that are must use/avoid at all costs?

''

A little over 4,000 points. The most brutal part would be the time it takes to complete your movement phase. I need to figure out how much that list would cost at GW prices. I'm sort of scared to calculate it.

**Battlesong**

NG77 wrote:
@EnTyme that list seems brutal. How many points does that come to roughly?

I know they aren't particularly durable, but I'll generally be using them against chaos space marines, will they be able to survive against them?

I already have the codex, but when is the new one rumoured to come out? End of the year? Start?

I managed to pick up a couple of carnifexes and termegants for cheap, so once I can afford it I'll add the get started set in too. Any weapons that are must use/avoid at all costs?

Well, considering that the CSM codex is actually worse than the 'Nid codex (and those are my 2 armies) you should be fine.....I still wouldn't use Warriors unless you have to; their just too many points and get double toughed by S8 way too easily.

Since GW doesn't believe in marketing, advertising, generating buzz, or anything that normal businesses that sell products believe in, we have no idea when the new 'Dex comes out, but I wouldn't bank on it being any better than this one...........

**NG77**

So as an update, here is what my army currently has (though none is really assembled yet)

2 Flyrants
1 Dakkafex
1 CC Carnifex
3 Warriors
10 Gargoyles
12 Termagants
1 Zoanthrope
1 Trygon
1 Mawloc
1 Exocrine

Opinions so far? Do you guys have any suggestions as to what else I could add for some kind of synergy?

I was thinking of getting some more Zoanthropes, Termagants and maybe a Ripper Swarm or two. Is this sensible?

Also where else are there any rules for the Tyranids other than the Codex and the Shield of Baal campaign?

Thanks for all your help everyone!

**RFHolloway**

you have lots of options but no real theme (that I can see)

you are lacking the small bugs, so that might be the next place to go (could do the swarm box if you can get it on discount and ebay isn't giving the bargains on the Gaunts) - also venomethrope/malanthrope for cover saves would be useful.

Have you thought about a paint scheme yet because that is a lot of painting to do!

**NG77**

Which of the small bugs would you recommend? I'd like to be able to do some kind of swarm at some point, but I also want a lot of big monsters...

What is the sky swarm I see people talking about with regenerating units?

Venomthrope sounds like it'll be my next big bug purchase, but I'll probably pick up some of the little bugs before then!

I'm gonna paint them in the leviathan style, ny eldar are biel tan and as far as I'm aware, that's the only have glory they've fought! Also is ny favourite colour scheme for them so it's a win on both counts!