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Okay... so this is the deal. My brother gave me his tyranid models for storage. He has a birthday coming up real soon and I was planning on painting an army for him so I decided to tackle his swarm. Problem is I don't have the time to paint every single model he has before his birthday and I don't have a nid codex or have the first clue of how to build a decent army list for them. I'm a bolt action/flames of war/dark age player myself. I'm hoping that some kind souls sound here will help me come up with a 2000 point list out of the models he has so I have a direction for painting. It would mean a lot to me and I know he would be thrilled to have a painted army. I would greatly appreciate any and all help!!!!!!!! Please!

The models-
100 termagaunts
40 genestealers
9 warriors
40 hormogaunts
2 flyrants
25 gargoyles
1 tyrant
1 swarm lord
4 carnifex
9 warriors
6 raveners
3 trygons
1 tyranocyte
1 Tervigon
2 broodlords
2 pyrovores
4 zoanthropes
2 biovores
2 pyrovores
2 lictors
2 Tyrant guard
3 hive guard
2 venomthropes

I think that about sums it up... I may be forgetting a couple things but that should be the vast majority of it. There's not a snow balls chance in hell that I can get that all painted in 3 weeks. I'm not working right now but that would still be a hell of a feat for me to try to tackle. So if any of you guys could help me come up with some sort of decent list out of that stuff I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you in advance! Oh, last thing, I have all the sprues still so I can arm them with just about anything and everything. I even have some of the forgeworld twin linked deathspitters(i think that's what they are at least).

-Lep-

It's likely that time spent on painting genestealers and broodlord is not time wasted ...

On other models, I would magnetize the tyrant, carnifex to allow for weapon swaps as new codex later in the year. Biovores and Hive guard are reasonable ranged units.

Otherwise, pick a style of list from reviewing others and go for how he wants to play - a lack of malanthrope and venomthropes being sub par though may limit you on a slow walking list and you may need to get there in a hurry - trygons are a good delivery system and I'd maybe see if you can model one as a mawloc as you're unlikely to ever run 3 trygons at once.

I agree. I'd suggest painting the Stealers, the Broodlord, and Two Trygons, first...then build out from that core.


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Oh, I see you have enough to paint Two Broods of Stealers, add that to the "Do me first" pile.


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So you're working from:

Battalion: Hive Fleet "X"

HQ:Broodlord...around 162
HQ:Broodlord, the same

Troops: Genestealer Brood, x20....around 240
Troops: Genestealer Brood, x20

Heavy: Trygon, with Adrenals...around 180
Heavy: Trygon, as above

Toss in some Elite, and Moar Troops!, and you've got a decent army!


This army is built around putting the Stealers in the Trygon Tunnels, so it needs some Troops to deploy on table to finish out, the extra points can go fo Elites, or extra HQ etc...Best of luck with this Awesome project!

Thank you for the tips! I really do appreciate it! I did discover two venomthropes mixed in with the stuff as well. I've primed the two brood lords, 2 trygons and steelers and have gotten started on them! As far as filling out the rest of the list I know he likes the swarm lord model so I think I'll paint it up as well but as far as elites im it quite sure? I was thinking of paintings up 20 hormogaunts, 30 termagaunts and a few warriors. Other than that I'm not too sure. Maybe a couple carnifex? Thank you for your advice so far! If you could help me roughly round it out it would be great!!

Swarmlord is definitely a solid choice in Tyranid army and I suggest you to paint it as well. Especially when your brother likes the model. It's a good idea to add few Tyrant Guards to Swarmlord. The most cheap ones - they are only for taking wounds.

Well, if you paint a Swarm Lord, you should add a Swarm, if it's not too daunting, x27 Hormagaunts, and a Swarm Lord, added to the above...is right around 1500 I think, so that's a playable army that should be fun.

Other options would be to do a Tervigon and one, or two Broods of Termagants, or use a Brood of Termagants with Swarmy. The army will live, or die with the tunnels full of Stealers, so the rest is flaxabl. You just need 4 drops on the table to match the 4 drops in reserve.

Maybe something like this:

Swarmlord – 300
Broodlord - 162
Old One Eye - 140

3 Hive Guard (impaler cannon) - 144

20 Genestealers (rending claws, scything talons) – 240
20 Genestealers (rending claws, scything talons) – 240
22 Termagants (12 devourers) -136
22 Termagants (12 devourers) -136

2 Biovores - 72
Trygon Prime - 214
Trygon Prime - 214


Termagants can go with Trygons. Genestealers or Old One Eye can be pushed forward by Swarmlord rule.

I would suggest to make somehow 3 Tyrant Guards to add this to the Swarmlord. Maybe a conversion from a Warrior? Unfortunatelly, FAQ says that Tyrant Guards must be minimum 3.