[bumble]

O.k, this is my first attempt at a Tyranid hive fleet. Just getting everything sorted out before i actually buy the models, so i thought i would get everything set so the models will be WYSIWYG when i build them. This will eventually be 1500 pts, i just need help to top it up a little

(Number in squad follows thier name)

HQ

Hive Tyrant 1
Venom Cannon, Barbed Strangler, Enhanced Senses, Extended Carapace, Toxin Sacs.
182pts

Warrior Brood 3
Enhanced senses, venom cannon, Deathspitters X2, Extended Carapace, Rending claws x3, Toxin sacs
124pts

Warrior Brood 3
Scything talons, Rending claws, extended carapace, adrenal glands (+I), leaping
114pts

Troops

Genestealers 8
Extended carapace
160

Genestealers 8
Extended carapace
160

Spinegaunts 16
Spinefists
80

Hormaguants 16
160

Fast Attack

Raveners 3
Rending Claws, Scything talons
120

Heavy Support

Carnifex 1
Venom Cannon, Barbed Strangler, Extended Carapace, reinforced chitin, enhanced senses.
188

Zoathropes 2
Warp Field, Toxi Miasma, Psychic Scream, Warp Blast
130

Total: 1,418.00

So not quite 1500 yet, but getting there.

So, any comments, critiscism, suggestions?

 

[Gorbass]

Your tyrant only comes to 155pts by my calculations. I'd give him toxin sacs to make his weapons more dangerous, this would bring him to 182pts.

Something is wrong with your warrior broods, the points values dont add up right.
The first unit needs more weapon symbiotes, as each warrior must have 2.

3 warriors, 2 with EC, ES, RC and DS + one warrior with EC, ES, RC and VC comes to 106pts.
Now, this units is legal, but in my opinion it needs toxin sacs to work properly, this will bring the total cost to 124pts.

Your second warrior unit comes to 90pts, not 87pts.
But the weapon/upgrade combo only needs leaping to perfect it, this will bring the cost to 114, but its well worth it.

8 genestealers with extended carapace only costs 160pts, have you given them additional upgrades but forgotten to post it? Personally I'd leave them with just extended carapace.

A ravener with scything talons and rending claws costs 40pts, so your ravener units cost a total of 120pts.

Your carnifex is either 8pts of, or you forgot to write "Enhanced senses", I'm hoping its the latter error. Personally I used Reinforced Chitin along with Bonded Exoskeleton instead of Extended carapace, T7 fexes have really worked for me.

I like your zoanthropes, I run them with the same powers myself, although in your army, I'd give them psychic scream instead of synapse, you already have 3 tough synapse units, you really dont need more considering how few gaunts you have, and its handy that psychic scream costs the same as synapse

Ok, that takes care of the army you have posted, now I have some suggestions that I think would improve it.

The tyrant could really use a couple of guards, I'd drop his extended carapace and buy him 2 guards instead, they're much better for keeping him alive and they're nasty in CC.

When you get the point costs sorted out, your warrior units are pretty good, I run two very similar units myself.

I like having lots of gaunts, and since you have 2 unused troop slots, I'd get an additional box of gaunts, taking you to 24 spinegaunts and 24 hormagaunts, these would then form 4 units of 12, giving you more gaunts, more scoring units and better chances of getting good fleet of claw rolls.

I would split the raveners into units of one or two, a unit of 3 is easier to shoot down then 3 units of 1.

Your fex is pretty much a classic gunfex and you cant really go wrong with these babies, they're wonderful.

If you take my advice and buy extra gaunts, you might wanna ignore my whole "switch synapse for psychic scream" rant above, with 4 units of gaunts, at least one of the zoanthropes should keep the synapse power.

All in all a good attempt at an army, but something went horribly wrong with the points values.

 

[bumble]

Wow, something did go horribly wrong with my maths there, my apologies. Thanks for your help in sorting that out though.

At the mom I am attempting to get a balance between a good army and the amount it's going to cost me to buy everything, so i shall have a think about the extra units. What i may do (after a couple more suggestions, is to get something close to a final list, then fill up the remaining points with ripper swarms and biomorphs. So i can see how it plays. I've been refraining fro purchasing the tyrant guard as they are very expensive models and lack the variety of model poses the rest of the army has.

 

[Gorbass]

If you're looking for a good way to start an army, I highly recommend getting 2 Battle Force boxes. They will get you a total of 6 warriors, 32 gaunts, 16 genestealers and 2 carnifexes plus 4 ripperswarms.

Its excellent value for the money, infact the carnifexes are pretty much free, and the models come pretty close to your army list.

Throw in a Tyrant and some raveners and you're good to go.

P.S a quick word of warning, using extra biomorphs to make up the last points is a bad idea, not only do you decrease the cost effeciency of the army, but you also have to show the upgrades on the models, meaning that you will trouble getting rid of the upgrades later on, when/if you get the money to buy the army you really want.

 

[bumble]

WYSIWYG isn't, strictly speaking, a requirment of this this army. It is merely a preferred state. I play at my universities wargames day, and last weekend i faced a chaos force (with my WH) the consisted mostly of legs on bases. So as you can see, consistency is not enforced, just preferable.

I actually hadn't thought of getting two battelforce boxes, but it's a great idea. i was going to get one and then buy individual boxes of whatever else i need. A foolish plan i now see. i can always use the carnifex in an elite slot or similar or just keep him on my shelf looking pretty.