Returning 2nd/3rd Ed player needing help!

[shrikestrike]

First time poster here, I just discovered te board last week!

The title of the post pretty well sums things up. I haven't played 40k at all since mid 3rd edition, with the exception of 1 demo game a friend gave me of 5th sometime 2 or so years ago. I've been working on putting together a 1500 and 2000pt list but I'm all sorts of stuck! I've done a fair bit of reading and it seems like most of go-to units these days are ones I don't have (give guard, tervigons, trygons, and a few others) and what units I do have are old models without te needed customizability for the current set of biomorphs and weapons (lash whips and boneswords, primarily.)

So far my lists look like this:

1500

Prime w/ boneswordsx2, deathspitter

25 hormagaunts w/ TS, AG

20 termagants w/devourers

8 genestealers w/TS, ST, broodlord

15 gargoyles w/TS, AG

5 warriors w/LW+BS, 1x barbed strangler, 4x deathapitters

2 zoanthropes

2 biovores

In the 2000 list I removed the termagants and added:

Hive tyrant w/ TL devourer, LW+BS, old adversary, hive commander, armored shell

5 raveners w/RC, spinefists

Another identical unit of genestealers

2 tyrant guard with LW

I was planning on keeping the prime as well. I may drop the scything talons on the genestealers as the rerolls might be overkill and in the 2000 list they would get overwritten by old adversary when near my tyrant.

I have a few points left to spend in both lists, it's small change, though.

I have a limited selection of models available to me, unused stuff includes lictors, carnifexes, lots of hormagaunts and termagants and a smattering of other stuff such as extra zoanthropes and biovores. I plan to purchase hive guard soon but need to get through some games without them, I'd also like to get a Tervigon.

I'm also chock full of screamer killer carnifexes, smiley faced tyranid warriors, awful metal gargoyles with fleshborers growing out of their mouths and other old, horrible looking models. Jeez, I have a whole unit of rogue trader termagants... (the only tyranids in the game back then!). I'm bummed that lictors and carnifexes, previously my two favorite units, seem to totally suck now.

Guide me!

[shrikestrike]

A quick note - I can't spend much money on new models as my wife and I have a child due to be born in less than a month! As such in trying to make the most of what I have. I don't plan to play competitively at all, it'll be restricted to games amongst friends. I don't want to get blown off the table, though!

[tanagra]

Welcome to the Hive.


If buying new units isn't an option, I'd strongly recommend limiting your games to under 1k points. 750 might be the magic number. I'm currently in a similar situation (model-wise. Can't say I have a kid on the way) and most of my good games were in the lower brackets where enemy choices are limited and our infantry can do alot of damage

[coredump]

Welcome to The Hive

Congrats on the baby, way cool.


Your lists actually look pretty good. This is a new edition, and no one is quite sure how things will turn out.

Fexes are okay if run in a pair with all devourers and a Prime attached. (I have converted a screamer killer to a devilfex by attaching gaunt devourers to the scy talons and some green stuff. Actually turned out pretty well.)

You can also use a fex as a decent 'counts as' for a tervigon if you want to go that route.

1500: things to think about.
Not sure if better to put Prime with Devilgaunts (devourers) or with the warriors. Good reasons for either.
Could get a second prime and do both
Could get a spore pod for the devilgaunts
Look at TS for the warriors

2000:
I am not sure if stealers are good enough to warrant a second brood. Keep an eye on that.
Your set up is good, I think it may be more fun to put wings on the tyrant.
Doubt Hive commander is worth it, unless you have a specific plan.
I would go with 2 TLDev and not whip/sword.

[shrikestrike]

Thanks for the tips!

Thinking on it, I like the idea of TLDev on a pair of Carnifex. I just happen to have 2 screamer killer models I wasn't planning to use... Any chance of seeing a picture of your conversion?

I think you're right about swapping the BS+LW on my tyrant to TLDev. I had forgotten that he'd be ignoring saves anyway, and his Initiative is high enough that unless I'm assaulting into cover I probably don't NEED the LW. Besides, everything that I'll be fighing (Marines, Eldar, Demons) has high LD so a single BS probably won't do much. Better I take the storm of brain eating worms!

I was going to work on a conversion or something to use for a mycetic spore on the Devilgants. Any suggestions?

The Warriors actually have TS, I just forgot to post it. I was working from memory as my lists were at home, haha.

Point taken about the genestealers. I was really on the fence with the decision to run 2 broods. I'd probably be better off trying to make space for something else.

I have a few questions regarding the prime. You had mentioned that it would be worthwhile to put on in a devilgant unit or the unit of proposed carnifexes (carnifex? would that be the proper plural?) What would be the benefit of doing so? I've heard of being able to do funky wound allocation tricks, but as I'm new to the game I don't really know how that works.

[sturm]

Welcome to the Hive!

The list looks solid and I can't add much to what has already been said.

On the mycetic spore conversion though, i know a lot of people are using the megablock dragonegg or something like that. Another cheap option would be to use a styrofoam ball, hot glue and a CD. Glue the ball into the cd, break it off a bit and put layers of hot glue dripping from everywhere. A quick gory paint and you are good to go, for less than 10$ for 3-4 spores. That is what i use, and they look pretty cool.

[depletor [H5ed]]

Look up the "Orochi colonies" to see what you can make with the old miniatures. Amazing stuff.

Your miniatures are good I thing. You should be able to go for 1750 points easily. No Hive Guard, no Tervigons.

What about Hive Commander and some drop pods for Dakka-Carnifexes? Should be a lot of fun!

Outflanking Devilgaunts are great fun!

I would try out some Ymgarl Genestealers (take those you already have). There are two recent threads on them.

[coredump]

Jul 20, 2012 11:32:46 GMT shrikestrike said:

I just happen to have 2 screamer killer models I wasn't planning to use... Any chance of seeing a picture of your conversion?

It is at a friends... for the past year...

Pretty simple, I just took the 'barrel' part of the gaunt devourers, and put 3-4 on each of the top two scy talons. Used greenstuff to blend them into the talons, and to make some 'hoses' connecting each barrel to the main body.

I have a few questions regarding the prime. You had mentioned that it would be worthwhile to put on in a devilgant unit or the unit of proposed carnifexes

You get a point for killing the enemy Warlord. If you make your Prime your Warlord, and bury it with 20 gaunts... makes it fairly hard to kill. And it can always leave the unit and join another.

As for the carnifex.... when you get your rulebook, look up Wound Allocation and Look Out Sir. Short version: You leave your Prime in front, and it can take all the wounds and spread them around the unit. So in theory you could take 8 wounds, and still no model die. (I would put Regen on the Prime.)

[shrikestrike]

Thanks for all the replies! I plan to play my first game tomorrow, we'll be running 1500 pts. I've decided to give dakkafexes a try, they seem to be the beat variant in my eyes. I think I will buy one of the megablocks "dragons universe" toys to use as a mycetic spire. I like the size and it will probably look great once I convert it a bit. Im a bit torn wether to use regular stealers with a broodlord or ymgarls, both seem so good... Any thoughts?