Raising an Army

I've begun to work on my 40K army list. I'm playing with a group of family and friends. Each of us has successfully selected a different army. I'm going to play Tyranids.

My army list has gone through several iterations already, but here is how it stands now...

1000 Pts - Tyranids Roster - Purple Haze

HQ: Hive Tyrant (1#, 190 Pts)
1 Hive Tyrant @ 190 Pts
Bio-plasma; Toxin Sacs +1 St; Winged; Scything Talons (x1); Twin-linked Devourer (x1); Synapse Creature; The Horror; Warp Field

Heavy Support: Carnifex (1#, 156 Pts)
1 Carnifex @ 156 Pts
Acid Maw; Adrenal Glands +1 WS; Extended Carapace +1 Save; Tail Weapon - Scythe; Tusked; Scything Talons (x2)

Heavy Support: Carnifex (1#, 156 Pts)
1 Carnifex @ 156 Pts
Acid Maw; Adrenal Glands +1 WS; Extended Carapace +1 Save; Tail Weapon - Scythe; Tusked; Scything Talons (x2)

HQ: Warriors (3#, 113 Pts)
2 Warriors @ 113 Pts
Enhanced Senses +1 BS; Extended Carapace +1 Save; Toxin Sacs +1 St; Scything Talons (x1); Deathspitter; Synapse Creature
1 Warriors @ [41] Pts
Enhanced Senses +1 BS; Extended Carapace +1 Save; Toxin Sacs +1 St; Scything Talons (x1); Barbed Strangler; Synapse Creature

Troops: Hormagaunts (8#, 88 Pts)
8 Hormagaunts @ 88 Pts
Extended Carapace +1 Save; Scything Talons

Troops: Hormagaunts (8#, 88 Pts)
8 Hormagaunts @ 88 Pts
Extended Carapace +1 Save; Scything Talons

Troops: Hormagaunts (8#, 88 Pts)
8 Hormagaunts @ 88 Pts
Extended Carapace +1 Save; Scything Talons

Troops: Gaunt Brood (8#, 40 Pts)
8 Gaunt Brood @ 40 Pts
Spinefists

Troops: Gaunt Brood (8#, 40 Pts)
8 Gaunt Brood @ 40 Pts
Spinefists

Troops: Gaunt Brood (8#, 40 Pts)
8 Gaunt Brood @ 40 Pts
Spinefists

Total Roster Cost: 999

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I originally had my entire army as hand to hand by taking 4 warriors with rending, scything and leaping and no shooty gaunts. Fexes also had Extended Carapace, Bonded Exoskeleton, and Reinforced Chitin and my Hive Tyrant was all hand to hand.

But when I last met with my cousin, Marc (playing Imperial Guard), he suggested I change the warriors to be shooty and add a troop of gaunts.

I decided he was right and made up an army list with a venom cannon and one group of 8 gaunts. Then when I got home I got to thinking about it more. I really should have even more models then I did.

Part of the point of Tyranids is the number of guys you can have on the table. I decided to drop the two extra defense on my fex and add two more troops of gaunts (at the minimum 8). Now I field 6 troops which is great for any objective game. I also changed the guns on my warriors to be template weapons and gave my hive tyrant a gun that gives him just as many shots as he has hand to hand attacks (and he can shoot and assault).

I think this is a more well rounded list. It also offers versatility because as you grow the army you can combine the smaller troops into large broods. At 1500 points I expect to take some genestealers and they will need another troop slot, so I'll probably combine the 6 broods of 8 into 4 broods of 12.

Incidentally the current name comes from my paint scheme since purple is my primary body color. I'll post a picture of my first painted piece soon.