Like many Tyranid players, I picked up the Leviathan box set upon release. It was really great to have a fresh batch of Tyranid sculpts and, for the most part, the new range is a fantastic set of models.
First up we have the winged Tyranid Prime. A bit of an oddity this one because the wings are in the lower limb slot with the claws up top. This is the first time we've seen a Tyranid with this configuration and personally I'm not a fan. Fortunately it is very easy to switch them over which is exactly what I did.
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| Still nice and dynamic |
The conversion required a small amount of putty under the wing joints to get them to fit properly to the body, but the claws glued straight on. In terms of painting, I have wanted to change the way I paint the wings on my Tyranids for a while and this provided the perfect opportunity. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.
The winged Prime is a bit of an oddity at the moment. He can be attached to units of warriors or gargoyles, but, without Tyranid Shrikes in the list he just feels out of place. This also leads to some weird interactions with the 'fly' keyword and differing movement values. Personally I haven't found a great deal of use for him on the tabletop so far.
Next up is the Psychophage. This was one of the big draws of the set for me and it doesn't disappoint at all. For this model I chose to trim off the gas cloud effects and leave the model with a solid carapace. However I have another model on sprue and I think I will choose to leave it stock just for some variety.
I've found the Psychophage to be very useful in game. It's cheap in points, hands out Feel No Pain to nearby models and is capable of decent damage if you can roll those devastating wounds. I can almost always find a reason to put one of these on the table.
Continuing with the monsters, the new Screamer-Killer is probably the star of the set. I've always loved the Carnifex, ever since the days of 2nd edition and Epic and I'm thrilled to have a new and exciting sculpt.
Whilst I enjoy the nostalgia of calling the new model a Screamer-Killer, it does leave the Carnifex in a somewhat difficult spot. The new model is considerably larger than the old Carnifex kit and has a fixed loadout. Does this mean that Games Workshop will provide a multi-part kit with different options in the future? Or do they intend the Screamer-Killer to be an entirely separate species from the Carnifex from this point onwards? Only time will tell.
On the tabletop I've found this guy to be pretty underwhelming. I've tried him out several times and, more often than not, he's died on turn 1. Even when he makes it to combat, the limited ap of his attacks often means that he does less damage than I expect. Still, the rules are an ever changing beast and I'm certain this guy will get his day in the spotlight soon.
Moving on to some infantry now with the Barbgaunts. These are a new species of Tyranid and I do like the concept of a beefed up gaunt with a heavy weapon. The sculpts are very pretty and they are surprisingly large on those 40mm bases.
These were a little fiddly to paint, at least, more than I had anticipated. I found they had lots of small armour plates which needed to be picked out. I shouldn't complain though as I enjoy the details on these models and they seem very well thought out from a biological standpoint.
Then there's the Neurotyrant. I wasn't super excited about this model, but that all changed once I had the model in hand. It's another brilliant sculpt with lots of cool details that I hadn't spotted from the photos online. It also comes with the little Neuroloids and they make a nice looking trio together.
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| A lovely model regardless |
Next up is the Psychophage. This was one of the big draws of the set for me and it doesn't disappoint at all. For this model I chose to trim off the gas cloud effects and leave the model with a solid carapace. However I have another model on sprue and I think I will choose to leave it stock just for some variety.
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| Another great sculpt |
I've found the Psychophage to be very useful in game. It's cheap in points, hands out Feel No Pain to nearby models and is capable of decent damage if you can roll those devastating wounds. I can almost always find a reason to put one of these on the table.
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| The tentacle maw looks brilliant |
Continuing with the monsters, the new Screamer-Killer is probably the star of the set. I've always loved the Carnifex, ever since the days of 2nd edition and Epic and I'm thrilled to have a new and exciting sculpt.
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| Four big claws and bio-plasma |
Whilst I enjoy the nostalgia of calling the new model a Screamer-Killer, it does leave the Carnifex in a somewhat difficult spot. The new model is considerably larger than the old Carnifex kit and has a fixed loadout. Does this mean that Games Workshop will provide a multi-part kit with different options in the future? Or do they intend the Screamer-Killer to be an entirely separate species from the Carnifex from this point onwards? Only time will tell.
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| The arms are perhaps a little too wide |
On the tabletop I've found this guy to be pretty underwhelming. I've tried him out several times and, more often than not, he's died on turn 1. Even when he makes it to combat, the limited ap of his attacks often means that he does less damage than I expect. Still, the rules are an ever changing beast and I'm certain this guy will get his day in the spotlight soon.
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| Looks awesome from this angle |
Moving on to some infantry now with the Barbgaunts. These are a new species of Tyranid and I do like the concept of a beefed up gaunt with a heavy weapon. The sculpts are very pretty and they are surprisingly large on those 40mm bases.
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| Basically a bazooka with legs |
These were a little fiddly to paint, at least, more than I had anticipated. I found they had lots of small armour plates which needed to be picked out. I shouldn't complain though as I enjoy the details on these models and they seem very well thought out from a biological standpoint.
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| Ready for bombardment |
Then there's the Neurotyrant. I wasn't super excited about this model, but that all changed once I had the model in hand. It's another brilliant sculpt with lots of cool details that I hadn't spotted from the photos online. It also comes with the little Neuroloids and they make a nice looking trio together.
On the tabletop I've found the Neurotyrant to be surprisingly useful. He's not a killing machine, but has a suite of abilities that have proved handy many times. If nothing else, the ability to deliver a nasty overwatch often gives opponents pause.
The Von Ryan's Leapers were another star of the set for me. I've always loved Lictors and these really tick a lot of the same boxes. They were delightful to build and paint and I'd really like to add a few more to the swarm. They've been decent on the tabletop too, I can always find a use for an infiltrator and they can put out enough damage to pick off isolated enemy units.
The small boys from the set are the Neurogaunts. Another model that I wasn't too excited for, but they are delightfully small in person. I had expected them to be about the size of the old termagants, however they are substantially smaller. The sprue is well thought out and all 11 models come on a single frame. I haven't found a great deal of use for them on the battlefield except as a back-line objective holder. Most of the time though a unit of termagants would be better.
Finally we have the new termagants. I've actually only painted 8 of these as the other two in the photo below are 3d prints which I got from a friend. These models are a worthy update to the classic plastics and have plenty of nice details to enjoy.
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| I find the idea of a bug that thinks offensive |
The Von Ryan's Leapers were another star of the set for me. I've always loved Lictors and these really tick a lot of the same boxes. They were delightful to build and paint and I'd really like to add a few more to the swarm. They've been decent on the tabletop too, I can always find a use for an infiltrator and they can put out enough damage to pick off isolated enemy units.
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| Lictor? I never even met her. |
The small boys from the set are the Neurogaunts. Another model that I wasn't too excited for, but they are delightfully small in person. I had expected them to be about the size of the old termagants, however they are substantially smaller. The sprue is well thought out and all 11 models come on a single frame. I haven't found a great deal of use for them on the battlefield except as a back-line objective holder. Most of the time though a unit of termagants would be better.
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| So small |
Finally we have the new termagants. I've actually only painted 8 of these as the other two in the photo below are 3d prints which I got from a friend. These models are a worthy update to the classic plastics and have plenty of nice details to enjoy.
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| Fleshborers away! |
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