Tyranids: Beyond Leviathan

A bit of  roundup of a mixture of models I've painted throughout the 10th edition of Warhammer 40k.

First up is the Norn Emissary. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the overall size of this model. I have wanted a plastic super-heavy for Tyranids for many years and had hoped this would fall into that category. Sadly it's another mid-range monster joining an already bloated range.
 

She's pretty though

Having said that, I do like the style of the model, I just wish it filled a different role in the Tyranid range.

I particularly like the large ventral spires.

In game terms, this model has seen the shelf far more than the tabletop. To me, the price point seems prohibitive when compared with other, cheaper monsters. I have found its 'singular purpose' ability rather underwhelming too.

Lots of cool details.

Next up is a group of Zoanthropes. I had these 3d printed and they are an excellent facsimile of the official sculpts.

Good quality prints.

Unlike the Norn Emissary, I can always find a use for Zoanthropes. They have punishing firepower, an oppressive overwatch threat (particularly when combined with a Neurotyrant) and the 4+ invulnerable save can be difficult to break through.

Pretty little brain bugs.

Somewhere down the line I want to paint up three more of these as well as a second Neurotyrant so that I can try fielding two groups. Still I'm working on other projects at the moment so they will have to wait.

Moving back to plastic kits we have the new(ish) pyrovore model. I have lots of Biovores already, so I elected to construct the kit in this format. I really like the latest sculpt and it helps bring the Biovore/Pyrovore model much more in line with the unified look of the Tyranid range.

Big flame bug.

On the tabletop I haven't really found a use for Pyrovores (in any edition!) They are rather ponderous and the mediocre flamer they carry isn't much of a threat to anything. Still I like the concept and the miniature.

Much more insectile than the previous sculpt.

Back to some basic infantry with the humble hormagaunt. I've always loved hormagaunts, from the weirdly terrifying (and poorly balanced) metal sculpts to the long-running 3rd edition plastics. These are the most modern version of the sculpt and they are really delightful.

Looks more like a swarm close-up.

My Tyranid armies have always featured hormagaunts and that continues to this day. These have been regularly fielded alongside the older sculpts and, apart from the different base size, aren't noticeably different at tabletop level.

Just a humble group of ten infantry really.

The Neurolictor is something of a different sculpt. It's gangly, and oddly posed. I did alter the posing of mine slightly by twisting the waist joint. I'm not sure how much of a difference that's really made though.

Just plain weird.

I've fielded the Neurolictor a handful of times, but for my purposes I'm usually better off with a regular Lictor. I understand it's a synergy piece for other Tyranid units and I've never really managed to pull this off in practice. In my hands its just a weaker, more expensive Lictor.

Sorry Neurolictor, better luck next edition.

Finally we have the Parasite of Mortrex. I like this model a lot and it's fun to use on the tabletop. Not especially competitive, but just amusing to create ripper swarms from your opponents models. This has certainly never been a game winner for me, but I take it every so often just for the annoyance factor.

Definitely looks cool.

This was my first time trying something different for the wing membranes on my Tyranids and I liked it so much that I've adopted it going forwards.

"flap flap screech!"

Despite not loving the game as much as I used to, I'm still regularly playing Warhammer 40k. My Tyranid collection has been a big part of keeping me interested in the game. It also helps enormously to be a part of a fun, casual, gaming group.

I am feeling the desire to add more Tyranids to the collection, so hopefully will make a further update post soon.

Leviathan: The Tyranid half

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fleshborers away!

Tyranids: The Swarm grows

I'm always painting Tyranids. This post contains a selection of models completed prior to the release of the Leviathan box set for 10th edition. I'll do a separate post for the Leviathan models because they make a nice little set by themselves. First up is a plastic Trygon. 

I love this kit

I got given this model along with some others in a bundle of tyranids which I suspect were third or fourth hand. It had at least two layers of claggy paint on it and had suffered some unfortunate battle damage. After stripping it with Biostrip-20 (which was a bit of a chore because of all the small spikes and limbs) I rebuilt it with a few spares from the bitz box.

The Trygon is my all time favourite Tyranid model (actually the Forgeworld Trygon, although the plastic kit is very nice too) and I'm very happy with the way this one turned out in the end.

Giant electric snakes are the best

Next up we've got a unit of Tyranid Warriors. I'm pretty sure these were second hand as well. They were stuck together with polystyrene cement, so I didn't have the opportunity to change the loadout. I do really like the bonesword and lashwhip combo but might have added a gun if I'd built them from scratch.

Gotta love warriors

Sadly, 10th edition has amalgamated all of the weapon options into one hideous 'melee bio-weapons' profile which I hate. In addition, warriors seem to be a bit rubbish on the tabletop. I haven't found anything they could do that couldn't be done better by genestealers. So my warriors haven't seen much play recently; which is a shame because they look brilliant.

Relegated to the cabinet for now

Then there's a barbed Hierodule which I converted some time ago and hadn't got around to painting. This was made from the scythed Hierodule kit with the addition of a couple of rupture cannons and a torso plate from the Tyrannofex kit. I rather like the giant guns, although I will admit that's a matter of personal taste.

Go big or go home

I can't remember what madness inspired me to make a barbed Hierodule out of the scythed kit. I can only imagine it was the desire to have one of each in the collection.

I think this is now 'legends' only

I finally got around to painting my Sporocyst which is just a bizarre model. I had this kit from new and decided on the Sporocyst purely because it was much easier to store than the giant gangly Tyrannocyte.

Just plain weird

Then there's this group of old style termagants with devourers. I've pretty much always used fleshborers in games because those were the models I had painted. It's nice to add some devourers to the army as an interesting option. Although I gather they're strictly sub-optimal in 10th edition.

Always need more infantry

Apparently I need more monsters as well. Here's a metal Hive Tyrant which I've had for years and used in many games in it's unpainted state (the horror!) I'm glad to have finally painted it up and I've fielded it a few times since.

Venom cannon is always good

I got this kit in a rescue bundle from Ebay. If you look closely you can see that I've replaced the tail and filled in the ankle claws that the kit usually comes with. I also added the head from the Swarmlord just because I had it spare.

Rather pleased with the tail

Then there's a couple of Carnifexes. The first of these was built from a new plastic kit back when twin-linked devourers were all the rage.

Dakka dakka dakka

I didn't paint it at the time and it never got used. Now devourers are less fashionable I've painted it up and it's been surprisingly decent on the table. The devourers were made from the back half of a venom cannon with three devourer barrels added to each to make a kind of gatling configuration. Even though I made it years ago I'm still very pleased with the conversion.

Also including the old 'enhanced senses' head

The second of these came from the same bundle as the trygon featured earlier in this post. It was in a similar woeful condition and needed much repair to make it into a useable model.

Love the bio-plasma head option

I think the loadout on this one largely came down to the available spares. I do recall that the head, arms and tail scythe were all replaced from the bits box as well as a new base added. It really must have been in bad shape!

Pretty pleased with the rebuild

Finally we've got a brood of 3 Venomthropes. It's funny for me to see them mixed in with this lot, because they've seen a great deal of tabletop play in the last year or so. I always enjoy getting the benefit of cover and imposing hit modifiers on my opponent. I had this kit from new, so there's no story to tell about their construction. It was a nice kit to build and I'm pleased with the models.

Spore cloud is always welcome

Painting Tyranids in lockdown

Sorry for the shortage of updates. Like everybody else I've been stuck at home, unfortunately for me that has meant a lack of internet connection. However I'm back online and have a bunch of newly painted stuff to show off. First up, the Tyranids I've been painting over the last few weeks.

A scythed Hierodule, kind of a classic model.

First up is this scythed Hierodule. I've always thought the Hierodule models were a bit old hat, but having one in hand I have to say that the sculpt has really held up to the test of time. She's a lovely thing and I'm pleased to have one as part of the swarm. I may even look at adding a barbed Hierodule at a later date.

Ok, she's a little goofy, but I still like her.

In terms of painting, all of these were done using the usual quick paint scheme for my Tyranids. I've been painting them this way for twelve years and although the scheme has undergone some refinement, it's still broadly the same.

Next up we have another classic Forgeworld sculpt, the Hive Tyrant.

Getting some 'Alien' vibes off this one.

It was really nice to get this one done as it's a bit of a classic. As you can see I changed out all the weapons, mostly because I thought it looked cooler with the Deathspitter/Bonesword loadout. It's not the most competitive thing on the planet, but rule of cool wins out every time.

Why stick with one Hive Tyrant when you can have two? I also painted myself a Swarmlord!

Bonesabres are cool.

I've said it before, I'm not really a fan of Tyranid special characters but as the swarm cruised past the 6000 point mark I thought it was about time I added The Swarmlord to the mix. It helps that I like the model but I doubt I will field him much.

Apparently I love painting Tyranid HQ choices, so I went and added a pair of Neurothropes too.

One of the two in question.

Then I felt bad, so I had to paint up a termagant brood.

Spiny spinegaunts!

I know spinegaunts are basically rubbish but I like the way they look and I had a bunch of them hanging about. I'm pleased with the finished brood and I predict they will see a lot of tabletop time, even if they spend most of it dying in droves.

Once I'd done all of that lot (and a few other bits) I got all giddy and decided to get the entire swarm out for some photos. Unfortunately they were a bit difficult to photograph but I think the overall impression is nice.

The Great Devourer hungers.

After this was taken I even added a handful of additional models which had come out of storage while I was rummaging.

Some of the zoomed in shots are a little better.

So it seems this lockdown business has been really good for bashing my painting backlog. I've also done some more Custodes which I hope to share soon.

Big batch painting - Over forty Tyranids

Well there's a post title I never thought I'd write! Historically I've been awful at batch painting. I've never attempted more than about five models at a time and never successfully completed any of those. I just find (found?) it soul destroying, seeing so little 'real' progress whilst mindlessly applying basecoats etc.

Boom! 41 Tyranids painted as a single batch!

So, what gives? How was I able to crash out such a huge number of models in a couple of weeks. Well, unfortunately there's no single factor involved here. Frankly I'm kind of stunned to have managed it myself. But here's a little summary of my ability to suddenly do batch painting:

1 - Lowering the quality.
I'm always loath to drop the quality of my miniatures. They are expensive things and deserve the best quality I can manage. I certainly apply this attitude to all my other armies, so what's different about the Tyranids? Well, for one, a lot of these are Ebay rescues which had a hard life the first time around, so they're cheap and not in the greatest condition. This certainly helps to break the attitude of painting them to your best standard. In addition, I knew that to complete a batch of this size in a reasonable time frame I would have to drop the quality a bit. This doesn't mean they're sloppy, it just means sacrificing a few details and using simple painting methods. This brings me on to....

2 - A simple paint scheme.
My Tyranid scheme was concocted over ten years ago when I was just getting back into painting. At that time, two factors were paramount. It must be easy to paint yet look decent, and it must use as few colours as possible (I was a starving student at the time). This definitely helps when it comes to batch painting because the models are basically a couple of basecoats and some washes (with a few details picked out). Simple = fast.

Hormagaunts from the batch. Incredibly simple but effective.

3 - Accuracy and experience.
This is one of those things that only comes with practice. The more you paint, the better you get and the fewer mistakes you make. This means far less time cleaning up after applying a wash or basecoat.

4 - Inspiration.
My brother Blazmo (of Tabletop Apocalypse) had just completed a batch of 20 troopers for his Steel Legion forces. They are far more detailed (and better painted) than my Tyranids which got me thinking, if he can do it, why not me? In addition, we talked about doing a meatgrinder type game with successive waves of Tyranids assaulting a beleaguered Steel Legion force. Obviously to pull this off, I needed to have lots of Tyranid infantry! 

That all pretty much sums up how this came about. Even though I sacrificed quality a bit, I'm still really pleased with the finished batch. I guess quantity really does have a quality all of its own.

They ain't pretty, but they're painted.

As you can see from the above, they aren't the most beautiful things I've ever painted. But they'll certainly see plenty of battlefield action and hopefully revitalise my interest in Tyranids. Here's to the next batch!