Here are some suggestions on introducing Tyranids into your games. Feel free to experiment with whatever combination works for you, your models and the blips that you own. Remember that the bidding system from Deathwing works extremely well, so don't panic if you think that the Tyranid Force is too strong. Just remind all players to bid a reasonable amount of points so that they will be competitive. You don't always need a powerful Tyranid Force to include them in your games. Try introducing them a few at a time and see how you go. Start off by mixing some Gaunts in with Genestealers and Hybrids.
The following table is my "Standard" Tyranid Force that is used for many games.
| GENESTEALER BLIP | TYRANID MODEL REPRESENTED |
| 1 | 1 Termagant with Devourer |
| 2 | 2 Hormagaunts with small Scything Talons |
| 3 | 3 Termagants with Fleshborers |
| 4 | 1 Termagant with Spike Rifle |
| 5 | 2 Termagants with Stranglewebs |
| 6 | 1 Squig Base |
| A | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| B | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| C | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| D | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| E | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| F | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| G | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| H | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| I | 1 Zoanthrope |
| J | 1 Zoanthrope |
| Ambush | 1 Lictor |
Play-Testing Notes
It is worth obtaining an old copy of Advanced Space Crusade for the Tyranid blips that it contains. This way you can mix the entire Genestealer expanded blips together with the Advanced Space Crusade Tyranid blips to create a force of 53 blips to use!
| There are 16 lettered Tyranid blips from A to P in Advanced Space Crusade. | |
You can create a super-powerful swarm of 53 blips as detailed below.
| BLIP | MODEL REPRESENTED |
| 1 | 1 Genestealer |
| 2 | 2 Genestealers |
| 3 | 3 Genestealers |
| 4 | 4 Genestealers |
| 5 | 5 Genestealers |
| 6 | 6 Genestealers |
| A Hybrid | Hybrid Non-Psyker |
| B Hybrid | Hybrid Non-Psyker |
| C Hybrid | Hybrid Non-Psyker |
| D Hybrid | Hybrid Non-Psyker |
| E Hybrid | Hybrid Psyker |
| F Hybrid | Hybrid Psyker |
| G Hybrid | Hybrid Psyker |
| H Hybrid | Hybrid Psyker |
| I Hybrid | 1 Magus |
| J Hybrid | 1 Running Patriarch |
| A Tyranid | 3 Hormagaunts |
| B Tyranid | 3 Hormagaunts |
| C Tyranid | 3 Termagants |
| D Tyranid | 3 Termagants |
| E Tyranid | 3 Termagants |
| F Tyranid | 1 Squig Base |
| G Tyranid | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| H Tyranid | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| I Tyranid | 1 Tyranid Warrior |
| J Tyranid | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| K Tyranid | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| L Tyranid | 2 Tyranid Warriors |
| M Tyranid | 1 Zoanthrope |
| N Tyranid | 1 Zoanthrope |
| O Tyranid | 1 Zoanthrope |
| P Tyranid | 1 Hive Tyrant |
| Ambush | 1 Lictor |
It does not need to end there, as you can still add the Ork slave blips from Advanced Space Crusade. These represent captured Orks that have been modified to the Tyranids' cause.
| There are eight lettered Ork-Tyranid blips from A to H in Advanced Space Crusade. |  |
You don't need to use these blips to represent Orks, they can represent more Tyranid models or even other special characters. Before the game starts you can have another table prepared that lists what each blip will represent upon conversion. This gives you an opportunity to use a massive force of 61 blips in total to take down all opposition. Your opponent will need many points when bidding to be competitive against this set of blips.
Last revised: October 02, 2004.