It Came from LV 426 (My 1750 Tyranid List)

I have been a huge fan of the Alien movies since I was a kid growing up in Japan. Naturally Tyranids lend themselves to making an army to resemble the monsters from the film. I wanted something that looked like the film while at the same time matched the ethos if the 40K universe.

This in mind, I tried to create a Nid army that relied very little on the shooting phase. I kept away from the most effective shooting units in the book: Tyrant Guard and the Tyrannofex (as tempting as they were). I did want something that as closely resembled the Queen from the Alien movies. I intially considered the Hive Tyrant but I felt the Tervigon matched the fluff of a Queen still attached to her egg sac. I did break my no shooting rule with 1 unit of termingaunts. A queen needs her drones. To make them visiually fit I modelled them as breaking out of their "eggs."
For an HQ unit I used a tyranid prime as a Queen's right hand creation (as seen in some of the movies).

Everything in the army that can has toxin sacs (to resemble acid blood from the films). There are heaps of hormies and a unit of genestealers to resemble the gribbly choppy horde. The Mawloc is there to resemble the Alien sneak attack from the movies.

I added a few units to flesh out the army alittle. I figured I should have a little shooting so I used the Doom and the Zoenthropes to account for shooting without guns (brain bugs so to speak). The Trygon is a synapse creature, a "king" to counter point the weak HTH of the Queen.

40K Ethos: Now you may be wondering how does this fit in the 40K ethos? Here is how. A bio-ship crashes on a lifeless planet (LV 426) and goes dormant. In the Tervigon's (Queen's) description it talks about how they walk the halls "patroling" and protecting the dormant bio creatures.

My theme is this: A Rogue trader and his crew of ex-imperial guard veterens come to inspect a "distress" call from a lifeless planet. They discover the bio ship and looking for plunder (and not knowing what they have found) they unwittingly find the "Queen" and her drones who then awake the hive. Cue the screaming and the gunfire.

*** Incoming Transmission ***

REF: KTV213/ 475-673 Gamma Eplisol - 2 Security/ Priority Level Sender: Rogue Trader Burke Location: LV 426

*** Message Begins:
We were diverted from our course at the order of Imperial command to investigate and unknown distress beacon. We came armed since the signal was possible xenos in origin. It was and we were not prepared.

We discovered a crashed vessel of unknown origin and while exploring the wreckage Sergeant Apone and his troopers stumbled upon what can only be described as a hive of creatures in suspended animation. It appears as though not everything was "asleep." Troopers Ripley and Vasquez were the only survivors of that recon mission that also resulted in the distruction of our only chimera and valkyrie. Our ship seems to have malfunctioned and will not power up to lift off this rock. We sent tech priest Bishop to investigate but he has not returned from the hold of our ship. We have set up defenses within the corridors of our own ship but we are running out of ammunition and men... Please send support soon. We can hear them coming***

*** Message Termnates***

Recommended course of action:
Virus Bomb the Planet from Orbit. It is the only way to be sure.


My List:

Tyranid Warrior Prime with Toxin Sacs, Lash Whip and Bone Sword, with Scything Talons

20 Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs
20 Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs
18 Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs
15 Termagants
11 Genestealers
Tervigon with Catalyst, Cluster Spines, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs

3 Zoenthropes
Doom of Malan'tai in a Drop Spore

Trygon Prime with Regeneration
Mawloc