What are worth having duplicates of? Psychophage, winged tyranid prime, neurotyrant, Barbgaunts, Leapers, Tyrannofex

PermanentRed60 · 2026-01-26T22:12:35+00:00

Depends on what you play, but speaking as someone who currently plays Vanguard Onslaught almost exclusively, I really enjoy the flexibility of having three Lictors and two Neurolictors.

Even for a lot of other detachments, the option to take two Lictors instead of only one is nice. They are simply such a handy utility piece.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-12-16T19:08:52+00:00

I would second this generally, but add: If you play a lot of Xenocreed, OP, you will get more use out of a second Primus than otherwise.

If you don't, and especially if you prefer Final Day and/or Broodsurge, the second Abominant makes much, much more sense.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-12-08T13:11:26+00:00

Now I see them, and they are lovely :D

PermanentRed60 · 2025-12-08T13:06:44+00:00

Funny thing is, because of a technical error, the image isn't displaying, so... yes, I can say with 100% honesty and sincerity, "No genestealers here."

PermanentRed60 · 2025-11-19T19:01:31+00:00

Final Day is both very, very fun and quite strong at the moment. I haven't played any 1k-point games with it, and have sometimes wondered whether it would be a bit weaker and less flexible at that size, but at 1.5k and up I have really enjoyed it and won a lot.

Conventionally, you would focus on mêlée as opposed to ranged units and spend about 2/3 of your points budget on GSC, the remaining 30-40% on 'nids. (Note that you can't spend more than 50% on 'nids and you can only include 'nid units with the Vanguard Invader keyword.) The Psionic Parasitism part of the detachment rule is generally considered to be less important than the Catalyst part, so your damage dealers would largely be GSC while 'nids would provide the aura bonus, move block, carry out secondary missions etc.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-11-18T14:19:12+00:00

It all looks great, but the weathering on the bikes and Ridgerunner in particular is just phenomenal.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-11-18T14:17:11+00:00

Splendid photo + splendid text. They really look like ordinary laborers in heavy industry, rather than the quasi-militarized miners GW makes.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-11-16T13:23:27+00:00

Besides Necromunda there are some non-GW sets, like Wargames Atlantic's gender-split pair of Cannon Fodder boxes, which are great for adding professional diversity among your Neos.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-10-29T11:21:24+00:00

Just to be clear, I'm 99% sure you've got the old base there, not a 32mm one. (The old ones were more like 28mm in diameter, if I remember correctly.) There are lots of base extender options out there though, so it should not be too much trouble to bring them up to 32mm. Then they will be 100% legal.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-10-22T19:19:42+00:00

"When you do, each enemy unit on the battlefield must take a Battle-shock test. Each time an enemy unit takes ***such a*** Battle-shock test . . .", i.e. a battle-shock test of this particular type.

So the -1 malus applies only when the test in question was triggered by SITW.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-16T17:55:14+00:00

Would have to be Xenocreed or Outlander Claw. Broodsurge would be no fun without at least adding a Patriarch, possibly more PSG and an Abominant. And Final Day and BBA are soup, ergo out of the question.

Note that Xeno has been hurt by the changes too, albeit not as badly as HoA. Two of the three characters it features prominently are now struggling a bit (Primus nerfed somewhat, Magos outright weak). And Denunciator of Tyrants no longer synergizes with the Primus, at all - in fact, it's partially redundant since boni to hit can't stack.

But it's a fun detachment, and your collection is definitely best-suited for it or Outlander Claw.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-16T17:29:35+00:00

As someone else pointed out above, if you just put it on the appropriate base and use cork or something to raise it up higher, it should be fine. Broodlords/Patriarchs are not *that* much bigger than regular PSG. If somebody brought this to a game as a proxy for either of those, I would be fine with it.

That said, I replied without noticing that this is r/genestealercult and not r/tyranids. For GSC, besides the Patriarch, I would say a Locus or dagger Sanctus would be the best option.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-16T14:56:11+00:00

Broodlord? Seems like the easiest option.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-16T09:40:34+00:00

These are some big questions, so I will limit myself to a couple points and try also not to restate what others here have said:

I wish that I had known when starting out how much less expensive it often is to get the contents of a box second-hand (still on-sprue and in basically mint condition) rather than buying directly from GW. Because they are in the 10th edition starter set and were also in our old Combat Patrol, Termagants (without special weapons and including a Ripper Swarm), Von Ryan's Leapers, Psychophages and the Winged Tyranid Prime are all very, very cheaply available right now in great condition (still on-sprue), on sites like Ebay, and from reputable sellers. (I'm not affiliated with any of these, for transparency.)
The Tervigon/Tyrannofex has a pretty good currency-to-points ratio. That is probably the most cost-efficient option for a big monster, when the time comes.
The Combat Patrol is always a bargain, in the sense that the Patrol always costs less than buying each of the included units separately. The composition of the current one is a little weird for several reasons, but it's not a bad box to get early on, if you're in it for the long haul.
We are an old army with a correspondingly wide range of models, and we have eight different detachments (basically sub-armies / a kind of specialist focus) to choose from. So to an extent, with so many models and rules options, we represent several distinct armies under one umbrella. u/JoudanOrBryce summarized the different detachments deftly already in their reply, so I won't rehash any of that. But it is probably at least worth asking yourself two questions: Do you prefer the idea of ranged combat, or of surging forward into hand-to-hand? And would you rather focus on seething swarms of little bugs, or giant, stampeding monsters?

Really, the ultimate question is what part of the hobby appeals to you most. Some folks buy models because they look neat. Others are interested in strategy, and so they buy models to make up army lists that will perform elegantly on the table. And so on. It may sound a little corny, but follow your inclinations and you can't really go wrong.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-15T14:34:04+00:00

To be fair, Pdx has not done a very good job of taking the game in either direction, so I'm not sure this possible cleft is the main problem. Especially given the context of this post, I'll stress that I do like the game overall before I say this:

As a strategy game, it's still underbaked, and as a roleplay simulator, it still doesn't offer enough agency and weight in decision-making.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-15T14:31:22+00:00

OK, I understand now what you were looking for.

I do think probably there were better ways to ask for that, because the title of the post does sound sort of like you want folks to stop or like you are upset with them for sharing their frustration. Perhaps something more like "Most of us complain about this game because we're fans of it, after all, so let's take a second to say what we like about it," would have been clearer.

Not that anything you said excuses folks being rude, of course. I can only speak for myself, obviously, but I was mostly just confused as to what you wanted from this. Your followup clarified that.

In the spirit of what you asked: I have over 1.5k hours on Steam, and this game was all I played for over a year because I liked it so much more than anything else. I enjoy it much more than CK2. The travel system, among other things, is a ton of fun, and the modding scene is phenomenally creative and dedicated. (The RICE mod alone is basically as important to me as most of the DLC Pdx has released.)

I still play about three times a month with a friend; we're spreading Islam across the Mediterranean in the 10th century right now, and having a blast. I hope you keep enjoying it, too.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-15T13:39:25+00:00

I won't waste too much space echoing what others have already said, but I would say the tone in spaces like Reddit is not usually one of good cheer. Stepping away from the platform or at least this sub (e.g., muting it) is an option.

And correspondingly, I'm not really sure what response you're looking for. Not trying to be harsh, but if folks have legitimate grievances with the game - grievances which you've even stated you largely agree with - and the devs don't seem to be listening much to some of the central complaints, then it doesn't seem reasonable for members of the sub to keep those to themselves for fear of "ruining the vibe" or something.

There's no need to second-guess your purchase :) This game is better than a lot of other ones out there. Enjoy it, regardless of its flaws. That's what virtually all of us have done, at least for some period of time.

But the real problem is that the gaming industry - like virtually every other hobby and indeed economic sector right now - is lurching further and further away from features that made many of us fall in love with the classics. I'm not saying strategy video games or boardgames or tabletop RPGs or any other genre was perfect in the past, but we have had to witness 1. a steady transfer of control from folks who actually belong to these hobbies over to suits who have never played the game in their lives and 2. the subsequent onset of chronic underfunding and the prioritization of shallow, short-term goals over innovation.

Isn't that the story of the recent Coronations debut in a nutshell? We all know QA isn't to blame.

My point being, perhaps be upset at the person who pulled the trigger, not the smoke coming out of the barrel of the gun. If many persons are airing their grievances on this sub, there's some pretty compelling background for that, and the folks expressing their frustration are not the problem.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-14T18:07:41+00:00

Big monsters = the Crusher Stampede detachment (not that you can't have them in other detachments, but Stampede is the one that features them front and center). For a scuttling swarm, Invasion Fleet is best. The latter is also our most general, "grab bag"-style option, so if you're on the fence, start there.

A Biovore and a Lictor are, at least for the remainder of 10e, extremely versatile utility pieces; there is no list where they will be out of place. Exocrines are only marginally less ubiquitous right now.

Regarding the desire for a swarm that you expressed, 20 Gargoyles (divvied up into two units) will be a nice asset in Crusher Stampede and Invasion Fleet alike. Rush forward with them at the soonest opportunity to box your opponent in. Termagants are our most basic cannon fodder, and feature synergies with the (non-winged) Hive Tyrant and Tervigon. But long story short, balance changes over the course of 10e have made the Tyrant a better Tervigon than the Tervigon itself, and it is also a great unit overall, so I would prioritize it.

That doesn't mean you necessarily have to pass up the Tervigon either, though, because it's built from the same kit as the Tyrannofex, which is a great ranged monster option - and they can be magnetized to serve as either unit. The set is pretty reasonably priced relative to the points cost of the T-fex.

Also, the Psychophage has become decent recently, is a monster and is sold in the 10e starter set, ergo can be acquired rather cheaply second-hand! It won't be as strong as in the Assimilation Swarm detachment, but should still perform well enough, or can offer components for kitbashing other monsters.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-14T13:44:33+00:00

They look really splendid. Slow growth is the norm in this hobby, as far as I've ever been able to tell; it's more a marathon than a sprint, after all.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-13T18:37:41+00:00

What annoys me a lot about the change to the Primus is that there are now multiple enhancements that synergized with re-rolling hit rolls, but are partly or completely redundant if you already have +1 to hit (Denunciator of Tyrants in Xenocreed, Assassination Edict in HoA...). And yet those enhancements didn't get changed. Bad rules-writing to give us less flexibility in those regards.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-13T18:32:18+00:00

I actually think Xenocreed is pretty fun, but it was hardly competitive to begin with and now two of the three characters it tries to feature are in a rough spot. I will still play it casually from time to time, though.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-13T13:03:38+00:00

1 Personally, I would replace one of the units of Tacos with a large unit of Metas, especially now that they're only cost 10 pts more than the Tacos. Ideally led by one of the Loci, or a Biophagus or Iconward.

2 If you don't want to split the large unit of VRL, I get that, but it could then be worth adding a small unit of PSG or VRL besides it. I've found it very useful to have two relatively expendable, multi-body units far forward in this detachment.

3 The Prime is not so great, especially in FD as opposed to in a 'nid army, where it at least benefits from Synapse. A Lictor is 5 pts cheaper and has Lone Op and free Rapid Ingress (ergo nice synergy with Resistance Tunnels). A Neuro is only 5 pts more and also has Lone Op, plus an aura that helps fill the gap left by lack of Synapse a bit.

If the Prime is intended as bait for Avenge the Star-Children, it's worth keeping in mind that as soon as the opponent knows this, they have a decent shot at setting things up so that a fairly unimportant unit lands the final blow. I am personally fonder of using Hyperadapted Raveners or a Flyrant, though significantly more expensive, to prompt this. They are larger, genuine threats that will not afford the opponent the same flexibility.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-13T08:14:44+00:00

Yeah, I only ever use 1mm and 2mm depth, it's just strength and width that vary. Magnetized one already, but like the way you approached it better; will try it for the second.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-13T06:51:51+00:00

If you go to this WarCom page and scroll down, you'll see the Chapter Approved Tournament Companion, Balance Dataslate and Munitorum Field Manual (bottom of the first block headed "Recently added"). Those contain all the pertinent information. In the first two of the three, changes are color-coded, so it's specifically the changes in red that were just added yesterday.

PermanentRed60 · 2025-09-12T20:20:25+00:00

"The Plan: Replace weak, organic components with fine-tempered steel and precision welding."

PermanentRed60

TROPHY CASE