Updating minis for 9th

[Nichodemus10]

Most of my minis are from when I played in fourth edition, but I have craigslist/ebay added some guys and was planning to update my broods and was hoping for some help on squad sizes and possibly some loadouts.

 

Currently I have:

 

Genestealers:36 4th edition stealers in two squads of 18, and 8 of the new stealers...I likely will leave these the way they are.

 

Hormagaunts: two squads of 16, and 14 unpainted models... Should I do squads of 20&26, 16&30, or 15,15,16?

 

Gaunts: these are all a mess...10 unpainted, 10 painted well, 8 painted poorly, 1 devourer and 3 spinefists...I don't even know what to do with these... First thought is leave the ten good ones alone, then try to upgrade the poor group to be 12 models with four devourers... Them at some point pick up some more...

 

Gargoyles: 32 painted in 2 squads, but easily playable as a Broods of 30... Plan to leave these as is.

 

Lictors: I have 2 and a metal deathleaper. I mostly use these to play as tyranid primes or Broods lords, but haven't do an actual conversation for either but would love some ideas...

 

Warriors: 1 good brood with 3 deathspitters and a barbed strangler, 4 unfinished without arms and two that were modeled with shields to be tyrant guard... It seems like I need a third tyrant guard is needed if I want to use any of them, then I have 3 guys do I make some close combat, add them to the good squad or make a new squad of three with death spitters and a heavy?

 

Zoans/venom thropes: 1 metal zoan, and a box that can be either... Which should I make?

 

Hiveguard: have three, they seem good.

 

Monstrous creatures: metal old one eye with wings and 4 devourers; old metal tyrant with bone sabers played as swarmlord; 2 carnifex with scythes, 1 magnetized with 4 devourers (no other options); and one that is modeled with a venom cannon and stranglethorn cannon (from the old days when that was a loadout); and 1 trygon...I am thinking about Adding a tervagon and another flyrant; but feel like this is mostly kind of solid.

 

Big questions are what should I do with the warriors, how do I divide up my gaunts, and what should I do with my zoan/venom box. But any other thoughts are appreciated on your to get my old models in order.

[Xenith]

I think bigger squads is always better  - break points for Blast weapons are 6 and 11 as I recall, so if youre doing 11+ you might as well do 30.

 

 

• Hormagaunts - I'd go with none of your suggestions  Personally I'd use 23+23 then try to add more. 
• Terms - 30 with devourers from a trygon hole, small units of 10 with borers for camping, or 20x devourers+10x borers for being near a tervagon.
• Gargoyles - keep as big blobs for tying things up.
• I'm a huge fan of zoanthropes, super tanky but low damage output, but critical for finishing things off or putting guaranteed wounds on tanks. 
• Venomthropes suffer the age old problem that for 180pts for a 9" aura, you're probably better off just spending those points on more monsters or stealers. If your battleplan is to move up the board en-masse, then they can be useful, but I'd try to get a unit of 6 zoans first.
• Carnifexen - 4x dev loadout will hopefully stay good, and they can keep blasting away in combat now. Maybe fix old one eye to have his proper rulebook loadout?
• Warriors - dont bother with tyrant guard. Theyre too slow to be any use and points are better spent on more hive tyrants. Id make another 3 as warriors so you can field then as 2x3 or 1x6. 

Your army relly lacks any kind of anti tank, and in 9th you cant even tie up tanks anymore as they can keep shooting. I'd consider a tyrannofex over a tervigon, then maybe an exocrine to deal with primaris.

 

Flyrant with 2x devourers, or heavy venom/miasma cannon+rending claws can do work in every phase, and will be a major boon to the army.