Warhammer 40,000 – Leviathan Tyranid Units

Building the last part of our Leviathan coverage, the regular Tyranid units after showing the HQ and Elites earlier this week. The Tyranids have a lot of miniatures in this set, a total of 47 (!) and beside the impressive unique poses, we have a few units and swarms to take a look at.

We have Termagants and Ripper Swarms, Neurogaunts, Barbgaunts and Von Ryan's Leapers, all as push-fit models, yet quite dynamic ones, but more on that further below. The Tyranids have the big advantage that their biomorphs and mutations make it is easy, to add new units and creatures to the army, with less trouble of retconning them. Yet, some of these are updated miniatures, others are new creations, but more on that in the review itself.

The first unit we're going to look at are Von Ryan's Leapers. While they look like smaller variants of Lictors, they combine genetic elements of Hormagaunts and Lictors and create a mid-tier between the two.

Three models across two medium sized sprues, with 40mm round bases.  They are rapidly built and the way they are cut, there much closer to regular multipart models than push-fit.

Well use of the layered design and each pose is individual and very dynamic. Nothing to argue here.

Another new unit are the Neurogaunts, relays for the synapse creatures, like the Neurotyrant, of the swarm. The Neurogaunts function as their bodyguards. They are actually living in a symbiose with a parasite, the Neurocytes. The swarm of the Neurogaunts is led by the larger Nodebeast, identified by a bulbous growth on their backs.

It's a single larger sprue and a lot of bases, 28mm for the Nodebeast, 25mm for the Neurogaunts.

The models are easily built, as they consist out of only two parts, with the exception of the Nodebeasts, who's build from four pieces. I mixed up the base size for the comparison picture, the Nodebeast goes a size larger. Quick build and very swarmy. Actually, they feel more like a Starcraft nod than Warhammer. But that's just me.

And while the Tyranids already have access to large living artillery, they now even can field entire units of smaller living bio-cannons, the Barbgaunts.

It is a unit of 5spread across the sprue, and you need 40mm round bases to build them. They are different, yet very similar poses and are build from 5 pieces. Each model is cut the same, mid-body, right side with front and back leg, shoulder cannon and left back leg.

Not a new unit, but an updated sculpt are the termagants and ripper swarms. Pretty close to the old design, but a bit leaner and went up a base size to 28mm, and the ripper swarms go on 40mm round.

There are two units of these in the boxed set, each built from three different, small sprues. They are split in a familiar way, as the models pretty much did in the past. Here once again, not much difference to the multi-part kits. A main body, a set of legs added and the weapon consisting of the weapon itself and the left and right arm to go with it.

As for the ripper swarms, the design is kept similar to the old ones. You don't glue them individually on the base, but create pairs of two and add those via the pin to the base. While the Termagants will leave you with a double of each pose, you go with A/B and B/A on the ripper swarms.

And before we go to the comparison with the classic models, here's an overview and size comparison of the Tyranid units build from the Leviathan boxed set.

The Von Ryan's Leapers are quite tall for a unit, here you can see one right next to a classic Lictor and they are clearly influenced by the later, updated design of the Lictors.

As for the Termagants, they are one of the core units of the Tyranids Swarm and they started with a rather goofy design and became wilder with the 2000s design and the new 2023 update is close to it, but leaner and more fiercely.

Similar with the Ripper Swarms, more like slugs in the initial release they were brought in line with the head-carapace design of the 3rd edition onwards Tyranids.

And now the assembled excerpts from the units, beginning with the Termagants and Ripperswarms, the Barbgaunts and Neurogaunts, and Von Ryan Leapers.

Conclusion

The entirety of the Tyranid part of the new Leviathan boxed set is stunning and seriously worth considering - both either as an update to an existing swarm but as a new project / army. Compared to the Space Marines the push-fit nature is far less present. If you're able to split the box with someone, you're getting a steal. 47 Miniatures for about 100 EURs, that is a steal. That's just above 2 EUR per model at that point. And as we pointed out with the characters and elites, the RRP of them is already above what the split price ends up to.

I like the updated Termagants, I like the new additions to the army, especially the Leapers. And while looking at the existing range of the Tyranids, these units fit well with the core like Hormagaunts or Gargoyles, along with the broad choice of monstrous models. The only item actually looking dated from the Tyranid range are the Genestealers, who haven't been updated since the 4th edition (!) and maybe giving them the head plates and give them the leaner work-over would tie them in better with the remaining range of the Xenos. But not everything in planning for the Hive is already announced, so maybe with a bit of patience down the line, this will be taken care of as well.

Warhammer 40.000 is a brand by Games Workshop.

The reviewed product item was provided by the manufacturer.