What Is Combat Patrol: Tyranids (Tyranid Assault Brood)?
Combat Patrol: Tyranids — officially the Tyranid Assault Brood — is Games Workshop's entry box for the Tyranid Hive Mind in Warhammer 40,000. Priced at £105, it gives you 18 miniatures representing the full spectrum of Tyranid warfare: a flying monster, heavy support creatures, and swarms of fast melee infantry.
Box Contents: What Do You Get?
- 1x Parasite of Mortrex — a flying Tyranid character who implants parasites in living targets
- 3x Tyrant Guard (buildable as Hive Guard) — heavy bodyguard creatures or long-range biomorphic artillery
- 1x Biovore (buildable as Pyrovore) — a Tyranid artillery creature that fires living spore mines
- 3x Spore Mines — living explosive creatures that drift toward enemies
- 10x Genestealers — the most feared melee unit in the Tyranid roster: fast, deadly, and terrifying
Playstyle: How Do Tyranids Play?
Tyranids are a swarming, aggressive faction that threatens opponents from multiple angles simultaneously. Key traits:
- Genestealers: One of the most dangerous melee units in the game for their points. Fast, multiple attacks, rending claws.
- Parasite of Mortrex: A flying character who spawns Ripper Swarms by wounding enemies — each kill creates more Tyranid models mid-game.
- Tyrant Guard/Hive Guard: Bodyguard option or long-range firepower with no line of sight requirement.
- Biovore/Spore Mines: Area denial and chip damage from range.
- Synapse: Keep Synapse creatures near smaller units to prevent them fleeing under casualties.
Tyranids reward multi-directional pressure: Genestealers close fast while the Biovore and Hive Guard create problems at range.
Value: Is the Tyranid Combat Patrol Worth It?
At £105, solid value. The Parasite of Mortrex is a unique flying character, and 10 Genestealers alone justify a significant portion of the box price. Build flexibility adds replayability (Tyrant Guard vs Hive Guard, Biovore vs Pyrovore).
Recommended Paints for Tyranids
- Contrast paints are ideal: Leviathan Purple or Magos Purple for chitin over a Wraithbone/Grey Seer spray base
- Pink Horror or Emperor's Children for fleshy interior details
- Leadbelcher or Ironbreaker for bone and talon tips
- Biel-tan Green for slime and biomorphic fluid details
Growing Your Tyranid Army
From the Assault Brood, the immediate next steps are a Hive Tyrant for your army's centrepiece, more Genestealers for swarm saturation, or Hormagaunts and Termagants for cheap objective holders.
See all Combat Patrol factions in our Warhammer 40k Combat Patrol complete guide.