The Kurindans 
This Themed Army Idea is for anyone who has wanted to use the Warhammer Lizardmen figures in a 40K army. It does not attempt to replicate the Lizardmen army or “fluff” from the fantasy game. You’ll find nothing here about anyone being servants of the Old Ones or inhabiting the steaming jungles of Lustria. Rather, it uses some miniatures from the Lizardman range and builds an army around them, using rules from Codex: Tyranids. The fact that the Lizardmen figures are armed for close combat, which the Tyranids specialize in, makes the marriage of Warhammer miniatures and 40K rules even easier. 

Background
The Kurindans are omnivorous aliens with saurian features, warm blood, and opposable thumbs. They consist of several species who exist in a mutually beneficial partnership. They originally inhabited a small sector of space near the southern edge of the galaxy. Kurindans possess intelligence comparable to humans, though they are not known for brilliant creativity (Kurindans have no art) or inventiveness (most technology is copied from other races). Kurindans are naturally aggressive and xenophobic. They are a modestly psychic race, but the number of new Kurindan psykers dwindles every year. 

In the 36th Millennium, Kurindan technology advanced to the point of allowing interplanetary travel, and they set out from their home world—Kurinda—to explore nearby worlds. Approximately fifty Terran years after the attainment of space flight, the Kurindans discovered warp travel. This permitted them to attack and subjugate planets—including a few inhabited by humans—in neighboring star systems. 

In the middle of the 36th Millennium, Kurindan civilization reached its zenith with an empire of 13 worlds across four systems in close astrographic proximity. The Kurindan Empire, a democratic republic, endured for almost three centuries until the strain of maintaining centralized government and the near-constant rebellions of conquered races took their inevitable toll. The Empire fell, and the Kurindans fought each other for the fragments. 

So drastic was their fall and so fierce their in-fighting that the Kurindans quickly slipped into barbarism, from which, it appears, they shall never recover. Now, scattered bands can be found throughout the galaxy, preying on rival Kurindans and other races. 

Philosophy
Within a Kurindan band (which may number up to many thousands), each member is considered equal to the others. Leaders are chosen by direct vote, though given the harshness of life since the fall of the Empire and the need for strong leadership, invariably the biggest, most aggressive member is selected, usually serving for life. Resources are distributed equally so that the band as a whole may prosper. Kurindans no longer have a sense of personal property, and all possessions are shared according to need. 

This seemingly enlightened mentality is notably absent whenever Kurindans encounter sentient beings from outside their band. If the Kurindans are stronger, they will immediately attack, with corpses of the dead (from either side) serving as food, prisoners taken as slaves (until they are too weak to labor, whereupon they are killed and eaten), and loot plundered. Kurindans are too savage to be employed as mercenaries: they prefer to slay and devour any envoys sent to hire their services rather than serve under another. Kurindan loyalty is to the band; any outside the band are viewed as prey to be hunted or rivals to be defeated or avoided. 

Note
Kurindans use the rules from Codex: Tyranids. In the army descriptions that follow, the name of each Kurindan unit will be given, followed by its equivalent from the Tyranid list. Thus, a Skirmisher is, for the purposes of the rules, a Termagant. Got it? 

HQ
Each band is led by its mightiest warrior, elected by the other Kurindans. Following ancient tradition, the Warlord rides into battle atop a Carnosaurian, a mighty, reptilian beast with claws and an acidic breath weapon (treated as a venom cannon). The fearsome presence of the Warlord and his mount inspires the Kurindans around him and terrifies those foolish enough to stand against him. Together, they are the equivalent of Hive Tyrant.

The Warlord and his mount are sometimes attended by a Bodyguard of Kurindans riding smaller reptilian beasts. These retainers and their mounts are the functional equivalents of Tyrant Guard.

Elite
Troglodytes, a large species of Kurindans, are some of the strongest fighters in a warband and often possess an acidic breath weapon they can spew for considerable distance. They are equivalent to Tyranid Warriors and their breath weapons have the same effects as deathspitters or venom cannons. Note that Kurindans have no counterpart to Lictors, and thus, they may not be used. 

Troops
Kurindan Troops consist of small, agile Skirmishers and larger, stronger Saurians. Skirmishers typically use blowguns, javelins, and short bows for ranged combat and rely on knives or claws for hand-to-hand fighting. Saurians do not carry missile weapons, but have razor-sharp swords and spears. Skirmishers may be considered similar to a Termagants and Hormagaunts; Saurians may be considered Genestealers.

Fast Attack
Kurindans do not have any equivalents to Raveners or Gargoyles and thus, may not take these units. 

Heavy Support
A band of Kurindans will sometimes go into battle with one to three Shamans, psykers who sustain themselves not on food and drink, but on the spirits of the recently slain. Shamans are usually bloated creatures of enormous size and appetite, and are the equivalent of Zoanthropes.

Kurindans often go into battle alongside one or more Megasaurs, each a huge reptilian beast. A Megasaur is equivalent to a Carnifex.

Kurindans do not have creatures similar to Biovores or Spore Mines, and thus, this unit may not be fielded. 

Modeling and Painting
The Games Workshop Lizardman range is not very extensive, and not all figures in that range are used for a Kurindan army. Let’s take a look at each unit described above and assign a type of figure to them.

The Warlord and Carnosaurian (Hive Tyrant) is obviously represented by the Lizardman Saurus Lord mounted on a Carnosaur. His Bodyguard (Tyrant Guard) is made up of  Lizard Riders.

Troglodytes(Tyranid Warriors) should be fielded using Kroxigor figures. You can attempt to convert them to hold weapons analogous to deathspitters and venom cannons, or you can take the easy way out (the way I did in their description) and just say that each has a breath weapon equivalent. Doing so is not strictly “What You See Is What You Get,” but I don’t think most reasonable opponents will care. 

Skirmishers and Saurians are the “grunts” of any Kurindan force and are represented, respectively, by Skinks and Saurus Warriors. There, that’s easy, isn’t it? 

Shamans (Zoanthropes) are obviously Slaan Mage Priests. I recommend that you buy the figure itself (minus the floating platform with all its Aztec-style carvings and such) from GW Mail Order for a measly $9 U.S. You can mount Mage Priest models on flying stands to make it appear as if they are levitating across the field; this nicely approximates the look of Zoanthropes. 

A Megasaur (Carnifex) is best represented by a Stegadon (below); you can include the Skink models in the howdah as “pilots” for the beast or leave them off. 

While you're building your models, pick up a lot of round bases to replace the square ones the models come with. Why? Because any dweeb can plop his Lizardmen on the board and try to pass them off as 40K army; round bases signal to other gamers that you’re serious. 

When you are ready to paint, use whatever color scheme you like. Kurindan flesh can appear in a variety of colors: green, red, purple, orange, blue, etc. Individuals in a band will almost always be the same color. 

General Tactics
Skirmishers and Saurians are meant to quickly tie up the enemy. Troglodytes provide some firepower but mostly act to reinforce the Warlord’s will (i.e., act as Synapse creatures) for smaller Kurindans. The Warlord, Shamans, and Megasaurs provide the hard-hitting punch. 

Related Pages
Other Tyranid Themed Army Ideas
 

Posted August 2004 
 

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