@avernos , Thank you.  It was looking like I was talking to myself.  It did at least force me to go deeper in to the books and figure out some of this myself, although I couldn’t find answers for everything and it’s always good to get verification.

1: I’d found a guide to the markings and spent the last couple of days studying and deciphering their stats to work out what I have and I now know I need to repaint a couple of shoulder pads.  I’ll probably skip the unit markings for now.  That way if I get in to playing them and buy more marines I can mix up the units a little once I have the experience to know what I want.  I still had no idea if there were more physical difference between the troop types so I’m happy to hear there’s nothing significant.

3: I’ve noticed that.  Wolf Guard and Wolf Guard Terminators and Wolf Guard Leaders and Wolf Guard Terminator leaders.  And Cav.  They do like making this awkward, don’t they?

4: I’d stumbled in to the ITC.  I love a good OPD.  GW really needs to embrace that idea to standardise the idea of what a non-casual game looks like.  It lets everyone build and practise to the same ideals and standards.  I’ve also seen a few local events go buy in my bookface feed and they seem to vary the points.  At 2000 points the game is aiming for 3 hour matches. That’s long for a game.  I have trouble finding 2 hours for a casual game of Warmachine (My main game).

7:  That’s kinda what I was planning for now, but its always good to have an idea of the communities feeling on the subject

8: I’m coming to understand this.  I’m not keen on overusing magnets.  I already have lots of limbs etc painted up and magnetised that I need to store without losing, and store and transport without them chipping paint off each other.  it’s definitely the way to go on the bigger, more expensive models that I have fewer of.  Not something I’d want to do with front line infantry.  I’m curious if anyone has some inventive storage/transport solutions for this.  Right now I try and fit each part into infantry foam, possibly adding extra foam to allow a couple of parts in one slot.

9: I was afraid of this.  It’s such a shame.  It makes it hard to get in to, outside of a 2 player box (Assuming they are more balanced?).  Although, the value of those boxes, especially at the standard 10-20% off, I shouldn’t complain too much.

10: Cheers.  I was hoping this was the case.  The only box I bought was the previous Tyranids one and they don’t use transfers so I didn’t know.  I bought the Tank War starter set for Bolt Action a few years back and although the tanks sold separately come with transfers, the Tank War box had none.

After @evilstu ‘s recent solo play articles I’m considering painting up to 500 points and playing a demo game Vs myself with my Tyranids to learn the rules and try to work out how I’d want to build up, based around what I own.  This should help everything make more sense.  I’m considering documenting the whole learn to play experience over multiple games with growing points as a Battle Report style project, giving feedback not only on the game and my decisions, but my feelings and experiences as an outsider getting in, and as a solo player.  I’ve a fair bit of painting to do first though.

Another side question someone might be able to help with.  I got the Behemoth of Decay from Titan Forge via Asset Drop recently.  I really feels designed for a Nurgle army.  however he is equipped with a sword and shield.  I’ve dug through all the 40k codecs I can find and no demons appear to use shield.  I could call it decorative, or a relic I suppose, and make him a Daemon prince, but I was wondering if there were any demons it matches, should I start a small Chaos force.  I do have 3 other large Daemons already.