Topic: A True Tyranid Swarm

[Codeman90]

I have been thinking about using a very gaunt heavy 1850 list. I have 64 gaunts (of vatious types) right now and I am thinking about getting two more boxes of gaunts bringing the total to 96. I figure with this many gaunts it will be amusing to see my opponents reaction when I outnumber him by so much. That and it would just be fun to use.

I'm just wondering how I should run them (how many should be hormagaunts, what upgrades should they have etc.) I also plan on using two hive tyrants, two carnifexes and two zoanthropes (with Warp Blast and Synapse)

[FifthWindDieGermanator]

I would recommend either half-and-half Gaunts to Horms, or 60 screening Guants to 30 Hormagaunts. I would suggest one winged Tyrant leading from the front, a Walking Tyrant in the middle, with the Carnies and Zoans in the back to clean up whatever the Guants tie up.

[Codeman90]

Yeah I have one gaunt with wings that I use. I have been thinking about getting either fleshborers or Spinefists for the Gaunts.I'm giving the Hormagaunts toxin sacs as well. wounding on 4's against MEQ's is very helpful.

[Marine In Training]

ok, you can be VERY gaunt heavy. 

i played a 1500 pt battle with one flyrant and approximately 120 hormagaunts, with various upgrades.  this was in the 3rd edition when you could have the hive node mutation.  you could still do something similar (but need a little more synapse support) in 5th.

you could get double that many gaunts if they were all spinegaunts.  you could yet again increase the numbers if there were no biomorphs.

im not saying it will always work, but you have a large amount of your forces allocated into troops, which is good in objective missions.  you also have few killpoints if you keep the units BIG.  that sets you up pretty well for any mission you'll undertake.  you just wont be able to kill tanks that easily.

[Khira'lyth]

Nothing wrong with that... I have 48 of each gaunt (horm and spine) myself.  Usually they wouldn't all make it out until over 2k (most, but not all), but it's fun (and I don't run a "swarm" list... I try to balance it out).  You can definitely fit them in if you want.

I usually run 32 horms (2 broods) and 24 spines (1 brood)... although I'm trying to add in a 2nd brood of spines thanks to their great holding ability (and shielding, for that matter).  I use spinegaunts as objective holders and swamp units.  Shooting is generally an extra benefit if it happens.  Termagaunts are fine if you choose, but you have to make use of that gun that you pay for.  If you don't plan to actively try to shoot with them, you may as well go for Spines for the lower cost, same CC ability, and all that.

Khira'lyth

[XCrusaderguy01]

I'm not sure how your converting skills are, but it would be awesome if you modeled other units in your army to look like larger varieties of gaunt, just to fit your theme.