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Author Topic: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)  (Read 17702 times)

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Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #20 on: September 8, 2010, 08:05:26 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #21 on: September 8, 2010, 08:05:52 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #22 on: September 8, 2010, 08:06:12 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #23 on: September 8, 2010, 08:06:40 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #24 on: September 8, 2010, 08:07:00 AM »
Gargoyles

*Courtesy of Master Titan BT*

Our beloved Termagants with wings!

Pros:
-Fast
-Cheap
-Blinding Venom!
-Great screening unit

Cons:
-IB-Lurk; Feed would benefit us a bit better
-Fragile
-Unweildy to move across the table, especially in large numbers


Blinding Venom:  High Toughness enemy units beware!!  Any rolls To Hit of 6s' essentially ignore the To Wound process.  This is great as this unit is capable of crippling a tough model such as the C'Tan for a very cheap cost!  Gargoyles lack Scything Talons, so make this ability count by boosting it with a Hive Tyrant with Wings and Old Adversary allowing those re-rolls To Hit can/will yeild more 6s'.  This can also be achieved with a Swarm Lords "Swarm Leader" (Preferred Enemy) ability which has a helpful 18" range since he is a foot slogger.  Have a Tervigon with Catalyst nearby, why not grant them FNP so they actually have an armor save to help keep them alive.  The more models you have, the better the assault results.

Adrenal Glands:  Great to attack units out in the open at I5.  The St4 will be helpful too but will do nothing for those "Blinding Venom" hits.

Toxin Sacs:  The preferred choice compared to Adrenal Glands for the To Wound benefits taking on any opponent regardless of toughness.  Again, no additional benefits to "Blinding Venom."

Taking both AG and TS is another effective option at the additional cost of 1/3 of the base cost per Gargoyle, although each model remains quite cheap and more effective offensively, there are no defensive qualities gained.  Versus MEq on the charge we are looking at I5 and St4 with re-rolls To Wound, and considering Blinding Venom that should amount to some dead MEq models.

Some consider naked Gargoyles well enough on their own.  The Blinding Venom benefit ignoring the To Wound step which negates the points invested in TS and AG, except for the added +1 initiative of course.  Also, for the cost of 20 Gargoyles with AG and TS is the same cost as 30 naked Gargoyles.

Tactics:

Screen Unit:  As said, naked Gargoyles, no upgrades.  Usually to shield our larger bugs and/or Shrikes.  Yes, they can screen and provide cover saves to our Monstrous Creatures, you just need to obscure the MC by 50% of the model.  This isn't too hard to do with the wing span of the Gargoyles.  Its cheap and effective, the downside is that it doesn't take much for your opponent to dwindle this unit down with concentrated small arms fire and then focus their heavy weapons to your screened or previously screened MC.  To help counter that, take another unit of Gargoyles to provide a screening cover in front of the Gargoyles used to screen the MC.  What else are you using your Fast attack slots for?

First and Secondary Screen:  The first unit consists of a moderate sized squad of Gargoyles whom screen a moderate to large sized AG & TS squad of Gargoyles.  The sole purpose of the first squad is to provide cover for the secondary squad and get them into CC safely and as quickly as possible.  If you find you like this tactic and style of play consider adding a third squad of Gargoyles in the mix.

Shrikes:  Using the above two styles above and then adding close combat oriented Shrikes to the mix.  Shrikes have such a low armor save, so screening with naked Gargoyles is a very good idea.  Shrikes add that fast moving Synapse coverage that Gargoyles demand to keep them in check.  See Shrike Tactica for close combat outfitting.

The Parasite of Mortrex:  What a great IC to add to the Mix.  See his tactic page for more.  Consider using two or three of your Fast Attack FOC slots when using him.  If he is joined to a single unit of Gargoyles and nothing else you can bet that the unit will dwindle down quickly and you will be allocating wounds to him in no time at all.  Use the screen method mentioned above.  Add Shrikes for more CC punch!

Hive Tyrant with Wings:  As mentioned above, Old Adversary and a Flyrant is a good friend to your Gargoyles.  Re-rolling those missed To Hit rolls really increases the deadliness of Gargoyles in CC.  Your Flyrant can be kitted out anyway you choose, be it close combat or shooty oriented.  A Dakka Flyrant or even a HVC is a good consideration to help open up transports as you close in for the charge with the Gargoyles.  Be sure to keep a naked Gargoyle squad in a tight formation to ensure the Flyrant gets a cover save.

Harpy:  Well, there's always the Harpy.  Consider kitting out with TL-HVC and pop transports and have Gargoyles charge the contents.
« Last Edit: April 1, 2011, 11:29:47 PM by GaleRazorwind »
Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #25 on: September 8, 2010, 08:07:25 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #26 on: September 8, 2010, 08:07:52 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #27 on: September 8, 2010, 08:08:17 AM »
Reserved for Carnifexes
Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #28 on: September 8, 2010, 08:08:34 AM »
Old One Eye

-Courtesy of Master Titan BT

Old One Eye, our beloved and oldest Carnifex born of Hive Fleet Behemoth and ever so named from a traumatic injury caused by a Plasma shot that pierced his eye and brain.  His sole existence is baffling to all escaping death throughout numerous battles via superior regeneration capabilities.

Pros:
-St 10!!!!
-Rapid Regeneration
-Alpha Leader
-Berserk Rampage!!!
-Monstrous Creature

Cons:
-Slow-No Fleet or Mycetic Spore!!
-No invulnerable save
-Extremely high points cost
-Just as easy to kill as any other Carnifex
-No Synapse or SitW abilities
-High target priority from enemy heavy weapons

Special Abilities:

Rapid Regeneration:  An improved ability to regenerate lost wounds.  1/3 chance to regenerate unsaved wounds.  He has a fairly low amount of wounds so if you get the chance to roll for RR then you're lucky.

Alpha Leader:  Grants nearby units the ability to utilize OOE Leadership which is most likely an improved leadership value for lesser Tyranid units.

Berserk Rampage:  Now, here is where OOE shines and becomes the most enticing reason to include him in your army lists. For every successful To Hit roll OOE makes with his initial set of attacks (base attacks+charging+Crushing Claws), he gets to make one additional attack. All of his attacks, including his extra attacks, benefit from his Scything Talon reroll, but he always strikes at I1 due to his Crushing Claws**.

OOE gets 4+D3 attacks, plus an extra attack if he charges. This produces anywhere from 5 to 8 initial attacks, and for each successful hit from these attacks, he gets to make another attack. That means you can potentialy get up 16 attacks with S10 that ignore armor saves and roll 2D6 for armor pen. Although it is rare to get the full 16 in normal combat, you automatically get the full 16 against any immobilized or stationary vehicles. Seeing as how he rolls a minimum of 12 on his armor penetration rolls, that is going to be one dead vehicle!

OOE Tactics:

Obviously the best thing to do is to get him into CC as soon as possible.  Keeping within Synapse is key to keep him going towards your intended target, otherwise he may be chasing/Raging toward an undesirable unit.  Now, you can bet that your opponent is going to fire Lascannon, Plasma, and Missile Launcher equivalent weaponry at him and he will be dropped very easily without granting him cover saves by shielding him with other units.  Which units should you use?  Venomthroapes, Gargoyles, and Shrikes.  Another option, though a bit pricey, is a 2 bug squad of shooty Carnifexes (example tactic below.)  Be sure to utilize cover as much as possible and ensure you Run in every shooting phase to help advance him toward the enemy.  Avoid enemy heavy weapon firing lanes to protect him.  Have a Tervigon nearby?  Use Catalyst to grant OOE FNP along with a cover save, depending on the AP of course!

OOE is great for running up a flank as he is perceived as a great threat in which your opponent will tend to avoid and end up "funneling" his army towards the middle of the table for the rest of your army to munch on.  He can't do it alone, so some faster units like Gargoyles covering him will help out.  Add a squadron of Carnifexes with him and your opponents flank doesn't stand a chance!

Anticipating an opponent with a lot of Outflanking units?  OOE is a great outflanking counter unit.  Keep him ~12.1+ inches away from the tables edge and when your opponent comes in on the table you will be too far away for him to assault you but in your next round you can assault him which is what you want out of him.  The is especially helpful when there are objectives in your deployment zone.

A setup that I like to use is running up a flank with OOE behind a pair of Carnifexes in a single squadron with Stranglethorn Cannons and TL-Devourers.  Ensure that you place OOE behind the Carnifexes to grant him cover.  You can also put Gargoyles in front of them to help give them all cover.  Its all about model placement.  You don't have to worry about shooting through Gargoyles with the Carnifexes weaponry as your opponent is most likely benefiting from a superior armor save.

Although he can bring extreme power to bear on the enemy, OOE suffers from several issues. First, he is painfully slow. He doesn't have Fleet and he can't take a Mycetic Spore, so he may never even make it into combat. Second, he is the second most expensive unit (before upgrades) in the codex, and is relatively expensive considering his limitations. Finally, he is no tougher to harm than an ordinary Fex, but costs substantially more to field. Rapid Regeneration may not even come into play as he could go down in a single turn of shooting. 4 Kraks without cover or FNP = dead OOE.

**On the issue of OOE's Crushing Claws and the Living Battering Ram rule: Some players question why OOE has the Living Battering Ram rule when he can't benefit from it due to his Crushing Claws and wonder if it was just an oversight or if he is supposed to be able to benefit from the extra initiative. The most likely explanation is that when Robin Cruddace wrote the entries for the special characters, he copied and then modified the entry for the unit the special character was based on (in this case, the Carnifex entry). As evidence of this, all of the "special" units have all of the special rules that their normal counterparts have, and some, like OOE, retain things like the BS3 from the normal Carnifex profile, even though OOE can't shoot (this is also seen in the case of the Venomthrope and the Hormagaunt).

RAI and possible explanations aside, the rules for Crushing Claws are explicit in their effect: "A Tyranid with Crushing Claws gains an extra D3 Attacks in close combat(...) but strikes at Initiative 1, regardless of any modifiers." (pg. 83 Tyranid codex). That means that no matter how much we may want to believe that OOE should get at least some attacks at I3 on the charge, he does not get them as far as RAW are concerned. There is no provision within the rules whatsoever that would even begin to suggest that any of OOE's attacks should be done at any initiative other than 1. Therefore, as frustrating as it might be, the Living Battering Ram rule is 100% useless to OOE.

If you really want to, you are free to try and get your opponent to take pitty on poor OOE and use modified rules for him, but this should be reserved for friendly games only and will almost never carry over into a competitive or tournament game.

-GaleRazorwind
« Last Edit: March 8, 2011, 02:02:17 AM by GaleRazorwind »
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Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #29 on: September 8, 2010, 08:08:53 AM »
Reserved for Biovores
Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #30 on: September 8, 2010, 08:09:09 AM »
Reserved for Trygons

Trygon Prime

(Courtesy of Hive Fleet Bahamut)

The Trygon Prime is one of the more interesting creations of the Hive Mind.  It's sheer size and CC effectiveness scare many elites and most tanks into retreat.  Combined with it's S5 shot's it can be a menace at short range as well.  The limited upgrades are ok considering its stat profile and deepstriking methods create enough of a disturbance to any commander.

Pros:
-Above average statline, 2x Sctals and 6W,S,T,A
-ONLY MC with Fleet and Synapse
-Deepstrike scatter correction
-S5 AP5 Assault 12 18"

Cons:
-Huge target, nearly impossible to give a cover save
-Expensive upgrade
-Difficult to keep alive if not deepstriking
-Can't assault out of Deep Strike

Biomorphs:

Adrenal Glands: This upgrade is somewhat situational, but I find it beneficial to break that I4, because then only eldar are going before.  The strength bonus isn't as major but still helps against higher toughness models.

Toxin Sacs: No, unless you plan on fighting a C'tan/Wraithlord army, no point.

Regeneration: Almost always, as the 6 wound profile is almost going to guarantee at least 1 or 2 wounds back, maybe more if you are lucky.  The only time this upgrade is not that useful is if your Prime is a suicide unit.  Usually in this case 1 shooting phase takes him out, so regen points are wasted.

Tactics:
The nice thing about the Trygon Prime is he has a little bit of versatility while maintaining dominance in CC.  With his drop pod deepstrike method, it is virtually impossible to mishap him (except I belive scattering off the table,) so a frontline synapse role may come into play. 

Against mech armies, the containment spines pose a threat to rear armour, and generally with 12 shots you are bound to get 1 or two pens.  If he is used in this manner, regen isn't recommended as you will probably die for your actions.  A much safer tactic is to just scatter him on frontlines and hope to tie him up asap.  As such a large profile may leave you vulnerable at range, hidden amongst combat is where the Prime belongs.

Apart from dedicated cc units there isn't much that the Trygon Prime can't assault.  With 6 S6 attacks, many smaller squads can be single handedly wiped out by the Prime alone.
« Last Edit: January 5, 2011, 11:25:54 PM by GaleRazorwind »
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Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #31 on: September 8, 2010, 08:09:27 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

Offline GaleRazorwind

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #32 on: September 8, 2010, 08:09:44 AM »
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Ziltoid is so omniscient, if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both!

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Re: The 5th Ed. Tyranid Tactics Display Thread (Don't Post in Me!)
« Reply #33 on: September 12, 2010, 06:04:35 AM »
Thread temporarily locked, keep your eyes open
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