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Author Topic: New WH40K/Nid player  (Read 1579 times)

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Offline Nel

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New WH40K/Nid player
« on: July 21, 2013, 11:25:18 PM »
Hello, I'm a new WH40K player, and I play Tyranids. Got an army list I'm using and I'd like help/advice on weather to change or tweak it, as well as what to watch out for.
The army list is at 1495 (though we play with 1500)
HQ
Flyrant (290) - Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Regen, Wings, 2 Twin linked devourers and Toxin sacs

Elites
Hive Guard (150) - I've got 3 for this squad
Venomthrope (55) - Just 1 in this squad

Troops
Hormagaunts (480) - 2 squads of 30 and all with Toxin sacs
Tyranid Warriors (90) - took 3 for this squad

Heavy Support
Biovores (135) - took 3 for a squad
Tyrannofex (295) - Rupture Cannon, Regen

I'm trying to make an army that can adapt a little if I play it and time it right. Should I change anything?

Offline Dangerousdave0042

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Re: New WH40K/Nid player
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2013, 08:12:45 AM »
I have a few Nids, and haven't got them "up and running" for 6th ed yet. However, I have been examining the codex and played a few games against them (mainly to see what I will buy!).

Monstrous creatures are really tough going up against - take multiple of them.

Flyrant is good - I got annihilated by two of them in a game. Regen might be a bit OTT on him though - as he is flying.

Tervigons as troop choices are really good being able to sit on objectives and churn out loads of critters - in my view at 1500 points its first on the roster (after the mandatory termagants to make it a troop choice). Or just charge them forward churning out criters - the critters can deploy from the tervigon 6 inches, then move 6 inches then run (or assault). ie if your're 18 inches from the tervigon the termgaunts produced can reach them to assault!

Hive guard are good - perhaps split the squad up so that you can shoot at different targets if you want to - you have a spare elite slot. Also if you get "sternguarded" then they can only kill two rather than three.

Venomthrope - My personal choice is to rely on the termagants for a cover save for the monstrous creatures - see intervening models in the rule book which you get regardless of percentage coverage. However, can't really comment as to whether they are worth the points or not. One might be a bit easy to neutralise as to mean it is not worth it.

Tyranid Warriors are unfortunately rather crap IMO. Their toughness means they can be doubled out fairly easily and their armour save can be fairly easily negated - too expensive in points. Leave well alone at present.

Biovores are also a bit crap IMO as the spore mines are a bit crap in my opinion - yes they're a bit of a nuisance, but not worth the points for the biovore.

Tyranofex I can't really comment on, but you're spending a lot of points on what is essentially a model to sit at the back and shoot once per turn. Kill vehicles in close combat with smash attacks or (if you take two flyrants - hit the side armour with the devourers and glance it to death - not viable with land raiders, but ok for any vehicle with AV12 or less on the side/rear). I would have said a tervigon is easily more points efficient than a tryanifex and more versatile.

Personally, I would ditch the warriors and biovores and some termagants and get a tervigon. Also the tervigon increases your chance of getting iron arm on the biomancy. T9 this turn anyone - oh dear those bolters can't hurt me!

Also Doom in a mycetic spore works well. It's a bit of a hit and miss - against hordes it can annihilate them. Not quite so good against marines, but worth the points IMO as it is such a big threat it will take a lot of firepower (which means other monstrous creatures aren't getting the S8 hits), so even if it doesn't do a lot it has prevented those high strength hits from hitting your monstrous creatures for a turn.
Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.

Offline Nel

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Re: New WH40K/Nid player
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2013, 10:33:23 PM »
Okay, I think I see what your saying, but let me break down what I'm doing with everything so you see why I put them there...

Flyrant, your right he's good. A lotta points, but worth it. I put Regen on him because I get him to the enemy as fast as possible and want him to stay alive as long as possible. Since theres a 50/50 shot he gets knocked outta the sky on a six to hit (sadly it happens more often than not, and when it does everything shoots at him). Mainly his job is to get into the enemy's face and say "Pay attention to me or I will eat you". Also he's the main way I take out flyers. 2 Twin linked assault 6 shots are a thing of beauty.

Tervigon. I have them in my 2000 pt run, but I didn't see how to work them in properly with this one. I only see tervigon's as being good with termagaunts. Don't get me wrong, him as a troop choice plus the free gaunts that pop out are great, but Every time I use him he gets taken down pretty quick

Hive guard/biovores. mainly these guys are support. HG are decent anti-tank, and the biovores just sit back and provide cover fire. May not look like it, but I've done some decent damage with them so far.  I could split up the hive guard into separate squads. Haven't really thought about it, but I see what your saying.

Venomthrope/Warriors - I've had the venomthrope take out once with this list. It Does suck when it happens. But mainly he, and the warriors (only took warriors for cheap synapse) are in between the gaunts as they are zerging forward. I Completely agree that warriors are crap. If they weren't synapse they wouldn't be on my list. Tervigon and termagaunts might be a better approach the more i think about it. I just LOVE getting the hormagaunts in CC.

Tyrannofex has done pretty decently thus far. He's my best anti-tank (that I've seen thus far) and can take a hit and be a distraction if need be.

Main strategy with these guys is to have Flyrant cause a ruckus while Gaunts/Warriors/Venom all zerg forward. Biovores/Tfex/Hive guard providing support/cover fire.

Though the more I type about my initial strategy the more I see how having a tervigon would make more sense. Think the only thing that bugs me about it is that termaguants don't do a whole lot unless theres a Lot of them or they have devourers (and damn are they mean with devourers) granted the ones spawned by the tervigon come with fleshborers. I've thought about dropping some gaunts and switching to termagaunts/tervigon (for objectives) and trying to squeeze in a squad of raveners  (for anti-infantry. Those guys are dirty up close). But reading your post, I'm not sure if I should get rid of the venomthrope too and rely on the tervigon(s) for catalyst and zerg em forward or try dropping some spores with gaunts. My buddies play a lotta necrons and damn are they annoying.
Thanks for the help!


Offline Hive Fleet Bahamut

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Re: New WH40K/Nid player
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2013, 02:19:19 AM »
First of all welcome to Tyranids.  This army is fun and challenging.  HQ is nasty, our Flyrants are the Tyranids heavy lifters.  They currently do almost all the damage in most of my games, and I love the dirty buggers.  Fleshborer Hives finally have a purpose too..  I would drop Toxin Sacs and find another 10 points for Old Adversary instead, as it acts as a "mini" poison but it benefits those pesky 1's all around instead (you only really lose out on MC with T6+.)  Seeing as your guns are twin-linked this doesn't benefit, but to wound most infantry is 2+.  It also helps in assault as "scything talons" to hit and "mini poison" to wound it is an excellent addition.  Also the 6" bubble is devastating with Hive Guard/Devilgants/Devilfex etc, as they all benefit as well.  This upgrade makes our Flyrant ALMOST as deadly as any non Swarmy assault Tyrant. 

Hive Guard, as stated above can be nasty combo with Old Ad, and on their own are hands down the best light armour killers we have.  So cost efficient I almost always include a full squad as well.

Venomthrope..  So, bad.. (though I love the model so I have a couple paperweights.)  For 5 more bananas you just bought yourself another Hormie squad, and for cheaper you get a termagant one.  Now these are actually generally more survivable than 1 Thrope, and don't hand over First Blood all the time.  If you are wanting to keep him, I'd look into a Prime somehow, at least he helps the floating tentacles, when buddied up. WOULD be great if it just gave shrouded.  Too expensive, fragile and the lynchpin to your tactics, so when removed the opponent just laughs and watches everything crumble..  Just play with the right amount of terrain and 5+ is easy to get.

I cut all my Hormagants talons off way back in 5th (foresight maybe?) and made them my Devilgants, although I can fully appreciate a full squad with Toxin.  I'm not going to tell you to take Termies, it's all a matter of taste here, I just prefer a bolt pistol to rerolling 1's.  (not even including Tervi schenanigans.

Warriors are actually one of my 6th edition favourite home objective holders.  (When I'm not throwing my Tervi twins in.)  Throw a Barbed Strangler in there for dirt cheap and your babysitters now play at long range (for Nids.)  I bought lashwhips and swords for mine, because not even Bloodthirsters will assault your (insert soft Nid here,) with them nearby.  More expensive and I only find useful when enough targets are available, but you will understand when they clear out a squad of Termies/Nobs etc. 

Biovores.. Oh how I love these guys, I just haven't been able to get ahold of another 2 and I have an old pewter one.  Love them, adding in that large blast on the warriors makes them a good pairing.  Great Sniper unit because of barrages as well. 

Tyrannofex, well I sure loved this guy for a long time, being blind to all the criticism and lashings he took.  Rupture Cannon is pretty bad though in 6th, especially having to pay for it.  I prefer Zoey's 100%, they are durable in the only Stormshields our army has (Plasma etc still chews through Tyranno,) and have a HUGE amount of options with psychic powers.  These guys are literally the utility tool in our army.  Marines and Land Raiders?  Codex, Low Ld armies? Telepathy, Buffing units? Biomancy..  They are all seperate too and with 6 rolls you are going to get something useful.  Take him with Acid Spray if anything, we have no Torrent anywhere else.  You want S10?  Zoeys Lance could teach Eldar a thing about Lance weaponry.  Also, now that my Elfdars psychic defence is a joke, no more 3d6 rolls against those armies.

Now onto some observations about potential issues. The reason SOO many people take Tervigons is because our Troops are all wearing paper armour.  Warriors being an exception, but they love taking krak shots to the face..  Focusing on your Troops early will see them out of the game without much effort.  Also, you have a fair mix of killpower, and knowing what other models you have access too would help with further changes, although I try not to tell people to change their lists, it could help give direction.  Tyrant gets Biomancy, regen + endurance= 3+ regen...  Somewhat expensive, but your warlord will be happy when he gets it.

Hopefully some of this helps.


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