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Alright, originally, I was lost as to how to deal with them, but while writing this I figured out a way to do it*. But regardless, I still want your opinions on this.

They have a 2+ armor save and 3++ and I believe 2 wounds. Their very good saves make it hard for me to reliably shoot them to bits and to beat them down in close combat (those saves will keep them around for a good deal of time even if they can't deal out the pain in close combat) and give the enemy time to reinforce the zoanthropes. Due to the fact that I'll have genestealers and at least one tyrgon to worry about most of the time, it's not like I have guns or men to spare.

Also, since they have warp blast and lance, I don't think it's a good idea to just ignore them and take them out later when I free more of my men up.

So, what would be the best way to deal with zoanthropes while ensuring that you don't allow yourself to get screwed over by everything else in the army?



*Since I have long ranged support in the form of lascannon predators, I just shoot the zoanthropes or the other large and dangerous creatures so that when the army gets into shooting and assault range, the army will be weakened so I'll have more firepower and men to divert to them while still being able to effectively deal with the rest of his army.

Zoantrophes are effective at medium range.
This makes them vulnerable.
In my last game with Eldar vs. Nids, I killed both by multi-shots.
Instant kill works but they eventually get a 4+ cover save.

If they're walking/floating up the board, I'd try to hit them with insta-death attacks to pop them at range. Of course if they player is using a variety of MCs that also require your Missiles and such, then you're better off trying to dakka it down with Bolters/Heavy Bolters.

Bog them down in CC.

That seems to work pretty well in my experience.

Well, its hard to get them into cc.
A smart Nids player will keep them behind the front ranks.

Yeah, but if you shoot the front ranks then it's easy!

Well, a large Gaunt brood forms an ideal screen.

I'd target hive minded creatures first while I'd ignore the Gaunts in the first place.

They no longer have a 2+ armor save, its just a 3++. So i found that lasguns and multilasers get the job done nicely. You can try to ID him as well, but I found multi-shot weapons to be a cheaper way to get the job done.

wuestenfux wrote:Well, a large Gaunt brood forms an ideal screen.

I'd target hive minded creatures first while I'd ignore the Gaunts in the first place.

Every game is different though, and it depends what army you're using.

I frankly don't care about Zoanthropes all that much, to be honest. I keep my Vehicles 24 inches away and with cover between them and the Warp Lance when I can get it. The only time I bother with them, really, is in a Kill Points mission.

And they are Synapse, btw.

Inquisitor lord with a psychic hood. Shuts down my zoans every time, by making them 1/2 as effective. Small cost for a big advantage... Of course this only works with Imperium. For other races, anything that reduces leadership also works, making his psychic test that much harder to pass.

grey knight with psy cannon
ignores that 3++ save nicely

It's a 5+ and 3++ save now. So the psycannon ignores both the invulnerable and the armor save.

Or you can cast null zone and shoot them with AP5 and better weapons--the 3++ rerolled is only about as good as a 4-5+ save

I would just shoot them with high rate of fire weapons. With T4 and a 3++, they are essentially two wound marines so I don't worry about trying to one shot ID them. I just pile up the wounds and make them roll saves en masse. Something always slips through. Typhoons have been ideal for me: 4 S8 and 6 S5 shots tends to put a hurt on both MCs and Zoans.

CC has always been my way around it. DS a CC squad behinde the thing and they'll ethier A) reform their line to counter, hopefully leaving the front exposed so you can blast it, or try to use the Zoan to stop you. Either way, win win.

Since CC is usually not a possibility and Missle Launchers are needed elsewhere, weight of fire is the way to go. If you use regular rapid-fire guns the thropes are as tough as 2 marines. I'm pretty sure a round of shooting from Firewarriors, Dire Avengers, Tactical Squad, even Shoota Boyz can wipe 2-3 Zoanthropes from the board. The biggest issue is getting close...oh wait, I play Mechdar. No problems

With RoWard they usually take a couple of wounds of themselevs when they first DS. After that they are as difficult to kill as 2 MEQs...

Flavius Infernus wrote:It's a 5+ and 3++ save now. So the psycannon ignores both the invulnerable and the armor save.

Or you can cast null zone and shoot them with AP5 and better weapons--the 3++ rerolled is only about as good as a 4-5+ save

That's just mean....

eNvY wrote:

Flavius Infernus wrote:It's a 5+ and 3++ save now. So the psycannon ignores both the invulnerable and the armor save.

Or you can cast null zone and shoot them with AP5 and better weapons--the 3++ rerolled is only about as good as a 4-5+ save

That's just mean....[/quote

And therefore AWESOME!!!

My favourite tactic work on anything T6 or less really . . . fly as many Raiders full of warriors as you can to within 12" and open fire . . . anything left standing after that is either a God, or can somehow make my dice rolling even worse than usual =P

Oshova

GK terminators with incinerators, hehe

I believe synapse creatures are immune to Instant death, unless they arent synapse creatures anymore


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But ive found if you can get into CC it deals with them the best

Twisted_Thrasher wrote:I believe synapse creatures are immune to Instant death, unless they arent synapse creatures anymore


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But ive found if you can get into CC it deals with them the best

You're thinking of the last Codex, Thrasher. Synapse are no longer immune to Instant Death. However, I play Nids and the way I deal with all the small arms fire that the Zoes draw is to Catalyst them. Also helps if I have another Tervigon who can also Onslaught them.

Now, I have a unit of 3 Zoes with 5+/3++ with FNP that can run and shoot their lance, making their lance effectively a 25"-30" range.

Twisted_Thrasher wrote:I believe synapse creatures are immune to Instant death, unless they arent synapse creatures anymore


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But ive found if you can get into CC it deals with them the best

No Eternal Warrior for synapse.

That being said I find Hive Guard way more annoying than Zoes. I have found that CC is the best answer to them.

Shoot it!
with ap 3 weapons and s 7

tastytaste wrote:

Twisted_Thrasher wrote:I believe synapse creatures are immune to Instant death, unless they arent synapse creatures anymore


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But ive found if you can get into CC it deals with them the best

No Eternal Warrior for synapse.

That being said I find Hive Guard way more annoying than Zoes. I have found that CC is the best answer to them.

Nice avatar. I always wondered why he bit into a pepper.

Asherian Command wrote:Shoot it!
with ap 3 weapons and s 7

Why its a 3++ so AP3 S7 is exactly the same in how well it does as S6 AP-. What you really want is S8+ for ID and ignoring FNP.
Zoans are also pretty much the only nid I'm willing to CC (with suits obviosly).

In witchhunters, the inquistor can take a psychic hood. The inquisitor can also take the power hammer of the witches. The combination of the two is pretty brutal.

Other than that...good ole bolter fire works. It's like killing a two wound marine.

Runes of warding is gold too.

puma713 wrote:

Twisted_Thrasher wrote:I believe synapse creatures are immune to Instant death, unless they arent synapse creatures anymore


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But ive found if you can get into CC it deals with them the best

You're thinking of the last Codex, Thrasher. Synapse are no longer immune to Instant Death. However, I play Nids and the way I deal with all the small arms fire that the Zoes draw is to Catalyst them. Also helps if I have another Tervigon who can also Onslaught them.

Now, I have a unit of 3 Zoes with 5+/3++ with FNP that can run and shoot their lance, making their lance effectively a 25"-30" range.

Their lance is a shooting weapon, so how can they run and shoot?

Ironically enough, tyranids are good at killing their own zoanthropes. Hive guard do a wonderful job. So do typhoon land speeders.

Krellnus wrote:

puma713 wrote:

Twisted_Thrasher wrote:I believe synapse creatures are immune to Instant death, unless they arent synapse creatures anymore


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But ive found if you can get into CC it deals with them the best

You're thinking of the last Codex, Thrasher. Synapse are no longer immune to Instant Death. However, I play Nids and the way I deal with all the small arms fire that the Zoes draw is to Catalyst them. Also helps if I have another Tervigon who can also Onslaught them.

Now, I have a unit of 3 Zoes with 5+/3++ with FNP that can run and shoot their lance, making their lance effectively a 25"-30" range.

Their lance is a shooting weapon, so how can they run and shoot?

With Onslaught. It allows a friendly unit to both run and shoot. They may even assault, if they have the Fleet rule. Having two tervigons (both within 6" of a venomthrope unit), I can hit the Zoe unit with FNP and Onslaught, making them more of a threat than they already are.

Damn, that's pretty nasty.