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How do you build one?

I'm guessing:
Tyrant or Swarmlord
3 Tyrant Guard
Tyranid Prime

I'm not sure what would use Lash Whips + Boneswords if any, I know Tyrant Guard can take either or unlike the Prime and Tyrant who get them together, but should all of them have LW/BS combo? or is that overkill? Should the Prime go all boneswords? Should the Guards have boneswords or just lash whips?

Something like this?
Tyrant. Lash Whip/Bonesword, Scything Talons.
3 Tyrant Guard, Lash Whips. (Can they take 2 whips or 2 swords per Guard?)
Prime. Dual boneswords, scything talons or rending claws.

none of the above are including upgrades but I'm sure the standard setups would apply such as Psychic powers, Toxin sacs, etc...

If using a Tyrant:

Hive Tyrant - LW/BS, Scytal, Old Adversary, Armored Shell, Paroxysm, Leech Essence
Tyrant Guard x3 - Boneswords
Tyranid Prime - Dual Boneswords, Scytals, Regen
(Total: 560pts)


If using the Swarmlord:

Swarmlord
Tyrant Guard x3 - Boneswords
Tyranid Prime - LW/BS, Scytals, Regen
(Total: 610)

Personally, I don't run the deathstar. Too many points tied up in one unit makes me twitchy. But those are your best setups, imo.

I've been amused recently by:
2x Carnifexes w/dual-brainleech devourers
Prime w/Regen, BS/LW, Toxin, Deathspitter
Prime w/Regen, dualBS, Toxin, Deathspitter

Whole mess gets cover from screening 'gants, has an obscene amount of S6 shooting at 18", and still hits like a truck in HtH. And the Primes are always free to wander off & do something more interesting as the game progresses.

I guess that'd be the way to run them. However with the recent rise in melta / ML & the tyranids lack of invuln saves, I highly recommend against tying up that many points in one unit.

I highly suggest lashwhips on the guards and multiple boneswords on the Tyrant and Prime. Only models in B2B with the lashwhips have their Init reduced to 1, with only 1 lashwhip in a 5 model deathstar, you aren't reducing many targets.

Especially with Dark Eldar and their higher Initiative and weapons that cause ID regardless of toughness, you're going to want them reduced to I 1 as much as possible.

Tyrant/Swarmlord.
2 guard with lash whips.
Prime with dual bonswords.

Devourers on both the prime and the Tyrant/SL. Unit isn't fleet, so can't move, run and assault. It can still move, shoot and assault though. Besides, I'm going to want to shoot Parox on the unit anyway. Might as well.
Go with Lash whips on the guard. Cheaper by 10 points each (30 total) and does a better job because it lowers the init of base to base models so that the prime and tyrant/SL can chop them down with the power weapon boneswords. Really the guards attacks are just gravy, so I prefer that the enemy be I1 rather than have 3 more power weapons.
Prime gets dual boneswords for special char elimination. Leadership tests on 3d6, per wound to avoid ID. Take that I1 Mephiston!

Kroot Loops wrote:I highly suggest lashwhips on the guards and multiple boneswords on the Tyrant and Prime. Only models in B2B with the lashwhips have their Init reduced to 1, with only 1 lashwhip in a 5 model deathstar, you aren't reducing many targets.

Especially with Dark Eldar and their higher Initiative and weapons that cause ID regardless of toughness, you're going to want them reduced to I 1 as much as possible.

True, with higher ini units, it can cause problems, but most units will only have one or two guys with particularly scary weapons to T6 critters. You put the lash whip against that guy. The entire unit can cause instant death as well as ignore armor. You could probably always have LW/BS on the prime as the dual BS is not going to be much of an improvement, and with a Tyrant, that will give you 2 lashwhips in the unit.

What I don't get is why everyone says duel bs on a tyrant. Unless you plan to use him mainly to kill multiple wound high priority units lw/bs or 2xscything talons is better. The tyrant is already a mc so he already ignores armor saves...why waste the points unless he has a specific purpose (which in a deathstar, I would rather not have one of my main hitters geared towards mw ic for extra points and leaving the other benefits behind)

^ I enjoy Lash-whip bonesword Scything talons wings if alone, and Two pairs of scything talons MAYBE armored carapace, but that's a stretch... with 2 guard with lash-whips.

The mainstream for deathstar that most tyranid players use is one of these combos:

Hive Tyrant
Old Adversary
Lash Whip + Bone Sword
TL Devourers
Armoured Shell

3 Tyrant Guard
Lash Whips

Tyranid Prime
Dual Bone Swords
Regeneration

or you Replace the Hive Tyrant with Swarmlord.



If you run this make sure your 1,750 pts or higher as anything lower it becomes way to slow, puts less threats on the table and eats way too much points for what its doing.

Keep Tyrant Guard next to your Prime so when anything charges you it will need to touch the Guard and thus attacking at I1.

Good luck.