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Hi all, I put together this list for fun / semi-competitive TAC games, and would like to hear your opinions on it - what should I change, and how? Had success/failure with a similar unit or list? Please feel free to critique and comment. I've not separated the two detachments, just for ease of reading - easier to compare the Warriors, for example, when they're in a large block as below Thanks!

HQ:
Tyrant - Hive Commander, 2x TL Devourers
Prime - Miasma Cannon, Scything Talons

Troops:
Warrior x3, Deathspitter x3
Warrior x3, Deathspitter x3
Warrior x3, Devourer x2, Barbed Strangler x1
Warrior x3, Devourer x1, Barbed Strangler x1, LW/BS x1
Warrior x3, Devourer x1, Barbed Strangler x1, LW/BS x1
Warrior x3, Devourer x1, Barbed Strangler x1, Rending x1
Termagants x30
Tervigon, Electroshock Grubs

Elites:
Venomthrope x1

Heavy Support:
Tyrannofex, Acid Spray, Electroshock Grubs
Tyrannofex, Acid Spray

-------------------------------------
This brings me to 1845 points - I can throw flesh hooks or rending claws on the Prime to round it out. My plan is to outflank either the Tervigon or a Warrior brood, while the Prime attached to the Venomthrope in the middle of the swarm. The gants screen everything for cover saves, while the big bugs gang up on anything that needs S6 templates.

The strange equipment on the Warriors is due to the fact that they are pretty much guaranteed to die in any real combat - power weapons, fists/klaws, and so on. If a brood is destroyed, the loss of a single 50-pt model is much easier to swallow than 3+ of them... Barbed Stranglers are there for pinning more than anything, but 4 of them will put a dent in, say, Pathfinders.

Would you drop a Tyrannofex for a Dakkafex and a Biovore? It was something I was considering. Also, the Miasma cannon is 25 points and I have never used it - any luck with this one?

Cheers!

Most people find that warriors just aren't worth their points so its gonna be hard to get too much support going in that direction I think.

I, on the other hand actually think that they can be used well but you do need to enphasize on what they do well, which is take shooting better than any other troops in the codex (Tervigon being the exception but they have a taxe of 30 weakling Termagaunts) and give synapse and objective secure.

I like to run them in lists where I take 5-8 MC with only Tyranid Warriors as troops, the goal is to deny the opponent some good targets with his anti infantry gun and too many MC to deal with, having as your weakest guys T4, 3W and a 4+ ArSv is very tough for the average anti-infantry to go through, especially when its on a 30-38pts model which dont take too many hits from blasts either since they come in teams of 3to5 instead of 15to30. you must remember to keep them cheap or else all of that toughess becomes less worthwhile if its on a 55pts model.

On that note there are only a few upgrades I seriously consider, first is the rending claws if I expect them to need to get in melee. its cheap and allows them to threaten almost anyone, second is toxin sacs, they get it for the same price as hormagaunts and combines well with the rending claws for re-roll possibilities. I also like to flank a team or two of 5 with scytal / rending claws / TS, you can consider the fleshhooks on the flankers. this makes them only 38-42pts each and a pretty nasty close combat threat.

Barbed Strangler is worthile on most teams as well, especially if you are keeping them bareboned (which I do alot of time, maximising on cheap and tough objective holders).

The opponent can waste his Str8 shots on the warriors if he wants to insta kill them but that just means your MC are free to rampage less dented.

if your going for lots of warriors I would recommend the aegis defense line and maybe some venomthrope (or even better a Malanthrope)

Carnifexes with 2x TL Dev BLW are one of the best things Nids have to offer (besides Flyrant) and work well with warriors giving you MC to distract the opponents Str8 shots from your warriors and the carny enjoys the synapse of the Warriors.

You are seriously lacking on Air defense, for an all comers list I highly recomend two strong air counter answer (best option for Nids is 2x Flyrants, maybe a Crone too)





This is my idea of a Tyranid Warrior heavy list, I know its very different then what you were going for but maybe it can inspire you.

260 2x 1x Hive Tyrant / Wings / 2x TL Dev BLW / Egrub / Hive Commander
260 2x 1x Hive Tyrant / Wings / 2x TL Dev BLW / Egrub / Hive Commander

210 5x Warriors - RClaws - TS / Flesh Hooks (flanking)
210 5x Warriors - RClaws - TS / Flesh Hooks (flanking)

45 1x Venomthrope }
45 1x Venomthrope } -(or one Malanthrope if you do FW, its much better)

165 1x Carnifexes / 2x TL Dev BLW / AG
165 1x Carnifexes / 2x TL Dev BLW / AG

70 1x Aegis Defense line / Comm relay

Living Artillery Dataslate
130 4x Warrior / Barbed strangler
120 3x Biovores
170 1x Exocrine

Total 1850pts

It doesn't have 18 warriors but 14 is pretty good, it has some good flyers defense, and some cover to hide behind as im creeping up to him and shooting him, it has 5 MCs to scare him and 2 teams of strong melee Warriors flanking as a surprise.
I wouldnt mind seeing a mawloc in this list... maybe for 2000pts

SBG wrote:
Would you drop a Tyrannofex for a Dakkafex and a Biovore?

I would just drop all the Prime, all the warriors, and both TFexes. So, your entire list.

Primes are horrifically overcosted now, even moreso when you put the bio-artifact on him. Warriors will drop like flies in "any real combat" as you stated, and also to any S8+ shooting (which is abundant in 7E). They aren't worth their points at all. Also, the mixed weapons on them makes them even more useless. I understand that you're trying to save points, but mixing the weapons like that is foolish.

Tyrannofexes are too slow to make good use of acid spray, and the rupture cannon is too expensive to be worthwhile. The model's base cost (although lowered since 6E) is still excessive. Dakkafexes will serve you much better. Or Hive Crones.

SBG wrote:
Hi all, I put together this list for fun / semi-competitive TAC games, and would like to hear your opinions on it - what should I change, and how? Had success/failure with a similar unit or list? Please feel free to critique and comment. I've not separated the two detachments, just for ease of reading - easier to compare the Warriors, for example, when they're in a large block as below Thanks!

HQ:
Tyrant - Hive Commander, 2x TL Devourers
Prime - Miasma Cannon, Scything Talons

Troops:
Warrior x3, Deathspitter x3
Warrior x3, Deathspitter x3
Warrior x3, Devourer x2, Barbed Strangler x1
Warrior x3, Devourer x1, Barbed Strangler x1, LW/BS x1
Warrior x3, Devourer x1, Barbed Strangler x1, LW/BS x1
Warrior x3, Devourer x1, Barbed Strangler x1, Rending x1
Termagants x30
Tervigon, Electroshock Grubs

Elites:
Venomthrope x1

Heavy Support:
Tyrannofex, Acid Spray, Electroshock Grubs
Tyrannofex, Acid Spray

-------------------------------------
This brings me to 1845 points - I can throw flesh hooks or rending claws on the Prime to round it out. My plan is to outflank either the Tervigon or a Warrior brood, while the Prime attached to the Venomthrope in the middle of the swarm. The gants screen everything for cover saves, while the big bugs gang up on anything that needs S6 templates.

The strange equipment on the Warriors is due to the fact that they are pretty much guaranteed to die in any real combat - power weapons, fists/klaws, and so on. If a brood is destroyed, the loss of a single 50-pt model is much easier to swallow than 3+ of them... Barbed Stranglers are there for pinning more than anything, but 4 of them will put a dent in, say, Pathfinders.

Would you drop a Tyrannofex for a Dakkafex and a Biovore? It was something I was considering. Also, the Miasma cannon is 25 points and I have never used it - any luck with this one?

Cheers!

Well...hmmm...Sorry, you gotta drop the Prime. It's just too over priced, and a Miasma Cannon just makes it more so....I strongly suggest you spend some of the savings on a Thorax Hive on the second Tyrano, and put Adrenals on both This will give you some serious threat, and that will takes fire off your Warriors.

You can get good use out of vanilla Warriors with a Cannon. (Warrior Brood: x3, Strangle Cannon...100 points) And I personally really like adding Deathspitters to Broods. If CC is likely, the Rending Claws are a very good upgrade. If you have points laying around you can put x2 Deathspitters, and x2 Rending Claws on a Brood (120 pts)... A third Heavy might be a good add...I suggest a Mawloc...though it tends to be a "Love it...or Not" type of Big Bug.

If you get Master of Ambush, you can Infiltrate Both Tyranofexen,

Thanks for all the input, guys! I'll shelve this list for a while, and see about reworking it. Those Primes just don't cut it anymore, I guess!

Turns out there's a 1500 point tourney coming up - so here's the competitive list, I'm trying for brutally overwhelming firepower and resiliency. I do not have a Flyrant model, sadly, so will not be running one, and will make do with a walkrant.

Main Detachment

Tyrant - TLDEV, ESG, 1x Tyrant Guard
Termagant x17
Termagant x10

Carnifex, TLDEV x2
Carnifex, TLDEV x1
Carnifex, TLDEV x1

Venomthrope x1
Zoanthrope x1
Zoanthrope x1

Living Artillery:

Exocrine
Warrior, Barbed Strangler x3
Biovore x3

***

The major consideration at this point: Carnifexes in 2 broods of 2, or as above? I'm leaning towards three broods, for more board control. Thoughts? Thanks everyone!