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what do you all think that the possibility of screening tyrant guard for Nidzilla's might make the more Viable to get into CC?

I'm not sure if gaunts can screen the big 'uns, But I'm, pretty sure a squad of tyrant guard attached to the hive tyrant will give those big guys that 4+ cover save, which is key for getting them though the lascannon/plasma/sniper rifle fire that can bring down the big game.

How do the new wound allocation rules work for the mixed squad of guard/hive tyrant? Do you have to spread the wounds to the tyrant, or can the guard keep soaking them up?

This might make a CC 'zilla build more viable, or at least make it so that you don't HAVE to have a gunfex. I have been considering running 5 Dakka fex's with this build, because shooting though your own units gives your opponent 4+ cover saves as well, BUT most opponents have a 4+ or better save vs the dakka fex anyway, so it gives the Carnifex a 4+ cover save without giving any appreciable bonus to the enemy.

This is the 5th ed build I was thinking of. it is sorely lacking in ranged anti-MBT, but the concept is that anything with 13AV in the front or better would be aiming their main armament against the Fexs anyway, and this way they have a 4+ cover save as they advance. seeing as there are 13 monstrous creatures in this build, a stationary vehicle fireing heavy/ord 1 weapons at the zilla won't be able to do enough damage to kill all of them.


Hive tyrant - 291
twinlinked devX2
enhanced senses
extended Carapace
toxin sacs
psychic scream
Synapse creature
The Horror
X3 Tyrant guard


Hive tyrant - 291
twinlinked devX2
enhanced senses
extended Carapace
toxin sacs
psychic scream
Synapse creature
The Horror
X3 Tyrant guard
I have found that Dakkatyrants are one of the deadliest things against anything with a pulse. only dreads and wraithlords can reasonably hope to shrug off a round of shooting. Even fortuned avatars are more than a little scared of 12 twin linked str living ammo shots. The tyrant guard are obviously there to soak up shots, but with 3 attacks each, they have a great shot at ripping open any vehicle they hit. only necron vehicles don't fear them. I gave the Tyrant's psychic scream to help defeat enemies like necrons, where 5 screams can reduce them to ld 5, and run them off the board with shooting as well as to help with defense vs psykers.

Dakka fex - 113
Dakka fex - 113
Dakka fex - 113
not much to say here. three dakka fex's. I love these guys because they are SO cheap! you get so much for 113 points it is just rediculous.

19 Spine gaunts (5 each) - 95
20 spine gaunts (5 each) - 100
8 ninjagaunts (spinefist, without number scuttlers) (10 each) - 80
8 ninjagaunts (spinefist, without number scuttlers) (10 each) - 80
8 ninjagaunts (spinefist, without number scuttlers) (10 each) - 80

the ninjagaunts will be kept in reserve and attempt to flank the enemy/take objectives. they are to take objectives and soak up fire. I can also throw them around willynilly due to the without number rule, so I will always have 3 flankers every turn.

The spine gaunts are there to sit on objectives. after playing a bit, I may decide that these are ineffectual (Ive never tried holding an objective with just spinegaunts.) but with 13 monstrous creatures on the board, 20 gone to ground spine gaunts (3+ cover save) will be very low on the enemies target priority list. now if the gaunts can screen the tyrant guard, they will be leading the charge! even in 5th tyranid have the better than fearless ability, where they won't be taking extra wounds from losing combat, and so will tye up units until the godzillas get to them.

dakkafex - 113
Dakkafex -113
Zoanthropes - 165
Psychic scream
Synapse creature

The Zoanthropes are here for crowd control, nothing more. 165 may be too much for that, but I can't help but cackle with glee when guardsmen are making target priority rolls on a ld 2, and space marines are making it on a ld 5. I may switch out synapse creature for warp blast If I find I need it, but i agree with most posters here that warp blast is not all it's cracked up to be for 20 points. Synapse creature allows me to make them immune to instant death, which will keep them around longer. Honestly though, I don't see them being a big priority does to their lack of weapons and that I can keep them out of sight, which means their scream and synapse will probably be on the board the whole time.

I chose straight up dakka fex's again because nid zilla is really punished in 5th by having most of their points in things that arn't troops. So I tried to keep the points down by using the build that I believe give the most bang for the buck. 113 points for 8 twinlinked str 6 shots and 2 str 9 CC's? rock.

total 1747.

what do you all think? this is one of my first stabs at a 5th ed army list, but I think it takes good advantage of many of the new 5th ed rules.

Tyrant Guard + Hive Tyrant = Unit with different composition members. This means you spread out wound allocation normally as in the 5th ed. BGB. I believe the 5th ed. book also states that you take whole multi-wound models as casualties first, so after all wounds are assigned and then saves rolled on Tyrant Guard, you would remove a whole model before splitting up the wounds.

AFAIK the 5th ed. rules do NOT exclude monstrous creature from the TLOS/screening rules. They would indeed gain a cover save from being shot at when there are intervening units. By the way, Gaunts would appear to qualify as providing a screen as well. AFAIK.

As an example:
1 Hive Tyrant + 2 Tyrant Guard, takes 3 wounds from shooting (same weapon type causes all wounds). One wound would go on each model, including the Tyrant.
You roll their saves and (blasphemy!) they ALL fail to save. 1 wound is applied to the Hive Tyrant & 2 wounds are applied to the Tyrant Guard, removing one model (not placing a wound on each Guard).

Now a mixed weapon loadout Tyranid Warrior Unit would have different results... but we aren't talking about that here!

By the way, Gaunts would appear to qualify as providing a screen as well. AFAIK.

MCs and vehicles have to be obscured 50% or more to gain a cover save. So guants wouldn't be tall enough. Warriors could do it but that is an expensive screen that takes MC slots away.

winterman wrote:

By the way, Gaunts would appear to qualify as providing a screen as well. AFAIK.

MCs and vehicles have to be obscured 50% or more to gain a cover save. So guants wouldn't be tall enough. Warriors could do it but that is an expensive screen that takes MC slots away.

what about the Zoanthropes, who are in turn screened by the gaunts, as they are not MC's?

55 points for a 2+ armor 4+ cover save?

Maybe give up a Dakkafex for a unit of 10 warriors with twin-linked devourers?

what if you used lictors? they get +2 to all cover saves, so they would get 2+ cover saves with two wounds?

front line - spine gaunts or hormagaunts
second line Warriors or lictors
Third line tyrant guard
fourth line, dakka fex+hive tyranta
Fifth line Zoanthropes
Flanking - ninjagaunts or maybe small units of stealers