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I'm interested in how to make fast Tyranid army for 5th edition. I'd like to have an army that can tie up the enemy by turn 2 or turn 3.I don't have much experience with tyranids so I obviously need some help.

I'd imagine synapse would probably a Flyrant and some leaping warriors, maybe even a walking Tyrant.

I'm not so sure what to do with troops, however. Hormagaunts seem like the obvious choice, but at 10 points they seem too pricey. Even though Spinegaunts are slighly slower, they seem like a great deal at half the cost of a hormie. Genestealers could also be a good choice, especially if I outflank with them.

I'd probably through in 2-3 Venom fexes for stunning vehicles until the other stuff gets to them.

So I'm open to any advice regarding running a more speed oriented Tyranid list.

There really aren't lists specifically geared for "speed" for Tyranids. Our greatest mobility comes in two forms: wings and leaping. Three models can have leaping: hormagaunts, raveners, and warriors. Hormagaunts are never, ever worth their points since Tendril Genestealers for the same amount of points will always do better. Raveners are 40pt kill points nowadays. They were great in 4th because they were cheap scoring units that gave great supplemental assault power. In 5th, they're just a liability. Leaping Warriors are generally taken over the winged types because you can give them extended carapace and their overall mobility is relatively similar for fewer points. However, they're still very pricey and Genestealers pretty much always give you better returns for your points. Furthermore, the Warriors take up either HQ or Elite slots on the FOC, neither of which you can afford to give them.

As far as winged go, Gargoyles are overpriced but can be fun. These flying Gaunts need either flying Warriors or Tyrant to lead them, though. Flying warriors are insanely expensive, the only time I've ever considered bringing them was for an 1850+ point list where I needed highly mobile Synapse and didn't bring Zoanthrope. Flyrants are just plain fun, though.

Unless you're playing pure Nidzilla, usually a shooting-oriented army, Tyranids tend to be considered one of the most mobile of foot-slogging armies since almost everyone has fleet, and everyone has move through cover, allowing the extra movements to still result in assault phases.

There are scuttling Genestealer spam lists that make thorough use of this biomorph, but I haven't seen one in a while. I personally don't use scuttlers since I feel the points are better spent on other upgrades or more bodies.

To be fair, though, I do sometimes wish Tyranids had some crazy organic transport unit, kind of a mix between a Carnifex and a Rhino. Maybe equipped with flamers to make up for the Tyranids being the only army without flamers. I know we have acidic spore mines, but who takes those? They're bloody terrible.

Kirbinator pretty much hit it, but forgot to mention lictors .

If you're looking for units that can tie up something on turn 2 or 3, try a deep-striking, hit-and-run model able to assault on the turn it arrives. Armour made of cardboard though so keep it in cover.

Rippers can leap and be winged.
100 points for 30 wounds 30 attacks (without charge!), and +1 cover saves (in5e!!) are nothing to ignore. Add 40 pts and they all charge 12" and engage within 3"

Hormagaunts are not worthless, but worth their cost? Really hard to work for in most armies. I have a fair success rate with them, but nothing exceptional.

Gargoyles need nothing to "lead them" in 5e. They are the only gaunt able to reliably screen MCs - try it.

As for Raveners, they are still random. Their roll changed as I see it from DS capture/threat models. To bonafide flank/counter charge models. They are basically 2 Hormagaunts for the cost of 4, but they rend. shrug. Not being being troops is bad, not _having_ to take more than 1 is nice.

Fast attack is oddly lacking in Tyranids for an army reputed to attack fast.

In my opion anything with winged is great as long as you keep them from geting shoot at or killed too quickly( like putting some bodies in frount of them) flying warriors that shoot are good you get guns where you need it fast. A flyrant swoping in and eating some troops that lay out heavy fire is useful.

Try building an army with hormies and outflanking stealers as troops. Combined with a flyrant, some leaping warriors and raveners it should all be in assault range by turn 2. However the price to pay is that the army really isnt going to be number heavy so it will take some hard work winning the assaults.

kirsanth wrote:Rippers can leap and be winged.
100 points for 30 wounds 30 attacks (without charge!), and +1 cover saves (in5e!!) are nothing to ignore. Add 40 pts and they all charge 12" and engage within 3"

I don't think units that take the winged biomorph can have either the Extended Carapace or Leaping biomorph. check p.33 of the nids codex, under "Winged"


I think that lictors, stealers, and Anything with wings is your best bet.

With leaping you can indeed take carapace, unless I missed something in the 'dex. Will take a flick through it later.

I have found winged is better then leaping because they move farther gain fleet and they get around better. The only problem I with winged is its like paying doble 10points for 1 ripper then to make it winged its 10 more.

If you can spare the points winged is better in my opion.

50 Pt Ravener -


1x Scything
1x Rending Claws
1x Devourer


8 Shots (granted it is s3, it is reroll to wounds) per ravener + charge = could be devastating couldnt it?

Depends on who you face and what you are facing. Against space marines they would probably just fall back. Against certain other units they might end up being wiped out by the shooting leaving the ravener(s) stuck in the open.

leaping also gets you extra attacks from the "2 distance.

Thats pretty good considering the size of ripper base.

But one of them still has to make it into combat!

True but with winged you could just end up surrounding them and get all your attacks in anyway.

I second the comments on Raveners. Sadly, they ain't that great anymore due to suffer from 5th edition syndrome. I used to love using them as my fast first wave to tie up enemy units right before the 'stealers arrived.

I would say one of the fastest builds that puts pressure on would be a big wave of winged ripper swarms followed by very large units of hormagaunts and possibly scuttling 'stealers. Don't know how synapse would be handled. Running Warriors?

Final wave could be the Tyrants and Fexes if you choose to use them.

- Blackbone

My counter idea would be


LD 10 = falling back eh....

If you bring them in synapse range they wouldn't.

If raveners really killed stuff in shooting.. oh boy thats a strong shooty unit.

But if you screen em with a front squad, then they'd get cover save. If not, then your enemy wants to unload shots on a 3 or so models? So be it!

That means something else lives righto? They are just as tough as Warriors.



why would you treat raveners as the front liner?

I'd put them in mid wave. Hormos in front. Treat them as stealers - in that hormos would hit first and the raveners follow after. Add a combo with at least one warrior squad or broodlord?

I'm stillnot exactly seeing a true deficiency with raveners, when lictors are 2x the cost and dont recieve as much flak, just because they can assault the same time the land.

Simply just dont DS raveners and screen em behind a wall. Combine them with fast warriors = you got more rend attacks.