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I'm considering Tyranids as my next army, and I was wondering if using *only* Genestealers and Broodlords as my Troops and HQ respectively would be effective. If so, how should I equip them? Naturally, I would use fast attack, heavy, and elites... duh. I'm thinking Dakkafexes and Lictors/Raveners. I have NO experience with 'nids. I haven't even played against them. So... advice please?
Thanks in advance.

Raveners and Lictors are a waste of points. While they are cool the are free KP. Lictors just cant kill enough and Raveners are to costly for what they do

Dakkafexes are a pain for the enemy.
The above poster is right about Lictors and Raveners.
Six broods of Genestealers able to FoF and a Broodlord with retinue that can run make a decent core.

Why don't you just do a Genestealer cult army?

or you just want the mass of stealers

If you get six squads run them in pairs and give half of the squads feeder tendrils for the re roll to hit across all of the squads as long as you keep the pairs of squads with one model each within 2" of each other.

You also want to give them scuttler so you can outflank to get in close quicker.

You'll get murdered by anything even remotely shooty. Extended carapace is essential against anything like Bolters otherwise you'll be taking off 'Stealers by the unit every turn due to AP5.

You also have nothing outside of the Broodlord that could touch AV14 and would struggle against even AV10, consider giving a unit toxin sacks so that if you get a six you'd have S5 + 6 + D3, you should get a few sixes if you can charge in 12 'Stealers with all those attacks.

Carnifexes and/or Warriors with both geared up to shoot would be essential for me, doesn't fit your desired army structure but it would be a pain to play it with out any ranged weapons. I have access to an all Khorne based Daemon army and that is hard work even with DS and invulnerable saves.

If you are scuttling, a single lictor is not a bad choice. You get good use out of the reserves re-roll and the lictor can help contribute to the attacks on enemy lines (or anywhere close to a piece of terrain). I wouldn't take more then one though and there's certainly something to be said for using the points and slot for another carnifex. The lictor does contribute to the theme imho more then a bunch of carnifexes. YMMV.

I am starting a genestealer heavy list list backed by 4 carnifxeses. I am going with the strangle fex for the longer range and better appearance over the dakkafex (plus with prefrred enemy available the extra attack isn't bad). Basically, outflank the stealers and a broodlord while gunfexes, stranglefexes and a tyrant shoot soften the enemy up and try and control the center (which your opponent will likely favor. Could also go with lotsa CnC fexes as well, again taking advantage of your opponents desire to avoid the edges.

I personally see this type of list as the best way to go in 5ed with tyranids, as synapse and the units that require it are at a huge disadvantage in the new rules (and IMHO overcosted compared to recent codexes).

for fluff reasons, I too am interested in a stealer and fex army (probably led by a broodlord and a flyrant), and am investigating the idea of also making it totally close combat (i.e. no shooting at all). I'm expecting it to be fun, but not very balanced - it will either eat the enemy alive, or die in a cloud of lead and laser fire.

Stealers sure aren't cheap, especially with scuttler and extended carapace which at least some squads will need. And adding a meatshield of gaunts out front introduces Synapse problems and is less fluffy (especially if you don't like cheap spinegaunts - again for fluff reasons, I'd prefer hormogaunts, but they're twice the price of spinegaunts and die just as fast)

Lictors are so hit and miss its not even funny.

You deep strike them into a piece of terrain that if they ever leave they die. So you better hope that the unit is already in cover or its wasted. Then you just have to worry about deep striking into the unit and dying

Genestealer-heavy lists are still eminently playable. I've had good results using a Stealer Shock in round 1 Ard Boyz. Kitting out your genestealers properly is key, though.

First, you still need extended carapace. Even with the 4+ cover save, with a stealer heavy force, you've got nothing to screen your stealers with besides terrain.

Second, scuttlers. Even in V5, it makes a huge difference having the initial 6" move, and it gives the stealers the ability to outflank. One or two outflanking stealer units is useless. 5-7 outflanking units is an entirely different story.

Third, feeder tendrils. On everyone. Seriously, for 1 point/model, its a no-brainer upgrade. Acid Maw is another option, but the only unit I'd really consider it for is the Broodlord's retinue.

Fourth, optionally, toxin sacs. S5 stealers rock, but become extremely pricey. On the other hand, unless you've got Carnifexes to hunt land raiders/monoliths, you'll want to have S5 stealers so that you've at least got a chance against a Land Raider or Monolith-heavy army.

Fifth, depending on points, a lictor can be a very useful thing. Especially if you're planning to outflank, the lictor's re-roll can be a game-saver.

that's what i was thinking re the Lictor - those rerolls will be real handy, and surely the model itself can just hide off-board all game until it happens to be nice and close to support a squad of charging stealers, which seems fairly likely in a stealer-themed army. It's still nasty expensive though - if they were say 40 points each i'd take 3