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After extensive lurking, planning, and saving, I'm finally ready to make the necessary purchases for my SPEHSS MAHREENS (hurr), and just in time for summer, too. Now that the marines are entering the WIP phase, I'm beggining to look at other armies. Two of them, Orks (dakka orks, the number of S6-7 shots they can put out at 2500 pts is beyond ludicrous) and Tyranids have caught my eye.

Now comes my question, addressed to the collective wisdom of 'Nid players or players with experience facing them; how viable is a 'Nid list that relies on warriors for the meat and trygons/hive guard for the potatoes? Are lists that use a lot of warriors good in 5th Ed.?

I wouldn't say a "lot" of Warriors are very viable, but Warriors in general definitely are. They are good for an almost elite style troop.

You will hear people complaining about the krak missiles killing them but you have to look at the facts surrounding it. If he's supported by Trygons/Mawlocs/Tervigons, you have to look at these guys taking less fire if the Warriors are taking the Anti-Armor fire.

Give them FNP and they become even more brutal. The same with giving them a Tyranid Prime to lead them. This makes for a Troops choice who can be very similar to many armys' HQs.

I wouldn't take 4 choices of them, but a nice unit would definitely bolster your army... assuming you work them into your army in a way that they mesh. Not just thrown in because they are "cool".

I find CC Warriors almost never make it to combat. They are TOO good at it against most troops, and they get gunned down. I have the best luck with Deathspitter/Scything Talon Warriors, with a Barbed Strangler for support.

A little expensive for a Troop choice, but if your opponent doesn't have a lot of S8+ weapons, they are a very tough nut to crack.

If they DO have several S8+ weapons, give them a good Gaunt screen.

I always run 1 alpha warrior with lash, sword and deathspitter, and join him to a Squad with deathspitter Scything talons, and one with a Barbed Strangler. If I have the extra 10 points I will take regen on the alpha.

The +1 WS and BS is really useful, and with 3 different models in the unit wound allocation abuse is a tough nut to crack (especially when you can regen).



I would have to agree that CC warriors are usually not worth their points unless you can take a ton of them. That being said I have been know to take rending claws on the deathspitter units if points permit and I expect to face a lot of transports.

I personally can't stand the new warriors. I face IG and SM/SW a lot who like to run either

a) Vindicators
b) Leman Russ's

This leaves me in a predicament. Plasma and krak are awesome against my MC's, large S8/10 blasts less so. By including warriors I'm just giving my opponent something valuable and expensive to shoot at.

The thing with warriors is you need to screen them with Gaunts or something against the instant death weapons.


The Warrior Prime is an excellent cheap HQ unit who not only fills a required slot, he gives a very nice buff to a unit of Warriors too.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

I know that the loss of eternal warrior hurt them, but if the warriors are taking fire that can IK them, that means the more expenive/larger units like trygons and tervigons won't be taking as much S8+ fire...

With that in mind, would running two units of warriors w/primes, screened by gaunts and supported by tervigons/trygons/hive guard provide a solid core for a 'Nid army?

Noob001 wrote:Thanks to everyone for the replies.

I know that the loss of eternal warrior hurt them, but if the warriors are taking fire that can IK them, that means the more expenive/larger units like trygons and tervigons won't be taking as much S8+ fire...

With that in mind, would running two units of warriors w/primes, screened by gaunts and supported by tervigons/trygons/hive guard provide a solid core for a 'Nid army?

Warriors with Termagant masses and a Tervigon or two are an excellent core to an army. It is however extremely slow and cumbersome, and the inclusion of Warriors instead of more Tervigons means that while your offensive power is boosted significantly, you're far less resilient to incoming fire. Including Warriors requires that you include either long range anti-tank firepower (Zoanthropes in a Spore, Tyrannofex with RC, Harpy with TL-HVC etc) or alternative movement anti-tank assault units (Outflanking Broodlords, several Lictors, burrowing Trygon etc) so that you can reduce the incoming fire significantly.

Something like this @ 1500 maybe:

1x Tyranid Prime, Lash Whip & Bonesword, Deathspitter, 100 (leads the Deathspitter armed Warriors)
3x Zoanthrope, Mycetic Spore, 220
3x Hive Guard, 150
1x Tervigon, Cluster Spines, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacks, Catalyst, 195
28x Termagant, Fleshborer, 140
8x Tyranid Warrior, Scything Talons, Deathspitter, 280
3x Tyranid Warrior, Lash Whip & Bonesword, Scything Talons, Toxin Sacks, 150
1x Tyrannofex, Rupture Cannon, Cluster Spines, Dessicator Larvae, 265

You've got extremely good objective camping ability, respectable firepower in all categories, good counter-assault and a couple of tricks to throw off anything especially threatening to your Warriors.

That looks like a solid list, seems like adding another t-fex, tervigon, and gant horde, increasing the size of the melle warrior unit, and adding deathleaper for anti-psychic would scale the list up to 2500 pts

Clthomps wrote:...and with 3 different models in the unit wound allocation abuse is a tough nut to crack (especially when you can regen)...

I thought they closed this loop-hole for Tyranids? I haven't seen it myself, granted, but a good friend of mine ranted at length abotu the fact that they stopped this abuse for Tyranid warriors in the new codex, but didn't errata/FAQ the Orks one to stop the same abuse with uniquely-equipped Nobs.

I shall browse the codex when I get a chance and see if I can find the relevant info.

They toned it down for the nids. All but 1 of warriors are identical, but by adding an IC you get potentially 3 different variations within the brood.

Also note that as the Prime is T5, he can't be insta-killed by S8 and S9. So if you're being shot by a squad who have few heavy weapons, such as a Tactical Squad with a Missile Launcher or Multi-Melta, you can assign the wound to him to avoid loosing an unwounded Warrior.

They are not to bad. What they do is take down powerfist termies before they kill your MCs. I use them with twin bone swords. Any IC or things ike nob bikers and other nids get toasted.