Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Tyranid Prime - Toxin, LW/BS, Deathspitter

3 Zoes + Mycetic Spore

5 Warriors - as the T-Prime
9 Ripper Swarms
9 Genestealers - Scything Talons
9 Genestealers - Scything Talons and Toxin Sacs

Carnifex - x2 dual devourers
Tyrannofex - Rupture Can, DesLarvae, Cluster Spines

No Doom, Scything Talon Genestealers, Ripper Swarms, Carnifex, Tyrannofex... and you're asking if it's too cut-throat?

Not to say that the Doom is necessary or that your choices of models are bad, just saying that it's far from what most people would consider cut-throat.

Gemestealers really don't benefit too much from Scything Talons. They hit on a 3+ against most anything you throw them at, being able to re-roll 1's isn't that big a deal for them. What is a big deal for them is Poison. Being S4, this means they re-roll wounds (see also: more chances to rend) on almost all infantry in the game. I would drop the Talons in a heartbeat and pick up Toxin Sacs on the unit that is missing it.

I want to run Ripper Swarms just for fun, but I think what's going to happen if I do is that I'll wish they were Termagants instead. Granted, while it can be fun to bog something down with swarms, Rippers don't get the amusing side effects that some other swarms such as Nurglings get (5+ invul, immunity to instant death, huge boosts with Epi, etc).

I don't know if a Carnifex with double twin-linked Devourers is even a legal option any more, I know the old-school Sniperfex isn't. Even if it is, it isn't nearly as good as it used to be considering the tremendous points increase. If you're wanting something anti-infantry, I'd just go with a Trygon every time. It really is sad, but GW in their infinite greed has relegated the Carnifex model to a kit-bashing utensil and replaced it with the Trygon; the fex just isn't as good no matter how you look at it.

I don't think the Tyrannofex is a terrible choice, but to really get his points worth you cannot treat him like a big gunbug sitting in the back. He's annoying to kill without plenty of dedicated firepower and he can really lay on the pain in mid-range. Get him on an objective or get him in the middle of things being big and scary, he makes a nice distraction while your Genestealers and Warriors do what they do best.

I've been playing in a "small pond" for a while, with no other 'nid experts. Thus I'm lacking perspective. Thanks for the kindly put candor.

Carnifex: I agree. A ridiculous hike in points since the previous codex. TL-Devourers are still legal and he does pour out the harm, but is pricey at nearly 200 points.

T'fex: I do try to get him into h2h, but units keep running away from it.

Okay, so not so cut-throat at all.
GS: I'll agree, Toxins are better, granting a second chance at a Rend

Ripper Swarms: Template weps seem to be fewer in 5e with so many SM players running meltaguns instead of flamers. I have the t'gants to replace 'em though.

Any minor tweaks you'd recommend?

Drop the Ripper Swarms, Carnifexes and Tyranofex.

In place of the ripper swarm get a unit of ten Termagants. This allows you to take a Tervigon as a troops unit. T6 W6 2+ armor monstrous creature that can actually secure objectives, as well as spawning more troop choices, and giving feel no pain.

The Tyranofex can only attack one target per turn. He's got an anti-vehicle gun AND anti-infantry guns, but can only do one or the other each turn, and if it's anti-vehicle he gets two shots at BS 3. With the Zoanthropes around you've already got your armor popper for AV14 jokers, with the points you save from the Tyranofex (and dear god are there a lot of them) get a unit of Hive Guard for anti-vehicle specifically and some other unit for anti-infantry.

I like Hormagaunts myself, cause a gigantic 30-strong unit of Hormagaunts in cover with feel no pain from the Tervigon above either gets a 75% survival rate on all shooting, or forces your opponent to shoot Str 6 weapons at them.

SumYungGui,
I initially ran the T'fex as anti-I only. But the Zoes were not getting the job done. I don't like split focus in any unit (of any army I play), but I thought the few points for the Rupture Can would be a good band-aid until I made a Mycetic Spore.

I finished the Mycetic Spore. Used it. Zoes were doing much better.

Still, I thought the T-fex had done okay so far ... Turns out, he's hitting one nearly every time (round), and last game, nailed a pred, a razor and 2 rhinos.

The Tervigon conversion is in process (stalled), but having finished some eldar, maybe I'll swing my attention back to it.

T-gants over Rippers:
Until I run into enemy templates, won't the mutil-wounds of the Rippers put the tarpitting ability of the rippers in better stead than T-gants? -- I'm not preaching here.
Just asking.

And though it pains to shelve the model, a pile of T-gants does out weigh the dakka-Fex, huh? (TL-Devourer *was* called a "dakka-fex" yes? ).

Brothererekose wrote:SumYungGui,
I initially ran the T'fex as anti-I only. But the Zoes were not getting the job done. I don't like split focus in any unit (of any army I play), but I thought the few points for the Rupture Can would be a good band-aid until I made a Mycetic Spore.

I finished the Mycetic Spore. Used it. Zoes were doing much better.

Still, I thought the T-fex had done okay so far ... Turns out, he's hitting one nearly every time (round), and last game, nailed a pred, a razor and 2 rhinos.

I personally don't feel the T-fex is a terrible investment, but being a mixed-role bug does create issues. One game he definitely made his points by popping a Rhino, a Pred, two Defilers, in addition to wrapping up a unit of Berserkers for two rounds. Another game he did absolutely nothing. His name was Blindy for that game, the only thing that hit was the flamer template. I have considered taking one with the 20-shot Fleshborer cannon along with cluster spines and rending flamer to run up to an objective and claim it as his. T6 W6 2+ pumping out a staggering amount of shots at mid-range, especially if a cover save can be had? Yeah, he's not going anywhere. If that objective is in the central area of the board he can then harass anything that gets nearby, too. It's tough to justify his points in every single game. Some games he's brilliant, others a big sink. It's not a bad idea to look for something more reliable for your points.

Brothererekose wrote:The Tervigon conversion is in process (stalled), but having finished some eldar, maybe I'll swing my attention back to it.

Tervigons are very nice. They can be very annoying when they decide to clog up on the first turn, but I had three games straight where my lone Tervigon made over 40 Termagants. Even if you only get an average number of little gribblies, the benefits of a T6, 6W, 3+ armor monstrous critter being a scoring unit that can apply either Feel No Pain or Run-And-Shoot to any unit is just great. Just to make him even better, give him Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs and now any Termagant unit within 6" benefits from those in addition to counter attack. I made a fantastic tarpit out of a wall of Termagants and a Tervigon. It made my buddy's assault terminators sad to just sit there popping termagants for three rounds.

Brothererekose wrote:T-gants over Rippers:
Until I run into enemy templates, won't the mutil-wounds of the Rippers put the tarpitting ability of the rippers in better stead than T-gants?

In theory, maybe. In practice? Not so much. Being only a few points more and the added counter-assault, poison, and furious charge all as passive benefits for Termagants far outweighs anything rippers can bring to the board. That being said, Rippers are not a complete waste of space (unlike other units such as the Lictor) and if you like the flavor of them in your army you can put them to decent use. Rippers, at the very base price, are inexpensive and can be a pretty cheap screen for things like Genestealers, Hormagaunts, Termagants, and even Hive Tyrants that have some Tyrant Guard around. I wouldn't run them any other way because as soon as you start adding extras they become far too expensive and Termagants win in every sense.

Brothererekose wrote:And though it pains to shelve the model, a pile of T-gants does out weigh the dakka-Fex, huh? (TL-Devourer *was* called a "dakka-fex" yes? ).

Yes, it was called the dakkafex and was a staple for many a Tyranid army in 4th edition. Now the Trygon reigns supreme because for only a few points more, it does everything significantly better than a 'fex. Six wounds instead of four, seven attacks on the charge (same as average rolls of a Crushing Clawed 'fex), re-roll all missed hits (easier to swat moving vehicles), Fleet, S7 I5 with Adrenal Glands (always take these), all at 210 points. There's just no need for a Carnifex any more. The pile of termagants is only necessary if you don't already have them, but if you take a Tervigon you can usually rely on it pumping out around 20 or so on average.