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So Tyranid Warriors have a lot of options...and are feasable deathstar units.

I was just wondering what's the most efficient way to set them up?

ductvader wrote:So Tyranid Warriors have a lot of options...and are feasable deathstar units.

I was just wondering what's the most efficient way to set them up?

I'll start by saying that I haven't run them so this is all just theorycrafting but I'm fond of the Rending/Deathspitter combo. Fairly cheap and a great multi-tasker.
Your shooting is strong enough to threaten light armor (including most sides) or put wounds on infantry squads and the Rending will help against the bigger tanks (anything short of a Land Raider you can penetrate) and cut through MCs or MEQs.

Run them in small numbers with lots of T6 stuff around them to keep the anti tank weapons busy.

Rending Claws/Toxin Sacs/Devourers are the most cost efficient Warriors.

I use bonesword/lashwhip + deathspitter as often as I run warriors.

I rather like them.

But in general it rather depends on what you are planning on doing with them.

My problem was/is I don't know where to stop...

LW/BS, Deathspitter, with Toxin runs upwards of 500 points.

Or can you save points by just keeping devourers...

Toxin just makes sense when you have rending or power weapons...

As for the point cost, I think 2 "upgrades" is ok, past that you're spending too much.

That means Rending/Deathspitters is fine, as is Rending/Toxion/Devourers but not Rending/Deathspitters/Toxin.

Using this as a yardstick should help you keep the squad cheap and focused, even if your focus is making a hybrid unit because the reality is that even a naked Warrior is a pretty decent unit.

Bonesword, lash whips, keep them in cover. Because of the lash whips, anything attacking them becomes init 1.

They become one of the hardest units to uproot off an objective.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bonesword, lash whips, keep them in cover. Because of the lash whips, anything attacking them becomes init 1.

They become one of the hardest units to uproot off an objective.

Rending/Toxion/Devourers With a barbed strangler.

i like talons, rending claws, toxin and adrenal, at 40 points a model they will ever make a great distraction or chop stuff up

I wouldn't suggest ever not having a gun. 18" is much larger sphere of influence than 0".

DarknessEternal wrote:I wouldn't suggest ever not having a gun. 18" is much larger sphere of influence than 0".

yes i agree, i just get on better when they are all choppy

As for being a deathstar unit, I think the whole S8 insta-kill things is too much of a weakness to be overcome.

Biker Nobz can get by it by packing both a cover and Inv save and being much faster while still being around the same point cost.

Not a fan of deathstars, especially of the non-Fleet infantry variety...So why would I use Warriors? Extra Synapse is a gimme, as is cover for the Monstrous Creatures behind them. Warriors are bulky for being Infantry...

One of the Warriors has a Venom Cannon. It's extra Wound Allocation, and it's another S6 blast...why not? Every bit helps here. Aside from that, Poison, Scything Talons, and Rending is about right. I'm not as much for the initiative bonus of Glands, as I'm generally confident/cocky enough in my ability to shoot a unit, and direct the majority of attacks onto a Tervigon (and pull hidden Powerfists onto the Termagants).

Normally, I run such units at their bare minimum; 3 models. They're pretty resilient against small arms, while having a *just* enough threat profile to draw missiles...

If you want them tooled up for CC then give them some wings, call them shrikes and put them in a FA slot. Foot warriors are too slow and so the deathspitter option is generally the best. Link a prime for the BS upgrade and give one a barbed strangler for extra shoot and wound allocation. No more than 4/5 in a brood though due to cost unless you're playing high points cost match.

Fielding mine as Shrikes and can vouch that they are fierce in close combat. Adrenal glands and toxin sacs and they can take down most things in the first round of combat. Only problem is if they're left out in the open for too long then they don't tend to last against shooty armies. 3 wounds a piece isn't that much with such a poor armour save and only T4. If they didn't have wings I doubt they'd see much action.

If they're normal Warriors then I don't think I'd be inclined to give them any extra close combat effectiveness at all - just surround them with another unit that can deal with anything that comes up close and personal, or march them across the field with said unit in front of them. Toxin sacs would probably be the only upgrade I might be inclined to give them. Otherwise venom cannon and devourers is fine for laying down some fire before hormagaunts/stealers get into the thick of it.

Acardia wrote:Rending/Toxion/Devourers With a barbed strangler.

Reviewing the options again, I change my vote to this setup. Lots of S4 shooting if you are advancing or holding an objective plus a decent punch up close. Just have to leave heavy armor to your TMCs.

The "2 upgrades" rule seems to work for me.

Warriors are pretty good stock...but having LW/BS with toxin is what I am going to try.

That's a lot of pretty survivable (initiative higher than your 1) power weapons on top of decent shooting.

Lately I've been running a brood of 4 with Lashwhip/Boneswords, Scything Talons and Toxin Sacs. That comes in at 200pts. I don't like giving my close combat warriors any ranged weapons because I prefer to run them whenever I can. Also, firing at the unit you're about the charge can often backfire on you if your opponent simply removes casualties from the front, leaving you outside of 6" and unable to fire. This unit is easily screenable behind Gants/Gaunts, provides a nice big Synapse bubble and will eat just about anything they get in combat with. I also like to have a Tyranid Prime join them for extra killyness and survivability.

I try to view this unit as I would another MC. For 200pts I'm effectively getting a 12 wound, synapse unit that is arguably more deadly in an assault than any actual MC we have, plus they can be easily screened. Yes they suffer instant death from things like Missles, Lascannons and Melta (the Prime helps with this a lot by the way) but if my opponent is firing at my Warrior Brood, then he isn't firing at my Trygons, Tervigon or Tyrant (and vice versa).

I've also ran a brood of 5 with Scything Talons and Deathspitters w/ 1 Barbed Strangler (mainly for wound allocation) in a Mycetic Spore to pretty good effect. This provides a relatively cheap, deep striking "oh crap!" distraction for your opponent and some backfield synapse for any outflankers/deep strikers. Also, 12 Str 5 shots plus a Pie Plate isn't anything to sneeze at. These guys can also hold their own pretty well in an assault too.

I love me some Tyranid Warriors.