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.

What do tyranids have that can reliably bust tanks that isn't a MC?

I have been flipping throught the codex and their just doesn't seem like much.

How about Zoanthropes and Hive Guard?

Zoats are nice and all, but I hate all the rolling it takes to hit. Psychic Test and then Shooting.

and I hadn't thought about Hive Guard thanks

For intermediate tanks, the Tyrannofex can do a pretty good job. 2 S10 shots isnt bad, and he can walk while shooting (unlike the Hive guard, who needs to hide to make the most of his abilities). Trygons are also good, since they just tend to pop up and mess up whatever's in range.

Toeko wrote:Zoats are nice and all, but I hate all the rolling it takes to hit. Psychic Test and then Shooting.

and I hadn't thought about Hive Guard thanks

You're playing the wrong game if you don't like rolling dice.

40K is by a long way one of the most rolling intense games in the world.

Toeko wrote:Zoats are nice and all, but I hate all the rolling it takes to hit. Psychic Test and then Shooting.

and I hadn't thought about Hive Guard thanks

Zoeys. Psychic test... Passes a LARGE majority of the time with a rather small chance of failing.
Then you pass a to hit roll of 3+, so one of your squad of three fails. Then, even on a land raider, it is 2 to glance, 3+ to pen.
Then 4+ to destroy... All in all, they are very reliable, especially in squads of three.

If you face vehicles with 10 armor, then they are a gods sent... if they are open topped, then you can all but guarantee that at least one is going down

Footsloggin wrote:Zoeys. Psychic test... Passes a LARGE majority of the time with a rather small chance of failing.

Unless facing psychic hoods. Or Eldar. Or runic weapons. Or. . .err, sorry. I will stop.

Footsloggin wrote:

Toeko wrote:Zoats are nice and all, but I hate all the rolling it takes to hit. Psychic Test and then Shooting.

and I hadn't thought about Hive Guard thanks

Zoeys. Psychic test... Passes a LARGE majority of the time with a rather small chance of failing.
Then you pass a to hit roll of 3+, so one of your squad of three fails. Then, even on a land raider, it is 2 to glance, 3+ to pen.
Then 4+ to destroy... All in all, they are very reliable, especially in squads of three.

If you face vehicles with 10 armor, then they are a gods sent... if they are open topped, then you can all but guarantee that at least one is going down

Don't Zoes have BS3?

kirsanth wrote:

Footsloggin wrote:Zoeys. Psychic test... Passes a LARGE majority of the time with a rather small chance of failing.

Unless facing psychic hoods. Or Eldar. Or runic weapons. Or. . .err, sorry. I will stop.

True, but where I play I see little eldar, except for a single veteran... I own the codex, but don't play it. YES, there are a lot of psychic nulifying powers/wargear. However, I try to kill the libbys through fire-power too. Often manifesting within some form of DS unit.

So, I field 1-2 squads of Zoeys WITH the 1-2 Hive Guard units, using the zoanthropes often to pop the LRs/big stuff if they appear, and hive guard for transports... The two make a highly effective tank busting combination, and I just wish they didn't occupy the same FOC spot... If all else fails, monstrous creatures are a decent choice, 2d6 is good, and can provide for some good Light AT. If you somehow manage to get your Carnies into CC with a tank (I rarely can), then they can provide VERY favorable results...

To the above, no Zoeys have BS4 now...

Kilkrazy wrote:

Footsloggin wrote:

Toeko wrote:Zoats are nice and all, but I hate all the rolling it takes to hit. Psychic Test and then Shooting.

and I hadn't thought about Hive Guard thanks

Zoeys. Psychic test... Passes a LARGE majority of the time with a rather small chance of failing.
Then you pass a to hit roll of 3+, so one of your squad of three fails. Then, even on a land raider, it is 2 to glance, 3+ to pen.
Then 4+ to destroy... All in all, they are very reliable, especially in squads of three.

If you face vehicles with 10 armor, then they are a gods sent... if they are open topped, then you can all but guarantee that at least one is going down

Don't Zoes have BS3?

Nope.

Another vote for Zoanthropes.

Those guys dropping down in a mycetic spore can ruin your day. They've definitely ruined mine before.

Another Negative for Zoanthropes from me, you need to factor in their relative short-range and fragility also. They are good, but I wouldn't rely on just Zoanthropes.

There are actually a fair few options for 'nids when it comes to popping tanks, most aren't amazing but they're there:
- Hive Guard - Widely Seen as the best for the job
- Zoanthropes - Very deadly but limited reliability/use.
- Tyrannofex - Str10 blast, but BS2...
- Carnifex's - Ranged weapons or CC. If you reach the tank you can almost guarantee its death, it's just reaching it that's the problem.
- Trygons - Fast MC's. Very effective for it.
- Venom Cannons
- Rending - Genestealers, Ymgarl, Raveners...
- Some ranged weaponry (eg. Gargoyles IIRC)
and some more...

Zoanthropes are akin to using Melta Guns, you need to close the distance fast (although you have an effective range of 24, due to movement and range, while Meltas have to really close in the distance to make a difference). Hive Guards are kind of the midground between Autocannons and Lascannons, respectable strength with a decent number of shots.

Any sort of template weapon absolutely sucks against a vehicle purely because of how the "to hit" rule works for Blasts now. The Rupture Cannon, however, isnt a Blast weapon, and the Tyrannofex has BS3, meaning that at least one shot will hit, and with S10 it'll definately be a serious blow.

A Carnifex in a Mycetic Spore can probably destroy a well-planned artillery line. However a Trygon can do the same (S9 +2d6 is kind of overkill for blowing artilleries, and land raiders wont stand still long enough for a fex to catch it before being gunned down by the lascannons). and then mess up whoever was defending the artilleries.

Stealers are AWESOME against any sort of light AV10 vehicle. with the sheer number of attacks, and any 6's meaning an auto-pen, they will tear apart anything short of a leman russ in CC.

Just Dave wrote:- Tyrannofex - Str10 blast, but BS2...

It's not a blast, they're not BS 2.

The Tyrannofexes Rupture Cannon is, along with Hive Guards Impaler Cannons and the Zoanthropes Warp Lance, the only anti tank shooting attacks Tyranids have that aren't blast. Which is irritating to say the least.

The Heavy Venom Cannon is far from good AT, but at strength 9 it will usually trounce open topped transports. With orks and DE, its worth remembering about.

With DE, I actually want to try a Harpy. It would be harder for them to kill with their range limited AT weapons, and its speed and twin linked HVCs would make it decent for taking out Raiders. You'd need to play it carefully though.

Come to think of it Harpies are pretty good aganst MechDeldar. Their lowered Toughness wont be much of a hamper anymore due to the poisoned weapons and TL HVC are devastating to Open topped vehicles.

Well taking out monstrous creature when you're talking about anti-armor is pretty analogous to asking 'how can I make this car move without wheels?'. Sure you can drag it on a chain, put it on another vehicle or build a giant trebuchet and fling it around. It'd be a whole heck of a lot easier to get wheels or monstrous creatures though.

That being said it's 90% Hive Guard under the conditions you put forth. Zoanthropes will get crippled, miss and then die so frustratingly often they're not worth it so don't go that route. Waste of an elite slot.

Genestealers are actually really good at this when you look at average vehicles. As long as they have rear armor 10 any rolls of 6 automatically penetrate with rending and since they're not monstrous creatures limited to a single base and hosed by stupid rules they can multi-assault different vehicles, spread the loving around and cripple or destroy an entire parking lot in one turn. Your friendly neighborhood Imperial Guard players will hate you for this. Guaranteed.

Never forget your humble Gaunt/Gant. Hormies and Termies with adrenal glands can actually glance that same rear armor and with simple weight of numbers on the charge can do a respectable job. People are going to feel it when you throw five or six glancing hits their way.

All said and done though it's the Monstrous Creatures you need. No way to get around it.