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.

Hi all,

Running my nids these days and starting to get a good feel for them now and having a bit of success as well.

I was getting well beaten with a M/Cish/warrior list so i dont have a lot of faith in or luck with them. In fact my current list only has one trygon prime.

I`m not convinced the tervigon is all its cracked up to be.

Been looking at its rules since the codex came out, not too shabby i must say. But with no model or oppotunity to convert 1 I thought oh well then.

Now though my mate managed to make me one using a 2nd ed carnifex. How he thought of it let alone built it still amazes me even now.

Anyway, Now i`ve got a suitable model i`m still not totally convinced.

Here`s my list i`m running just now. Take a look.

tyranid prime: L/W+B/S, D-spitter, 100.
Parasite: 160.

Ymgarl(7): 161.
Zoanthropes(2): 120.
HiveGuard(3): 150.

Gaunts(13): Devourers, 130.
Gaunts(13): Devourers, 130.
Genestealers(10): Broodlord w/ s-talons, 202.
Genestealers(10): Broodlord w/ s-talons, 202.
H-gaunts(15): T-sacs, 120.

Gargoyles(15):T-sacs, 105.
Raveners(5):rending claws, 175.

Trygon: Prime, 240.

Total 1995.

I would like to know what people think i should remove/swap for a Tervigon. Or even some real uses for it would be appreciated as well?

tyranid prime: L/W+B/S, D-spitter, 100.
Parasite: 160.

I understand both of these HQ's, but the Parasite is relatively mediocre. Sure, it is fast Synapse, but it is a bit overpriced. Might be worth dropping. Almost a Tervigon right there.

Ymgarl(7): 161.
Zoanthropes(2): 120.
HiveGuard(3): 150.

Just a side note here, I'd drop the Zoeys for more Hive Guard. Zoeanthropes have to jump through too many hoops to be worthwhile IMO.

Gaunts(13): Devourers, 130.
Gaunts(13): Devourers, 130.
Genestealers(10): Broodlord w/ s-talons, 202.
Genestealers(10): Broodlord w/ s-talons, 202.
H-gaunts(15): T-sacs, 120.

Not a huge fan of Hormaguants or the Broodlord for that matter. Scything talons aren't good either. If you are going to spring for something, make it toxin sacs. You could also have 14 Stealers for the cost of your units right now.

Gargoyles(15):T-sacs, 105.
Raveners(5):rending claws, 175.

These are fine.

Trygon: Prime, 240.

By itself I don't think this is very good. How is it living?


Honestly, I think the Tervigon is one of the top 3 Nid units along with Stealers and Hive Guard. It can poop out Gaunts which can then move, fire, and assault. It can cast FNP (which is absolutely crucial for Genestealers). It also buffs Gaunts and is tough to drop unless the opponent has Jaws. It's a critical Nid unit.

I'd take:

Prime-100

Hive Guard-150
Hive Guard-150
Hive Guard-150

15 Genestealers-210
15 Genestealers-210
Tervigon with Catalyst-200
Tervigon with Catalyst-200
10 Devilguants-100
10 Devilguants-100

15 Gargoyles with Sacs and Glands- 120
15 Gargoyles with Sacs and Glands-120
5 Raveners with Rending claws-175

Total:1985

Add in some things to get to 2k.

EDIT: I had this up trying to type it. Didn't see JGrand's post until afterword.

Always looking to help a fellow Tyranid player.

First things first, ditch those Scything talons on the genestealers and replace them with toxin sacs and here's why. Now obviously toxin sacs are obviously poison 4+ so its good to have something that can deal with monstrous creatures (Dreadknight, Avatar, Shard of C'tan) but were you aware of a not-too-widely known rule under Poison in the main rule book that states that if your strength is = to or greater then the target you get to Re-roll failed rolls to wound? I know!

I was always getting my genestealers killed when charging into cover cause I couldn't cause enough wounds to win the assault. Pathetic I know. BUT HAHA! Now when I roll a 1-3 I can re-roll and probably get a 6 out of that for rending.

Unfortunately that'll raise your cost by 40 points.

But you wanted to know what to replace so I'd go with ditching the Zoanthropes (they'll just be shut down by psychic hood/melta'd to death anyway) and one of the gaunt broods (your choice). This should free up about 200 points and then you can take a Tervigon as a TROOP with Toxin sacs (to give to the other Termagants within 6" some poison too) and possibly Catalyst (Feel No Pain USR) with points left over.

- The Tervigon is a monstrous creature troop.
- In my opinion much better then the Parasite of Mortrex because he can't be insta-killed by missiles (not sure about your meta game but I play against Eldar and Space Wolf missile spam for the most part)
- Will add at least 1 Troop of Termagants which you can use to block charges against your Tervigon. (I did this most recently to protect my Tervigon from an Avatar until Swarm Lord could get closer to charge him and slay him)

Not really sure what else as I've only started using 1, but I hear you should bring at least 2. Of course you'd have to have a lot of Termagant models.

Anyway, have you thought about Swarmlord? Re-roll which side your genestealers outflank from? Force opponents to re-roll passed invulnerable saves? delicious

Swarmlord should be left at home untill 1750P+
So a good suggestion for this list.

I would cram as many Tervigons in as possible. The only things that slay them are GK and JOTWW. Both of which are very easy to counter.

GK you just screen them with Gaunts like normal, and JOTWW you can reserve and slay with Genestealers. It's risky though unless all your Genestealers are locked in combat.

tervigons are great as mentioned. they add a solid core to your list and as a force multiplier make your entire army better.

+1 to the above.

Hey JGrand, cheers for taking a look.
The parasite is just great fun as well as usefull. I love the free rippers he gets, its just fab, xd6 ripper bases for everyone who dies, not much but bloody annoying.

Agree with you about the Zoans, i wouldnt have them if we didnt have so many L/Raiders about here.
Again agree with the hive guard there fantastic.
Ymgarls are the best unit in the book i find and not taking them is mental, they alone have won me a few games.

Hormagaunts, yes i`m still trying these really and i`m not 100% convinced. But saying that they have done well for me in a few games. Good counter unit when something gets close and the t-sacs give them some much needed punch.
Stealers i`ve tried with and with out the lord and there both good but having them gives me 4 s/t5 mini m/c.
But yes i think it might be one of these 2 squads to come out for it (the tervigon).
D-gaunts are great anyone who doesnt have these should be locked up. The amount of shots they give out at 18" is unbelieveable especially since they went up to 13`s, 10 didnt seem enough.

When it comes to nid fast attack gargoyles almost all the way for me with both upgrades as well, always take both.
Raveners i just love and they put out lots of pain. Theyve always done well.

Trygon for me is the best m/c in the book i just love this big guy. I`m still swithering over the prime upgrade but its been handy. In and of itself its done really well but when it hanging with the raveners and gargoyles and parasite, it all combined, is a terror.

I think, so far, if i`m taking one it`ll be a troop because it will probably replace one of the stealers. But if i drop the zoans and h-gaunts i`ll have the points as leetbeef pointed out.

leetbeef and InqVaron, sorry guys but i`d keep the swarmlord for apocalypse size game i think he`s just too expensive especially when you factor in at least 2 guard. His rules are good but too rich for me.

Yeah leetbeef i clocked that, that was when i started to get some joy :-)

Cheers all.

I don't mind the Zoanthropes, but other than that I'm in line with what everyone else has been saying.

I've had my lists ripped apart by a swarmlord list running 3 tervigons and a doom in a spore; and I play GK, Tau, old cron, and CSM. My Farsight list tends to do best against that tervigon list, I think that's due to tau's ability to avoid cc.

If you are going to run Tervigons, don't just take 1; you haven't really experienced the joy of them until you're dropping 9d6 worth of free gants a turn while the tervigons themselves are occupying every objective on the board...

I love stealers with brood lord upgrades. Btw guys only the broodlord took the scythes in his list, which is perfect. 2 points on the blord for scytal is a steal.

If you run zoans, it may as well be 3. The parasite I have no experience with, but 10 point dev gants I know ard a waste. Save points and take regular gants in my opinion.

As for the horms, I recommend either horms or gargs, never both. Gargs are better than horms, but horms are scoring. With regular gants already in the list I say drop the horms for tervigons.

So i take everyone agrees that you want to take more than 1, yes?

DevianID, honestly mate those d-gaunts have been game winners for me on a regular basis. Theres no point in taking normal gaunts when you can get a tervigon to make them free for you. Also yeah broodlords are great, was running 2x 15 stealers but i thought they lacked punch, added the lords and viola ass kickin started.

The parasite is pure fun the looks on folks face when you replace theyre star unit with rippers after doing them in is worth it alone.

If you've got to buy gants anyway, then buy good ones I say.

With tervigon in your list (as a troop) you have xtra synapse and so can lose the prime. I'd also drop the hormogaunts as that gives you the tervigon + few more points.

I agree stealers don't really need s/talons as an upgrade as they generally hit on 3s at the worst. Broodlords are also expensive.

Single trygon is asking for trouble, run in pairs or not at all. I would suggest 2 broods of raveners or 2 trygons, but not one of each. Trygons like AG.

I'd also be tempted to lose the ymgarl, go 2*2 hive guard to squeeze the second tervigon in there as well as having extra ranged AV, but that may be a step too far for you.

Yes, the Tervigons are definitely worth it. And you'd want a minimum of 2 of them, IMO
- They add 6 T6-wounds.
- They're scoring as troop-choice.
- They provide free Termagants.
- They boost your termagants with AG/TS.
- They add FnP to your units, which heavily increases survivability.
- They're monstrous creatures, and adds a 2D6+strength, if it comes down to it.
And i could go on...

Just go with the cookie-builds to the Tervi'es;
- Tervigon, AG/TS, Cata, Salvo 195 pts
(don't go clusters. You might end up with a Large Blast on top of your lil' guys. Not worth it!)

Always remember, that redundancy in any army is of great importance. You'd hate it, if you lacked AV, and your unit got shot down before they did their tasks.