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or Excuses to Justify Buying the New Kit

The new Tyrannofex model looks too cool, it's $60, and a mediocre unit in a underwhelming book. I have plans to buy two at some undetermined point for Apocalypse games and larger point games with my friends. To justify this purchase I've decided to propose a debate on how the Tyrannofex is best used for both myself and anybody else who might be on the fence in reference to purchasing one.

The statline of the Tyrannofex is bulky enough to weather fire during the course of the game well enough so long as you keep him away from squads with copious amounts of AP 2 weaponry or power weapons. The lifespan and threat greatly increases if you have another on the field along with having four potential S10 shots, but is it worth the cost?

The Tyrannofex has the ability to fire three weapons per turns thanks to the various Thorax Swarm weapons and the fact that it's an MC. Between the Acid Spray, Rupture Cannon, and the Fleshborer Hive the Rupture Cannon is best suited to the Tyrannofex due to the fact that it's an anti-armor weapon. It has little need for the other two biomorphs because the entire Tyranid army serves as anti-infantry. Following that one has the choice between the Stinger Salvo and the Cluster Spines, both of which are free. Seeing as how the Tyrannofex is an model with a BS of 3, I would be more inclined to choose the Cluster Spines because the large blast has the potential to damage more models than the Stinger Salvo due to only hitting twice on average. As for the Thorax Swarm, I'm not sure which is the best choice. I feel like the Shreddershard Beetles are the least efficient choice, despite the fact that it is rending. The Desiccator Larvae seem like the best choice to me because they always wound on a 2+, but I could be wrong here.

The ability to fire all three of these weapons per turn puts the Tyrannofex is a role where it slogs along with the rest of the army, opening fire on key vehicles. If no vehicles are left or no vehicles need to be fired on the Tyrannofex can put massive hurt on infantry choice. Thanks to being an MC and having S6 and A4 it can shoot a transport, assault the squad inside, probably shrug of standard power weapons if any, and rout the squad. I feel like there should be two Tyrannofeges in the army for when one surely dies on turn one or two.

I just came up with these musings now, but does anybody have any constructive criticism on what I've said? Or even better, better advice than I've gave? I'd love to hear!

Cheers!

How do you get 3 weapons? I should only have 2 if I recall right. I plan to pick one up for an upcoming 40k league just have variety between all the games. I really can't see much use for it other then being a fire magnet, I'm not entirely sure the gun on it is all that worthwhile for the points spent, you could probably get better odds taking any other creature in the slot.

That said I think it will be fun to plunk one down and have it provide cover for my tervigons as it marches up the field.

Thimn wrote:How do you get 3 weapons? I should only have 2 if I recall right.

Thorax Swarm, Cluster Spines/Stinger Salvo, Acid Spray/Rupture Cannon/Fleshborer Hive

3 weapons, Thorax Swarm can be fired along with the other two.

I've yet to test it, but I've theorized that with enough big and scary things Tyranid Warriors once again become viable because your opponent won't be plinking missiles at the big creatures. Not only that, but the 2+ armor save on the T-Fex let's it shrug off AP 3 weapons, like missiles.

The only real downside to the tyrannofex is its cost, but it is a pretty big downside. I think the rupture cannon can be extremely valuable for an army that really suffers from lack of long range anti-tank ability.

I've got a 1k doubles tournament (2k total) coming up (partnering with Eldar... because we're friends, not because I think we'll win tons ) and I'm thinking of doing a semi-nidzilla...

Tyrant+1 Guard
4 Hive Guard
(not sure about troops)
2 Tyrannos with RC, Dessicator, and Cluster Spines

Lots of T6 wounds on the table, and some of them very resilient... it'd be interesting to play that.

My buddy was suggesting something along the lines of 3 tyrannofex, 3 shrike, 3 squads of hive guard, 2 tervigons, and some number of troops. Then you have a bunch of shooty tyranids and the shrikes hanging out behind the tyranos for cover and a counterassault element.
I dunno, it sounded pretty lame to me, but he was hyped on it and a good player so maybe it's awesome?

Why/how can you fire all 3 ranged weapon? MC lets you fire 2 per turn if i am not mistaken. It is not a tank that can fire deffensive weapons.

Talonwinter wrote:Why/how can you fire all 3 ranged weapon? MC lets you fire 2 per turn if i am not mistaken. It is not a tank that can fire deffensive weapons.

Thorax Swarm has a specific allowance. Page 82 of your codex, even gives the example of a MC firing the Swarm and 2 weapons.

Talonwinter wrote:Why/how can you fire all 3 ranged weapon? MC lets you fire 2 per turn if i am not mistaken. It is not a tank that can fire deffensive weapons.

Thorax swarms can be fired in addition to the normal allotment of ranged weapons. It's specifically stated in the thorax swarm entry.

Price is one big downside, yes, but the other is competition with Trygons/Mawlocs for force org slots. I can't imagine a situation where I'd rather have a tyrannofex than a trygon prime, which is still the cheaper of the two.

Tyranid ranged anti-tank comes from elite slots, either hive guard or zoanthropes. That's enough to open transports or deal with 1-2 main battle tanks, depending how many of each you take. After that, tyranids do anti-tank the same way they do everything else: in close combat. And really, the 7 S7 attacks you get from a charging trygon is just far more effective than 2 BS3 shots ever could be, even at S10.

Actually, I'll revise my earlier statement and say that the one use I could see for tyrannofexes would be if you were trying to make a shooty 'nid list. It's not the most powerful nid build, but it could work decently well, and the tyrannos could help it out. Other than that, I really do think you're better with a trygon, or simply spending the 200+pts in a different force org slot.

Aidoneus wrote:Price is one big downside, yes, but the other is competition with Trygons/Mawlocs for force org slots. I can't imagine a situation where I'd rather have a tyrannofex than a trygon prime, which is still the cheaper of the two.

I agree - the Trygon is overall better imo.

I *hate* the Trygon mini. I don't know why, maybe it's the snake thing (I also dislike Raveners, just not as much) but I refuse to purchase/field one.
edit: And that's why I'm running Tyrannos.

Dok wrote:My buddy was suggesting something along the lines of 3 tyrannofex, 3 shrike, 3 squads of hive guard, 2 tervigons, and some number of troops. Then you have a bunch of shooty tyranids and the shrikes hanging out behind the tyranos for cover and a counterassault element.
I dunno, it sounded pretty lame to me, but he was hyped on it and a good player so maybe it's awesome?

That's a pretty ridiculous list, but I imagine it would be a ton of fun and could give a surprising run for your money.

All that adds up to around 2465 with 14 Shrikes (LW/BS - what else) a Prime for an HQ and the two tervis as troops...

... Ard Boys?

The trick is to use the Tyranno extremely aggressively. 265 is ridiculous for 2 st10 shots. But it isn't as ridiculous with that, plus the large blast, and with the flamer template that wounds on 2+. Oh, and this is one of those areas where that second tervigon power comes into play

I mean as a baseline for 1350 you get:

3x2 Hive Guard
2xTyranofexx w/rupture cannons
2xTervigon w/both powers, adrenal, and toxic sacs
2x10 Termagants

That leaves you with 500pts in an average 1850 game for some fast, solid CC to pressure the enemy. Not to shabby.

I didn't even think of that! Onslaught on a Tyrannofex... My buddies will be screaming OP Only one of my friends is tournament competitive, so I can get away with a lot of fun things.

One of the guys where I used to play used to destroy people at 1,500 with the two big beasties and onslaught. That's one of the things that got me thinking once they released the bitchin looking model

I just think its funny that people are just now paying attention to this unit now that there is a model for it...

Well I considered it in the beginning but I just couldn't find a way to convert it that I liked. So now that there is a model for it I'm down

I ran one last night instead of the usual Trygon and was very pleased with its performance.

Hulksmash wrote:The trick is to use the Tyranno extremely aggressively. 265 is ridiculous for 2 st10 shots. But it isn't as ridiculous with that, plus the large blast, and with the flamer template that wounds on 2+. Oh, and this is one of those areas where that second tervigon power comes into play

I mean as a baseline for 1350 you get:

3x2 Hive Guard
2xTyranofexx w/rupture cannons
2xTervigon w/both powers, adrenal, and toxic sacs
2x10 Termagants

That leaves you with 500pts in an average 1850 game for some fast, solid CC to pressure the enemy. Not to shabby.

^^This

Onslaughting T-Fexes has been on my mind since the Dex came out. People underestimate how quickly that big lumbering mass will get down the field with Onsluaght, and then you drop double template goodness all over the place.

rigeld2 wrote:

Aidoneus wrote:Price is one big downside, yes, but the other is competition with Trygons/Mawlocs for force org slots. I can't imagine a situation where I'd rather have a tyrannofex than a trygon prime, which is still the cheaper of the two.

I agree - the Trygon is overall better imo.

I *hate* the Trygon mini. I don't know why, maybe it's the snake thing (I also dislike Raveners, just not as much) but I refuse to purchase/field one.
edit: And that's why I'm running Tyrannos.

Off topic Real quick: How can you hate the Trygon Mini?! Well, it's not really a mini, but anyway. You sir, are an Aberration!


On Topic: The Tyrannofex is hit or miss for me. I had been using my Carnifexes as subs for them, so now that I have the official models I'm more inclined to field it more often. I've been obsessed with my Necrons lately, but it seems now is a good time to play some games with the Nids.

Sasori wrote:

rigeld2 wrote:

Aidoneus wrote:Price is one big downside, yes, but the other is competition with Trygons/Mawlocs for force org slots. I can't imagine a situation where I'd rather have a tyrannofex than a trygon prime, which is still the cheaper of the two.

I agree - the Trygon is overall better imo.

I *hate* the Trygon mini. I don't know why, maybe it's the snake thing (I also dislike Raveners, just not as much) but I refuse to purchase/field one.
edit: And that's why I'm running Tyrannos.

Off topic Real quick: How can you hate the Trygon Mini?! Well, it's not really a mini, but anyway. You sir, are an Aberration!


On Topic: The Tyrannofex is hit or miss for me. I had been using my Carnifexes as subs for them, so now that I have the official models I'm more inclined to field it more often. I've been obsessed with my Necrons lately, but it seems now is a good time to play some games with the Nids.

Off Topic Reply: Snakes. Why's it always gotta be snakes.
On Topic: Agreed - now that it's a real model I'm going to do some onslaughty Rupture Cannon goodness.

Andilus Greatsword wrote:

Dok wrote:My buddy was suggesting something along the lines of 3 tyrannofex, 3 shrike, 3 squads of hive guard, 2 tervigons, and some number of troops. Then you have a bunch of shooty tyranids and the shrikes hanging out behind the tyranos for cover and a counterassault element.
I dunno, it sounded pretty lame to me, but he was hyped on it and a good player so maybe it's awesome?

That's a pretty ridiculous list, but I imagine it would be a ton of fun and could give a surprising run for your money.

Yeah, I don't really know the point values, but I think they had some way to fit it into 1850.

but, it is instinctive behaivior, so that means that the T-fex getts away from wariors or other synapse, it will be firing at that one close deep striking unit rather then the important tank in the distance.

playing against a friend I deep struck a trygon (prime) and rippers, use the rtygon to wipe out synapse, whilst the T-fex is attacking a ripper swarm brood. distractions.The only thing rippers are good for.

Not to hard really assuming he only means 3 actual shrikes. Otherwise I don't see how it could be done:

2xTervigons (1 HQ) (Only one psychic power)
10 Termagants
3xTyranofexes
3x2 Hive Guard
3x3 Shrikes (No upgrades)

That comes out to 1,850. Me personally I'd probably drop a shrike, make 2 squads of 4 and then give them rending claws. But as you can see it's possible

Dok wrote:Yeah, I don't really know the point values, but I think they had some way to fit it into 1850.

Not a chance really. This is as cheap as I could get it - 1995 and it's sorely lacking.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

Hulksmash wrote:That comes out to 1,850. Me personally I'd probably drop a shrike, make 2 squads of 4 and then give them rending claws. But as you can see it's possible

But... why have Shrikes without LW/BS? That's heresy.

I think Tyrannofexs are a good unit, they do need the army to be built around them.


I think a Tervigon army with 3 Tyrannofexs could be Viable.

Also have Hive Guard in there for some additional anti-tank shots. Plenty of Gribblies from the Tervigons and you have MC saturation.

I have my shrikes with double bone swords.
I never thought about onslaughting Tfexes. But that does sound like a lot of fun and may have to give it a shot.

That build it whats tempting me to start Nids.

5 Tervigons, 3 units of Uberguants, 3 Tyrannofexs, 9 Hive Guard, and a whole bunch of gaunts for my Tervis to spawn.

This could work...