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HQ -- 505

Swarmlord
x3 Tyrant Guard
--x3 Boneswords

Elites -- 720

Zoanthrope Broods (X3)
--3 Zoas
--Mycetic Spore
----Venom Cannon

Troops -- 400

Hormagaunts (x2)
--20 Horma
--AG/TS

Fast Attack -- 360

Shrikes (x3)
--3 shrikes
--Scything Talons
--Rending Claws

Heavy Support -- 265

Trygon
--Regen
--Prime

Now comes the fun part: Explaining myself.

HQ reasons:
--Swarmlord is a nasty beast, slicing his way through nearly anything. A wonderful unit, but a huge fire magnet. Therefore, give him as many extra wounds as possible.
--Boneswords on the Tyrant Guard give the swarmlord's team a crazy high number of armor-ignoring attacks, removing all but the most stalwart of defenders.

Elite reasons:
--Three teams of three are a strong vanguard, and when you drop them in at the opportune moment, you will probably have a good chance of getting them, since the Swarmlord has Alien Cunning.
--Having them be zoanthropes is a no brainer (ah, that was a pun! Get it? Brainer, because zoanthropes have a huge brain? Ah, forget it. ). The psychic attacks are overwhelming, as it lets you slice through Marines at weakest, Monoliths at best.
--Venom cannons or barbed strangler? It doesn't really matter, but the venom cannon will probably help take care of mediocre troops choic es, stripping the armor save from most troops, save Sphess Mahreens (Which is what the Zoas are for anyway...).

Troop reasons:
--Hormagaunts are great tarpits, and fast moving too. But that does present a large problem. How to keep them ahead, while still within synapse?
--AG/TS seems a popular choice, and a good one too. Who doesn't want furious charge and wound anything on a 4+? Especially for cheap troops.

Fast Attack reasoning:
--Not many use shrikes, but I see a particular special use for them here. As jump infantry, they can keep up with the fast paced Hormagaunts.
--3 squads of 3? why not one of 9? Because then your synapse wep is a tad bit more stable, as your foes must direct different turns to destroy the smaller groups, instead of wiping them out in one decisive move, disabling your gaunts.
--No shooting on these guys? Why? This keeps them focused, and keeps valuable shhoting out of melee, where these guys are going anyway.

Heavy support reasoning:
--What is a trygon doing here? Doesn't it seem a bit out of place? Yes, it does. But I always use it, and I have a good W/T/L record when using it. Plus, It also distracts bigger guns from blasting the other delicious units, keeping them on the table longer, closer to fufilling their primary role.

I find that most of my Tyrant Guard die doing their job, and giving them any upgrades isn't worth it since they are just extra wounds. If anything lash whips would be more useful since Swarmy doesn't have them.

3 squads of 3 zoans is awesome, until you run into Eldrad or a Hood. I'd diversify. Maybe 2 squads and them some Ymgarls? Or DoM?

I'd drop down to 2x3 Zoats and 3x Hive Guard. Get some awesome shooting into the list.

Your goal is to keep the 2x Hormagaunt squads ahead of your main force and to use them as a tarpit. Doesn't sound too unreasonable until you realize that your entire Troops force is the two Hormagaunt squads.

You have negligible objective-holding capability.
At 2250pt, this is a tremendous problem.

Nalathani wrote:I find that most of my Tyrant Guard die doing their job, and giving them any upgrades isn't worth it since they are just extra wounds. If anything lash whips would be more useful since Swarmy doesn't have them.

Makes sense, I haven't playtested it yet, So I'll try it with and without. And that suggestion for the lashwhips makes just as much sense, as now enemy is nearly unable to fight back.

Nalathani wrote:3 squads of 3 zoans is awesome, until you run into Eldrad or a Hood. I'd diversify. Maybe 2 squads and them some Ymgarls? Or DoM?

Thankfully, The three people I usually play with play Tau, Sphess Mahreens (without a libby), And Imperial Guard. On occasion, Possibly a grey knights list, So I am rather worried about the possibility of all those knights. Do knights have Psychic hoods, or the equivilent powers?

Cottonjaw wrote:I'd drop down to 2x3 Zoats and 3x Hive Guard. Get some awesome shooting into the list.

Agreed, but some suggestions that I have heard is to try and go all the way and take all of one. It "Simplifies" the total diversity, and "streamlines" the list.
Again, I haven't tested it yet, so I'll experiment with it.

Absolutionis wrote:Your goal is to keep the 2x Hormagaunt squads ahead of your main force and to use them as a tarpit. Doesn't sound too unreasonable until you realize that your entire Troops force is the two Hormagaunt squads.

You have negligible objective-holding capability.
At 2250pt, this is a tremendous problem.

I agree, but the prime majority of the time, Even in an objectives game, we usually just end up playing it like an annihilation game . Also, If need be, I happen to have an abscene amount of genestealer models, so I can always afford to add a genestealer team for holding abjectives.

I haven't played Nids before but a guy at my club always owns me with his. Going off his list and comparing to yours I've found less elite and more guants seems to be the way to go Maybe try and chop and change and get a tervigon or two in there somewhere

I personally love the Swarmlord model so tops to you for fielding him

9 shrikes with no range weapons? while coll in concept, they gun'a die like fast. IDed by S8, too small broods, and power fists are going to potential drop them 2 at a time, 1 from a successful hit, and 1 from 3 failed fearless saves.

If you are going to run them like that run it as one big brood of 9. That way you have a good chance of making contact with the enemy.