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Hey guys. I have a 1250/player 2v2 game coming up this week, and wanted some input on my list. I generally run very fluffy, non-competitive lists with an eye for exploiting the Tyranid's few strengths. In this case, I am taking advantage of Pinning weapons as well as large blasts... there are more than normal in this list. However, I am unsure about whether I have enough anti-tank or enough warm bodies - any thoughts?

The format is as such: 4x6 table, plenty of terrain and cover, as well as several LOS blocking pieces. The 4 players will be teamed up randomly, and everyone is bringing a 1250 point list, using a full FOC each. We will be playing with 4 or 5 objectives, and the players are:

Grey Knights (Generally with an emphasis on Terminators and Dreadknights).
Sisters of Battle (Mechanized and assaulty).
Tau (Suit heavy, usually no tanks or transports (!).

Every one of these players brings the minimum number of troops choices whenever possible; I expect to see armies composed primarily of Heavy and Elite choices with minimum troops.

I am not interested in tailoring my list towards these opponents. I am interested in hearing your thoughts on the viability of my list overall, the synergy of my list with my ally (again, chosen randomly), and if you think I have a decent chance with this list.

I will be running:

HQ:
Tyrant (LE/Parox, Old Adversary, Adrenal Glands, Stranglethorn Cannon, LW/BS), with one Lash-Whip Guard.

Troops:
(2x) squads of 3 Warriors, basic, with Barbed Stranglers.
(2x) squads of 10 Termagants, one of these 2 squads has a strangleweb.
Tervigon (Catalyst, Cluster Spines, AG, Toxin, Crushing Claws).
Hormagaunts: 10x.

Elite:
2 squads of individual Hive Guard.

Heavy:
3 squads of (2x) Biovores.


The idea is to pin as many enemies as possible as often as possible while taking down troops with volume of fire right from turn 1. I am unsure about whether I have enough models on the board, however! I prefer to use my gaunts as a meat shield, so they should be gone quite quickly - hopefully this won't leave the Warriors open to S8 firepower too quickly.

Thoughts?

You're right, that's comptetive. Sorry.

3 warriors is too small a brood. Hormaguants with no upgrades are not really worth it. Better to just run 2 tervigons and spam termagants with AG/TS support instead.

More hive guard and less biovores for me.

Any opinion on whether pinning as an overall strategy is generally viable? I have not run a pinning list before. Think I will run into issues?

Pinning can be really hard to do in the current meta with so much fearless running a round.Other than that pinning can be awesome. If you pin a squad it is out of the game for a round. In theory you can win an objective game just by pinning the opponent so badly they can't move to take them.

I would drop 2 biovore broods and beef one up to 3, as they need synapse to function and synapse makes them fearless. Also Biovores are troop killers but not much good against armor.

One way to beef up pinning is to use Broodlords and the Aura of Despair power to reduce leadership by 1 per effecting broodlord. Drop the crushing claws on the Trevigon ( I find talon more useful), drop the hormigaunts, and drop the stranglewebs ( not sure that will work against any thing). That should buy enough points for a small stealer brood with brood lord. I think you can get a second brood from points saved on the biovores.

That should give you a solid chance to pin with the Stranglers and spore mine barrages.

As a tyranid player since 2nd ed, I can tell you what will work with teams and what won't. I love team games and bugs can be very complimentary.

As I read through your description of the format, I am a bit concerned with your ability to help out a teammate. Sisters are great in that 8-24" range, grey knights are great up close, and tau suits aren't exactly the long range heavy hitters of the army.

With so many templates going everywhere I fear constipation might be an issue. People get nervous when around templates in team games. When they get nervous they don't move as fast or decisively as they should.

All the armies you mentioned need the maneuver to be effective and I think you might end up hurting that aim. Especially when objectives are in the mix.

I agree with using broodlords and dropping the strangleweb/multiple units of biovores. Strangleweb wounds against opponents unmodified strength vs. S2 for the gun... Even in the case of a firewarrior it wounds on 4+. Marines on 6+.

Tervigons are fantastic and can gum up the field with gribblies. Ultimately bugs don't win much nowadays but make excellent distractions because of the free troops we can get. Since they can get counter attack, poison, and furious charge that makes those units of gaunts very tough to get rid of if there's some high armour value power squads to back them up.

Warrior squads are great at holding objectives but you really do need more than 3. A squad of 5 works well for me. Put them up in a building with some ranged firepower or on an objective bubble-wrapped with little guys. They're very tough to kill once they've gone to ground and get a 3+ cover.

All the armies you mention are vulnerable to pinning but I think you would do better by making it difficult for the opponent to move where they want. By putting troops in the way you forcing your opponents to kill them. What's the obvious drawback to that? Getting assaulted by grey knights, crazy women, or being shot at by massed suits after the combat is over. Termagaunts make the best meat shield. Hormagaunts will almost never win combat anyway, why not have 1.5x as many termagaunts that can force your opponent to hit them. With a hard unit that will probably kill them completely that leaves them open to a lot of nasty things.

Overall bugs are still a close combat army. We can't do anything in combat anymore outside of the MC's so by tying up units in a team scenario that leaves your much quicker teammates able to swoop in and take what they want without being as molested.

Thanks for the input - will rethink this list. Cheers,