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Alright, I have a game coming up against a tyranids player, and I was wondering what units I should take, and what upgrades I should run with beyond the standard flame throwers. I already have a bunch of ideas but i wanted to run this past the good people of Dakka.

I know he will be bringing a Hive Tyrant and I know he will be using trygons to deepstrike, so Im expecting some heavy close combat. So, what flavor of chaos should I go with?

Bugs don't like flames

I had a game against tyranids just recently playing as chaos, using a list designed for something else entirely. Didn't crash and burn either, it actually put up a really good fight.

Obviously, as stated, take flamers, as many as possible really. In addition to this, any sort of blast type weapons, a couple of vindicators perhaps. Obliterators are a great option, as you can use their more shooty weapons to take down hordes if none of his larger tyranid creatures are within your grasp, but primarily because they can be fantastic at taking out the real monsters, such as those trygons.

Another suggestion I have is to make good use of havoc launchers, they do wonders against groups of gaunts and genestealers, and have a good enough range to hit most things you will want to on a relatively small board.

Obliterators would be a good bet I'd say, as they can morph many different weapons. Also, missile launchers do a world of hurt to bugs.

Plasma. Obliterators for certain are great. As a nid player plasma is my biggest fear. You can also count on a smart nid player to give his big psyker MC a chance at iron arm. If that happens and he is S9 single missile shots don't scare me at all. You need weight of fire and plasma rapid fire is where it's at. The black mace is also deadly in killing waves of gaunts. Heldrakes are a must and soul blaze certainly thins out the gaunts. Focus fire is the main thing you need to remember. Don't spread out your shots. Focus everything on a single tervigon or tyrant. Tervigons should be your priority as when they die they typically take a few gaunts with them. Odds are you will see endurance floating around so you want to avoid giving 6wound MC a chance to gain more.

My buddy fields lots of Plague marines. They are your best troop choice (usually runs a nurgle bike lord with black mace who I can't stand). I hate the black mace.

Anti-Tyranid thoughts are:

Huron to infiltrate / redeploy and get his heavy flamer.
Burning brand on a lord.
Heldrakes with bale flamers.
Terminator units MON and heavy flamer (don't waste money on combi-flamers they can not overwatch).
Not sure about a couple of vindicators as they don't have the range for the first turn or so; although a single one would be good for nuking the deepstriking/burrowing pests.
Obliterators IMO are too expensive; better to go for havocs - a couple of units with autocannon or even heavy bolters(you don't get to say that too often!) Possibly a dakka pred over havocs to save a few points.
MoN bikes could be a good take to get T6 and if you're charging genestealers you get the hammer of wrath I10 attack to try to cut their numbers down; before they get to struggle with your T6.
Rhinos with destroyer blades + combi flamer; imagine 3 of them piling into this nightmare unit of genestealers I fear!
Sacrificial units to take charges and keep your chaps firing; or holding tyranids at flamer range - single mutilators/ cultists/ single spawns.

Combi weapons can't overwatch? I hadn't heard this before (not that I run many combi's) Could I get a page number or the name of the FAQ?