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Ok, so i just got the BRB earlier this morning and have digested most of it. I want to create a themed but effective Unbound Tyranid all winged list using the Skyblight Swarm. Tell me if this list would be legit:

Skyblight Swarm:

HQ: DakkaRant
2xDevourers, Wings......................230
FA: Hive Crone.................................155
FA: Harpy
TL HVC.............................................140
FA: Harpy
TL HVC.............................................140
FA: Gorgoylesx10.............................60
FA: Gorgoylesx10.............................60
FA: Gorgoylesx10.............................60

Detachment:

HQ: DakkaRant:
2xDevourers, Wings.....................230
HQ: AssassinRant
Bone/Lash, Scything Talons, Adrenal
Glands, Toxin Sacs,Wings..........245
FA: Shrikes Devourers...................90
FA: Shrikes Devourers...................90

So there ya have it. 1500pts worth of flappy goodness, critics welcome.

Whats your plan for high armor? The 2 HVC doesn't seem like enough, smash might be tough also since its only 1 attack now. But I admit I am a little ignorant and new when it comes to Tyranids.

AV13/14 isn't a tough nut to crack with this many FMC with smash. I can suck up any lucky damage the enemy may inflict until i clean out the other threats then land and deal with the high AV at my pleasure. Flyrants getting back arc on most front AV 13 but rear AV 12 isn't tough. The AssassinRant on the charge can glance 13 and if i change a couple things i can get the Ymgarl Factor or Reaper to glance 14. In any event it will be pretty hard for an opponent to roll that many 6's while i am swooping unless they bring a full on 5th ed mecha army list in which case i would have to rethink my plan. Not to mention the odd HVC shots.

Anybody else want to pipe in here with some constructive critique?

I feel like your ground targets are going to be hit hard as they are so much easier to hit. I really like the idea of that many fmc's though, Let us know how it goes!

I'd like to run a similar list to this but battled forged to take to a tourney soon.

Good luck!

HVC is garbage, suboptimal against everything, especially now with the new vehicle pen table. Back to the bad old days... With the buff to pinning, there's very little reason not to go for stranglethorn on your harpies. CC build on a winged tyrant is just a huge no for me. The stipulation that you waste a turn transitioning to hover and getting torn up on TOP of costing even more than a dakka flyrant is ludicrous. If you need to deal with AV 13/14 with only fliers, you're pretty much stuck with haywire, meaning crones for tentaclids and electroshock grubs on your flyrants. HVC takes too long to HP whittle and can't get an explode result, landing for CC is utter suicide, and 1 s8 ap2 vector strike per crone isn't going to cut it.

Shrikes would be far more durable and effective as one squad of 6 rather than split.

Fach, i can appreciate your comments and they are mostly correct, however, as you mentioned the "bad old days" i plan on concentrating my fire on those pesky 13/14 armor later in the game after wasting most of what could hurt me while transitioning. It was what one did in previous incarnations of bugs, concentrating fire. I am torn between the AssassinRant with grubs and a higher strength CC ability and the stock Flyrant. HVC, multiple smash and the AssassinRant's CC ability added to the tentaclids and vector striking crone with the possibility of a warp lance might be enough concentration. But, the shrikes i may lump into one group. Was thinking of trying to run them with the two groups of Flyrant/Harpy but figure it wouldn't be prudent with their lack of speed to keep up. I usually run Flyrant/Harpyx2 and AssassinRant/Crone. Wilson with the gargoyles ability of returning on a 4+ i want them to get hit hard so they soak up shots and still get to take objectives after they return. Or when and if the FMCs come down they can screen them and give cover saves. I'm curious though Fach, what would you include/change, if anything, for this type of all winged list to make it more effective?

In my opinion, nothing in your list should be doing anything other than swooping. CC flyrant is just a bad plan with the new BRB changes since you're forced to hover for a whole turn just soaking firepower until you're able to assault the next turn. Also, IF you are intending to land all your Flyrants at the end and smash the non rear armor av10 tanks to death after all other threats are neutralized, there's still no reason to take all of those CC wargear options, since they'll be useless when you're smashing at S10 AP2 regardless. Toxin sacs do nothing vs armor, and AG only helps in that your HoW goes from S6 to S7. Not exactly points efficiently spent.

I would suggest grabbing electroshock grubs for all of the flyrants that you can. Turning your Harpies into stranglethorn instead of HVC saves enough points for one electroshock grubs, you can get more by switching your "assassinrant" into a normal Dakka flyrant.

If your goal with the assassin flyrant was to deal with big mean characters, I would suggest instead turning some shrikes into CC killers, dropping a model if necessary to fund this. Deployed cautiously and screened by the gargoyles (which they move at the same speed as ), they can take advantage of the pinning provided by the harpies to make rapid and very potent assaults on units unable to make overwatch shots. This saves you from needing flesh hooks, as your initiative will not drop from moving through cover if your enemy isn't taking overwatch shots at you according to the new BRB. If you're lucky you may even get a blinding result off with your gargoyles, further improving their odds. As another added bonus your shrikes aren't characters, and thus can't be potentially screwed over by challenge shenanigans.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents on what I would change if I were running that sort of list. Good luck!

Interesting. It mirrors many of my own thoughts as well. Things like Toxin Sacs are for everything else, especially targets who make their roles for Biomancy. AG, Ymgarl Factor and Reaper give my AssassinRant a str9 in the first round of CC which is why i was trying to find a way to incorporate him into the list as a true threat vs armor or characters, without having to gut the list. Not saying i would try that but it was a thought. Expensive yes but i feel with this type of army making everything as threatening as possible will cause chaos in the opponents threat assessment and perhaps causing a few critical mistakes. Kind of a smoke and mirrors kind of thing (4th ed godzillas, 2nd ed carnifex spearhead). In any event i did refresh my understanding of the "buff" to pinning and it is a bit underwhelming in that this list is meant to flap down right over the heart of the enemy ranks and gut it quick as possible entrusting to the Hard To Hit rule to save my butt. And, if it happens i get grounded right over a shot up enemy with my turn next so much the better. I was leaning towards much of your assessment, just looking for hidden options.

dahivemind wrote:
Ok, so i just got the BRB earlier this morning and have digested most of it. I want to create a themed but effective Unbound Tyranid all winged list using the Skyblight Swarm. Tell me if this list would be legit:

Skyblight Swarm:

HQ: DakkaRant
2xDevourers, Wings......................230
FA: Hive Crone.................................155
FA: Harpy
TL HVC.............................................140
FA: Harpy
TL HVC.............................................140
FA: Gorgoylesx10.............................60
FA: Gorgoylesx10.............................60
FA: Gorgoylesx10.............................60

Detachment:

HQ: DakkaRant:
2xDevourers, Wings.....................230
HQ: AssassinRant
Bone/Lash, Scything Talons, Adrenal
Glands, Toxin Sacs,Wings..........245
FA: Shrikes Devourers...................90
FA: Shrikes Devourers...................90

So there ya have it. 1500pts worth of flappy goodness, critics welcome.

Not too much to add, I use a Winged Assassin myself, and I always am happy with what I get. I don't know that double Glands are a good purchase though...I usually eguip my Assassin LW/BS, Toxic, and a Thorax Hive with Electro bugs. That runs 240.

I would strongly recommend finding points to toss Electro-bugs on everyone who can take them, as Nids, as always, have an "issue" with Heavy Vehicles. Now that Smash has been nurfed, it's even harder to generate hits on vehicles (that count anyway )

My favorite target with my Winged Assassin is enemy MC's, and tarpitted CC characters. Toxic is a critical upgrade vs Wraith Knights and the like. And the IK feature on Bone Swords puts a little fear in the enemies heart.

If you use the Gargoyles to do the tarpitting, you might just be in CC with a Blind foe. Currently I am figuring that Toxic is a justifiable upgrade on Gargoyles in Skyblight, because they can "come back", and because Blinding venom now requires a Wound to take effect.

I prefer Stranglethorns for Harpies, but I usually plump +10 points for the "spine salvo(?)" so they can shoot at Fliers if needed. (so save 10, spend 20) If you get a chance, I'd love to hear how this does on the table.

Late entry: If you drop one Brood of Shrikes, you could toss in some winged Ripper Swarms, and go "Battle Forged" I don't know if you'd want to though....

Ok, so a few things i usually did with my bug lists i am going back to doing. I am going to drop the AssassinRant and go with the 3xFlyrant with dual devs. I just can't find a way with this current edition to make the CCRant do enough, fast enough. At least not as fast as the dual dev Flyrants can. Usually in 6th i ran 2xFlyrant/Harpy and when i assaulted late in the game i used Sonic Screech to get my whacks in first which most of the time decided the combat. I will be doing this again but will run 2xFlyrant/Harpy and 1 Flyrant/Crone to support whichever side needs it. With a lack of true CC ability on these three combos the screech should allow me to do what i need to with left over armor/MCs. I did go with the electro bugs. Necessary now that the HVC and CC Tyrant are gone. The HVC i am loath to part with as i still like them. Pinning enemy units with Stranglethorns i will be wasting with 36 TL str6 BS4 beetle bullets from the Flyrants anyway seemed a waste, but we shall see.
I too saw the AA capability of the Stinger Salvo when shooting at enemy flyers and for when i need to make a Jink and cannot use the SC. I am still deciding on the last unit to include and what it will be, whether shrikes or more gargoyles or even another FMC i haven't decided. A friend happened to see my impromptu list and said if i change the Gargoyles to Termies it would be a Forged list. Forged yes but not themed Saturday is a local tourney my club is putting on so i will try this list out and see how it runs. It will be my first games in 7th, should be fun. I'll let you know how it goes. My club is of the most brutal kind so afterwards i will have a good idea what to do/not do on the next list.

dahivemind wrote:
Ok, so a few things i usually did with my bug lists i am going back to doing. I am going to drop the AssassinRant and go with the 3xFlyrant with dual devs. I just can't find a way with this current edition to make the CCRant do enough, fast enough. At least not as fast as the dual dev Flyrants can. Usually in 6th i ran 2xFlyrant/Harpy and when i assaulted late in the game i used Sonic Screech to get my whacks in first which most of the time decided the combat. I will be doing this again but will run 2xFlyrant/Harpy and 1 Flyrant/Crone to support whichever side needs it. With a lack of true CC ability on these three combos the screech should allow me to do what i need to with left over armor/MCs. I did go with the electro bugs. Necessary now that the HVC and CC Tyrant are gone. The HVC i am loath to part with as i still like them. Pinning enemy units with Stranglethorns i will be wasting with 36 TL str6 BS4 beetle bullets from the Flyrants anyway seemed a waste, but we shall see.
I too saw the AA capability of the Stinger Salvo when shooting at enemy flyers and for when i need to make a Jink and cannot use the SC. I am still deciding on the last unit to include and what it will be, whether shrikes or more gargoyles or even another FMC i haven't decided. A friend happened to see my impromptu list and said if i change the Gargoyles to Termies it would be a Forged list. Forged yes but not themed Saturday is a local tourney my club is putting on so i will try this list out and see how it runs. It will be my first games in 7th, should be fun. I'll let you know how it goes. My club is of the most brutal kind so afterwards i will have a good idea what to do/not do on the next list.

Cool! I'll look foward to hearing how it went.

yeah I would recomend just taking one unit of shrikes of 5 with rending claws, still going for 3 flyrants which gives you 20pts to add maybe 2x toxin sacs on the flyrants incase you do want to charge something

Ok, so the tourney went well. However, my gaming club has ruled tourneys will be War Forged army lists with allies allowed with the odd unbound only tourney happening once in a while for a changeup. So in light of that i have scrapped my all winged list as i cannot do it with all winged models.

Here is my new list:
Main Detachment:
Flyrant-2xdevourers, wings, electroshock 240
Flyrant-2xdevourers, wings, electroshock 240
Hive Crone 155
Harpy 135
Harpy 135
Termagantsx10 40
Termagantsx10 40

Allied Detachment:
Flyrant2xdevourers, wings, electroshock 240
Carnifex2 2xdevourers 300
Termagantsx10 40
I know i'm 65 pts over 1500 and am deciding what i want to do away with. Below i have included some of the models i have assembled for this list. Let me know what your think.

dahivemind wrote:
Ok, so the tourney went well. However, my gaming club has ruled tourneys will be War Forged army lists with allies allowed with the odd unbound only tourney happening once in a while for a changeup. So in light of that i have scrapped my all winged list as i cannot do it with all winged models.

Here is my new list:
Main Detachment:
Flyrant-2xdevourers, wings, electroshock 240
Flyrant-2xdevourers, wings, electroshock 240
Hive Crone 155
Harpy 135
Harpy 135
Termagantsx10 40
Termagantsx10 40

Allied Detachment:
Flyrant2xdevourers, wings, electroshock 240
Carnifex2 2xdevourers 300
Termagantsx10 40
I know i'm 65 pts over 1500 and am deciding what i want to do away with. Below i have included some of the models i have assembled for this list. Let me know what your think.

Technicaly, I don't think you can ally with your self (needs to be a seperate faction) But you can run 2x CAD. It just needs 1 more Troop.

BRB says that i can ally with Tyranids as battle brothers as seen on the matrix of page 126. And on page 122 it tells you what selections your allied detachment must/can include.
Edit: Nevermind i see it on the Allied Detachment rulles " All units chosen must have a different Faction to any of the units in your Primary Detachment."