[2000] - Tyranids - Rounded competitive

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**WikkedTiki**

Hey guys. So here is the list,

DakkaFlyrant
DakkaFlytant
Tervigon
30 gaunts (15 flesh, 15 devour)
Zoanthrope
Zoanthrope
Venomthrope
Hive Crone
DakkaCarni
Mawlock
Mawlock

Living Artillery Formation
3x Biovore
3x Warriors 1 BS
Exocrine

1955 - Points

Summary of fights:

First fight was up against a vehicle heavy Dark Eldar. I have never played them and just about got tabled. I screwed up a lot this game so lets go to the next one.

Second fight was up against Orcs. I won 20-2 in Maeltrom #2. Living artillery did amazing! The pinning tests never really did anything but the re-rolls on blast templates was very amazing.

Third fight was against my rival, Tau. I typically can only kill his drones and have to resort to survive long enough to score enough objectives. We were tied neck and neck until turn 5 where he got some better objective cards and got the upper hand. I feel very strong about how i played as he runs a cheesy double riptide/farsight enclave. I think the list needs some tweaking and would love all advice. I just wish i would have made a batrep...

**pinecone77**

WikkedTiki wrote:
Hey guys. So here is the list,

DakkaFlyrant
DakkaFlytant
Tervigon
30 gaunts (15 flesh, 15 devour)
Zoanthrope
Zoanthrope
Venomthrope
Hive Crone
DakkaCarni
Mawlock
Mawlock

Living Artillery Formation
3x Biovore
3x Warriors 1 BS
Exocrine

1955 - Points

Summary of fights:

First fight was up against a vehicle heavy Dark Eldar. I have never played them and just about got tabled. I screwed up a lot this game so lets go to the next one.

Second fight was up against Orcs. I won 20-2 in Maeltrom #2. Living artillery did amazing! The pinning tests never really did anything but the re-rolls on blast templates was very amazing.

Third fight was against my rival, Tau. I typically can only kill his drones and have to resort to survive long enough to score enough objectives. We were tied neck and neck until turn 5 where he got some better objective cards and got the upper hand. I feel very strong about how i played as he runs a cheesy double riptide/farsight enclave. I think the list needs some tweaking and would love all advice. I just wish i would have made a batrep...

Looks nice!

It sounds like you got out scored by Maelstrom, it looks to me like that is because you have too few Troops.

Sadly the only way to add then is to cut something big...

Does your local "meta" require the Crone? if not, you can grab a couple of extra Troops with 155 points.

Right now you're basicly winning, or losing based on matchup...vs DE? Bad matchup, loss, vs Orks, an almost ideal matchup for your list, and you cruised to victory. vs Tau? Well that's always a tough match, and it went down to the wire...

So I suggest you consider modifying your list to matchup well vs more possible foes. Sadly Nids as cosmicly weak vs DE....

About the only advice I have is Templates are good.

Other than that you'll need good armor saves to shed wounds, because DE is all about the poison. Vs Tau, you have a very good list for busting up Gunlines, so if you can grab and hold Objectives better, you should be good...

How common are Space Marines? You want to be able to handle Biker Grav spam, it's less scarey cousin, Melta Spam, and Drop pod spam (Sternguard, and/or Melta spam.....SM also can do a very good job of flooding the board with Objective secured, so counters to that are important as well...

After that...well, everybody else.

**WikkedTiki**

My Meta consists of little to no flyers, but my rival, the tau player, runs 2 barracudas!

I typically play against Tau, Eldar, SM, DE, Orks, and thats all i can think of right now. I play at 4 or 5 different stores so i need the most well rounded army i can get. I do feel like my troops were lacking so that would be a good test to remove the crone. I dont know how i feel about the Carni either....

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have a love for gargoyle models that would be a nice alternative...

**pinecone77**

WikkedTiki wrote:
My Meta consists of little to no flyers, but my rival, the tau player, runs 2 barracudas!

I typically play against Tau, Eldar, SM, DE, Orks, and thats all i can think of right now. I play at 4 or 5 different stores so i need the most well rounded army i can get. I do feel like my troops were lacking so that would be a good test to remove the crone. I dont know how i feel about the Carni either....

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have a love for gargoyle models that would be a nice alternative...

Well this a suggestion...sort of a "template" for a build, it includes some upgrades as well...

HQ: Winged Tyrant, Thorax Hive (Twin Brain Leeches) 240
HQ: Winged Dakka'rant, Hive (as above) 240

Elite: Zoey
Elite: Zoey
Elite: Veno

Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Dakkafex (twin Brain Leeches) 150

Troops: Termagants, x15+ 15 Devilgaunts 60+ 120
Troops: Tervigon, Thorax Hive 205
Troops: Termagants, x20 80
Troops: Termagants, x20 80

Living Artillery Formation: 390
Warrior Brood, x3, Venom Cannon
Biovore Brood, x3 120
Exocrene

If I have added correctly, that runs 1930, so 70 left to spend. I would double out one Zoey Brood, and take Hive Commander...that's 2000 even.

It's hardly "perfect", but I think it will serve as a "fight anybody" list. Still weak vs DE though...

Personally I like to Outflank the Tervigon, then spawn on arrival for bubble wrap.

Note: I suggest you use Electro-bugs on all the Hives.

My personal answer to DE, is a "mini-deathstar" of Tyranofex, Adrenal, Hive, a screen of Hormagaunts, and a Veno...plus a Synapse Warrior, Shrike, Zoey...what ever...

DE can still wound at will, but the punishing twin templates of Doom! Combined with exelant Armor, and/or cover saves can really go to town. Even moreso nowadays because DE vehicles are Open Top.

You could use Dakkafexen instead of course.

**gameandwatch**

pinecone77 wrote:
WikkedTiki wrote:
My Meta consists of little to no flyers, but my rival, the tau player, runs 2 barracudas!

I typically play against Tau, Eldar, SM, DE, Orks, and thats all i can think of right now. I play at 4 or 5 different stores so i need the most well rounded army i can get. I do feel like my troops were lacking so that would be a good test to remove the crone. I dont know how i feel about the Carni either....

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have a love for gargoyle models that would be a nice alternative...

Well this a suggestion...sort of a "template" for a build, it includes some upgrades as well...

HQ: Winged Tyrant, Thorax Hive (Twin Brain Leeches) 240
HQ: Winged Dakka'rant, Hive (as above) 240

Elite: Zoey
Elite: Zoey
Elite: Veno

Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Dakkafex (twin Brain Leeches) 150

Troops: Termagants, x15+ 15 Devilgaunts 60+ 120
Troops: Tervigon, Thorax Hive 205
Troops: Termagants, x20 80
Troops: Termagants, x20 80

Living Artillery Formation: 390
Warrior Brood, x3, Venom Cannon
Biovore Brood, x3 120
Exocrene

If I have added correctly, that runs 1930, so 70 left to spend. I would double out one Zoey Brood, and take Hive Commander...that's 2000 even.
It's hardly "perfect", but I think it will serve as a "fight anybody" list. Still weak vs DE though... Personally I like to Outflank the Tervigon, then spawn on arrival for bubble wrap.

Note: I suggest you use Electro-bugs on all the Hives.

My personal answer to DE, is a "mini-deathstar" of Tyranofex, Adrenal, Hive, a screen of Hormagaunts, and a Veno...plus a Synapse Warrior, Shrike, Zoey...what ever... DE can still wound at will, but the punishing twin templates of Doom! Combined with exelant Armor, and/or cover saves can really go to town. Even moreso nowadays because DE vehicles are Open Top. You could use Dakkafexen instead of course.

List template is illegal unfortunately, you require one full 30 man unit of termagants to get a troop tervigon in the new dex

**pinecone77**

gameandwatch wrote:
pinecone77 wrote:
WikkedTiki wrote:
My Meta consists of little to no flyers, but my rival, the tau player, runs 2 barracudas!

I typically play against Tau, Eldar, SM, DE, Orks, and thats all i can think of right now. I play at 4 or 5 different stores so i need the most well rounded army i can get. I do feel like my troops were lacking so that would be a good test to remove the crone. I dont know how i feel about the Carni either....

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have a love for gargoyle models that would be a nice alternative...

Well this a suggestion...sort of a "template" for a build, it includes some upgrades as well...

HQ: Winged Tyrant, Thorax Hive (Twin Brain Leeches) 240
HQ: Winged Dakka'rant, Hive (as above) 240

Elite: Zoey
Elite: Zoey
Elite: Veno

Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Dakkafex (twin Brain Leeches) 150

Troops: Termagants, x15+ 15 Devilgaunts 60+ 120
Troops: Tervigon, Thorax Hive 205
Troops: Termagants, x20 80
Troops: Termagants, x20 80

Living Artillery Formation: 390
Warrior Brood, x3, Venom Cannon
Biovore Brood, x3 120
Exocrene

If I have added correctly, that runs 1930, so 70 left to spend. I would double out one Zoey Brood, and take Hive Commander...that's 2000 even.
It's hardly "perfect", but I think it will serve as a "fight anybody" list. Still weak vs DE though... Personally I like to Outflank the Tervigon, then spawn on arrival for bubble wrap.

Note: I suggest you use Electro-bugs on all the Hives.

My personal answer to DE, is a "mini-deathstar" of Tyranofex, Adrenal, Hive, a screen of Hormagaunts, and a Veno...plus a Synapse Warrior, Shrike, Zoey...what ever... DE can still wound at will, but the punishing twin templates of Doom! Combined with exelant Armor, and/or cover saves can really go to town. Even moreso nowadays because DE vehicles are Open Top. You could use Dakkafexen instead of course.

List template is illegal unfortunately, you require one full 30 man unit of termagants to get a troop tervigon in the new dex

Dude! Termagants x15 +15 Devilgants is a x30 Brood.

**locarno24**

Indeed. Adding a few devourers massively ups a brood's firepower.

One thing on my 'to do list' is to add a tommy-gun section to all my starting big broods.

Green stuff fedoras and pinstriped carapace optional.

**WikkedTiki**

I noticed that when i run both flyrants together with the hive crone, people tend to shoot the hive crone before the flyrants.... I dont know why, but they do.

**pinecone77**

WikkedTiki wrote:
I noticed that when i run both flyrants together with the hive crone, people tend to shoot the hive crone before the flyrants.... I dont know why, but they do.

Sounds like the "shiney model effect"

If you don't see a lot of Fliers, the Tyrants are enough. And you can then afford more Gribblies.

Maybe you can talk up the Dakkafex, and hypnotise the foe that way.

Nids pretty much depend on synergy to work, so having all the pieces is important, and with Maelstrom, Troops will continue to be an important piece. I've always considered Troops to be a (hidden) strength of the Nids....plenty of folks disagree, but I find the ability to put lots of big blocks of troops down is a powerful act. A big block of OS Troops can even cover so much table that even OS enemy Troops cannot contest without effort. And that give you time to bring a Big Bug over to take care of business.

I think that if you put together a team of Big Bug, bubblewrap, and Synapse, you can do a lot of work. Adding a Veno raises the durability by a good measure. And while that is attracting fire, the rest of the Hive can do what is needed.

Also, if you Outflank a Tervigon, that will distract the foe a good bit. Vs a gunline, the Template with do serious harm, and Electro-bugs can harm vehicles very well. Even before it arrives, the foe will be reacting to it, and the Tervigon can provide Synapse for the Twin Mawlocs.

The more he castled, the worse you can wreck him.

**WikkedTiki**

What about these tweaks?

HQ: Dakka Flyrant, Thorax Hive
HQ: Dakka Flyrant, Thorax Hive, Hive Commander

Elite: Zoey
Elite: Zoey
Elite: Veno

Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Dakkafex (twin Brain Leeches)

Troops: 15 Fleshborer 15 Devilgaunts
Troops: Tervigon, Thorax Hive, Crushing Claws
Troops: Ripper Swarm x3 Deep Strike

Fast Attack: 12x Gargoyles

Living Artillery Formation:
Warrior Brood, x3, Venom Cannon
Biovore Brood, x3 120
Exocrine

**pinecone77**

WikkedTiki wrote:
What about these tweaks?

HQ: Dakka Flyrant, Thorax Hive
HQ: Dakka Flyrant, Thorax Hive, Hive Commander

Elite: Zoey
Elite: Zoey
Elite: Veno

Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Mawloc
Heavy: Dakkafex (twin Brain Leeches)

Troops: 15 Fleshborer 15 Devilgaunts
Troops: Tervigon, Thorax Hive, Crushing Claws
Troops: Ripper Swarm x3 Deep Strike

Fast Attack: 12x Gargoyles

Living Artillery Formation:
Warrior Brood, x3, Venom Cannon
Biovore Brood, x3 120
Exocrine

Looks like a winnable list.

I think it has too few Troops, but I have an odd obsession about that.

**WikkedTiki**

Sweet!

I am interested in testing out the ripper swarms. How has your experience been with them?

**pinecone77**

WikkedTiki wrote:
Sweet! I am interested in testing out the ripper swarms. How has your experience been with them?

I used to use them as my 6th Troop, the fact that they can DS seems awesome, but it's hard to see them doing much more than existing beyond that.

A big plus is they can hide easy, because they are short.

Sadly they cannot GtG, because they are now fearless.

All in all, I see them as a fine purchase, but only in a supporting role.