Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I just got bitten by the Nid Bug, so I'm looking to various tactics for them.

I got to play a game recently, and got creamed pretty hard by a IM / SM gunline. I wasn't really taking an optimal list, but neither was he, and all that shooting just whittled down my forces to the point that they were simply ineffective in CC.

Are termagaunts able to provide a screen for MC? or vice versa? If so, would it better to use the monstrous creatures to screen gaunts? (as they need numbers to effectively tarpit, and MC's are as dangerous at 1 wound as they are with 4) or use a gaunt screen to ensure that the MC's have enough wounds to last?

Also, I've thought about venomthropes, and what do players generally do to protect them from getting singled out by heavy weapons?

Thanks for the input guys!

Use Gaunts to screen the TMC's.

Which typeof Gaunts is up to you, I currently use 3 units of 10 Hormagaunts in my 1850 list as they are a bit quicker than Termagants.

Then again, for 10 Hormagaunts you get 12 Termagants, which can start to accumulate if you take higher screen numbers.

A lot of people prefer Malanthropes but I do run Venomthropes. I have a unit of 2 so they can't be removed as easily and don't give First Blood quite as easily. Best thing for them is to keep them out of LOS, quite easy if they are supporting your MC's.

If you want a screen for MC's, have you considered gargoyles?

Keep in mind points cost too.
For the price of a basic fex you get 30 termigants, which screen their own and provide alot of numbers.

So it may seem nice for a fex to soak shooting, but will it soak the same as 30 termigants?

I would prefer that my MC's get into combat with as many wounds as possible since a bit of luck can kill something with 1 wound quite often.



If you struggle with a firewall style army though, consider fast movement.
Flyrants, crones, Malocs etc can get behind them quite quickly and cause enough disruption for the slower units to arrive without taking too much damage.

Just need to overload them with priority targets as quickly as possible.

Thanks for the input.

It was my first 7th edition game since last I played (5th) and I noticed a severe lack of speed with foot Nids.

I had not considered gargoyles, since my poor wallet can only take X so many purchases at a time, but I'll take a look at them later down the road. What is the advantage to using gargoyles over using gaunts to screen? (I'm assuming its the speed they can move)

Also, is it generally accepted that gaunts screen for MC's? I've had conversations with my opponent over the "needs to be 25% obscured" and the gaunt's height make it debatable, especially when in LOS of a tank turret. We just rolled on it and moved on, but I wanted to know the community's opinion on it.

Also, with screening tactics, is it generally wiser to set up the termagaunts like a long line? Or have you had more success double-stacking them or simply creating a "bubble"?

In the case where I end up rolling 1's on the "run" move for the termagaunts, is it better to leave the termagaunts behind, or just accept that the entire army is going to be slowed?

A lot of people prefer Malanthropes but I do run Venomthropes. I have a unit of 2 so they can't be removed as easily and don't give First Blood quite as easily. Best thing for them is to keep them out of LOS, quite easy if they are supporting your MC's.

Just so I can understand. If say, the venomthropes are sitting behind some MC's, units, trying to shoot between the MC broods means a 5+ save usually, and then shrouded adds an additional 2, making it a total of a 3+ cover save for them with MC's screening them?

Gargoyles are larger and can screen any standard unit from the nids dex.
Basic gants and gaunts are tiny compared and screen very little.

Also, blinding venom isnt as great as it was, but they are fast enough to catch riptides/wraithknights.
They can tarpit them atleast and very slowly put wounds on them until something else arrives.

But all in all they are fast enough to keep up the screen and can also act as a cheap tarpit unit.



Also, look at unit staggering as 2 gargoyle screens can overlap and provide cover to one of them, making it alot more survivable.

You either needs screens though ( i prefer mobile gargoyles) or target saturation.
At double lists nids can be very good for this as the mawloc is cheap enough to take 2 without denting your points.
The problems they can cause is more than worth the points too.
Also, being a MC means there is nothing they cannot damage, so if they survive the shooting, get them into combat with any unit that has great shooting and lock it off.

You need to target units that have the best shooting 1st and either get them locked in combat or blast them off the board.


As a side note, grav centurions are a nightmare if you run MC's so you might want to keep an eye since you play against marines from time to time.

 Jackal wrote:
Gargoyles are larger and can screen any standard unit from the nids dex.

What's an optimal amount of gargoyles for a 1500 pt list looking to screen about 3-5 MC's?

As a side note, grav centurions are a nightmare if you run MC's so you might want to keep an eye since you play against marines from time to time.

What's the usual solution to grav centurions? Avoiding them entirely?

An AVID bug player at my shop usually fields his 30 something guants as a screen for his TMC. Usually for the one that can spawn more, if she isn't outflanking. What he also usually does with them is have them stay back and camp on objectives in cover with a Venomthrope(which ever one gives the bubble cover save) and take out squads which deepstrike or come in.

Always put your big bugs toe in cover.

For the Venomthrope, hide them behind something of which opponent cannot see your bug.

 Dshrike wrote:
Thanks for the input.

It was my first 7th edition game since last I played (5th) and I noticed a severe lack of speed with foot Nids.

I had not considered gargoyles, since my poor wallet can only take X so many purchases at a time, but I'll take a look at them later down the road. What is the advantage to using gargoyles over using gaunts to screen? (I'm assuming its the speed they can move)

Also, is it generally accepted that gaunts screen for MC's? I've had conversations with my opponent over the "needs to be 25% obscured" and the gaunt's height make it debatable, especially when in LOS of a tank turret. We just rolled on it and moved on, but I wanted to know the community's opinion on it.

Also, with screening tactics, is it generally wiser to set up the termagaunts like a long line? Or have you had more success double-stacking them or simply creating a "bubble"?

In the case where I end up rolling 1's on the "run" move for the termagaunts, is it better to leave the termagaunts behind, or just accept that the entire army is going to be slowed?

A lot of people prefer Malanthropes but I do run Venomthropes. I have a unit of 2 so they can't be removed as easily and don't give First Blood quite as easily. Best thing for them is to keep them out of LOS, quite easy if they are supporting your MC's.

Just so I can understand. If say, the venomthropes are sitting behind some MC's, units, trying to shoot between the MC broods means a 5+ save usually, and then shrouded adds an additional 2, making it a total of a 3+ cover save for them with MC's screening them?

Gaunts are expendable, don't waste too many points into them but yes, they screen units. Don't have the rulebook on me but I think MCs get a 5+ intervening model Cover Save, boosted to 3+ with a Venomthrope/Malanthrope Shrouded. As someone said, you want a MC toe in area terrain for the all important 2+.

Non vehicles don't need 25% to get the 5+ cover save. It can be a swarm. Any intervening model grants a 5+. Now for a vehicle you need 25%. But we don't have any of thoses HaHA!!

azazel70820 wrote:
Non vehicles don't need 25% to get the 5+ cover save. It can be a swarm. Any intervening model grants a 5+. Now for a vehicle you need 25%. But we don't have any of thoses HaHA!!

Not quite, but this effectively true when firing thru a unit. If the Firerer as a clear line base to base on the target over the screen then it is pretty safe to say it is not thru the screen.