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Hey guys. Me and a friend have both recently started playing 40k. He has been playing a bit longer than me, having both an IG army and then we split the Shield of Baal box, so he also has a few blood angels. In the last few weks I have assembled and painted my first models, and we are eager to play our first game! I have been watching bat reps and following a bit about the tournament scene for awhile (I've watched most of team0comp's/frontline gaming's tyranid bat reps), but I'm still a new player and I don't know much of what is going on, the same for him, really. Since I have the smaller range of units, we agreed that I would make my army and he would create an equal points army to match it.

We're thinking somewhere in the range of 500-1000 (or more if I want) points, and the limiting factor for me is the models I currently own. I'd like some suggestions on lists I could run that are fun and somewhat OK. I'm not worried about being super competitive here, but I don't want my team to be a wet noodle, either. Just some idea of what makes sense going together and makes a cohesive army. He's not gonna be a dick and bust out something super cheesy or competitive if I'm not also intending to make that sort of list. He does have a few leman russ', chimera, a valkerie(doubt he'd use this), and a lot of gaurdsmen with some scions and of course the blood angels from shield of baal to ally with.

Here are the models I have to build from:
-Shield of Baal: Deathstorm
3 Warriors
8 Genestealers
1 Brood Lord (Special named BL)
1 Fex (can be special, named fex)
- Tyranid Swarm box
40 Gaunts
40 termies
10 Gargoyles
1 Carnifex (2 total)
Ripper swarms
- 1 Box warriors (got lucky and picked these up for like 15 bucks NoS on a bid on ebay, just got them b/c they were a good deal, honestly)
3 warriors (so, 6 total)

As you can see, I don't have a lot of variety I can field, but I do have a lot of little gribblies thanks to picking up the swarm box. I'm thinking that since I have so few MC's that I would probably be best served trying to go for a lower point game as it would be more blanced because he won't be throwing a ton of tanks my way, and the only things I really have to deal with them would be carnifex (which are gonna have a big target on their head, and I won't have a venomthrope+gaunts to protect, so only a 5+ cover to help out vs high str weapons. I guess I could trick out the warriors with anti tank weaponry, but they're gonna be my only source of synapse, so I'm really wanting to be cautious there. The genestealers could deal with them too, but genestealers seem so unreliable.

I was thinking of something like this:

HQ:
Tyranid Prime
Miasma Cannon
150 Points

Heavy Support:
Carnifex
2x TL Devourer w/ BL worms
150 points

Troops:
Warrior Brood
3 Rending Claws
1 Venom Cannon
115 points

Hormagaunts
50 points



This leaves me 35 points under costed for the minimum sized game, and I'm really not sure what to fill with; I would think I'd be best going for a 750ish point game which would give me 235 points to work with. The basic Idea is to use gaunts as screening to let my warriors/prime and the fex quickly take out some infantry/armor and then hop on objectives after I've thinned them out. The gaunts as a cover save and to snag objectives late game with what's left. If they leave the gaunts alone, I could use them to deal some damage, but I wouldn't count on that. The dakkafex provides some good anti infantry and could glance down some chimeras, and if he gets too close with the tank I could charge with the carnifex. The warrior brood/Prime should be able to do some work versus infantry and I gave them a venom cannon to deal with armor. The miasma cannon idea came from 1d4chan's tactics (which linked to a dakkadakka user's suggestion on including miasma on a prime; This should further give me some anti infantry and the rending claws are some cheap assurance that they're probably not gonna charge me (and I could charge them if needed.)

I probably need more scoring, so something like Deep Striking Rippers could be good. I'm also pretty light on synapse. The only thing I could do for additional synapse (I think) is to field a second group of warriors, which aren't very cost effective, I think as they don't significantly increase my chance of getting on an objective. I could field a broodlord/Genestealers, but without a venomthrope, I'm not sure how well I'd fare trying to close the gap with the stealers. The "the horror" power is gonna be nice, but I just don't know if they would be a good investment.


Thanks for the feedback. Sorry if my thoughts are scattered. If you need any more from me, let me know in a reply and I'll get back to you ASAP. Looking forward to seeing your ideas!

Hmm it's a shame you didn't get the other box set, a Tervigon could really help you out.

With what you have I would probably run at 500:

Old One Eye 220
10x Termagants w/ Spinefists = 40
10x Termagants w/ Fleshborers = 40
10x Hormagaunts = 50
Carnifex w/ 2x Devourers = 150

That should give you enough bodies to overwhelm the opponent at low points. I'd take it in the Hive Fleet Detachment (found in Leviathan if you can get/have your hands on it).

Those Fleshborers and Spinefists are a personal choice and it's up to you to see what works better in your meta. I find Fleshborers work best in mine but YMMV.

Remember that OOE lets all those Gaunts use his Ld (of 8 so more likely to pass) when making Instinctive Behaviour and the Detachment Bonuses from Hive Fleet allow you to re-roll your result should you get 1-3. OOE also gets FnP as soon as he takes a wound and has Regeneration so should stay alive - use those Gaunts as a mobile cover saving (Intervening models Ftw! )

For 750 - 1000 you'll want to start looking into getting some Hive Tyrants w/ Wings, 2x Devourers and Electroshock Grubs. As you'll find on this forum and many others (including tournament play) they are one of the best units in the Codex.

Not much to add...You'll want to get a "real" HQ first chance you get. In the meantime, the named Broodlord and his rowdy friends looks like a playable unit, and should be fun to play, and to face,

A Dakkafex is powerful, and usefull at any point level, then toss in some Synapse (Warrior Brood) and a Prime (I'd proxy, once you get something better, you're very unlikely to use a Prime again)

So a General "template"...

Prime, Proxy

Warrior Brood, x3, Cannon

Dakkafex

Children of Cryptus (?)

Gribblies to fill (Hormagaunts are my first choice)

Gargoyles if you have room...Second Carnafex, first chance you get.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Then the next time you feel like buying stuff, a Hive Tyrant (and then a second one. )

Good luck! And welcome to the Hive Mind!

I actually have 2 Carnifex. I know I need to get some actual HQ's ASAP, but this is just for this weekend to try things out.

Old One Eye is an interesting pick. How would you make this work, from what I can tell there is no synapse in the army you posted up. I think you could give the norn crown to OOE, though. MOst people I've read stuff on seem to feel OOE isn't very good, is he just better in low point games?

As for the children of cryptus, what can you do to make them work? From what I've seen most people say that genestealers just die on the way in most of the time.


Thanks for the replies so far!

You will want a hive tyrant asap. That said with the list you posted, I would reduce the gaunts to 30 in 2 groups of 15. I would then get a hold of some zoanthropes/venomthropes. The venom will provide a cover save to get your units across the field. The zoanthropes will provide some mental dakka and other powers can provide a huge benefit to your other units in the form of buffs/debuffs and forcing the enemy to go to ground with pinning checks.

A pinned enemy cannot overwatch. Which will let your gaunts rush in and do their job.

Lance845 wrote:
You will want a hive tyrant asap. That said with the list you posted, I would reduce the gaunts to 30 in 2 groups of 15. I would then get a hold of some zoanthropes/venomthropes. The venom will provide a cover save to get your units across the field. The zoanthropes will provide some mental dakka and other powers can provide a huge benefit to your other units in the form of buffs/debuffs and forcing the enemy to go to ground with pinning checks.

A pinned enemy cannot overwatch. Which will let your gaunts rush in and do their job.

Thanks for the input, but this is about what I can do with the units I have

My first priority in the future will be a flyrant and a brood of venom/zoanthropes.

-pariah- wrote:
I actually have 2 Carnifex. I know I need to get some actual HQ's ASAP, but this is just for this weekend to try things out.

Old One Eye is an interesting pick. How would you make this work, from what I can tell there is no synapse in the army you posted up. I think you could give the norn crown to OOE, though. MOst people I've read stuff on seem to feel OOE isn't very good, is he just better in low point games?

As for the children of cryptus, what can you do to make them work? From what I've seen most people say that genestealers just die on the way in most of the time.


Thanks for the replies so far!

That's true, so you could replace the Hormagaunts with a Zoanthrope to have a bit of Synapse. OOE lets gants use his Ld when making IB checks so they are more likely to pass. OOE works good in low point games, as you move up in points a Hive Tyrant with Wings, 2x Devourers and Egrubs outclasses all the HQ's.

(A Flyrant at 500 is mean, not many armies would be able to stand up to it)

-pariah- wrote:
I actually have 2 Carnifex. I know I need to get some actual HQ's ASAP, but this is just for this weekend to try things out.

Old One Eye is an interesting pick. How would you make this work, from what I can tell there is no synapse in the army you posted up. I think you could give the norn crown to OOE, though. MOst people I've read stuff on seem to feel OOE isn't very good, is he just better in low point games?

As for the children of cryptus, what can you do to make them work? From what I've seen most people say that genestealers just die on the way in most of the time.


Thanks for the replies so far!

Well they have Stealth. Add in Infiltrate, and Go to ground, and you are moderately durable. Get into contact and Prefered enemy on a unit of upgraded Stealers will destroy most anything they hit. You primary method to keep them alive is to have other scarier things coming at them...like a Dakkafex. You can also screen them with some Hormagaunts, Stealth improves your cover save, so that is a usable option. Charge the gribblies to eat the Overwatch, then join with the Stealers.

The Broodlord can use Dominion to produce a 6" bubble of Synapse. You can abuse this by GtG, then cast, once you become Fearless, you automaticly stand up, ready for action.

This can be used when you need it. The basic "tactic" foe OOE is...roll well. If you run a Leviathan detachment, you lose Objective Secured, and gain re-rolling your Instinctive Behavior. That can help not having Synapse. Genestealers do not need Synapse in anycase. You could also use Gargoyles to screen as well.