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I'm new to WH40k and was looking to build an army but I'm having a hard time picking an HQ...
I know its weird as everyone goes Flyrant but Deathleaper seems cheap, good, as well as has a potential formation that I've been debating. The Tyranid Prime(Miasma Cannon,or ext) seems good too. Then there is always Swarm Lord too.
I was wondering if any one had experience running any HQ other then Flyrant that would be wiling to share their experience.

I don't play nids myself, but I've played against them, and in my experience the flyrant is ultimately the best HQ you can take for nids, as flyrants are fast, durable, and can put out a horrific amount of firepower if kitted out properly.

If you want Deathleaper you better have four Flyrants to support him and a bunch of Mawlocs to make some sorta use of his abilities.

Swarmy is fun but seems over-priced. I've only used him in games where I have points to spare and that's rare. It's unlikely he'll see much CC action unfortunately as being the Swarmlord paints a huge target on his head.

Deathleaper is fun and can be a good bullet soak. He also has some helpful abilities that can come in handy when you're trying to deepstrike and he can also lower the leadership value of a character - not bad. Pretty decent cheap HQ choice.

Walking Tyrant is okay, at least you pay less for these than a Swarmlord and get a good beatstick unit that will tear things up in CC but will also unfortunately die before seeing it.

Tervigon. Not a bad choice but if you're going to bring one why not give it objective secured as a troops choice. Almost worth the 30 man gaunt tax.

Tyranid Prime is again a little costly for what he does and for what... 35 points more you get a Tyrant. I would like to like the T-Prime but he's just not worth it even in small games. (IMO)

Old One Eye while a decent fluff choice OOE is also seemingly over-costed for a CC beastie. I don't have too much experience using him except for in a few games but all I can tell you is that he got blasted to bits without doing too much..

Anyone I'm missing?

Unfortunately apparently in the competitive scene people have renamed the Tyranid Codex to Codex: Flyrant - with good reason. It really is our most reliable unit.

I'm planning a small army as a managed to pick up a couple of the Deathstorm boxes on the cheap and third carnifex off ebay, the ebay fex was actually kitted as a Old One Eye, so I plan on using him as my HQ , I don't think he's a competitive choice and after I've played a few games he might have to be replaced...

Fortunately my local meta isn't super competitive and I prefer more narrative based games.

As for death leaper he seems like a decent character and with the proper support I think he'd be decent, so I say go for it.

D


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I'm planning a small army as a managed to pick up a couple of the Deathstorm boxes on the cheap and third carnifex off ebay, the ebay fex was actually kitted as a Old One Eye, so I plan on using him as my HQ , I don't think he's a competitive choice and after I've played a few games he might have to be replaced...

Fortunately my local meta isn't super competitive and I prefer more narrative based games.

As for death leaper he seems like a decent character and with the proper support I think he'd be decent, so I say go for it.

D

If you're playing in a purely competitive standpoint, then the flyrant is really the only way to go. But if you're looking for a fun build that'll beat some face, try this.

-Hive Tyrant
Adrenal Glands
Scything Talons
Reaper of Obliterax
Regeneration (optional)
Old Adversary

Put him with some tyrant guard supported by a venomthrope and youve got a unit with some seriously nasty combat potential.

I played Deathleaper, Old One Eyed and Flyrant.

My friends hated Deathleaper since all attacks must be Snap Shots, so, no templates, no blast, only 6+ to hit with normal weapons against a model that in ruins had 3+ cover save. (and mysterius objective improving his cover +1)

Old One Eyed, if not competitive, would be good and fun, but may be overpriced, and some luck with regen and after gaining FNP would be hard to bring down (At least in low lvl point)

Flyrant in swooping also only Snap shots, 2 TL Devs 12 S6, 3+ hit +re roll to hit, Egrubs is great for those hard to bring down vehicles. Or if you just swoop behind one, those 12 S6, 3+ hit +re roll to hit, against AV10 (most rear) you surely get more than 3 glancing hits.

Plus Flyrants are psykers 2, rolling catalyst and gaining FNP, and having the change to roll for Warlord Treat (DeathLeaper and OOE have fixed traits). Rolling It won't Die on the Flyrant, or Master of ambush to infiltrate 3 units (CARNIFEXES) is great.

Tyranid Prime is not as good as it looks, only good if you have warriors so you join him there and pumt their BS and WS

As other has, the Flyrant is the premier choice. It ticks all the boxes.
-Durable? Hard to hit.
-Offensive? Averages 10.86 S6 hits.
-Support? Psyker, Synapse
-Mobile? 42" threat range

Nothing else compares to it in the Codex. Just get yourself some AP2 (Exocrine, Mawlocs) and you've got yourself a solid base.

 evildrcheese wrote:
I'm planning a small army as a managed to pick up a couple of the Deathstorm boxes on the cheap and third carnifex off ebay, the ebay fex was actually kitted as a Old One Eye, so I plan on using him as my HQ , I don't think he's a competitive choice and after I've played a few games he might have to be replaced...

Fortunately my local meta isn't super competitive and I prefer more narrative based games.

As for death leaper he seems like a decent character and with the proper support I think he'd be decent, so I say go for it.

D


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I'm planning a small army as a managed to pick up a couple of the Deathstorm boxes on the cheap and third carnifex off ebay, the ebay fex was actually kitted as a Old One Eye, so I plan on using him as my HQ , I don't think he's a competitive choice and after I've played a few games he might have to be replaced...

Fortunately my local meta isn't super competitive and I prefer more narrative based games.

As for death leaper he seems like a decent character and with the proper support I think he'd be decent, so I say go for it.

D

The Deathstorm formation is not bad as a whole, and can make a nice core to a fun army.

everybody plays dakka rant (flying hive tyrant with brainleech dev)

however, if you like the death leaper run something like this;

Deathleaper

Genestealers + Broodlord
Genestealers + Broodlord
Genestealers + Broodlord

2-3 Lictors
2-3 Lictors
3 Zoanthropes.

That base will give you some great infiltration and give you the ability to get in their face. People like the hive tyrant for its fear causing ability, but lictors and genestealers are mighty powerful. Lictors cause fear, and automatically hit and run, and Genestealers shread gak to bits and in some cases a more reliable way to pin enemies. landing a shot with a pinning weapon ain't difficult always, but getting them to fail the pinning test is. have them take it on a -2ld with broodlords, and get those lictors and deathleaper assiting with fear so the genestealers can land their hits.

Deathleaper's Assassin Brood is damn good, and well worth the 400 points or so it costs you.

Lictors are easy to underestimate but have really come into their own with Maelstrom missions - the ability to drop in lictors with non-scattering deep strike into cover on objectives is great support for a tyranid flyer swarm, and excising an inconveniently placed lictor that's gone to ground in cover is annoyingly hard. Plus Paranoia is a great rule when stacked with It's After Me and Shadow In The Warp - you can stack enough leadership penalties to make the normally so-so psychic scream devastating.