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I could use some help building up to a 2000 point army.

I like gaunts. I like the idea of swarming the board with bodies. But I'm not sure how to equip or how many would be sufficient to overwhelm an opponent. In this shooty edition we're in, is a swarm army even viable?

For example, here's a possible list using 2 CADs.

Primary CAD
Dakka flyrant w/ egrubs - 240
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
10x Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs - 80
30x Termagaunts - 120
Tervigon - 195
10x Gargoyles - 60
Mawloc - 140

Second CAD
Dakka flyrant w/ egrubs - 240
10x Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs - 80
10x Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs - 80
Dimachaeron - 200
Dakkafex - 150
Dakkafex - 150

I think this looks like a fun list with a pretty good number of gaunts. It might even be good enough for local tournaments. What do you think? More gaunts? Different upgrades?




Automatically Appended Next Post:
I just realized that this could all fit into a single CAD. I had made several prior changes to the list that required 2 CADs due to slot limitations. So just assume that it could expand to fit 1 or 2 CADs.

I suggest you look hard at taking a Endless Swarm formation. Toss that in with a CAD and your likely 90% there.

pinecone77 wrote:
I suggest you look hard at taking a Endless Swarm formation. Toss that in with a CAD and your likely 90% there.

I have looked into that. The only problem I see with the Endless Swarm is that you lose objective secured. Without that, the swarm list would have to kill everything it touches rather than just tie them up in a pile of bodies.

Though I suppose it would be a fun list to play which is mainly why I'm building tyranids. I want a fun list that isn't ultra competitive but still has the tools to pull off some wins against the more optimized lists.

If I do build an Endless Swarm, I'd include a Trygon Prime so that his tunnel can be used for the respawning gaunts.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So here's a go at Endless Swarm with a CAD

CAD: - 1455 pts
Flyrant w/ 2 Devourers, Egrubs and Hive Commander - 250
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
30x Termagants - 120
Tervigon w/ Egrubs - 206 (will use Hive Commander to outflank)
10x Gargoyles - 60
2x Dakkafexxes - 300
Trygon Prime w/ Miasma Cannon - 255 (Will create a tunnel for the swarm respawns)

Endless Swarm Formation: - 541 pts
3x Warriors w/ Rending Claws, Scything Talons, A. Glands, F. Hooks, T. Sacs - 141
10x Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs - 80
10x Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs - 80
10x Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs - 80
10x Devgants - 80
10x Devgants - 80

That looks pretty fun. Obviously I lose Objective secured on most of the swarm but it is a much more cohesive list I think.

Looks nice! It always depends on what you have, but I try to stack as much Synapse into the CAD as possible.

Here is a list with No OS...
Leviathan:
Winged Dakkarant, x3. 720
Warrior Brood, x3, Cannon, x3. 300
Trygon.

Toss in two Malanthropes? 170

The rest is the Swarm...That is 9 Synapse...you should be fine...the 're roll IN is just frosting

Actually, endless swarm was FAQd or updated, it is now 3 brood of gaunts and 3 broods of termas plus the warriors.

Wallur wrote:
Actually, endless swarm was FAQd or updated, it is now 3 brood of gaunts and 3 broods of termas plus the warriors.

As far as I know, the physical copy was printed with 3 terma units but the digital copy has 2 and most regard the digital as being the most up to date. Has that changed?

Zimko wrote:

Wallur wrote:
Actually, endless swarm was FAQd or updated, it is now 3 brood of gaunts and 3 broods of termas plus the warriors.

As far as I know, the physical copy was printed with 3 terma units but the digital copy has 2 and most regard the digital as being the most up to date. Has that changed?

Old Epub has 2, Ipad and print(? did not know there was one) has 3 Termas,3 Hormie, 1 warrior.

As to the List, it feels light on bodies for a Swarm list. I try to fill all 6 troop slots with bodies on my swarm lists, and fill in the rest of the CAD FOC as much as possible. I end up at 120+ bodies in 1850 and I am only seeing 80 or so at 2000. DImechrone needs a ride, and the Mawloc could use a lictor, but you do have plenty of Synapse for what you got.

If you go on Black Library and re-download Leviathan Rising I suspect you'll find they've updated that too.

barnowl wrote:

Zimko wrote:

Wallur wrote:
Actually, endless swarm was FAQd or updated, it is now 3 brood of gaunts and 3 broods of termas plus the warriors.

As far as I know, the physical copy was printed with 3 terma units but the digital copy has 2 and most regard the digital as being the most up to date. Has that changed?

Old Epub has 2, Ipad and print(? did not know there was one) has 3 Termas,3 Hormie, 1 warrior.

As to the List, it feels light on bodies for a Swarm list. I try to fill all 6 troop slots with bodies on my swarm lists, and fill in the rest of the CAD FOC as much as possible. I end up at 120+ bodies in 1850 and I am only seeing 80 or so at 2000. DImechrone needs a ride, and the Mawloc could use a lictor, but you do have plenty of Synapse for what you got.

Could you post your 120+ body list at 1850? I'm curious how you're upgrading them, how many synapses you have and how many hard hitters you have to deal with AV. It seems like whenever I try to add some larger creatures in order to handle AV, I end up losing a large number of gaunts.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here's another go at a CAD list.

HQ
Flyrant with Devourers, Egrubs and hive commander - 260
ELITES
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
TROOPS
15x Hormagaunts w/ T. Sacs - 120
15x Hormagaunts w/ T. Sacs - 120
15x Hormagaunts w/ T. Sacs - 120
30x Termagants - 120
Tervigon w/ Egrubs - 205
FAST ATTACK
10x Gargoyles - 60
HEAVY SUPPORT
2x Dakkafexes - 300
2x Dakkafexes - 300
Mawloc - 140

With this list, I have a bit more swarm than before but I also have a lot of punch with 4 dakkafexes and a mawloc.

Zimko wrote:

barnowl wrote:

Zimko wrote:

Wallur wrote:
Actually, endless swarm was FAQd or updated, it is now 3 brood of gaunts and 3 broods of termas plus the warriors.

As far as I know, the physical copy was printed with 3 terma units but the digital copy has 2 and most regard the digital as being the most up to date. Has that changed?

Old Epub has 2, Ipad and print(? did not know there was one) has 3 Termas,3 Hormie, 1 warrior.

As to the List, it feels light on bodies for a Swarm list. I try to fill all 6 troop slots with bodies on my swarm lists, and fill in the rest of the CAD FOC as much as possible. I end up at 120+ bodies in 1850 and I am only seeing 80 or so at 2000. DImechrone needs a ride, and the Mawloc could use a lictor, but you do have plenty of Synapse for what you got.

Could you post your 120+ body list at 1850? I'm curious how you're upgrading them, how many synapses you have and how many hard hitters you have to deal with AV. It seems like whenever I try to add some larger creatures in order to handle AV, I end up losing a large number of gaunts.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here's another go at a CAD list.

HQ
Flyrant with Devourers, Egrubs and hive commander - 260
ELITES
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85
TROOPS
15x Hormagaunts w/ T. Sacs - 120
15x Hormagaunts w/ T. Sacs - 120
15x Hormagaunts w/ T. Sacs - 120
30x Termagants - 120
Tervigon w/ Egrubs - 205
FAST ATTACK
10x Gargoyles - 60
HEAVY SUPPORT
2x Dakkafexes - 300
2x Dakkafexes - 300
Mawloc - 140

With this list, I have a bit more swarm than before but I also have a lot of punch with 4 dakkafexes and a mawloc.

This looks nice, but I would use two Mawlocs,(dropping twin Dakkafexen) drop a Malanthrope, and put a second Winged Tyrant back in. Some of it is "style", some is "meta". I also generaly avoid putting expensive upgrades on Gaunts...so you may find after a few games that you don't need the ' extra" and that will free up more points as well.

pinecone77 wrote:


This looks nice, but I would use two Mawlocs,(dropping twin Dakkafexen) drop a Malanthrope, and put a second Winged Tyrant back in. Some of it is "style", some is "meta". I also generaly avoid putting expensive upgrades on Gaunts...so you may find after a few games that you don't need the ' extra" and that will free up more points as well.

Thanks for the tips. No toxin sacs on the hormagaunts eh? I suppose if all I want them for is a screen/tarpit then that would make sense. But I'm hoping they'll deal some damage to some troubling units. For example, I know my local meta has a couple Str D Bloodthirsters. All my large creatures would get demolished by that. But the Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs could actually take them down.

But you may be right. If all they end up being is a tarpit then removing the Toxin Sacs would get me enough points to add 27 more Hormagaunts :p.

Yeah, in my experience more figures works better...

I like your idea, Zimko. Is this kind of list viable? I have freaking 150 gaunts painted and not sure what to do with them all

I like some of the units you included - I added a second Flyrant and Mawloc, and removed a Malanthrope and pair of Dakkafexes below:

Flyrant with Devourers, Egrubs and hive commander - 260
Flyrant with Devourers, Egrubs - 240

Malanthrope - 85
Malanthrope - 85

30x Termagants - 120
Tervigon w/ Egrubs - 205

10x Gargoyles - 60

2x Dakkafexes - 300
Mawloc - 140
Mawloc - 140

But that's already a whopping 1635!! It doesn't seem to have room to add in all the gaunts that are needed to be a swarm. Even running them as basic gaunts, I've got enough for another 480 points worth...