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 Vineheart01 wrote:
Arent their non synapse MCs free-minded so they dont NEED synapse?

Could be wrong, specifics like that im a bit hazy on. Tyranid players are sparse.

Non-synaptic Monstrous Creatures still come with Instinctive Behavior, just the 1-3 result on the applicable tables do not work on most monstrous creatures so they generally skip to the more mild 4-5 results instead*. The only Tyranid monstrous creature that is especially vulnerable to Instinctive Behavior is the Carnifex, as it can actually be affected by the 1-3 result on the Feed instinctive behavior table when taken in broods and Feed shuts down any ranged weapons they carry.

* For reference:

Feed 1-3: Each model in the unit suffers 1 hit with the same strength as the unit (no AP) and cannot do any other actions this turn. Single model units skip this result and use the 4-5 result instead.
Feed 4-5: The model must attempt to assault the nearest enemy unit that turn and cannot shoot or run.

Hunt: 1-3: The unit is pinned. As monstrous creatures and Fearless models cannot be pinned, they treat this result as a 4-5 instead.
Hunt: 4-5: The unit must shoot at the nearest enemy unit and cannot run or assault this turn.

 ruminator wrote:
Very few non synapse MCs have fearless

Actually it is quite the opposite, the only Tyranid Monstrous Creature that doesn't have fearless innately is the forge world Dimachaeron.

 ruminator wrote:

Against lots of armour 13-14 nids do nothing in cc outside of caring exes. Smash is pretty useless now and the best way to kill armour is haywire shooting on flyrants and warp lance.

They also have Crushing Claws on Tervigons, Tyrant Guard, and the Haruspex for high armor as well, though none of those are particularly popular choices at the moment (Tervigons aren't as powerful as they used to be and don't play well with MSU tactics, Tyrant Guard are expensive and the Haruspex suffers from being in a highly contested slot and being somewhat redundant with Carnifexes).


Regardless, the main problem Tyranids have is high volume of high strength shooting. They don't really have any way to mitigate volumes of S6+ outside of their flying monsters since they (obviously) have no AV13 and their toughness caps out at T6. Most competitive lists try to get around this weakness by focusing exclusively on flying platforms for offense and a handful of single-model units for scoring functions. If you can kill their token scoring units (generally Lictors or Rippers) and withstand masses of S6 firepower with the odd haywire template or missile you're more or less good to go. Against swarm lists focus on neutralizing synapse as suggested (especially Tervigons, since the backlash from their deaths deals 3D6 S3 hits to nearby Termagants as well) as both troop gaunts are highly vulnerable to the Instinctive Behavior table (Gargoyles not so much, since the penalty of IB: Hunt can be corrected instantly by bringing them back into synapse - Feed and Lurk are much more dangerous and debilitating).