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I have build 500/1000/1500/2000 point armies. I am under the impression that 1500 point armies are the most common so this is the one I would bounce off you guys. This is the first set of armies that I have built and I have only seen a bug player in a game twice. I am looking for thoughts and suggestions on how to make this better along with the reasoning as to why it would be better to swap bug A for bug B so I can learn instead of blindly following.

Head Quarters

Hive Tyrant x1 275 Points
-Old Adversary
-Hive Commander
-Wings
-Norn Crown

Deathleaper x1 130 Points

Troops

Tervigon x1 205 Points
- Maw Claws

Brood Lord x1 60 Points

Termagants x30 120 Points

Genestealers x5 70 Points

Mucolid Spore Cluster x1 15 Points

Fast Attack

Shrike x3 114 Points
-Flesh Hooks
-Adrenal Glands

Gargoyles x10 60 Points

Spore Mine x6 30 Points

Heavy Support

Sporocyst x1 75 Points

Biovore x1 40 Points

Trygon Prime x1 305 Points
- Reaper
- Regeneration

Total points for this army is 1499



The 500/1000 point armies are in this one and the 2000 point has a few extra things. I suppose you could call this the core? I will be attaching all the models I have available currently.

The supplies

You have a lot of little things with teeth but very little bite. I count 4 sources of Synapse, all of which are high priority targets anyway. However, a lot of your army doesn't need synapse. Your army isn't sure if it wants to be a swam army or a big-bug army. Before assembling a Tyranid list, you need to consider whether or not you want synapse dependent units or non-synapse dependent units. Right now you're leaning heavily towards not needing synapse. Commit to that and stick with it. If you want more little bugs (which need synapse) then you're going to need more synapse creatures. Zoanthropes and Malanthropes are essential to maintaining a large swarm so I recommend these as your next purchase.

Your shrikes, if they do get to combat, don't have AP 3 or Rending to help them kill tough opponents. They have the same preferred targets as all the little guys. I'd suggest giving them Rending Claws at least so they can threaten more targets. In my experience, there are a lot of Walkers that can keep a unit of Shrikes locked in combat forever because Shrikes can't harm an AV 12 Walker without some kind of assistance. Rending Claws would do it for cheap.

Do you have more Biovores? If so, replace the Spore Mine Cluster with at least 1 more Biovore. This is a good trade since Biovores can create spore mines anyway and a lone Biovore will barely scratch a unit.

Genestealers and a Broodlord are very squishy, and a high threat due to their melee prowess. They're going to need careful deployment to keep them alive. Most likely they'll just get shot to death before they reach melee. However, I don't see much else in your collection that could replace them.

Trygon Prime is an expensive model for a turn 3 assault (at best). His tunnel ability is wasted in this list since you have no ongoing reserves. His synapse is also wasted since you have very few units that need it. I'd suggest using him as a Mawloc instead. Mawlocs provide AP 2 and can hit invisible units. They're also considerably cheaper than a Trygon Prime and don't need any upgrades. That alone will save you 165 pts. You could fit 2 Mawlocs in for the price of that 1 Trygon Prime if you had another Mawloc model. Since you don't, you may just have to stick with a Trygon Prime for now until you get more models.

 halflingg wrote:
I have build 500/1000/1500/2000 point armies. I am under the impression that 1500 point armies are the most common so this is the one I would bounce off you guys. This is the first set of armies that I have built and I have only seen a bug player in a game twice. I am looking for thoughts and suggestions on how to make this better along with the reasoning as to why it would be better to swap bug A for bug B so I can learn instead of blindly following.

Head Quarters

Hive Tyrant x1 275 Points
-Old Adversary
-Hive Commander
-Wings
-Norn Crown

Deathleaper x1 130 Points

Troops

Tervigon x1 205 Points
- Maw Claws

Brood Lord x1 60 Points

Termagants x30 120 Points

Genestealers x5 70 Points

Mucolid Spore Cluster x1 15 Points

Fast Attack

Shrike x3 114 Points
-Flesh Hooks
-Adrenal Glands

Gargoyles x10 60 Points

Spore Mine x6 30 Points

Heavy Support

Sporocyst x1 75 Points

Biovore x1 40 Points

Trygon Prime x1 305 Points
- Reaper
- Regeneration

Total points for this army is 1499



The 500/1000 point armies are in this one and the 2000 point has a few extra things. I suppose you could call this the core? I will be attaching all the models I have available currently.



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I've posted a fair number of lists here, you might want to check them out.

A basic "meta rule" for Nids is "avoid upgrades, buy more dudes" and this list breaks that one here and there...

The one must take upgrade is Thorax hives with Electro-grubs on anybody who can take it. It is a strong Template, and has Haywire. One thing Nids Don't do well is strong AV...Haywire is our only dependable answer.


If you want max power the answer is to keep adding more Winged Tyrants But for "fun" game it is not so nessisary, though I'd consider Two to be a minimum. Mawlocs are very good, I like to use Two in most every list I make.

At lower point games a Tyrannofex, Acid spray, Thorax: Electro can be a massive source of destruction.


Good luck! And welcome to the Hive Mind!

Thank you guys much for the input! I'll be sure to check out the armies listed by you