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I want to play nids and want a grocery list to buy so I don't break the bank getting all of the sets and squads to choose from. Can Someone help me set up a small 500pt list that can pack a punch or frustrate my opponent in any which way? This would serve as a casual list to have fun with in small skirmishes. I've been doing some research and this seems to be a good general list:

HQ
Flying Hive tyrant (about 160pts)

Elite
1xZoanthrope (120)
2x Hive Guard (96)

Troops
30 termagants - 20 Devourers 10 fleshborers (130)

Also, what would the Hive Fleet attribute be for this kind of play style? Hydra maybe for its stratagem and warlord trait?

This is bad. You have 1 legal detachements and the zoanthrope and hive guard will give you -2 CP. Unfinished units are also hard to get.

For a good allround character I would recomend the flying hive tyrant.

A neuronthrope as second HQ (for synapse) or warriors. Some termagaunts as troops. Perhaps a ripper swarm. Should be quite good.

The flying hive tyrant will be really anoying at 500 points. Take 24 shots and instictiv killer warlord trait. Or 12 shots and rending claws.

I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"

Buy 2 Boxes of Zoanthropes, Make 2 Neurothropes and run a Unit of 4 Zoanthropes, then buy 30 termagaunts and run them 20 Devours and 10 fleshborers. You can buy these on ebay and other sites for around $1 per model. That's 500 points has a bit of a buffer and a D3+D3 Super smite rerolling ones.

Don't run a Tervigon in a 500 point list even casual. It amounts to half of your points and if your opponent runs some heavy weapons you can crush the Tervigon which will cost you D6 termagants and probably no synapse with leadership 5 units.

 Vertex 55 wrote:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"

How would I go about that? And what play-style would it match best? From the rules it reads as a spam of termagants. also correct me if I'm wrong again im new to playing nids

 cman64 wrote:

 Vertex 55 wrote:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"

How would I go about that? And what play-style would it match best? From the rules it reads as a spam of termagants. also correct me if I'm wrong again im new to playing nids

It costs points to spawn them in matched play, you can only replace fleshborers in a unit that has lost termagants. Your opponent wont target the termies knowing this and will focus your tervigon.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Resipsa131 wrote:

 cman64 wrote:

 Vertex 55 wrote:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"

How would I go about that? And what play-style would it match best? From the rules it reads as a spam of termagants. also correct me if I'm wrong again im new to playing nids

It costs points to spawn them in matched play, you can only replace fleshborers in a unit that has lost termagants. Your opponent wont target the termies knowing this and will focus your tervigon.

I Found this list online, while not exactly the same approach it seems promising to keep the opponent's forces busy and the carnifexes would take out a majority of the forces

HQ
Prime Warrior with adrenal glands

Troops
10x Termagants
10x Termagants

Support
2x carnifexes

 cman64 wrote:


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Resipsa131 wrote:

 cman64 wrote:

 Vertex 55 wrote:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I wouldn't go with the tervigon unless you go the termigants route. Also you need to take three zoanthropes and hiveguard, not individual. I would go for maybe a Hive tyrant, with some warriors and maybe gargoyles (if you can fit point wise) all from the old start collecting box and add some hormaguants. Or you could use a neurothrope as a cheap hq and fill out the list with a swarm of either horm/term. It all depends on how you want to play, shoot/melee, horde/"elite"

How would I go about that? And what play-style would it match best? From the rules it reads as a spam of termagants. also correct me if I'm wrong again im new to playing nids

It costs points to spawn them in matched play, you can only replace fleshborers in a unit that has lost termagants. Your opponent wont target the termies knowing this and will focus your tervigon.

I Found this list online, while not exactly the same approach it seems promising to keep the opponent's forces busy and the carnifexes would take out a majority of the forces

HQ
Prime Warrior with adrenal glands

Troops
10x Termagants
10x Termagants

Support
2x carnifexes

That might work however your opponent will split fire S4-S5 at your termies and wound on 3+ thinning them out and hammering your Carnifi with the Higher Strength weapons. You'll be advancing to get to him so you'll be shooting at BS5 for your Termies and BS4 on your Carnifi. I think if your Carnifi get on top of him you can have a fighting chance but that's not guaranteed.

Take this Cadian 500 point list. I don't think you survive to get across the map to chew them up.
++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Regiment: Cadian

+ HQ +

Lord Castellan Creed: Superior Tactical Training, Warlord

Primaris Psyker: 2) Gaze of the Emperor, 6) Psychic Maelstrom, Force Stave

+ Elites +

Astropath: 6) Psychic Maelstrom, Telepathica Stave

Colour Sergeant Kell

+ Troops +

Infantry Squad
. 6x Guardsman
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Heavy Weapon Team: Autocannon
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad
. 6x Guardsman
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Heavy Weapon Team: Autocannon
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad
. 6x Guardsman
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Heavy Weapon Team: Autocannon
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad
. 6x Guardsman
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Heavy Weapon Team: Autocannon
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad
. 6x Guardsman
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Heavy Weapon Team: Autocannon
. Sergeant: Laspistol

++ Total: [25 PL, 497pts] ++

I stil like my idea. 24 S6 re-roll to hitt bs3 off the deep strike.no one screens at 500 points. If you meet multi wound take the slime stratagem. Next turn hunt something else.

How are you deep striking Carnifi? They don’t have the infantry keyword

I don't think anybody has mentioned deep striking carnifexes? If you are talking about my comment I am talking about the hive tyrant, with wings on the side. If you take insticntiv hunter (I think it is called) as the warlord trait choose one unit and re-roll to hit vs it. 24 shots, re-rolling to hit at BS3+ that drops down should eliminate a unit at 500 point. Now they have less armies to take out 12 wounds, or he starts shooting next turn as well.

ha! these people are leading you astray talking about their little bugs.


++ Patrol Detachment (Tyranids) [28 PL, 500pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Hive Fleet: Kraken

+ Heavy Support +

Carnifexes [6 PL, 117pts]
. Carnifex: Enhanced Senses, Spore Cysts, 2x Two Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Bone Mace

Screamer-Killers [6 PL, 115pts]
. Screamer-Killer: 2x Monstrous Scything Talons, Spore Cysts

+ HQ +

Old One Eye [10 PL, 200pts]: Monstrous Scything Talons, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Adaptive Biology

+ Troops +

Termagants [6 PL, 68pts]
. 3x Termagant (Devourer): 3x Devourer
. 11x Termagant (Fleshborer)

++ Total: [28 PL, 498pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe

In a 500 point list, a Flyrant is probably too expensive given that it has no special protection due to it's number of wounds.

Personally, I would go with a Neurothrope with either Dominion or Onslaught, 2 squads of 18 Hormogants, 1 squad of 3 Hive Guard with Impaler Cannons and finally a Mawlock.

The Neurothrope gives you a cheap synapse character that can only be targetted by snipers but can also use it's psychic powers to extend synapse / allow gaunts to advance & charge / Smite.

The Hormagants are what you have came to expect - a fast moving sea that you want to smash into your opponents lines

The Hive guard are where your real hitting power exists. They can stay out of LOS making them virtually untouchable and between them unleash 6, Strength 8, AP-2 D3 damage shots at a 36" range without the need for LOS. In such a small game - that's a game changer.

Finally the Mawloc. I like Mawlocs for several reasons.
* They look good!
* They can pop up virtually anywhere (That's a nice cluster of tanks I can tie up in combat)
* Because they can pop up an inch away, your opponent will need to compress his deployment when screening units from assault than they would have against something that must deploy outside of 9". This makes your opponent less manoeuvrable in Maelstrom and easier to tie up in the assault round later.
* They cannot charge when they arrive, but considering the above point, your opponent will focus a lot of fire on them to stop you tying up their heaviest shooting units (and therefore not shooting your 'gants)
* They have T6, 12 wounds and a 3+ save. In smaller games such as 500 points - they can probably take the entire round of shooting!
* They cause mortal wounds when they pop up
* They can go back underground and grab late-game objectives
* It has a good anti tank weapon and a large number of anti-infantry attacks (please note however that Mawlocs are more of a tactical choice - they are not as good at killing stuff as they are tying them up in assault)
* They are only 104 points!