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Greetings, I require help to serve the Great Devourer.

I'm a beginner that has been more interested in collecting/painting that actual battles. Recently I've joined a 500pts league at my local shop and, while I'm having fun, I'm being completely trashed. I can't seem to balance: decent movement for melee, heavy hitters, and CP.

I was hoping some kind soul amongst you might help put a list together for me?

Here's a list of what I have, and it's pretty casual so no restrictions on 'what you see is what you get' on the models.

I have:-

1x Hive Tyrant/Flyrant

1x Broodlord

2x Carnifex (or Old One Eye)

Tyrannofex

Trygon Prime/Trygon/Mawloc

4x Ripper Swarms

24x Termagants

12x Hormogaunts

16x Genestealers

3x Neuro/zoanthropes

3x Hive Guard

I've got a pretty solid understanding of Strategems and Hive Fleet options but any help/guidance is much appreciated.

Thank you all.

PS. How is the Disco Lord even allowed?! Ridiculous.

First you will need to give us some insight into what your currently doing.

What is your current list? What opponents are giving you trouble?

What is your biggest weakness so far in your games?

Nids are a finesse army, and can take some learning. Your strengths are your psychic powers, fast movement and board control. You will not out shoot a shooty army, and you won't out CC a CC army.

Generally you will want a Battalion, so you have CP to spend.

Hive tyrant
Brood lord

2x3 rippers (you may need to buy an extra base and spread out your existing ripper models)
30 Gant's

Something along those lines. Don't forget your PA relics. The 5++ save on a big monster like the Tyrant is gold

Thank you for some insight and the advice. Apologies for not being more specific.

I was very focused on making a battalion for CP. So far I haven't ran a list without 8cp to play with.

The two lists I've tried so far have been (numbers not totally accurate as have deleted the lists now):

KRAKEN
Broodlord
Neurothrope

10xHormogaunts
8xGenestealers
10xDevilgants

And

KRONOS
2x Neurothropes

10xDevilgants
10xFleshgants
10xHormogaunts

3x Hive Guard (impaler)

I think part of the problem is we are playing on 4x2 tables with 2x big pieces of terrain on either zone, and I've had crap luck with always going second. By the end of the [Guard/GSC/Chaos] first turn they've wiped out dozens of models with long range fire and then I try and move up the board, ending up in no-mans-land and just get wiped on their second turn.

I don't know if I should sacrifice CP and get some bigger firepower (dakkafex, tyranno)? Should I double down on either shooty (and get outgunned by Tau/Guard/) or punchy (and get mowed down before I get there)?

Basically I'm just frustrated with the losses and looking for some strategy advice.

At 500pts, you need to play into a single strategy. The few models you have in those lists would not stand up to much. You need to save points with rippers, then get large squads of infantry that gets buffed with catalyst, and maybe a venomyhrope for the -1 to hit. Without the overlapping buffs, your infantry will melt

Large squads of infantry over a couple monsters you reckon? I found a big problem with lack of anti-armour but I guess Stealers/Acid Maws can do fairly well there. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

It doesn't help that I'm a newbie and so far I've played only the most experienced people in the shop.

Thanks for the help guys.

I was super successful at a 500 point tournament using the following patrol detachment list:

Neurothrope

Ripper Swarms x3
Termagants x13 (Fleshborer)

Trygon - Adrenal Glands, Toxinspike
Tyrannofex - Acid Spray, Singer Salvo, Toxin Sacs

The acid spray on the Tyrannofex at this point level is dominating. I pretty much played the Trygon for the shock and panic value.

I am not saying that large infantry blobs are the strongest strategy, all I am saying is that you should either focus on the little gribblies or the big monsters, not both. At 500 pts, either should be effective.

If you have the models, the list that @Cake Farts has made seems pretty decent (although I would double check the points), although you are walking into the battle with 3 CP instead of 8. Will help you focus on your best strategems