2000 Point Deepstrike Nid List (Looking for Suggestions)

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**twinner**

This list is mainly fun, and a bit competitive. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Please note I understand I am lacking against 14 toughness vehicles, but I am able to take them down.

Tyranid 2000pt

Swarmlord = 280
Tryant Guard x3 = 180

Trygon Prime = 240

Trygon Prime = 240

20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod, TS = 260
20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240
18x Gargoyles = 108

1x Doom of Malan’Ta w/ Podi = 130

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, TS = 160

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, TS = 160

Total: 1998

**ruminator**

Trygon tunnel is a bad idea - if the termagants come in from reserve on the same/earlier turn than the trygon then they can't use the tunnel and have to walk on the back edge.

Also you have to start off with at least 4 units on the board in this list, so some of your trygons or termagants will need to start off on the board.

If you do have tervigons and swarmlord on the table then a brood of gargoyles to ensure a moving cover save is better than the 3rd unit of termagants.

**twinner**

ruminator wrote:
Trygon tunnel is a bad idea - if the termagants come in from reserve on the same/earlier turn than the trygon then they can't use the tunnel and have to walk on the back edge.

Also you have to start off with at least 4 units on the board in this list, so some of your trygons or termagants will need to start off on the board.

If you do have tervigons and swarmlord on the table then a brood of gargoyles to ensure a moving cover save is better than the 3rd unit of termagants.

Where does it talk about having atleast 4 units on board? I have never heard the rule, also the gargoyle idea is good. I edited my list let me know what you think. SHould I work a pod in for the doom or not, currently with the list there is 22 point left over. I could run 15 goyles and get a pod for the doom, or run the 18 goyles and drop the 2 ts on the tervigons.

**Fluxator**

You have to have at least half of your army on the board.

**Cieged**

ruminator wrote:
Trygon tunnel is a bad idea - if the termagants come in from reserve on the same/earlier turn than the trygon then they can't use the tunnel and have to walk on the back edge.

Also you have to start off with at least 4 units on the board in this list, so some of your trygons or termagants will need to start off on the board.

If you do have tervigons and swarmlord on the table then a brood of gargoyles to ensure a moving cover save is better than the 3rd unit of termagants.

HOW VERY SUSPECT!

Fluxator wrote:
You have to have at least half of your army on the board.

That only includes willful reserve choices - not the ones that are able to Deep Strike via Mycetic Spores and the like.

**Ol'Dirty**

Pod the doom, you'll want to drop it somewhere it can get it's free AOE hits. You don't need TS on the gaunts, they should be shooting those 60 shots instead of getting into cc. You could put the TS (and maybe AG if you want) on the Tervigons to give their spawns more effectiveness and/or use any free points to buy more powers (biomancy rolls) for those Tervigons.

**twinner**

I updated the list. Let me know if this is effectibe. Should I take the gargoyles or a third set of devilgants?

**Adamantium**

Here is your list as I would run it with explanations down below:

Tyranid 2000pt

Swarmlord = 280 (roll for iron arm and endurance, etc)
Tryant Guard x1 = 60

Trygon w/ Toxin sacs = 210

Trygon w/ Toxin sacs = 210

20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240
20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240

1x Doom of Malan’Tai w/ Pod = 130

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, Toxin Sacs, 2 Psyker powers (roll on Biomancy) = 185

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, Toxin Sacs, 2 Psyker powers (roll on Biomancy) = 185

Total: 1740

First off, you should only run one or two tyrant guard for the following reasons: if you run only one tyrant guard with your swarmlord and you get Iron Arm on the biomancy tree, your unit majority toughness could potentially become 9 since you would use the highest toughness in this case. However, If you run two guards, this could not happen because the majority will be 6. Regardless, if you want to run more guards to protect your 280 point investment, save yourself the 60 points and use it elsewhere because its literally gonna take your swarmlord FOREVER to see combat anyways and hopefully your two deepstriking Trygons will be absorbing firepower instead of him.

Secondly, you don't need two Primes. As a deepstriking unit, the trygons aren't really your best bet. Sure, if your upgrade them to Primes they get a crazy S5 AP5 Assault 18 scatterblast when they first arrive from reserves, but that is the ONLY time your gonna use that gun because, for obvious reasons, they fare way better in combat than shooting. On the other hand, you get synapse relay points with the Prime upgrade. Tactically useful, especially if you are dropping your gants deep behind enemy lines. For this reason, I can understand using Primes. However, I would recommend RUNNING your two trygons down your opponents throat turn 1 (as they do have fleet) as he gaks his pants trying to decide to dump all his shots into two trygons or a swarmlord. Yes, its not the deepstriking army you were looking for, but will probably save your swarmlord from getting annihilated early on. Run them out of synapse as they get +1 attacks with rage (or not) and give them toxin sacs so they can reroll both all failed To Hits and To Wounds. As for your gants, just drop them in closer to synapse creatures like the swarmlord or tervigons.

The Doom is an excellent choice. You want to use him like a bomb and drop him in the most infantry-heavy saturated area of your opponents army for maximum soul sucking.

The two tervigons are great too. You will need some big mamas sitting on your objectives while you bring the fight to your opponent. I'd say the two psyker powers are a minimum because you're going to want to be throwing buffs like Endurance on your trygons to keep their survivability up. The toxin sacs are great buffs to the gants too.

As for your devilgants in pods, i'd drop them in close to synapse honchos like the swarmlord and his impressive 18" synapse range.

Gargoyles: I can honestly admit I've never used them before. Some people say their a waste, some like them. If your heart is really set on using them, I can see the advantage of using them as a turn 1 shock troop to tie up shots. Personally, I'd say scrap them and use the 108 points elsewhere.

Now for the extra 260 points. This is entirely up to you. You can invest in deepstriking synapse/psyker creatures (which i would do) such as a flyrant or a spod of zoanthropes to further complement your deepstrike army. Or pick up deepstriking heavy hitters such as a dakkafex or a third trygon and upgrade him to Prime (not another bad idea). Purchase more guards if you feel that your swarmlord is too vulnerable. Or add those gargoyles back in the mix if your really set on using them. All in all, you have a great foundation that you can now tune to your preference. I personally run a list somewhat similar to this using dakkafexes and flyrants. I think a deepstriking Nidzilla army is not only competative, but FUN as well... After all, isn't winning fun!?

And also, I looked into the reserve issue proposed by ruminator. Cieged is right, deepstriking units don't count towards the "half your units must start on board" rule.

**Ol'Dirty**

Oh if you add the 20 more gants instead of 3 pods of 20 you could do 4 pods of 15, but you'd need to find points for another pod. I like 20s myself, but I've seen people use 15s in lists as well.

**Mythra**

Why not put a flyrant in then if he wants an extra guard for the Swarmlord he can have unit of 1 the swarm can join if the 1st dies?

**twinner**

Adamantium wrote:
Here is your list as I would run it with explanations down below:

Tyranid 2000pt

Swarmlord = 280 (roll for iron arm and endurance, etc)
Tryant Guard x1 = 60

Trygon w/ Toxin sacs = 210

Trygon w/ Toxin sacs = 210

20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240
20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240

1x Doom of Malan’Tai w/ Pod = 130

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, Toxin Sacs, 2 Psyker powers (roll on Biomancy) = 185

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, Toxin Sacs, 2 Psyker powers (roll on Biomancy) = 185

Total: 1740

First off, you should only run one or two tyrant guard for the following reasons: if you run only one tyrant guard with your swarmlord and you get Iron Arm on the biomancy tree, your unit majority toughness could potentially become 9 since you would use the highest toughness in this case. However, If you run two guards, this could not happen because the majority will be 6. Regardless, if you want to run more guards to protect your 280 point investment, save yourself the 60 points and use it elsewhere because its literally gonna take your swarmlord FOREVER to see combat anyways and hopefully your two deepstriking Trygons will be absorbing firepower instead of him.

Secondly, you don't need two Primes. As a deepstriking unit, the trygons aren't really your best bet. Sure, if your upgrade them to Primes they get a crazy S5 AP5 Assault 18 scatterblast when they first arrive from reserves, but that is the ONLY time your gonna use that gun because, for obvious reasons, they fare way better in combat than shooting. On the other hand, you get synapse relay points with the Prime upgrade. Tactically useful, especially if you are dropping your gants deep behind enemy lines. For this reason, I can understand using Primes. However, I would recommend RUNNING your two trygons down your opponents throat turn 1 (as they do have fleet) as he gaks his pants trying to decide to dump all his shots into two trygons or a swarmlord. Yes, its not the deepstriking army you were looking for, but will probably save your swarmlord from getting annihilated early on. Run them out of synapse as they get +1 attacks with rage (or not) and give them toxin sacs so they can reroll both all failed To Hits and To Wounds. As for your gants, just drop them in closer to synapse creatures like the swarmlord or tervigons.

The Doom is an excellent choice. You want to use him like a bomb and drop him in the most infantry-heavy saturated area of your opponents army for maximum soul sucking.

The two tervigons are great too. You will need some big mamas sitting on your objectives while you bring the fight to your opponent. I'd say the two psyker powers are a minimum because you're going to want to be throwing buffs like Endurance on your trygons to keep their survivability up. The toxin sacs are great buffs to the gants too.

As for your devilgants in pods, i'd drop them in close to synapse honchos like the swarmlord and his impressive 18" synapse range.

Gargoyles: I can honestly admit I've never used them before. Some people say their a waste, some like them. If your heart is really set on using them, I can see the advantage of using them as a turn 1 shock troop to tie up shots. Personally, I'd say scrap them and use the 108 points elsewhere.

Now for the extra 260 points. This is entirely up to you. You can invest in deepstriking synapse/psyker creatures (which i would do) such as a flyrant or a spod of zoanthropes to further complement your deepstrike army. Or pick up deepstriking heavy hitters such as a dakkafex or a third trygon and upgrade him to Prime (not another bad idea). Purchase more guards if you feel that your swarmlord is too vulnerable. Or add those gargoyles back in the mix if your really set on using them. All in all, you have a great foundation that you can now tune to your preference. I personally run a list somewhat similar to this using dakkafexes and flyrants. I think a deepstriking Nidzilla army is not only competative, but FUN as well... After all, isn't winning fun!?

And also, I looked into the reserve issue proposed by ruminator. Cieged is right, deepstriking units don't count towards the "half your units must start on board" rule.

How does this look?

Swarmlord = 280 (roll for iron arm and endurance, etc)
Tryant Guard x1 = 60

Trygon w/ Toxin sacs = 210

Trygon w/ Toxin sacs = 210

20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240
20x Termagant w/ Devourer, Pod = 240

1x Doom of Malan’Tai w/ Pod = 130

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, Toxin Sacs, 2 Psyker powers (roll on Biomancy) = 185

Tervigon w/ Clusterspine, Toxin Sacs, 2 Psyker powers (roll on Biomancy) = 185

Flyrant w/ Wings, 2 TL Devourers = 260

**Adamantium**

That's potentially a VERY nasty list my friend!

With the addition of a flyrant you are not only adding a synapse/psyker MC with a set of nasty guns but now you have some protection against flyers (which if you play competitively, your gonna be facing a lot). And you can even deepstrike it! Personally, I think your list should fare well, but that's just my opinion. Feel free to explore all other opinions aforementioned and experiment on different tactics.

**twinner**

Well I got a game in today vs csm. I won after turn 7, with 2 trygons, 1 tervigon, 12 guants, my lord and hie tyrant guard left. It was a fun game!

**ruminator**

New list looks a lot better. Remember to start flyrant on the board and behind LOS cover - he can then leap into the air on your first turn but you are protected if your opponent goes first. You are then not boned by poor reserve rolls.

I was a slightly out on my reserves numbers, but it is not deepstriking units that don't count towards the 50% limit it is only those units that have to deepstrike, so if you DS your trygons they would count towards this 50% limit but the units in spores - Doom., gants would not ...

I do like AG on my tervigons for the buff to the termagants. 20 points should be easy to find - just drop the termagant broods down to 19.

**Adamantium**

That's awesome. Your victory inspires us all!