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Dearest Dakkadakkans!

I recently got back into Warhammer, and I picked up a Tyranids codex. I love the Zerg-ish feel they have, and, having played High Elves and Eldar in the past, I’ve grown tired of armies whose fluff suggests every dead soldier brings the race closer to extinction, cause, I’ll be honest, when I’m flinging the die, they usually die a lot. So when they actually do start dying, I won’t have to feel bad about it.

So Nids it is. I want to work to a 1,000 point army and continue from there on. Even though I own a self-converted Flyrant, a Carnifex and 3 walking Warriors with CC-weapons, I created the following list:





1000 Points Tyranids

HQ
• 1 Tyranid Prime, scything talons/ rending claws

Troops
• 22 Hormagaunts, toxin sacs
• 22 Hormagaunts, toxin sacs
• 15 Genestealers, toxin sacs

Elites
• 2 Zoanthrope, Mycetic Spore

Fast Attack
• 3 Tyranid Shrike, scything talons/ rending claws


Total: 997 points







Some points on my army that you might want to take into account reviewing it:
1. Please bear with me, I haven’t made a list in at least 6 years, and I haven’t yet played in current 6th edition rules.
2. I’m playing for fun, not competitively, but I don’t mind to win once in a while either. I’ll take any suggestions you guys have for me, but it doesn’t have to be cheesy.
3. I want mostly a close-combat army. I really don’t like the Termagant, nor the other units with guns, really. So I try to avoid them if at all possible (god I wish they had Gargoyles with Scything Talons)
4. I guess there’s no getting around some anti-tank even in a 1000 point game. I love the Zoanthrope model and they carry no guns to the fight, so I prefer them. I watched a lot of youtube videos of people dropping the special character Zoanthrope in a pod, and liked the idea and well, it’s a cool surprise for my friend who always brings his Landraider, no matter how many points we play.
5. I bought awesome looking wings for the Warriors and they look awesome, so I want to play them (I like good looking armies).

My strategy would most likely be to put the Prime with the Hormogaunts and use the Shrikes as a mobile strike unit and synapse support should the prime die. I’d probably Deep Strike/Infiltrate the Genestealers into cover (with a bit of luck, of course) and drop the Zoanthropes on the first Landraider that I see.
I guess one of the things that really bugged me about this list is the lone Prime. I don’t really see me taking any other HQ’s due to the points cost. Do you guys think a lone Prime is playable?
Do you guys think – taking into account my preference for a CC-ish army – this is a decent/allround list?

Thanks for reading

A lone prime should do fine if he is properly supported and armored by the bodies of lesser beings.

Generally, I don't use genestealers, as they tend to die before getting anywhere, but outflanking them might make your opponent from putting too much near the flanks of the board. I might trade them for another squad of guants, or maybe use the points another HQ (I like the Parasite, he works as a decent force multiplier). He likes close combat, you like close combat. He makes more units, yours will be dying. He might be useful. The little buggers that pop out may never do anything but they still scare the crap out of my friends when they do show up.

I looked up the Parasite, it's worth consideration I guess. Toughness 4 on a 160 points model looks kinda' dangerous. What's your experience with it dying?
What would you do with the points you get for taking out the Genestealers and adding a unit of Hormagaunts?

If your oponent brings armor this list loses. The zoans can maybe blow up a 1 tank but they will die right after leaving you with nothing for the others.

Genestealers and hormagaunts are considered to be some of our weaker units atm, while they can certainly bring some pain to some armies i wouldn't build an entire list around themm for whenn they face something they can't deal well with you lost before starting.
And there is no fun in that for you or your oponent.

You dont need to bring the al competitve list of Flyrants, Tervigons, Doom, trygons etc but its wise to take atleast some of themm to make the list stonger thenn add the units you like to that strong core to get a fun list you like that still stands a good chance against most other armies.

You make a valid point in stating that I'll have a hard time dealing with armor. I'll be facing a lot of Space Marines so I guess I'd have to look into armor penetration. Considering the monstrous units you mentioned, which one(s?) would you field in a 1000 points battle? What would be considered 'normal' in a 1k game?

Thanks for the feedback!

The character Zoanthrope is called the Doom of Malan'tai. Stick him in a mynetic spore and he becomes incredibly cost effective. He kills a lot with his blast marker power and boost his wounds and strength on the turn he arrives (and kill tons of space marines) which then makes him a CC monster as well

Mayk0l wrote:
You make a valid point in stating that I'll have a hard time dealing with armor. I'll be facing a lot of Space Marines so I guess I'd have to look into armor penetration. Considering the monstrous units you mentioned, which one(s?) would you field in a 1000 points battle? What would be considered 'normal' in a 1k game?

Thanks for the feedback!

I meant armor as in vehicles. Hormagaunts and genestealers actualy work well against marines simply true a high number of attacks ( and rending ).

Keeping with the CC feel of the list i would look at a Trygon. Its hard to bring down and can do alot of damage to both infantry and vehicles by smashing.

If you like stealers (I do), then run them as the elite Ymgrals. The are much much more like to make it to assault since they can assault on arrival.

Overwatch, especially Tau, can devastate this list or any pure CC list.

Mayk0l wrote:
I looked up the Parasite, it's worth consideration I guess. Toughness 4 on a 160 points model looks kinda' dangerous. What's your experience with it dying?
What would you do with the points you get for taking out the Genestealers and adding a unit of Hormagaunts?

I hide him in a swarm of gargoyles to keep him protected. Lost him to a Tau gunline and mechanized IG, simply because I couldn't get into anything in melee, although the Parasite did take out a tank with some rends.

Any of the options presented by the others are good ideas.

Welcome back to Nids!

At 1000 pts the Prime will be good as an HQ. Personally I run him with a Lash Whip and Bonesword and a Deathspitter. Your Stealers will be much better with the addition of a Broodlord, which makes infiltrating them a more viable option. A Trygon would be my suggestion for this list as well. CC monster, 6 wounds, T6, 3+ save, should be a nice fire magnet too. Give it toxin sacs for cheap rerollable to wound rolls. So you'd have:

Prime LW BS, DS - 100 pts

Trygon TS - 210 pts

Hormies - 2 squads worth (20/ squad as points allow) - 120 pts each
Stealers w/ Broodlord - 9 w/ 1 BL should be good - 186 pts

2 Zoans w/ Pod - 160 pts

Shrikes - (105 pts) not what I'd normally bring, but if you can get them there, they will tear it up. While Rending is nice, if you need to shave some points I'd drop the claws in favor of dual Talons, or just leave them with the Devourers/Talons depending on what you want to model on.

1001 pts total (friendly opponents should let that slide!)

That list is pretty close to your original list, will still look awesome on the battlefield, and is close combat central. The addition of a little shooting on the Prime helps with possible transport popping to get those troops out in the open. The Broodlord is amazing in CC, with the book powers or with the lucky roll on Biomancy (Warp Speed or Iron Arm, although Endurance on the squad is money too).

Armoras, I really like the the Trygon on paper and I think it would fit really well in my army. Looking at the list DJM55 posted, I feel like that list is all my list wants to be but isn't. It feels like you play everything I do but then also field a Trygon. Definitely going to try the list you posted and I'm going to purchase a Trygon to complete my list. I wonder, are Hormagaunts without poison attacks worthwhile?

To the others: I'm going to give the special characters a try when I get the feel of the Tyranid army. The Doom especially looks nice.

A lot of food for thought! Going to try out the list next weekend in my first game in years

Hormies without Sacs are still good, as they still re-roll 1s in CC and have 2-4 attacks on the charge. With Sacs they will decimate T3 models even more (Eldar, Guard come to mind). Against T4 you will find life a bit more difficult but at that point level, 20 Hormies are the same cost as 6-8 Marines (I think). Let the Hormies Rage too (no real downside here) for the extra attacks.

I did basically resculpt your list to wedge a Trygon in, but once you get a better feel for the units it will be easier to get a little more creative with list building

Doom, Deathleaper, and the Parasite are my favorite Uniques in the codex.

Good luck!

I like Tervigons a lot and they bring more troops into the battle. Gargoyles with toxin sacs can be quite nasty fast units.

I run 20 brood of hormies bare with a TK or Bio zoanthrope as backup. It works very well, and generally keeps the rest of my bugs unmolested for bit. I they pretty reliable cover 10 in a turn running and are a solid for 7+ on the charge.

Alright, I tried the list with a few tweaks yesterday in two games of 1000 points against Ultramarines, playing with objectives. I could only get one Zoanthrope in time so I decided to play the Doom of Malan'tai in a Spore as it seemed a decent alternative. My opponent played an honor squad of 5, a librarian in terminator armor, two tactical squads, a dreadnought and two small assault squads.

I won both games quite decisively, mostly due to the Doom alone. The Doom killed the honor guard, librarian and tactical squads in game 1, in game 2, the librarian and most of his tactical marines. It didn't die once, sitting at 6-10 wounds most of the time.
The Trygon was pretty epic too, not dying and whiping the honor guard in one turn in game 2.
I liked the Prime, it was usually safe from harm along side the Hormagaunts, and with the points I had left I decided to give him Boneswords, which were great.
The Hormogaunts were decent, holding their own and tying up units, pretty cool.

The Shrike were 'meh' as expected. The Genestealers did nothing, both games (but I think I didn't play them right). I learned a lot about my army playing these games, so I'll keep trying to perfect the list

We decided to stay away from the Doom in the future, as it seems a bit degenerate (although I think he could've played against it better but didn't). I'll be fielding two Zoanthropes the next time.

A very good 1000pt list, you should feel proud to of won with out resorting to tervigons or termagants. I'd say keep the doom in and make your enemy adjust to him, rather then adjusting your list so he can beat him. If he is new too then tell him the best way to kill him is with strength 8, its the only realistic way. Boltering through 6-8 3++ saves wont get him anywhere. IF you don't like him because he is too good, I know some people who think he is to 'main stream' then double zoans can work. Experiment with taking rule book powers based on his list, lots of vehicles? Keep warp lance, if not try Telekinesis for Dome or biomancy for endurance and enfeeble. Brood Lord should roll telekinesis aswell, GOI would be really funny with stealers!

A fun combination for a unit is:

Tyranid Prime w/ Dual Boneswords, Scything Talons, Adrenal glands, Toxin Sacs, Regeneration
Carnifex w/ Dual Scything Talons, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Bio-plasma

On the Broodlord I like Telepathy more than the others since you will always get atleast one useful power for the whole brood.

Stealers are very hard to get right this edition. I find them running much better as Ymgrals. Same scary mincers as ever just a little be tough and harder to drop on the over watch.

Did you leave the gun on the Shrikes? I find they work best with stock gun to give you something to do the turn they arrive by DS. I just find them to slow to get up the board on foot with the 5+ save.

And as side note for your Marine buddy, before someone does it meanly to him, point out that a Libbie can't take an Honor Guard or Command squad.

Thanks for the compliments ALEXisAWESOME! He figured near the end instant death would be the best way to deal with it, but it was already too late. Maybe he'll play against it again in the future in the hopes of being able to off it quickly enough. I'll look into the Psyker powers.
barnowl: I took off the Shrikes guns. I didn't DS them thinking I'd need their Synapse power with the rest of my army. (As much as I love the new rules for Fearless,) I don't like the 'doing nothing on the DS/infiltrate turn', you're right. But I don't want to run any guns if I don't have to. The DS rules make no sense to me, I liked the Lictor so much but when I read the rules now, I can only imagine how hard it's got to suck.
Also, my friend is looking into the legal issues of his army as we speak

Unyielding Hunger: care to explain?

Mayk0l wrote:
Unyielding Hunger: care to explain?

Big bug + Small Warrior = Cover Saves.

Seriously, you attach the Prime to that baby and let it run right up with a screen in front. It is expensive, but your paying for an upgraded Screamer Killer Carnifex and pretty much the tied-for-second best Tyranid close combat model. Ignores armor, and 3d6 leadership test on a wound, or die. Most don't think about the possibilities, but it is a surprisingly tough unit. Just remember, challenge, challenge, challenge.

On a side note, do not run more than one unit of Hormagaunts upgraded. You want to keep that as your official "Delete" button, and then keep some nice amounts of standard units to soak up the fire and ensure that that "Delete" unit makes it to whatever you want gone.

Everyone is also huge on toxin sacs...i like running adrenal glands because it means my bugs can tackle vehicles.