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So I've been challeneged to step outside my comfort zone and build up a 500 point Tyrnaid List for our escalation league.

I know that a new list is on the horizon, but the challenge is for now and I need 500 points.

That being said, i've never ever play Nids before, and all I've ever done is gun line the feth out of them with Bolter and Plasma Death from my Dark Angels.

I am looking at having a modeling/painting weekend, and haven't bought anything yet but I do have a copy of the current dex. So any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated because I am at a total loss here!

Well you will never go wrong with tervigons and termagants. At 500 pts your HQ option is pretty limited and a prime may be the only option other tan a tervigon.

With a new codex rumored to come out later this year the could be a change to the way we use nids. Either way I think Tervigons and termagants will be your best bet to start.

i agree with skycapt44. This, i think, is outright dirty for 500 points.

HQ
Tervigon- Toxin sacs- 170

Elites
Hive Guard- 50
Hive Guard- 50

Troops
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs- 170
12 Termagaunts- 60

Total- 500

Its got all the stuff you'll want when increasing points total and is filthy for this level.

My amazing 500 point list.

Tervigon, TS 170

Zoanthrope 60
Hiveguard 50

10 Termagaunts 50
10 Termagaunts 50

4 Raveners 120



On average you'll have 40 poison gaunts on the board. I run the Raveners out of synapse so they get rage (+2 A on Charge). I know, no RC but the mass amount of attacks makes up for it. I swap between shriek/TK and lance on the Zoanthrope. I also roll bio on the Tervi. The Raveners make themself an awesome Tarpit. If you find yourself needing to run a more AT variation of this list then simply swap the Zoanthrope for another Hiveguard for 2x1 and drop TS on the Tervigon to pick up RC on the Raveners.

Wow thanks guys.

I like the idea of the tervigon.

Why take two over one? is it just for more gaunt spam?

when playing against nids, I've never let ravengers anywhere near my units, they always get nuked, on the flip side i suppose that will let the gaunts get closer?

 Master Azalle wrote:
Wow thanks guys.

I like the idea of the tervigon.

Why take two over one? is it just for more gaunt spam?

when playing against nids, I've never let ravengers anywhere near my units, they always get nuked, on the flip side i suppose that will let the gaunts get closer?

Spamming gaunts and its 2 MC on the table at 500 points! Hardly anyone will be able to deal with that.

There's not much s8 shooting in 500 point games to take down a squad of raveners in 2 turns of shooting. Combined with FNP or cover from the gaunts they can get in combat pretty quick. I haven't lost a 500 point game yet.

Wow guys I really like both of the lists! Thanks so much.

I'll have my work cut out for me when it comes to painting but I'm looking forward to it. Sounds like both can be viable. Perhaps I'll just get enough to run one or the other?

Where would you guys go for 750?

Bumping to 750 you can look at some heavies. A trygon and a biovore could be nice. There is a new codex coming so who know what units willbe changed or added. The DoM is also a very safe bet for a mere 130pts in a pod.

 Master Azalle wrote:
Wow guys I really like both of the lists! Thanks so much.

I'll have my work cut out for me when it comes to painting but I'm looking forward to it. Sounds like both can be viable. Perhaps I'll just get enough to run one or the other?

Where would you guys go for 750?

squeeze and trim points to take a flying hive tyrant, ideally with 2 twinlinked devourers.

The Dreaded Flyrant?? I've always been on the receiving end of one of these and at any point level they can be hard to deal with. at 750 I feel that it will be really hard to counter period. Good suggestion.

Due to availability of models (without goign through GW as my LFGS gives club members a discount) this is what I'm looking at for now:

HQ:
Tervigon - 160

Elites:
Hive Guard (2) - 100

Troops:
Termagant Brood (12) - 60

Termagant Brood (12) - 60

Fast Attack:
Ravener Brood (3) w/death spitters - 120

Is it viable to give the raverns death spitters? Or should i include a ripper swarm? I'm looking at the kit and it has several options, not sure on hat to take/ most effective would be.

 Master Azalle wrote:
The Dreaded Flyrant?? I've always been on the receiving end of one of these and at any point level they can be hard to deal with. at 750 I feel that it will be really hard to counter period. Good suggestion.

Due to availability of models (without goign through GW as my LFGS gives club members a discount) this is what I'm looking at for now:

HQ:
Tervigon - 160

Elites:
Hive Guard (2) - 100

Troops:
Termagant Brood (12) - 60

Termagant Brood (12) - 60

Fast Attack:
Ravener Brood (3) w/death spitters - 120

Is it viable to give the raverns death spitters? Or should i include a ripper swarm? I'm looking at the kit and it has several options, not sure on hat to take/ most effective would be.

I personally do not see the appeal of raveners but if you want them thats cool.

i would drop 2 tergaunts to get toxin sacs on the tervigon.

other than that its solid.

I was thinking the ravengers could tarpit a unit while the gaunts closed in.

I do plan on picking up a second Tervigon as soon as my LFGS gets another in (they've had a lot of their nid stock be depleted recently).

I may proxy in a 2nd Tervigon just to see how it will play out.

If I'm reading the rules correctly if the Tervigon has TS does it's gaunts it creates also have TS?

If I'm reading the rules correctly if the Tervigon has TS does it's gaunts it creates also have TS

Indeed it does. Same goes for adrenal glands if you have the points, but toxin is a gimme.

Makes a lot of sense then.

So when i get to 1000 points, put both TS and AG on both Tervigons, that would greatly increase the spam.

Is that how you would play them? I can see the benefit of it.

if i was going for a dirt list at 1K, i would take this:

HQ
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs 170
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs 170

Troops
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs 170
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs 170
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs 170
10 Termagaunts 50
10 Termagaunts 50
10 Termagaunts 50

Total=1000

5 MC's and all the gaunt spam in the world.

Dear God Thats Dirty

But how would you deal with armor? As I am sure someone will be brining it.

Tyranids are great at controlling enemy movement, clogging up the board and target saturation. A nice 1k list might look like this.. also I wouldn't bother with DS on raveners unless you have 5-6 minimum.

Flyrant 2x BLW (bio)
Tervigon, TS (bio)

Zoanthrope
2xHiveguard

Tervigon, TS, Cat (I would swap for bio)
10xTermagaunts

5x Raveners - RC

Here you have a very well rounded army that will do well in both annihilation and objective based scenarios. They simply can't ignore your flyrant. Start/run the Raveners out of synapse. Play your Hiveguard Aggressively. Walk your loanthrope behind a Tervigon OR in cover and sit behind a wall and shriek things and laugh or keep lance/blast for armor and troop murdering. You have a lot of aa and AT in this list. You also have a lot of horde and tarpits with most of the list having a big punch in CC. This list is also asthetically pleasing IMO as you are utilizing Large, Mid, and small Tyranid creatures. The Flyrant can really compliment your playstyle with this list. Depending on your opponent the Flyrant can drop down and shoot/assault things or stay in the sky and shoot things.

Wow I really like the combination of your list. You guys have been super helpful.

What are the advantages of adding RCs to the Raveners?

If you were wanting to use ranged weapons on the raveners, either go spine fists (TL Assault4 is always nice) or Devourers (longer range for +1S, 1 less shot, but drops LD if they take a wound).

I personally love the Prime with TS, ST, 2xBS, but that's personal preference. Tervs are crazy good, and even base model can be ruthless at 500pts.

 Master Azalle wrote:
Dear God Thats Dirty

But how would you deal with armor? As I am sure someone will be brining it.

5 MC's smashing attacks in combat at S10.

yeah, 5x MC can take care of just about everything armored out there. Even AV14 gets glanced on a 4, pen on a 5+ (at S10 from smash)

RC- On a to wound roll of 6, you ignore your targets armor. On a roll of 6 versus armor, you gain an extra d3 str going towards armor pen: Base str (4) + 6 + d3 (potentially 13 str) makes Raveners awesome Vehicle hunters. 5 Raveners with rage means 35 attacks on the charge rerolling 1s to hit. Guns will put more wounds on an infantry squad initially but keeping raveners locked in combat is what you want. RC will end up paying off more than guns if you keep them in HTH combat. Raveners threaten anything on the ground except landraiders and moniliths.

zaak wrote:
RC- On a to wound roll of 6, you ignore your targets armor. On a roll of 6 versus armor, you gain an extra d3 str going towards armor pen: Base str (4) + 6 + d3 (potentially 13 str) makes Raveners awesome Vehicle hunters. 5 Raveners with rage means 35 attacks on the charge rerolling 1s to hit. Guns will put more wounds on an infantry squad initially but keeping raveners locked in combat is what you want. RC will end up paying off more than guns if you keep them in HTH combat. Raveners threaten anything on the ground except landraiders and moniliths.

Yes, but you can take both. Raveners use the chest guns, so you still have the arm slots. That's why in the codex it says "Raveners may take one of the following" instead of "raveners may replace one set of ST for the following" when referring to the ranged options. Assuming he was still looking at taking the DS for 10pts, he would actually be better off going with RC and either spinefists (for the 12" Assault4 TL) or Devourers (S4, 18", reduces LD on a wound, Assault3) for the exact same points. (RC 5 pts, Either Dev or Spinefists 5 pts).


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The ranged is really just icing on the cake for Ravs, though if you are wanting them raging, then giving them any ranged is pointless.

 mixer86 wrote:
i agree with skycapt44. This, i think, is outright dirty for 500 points.

HQ
Tervigon- Toxin sacs- 170

Elites
Hive Guard- 50
Hive Guard- 50

Troops
Tervigon- Toxin Sacs- 170
12 Termagaunts- 60

Total- 500

Its got all the stuff you'll want when increasing points total and is filthy for this level.

A+++

You can get 2 x 200 point tervigons one in hq one troop, each with 3psychic powers and maybe a couple other goodies. Plus 2 x 10 gant units for 500 points. Good look to annyone dealing with that at 500 points.

BTW: the Tervigon gives all termagaunts within 6" his TS or AG upgrades (not just the ones he spawns) but once they leave his 6" bubble they lose the abilities. They are stronger in close combat when next to a tervigon but also more vulnerable due to the psychic backlash if the tervigon gets killed.

I like the 5 Tervigon list but that would be just way too many termagaunts to paint for the spawning, I would say you need about 150 of them ready for 5 Tervigon. sure its super nasty but its kinda boring as you only have diferent type of models I would go for 2 scoring ones with CClaws and extra psychic power and TS then 1 Fyrant and a Trygon for 1000pts

list would be something like this

260 Hive tyrant / wings / 2x TL devourer BLW

215 1x Tervigon / TS / CClaws / Catalyst
215 1x Tervigon / TS / CClaws / Catalyst
50 10x Termagaunts
50 10x Termagaunts

210 Trygon / TS

total 1000pts
it has a bit more variety and fun stuff and I figure just about as strong as the super tervigon spam

I'm reading through the codex, and it says the Tervigon spawns Gaunts, but that they are just basic gaunts, no upgrades. Did that change in a FAQ?

 Master Azalle wrote:
I'm reading through the codex, and it says the Tervigon spawns Gaunts, but that they are just basic gaunts, no upgrades. Did that change in a FAQ?

Nope they spawn basic gants, so just with fleshbourers. But if they are within 6" of a tervigon, all gants benefit from her toxin sacs and adrenal glands. As well as use her Ld. And get counter attack.

Ah ok, makes far more sense now, thanks Eldercaveman!