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Morning one and all. Have decided to get back into 40k after some time away in the WHFB world, and the space gribblies have always held an attraction for me (although it was a close call b/w them DE, and Crons). I am well aware of the general wailing and nashing of teeth at the new book and how its ruined the Tyranids forever. But having not played them in the last edition I don't see this.

My main question is; are they still all about wrecking face in cc, or is it all about the dakka now? I'm looking to start about 1000pt force to begin with, and obviously the builds and includes will be quite different dependent on what option I choose. I'm not looking for super-competitive, but definitely something that can hold its own.

For dakka I was thinking roughly (sorry don't have the codex to hand so can't remember exact numbers):

HQ:
]Flyrant: wings, TL devourer w/BL (do I need hive commander for this?)

Elite:
Zoeys x2
Venomthrope
Venomthrope

Troops:
10x termies. 5 with devourer
10x termies. 5 with devourer
3x warrior brood. 1 with VC

FA:
10x gargoyles

HS:
2xbiovores
1xexocrine.

I think that adds to roughly 1000pts.

For fighty nids, the HQ and elite are the same as above but then:

Troops:
10xhormogaunts (do they need adrenal glands and/or poison sacs, as that alters how many I can take)
10x hormogaunts
3xwarrior brood

HS:
2x carnifexes


Any thoughts (bar the obligatory "don't collect the 'nids they suck!") would be much appreciated.

I would probably skip the warriors, one battlecannon, manticore shell, riptide pie plate or any of the other S8 large blasts and they all instant die on a 2+.

I'd take another flyrant instead. If you aren't taking a tervigon (and there are good reasons not to in this edition of the codex) then i would just spam minimum units of naked termagants,hormogaunts or geanstealers. You need to hold objectives and if you have 20 horms then you are going to loose them.

I would recommend either 6x10 termagants in order to make it not worthwhile even bothering to shoot at them (or genestealer minimum units if you lack synapse)

Or, a tervigon with regeneration and 30 termagants (to make the tervigon troop choice).

wtnind wrote:
I would probably skip the warriors, one battlecannon, manticore shell, riptide pie plate or any of the other S8 large blasts and they all instant die on a 2+.

I'd take another flyrant instead. If you aren't taking a tervigon (and there are good reasons not to in this edition of the codex) then i would just spam minimum units of naked termagants,hormogaunts or geanstealers. You need to hold objectives and if you have 20 horms then you are going to loose them.

I would recommend either 6x10 termagants in order to make it not worthwhile even bothering to shoot at them (or genestealer minimum units if you lack synapse)

Or, a tervigon with regeneration and 30 termagants (to make the tervigon troop choice).

You can't fit a Flyrant into the price for a unit of Warriors. You need like, 7 warriors (one with cannon) or 8 bare to price out a FHT.
With the venoms I assume to be granting cover should be fine with them.

1k points semi competative the list looks fine.

 Nem wrote:

wtnind wrote:
I would probably skip the warriors, one battlecannon, manticore shell, riptide pie plate or any of the other S8 large blasts and they all instant die on a 2+.

I'd take another flyrant instead. If you aren't taking a tervigon (and there are good reasons not to in this edition of the codex) then i would just spam minimum units of naked termagants,hormogaunts or geanstealers. You need to hold objectives and if you have 20 horms then you are going to loose them.

I would recommend either 6x10 termagants in order to make it not worthwhile even bothering to shoot at them (or genestealer minimum units if you lack synapse)

Or, a tervigon with regeneration and 30 termagants (to make the tervigon troop choice).

You can't fit a Flyrant into the price for a unit of Warriors. You need like, 7 warriors (one with cannon) or 8 bare to price out a FHT.

You can't fit a tervigon and 30 termagants in for the price of 20 horms either. OP was looking for an army that can hold it's own, 2 flyrants and a reliable number/quality of troops would go a long way towards doing that. Assuming he has the codex it shouldn't take too much time to decide what to drop.

The only reason the warriors are in there is to provide synapse for both the biovores and the exocrine. If I dropped them and some other stuff for a 2nd flyrant, surely I'm reducing where I can put my synaptic control?

Still, thanks for the replies, its all very useful!

As a Synape anchor the 3-4 brood Warriors are a viable choice. Especially now that the Prime cost more than the Unit. 4 can survive a Battle Cannon if you keep them spread out. Manticore, well not much can shrug those off.

On a single Warrior squad I like it bare or with the strangler. IF the VC was AP2 or 3, I would see running it as a single more.

If you are that worried about instant death warriors you can drop the 3 warriors for some cheap gaunt scoring unit. Make the 2 venemtropes one unit and buy one more unit of zoantrope for zynapse.

Although your list looks fine.