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As part of my attempt to salvage what useful units I can from the wreck that is new Codex Tyranids, I noticed that Warriors and Shrikes can be equipped individually now, making several heavy hitters and leaving others as cheaper meat shields.
I have total of 11 shrikes, so this is what I conceived:

6 Tyranid shrikes (6*30=180pts)
3 armed with lashwhip, bonesword and scyting talons for +1A (3*20=60pts)
3 armed with scyting talons and devourers, 1 of them with Barbed strangler for occasional suppression shot (10pts)
total 250pts
math hammer says that 3 sword armed ones kill 5 meq

Now what grinds my gears, is whenever I should give them upgrades or not:
Fleshooks for assaulting into cover (24pts)
Poison for ability to kill MC and more dead MEQ (18)
Furious charge + fleet for more dependable charging (24pts)
Fully upgraded unit would costs 316pts, kills 9 meq

Tactically, I plan to rush shrikes forward, together with flyrants and gargoyles, using cover of terreain or gargoyles, and hoping for threat overload
What do you think? Is it worth it? What upgrades Should be taken and what can be left out?
Would the unit benefit for a few extra swordless bodies?

Atm i'm using 5x Shrikes with Toxin Sacs, Rending Claws and Scything Talons.

That's 190pts.

Or +1 BS/LW and drop a Rending Claw pair.
Or Barbed Strangler and drop a Rending Claw pair.

I think for 3pts a go, MC or MEQ reroll to wound are nice. Seeing as you'll be hitting on 3s with 5atks on the charge.

Don't want too much killyness as to finish the combat in their turn. The 5+ save is actually worth something when in combat moreso.

But a 3/4 brood, will be advantageous for cover/los blocking. AG helping with the run to make sure.

I'm flanking them as best as i can. Keeping to the edge of the board as much as possible.

 Ratliker wrote:
As part of my attempt to salvage what useful units I can from the wreck that is new Codex Tyranids, I noticed that Warriors and Shrikes can be equipped individually now, making several heavy hitters and leaving others as cheaper meat shields.
I have total of 11 shrikes, so this is what I conceived:

6 Tyranid shrikes (6*30=180pts)
3 armed with lashwhip, bonesword and scyting talons for +1A (3*20=60pts)
3 armed with scyting talons and devourers, 1 of them with Barbed strangler for occasional suppression shot (10pts)
total 250pts
math hammer says that 3 sword armed ones kill 5 meq

Now what grinds my gears, is whenever I should give them upgrades or not:
Fleshooks for assaulting into cover (24pts)
Poison for ability to kill MC and more dead MEQ (18)
Furious charge + fleet for more dependable charging (24pts)
Fully upgraded unit would costs 316pts, kills 9 meq

Tactically, I plan to rush shrikes forward, together with flyrants and gargoyles, using cover of terreain or gargoyles, and hoping for threat overload
What do you think? Is it worth it? What upgrades Should be taken and what can be left out?
Would the unit benefit for a few extra swordless bodies?

I am using shrikes too, but I run them normally without any firearms, cause I want them to be in CC from turn 2 until the end of the game. I use rending claws + adrenalin + toxin sacs. Sometimes one or two get boneswords with lashwips if i ve got the points. But most of the times I prefer rending claws, cause they are much cheaper and more versatile than boneswords. They are good against vehicles and will help against every unit with a 2+ armor save. Personally I would avoid facing terminators, their powerweapons really hurt, but broadsides and riptides are nice targets.

Some thoughts on the upgrades:

Think adrenalin is a must have. Nothing hurts more than shrikes standing in front of a gunline cause they have failed theire 5" charge. The furious Charge is another nice bonus, especially against vehicles.

Toxin Sacs on Shrikes are another must have. Not because of the ability to hurt MCs more effectively. With youre 3 bonewords you ll kill most of them due to IK. But the rerolls against most other units are really nice.

Fleshhooks... they are nice but not as necessary as toxin or adrenalin. Against weaker CC units it wouldnt hurt that much to be I1. If youre heading for stronger CC units you can force some pinning tests with horror to charge with normal initiative.

In the display case...

9 shrikes (rending claws)

If you replace that Devourers...you might as well have taken raveners.

You can choose to put two lw/bs flesh hooks in the back if you want

 ductvader wrote:
9 shrikes (rending claws)

If you replace that Devourers...you might as well have taken raveners.

You can choose to put two lw/bs flesh hooks in the back if you want

I'd say it depends on what you have for synapse in the rest of the list as to whether Raveners or Shrikes are better.

Got lots of synapse, go for Raveners, light on synapse go for shrikes.

I only have 3 Shrikes right now, building 3 more soon. I have them all with scytals and rending claws but can't decide if I should put BOTH AG and TS on or not... they are both very good!

 Madness! wrote:
In the display case...

Nah, you should field them as big Gargoyles!

Noctem wrote:
I only have 3 Shrikes right now, building 3 more soon. I have them all with scytals and rending claws but can't decide if I should put BOTH AG and TS on or not... they are both very good!

I never reccomend double glanding, I'd go with Toxic myself, for the re-rolls. I'd add in Flesh hooks before adding Adrenal, it boosts assault ability, and adds a tiny bit of shooty

I'm still more than a bit shocked that GW's never gotten around to making the models. They've existed in book form form, what, ten years? More?

You have to think that, in the wake of Chapterhouse, that's a missed opportunity.

They have overpriced Forge world upgrades, the think that's good enough.