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Hey everyone. I've been playing 40k for around 10 years as space marines and eldar. I started up a tyranids army roughly 6 months ago and I love em! One of my buddies wants to go to a local tournament this may and I said I would give it a shot. Our first one. I decided I am going to use Tyranids as my eldar are no where near finished for a competitive list. Yay conversions.
I currently own all the models in the list I am thinking about running. Been testing playing vs necron and tau. I've been winning, but I think its due to the fact that my opponent doesn't know his armies all that well. I usually just play aggressive and try to control the majority of the board as my tactic.

Onto the list.
HQ. 480pts 2x Hive Tyrants
Wings 2x devourers w/brainleech worms Electroshock grubs

Elites. 145pts
Venomthrope
Zoanthrope
Zoanthrope

Troops. 455pts
15x hormagants
Tervigon, miasma cannon
Termagaunts 10x devourers, 20x fleshborer

Heavy. 770pts
Exocrine
2x carnifex with dual devourers w/brainleech worms
2x carnifex with dual devourers w/brainleech worms

1850 even. Any thoughts? Tips?

Looks good. A fairly standard list for competitive, single CAD. I honestly wouldn't change any of it. Keep playing with it to get comfortable using it in a variety of situations. Its a really good sign if you are beating tau and necron, so keep playing a variety of opponents so you get used to facing different things.

Didn't expect to hear not to change anything. That's a good sign! Thanks for the input.

I'd use a single Dakkafex squad, then drop one for a Tyrannofex in a Tyrannocyte. A Toxicrene can also be nice when attacking from behind..... Or you can drop a Dakkafex squad and the exocrine for a Living Artillery Node. Gives a bit more Synapse and lets you get some extra Pinning.

I'd also try to give the Termagaunts a single weapon, rather than splitting them. I'd prefer Devourers, since you're getting fleshborers out of the tervigon. I'd consider dropping the Hormagaunts since it's a small squad, too.

Looks pretty nice, I would build it different, but that is a style thing. I would use a Mawloc, instead of the exocrene, and I would use a thorax hive on the Tervigon. If you swap the Mawloc in you have the points. The second style thing is I really like taking Hive Commander, and outflanking the Tervigon( that is also why I like the Thorax Hive so much) no reason why you can not do well with what you have though...Dakkafexen Rawk!

I'll have to give those options a try. Outflanking a tervigon would be cool. Believe it or not, I was looking at the toxicrene. Never used a Tyrannofex, but can that really put out the same damage output as 2 carnifexes? Don't have the codex next to me. Will have to try out some of these options.

Tyrannofex will seriously put the hurt on loght infantry like guard because of the torrent acid spray. However, his biggest feature are his 6 wounds with a 2+ save. He is easily our most survivable ground unit. So he may not do the damage of the dakkafexen but he can serve in other capacities too.

Toxicrene is a good option too, but you cannot have him just running across the board. He is too slow and easy to take down that way. If you want to run him, you need a tyrannocyte to drop him in the enemy backfield.

shrouk wrote:
I'll have to give those options a try. Outflanking a tervigon would be cool. Believe it or not, I was looking at the toxicrene. Never used a Tyrannofex, but can that really put out the same damage output as 2 carnifexes? Don't have the codex next to me. Will have to try out some of these options.

Not near the offence, but loads more defence. I like to put a thorax hive,and arsenals, that makes for a terrifying twin templates troop slaying horror. While the foes madly shoots it the rest of your force advances. And it costs 100 points less..

Make no mistake the twin Dakkafexen, are more powerfully, but they present a more straightforward problem for the foe,and it is the same problem twice, rather than a spread of "issues"'

Might be a very noobish question, but what is a thorax hive?

I think my next test list will be dropping the 15 hormagants and a group of carnifexes. Pick up a Tyrannofex (no upgrades as I'm not sure what to put on him) and add hive commander to one of my tyrants. That puts me at 1670. No idea how to spend the remaining 180 points.

the hive is an assault 20 s4 weapon.

idk about the tyrannofex... it doesnt have a punch in CC and is very vurnable to be hold up in CC by big blobs of infantry.

if you wanna get rid of a carnifex definitely consider the toxicrene in a drop pod.

Thorax hives are template weapons available to hive tyrants, tyrannofex, and tervigons. Electroshock grubs are generally regarded as the best option for its haywire rule so that you may easily damage enemy vehicles, and its strength 5 makes it decent against infantry too.

graywater wrote:
Thorax hives are template weapons available to hive tyrants, tyrannofex, and tervigons. Electroshock grubs are generally regarded as the best option for its haywire rule so that you may easily damage enemy vehicles, and its strength 5 makes it decent against infantry too.

where can i find the rules for the thorax hive?

i only know the fleshborer hive, which is avaiable for the tyrannofex (the weapon profile i mentioned above)

thorax hive rules should be in the tyranid armory page and also in the quick reference section at the back of the codex. They are all template weapons with the same point cost, but you have three options to choose from.

shrouk wrote:
Might be a very noobish question, but what is a thorax hive?

I think my next test list will be dropping the 15 hormagants and a group of carnifexes. Pick up a Tyrannofex (no upgrades as I'm not sure what to put on him) and add hive commander to one of my tyrants. That puts me at 1670. No idea how to spend the remaining 180 points.

Thorax Hive, costs about two Hormagaunts, puts out a Template, Electro bugs, S5 AP5, haywire, Shredder beetles, S3, shred, Rend, AP?, or Dessicators, poison 2+ (S1?) Haywire is too dang useful to pass up, anything not wearing power armor is toast

Thorax Hive = Thorax Biomorph. I was confused at first also, as it appeared to be a pairing of the Fleshborer Hive and a particular Thorax upgrade and given a nickname.

Right. It is generally referred to as a thorax hive because the little blurb that goes along with the entry in the wargear section refers to the grubs/larvae/beetles as a hive.

I I like the list, I would still consider the electroshoc grub on the tervigon just to give him 2 flamer if you need it and the haywire too. cluster spines is also a worthwile upgrade.

spreading the termagaunts into groups of devourers and non devourer is an advantage that we as Nids have that I really like, I usually keep about a 2 out of 3 ratio, 20 devourer wielder with 10 fleshborer in front to take the hits in the begining.

I really do like the ideas of the tyrannofex and toxicrene. Will try both of them out within the next week or two.

Would it be wise to put electroshock grubs on anything that I can? I mean, tanks are pretty hard to kill in this edition and the more grubs I have the easier it should be?

Should I up my ratio of devourers on the termagaunts?

Thanks for clearing up the Thorax Hive thing. There should be a nickname guide to some of these things.

shrouk wrote:
I really do like the ideas of the tyrannofex and toxicrene. Will try both of them out within the next week or two.

Would it be wise to put electroshock grubs on anything that I can? I mean, tanks are pretty hard to kill in this edition and the more grubs I have the easier it should be?

Should I up my ratio of devourers on the termagaunts?

Thanks for clearing up the Thorax Hive thing. There should be a nickname guide to some of these things.

Well...I tend to get a little "preachy" about it, but yes you should put them on anything that can take them. Best 10 points you will ever spend (about 90% of the time )


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The ratio is kinda a style thing, plus your meta, personally I run 2/3 Spinegaunts,1/3 devilgaunts...I think 50/50 is just fine as well. Ftf feels different. The only major part is use cheap gribblies to screen your expensive ones. It's a Tyranid "thing"

So I tried two games this past Sunday. Dropped the hormagaunts, and a group of carnifexes.

Added in a trynnofex with grubs, fleshboree hive, and tyrannocte. 10x gargoyles, and changed the ration of devilgaubts to 50/50.

Other list was with a toxicrene instead of tyrannofex.

I can't say I really had a favorite. The WS 3 on the toxicrene didn't help. The tyrannofex with BS 3 was iffy. Both had some good survivability. Drop pod was a great nuisence! 5 deathspitters mwahaha.

Guess it really comes down to which big bug is more competitive at the end of the day.

I'd prefer Devourers, since you're getting fleshborers from the tervigon. I'd think about dropping the particular Hormagaunts since its a tiny squad, as well.

shrouk wrote:
So I tried two games this past Sunday. Dropped the hormagaunts, and a group of carnifexes.

Added in a trynnofex with grubs, fleshboree hive, and tyrannocte. 10x gargoyles, and changed the ration of devilgaubts to 50/50.

Other list was with a toxicrene instead of tyrannofex.

I can't say I really had a favorite. The WS 3 on the toxicrene didn't help. The tyrannofex with BS 3 was iffy. Both had some good survivability. Drop pod was a great nuisence! 5 deathspitters mwahaha.


Guess it really comes down to which big bug is more competitive at the end of the day.

Both the toxicrene and the tyrannofex have their advantages, but you hampered yourself by taking the fleshborer Hive. Like you said, his bs3 hurts. Acid spray is a great weapon that negates any BS issue and still keeps him tough to kill