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Hi all, I'm just getting back into the game after a hiatus of about 4 years.

I purchased 6 of the Death Storm starter sets, and the first army I am building is Tyranids. Never played them and wanted to try them out.

Here's my first list. I would appreciate any advice or criticisms on how to improve it.

Thanks in advance.

-HQ- [260]
Hive Tyrant
Wings
Electroshock Grubs
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms
Hive Commander

-HQ- [260]
Hive Tyrant
Wings
Electroshock Grubs
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms
Hive Commander

-TROOPS- [340]
Genestealer Brood
15 additional genestealers
Broodlord

-TROOPS- [140]
Tyranid Warriors
1 additional Warrior
Lash whip and bonesword

-HEAVY- (x2) [300]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

-HEAVY- (x2) [300]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

-HEAVY- (x1) [150]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

It is not a bad list, but Genestealers are very expensive, and are easy to shoot down, so big chunks of them are very hard to use, That Children of Cryptus thing looks kinda fun to use, but you might be happier with some Gaunts, or Rippers for Troops. (plenty of folks are using Mucolids...)

I posted a theory list called "Stealer shame" that might give you some ideas.

pinecone77 wrote:
It is not a bad list, but Genestealers are very expensive, and are easy to shoot down, so big chunks of them are very hard to use, That Children of Cryptus thing looks kinda fun to use, but you might be happier with some Gaunts, or Rippers for Troops. (plenty of folks are using Mucolids...)

I posted a theory list called "Stealer shame" that might give you some ideas.

Cool. I like your list.

Have you had success with minimum squad genestealers? I love stealers, but you are right, they are darn expensive!

What about synapse, do you think I have enough?

Thanks for the help!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
OK, I scaled the list back to 1500 pts (1490).

Here's the new list:

-HQ- [270]
Hive Tyrant
Wings
Electroshock Grubs
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms
Regeneration

-HQ- [270]
Hive Tyrant
Wings
Electroshock Grubs
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms
Regeneration

-TROOPS- [70]
5 Genestealers (70)

-TROOPS- [70]
5 Genestealers (70)

-TROOPS- [90]
Tyranid Warriors (90)

-HEAVY- (x2) [300]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

-HEAVY- (x2) [300]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

-HEAVY- [120]
Carnifex Brood


Any Thoughts?

LemanRuse wrote:

pinecone77 wrote:
It is not a bad list, but Genestealers are very expensive, and are easy to shoot down, so big chunks of them are very hard to use, That Children of Cryptus thing looks kinda fun to use, but you might be happier with some Gaunts, or Rippers for Troops. (plenty of folks are using Mucolids...)

I posted a theory list called "Stealer shame" that might give you some ideas.

Cool. I like your list.

Have you had success with minimum squad genestealers? I love stealers, but you are right, they are darn expensive!

What about synapse, do you think I have enough?

Thanks for the help!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
OK, I scaled the list back to 1500 pts (1490).

Here's the new list:

-HQ- [270]
Hive Tyrant
Wings
Electroshock Grubs
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms
Regeneration

-HQ- [270]
Hive Tyrant
Wings
Electroshock Grubs
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms
Regeneration

-TROOPS- [70]
5 Genestealers (70)

-TROOPS- [70]
5 Genestealers (70)

-TROOPS- [90]
Tyranid Warriors (90)

-HEAVY- (x2) [300]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

-HEAVY- (x2) [300]
Carnifex Brood
x2 TL Devourer with Brainleech worms

-HEAVY- [120]
Carnifex Brood


Any Thoughts?

Well, I would lose the Regens, and spend that 60 elsewhere...If nothing else, I would grab a Zoey (Zoanthrope) and spend the last 10 on a upgrade someplace...If you roll on Strategy for Warlord, you could get Master of Ambush That would let you infiltrate dang near your entire army.

I would spend that last 10 points on a Cannon for the Warrior Brood. I prefer a Strangle Cannon, it gives some sadly lacking long range to us Bugs, and it can "pin" letting you get into CC safely.

Another very good choice for a Heavy is a Mawloc, you just need to drop the vanilla Carnifex, and find 20 more points.

Once you get a few dozen games in, you should think about adding a Formation to boost up to higher point totals. (Deathleaper Assassins looks like a natural )


One of my favorite Big Bugs for lower point games is Tyrannofex, Acid spray, Thorax hive (Electro grubs) for 185, I often toss on Adrenals for 200 even. That is two Templates, one Torrent, one Haywire, on a T6 W6 save 2+ Fleet Furious charging troop destroying monstrosity!

Looks ok. Where did you get the Hive Tyrants? I don't think hive tyrants came in the Deathstorm set...

 KaptinBadrukk wrote:
Looks ok. Where did you get the Hive Tyrants? I don't think hive tyrants came in the Deathstorm set...

No, the tyrants were not part of the DS sets.

I didn't mean to imply that everything in my army only came from the DS sets. That being said, I'm still a big fan of the value of the sets!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Well, I would lose the Regens, and spend that 60 elsewhere...If nothing else, I would grab a Zoey (Zoanthrope) and spend the last 10 on a upgrade someplace...If you roll on Strategy for Warlord, you could get Master of Ambush That would let you infiltrate dang near your entire army.

I would spend that last 10 points on a Cannon for the Warrior Brood. I prefer a Strangle Cannon, it gives some sadly lacking long range to us Bugs, and it can "pin" letting you get into CC safely.

Another very good choice for a Heavy is a Mawloc, you just need to drop the vanilla Carnifex, and find 20 more points.

Once you get a few dozen games in, you should think about adding a Formation to boost up to higher point totals. (Deathleaper Assassins looks like a natural )


One of my favorite Big Bugs for lower point games is Tyrannofex, Acid spray, Thorax hive (Electro grubs) for 185, I often toss on Adrenals for 200 even. That is two Templates, one Torrent, one Haywire, on a T6 W6 save 2+ Fleet Furious charging troop destroying monstrosity!

Good advice!

I'm definitely getting some Zoeys in the mix. That's my next buy.

And yeah, I agree that regen is expensive, and probably not worth it.

Wow, I will definitely take a look at the tyrannofex.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
I appreciate all of the feedback!

Cool. Good luck! And welcome to the Hive Mind!

I got my Nid army after impulse buying 2 Death storms (that Broodlord is frickin cool). I find minimum units of stealers with a broodlord are brilliant. I also run a Spore field and I refer to my infiltrators (the spore field and stealers) as my wall of crap. I get2 shots at Horror a turn and a big wall of crap that the enemy has to deal with and dodoesn't want to advance into. So whilst being Nids means First Blood is rarely a VP you see I do frequently dominate the early game VP wise. I back this up with 2 Dakka Flyrants and 2 Dakkafexes (so similar to yours but I also invest heavily in Zoes and have 2 Warrior broods). The wallof crap gives me time and board control to get my punchy units into position.

So looking at your original list I would drop the warrior unit down to minimum size with a Cannon. I drop the stealer brood to 2 minimum units with Broodlords and add in a spore field. I would also drop Hive Commander this would give you 70 points, find another 15 (perhaps drop a Devourer off a fex) and you can get a Malanthrope giving you increased Synapse and shrouded.

Lists like these make me cry.

'I know how to make a very tyranidy type list... Take as many guns as I can!'

It enrages me, and it's so boring.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm sure opponents of nid players will be getting bored of this list too. So, are you aiming to be as competetive as possible? Or is it a casual fun list you'd also like to win with every now and again?

Your list looks like fun.
I'd make a few changes though...
I'd drop the warrior squad and the Genestealers (including stealers is basically giving yourself a handicap of their points value, unless there is a gak-load of terrain and ruins).
Warriors rarely make their points back in my experience.
In their place I'd pop in a couple of deep-striking ripper swarms for your troops and a Malanthrope for synapse/shrouding bubble. The malanthrope is pretty much an auto include for all my nid lists as it makes it much easier to survive a first turn alpha strike.
I'd also try to squeeze in a big blob of arround 20 Gargoyles with toxin sacs for tarpitting and threatening big monstrous creatures like wraithknights, Riptides and Greater Daemons, kept in synapse they are fearless and wounding against T8 on 4's is pretty decent.
Also, dropping the solo fex for a couple of lictors might be a good idea...they are amazing for grabbing tactical objectives.
Anyways, that's my $0.02. Have fun with the 72x S6 devourers!!

 Khaine's Wrath wrote:
Lists like these make me cry.

'I know how to make a very tyranidy type list... Take as many guns as I can!'

It enrages me, and it's so boring.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm sure opponents of nid players will be getting bored of this list too. So, are you aiming to be as competetive as possible? Or is it a casual fun list you'd also like to win with every now and again?

Don't blame the lists or players blame the codex. In such a horribly imbalanced codex you have a choice between very good units or trash. Unfortunately pretty much all the CC options fall into the later category. If only the Nid codex was as well written as the Necron one.

OP, since you have 6 sets, it really is worth building at least Children of Cryptus brood. Stealth and PE on a 'stealer brood is a great way to run them.

Personally I like the Phodian Assault formation, but that is because I play ruins heavy boards which plays to the Formations strength.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Khaine's Wrath wrote:
Lists like these make me cry.

'I know how to make a very tyranidy type list... Take as many guns as I can!'

It enrages me, and it's so boring.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm sure opponents of nid players will be getting bored of this list too. So, are you aiming to be as competetive as possible? Or is it a casual fun list you'd also like to win with every now and again?

Nid's really are historically a devastating short range firepower army with a strong to excellent assault backing it up. So that is a very niddy approach, but I get your point. It would be nice for a bit more variety in the actual lists.

 FlingitNow wrote:

 Khaine's Wrath wrote:
Lists like these make me cry.

'I know how to make a very tyranidy type list... Take as many guns as I can!'

It enrages me, and it's so boring.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm sure opponents of nid players will be getting bored of this list too. So, are you aiming to be as competetive as possible? Or is it a casual fun list you'd also like to win with every now and again?

Don't blame the lists or players blame the codex. In such a horribly imbalanced codex you have a choice between very good units or trash. Unfortunately pretty much all the CC options fall into the later category. If only the Nid codex was as well written as the Necron one.

Don't get me wrong, I do blame the codex. That's why I asked if he wants to be as competetive as possible or not. I'm building a list of my own at the moment. It will never win a tournament. I think it could win its fair share of friendly fun games which is what I'm building it for. And I have avoided four thousand twin linked devourers. My carnifex is an assault battering ram. Like he should be.

 Khaine's Wrath wrote:

 FlingitNow wrote:

 Khaine's Wrath wrote:
Lists like these make me cry.

'I know how to make a very tyranidy type list... Take as many guns as I can!'

It enrages me, and it's so boring.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm sure opponents of nid players will be getting bored of this list too. So, are you aiming to be as competetive as possible? Or is it a casual fun list you'd also like to win with every now and again?

Don't blame the lists or players blame the codex. In such a horribly imbalanced codex you have a choice between very good units or trash. Unfortunately pretty much all the CC options fall into the later category. If only the Nid codex was as well written as the Necron one.

Don't get me wrong, I do blame the codex. That's why I asked if he wants to be as competetive as possible or not. I'm building a list of my own at the moment. It will never win a tournament. I think it could win its fair share of friendly fun games which is what I'm building it for. And I have avoided four thousand twin linked devourers. My carnifex is an assault battering ram. Like he should be.

I feel you, man. This is my first list, so I accept that it is basically unoriginal. And yes, playing a shooty Nid list feels a little weird to me, but I figured I would give it a try.

The good news is that I have a ton of models to work with, so there will definitely be variations to my list. Right now I'm just trying to find my "sea-legs"

Haha. Ditto. I have a list written. I've gone for quite a fluffy all round list with multiple units. I have absolutely no doubt that at any competetive seen I will have my rear end handed to me, but I can't bring myself to spam units or bring shooting based nids. It doesn't work for me. It doesn't fit my vision of them, nor does it fit any story I've read. So I've gone for fun. And luckily most of my regular opponents play for fun. If I wanted to go uber competitve.... I probably wouldn't go nids!

 Khaine's Wrath wrote:
So, are you aiming to be as competetive as possible?

It's spelled "competitive". And this list has a wide margin of error still, especially because of all those Carnifexes.

Although clearly the game will be more interesting when every army does not include a Leviathan detachment with 3 Flyrants and absurdly cheap troop tax thanks to mines.