Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Does the hice crone cost to many of the army points, compared to it's cost in points? At 8, it should cost closer to 160? But it is only 145?

With the FAQ updating the points cost for GSC Purestrains I had to change up my list for the tournament this weekend (Boooooo but it was a fair call xD)

My biggest weakness with the last list was flyers but now I'm not so worried (Was honestly gonna ignore them and do my best regardless)

Here is the current list I'd like to run, I'd really like feed back please as this is the first tournament I've been too since like... 2008. Its Nova format so if anyone can think of strategies to be holding in my head when picking which objectives and all I'd greatly appreciate this.

Current list - 1998 points
Supreme Command Detachment
2x Acolyte Iconwards
1x Magus (likely with Mind Control picked)

Vanguard Detachment
2x Patriarchs (Might from Beyond and Mass Hypnosis for these guys)
3-20x Purestrain Genestealers
1-11x Purestrain Genestealers
1x - Cult Chimera - 2x Heavy Flamers

Vanguard Detachment
1x Flyrant - Rending Claws, 2x Deathspitters, Adrenal Glands, Wings (choosing Catalyst)
3x Lictors

Thats 6 CP there not terrible, 71 genestealer bodies, a bunch of characters to buff or randomly grab a solo objective if convenient. The flyrant is there for the catalyst mostly since theres no reason to bring a broodlord with all GSC Stealers and I didn't want a non-psyker HQ. Though I'm still debating that The Horror may be better than Catalyst. I'm also thinking of switching the Lictors to Biovores, dropping 11 points and picking up a single Neurothrope understrength Auxilary unit for the other Hive Fleet power (If I choose catalyst on the Tyrant, Horror on the Neuro and vice versa)

Another thought I'm having is to actually split the 11x man squad into a 5 and 6 squad so that if I want I can just ferry the 6 man squad the two iconwards and the magus up the field, or make it a 10 man stealer squad, walk up the one unit of 20 with the icon ward and ferry magus and second icon to where they are needed (2x 5 man squads maybe?)

Strategies I'm thinking of using with this.

First - deployment, and I had a question about that. Does deploying inside of a transport that is placed on the field count as those units being off the table for the 50% rule? Because currently I'm thinking of holding:
2x Patriarchs
3x Lictors
2-20x Purestrains
All in reserve for the ambush but if embarking messes up how many units can go into reserves I would have to avoid deploying almost everything (More of a reason to drop the lictors :/)
Deployment would be
1-20x Purestrains
2x Iconwards
1x Magus
1x Chimera
1x Flyrant
1-11x Purestrains

But if Embarking messes that up it really means I'd have
1-20x Purestrains
1x Chimera
1x Flyrant
1x Magus
1x Iconward

So with 7 reserves I'd have to pull one of the patriarchs from reserves....


What do you guys think, spelling this out I'm really thinking the Biovores might be better and 10x stealers would let me pick up the random Neurothrope Auxiliary. I'd only have 5 CP but I could ambush all of my 20x purestrains so reserves would look more like
Deployed:
Chimera (Magus, Icon, 10x Stealers)
Neuro
Flyrant
3x Biovores

Reserves
3-20x Purestrains
2x Patriarchs
1x Iconward

So each ambush would have a character to join them.

As for powers, I'd have nearly all powers in both armies and smites whenever that was more useful. The biovores would effectively be long range smites or I could walk them up as diversions purposely shooting with the likelihood to miss and placing spores down. I'm not sure if its better to double up on something like Mass Hypnosis or to leave it one of each on the GSC side, I used the Might from Beyond to really good effect against the all Custodes army I faced. Any tips on what type of matchups I might want to choose differently? I also figured giving Magus the Mind Control was a good idea because I'd allocate wounds to him before any patriarchs with the unquestioning loyalty ability so hes allocative wounds on top of being able to cast and giving me a ton of extra denials if for some gods awful reason someone was casting more than me.

I like the single chimera as a slightly quicker taxi for the characters if I accidentally ambush on the wrong side of the table, the stealers are super fast so i can just pick up the character and get him going, and I was considering leaving the second iconward in the taxi if he wasn't needed to operate the lasgun arrays.

 Niiai wrote:
Does the hice crone cost to many of the army points, compared to it's cost in points? At 8, it should cost closer to 160? But it is only 145?

I am pretty sure the Crone costs something like 156. You might have missed some points, for example the Scything Wings?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

@Lance845
You forgot to add the Tyranid Warriors in the first posting and the Maleceptor is not really enclosed in the spoilers.
Do you already have a new laptop?

I forgot the stinger salvo. Thanks.

Just curious how many Mawlocs / Trygons is too many? I have two NIB Mawloc boxes and can buy two second-hang Trygons for 60cdn. It's a pretty great deal, just curious if I really need to spend the cash and if I'll ever use all of them in a list.

 Retrogamer0001 wrote:
Just curious how many Mawlocs / Trygons is too many? I have two NIB Mawloc boxes and can buy two second-hang Trygons for 60cdn. It's a pretty great deal, just curious if I really need to spend the cash and if I'll ever use all of them in a list.

You'll almost certainly use two Trygons, but the jury's still out on Mawloc. I love the big galoot a bunch, but so far people are not getting good results.

In general doing Mortal Wounds is a very good thing, and Mawlocs do exactly that, so it may just take some time for them to find their "groove"

I've been using two Mawlocs and a Trygon. The damage output on the Mawlocs is underwhelming, but he's so cheap with so many wounds! If your opponent doesn't deal with him, he becomes a real pain in the butt - charging and locking down units in the subsequent turn. He can also reburrow and grab distant objections, which is really useful, or reburrow and slam a few mortal wounds on a weakened character late game. I think hes really useful.

I think one is good for distraction/affecting opponent movement decisions/grabbing objectives if not dealt with.

Can't see fielding them in numbers anymore.

Has anyone tested out a viable Elite Tyranids list? Kinds of like the idea of playing space bugs however the thought of painting dozens of models puts me off.

Your use of elite is ambiguis. Do you mean a small army, or do you mean actual elite slots?

 Niiai wrote:
Your use of elite is ambiguis. Do you mean a small army, or do you mean actual elite slots?

Small number of powerful units versus large units/swarms

Exicrene is good at shooting, competing with tyrant guard.

Mawlocks is good by how much you get for their small price.

Carnifexes are descent.

Malanthrope is very good.

Swarmlord is good, but often support swarms.

Am I missing someone?

Running a nidzilla list and just pondering the load out on my carnifexs. Thinking all melee is the way to go and keeping their cost down. Taking a unit of three I have one with all scything talons the other two with scything talons and crushing claws. All have adrenal glands. Old one eye will be in my list as well so they get that +1 to hit in CC

Gibs55 wrote:
Has anyone tested out a viable Elite Tyranids list? Kinds of like the idea of playing space bugs however the thought of painting dozens of models puts me off.

I think a "mid-size" (there's definitely a better term for that) Tyranid list would certainly be viable. Start by filling out your core with Tyranid Warriors (and Genestealers if you would count them as elite) with a Prime as your HQ to support them. Raveners are pretty great this edition so a unit or two of them, again supported by the Red Terror. A Trygon Prime would be an excellent choice to DS with your Raveners and offer Synapse support, as well as providing a good delivery method for any Genestealers you choose to take. Then stick in another HQ to make it a Battalion and fill out the points with whatever other units you think are best. I'm planning on trying out just such a list and am very excited to do so. Would've done already if I'd owned any Raveners...

As others have said, Exocrines and Carnifexes are good choices this edition, as is Swarmy if you can find the points. I also think the Haruspex is pretty decent too. Not had much chance to look at the FW stuff so can't speak for that. Not sold on Mawlocs either. But anyway, there's plenty of bigger bugs that are viable this edition. There's always the option to just forget the Warriors and go full on Nidzilla with the HS and Elite Detachments.

 Peoples Champ wrote:
Running a nidzilla list and just pondering the load out on my carnifexs. Thinking all melee is the way to go and keeping their cost down. Taking a unit of three I have one with all scything talons the other two with scything talons and crushing claws. All have adrenal glands. Old one eye will be in my list as well so they get that +1 to hit in CC

Work on getting ahold of some stonecrusher fexes then, way better than close combat builds (I like the flail and claw combo) and the old one eye still gets them pumped

Requiet wrote:
With the FAQ updating the points cost for GSC Purestrains I had to change up my list for the tournament this weekend (Boooooo but it was a fair call xD)

My biggest weakness with the last list was flyers but now I'm not so worried (Was honestly gonna ignore them and do my best regardless)

Here is the current list I'd like to run, I'd really like feed back please as this is the first tournament I've been too since like... 2008. Its Nova format so if anyone can think of strategies to be holding in my head when picking which objectives and all I'd greatly appreciate this.

Current list - 1998 points
Supreme Command Detachment
2x Acolyte Iconwards
1x Magus (likely with Mind Control picked)

Vanguard Detachment
2x Patriarchs (Might from Beyond and Mass Hypnosis for these guys)
3-20x Purestrain Genestealers
1-11x Purestrain Genestealers
1x - Cult Chimera - 2x Heavy Flamers

Vanguard Detachment
1x Flyrant - Rending Claws, 2x Deathspitters, Adrenal Glands, Wings (choosing Catalyst)
3x Lictors

....

Biovores are great, but you might get more synergy from your Lictors if you can successfully pull off a strong ambush. That Flyrant worries me only because people love to shoot a Flyrant and even if they don't, you end up with a mildly killy shooter instead of a monster CC threat (though who knows, maybe that works in your favour with the 'stealers taking less heat). He's quite resilient and the mobility helps, but this ed. I like CC HT's, usually with some Tyrant Guard. Either way, I think you have a pretty interesting list here.

Tervigon sold out again after getting a restock less than a week ago...

 Zan wrote:

Requiet wrote:
With the FAQ updating the points cost for GSC

Spoiler:

Purestrains I had to change up my list for the tournament this weekend (Boooooo but it was a fair call xD)

My biggest weakness with the last list was flyers but now I'm not so worried (Was honestly gonna ignore them and do my best regardless)

Here is the current list I'd like to run, I'd really like feed back please as this is the first tournament I've been too since like... 2008. Its Nova format so if anyone can think of strategies to be holding in my head when picking which objectives and all I'd greatly appreciate this.

Current list - 1998 points
Supreme Command Detachment
2x Acolyte Iconwards
1x Magus (likely with Mind Control picked)

Vanguard Detachment
2x Patriarchs (Might from Beyond and Mass Hypnosis for these guys)
3-20x Purestrain Genestealers
1-11x Purestrain Genestealers
1x - Cult Chimera - 2x Heavy Flamers

Vanguard Detachment
1x Flyrant - Rending Claws, 2x Deathspitters, Adrenal Glands, Wings (choosing Catalyst)
3x Lictors

....

Biovores are great, but you might get more synergy from your Lictors if you can successfully pull off a strong ambush. That Flyrant worries me only because people love to shoot a Flyrant and even if they don't, you end up with a mildly killy shooter instead of a monster CC threat (though who knows, maybe that works in your favour with the 'stealers taking less heat). He's quite resilient and the mobility helps, but this ed. I like CC HT's, usually with some Tyrant Guard. Either way, I think you have a pretty interesting list here.

Thank you for the feed back. I've never expected my tyrants to do more than distract and the amount of power he does absorb is just more turns for the stealers and if he does get into combat its always been really pleasing to me. I think lictors may actually be viable with everything else going on in the list. So sad Malanthropes don't work on the GSC stuff I'd glad take a malanthrope over the tyrant if it affected the list in any way xD He looks so cool too (The one I built)

Are the Dimachaeron rules out yet? Might try to use him soon! How is he nowadays?

Noctem wrote:
Are the Dimachaeron rules out yet? Might try to use him soon! How is he nowadays?

Yes, check out the FW Xenos Index. My understanding is that he's not worth his points, but that's just second-hand talk, haven't used one.

 Eldarain wrote:
I think one is good for distraction/affecting opponent movement decisions/grabbing objectives if not dealt with.

Can't see fielding them in numbers anymore.

Not disagreeing But Being able to toss a deep striking MC into the backfield for just a hair more than 100 points is still awesome! One thing I've been seeing complaints about is how gunlines can fall back to reshoot vs CC, but if a Mawloc is right behind them that is hard to do

Also the few Mortals Mawloc generates depend on who takes them, if its high cost, low wound figures that is the sweet spot. I think Devistators are the prefered food this edition...so far anyway. (HWTs for AMs)

Noctem wrote:
Are the Dimachaeron rules out yet? Might try to use him soon! How is he nowadays?

He got a nice speed boost and a wound increase to keep him in line with the other oval-base monsters and the Spinemaw was changed to grant a 5+ invulnerable save for the rest of the game after killing an infantry model with Grasping Talons, but his damage table is painful (WS, Attacks, and movement all decay - not good for a melee beast) and he lost attacks compared to the 7th edition version. The leaper rule got worse as it only allows him to climb over terrain without having it count against his movement, he can't jump over models anymore. Sickle Claws were changed to a S10 weapon that doubles its AP and damage characteristics on to-hit rolls of 6, while the Grasping Talons + Spinemaw are now a single S7 weapon with a double strength and damage effect on to-hit rolls of 6 when attacking infantry. Both weapons have worse AP and damage than counterpart monstrous creature weapons outside of "critical hits", so damage output might be prone to being somewhat "swingy".


In my opinion, the new version is much more oriented towards character hunting than the old version's blender-beast (fitting for its fluff I guess). It doesn't have the attacks to clear hoards or the damage output to deal with heavier vehicles/monsters, but it does hurt most characters on 2's and has the speed to get to them (and to its credit, the Leaper rule does allow it to bypass obstacles between it and its prey).

How about the rest of our fw models?

Arkengate wrote:
How about the rest of our fw models?

Stone crushers and malanthropes are amazing. hierodules are pretty good, with debate as to which one is better (leaning towards Barbed I think) especially with a Swarmlord to slingshot them into enemies. Dimacheron is decent, but not the horde killing meat grinder he once was. Who has 2k points for a Hierophant when they used to be 1k?

 Lance845 wrote:

Who has 2k points for a Hierophant when they used to be 1k?

It is more for apocalypse, but it got a LOT better from its prior self and had a bunch of its upgrade biomorphs folded into its main profile which probably accounts for some of the cost increase. The biggest reason to consider one is that the Dire Biocannons it carries are probably one of the best titan killers in the game currently with their high rate of fire, unrivaled strength if they elect to "overcharge", 2D6 damage per shot, and the new Macro type which doubles any damage dealt by the weapon to models with the Titanic or Building keywords. Assuming the cannons are overcharged and the target is <T11 and has a 3++ the Hierophant should on average dish out about 64.26 wounds in one round. Then, once it has finished eliminating all opposing titans it can then stomp forward into the thick of things and disgorge an assault force of 20 Genestealers + Broodlord into something while it goes to town with its own talons or lash whip pods. >

What about Harridan? The dragonzes

How to arm shrikes?

I am planing on making 9 shrikes that can walk up 2 6 man units of rending claw ravaners. How should I arm them. I was thinking of keeping them cheap.

3 rending claws, 3 bonesword and lash whip, 3 scything talons.
For guns I am unsure. Spinefists are the cheapest (3 points) but they only kick in in the 3rd round of combat, or 2nd if they charge me, witch is not gonne happen.

Devourers are just 1 points more (4) for range 18 s4. Deathspitters are a whipping 8!, really expensive.

The way I see it if anybody should have expensive guns it should probably be the ravaners. Then the opponent has some medium targets, instead of making it easy for him/her to just target the shrikes.

Imputt would be welcome. And perhaps I should arm the ravaners with guns if I am running them with shrikes?

I mean, the answer is to magnetize, and have every loadout?

 Niiai wrote:
How to arm shrikes?

I am planing on making 9 shrikes that can walk up 2 6 man units of rending claw ravaners. How should I arm them. I was thinking of keeping them cheap.

3 rending claws, 3 bonesword and lash whip, 3 scything talons.
For guns I am unsure. Spinefists are the cheapest (3 points) but they only kick in in the 3rd round of combat, or 2nd if they charge me, witch is not gonne happen.

Devourers are just 1 points more (4) for range 18 s4. Deathspitters are a whipping 8!, really expensive.

The way I see it if anybody should have expensive guns it should probably be the ravaners. Then the opponent has some medium targets, instead of making it easy for him/her to just target the shrikes.

Imputt would be welcome. And perhaps I should arm the ravaners with guns if I am running them with shrikes?

I go bonesword +scytal +fleshhooks on shrikes. Go all out for melee with them. They are fast and fly. They will get where they want to be quickly.

I've been playing around with my Hive Tyrants and am really liking Monstrous Rending Claws plus Monstrous Bone Swords on my Flyrants. 211 with adrenal glands is not hugely pricey and I think the points for the swords are worth the extra attack and fixed damage option against some targets. Against other targets, you can use the claws. It's pretty nice.