Codex Tyranids Tactica: The Shadow Falls, The Hive Fleets Gather. Worlds Devoured

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**Timeshadow**

HarveyBooze wrote:
Hey Guys!

Tyranids Rookie here (and 40k 8th edition freshman in general), looking for some advice from veterans to build up his own nice little swarm. I tried to get into the different units and army concepts, but so far I'm still struggling in finding a propper army composition that I would like to run. It doesn't have to be super competetive, instead I'm looking more for a wellrounded concept with nice synergies and / or a clear approach. I'm aiming for 1500 points (for now).

Some thoughts / facts / ideas / preferences:

- No Genstealers (although I know they are awesome)
- Spore Mine Heavy Approach.....is this a viable strategy? Maybe a focus on Mortal Wounds in general. What are the units / compositions I should focus on?
- Carnifexe and Old One Eye: I like the picture of an OOE-Turtle as a warlord (with his personal trait), escorted by some melee carnifexes crushing into enemy lines
- Tyranid Warriors: I like them....and I really could be into the idea of a Warrior heavy list with an Tyranid Prime for example.
- Melee vs Dakka: I want to run both....kind of a mix....a threaten melee force running into enemy lines (or better more than one), backed up by an annoying gunline
- Hive Mind Trait: I'm creating my own color scheme, so I'm open for every trait that fits the list. I just want to avoid using more than one in one list

No need to bring all of this thoughts together in one concept / list...but maybe you guys have some ideas and advices to get me on track to find the right approach for me. Would be awesome!

Spores are great if used on mass they drop mortal wounds and harass other units forcing them to waist movement and shooting to remove them or get around them. I would suggest a kronos battalion with 2x3 biovores and 1x6 hive guard 2x nerothrope and 3x3 rippers as a backline base. A fort network of 3x sporocysts with deathspitters is cheap and great for pushing your front line.

This all comes to just under 1200pts which leaves you 800 for your forward assault element or just dbl down on shooting though in that case 30 strong gaunt blobs for screening are almost a must.

**admironheart**

My Tervigon came with magnets so I could mount a Rupture Canon and a Tyranofex head.

Would it be ok in a tournament to use a Tervigon body equipped as a Tyranofex and use it as the latter?

How would it be received??

thanks

**Amishprn86**

Weapons matter moreso than the body looks if its the same body/base.

But as always ask the TO if you think it might be a problem.

**Rockfish**

The Tervigon is the alt build of the tyrannofex kit, so the only thing that is different is that there us a bunch of termagants coming out the front. I doubt anyone would object but it is worth consulting on it.

**admironheart**

Thanks for all the feedback.

I am looking at getting a Malanthrope. I hope most tournaments permit FW????

I am also looking at a Tyranid Prime. Is there a model for them or was there? Any suggestions on custom making one?

I alwo want to change my old metal Zoanathrope into a Neurothrope. Where can I find a tail to model onto? Is there a sprue or perhaps a dark elder or chaos piece? Any suggestions so I can identify it as a Neurothrope.

Lastly is a single Brigade too many drops? It will be 18+ or should I go with 2 batallions which will still be close to 18.

thanks again.

**Amishprn86**

All large tournaments lets FW, only CAAC locals dont let FW in.

Primes are in the Warrior box.

Neurothrope, just use some Trygon bits to make the tail/head/back look bigger.

**admironheart**

A question about Kraken.

The last sentence states that in addition the units can fall back and still charge.

Got to love the English language.

Does that line ONLY mean you can fall back and charge the same turn?

Or is it added to the previous rules of advancing.

So can I have a unit fall back move + advance {not sure if this is a legal option} and then charge?

Can I have a unit move, advance, shoot and then charge?

Thanks again.

**Arson Fire**

'Such units' in the final sentence simply refers to units with the Kraken adaptation. Not to units that have advanced.

Kraken gives two separate buffs.
1. Units can advance 3d6 and pick the highest.
2. Units can fall back out of combat and still charge.

No combining them, since you can't advance when you fall back out of combat.
No charging after advancing, unless you have another rule that allows you to do so. Such as Genestealers Swift and Deadly rule, or the Onslaught psychic power.

**Hard_rock_geo**

Anyone else seen the rumored points changes for Tyranids?

Swarmlord to 250
Neurothrope to 90
Broodlord to 115
Pyrovores to 25
Harpy to 105
lictors to 30
T-fex to 150
Stranglethorn cannon to 15

In addition to points changes to monstrous scything talons apparently - not sure if this means monstrous rending claws will be changed too. If not then the broodlord will be seeing some play!

**Insectum7**

Neurothropes to 90 makes sense, they're awesome.

**Amishprn86**

Hard_rock_geo wrote:
Anyone else seen the rumored points changes for Tyranids?

Swarmlord to 250
Neurothrope to 90
Broodlord to 115
Pyrovores to 25
Harpy to 105
lictors to 30
T-fex to 150
Stranglethorn cannon to 15

In addition to points changes to monstrous scything talons apparently - not sure if this means monstrous rending claws will be changed too. If not then the broodlord will be seeing some play!

Yes, but since its "i know a guy, that knows a guy, that saw the book" i didnt bother in trusting it. For all we know its just a good guess from a person.

With that said if we are going to talk about, then this isnt the full list either, Haru, Mala, Tox, all went down as well

Haru 170pts
Mala 150pts
Toxi 140pts
Venom Cannon 12pts

We also dont know what is with or without upgrades, MRC could have points cost now, so that Broodlord might actually be +5pts more.

Over all we know these units will go down, its just a matter of by how much.

**Eihnlazer**

Nuerothrope should indeed cost about 90, malanthrope should only cost 110. Broodlord needed a reduction badly.

25 point pyrovores is amazing. Lictors still aren't cheap enough, 25 would be good for them.

Stranglethorn was definitely too expensive, no one really used them. At 15 points though, its a buff to Sporocysts in my opinion.

**Amishprn86**

Eihnlazer wrote:
Nuerothrope should indeed cost about 90, malanthrope should only cost 110. Broodlord needed a reduction badly.

25 point pyrovores is amazing. Lictors still aren't cheap enough, 25 would be good for them.

Stranglethorn was definitely too expensive, no one really used them. At 15 points though, its a buff to Sporocysts in my opinion.

Sadly, Malanthrope most likely wont get touched at all, and Sporocysts/Tyrannocytes dont have StC, they have Barbed Stranglers

StC are on Carnifexs, Tyrants, and Harpies, i believe that is it. No one used them b.c HVC are same cost but better, yeah its 1/2 the shots, but better ap, damage, and to wound, when you look at the math it makes since, the HvC is better against anything T4 or higher, the StC is only better against T3, but then why not take Devs for T3?

Its clear that StC is meant for anti-infantry as it gets +1 to hit vs 10+ models, if it was cheaper i would LOVE to have my Harpies completely Anti-infantry with StC's, if they are 135pts (thats 44pts cheaper) with those guns, it might be worth it.

Edit: Typos/spelling

**Eihnlazer**

Ahh that's true, was mixing the Barbed strangler with them in my head.

hmm...... Still really liking pyrovores at that points cost. Makes leviathan army look a lot better. Also makes them a points efficient backup to kraken genstealer rush.

Two waves of stealers followed up by 3 units of vores + lictors and endless swarm/pheromone trail actually looks viable for RTT's now.

**Amishprn86**

I see Pyrovores in Kraken more than anything, they are assault weapons, move+advance best of 3D6 and still shoot.

Also counter melee unit for DSing if you need to, or just overwatch in general. Good area denial for chargers as well.

The problem with DSing them, is you have to spend more points on units that dont do enough already, remember, its 1-3 HF's, thats cool, but not very good to add another 30-100pts for DSing purpose, if the units could be 6-9, then maybe.

**Eihnlazer**

With the proposed points changes, you could see something like this:

Kraken battalion

FHT/w psacks, MRC, devourers, chamelionic
Broodlord

Stealers x20
Stealers x20
Rippers x3

Pyrovore x3
Pyrovorex3
Lictor

Kronos Vanguard

Nuerothrope

HG x6
HG x6
Venomthrope x4

150 points reserved for Endless swarm (both units of vores can come back).

Granted its a bit CP starved, but would dropping 3 HG and a venomthrope get you a Genestealer cult battalion for the extra CP?

**C4790M**

I’d love to spam pyrovores at that cost but my wallet can’t takr that kind of strain

**Eihnlazer**

So no, the GSC battalion is 296 points, so dropping 3 hive guard and a venom doesn't net you enough points (174). Any other suggestions to get more CP on the above list?

On the flip side, I can just forget about Endless swarm and pheromone trail altogether and just take more pyrovores to begin with I suppose, which would alleviate some of the CP problems as well. You'd only start with 9, but since you'd only need a few for double tapping with the HG and for double advancing with the stealers you could definitely make them last 3 turns.

**Timeshadow**

Imagine dbl tapping a brood of 3 pyrovores 6d6 auto hits @ 12" thats some nasty gas.

**admironheart**

The 3 cp stratagem Call the Brood for 5 genestealers.

1) Do you have to save reinforcement points for it?
2) If so how does that work
3)Can the Genestealers be maxed out in extras like extended carapace, etc

thanks

**Eihnlazer**

Yes. In general all stratagems that spawn new units require reinforcement points. Only stratagems that replenish old units (that haven't been fully destroyed) do not require reinforcement points.

The stratagem literally just spawns 5 genestealers within range of a broodlord and really serves no major purpose other than to give the broodlord some bodyguards to soak up smites/shooting that would have gone into him.

I don't remember any mention in the stratagem on how they are geared out. So either with nothing, or with all options maxed.

**Badablack**

I’ve set aside 60 reinforcement points in the past to middling effect. It lets you use any of the 3 stratagems that summon units. 6 spore mines, 5 genestealers or 15 termagants. Only the termagant one was any real use, popping a unit in for last minute objective/behind enemy lines work.

**admironheart**

so is this list junk or does it have potential ?

I am guessing at some of the leaked/rumored CA2018 points

Spoiler:

Not sure if I want to go without a Tyrant....It only leaves me 2 psykers as well.

Going to make a base with the Guard and T-fex in the back using terrain. Surround them with the Termagaunts and an Infestation node near the center
Keeping 1 guant, the Lictors, the Harpy, both Hormagaunts and Shrikes to use the Malanthrope in the middle to give =1 (and -2 to lictors, Harpy, and 1 character with the Kraken Bio-relic) The Carnifex and Neurothrope in there too.

place 3 infestation nodes around the board and stealers off board,... gargoyles, rippers, spore mines, trygon and warriors in reinforcements as well.

T-fex and Guard hit vehicles.
Trygon and warriors, gargoyles move up to shoot. Broodlord and Hormagaunts move up and Genestealers hopefully appear in good area and shrikes move up for Snyapsis as needed.

Will try to use the 6" pile in moves to 'trap' a unit in hth and keep from getting shot up.

opinions? What will wreck this? Too complicated to work?

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Who would be your warlord in this list? Broodlord or Malanthrope or perhaps someone else?

**Amishprn86**

TheTyranidHive is saying Tyrannocytes are 75pts before weapons.

Thats a 28pts drop from current.

**SHUPPET**

Still bad.

**pinecone77**

Hey I just noticed that Formations are making a comeback...in Vigilus but likely after maybe a CA type thing. This might change the way Nids play, oh and our GSC brothers and sisters as well.

**Insectum7**

Amishprn86 wrote:
TheTyranidHive is saying Tyrannocytes are 75pts before weapons.

Thats a 28pts drop from current.

100 points with Deathspitters, that's useable with a good plan, imo. The problem for me is the current limitations on deep striking.

**tneva82**

pinecone77 wrote:
Hey I just noticed that Formations are making a comeback...in Vigilus but likely after maybe a CA type thing. This might change the way Nids play, oh and our GSC brothers and sisters as well.

Vigilus coming together with CA. However bad news is tyranids aren't yet involved in Vigilus campaign and thus won't be getting anything in the book, as confirmed in leaked content page.

Spoiler:

See anything tyranid specific in faction rules? I can't find anything that sounds tyranid like.

So tyranids, necrons, tau etc have to wait for another campaign book.

**SHUPPET**

the fun on Vigilus stops if a Hive Fleet shows up

**Amishprn86**

tneva82 wrote:
pinecone77 wrote:
Hey I just noticed that Formations are making a comeback...in Vigilus but likely after maybe a CA type thing. This might change the way Nids play, oh and our GSC brothers and sisters as well.

Vigilus coming together with CA. However bad news is tyranids aren't yet involved in Vigilus campaign and thus won't be getting anything in the book, as confirmed in leaked content page.

Spoiler:

See anything tyranid specific in faction rules? I can't find anything that sounds tyranid like.

So tyranids, necrons, tau etc have to wait for another campaign book.

There are more books coming out, this is the 1st of 3.