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

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**Eihnlazer**

If I could go back to September and start replanning my army I might have done warrior spam instead.

I really wanna see if I can make a list like this work competitively:

Spoiler:

**pinecone77**

That looks fun!

Though I'd likely swap one of the Leviathan Warrior Broods for some support bug, and or Gribblies.

Differant styles of play.

**nathwraith**

Yeah warriors look like the one to combat orks with.

Genestealers seem almost wasted VS normal boys as they will die just as quickly.

**PistolPete2525**

Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to nids. just got a bunch of stuff in a lot and looking for ways to fill it out from here. https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/771380.page I was reading the last page of posts and I cant say ive had to deal with an ork swarm army before but i did have to deal with a nid swarm before while playing eldar in 7th. and there wasnt really much i could have dont at the time either. maximising shots and widdleing them down before they get to you is best. fall back shoot and overwatch is the tactic I would use with my tau. smite and scream, Twin Dev flyrants, fleshborer hive tyranofex with the shoot again stratigem. melee bugs with spine fists and the mortal wound explodey stratigem in the fight phase. just diffrent ideas to maximize shots remembering that mortal wounds carry over. so biovores can take out small pockets too.

**Amishprn86**

IDK, i think genestealers are great at mopping up 2-3 units of hurt orks, get them down to 20 models per unit and with kraken movement, Overrun and Adrenal Surge. You can easily kill 40+ Orks. And now you have a very threatening unit in their faces they have to deal with, with a Flyrant using Kraken WL trait it makes sure your 20 stealers dont get attacked on right away.

**Arson Fire**

Full unit of genestealers vs full unit of orks, whoever swings first tends to wipe the other unit.
There are usually more units of boyz than you have of genestealers, but they are a lot slower (barring shenanigans like Da Jump). So you can usually dictate engagement. However unit for unit trades are not in your favor.

Paroxysm is very important here. Allowing two units of genestealers to simultaneously engage and wipe two units of boyz without risk of being interrupted by a Counter-Offensive stratagem.
Unfortunately the Kraken warlord trait is not of much use here. As it both does not prevent use of an interrupt stratagem, and also does not prevent a charging unit from fighting first in the event they charge you. It's only good to make you fight first in ongoing combats.
Oddly enough, a harpy isn't actually a completely terrible choice in this matchup. Given the importance of not letting the orks interrupt and hit your genestealers. What amounts to a paroxysm that can't fail to cast or be denied is a very useful thing to have. Probably not enough that I'd include one in a TAC list though.

**Vineheart01**

Hi, question regarding a newcomer getting into tyranids.
One of my friends wants to get into 40k and really likes nids. I already had the codex because i was contemplating getting them so i gave it to him, i opted out because i play orks and theyre pretty similar.

He really likes the tervigon mentality. I see they effectively got a 60pt price drop in CA so thats good, not really sure if theyre worth it though. My local area is only semi-competitive so we can usually get away with more janky stuff than normal.
Would he be fine getting 2-3 Tervigons and spamming gaunts as a main tactic or even in a somewhat casual setting still wasting his time/money with them? I dont know a single local tyranid player in 8th lol the ones i know have tyranids either stopped playing 40k or have yet to touch them in 8th

**Spoletta**

It will not win him any tournaments, but 2 tervigons and 3 or 4 units of 30 mixed termagants (20 devourers, 10 fleshborers) is a passable basis for a list.

Be ready to have a lot of patience with him the first times, because in the hands of a new player that list requires 5 hours games

**Vineheart01**

None of us play tournaments anyway. Think we have 2 people in the area period that goto tournaments and i dont see them that much anyway.

Thanks. I am usually in the boat of rule of cool > optimal gameplay but at the same token the unit has to atleast be functional. After all i use killakanz alot lol

**SHUPPET**

Vineheart01 wrote:
Hi, question regarding a newcomer getting into tyranids.
One of my friends wants to get into 40k and really likes nids. I already had the codex because i was contemplating getting them so i gave it to him, i opted out because i play orks and theyre pretty similar.

He really likes the tervigon mentality. I see they effectively got a 60pt price drop in CA so thats good, not really sure if theyre worth it though. My local area is only semi-competitive so we can usually get away with more janky stuff than normal.
Would he be fine getting 2-3 Tervigons and spamming gaunts as a main tactic or even in a somewhat casual setting still wasting his time/money with them? I dont know a single local tyranid player in 8th lol the ones i know have tyranids either stopped playing 40k or have yet to touch them in 8th

I run one Tervigon. They are pretty good for replenishing the flesborer gants in front of some Devilgants. Put the Kraken relic on them and keep them near a Malanthrope and they are -2 to hit, and that's before you start dishing out Horror and Hypnosis, it survives like every game that you don't like it get charged by a smash captain.

I don't know about running 3. I'd probably just prefer to take another 150 gants instead.

**nordsturmking**

Does anybody know how tyranids did at LVO?

**Spoletta**

Souped with index GSC they had some good results.

**ansem90**

Anyone knows how to make a nidzilla army?
Starting from 1000 points and expanding to 1500

**SHUPPET**

Carnifexes and Flyrants

**Eihnlazer**

Nidzilla also needs to be either kraken for mobility or leviathan for the 6+++ on everything.

Sporocysts are pretty good if your going leviathan since they extend your synapse and match the theme.

**topaxygouroun i**

well obvious candidates are dakkafexes for a nidzilla list. Then I would say trygons are now pretty tasty with the points drop on their claws. Sporocysts are really good at holding backfield objectives, but right now the tyrannocyte is actually cheaper so...

Old One eye is obvious addition so we can have something that can actually crack open tanks (when I see all these massive trygons and their....str 7 I get depression).

What is also really tasty I think these days, is harpies with dual stranglethorn cannons. With all the new orkz and GSC running around, a flying monster with 2d6 autocannon shots, potentially at 3+ plus the salvoes is really tasty for 140ish points. What's more, it can help charge in the turn you really need to do the hurt in hth, so that the enemy cannot break the sequence after your ooe has attacked and kill your other monsters.

**Gir Spirit Bane**

topaxygouroun i wrote:
well obvious candidates are dakkafexes for a nidzilla list. Then I would say trygons are now pretty tasty with the points drop on their claws. Sporocysts are really good at holding backfield objectives, but right now the tyrannocyte is actually cheaper so...

Old One eye is obvious addition so we can have something that can actually crack open tanks (when I see all these massive trygons and their....str 7 I get depression).

What is also really tasty I think these days, is harpies with dual stranglethorn cannons. With all the new orkz and GSC running around, a flying monster with 2d6 autocannon shots, potentially at 3+ plus the salvoes is really tasty for 140ish points. What's more, it can help charge in the turn you really need to do the hurt in hth, so that the enemy cannot break the sequence after your ooe has attacked and kill your other monsters.

How is the harpy getting a 3+? the +1 armour as if in cover doesn't affect flying/untis that charged or advanced.

Also Im planning on running a MASSIVE Carnifex herd (Im talking 9 + OOE), would it be a good idea to give ALL spore cysts as Im not planning on venomthropes, 3 dedicated CC only, 3 dakkafexs (quad devourers) and 3 heavy bio cannon carriers with some back up melee.

Along side this contingent I would also be running some warriors and hordes of gaunts to clog up enemy guns/pin them in place.

**topaxygouroun i**

Gir Spirit Bane wrote:
topaxygouroun i wrote:
well obvious candidates are dakkafexes for a nidzilla list. Then I would say trygons are now pretty tasty with the points drop on their claws. Sporocysts are really good at holding backfield objectives, but right now the tyrannocyte is actually cheaper so...

Old One eye is obvious addition so we can have something that can actually crack open tanks (when I see all these massive trygons and their....str 7 I get depression).

What is also really tasty I think these days, is harpies with dual stranglethorn cannons. With all the new orkz and GSC running around, a flying monster with 2d6 autocannon shots, potentially at 3+ plus the salvoes is really tasty for 140ish points. What's more, it can help charge in the turn you really need to do the hurt in hth, so that the enemy cannot break the sequence after your ooe has attacked and kill your other monsters.

How is the harpy getting a 3+? the +1 armour as if in cover doesn't affect flying/untis that charged or advanced.

Also Im planning on running a MASSIVE Carnifex herd (Im talking 9 + OOE), would it be a good idea to give ALL spore cysts as Im not planning on venomthropes, 3 dedicated CC only, 3 dakkafexs (quad devourers) and 3 heavy bio cannon carriers with some back up melee.

Along side this contingent I would also be running some warriors and hordes of gaunts to clog up enemy guns/pin them in place.

I meant 3+ to hit. Stranglethorn cannon rules. Against masses of Ork boyz, a dual stranglethorn harpy can deal a lot of pain for really cheap. On the other hand, so do dakkafexes. Only harpy has a lot longer range and Damage 2.

**Eihnlazer**

Don't forget that the forgeworld Crusher carnifex's don't stop you from taking more than 9 carnifex's btw. They have a completely different datasheet.

But yeah, trygons and Exocrines/tyranofex's are also legit for nidzilla.

Probably the best list I could come up with for local RTT's:

Spoiler:

sporocysts as kraken so the spores can do something. Only 5 CP, but you really only need a few CP to double advance/metabolic overdrive to get up the field early.

**Gir Spirit Bane**

Eihnlazer wrote:

Probably the best list I could come up with for local RTT's:

Spearhead jormy:

Malanthrope/warlord insidious threat

3x tyranofex/w rupture cannon

spearhead kraken:

OOE

3x carnifex/w double MST, adrenal, tusks, spores, chitin thorns, 2x thresher scythe

2x2 (4) carni/w spores, double double devourers/w brainleech, enhanced senses 2x bone mace

Fortification kraken:

2x sporocysts

sporocysts as kraken so the spores can do something. Only 5 CP, but you really only need a few CP to double advance/metabolic overdrive to get up the field early.

Im fairly sure carnifexs can have EITHER spores or chitin thorns bud

Otherwise looking good, I don't own any sporocysts, are they worth using in Nidzilla?

**Eihnlazer**

Sporocysts are great in any list that has a free detachment slot and needs either board coverage (due to lack of models or slow) and objective holders (since they sit still all game).

They are cheap enough that their T6 4+sv isn't a big concern. Not to mention if your opponent actually lets them live for 3 turns they basically make their points back in spore mines.

**topaxygouroun i**

Sporecysts can be annoying. But at the same point cost, why not have the tyrannocyte instead? Can deepstrike, can move and can transport stuff in it, while having the same damage output and is even 4 points cheaper than the sporocyst

It also protects the thing you want to drop from Forewarned shaneninaninenigans.

**Eihnlazer**

Tyranocyte doesn't spawn spore mines, nor does it spread synapse around.

Yeah you could use it to deep strike something, but if your not using it for that there is little point to having one.

**topaxygouroun i**

Eihnlazer wrote:
Tyranocyte doesn't spawn spore mines, nor does it spread synapse around.

Yeah you could use it to deep strike something, but if your not using it for that there is little point to having one.

If I could have either of them without having to buy 5 weapons on them I would be dancing from joy. Or if they gave me an option for 5 flamers, even silly ones. As they stand now, I'm on the fence. The spore mine plan takes a long time to really be effective and they don't really match with any of the hive fleets save Leviathan. Even the Kronos sporecysts shooting is largely underwhelming. I just don't feel like spending 100 pts for spore mines over time, I'd rather have the spore mines in the first place. Also, with warriors being as cheap as they are now, I know where I will be looking at if I need extra synapse.

**Dynas**

Eihnlazer wrote:
I use acid blood if it seems like im gonna loose the whole unit before I swing. Its actually a very good way to deal with knights.

The look of horror on my opponent face when I tell them I can deal them up to 27 mortal wounds if their knight kills one unit of my pyrovores in melee is pretty priceless.

The pryovores did fine at the LVO for most of the games. Either my opponent was scared of them and dumped a lot of firepower into them (and not the rest of my army) or they get underestimated and torch objective holders for me. Againgst the orcs unfortunately I rolled horribly for their flamer hits. 3 times I rolled 3d6 and got a 5 total when shooting at them.

How are you getting 27 mortal wounds. Areyou combo with Caustic blood and acid blood? Unit of 3? Are you Deepstrike with Trygon/raveneor tunnel and using acid spray?

**Eihnlazer**

yep. unit of 3, activating caustic blood, can potentially deal out 27 mortal wounds by dying. Highly unlikely, but the potential is there.

The average is something like 5.5 mortal wounds I believe.

It is the fact that I could get lucky and potentially one shot his knight when he kills my 75 pt unit that makes a knight player think hard about it.

**Zimko**

You could 'potentially' kill a knight with 24 fleshborer shots too. That doesn't make it a threat.

**Eihnlazer**

I'd say mortal wounds were a bit more dangerous than fleshborer's, but I could be wrong...…..

Also 24 fleshborer gaunts cost 92pts...…...

**orchewer**

ansem90 wrote:
Anyone knows how to make a nidzilla army?
Starting from 1000 points and expanding to 1500

I've been having a lot of fun with Tyrannofexes and Acid Sprays. The auto-hitting really messes with opponents who rely on a -1 to hit bonus (Ulthwe Eldar etc.) and the high starting strength means that it can threaten both infantry and vehicles. Combined with the Pathogenic Slime stratagem and getting into mid-field position by Turn 2, those things can do a stupid amount of unexpected damage.

My Nidzilla list currently consists of 5 models at 1000 points. It's not the most competitive, but it's been a hoot to play.

HQ
1) Swarmlord
2) Hive Tyrant with Wings:
- Adrenal Glands, Heavy Venom Cannon, Monstrous Scything Talons

HEAVY SUPPORT
1) Tyrannofex: Acid Spray, Stinger Salvo
2) Tyrannofex: Acid Spry, Stinger Salvo
3) Trygon: Adrenal Glands, 3x Monstrous Scything Talons, Toxin Spike

That's 1000 points on the nose. For expanding to 1500, I'm thinking of adding a few more Hive Tyrants along with my Swarmlord to make a Supreme HQ Detachment. The only real issue in this list is that I don't have a lot of anti-heavy armour, but I'm fortunate that there are not a lot of Knights in my meta.

Happy hunting!

**Zimko**

Eihnlazer wrote:
I'd say mortal wounds were a bit more dangerous than fleshborer's, but I could be wrong...…..

Also 24 fleshborer gaunts cost 92pts...…...

My point is that a knight player isn't going to care about the potential of 24 mortal wounds or whatever if the average is more like 5. It's not going to change how they play except maybe make them want to shoot the unit instead of charging it. Every unit has the potential to wound a T8 target.