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After spending too long looking at the Insaniak/Yakface Flyrant, I have decided at long last to go back to my Nid army, after swearing not to buy any new models. With that in mind, I'm going to buy bits for a Flyrant (my old Flyrant is a 3rd Ed. model) and try and compose the rest of my army from my existing collection.

Immediate problems- I only have a few Gaunts left (16, which is a few in Nid terms I suppose), so my troops are Genestealers for the most part.

H.Q.

Flyrant - 2 x Scything Talons, Winged, Andrenal Glands (WS + I), Flesh Hooks, Warp Field (probably not worth it, but I had some points leftover).

Hive Tyrant (this is and will probably stay a 3rd Ed. model) - Venom Cannon, Scything Talons, Enhanced Sense, Toxin Sacs.

                              - 2 x Tyrant Guard.

Elite.

Dakkafex - 2 x Twin-linked Devourers, Enhanced Senses.

Troops.

2 x 8 Genestealers - Extended Carapace.

8 Genestealers - Extended Carapace, Flesh Hooks.

16 Spinegaunts - Spinefists.

Fast Attack.

2 x 1 Ravener - Scything Talons, Rending Claws. (Will hopefully get new models of these).

Heavy Support.

2 x 1 Gunfex - Venom Cannon, Barbed Strangler, Enhanced Senses, Reinforced Chitin.

Total.

1501. (I don't play in Tournies due to lack of time, so this list is for friendly play, hence the slight over spending).

Comments welcome and encouraged.

This type of army can really work (lots of stealers with virtually no gaunts) but it needs to be altered a bit to do so.


1) Scuttling Stealers. In a semi-Godzilla list (which you have), that many Stealers won't be able to hide behind the MCs, and you don't have the amount of firepower that a Godzilla list has that make the enemy have to come assualt you (from which the stealers can then counter-assualt).

However, if you reconfigure your army so that all your stealers are scuttling, you put serious pressure on your opponent to react in the first turn as they will be in combat with the stealers on turn 2 at the latest (meaning you don't have to try to hide them anywhere, you just go charging through some cover and attack on turn 2).

However, Scuttling isn't cheap (24 models @ 3 points a pop = 72 points you need to come up with). My suggestion? Drop the walking Tyrant and go with 2 Zoanthropes w/ Warp Blast & Synapse (do you have any Zoey models?).

While they aren't nearly as durable, nor do they have as long range shooting they have two huge advantages: They start on the table in Escalation to keep the gaunts in line & they cost 97 less points than the Tyrant & guard.


2) So if you do that, what do you do with the extra 25 points? Well, I'd suggest also making your Gaunts into Scuttlers (@ 2 poitnts a pop). This allows them to stay in front of the stealers to soak up any fire from any enemy unit who is unlucky enough to fail their target priority test.

Unfortunately, you don't have quite enough points for all 16 Gaunts, so you'd have to reduce the size of the unit by one model (and I believe) it perfectly uses up the extra 25 points.


3) You could also consider dumping the Warp Field on the flying Tyrant (even though it's very nice) and take some more ugprades on the Tyrant itself. The x2 TL Devourer flying Tyrant is pretty nice for this type of army list (where the stealers can get in there and do all your CC work for you) and having Implant Attack is always nice so you have a model that can take out enemy characters in close combat.

Also, I know you're up against a point barrier, but whenever possible Toxic Miasma is the better WS upgrade over Adrenal Glands because it makes WS3 models (such as Rough Riders) hit the Tyrant on a 5+.


Now, if you don't have any Zoey models you could still drop one Tyrant guard and the Warp Field on the flying Tyrant and still pull this off. Although you might want to lose the Gaunts in that case (because in Escalation they'll tend to just run away on the first turn with no Synapse on the board).

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering how I could slant the Genestealers Vs. Guns scenario a little more in my favour, I'll give them Scuttlers.

Luckily I do have several Zoanthropes. i remember seeing the preview for the new model, feeling slightly sick, then buying another three of the far superior 3rd Ed. ones.

Really? I love the new Zoey model the most (although the 3rd edition one was pretty darn good too).


But that's good. If you make the changes to your army list that I suggested you'll have an army that will do very, very well against all but the most dedicated shooty army and all mech armies (especially mech skimmer armies).

Revised list.

H.Q.

Flyrant - 2 x TWL Devourers, Adrenal Gland (WS), Enhanced Sense, Flesh Hooks, Implant Attack, Toxin Sacs, Toxic Miasma, Winged.

Elites.

Dakkafex - 2 x TWL Devourers, Enhanced Senses.

Troops.

2 x 8 Genestealers - Extended Carapace, Scuttlers.

8 Genestealers - Extended Carapace, Flesh Hooks, Scuttlers.

15 Spinegaunts - Spine Fists, Scuttlers.

Fast Attack.

2 x 1 Raveners - Rending Claws, Scything Talons.

Heavy Support.

2 Zoanthropes - Synapse, Warp Blast.

2 x 1 Gunfexes - Barbed Strangler, Venom Cannon, Enhanced Senses, Reinforced Chitin.

Total.

1501.