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I've been playing around with my 1850 list after the feedback I'd gotten, and wanted to see what people thought of this one...

HQ:

Flyrant - Scytals x2, Warp Field, Wings, Toxin Sacs, Flesh Hooks, Adrenal Glands

Shootrant - TL Devourer, Venom Cannon, Ex. Carapace, Enh. Sesnes, Psychic Scream
   Tyrant Guard x2 - Scytals, Rending Claws

Elites:

Dakkafex x3 - Enh. Senses, 2 sets of TL Devourers.

Troops:
Spinegaunts x20
Genestealers x8 - Ex. Carapace, Flesh Hooks
Genestealers x8 - Ex. Carapace, Flesh Hooks
Genestealers x8 - Ex. Carapace, Flesh Hooks

Heavy Support:
Gunfex x2 - Venom Cannon, Barb. Strangler, En. Senses, Reinforced Chitin,
Zoanthrope x2 - Psychic Scream, Warp Blast

55 models on the board, ideally.

Fire away!

Psychic Scream is good, but you could find yourself wanting turn one synapse in escalation to keep the Gaunts walking towards your opponent, as well as to ward off instant death. Alternatively, you could dink the shootrant and spinegaunts for a Broodlord with, say, carapace, flesh hooks and implant attack and spend the difference on more Stealers, who really don't care if they're being babysat or not. It could be worthwhile in that case to trade Flesh Hooks for Scuttlers. You could also consider stripping down the flyrant with the intension of playing him somewhat more carefully.
It's a nice list though, aside from not having no non-TMC synapse to keep an eye on the gaunts...and I'm not a giant fan of the extended carapace on the shootrant.

Can the Zoanthropes select different powers for each model? I was under the impression that they had to be synchronized for that.

As much as I like the Broodlord in lower points games, above 1000 points I think I need the shootrant for more ranged oomph. If both my HQs rely on CC, I feel like too much of my army is in that basket. Same reason I ended up sinking the points into the gaunts as opposed to another stealer squad - it felt like I needed that option to keep from giving my opponent the chance to tie up or destroy my heavy support and the elites and pick the rest apart at range, especially in a skimmer heavy army or a drop pod force.

Can the Zoanthropes select different powers for each model? I was under the impression that they had to be synchronized for that.

Well they operate indepently, thats make me think they can have differents powers but I dont have my dex with me for now.

Operate independtly, sure, but they're still purchased as a unit - that's what's confusing. And the dex isn't really clear either. Just says that the Zoanthropes may take two powers, but it doesn't say if it has to be consistent between models.

A friend of mine plays almost the same thing, just slightly better

Carapace on the stealers is not needed if they advance behind a wall of MCs (and doesnt help against the common indirect fire anyways)

Tyrant Guard is expendable too. Most likely people will just shoot the other MCs.

The saved points should go into Devourers on your Flyrant. He loses little in CC and becomes the ultimate Speeder terror. Its 12 (edit) attacks. Also get a 3rd Zonathrope. They re too good to pass.

Raider:

Really? I'd always gotten the impression that a 5+ save on the stealers makes them too vulnerable if you get hit with Escalation.

I'd rather keep the guard because they tend to make the ground bound tyrant a much stabler "anchor", but I have been looking at freeing the points up for a 3rd thrope - probably by tweaking the flyrant and possibly cutting the gaunts back to 16.

Carapace on the stealers is not needed if they advance behind a wall of MCs (and doesnt help against the common indirect fire anyways)

I personnally think that protecting the stealers behind the fex is a good idea but they also need carapace to be able to resit normal bolter fire or small arms fire (like lasgun)in any case. You also want a 4+ save in hth.

Its 18 (!) attacks if I remember correctly

With 2 twin devourers, its 12.

Carapace on Stealers isnt completely useless for sure. Its important to realize though that playing without carapace not neccessarily makes your guys more vulnerable. Overall you just trade off an armoursave (that is often negated by ap, or as long as the opponent shoots something else) against more wounds and attacks (which are good no matter what your opponent does).

From experience the MC wall works wonders. Also a lot of armys face the dilemma that they cant use Bolters and Lascannons (in Troops) at the same time at different targets, so there is not as much Bolter/Lasgun fire coming your way as you might think.

Tyrant Guard is similar to carapace. I dislike to invest into something thats only usefull as long as certain conditions by the opponent are fulfilled. Guard only help you, when the opponent shoots your Tyrant. Most smart players will simply not do this. They will first shoot the Flyrant because hes fast and easier to kill. Then they will shoot your Fexes because they are easier to kill and then you are propably allready hitting their lines. Buying another Zoantrope instead gives you another gun and something else your opponent HAS to deal with.

I disagree with most of what Raider is saying.

The fact is, without the Tyrant Guards, the walking Tyrant becomes the priority target (after the flying Tyrant, or more likely, the flying Tyrant is out of LOS). Once the walking Tyrant is dead the Zoanthropes have to stay out of LOS or they'll suffer instant death.

The Tyrant Guard forces your opponents to shoot at the Carnifexes instead (which is what you want). The Tyrant Guard are also fairly capable fighters in CC, and provide you with a solid counter-charge unit (along with the stealers) should the enemy try to swamp your lines.


And while it is possible to forgo carapce on the stealers if you keep them behind MCs until they charge, it still isn't a horrible idea to take the upgrade. As Leto mentioned it still makes them more resilient in CC and if push comes to shove and you have to make a move with them, they'll still be 50% more resilient against the most common weapon you'll see in a game of 40K (bolters).


BZArcher:

Zoanthropes can indeed take different powers. The codex entry specifies that "A Zoanthrope" (singular) may purchase a second power (as opposed to the whole brood). So each Zoanthrope may pick a power off the list. Since the entry doesn't specify that they all must be armed with the same power, you are free to pick at will per Zoantrhope.


As for your list, I personally think that if you are going to go with the Psychic Choir concept you should go full bore. Take it on your Flying Tyrant instead of Warp Field and get another Zoanthrope in there with it too.

So possibly drop the gaunt count to 16, drop warp field from the flyrant and carapace from the walking Tyrant, use the points to put a third 'Thrope on the board with Warp Blast and Synapse, and give the Flyrant Psychic Scream...

That doesn't look bad at all, actually...

Man, I didn't even SEE the Extended Carapace on the walking Tyrant. Yeah, that's a horrible use of points.

The only thing I'd change about what you suggest is to give your third Zoanthrope Scream/Synapse (instead of Synapse/Warp Blast).

Although you lose a Warp Blast, its cheaper and it provides your Zoanthropes with some synapse protection in Escalation missions (when the Tyrants start off the board).

Well, looks like I've a bit more painting to do, and I need to get a few games down to make sure I like how the list plays, but I do believe that's buisness.