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Im new to the game, and I am struggling to beat a friend that is Tau. He uses Crisis Suits, Battlesuit Commander, Riptide, a Devilfish, Ghostkeel + its stealth suits for the formation, and various infantry. He just went out and bought a Stormsurge.

I keep losing, and its really... off putting? However, I have a large army and I'm here for advice on building lists.


My units:

HQs:
4 Hive Tyrants
1 Tervigon
1 Deathleaper

Troops:
60 Termigaunts
40 Hormogaunts
10 Ripper Swarms
3 Mucolid Spores

Elites:
2 Venomthrope
4 Zoanthrope
6 Lictor
3 Hive Guard

Fast Attack:
15 Spore Mine clusters

Heavy Support:
1 Trygon
2 Mawlocs
2 Tyrannocyte
3 Carnifex


I can spend a bit more money if need be.

Halp.

Do your Hive Tyrants have Wings? A Hive Tyrant with wings, 2x Devourers with Brainleech Worms, and Electroshock Grubs is definitely the best unit in the codex. If you're going to spend money, spend money on wings for the Tyrants

If you want to win, this is what I would take at 1,500:

Hive Fleet Detachment
HQ
Hive Tyrant 240
-Wings, 2x TL Devourer with Brainleech Worms, Electroshock Grubs
Hive Tyrant 240
-Wings, 2x TL Devourer with Brainleech Worms, Electroshock Grubs
Hive Tyrant 240
-Wings, 2x TL Devourer with Brainleech Worms, Electroshock Grubs

Troops
Mucolid 15
Mucolid 15
3 Ripper Swarms 45
-Deep Strike

Elites
1 Venomthrope 45
1 Venomthrope 45
1 Lictor 50
1 Lictor 50

Heavy
Mawloc 140
Mawloc 140
Carnifex 150
-2x TL Devourer with Brainleech Worms
Tyrannocyte 75

1,490

Spend the last 10 points as you wish. The general plan is deploy the Flyrants in flying mode around the Venomthropes for a tasty 2+ jink. Also deploy the Mucolids out of sight. They can infiltrate onto objectives if needed. The Lictors can either infiltrate or deep strike depending on the board, but the key is that they go where you want the Mawlocs and Canifex to deep strike. You can deep strike some Flyrants if necessary.

I know this list doesn't look that fun to play, but it's definitely strong and is something that could do reasonably well at tournaments.

Have you tried using the endless swarm formation, the one with loads of gaunts and if a unit gets destroyed they go into ongoing reserve on a 4+?

If you use that, loads of hormgaunts with poison and a trygon using thier ability to tunnel in you can bring near endless troops on close to your oponent.

My tactic would be to just swamp them with bodies and get into CC asap so they can't shoot,

It's one of those rare occasions gargoyles could even come in handy as you may be able to tie a unit or two up a turn earlier and cut back the shooting you'll have to take.