Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey Dakka users, I want to know how viable and if anybody has tried it to play a 2000 point list using only big bugs, other then rippers to fill battalions. all big bugs no small or really even medium.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I thought it would be fun to build but want to not lose every game either lol

Unplayable, end of the story


Especially in this marines meta

Traditionally (8th edition) it has not been good enough. The old flyrant circus with rippers, minimal deployment, could theoretically qualify. But it is not what you are asking, and not viable under the rules put in place to stop it

What it had going for it is high T saturation, witch is good.

How ever most of the 'meat and potatoes' of nids are portionally divided throught some key units. Not all who are MC's.

Go for big bugs with guns. Exoshrine and the other big one is good. Dakka carnifexes to clear infantery. Some synapse.

Either the re-roll 1's or the aleays in cover hivefleet.

While I'm under no illusion that big bug spam is great, if you just want to compete and arnt looking to win large events then big bugs are just fine.
I took the same 1750pt list to 2 smaller (10-20player) events and 1 larger (60+) event. (I ran this as a bit of a joke and a change from combat lists of both bugs and GSC that I had been playing since 8th ed arrived)

I ran the following list:
2x Flyrant with full devourers. they both took Scream and the Horror.
2 sets of 3 rippers
11 termigants
neurothrope took catalyst.
6x hive guard
2 dakkafex
5 carnifex with HVC and 2 Spitters.
I ran the flyrants and gribblies as kraken and the remainder as Jorg. Synapse was only a problem for the carnifexs once I did lose a few guants and rippers in some games tho. If I was to take the list again (in an August to November meta) I'd probably just make everything Jorg, and 1 or both of the flyrants would be changed the half combat.

The first small event was straight up ITC missions, I had 4 wins from 4 games to win the event. (orcs, tau, deathwatch+knight, guard+admech) closest game was with the deathwatch player where ignored I the knight and went after the rest. I was getting close to being tabled by the knight but won that game by 1pt.
The second small event was just running Chap Approved 2018 eternal war missions and this was after the marine codex was out but before the FAQ. I had 4 wins and 1 draw to win the event. (death guard, raven guard, dark eldar, ultramarines and orcs) the draw was with the dark eldar, a talos, gortesque and flyer list.
The large event was running ETC missions also after the space marine codex and before FAQ. I had 2 wins and 2 losses. (beating chaos space marines (FW dreads) and custodes, while going down to iron hands and deathwatch. The Iron Hands tabled me in turn5, I won primary but lost secondary and tertiary. The deathwatch game was a white wash I was tabled in 5.

Moving on tho to a post Chapter approved world and the BA/Bugs book. I'm looking to try out something along the lines of: (2k points for my next event, so a 2k list)
2 Combat/Dev Tyrants, 1 Haruspex in a Pod, Mawloc, 3sets of rippers. (I'm looking at Behemoth), Then Neurothrope, Walkrant full dakka and +8" range, 6 Hive Guard, 2 Exocrines, 2 Dakkafex(without Spore Cysts, 10 termigants and 2 sets of rippers. (Probably Kronos, maybe Jorg if it could ensure an Exocrine survives when i dont get first turn.)
I havnt put it on the table yet, but thats my starting point with the monster mash. I figure if the hive guard and walkrant can hide, and then I get lucky and 1 exocrine can survive (maybe one of them can hide too) when i dont get first turn, then it should have a good shot at marines.

If you arnt in the tournament scene tho and just a friendly yet competitive group then there is nothing stopping you winning some games and having fun with a monster mash.

Two of the biggest problems with big bugs is that you loose the 2x shoot stratagem that is infantery only I belive. And the 2x fight stratagem is better on a group of models.

But just go to town. :-)

Completely viable, just maybe sub out some Rippers for
Termagants. 6 squads of Rippers is just flat out worse than having some screening units to push around the board. And maybe make some exceptions for Neurothropes, as imo they are just better casters than the flight risk that is Hive Tyrants.

Tyrannofex, Exocrine, Scythed Hierodule, Toxicrene, Carnifex, and potentially even Maleceptor, are all definitely good units now. Flyrants aren’t awful but aren’t priced that well these days. Old One Eye is excellent.

A couple of tech pieces like a Lictor to roll through a key Overwatch or a Biovore to block a Knight from charging in and shredding some MCs will go a long way.

With new PA, a 5++ and +1 to hit on the charge, i can see nidzilla working much better now.