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Hey gang. I've wanted a Tyranid army for 30+ years now, and after a long hiatus from 40k, I'm finally collecting one (and salivating over painting it). That said, I could use a bit of feedback on how to round out a list for competitive play. The base list is going to be pretty set, I'd really like opinions and feedback on the last bits of units, and how you feel they'd help or hurt.

The base list. This can be either an Invasion Swarm for versatility, or a Crusher Stampede for a bit of extra punch:

Neurotyrant (Warlord, just...generally useful, and cheap)

Winged Tyranid Prime
10 Gargoyles (sitting on the Home Objective, spread out to prevent Reserves from entering)

Winged Tyranid Prime
10 Gargoyles (for Deep-Striking or general usefulness with 21 OC and movement shenanigans)

Norn Emissary (pick an objective and go stand on it)

Norn Emissary (ditto)

Maleceptor (see below for notes)

Maleceptor

Screamer-Killer

Screamer-Killer (these 4 units are to literally ram down my opponent's gullet, hopefully all at once, and force them to deal with the T, W, and Saves, plus BS tests. They can also do a lot of damage)

Lictor (Infiltrate/Scout blocker, plus LoneOp for those shenanigans)

Lictor (ditto)

3 Von Ryan's Leapers (useful as additional Lictors, but also to set up near the Norns for free Heroic Interventions)

3 Von Ryan's Leapers (ditto)

Biovore (because apparently Tyranid can't win without one, and I own one. )

With Perfectly Adapted on the Neurotyrant, that's right at 1880 points. I love the models, I own most of them and am just filling out the collection. It leaves me 120 points. Would you take:

2x10 Termagants with Devourers be a general PITA, screen, do chip damage against things (Invasion Fleet with Sustained Fire 1 or Lethal Wounds), OR,

Dump 3 Von Ryan's Leapers ( ) and Perfectly Adapted (meh) for 1 Tyrannofex with a Rupture Cannon to bring in on Turn 2-3 with a beautiful LoS to something important, possibly in a 1995-point Crusher Stampede? I'd have to buy the Tyrannofex, but they're typically $55 on a lot of websites, so it's not a huge burden.

I'll likely end up with the Tyrannofex anyway (I have other theoretical lists to play with), but I'm curious as to the Hive Mind's thoughts on the list in general and what you'd round it out with if it was yours.

Thanks in advance for responses.

Neat list, love the monster mash / vanguard combo! As far as rounding it out goes, I’d definitely go for the Tyrannofex option, but rather than deep striking it, I would just let it occupy some of the backfield and benefit from being babysat by the Neurotyrant - and on that note I actually don’t think you should drop the leapers. I honestly don’t see the value of a Prime and 10 Gargoyles which is 150 points doing a job that you could arguably accomplish with a 60 pts Termagants unit, and personally that would be the swap I’d make, especially if you put the Tyrannofex in the backfield too. Plus it actually frees up 90 points instead of 70, and then you could swap a lictor for a neurolictor or deathleaper if thats not too much trouble? (I’d go with neuro personally for the BS combo w SK).
Hope thats helpful, thanks for sharing!

It does, and I'm pretty sure I have all of those models too. Thanks for the reply!

ditto on that gargoyle thing,

Winged prime is cool and all, but he lacks ranged options and so then exists only to buff overpriced gaunts. Especially when terrain already means so little, having flyers to fly over it becomes more pointless. if you enjoy the models then go for it though, little reason to play an army you dont like looking at!

Tyrannofex would be really good for sure, one of our only tank busting options.

overall looks like a fun list

 firechcken23 wrote:
ditto on that gargoyle thing,

Winged prime is cool and all, but he lacks ranged options and so then exists only to buff overpriced gaunts. Especially when terrain already means so little, having flyers to fly over it becomes more pointless. if you enjoy the models then go for it though, little reason to play an army you dont like looking at!

Tyrannofex would be really good for sure, one of our only tank busting options.

overall looks like a fun list

I guess the biggest reason(s) I was including the WTP/Gargoyle units was guaranteed Synapse on a 21OC unit that I can restore d3+3 models to for 1CP if I have to, fast movement, and Deep Strike. That seems really good for 150 points, but I obviously I'm starting from scratch in 10th edition, so this feedback is useful.

Which leads me to the question, just how important is Synapse right now?

The list I'm putting together has several large tough Synapse monsters (Maleceptors/Norn) and a Neurotyrant who can lob Synapse blobs 18" onto units about to go ahead and make that ultimate sacrifice. As mentioned, the most basic, ground-level plan is to use the Screamer Killers (I LOVE THOSE MODELS) and Maleceptors as pairs of "You literally can't ignore this as I run them straight at you" S/T/W blocks while the Norn Emissaries claimed a couple of mid-field objectives of their own. Meanwhile, the WTP/Gargoyles units were holding the home objective with the Neurotyrant, and the second unit was either screening, Deep Striking, or trying to get over to the third mid-field objective. The Lictors and Leapers for general shenanigans.

From the comments, it sounds like the better choice is a single WTP/Garg unit and using the 150 points there plus some others to drop the Tyrannofex on the table. Or dumping them entirely. For those 420 points (300 for the WTP/Garg units + the 120 I hadn't spent) I could set down the Tyrannofex and 3x10 Termagants. Or the Tyrannofex, 2x10 Termies, and 3 Zoanthropes to surround the Neurotyrant with. Boom, 420 on the nose, at least right now. At that point though, the Termies would mostly be doing back-field screening duty.

The other options would be more LoneOp shenanigans by replacing the Maleceptors with Neurolictors to run around with the Screamer-Killers, Lictors, and Leapers. That leaves a ton of points for other stuff, and I'm not married to the Maleceptors. They're just bit, intimidating, and hard to kill-ish.

Thoughts on those ideas? And thanks.

Honestly Synapse just isn't thatttt important this edition. It only serves to do two things:

1: Help prevent battleshock (since your gaunts will be takin a lot of losses)

2: small buffs such as adding one to the strength of melee, generally since the guys you are currently running into combat already have pretty high stats this becomes a lot less of an issue.

Malceptors have synapse already, so the chain you have going should already cover a lot of the table.

I guess it comes down to this idea of: do you have any particular attachment to gargs over termies because I like that second idea.

frankly I love swarmy lists, so telling you to drop the swarm for big bugs hurts my soul, but I also think a tyrannofex is such a "must bring" rn that its worth mentioning

No, no, I'm not married to the Gargoyles at all. In fact, I'd have to buy them, whereas I already own the Termagants. I just have the WTP's too, so they'll be watching sadly from the sidelines.

I just figured the Gargs would be faster and more efficient at sweeping onto objectives (move, shoot, move again), and I think they're the only thing I have in the list that has Deep Strike...OTOH, 10 Gargoyles and a WTP takes up a pretty huge footprint when trying to do that, making it less likely to be useful. More just to force an opponent to waste models screening their backfield.

I'll probably end up owning them anyway at some point (would like to put together a Vanguard list too).

Thanks for the ideas!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Someone should stop me from buying a third Screamer-Killer and running an entire trio across the board followed by a Maleceptor and a lurking Neurolictor.

I'm pretty good at modelling (my ex-wife said I couldn't buy a miniature without cutting the head off), and I could make each Screamer-Killer look unique as they charged into the maw of the enemy's big guns.

Stop me. Tell me why it's a bad idea.

Dang it.

No one stopped me, so now I own three Screamer Killers.

The new list is shaping up to look like:

Neurotyrant (Warlord, hangin' out in the back and tossing Neuroloids around)
Neurotyrant (Scooting forward to throw random shots and more Neuroloids)
Norn Emissary (mid-board objective hobo)
Norn Emissary (ditto)
Tyrannofex with Casino Cannon
6 Zoanthropes (taking the dogs to the park with the second NTyrant)
Screamer-Killer,
Screamer-Killer,
Screamer-Killer (the dog pack!)
2x10 Termagants with Devourers (chillin' in the backfield with the Warlord to screen it)
2x10 Termagants with Spinefists (the pack-puppies to be annoying nuisances in the front)
Lictor (Infiltrating LoneOp shenanigans)
Lictor (ditto)
3 Von Ryan's Leapers (lots of uses)

In today's points exchange, it rings the bell right at 1995, 15 units.

Man I like building lists. Time to go Tyrannofex and Zoanthrope shopping.