Tyranid Elites Tactica 5th Edition
Overview
With the new codex out, Tyranids have a huge variety of new elites. This is a list of rules and tactics for Tyranid players. One of the new elites is arguably one of the most totally unfair units in the game and you will have a lot of fun destroying your opponents with him. Lets take a look.
Hive Guard
This is one of the brand new units for Tyranids and it has some pretty interesting features.
Weapons
The Hive Guards only weapon is the Impaler Cannon. This is a R24" S8 Ap4 Assault 2 gun. This is imposing already, but it also ignores cover saves (except ones from area terrain).
These bugs are best for camping in the middle of the field and taking out heavy infantry and light vehicles. They also have 2 attacks base with S5 T6, they are pretty efficient in close combat. But it is not a good idea to actually send these guys into combat, as they are easily swarmed. All in all, they are an amazing deal for only 50 points each. You should definitely field these.
Lictors
Suicide assassins they may be, but the Lictor can still decimate it's opposition. However, I suggest putting these things into cover that is fairly close to the enemy. Then on the second turn using Pheremone Trails to do no scatter deepstrikes. And keep in mind that with Mycetic Spores, if they deepstrike into terrain the only model that takes dangerous terrain test is the mycetic spore itself, the passengers are just disembarking.
Weapons
The Lictor has Rending Claws, Scything Talons, and Flesh Hooks. The Flesh Hooks are R6" S6 Ap- Assault 2 Rending and let the Lictor strike at it's initiative no matter what (in your face Thunderhammers!).
Special Rules
Chameleonic Skin: On the Tyranids player's second turn, he may place the Lictor anywhere on the field that is at least 1" away from an enemy model. This is done without the need to roll for reserves or for scatter. The Lictor may only shoot or run the turn it comes in. This allows the lictor to martyr itself in an attempt to kill an HQ.
pheremone trails: if a lictor was on the feild at the beggining of the turn, add a +1 to all reserve rolls you make. If a freindly unit deepstrikes, you may place it within 6" of the lictor without needing to roll for scatter. this means that if your lictor survives until turn 3, you get reserve rolls on a +2, and it acts as a living chaos icon for Tyranids.
move through cover
fleet
hit and run
stealth
Deathleaper
in summary, a Lictor crossed with a Predator on steroids. This thing took out a 7 man seer-council on jetbikes. As an added bonus, it's special rules have hilarious names. it has all of the weapons of the lictor, and all the special rules, plus some other ones. This is an amazing unit, but only if you use it correctly.
special rules
"Its after me!": at the beginning of the games, the Deathleaper reduces a single enemy model's Ld by d3. This is particularly devastating to psykers. This effect ends if Deathleaper dies.
"What was that?": all enemy infantry within 12" of Deathleaper roll one less die (min. one) when moving through difficult terrain.
"Where is it?": Enemy units wishing to shoot at deathleaper most make a night fighting test and halfing the rolled distance.
"Where'd it go?": if Deathleaper ends it's movement at least an inch away from an enemy model, you may remove him and put him in reserve. you may then redeploy deathleaper the next turn with chameleonic skin.
Killing strike: Deathleaper's flesh hooks and close combat attacks rend on a 5 or a 6.
Venomthrope
A absolute terror to infantry if left unchecked, a brood of these things are a a marine players worst nightmare. They are very odd in the fact that they get more kills if they are charged. it' so wo have, and are very good in combat, but there are much better elite choices. This is a fairly good unit, but not exceptional.
weapons
lashwips: these reduce the initiative of all adjacent enemy models to 1, letting the venomthrope almost always hit first.
biomorphs
Toxic miasma: At the end of each player turn, every enemy model in base contct with the venomthrope must take a toughness test or take a wound. no cover saves allowed, but armor and invuln are.
Toxic touch: Poisoned 2+. and if The venomthropes Strength is equal to or greater than the target's, it re-rolls wound, in accordance to poison.
Spore cloud: This and all Freindly unit's within 6" have a 5+ cover save, defensive grenades, and any non-vehicle enemy unit wishing to assault them must take a dangerouse terrain check.
Zoanthrope
The pure incarnation of the hive minds will, the thing have some of the best psykic shooting attaks in the game. and they only cost 60 points each! W00t! They even can take a Mycetic spore as a dedicated transport! I can't think of a signle army that i wouldn't have these in. A great choice.
Special rules
Warp field: This gives the zoanthropes a 3+ invuln save. WTF!!?
Shadow in the warp: Al enemies within 12" of this model roll 3d6 dice for their psychic tests, suffering perils on any double 1 or 6.
psychic powers
Warp blast: This is the second most popular power the Zoanthrope has, as it is a range 24" strength 5 ap 3 assault 1 blast. this can completely destroy anything short of terminators.
Warp lance: this is an amazing psychic shooting attack. it is arguably the best tank popper that can be used by infantry. as a strength 10 ap 1 lance, this will destroy whatever it hits. This weapon is what inspires fear in your enemies.
The Doom Of Malan'tai
Remember that totally cheap unit I was talking about earlier? This is it. It's only weakness is that it has toughness 4, and can be instant killed by light ordnance. And it isn't an independant character, so you can't sheild it with a unit of gaunts. Other than that, however, there isn't a reason that this would be a bad choice.
Special rules
Absorb life: This unit immediately gains +1 wound for each wound it inflicts, to a maximum of 10. That's right, you're reading this correctly. This thing can have 10 wounds!
Fearless: No need to explain this.
Psychic strength: This model's strength is equal to it's wounds. That means that this can have strength 10!
Warp field: See Zoanthrope.
Shadow in the warp: See Zoanthrope
Spirit leech: At the beginning of every shooting phase, including the enemie's, all non-vehicle units in 6" of this makes a leadership save on a 3d6. they take a wound for every point the fail by, no armor saves. This will destroy almost any non-HQ unit in the game. Notice that this will hit enemies even if it's in close combat.
Psychic powers
Cataclysm: At full power, this is pehaps the most devestating psychic shooting attack in the game.
it is a R:24" S:X Ap:1 Assault 1 large blast. This weapon's Strength is equal to the user's wounds. The Doom starts with 4 wounds, but the spirit leech rule affects this too. At full power, this is a Strength 10 Ap 1 Assault 1 large blast. However, when you use this power, and after wounds are dealt but before Spirit leech gives additional wounds, The Doom of Malan'tai Takes d3 wounds, no saves allowed.
