New nids

[liamcollison]

I’ve been researching tyranids and so far this seems Luke a good list

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids) [126 PL, 1,959pts] ++

+ HQ +

Broodlord [8 PL, 115pts]

Broodlord [8 PL, 115pts]

The Swarmlord [15 PL, 250pts]

+ Troops +

Genestealers [8 PL, 96pts]
. 8x Genestealer: 8x Rending Claws

Genestealers [8 PL, 96pts]
. 8x Genestealer: 8x Rending Claws

Genestealers [8 PL, 96pts]
. 8x Genestealer: 8x Rending Claws

Hormagaunts [6 PL, 100pts]
. 20x Hormagaunt: 20x Scything Talons

Hormagaunts [6 PL, 100pts]
. 20x Hormagaunt: 20x Scything Talons

Hormagaunts [6 PL, 100pts]
. 20x Hormagaunt: 20x Scything Talons

+ Elites +

Deathleaper [5 PL, 60pts]

Lictor [2 PL, 34pts]: Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws

Lictor [2 PL, 34pts]: Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws

Lictor [2 PL, 34pts]: Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws

Venomthropes [5 PL, 90pts]
. 3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes

Zoanthropes [6 PL, 120pts]
. 3x Zoanthrope: 3x Claws and Teeth

+ Heavy Support +

Mawloc [6 PL, 104pts]: Prehensile Pincer Tail

Mawloc [6 PL, 104pts]: Prehensile Pincer Tail

Trygon Prime [10 PL, 168pts]: 3x Massive Scything Talons, Biostatic Rattle

+ Flyer +

Harpy [9 PL, 143pts]: 2x Stranglethorn Cannon, Stinger Salvo

++ Total: [126 PL, 1,959pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)

[vadah]

from personal experience, minimum size squads of genestealers aren't great. you usually wanna bring 16-20 for the bonus attacks cause youre always gonna lose a couple on the way in.

[Jack Shrapnel]

so from my experience playing nids, a few things I'd change:

genestealers need to be 20 strong... 8 will die to bolters far too easily before they can get anywhere, they start off without the bonus attack because they're under 10 models, and the swarmlord can only slingshot one unit, so you want to make sure it has some teeth, likely with catalyst on them. They are also priority target #1 for small-mid arms fire turn one.

hormagaunts have to be played aggressively to work, and they die like flies with t3 and a 6+ save. turn your 60 bodies into two squads of 30 rather than 3 of 20. They're going to be rushing the enemy to tie them up (especially with the 6" pile in) and you only get the reroll 1's if you have 20 or more models.

Harpies are sadly not good. bring one if you like the model or if that's what you own, however it's toughness 6 with a 4+ save. It will literally die to any heavy weapon that looks at it. You have two targets for opposing heavy weapons on the board turn one - swarmlord (which you NEED to hide at deployment or he'll get punked by lascannons etc.) and the harpy.

Nid monsters are NOT survivable (I own an unhealthy amount of tyranid monsters, monstrous creatures are my favourite models in the game). I regularly lose a T-fex with malanthrope -1 to hit bubble and a malceptor using the -1 strength to opposing weaponry stratagem in one volley by marines / tau - and that's a T8 monster with 14 wounds and a 3+ save (2+ with Jormundgar). The hive tyrants (including swarmlord) and Malceptor fare better due to the invulnerable save and aforementioned strat.

now onto the good stuff with your list:

lictors are surprisingly good at sneaking onto objectives and hiding, plus they're dirt cheap, so it's not like bringing three of them is a big expense. However do not expect them to assassinate characters. They're just terrible at that job. Deathleaper is slightly better, but has to be careful he's not punching above his weight class with his mighty 5+ save in combat!

you have enough fast bodies (hormagaunts and genestealers) that if you run Kraken you can get in people's faces pretty damn quickly, especially with swarmlord support.

Mawlocs are cheap and can get some mortal wounds in for a low price. It's just frustrating that they're WS 4+ as you kinda want them to be able to do something other than knock off a couple mortal wounds when they arrive (and have to sit there for a turn not charging!). Mawlocs however can be a nightmare for an unprepared castle style army such as tau or gunline guard / marines.

Trygons and Mawlocs need to be T7... T6 for such a huge model is just ridiculous.


Tyranids are a super fun army though, and I just love the models. If not playing top-tier competitive they can certainly hold their own using just about any models... just think of what style of list you want to play and then go full on with that concept. Which hive fleet you choose also makes a BIG difference.

[liamcollison]

I have taken your suggestion and built a new list

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids) [120 PL, 1,991pts] ++

+ HQ +

Hive Tyrant [9 PL, 163pts]: 2x Monstrous Scything Talons

Hive Tyrant [9 PL, 163pts]: 2x Monstrous Scything Talons

The Swarmlord [15 PL, 250pts]

+ Troops +

Genestealers [16 PL, 240pts]
. 20x Genestealer: 20x Rending Claws

Genestealers [16 PL, 240pts]
. 20x Genestealer: 20x Rending Claws

Hormagaunts [9 PL, 150pts]
. 30x Hormagaunt: 30x Scything Talons

Hormagaunts [9 PL, 150pts]
. 30x Hormagaunt: 30x Scything Talons

Ripper Swarms [2 PL, 33pts]
. 3x Ripper Swarm: 3x Claws and Teeth

+ Elites +

Lictor [2 PL, 34pts]: Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws

Lictor [2 PL, 34pts]: Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws

Lictor [2 PL, 34pts]: Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws

Venomthropes [5 PL, 90pts]
. 3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes

Zoanthropes [6 PL, 120pts]
. 3x Zoanthrope: 3x Claws and Teeth

+ Heavy Support +

Carnifexes [6 PL, 82pts]
. Carnifex: 2x Monstrous Scything Talons

Mawloc [6 PL, 104pts]: Prehensile Pincer Tail

Mawloc [6 PL, 104pts]: Prehensile Pincer Tail

++ Total: [120 PL, 1,991pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)

[Jack Shrapnel]

now for the extra command point, you can put one of the hive tyrants along with three of your elites into a vanguard detachment.

You can also if you want, for the same basic points, adjust your hive tyrants to a more specialized role

monstrous rending claws are a free upgrade and allows you to reroll to wound, which is pretty powerful (plus on a six to wound it's pretty powerful) - then you can use the 20 points that the scything costs to buy a venom cannon for some long range firepower

Alternatively, if you can free up some points here is my optimum hive tyrant loadout which I use pretty much exclusively:

Hive Tyrant: monstrous rending claws, two devourers, wings, adrenal glands - 209 points

So this nasty monster can now deep strike onto the table (so completely immune from turn one shooting) gets +1 to charge rolls, rerolls to wound, and shoots 12 S6 shots to clear screens so it can charge something juicy! And if you run the kraken hive fleet he can fall back from combat and charge! Kraken also unlocks the chameleonic skin relic - so a permanent -1 to be shot!

your list is SO fast, I think Kraken would be a good hive fleet as it seems like a very aggressive style list.

That being said, after turn one the venomthropes will be left behind (and they cannot protect the monsters because you need six models for that) - so dropping them would give you the points to upgrade both of your basic hive tyrants to the winged version above.

Just my two cents - I just find with nids you gotta streamline focus your list... and what you seem to be building is a fast aggressive style list that just overwhelms your opponent rather than a shooty style?

Even if you just stick to the list you have, I think it's a much better list than your first one - it has more bodies and more consistent focus. The venomthropes turn one (if you drag models back to their range) can at least give some protection to your stealers / hormagaunts so it's not a bad idea either.

I think you're heading in the right direction for sure!