2k nids: Genestealers, hormagaunts, RAVEners oh my!

[ivangterrace]

2000 Pts – Tyranids Roster

HQ: Hive Tyrant (1#, 195 pts)
1 Hive Tyrant, 195 pts (Lash Whip & Bonesword; Old Adversary; Leech Essence; Paroxysm)

: Tyrant Guard Brood (2#, 130 pts)
2 Tyrant Guard Brood, 130 pts (Lash Whip)

Elite: Hive Guard Brood (2#, 100 pts)
2 Hive Guard Brood, 100 pts

Elite: Hive Guard Brood (2#, 100 pts)
2 Hive Guard Brood, 100 pts

Troops: Genestealer Brood (6#, 163 pts)
5 Genestealer Brood, 163 pts (Toxin Sacs)
1 Broodlord (Toxin Sacs, Implant Attack Aura of Despair; Hypnotic Gaze)

Troops: Genestealer Brood (6#, 163 pts)
5 Genestealer Brood, 163 pts (Toxin Sacs)
1 Broodlord (Toxin Sacks, Implant Attack; Aura of Despair; Hypnotic Gaze)

Troops: Hormagaunt Brood (12#, 96 pts)
12 Hormagaunt Brood, 96 pts (Toxin Sacs)

Troops: Hormagaunt Brood (12#, 96 pts)
12 Hormagaunt Brood, 96 pts (Toxin Sacs)

Troops: Tyranid Warrior Brood (3#, 105 pts)
2 Tyranid Warrior Brood, 105 pts (Scything Talons; Rending Claws)
1 Tyranid Warrior (Scything Talons; Venom Cannon)

Troops: Tyranid Warrior Brood (3#, 105 pts)
2 Tyranid Warrior Brood, 105 pts (Scything Talons, Rending Claws)
1 Tyranid Warrior (Scything Talons; Venom Cannon)

Fast Attack: Ravener Brood (3#, 105 pts)
3 Ravener Brood, 105 pts (Rending Claws)

Fast Attack: Ravener Brood (3#, 105 pts)
3 Ravener Brood, 105 pts (Rending Claws)

Heavy Support: Tyrannofex (1#, 265 pts)
1 Tyrannofex, 265 pts (Rupture Cannon)

Heavy Support: Tyrannofex (1#, 265 pts)
1 Tyrannofex, 265 pts (Rupture Cannon)

Gameplan: Shoot stuff out of transports with tyrannofexes and hive guard, and assault the infantry that come out with my raveners, genestealers, and hormagaunts with an emphasis that one entire set gets into the same combat. One set is raveners, genestealers, and hormagaunts.

My deployment has been I put in left to right, raveners, genestealers, and hormagaunts then do it again with my second set of units. Then behind them are the warriors, the tyrant somewhere in the center of my force, and the tyrannofexes in the back, preferably behind the swarm a bit.

I've been doing alright with this list. Whenever my opponents get to their shooting phase they take forever in deciding what to shoot. "Do I try and ID the raveners/warriors? Shoot the genestealers off? Go for the easy hormagaunt kill? Kill their fire support?

As for how these dudes perform in combat, they kill almost everything in the first turn unless they are assaulting into cover, even then they were able to do a lot of killing.

The only things I'm adamant about keeping are the hive tyrant, 1 set of raveners, genies, and hormagaunts, hive guard, and tyrannofexes since they have been performing fairly well. I don't like how I can't have preferred enemy on two sets since the tyrant's ability doesn't reach too far.

Constructive Suggestions? Thoughts?

[Lemt]

Can you give each Tyrant Guard different "wargear" to play wound allocation musical chairs? That would be a good idea. And if you plan to outflank the Genestealers I'd consider giving the Tyrant hive Commander. Tyrannofexes don't really work for me, as they seem to be mostly a points sink, but if they've worked for you that's great. I just think they are only reliable at killing low AV transports, and Hive Guard are at least as good and much cheaper.

But it seems like a solid list.

[ivangterrace]

Can you give each Tyrant Guard different "wargear" to play wound allocation musical chairs? That would be a good idea. And if you plan to outflank the Genestealers I'd consider giving the Tyrant hive Commander. Tyrannofexes don't really work for me, as they seem to be mostly a points sink, but if they've worked for you that's great. I just think they are only reliable at killing low AV transports, and Hive Guard are at least as good and much cheaper.

But it seems like a solid list.

Tyrannofexes are a finesse unit. People keep trying to play their nids like space marines and that is mostly why they lose. Also, hive guard are short ranged and are easy to kill, tyrranofexes are not.

[Tynskel]

Tyrannofexes are a finesse unit. People keep trying to play their nids like space marines and that is mostly why they lose. Also, hive guard are short ranged and are easy to kill, tyrranofexes are not.

Tyranids as a whole are a finesse army. I love using my carnifexes, and use them quite well. That's because they work in tandem with the rest of the army.

[ivangterrace]

Tyranids as a whole are a finesse army. I love using my carnifexes, and use them quite well. That's because they work in tandem with the rest of the army.

Would explaining what you say be too much to ask? Perhaps examples are in order. ;)

[doogansquest]

They are definitely a finesse army, but people foolishly try to play redundancy spam a la Space Marines with them. They need lots of options, lots of models, and lots of synergy to work well.

I believe Cruddace wrote a quietly great codex, but it's difficult to use correctly.