Tyranid Tactica

[Learn2Eel]

You guys know the drill! Over the coming month I'm going to be adding more articles as they are finished on my blog (http://imperatorguides.blogspot.com.au/), while I spend the next few days setting up each that have already been posted.

I've added in the Synapse Overview and every unit review so far, with Zoanthropes being the latest. I will update this post each time a new article is added to reflect the progress of the series. Thanks guys! Enjoy the series!

[Learn2Eel]

Hey there everyone, I am Learn2Eel and this is going to be the first official Tyranid Tactica article! There has been a lot of heated discussion about this codex ever since its release, and while I could cover that here, I'm going to strictly cover the tactics for each unit in the book. Everyone has a different opinion on the Tyranid Codex, and I feel that isn't really relevant to what I want to talk about. However, if you do have any thoughts on the codex and what could have been changed, or what you like, feel free to leave a comment here! Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the article!


The Basics of Synapse

So let's get the facts out of the way immediately.

Synapse - Units with this special rule generate a 12" Synapse bubble. Any unit within that Synapse bubble, including the unit with the Synapse special rule, is Fearless and doesn't test for Instinctive Behaviour.

Instinctive Behaviour - Units with this special rule that are not in Synapse range at the start of each of their turns must take a Leadership test. If they pass, nothing happens. If they fail, they need to roll on the appropriate Instinctive Behaviour table to see the result.

In the 5th Edition codex, Synapse wasn't much of an issue as all of your most valuable units - mostly monstrous creatures - were either Synapse creatures, Fearless or didn't have Instinctive Behaviour. Your cheap, durable Troops choices in the form of Tervigons ensured you had a huge Synapse web, while specialist choices such as Zoanthropes and Trygon Primes provided forward Synapse for more mobile units due to their Deep Strike capabilities. Instinctive Behaviour generally wasn't too punishing, at least in the context of 6th Edition, with units either being forced to move into terrain and act like defensive sentries, or gaining the Rage special rule and thus being more destructive on the charge. It was a big part of the army, but it was more of a bonus than a limitation as you could easily have large Fearless hordes on the cheap.

Enter the new 6th Edition codex, where Synapse provides the same benefits, but Instinctive Behaviour has been redesigned. An extra form - Hunt - has been added, and now units that fail their Instinctive Behaviour tests have to roll on a corresponding chart to see what happens. Units can now fall back, inflict automatic hits on themselves, or be Pinned - and each of these different results comes from a differing table, and will occur in 50% of failed Instinctive Behaviour rolls. It is now also more limiting with all units, not just Lurkers, being forced to target the nearest unit for the most part. Fearless units such as Carnifexes can suffer big-time due to inflicting Strength 9 hits on themselves, a far-cry from them merely gaining +2 attacks on the charge. With Instinctive Behaviour becoming far more of a downside - as it should be, mind - Synapse is now important than ever for Tyranids.

The new codex essentially forces you to stock up on Synapse creatures covering every possible phase of your battle plan; Zoanthropes for baby-sitting the backfield, Tervigons for controlling the midfield, and Flying Hive Tyrants or Trygon Primes hitting the front-lines are the common picks. Your Synapse web needs to survive so that your army doesn't completely break down, and while many Synapse units did get cheaper, many have lost deployment options and potential psychic buffs that gave them increased durability. The answer to this is that you can take more of them for less points, but a balance needs to be struck between taking those supporting-Synapse units that won't do much else aside from be Synaptic lynch-pins, such as Warriors, and your more damaging but Synapse-intensive breakers such as Carnifexes.

This is why I bring a simple rule to every army list with the new Tyranid codex. For each 500 points in my army, I want at least two Synapse creatures. This mitigates the potential for snipers and barrage weapons picking out your Synapse creatures and causing your army to collapse, allowing another Synapse creature to step up and take on the burden of control. Any competitive Tyranid army simply has to have a decent number of Synapse creatures, with me preferring to have at least six Synapse creatures at 1500 to 1850 points limits, the common tournament limits. Where other armies need redundancy in their anti-tank units to handle mechanized army lists, for example, Tyranids need redundancy in their Synapse units so that the army can actually function properly. While this is a limitation unique to Tyranids, there are a lot of upsides; you can field the cheapest Fearless hordes in the game, and much of your army is very cheap for what it does. Just remember that even a mighty Tyrannofex won't be of much use to you if you don't have a Zoanthrope or two guiding it along the path of glory!


Synapse Creatures

The necessity of Synapse units is obvious, but just what units bring Synapse in a Tyranid army list? Let's take a look and work out which ones are the most useful in general by noting the traits key to Synapse;

HQ
The Swarmlord - 18" Synapse range, can be boosted through Dominion, foot-slogger.
Hive Tyrants - 12" Synapse range, can be boosted through Dominion and Norn Crown, option to foot-slog or fly.
Tyranid Prime - 12" Synapse range, can be boosted through Norn Crown, foot-slogger.
Tervigon - 12" Synapse range, can be boosted through Dominion and Norn Crown, foot-slogger.

Troops
Warriors - 12" Synapse range, foot-slogger.
Tervigon - 12" Synapse range, can be boosted through Dominion and Norn Crown, foot-slogger.

Elites
Zoanthropes - 12" Synapse range, can be boosted through Dominion, foot-slogger.

Fast Attack
Shrikes - 12" Synapse range, jump infantry.

Heavy Support
Trygon Prime - 12" Synapse range, can be boosted through Norn Crown, foot-slogger with access to Deep Strike.

As you can see, Synapse units can be brought in every slot, and each has their own traits. So how does each actually work in practice?

The Swarmlord is the most expensive Synapse option, but can guarantee a 24" Synapse range. Ultimately, as a foot-slogger with durability that really isn't that great for the cost, he's not the best Synapse option.

Hive Tyrants are the cheapest of the monstrous creature Synapse units before upgrades, can easily guarantee a 24" Synapse range through purchase of the Norn Crown and taking the Primaris psychic power Dominion. That you can give them wings and change their unit type to Flying Monstrous Creature means that they only really need Dominion, and this will make them one of your best Synapse units for the cost.

Tyranid Primes have the sole advantage of being true Independent Characters, allowing them to hide in any unit they please - from Termagant hordes to Carnifex broods. They aren't cost effective compared to Hive Tyrants in any sense, including Synapse, but their ability to hide in any unit they please can be very useful in a nine-strong Carnifex list. They have no mobility boosting options, they can't take Dominion as they aren't psykers, and thus can only boost their Synapse range through purchasing the expensive Norn Crown.

Tervigons are the mid-point between a base Hive Tyrant and a Trygon Prime as far the cost of generic Synapse monstrous creatures are concerned. Their additional supporting abilities, namely the unique ability to be scoring, as well as generating extra Troops makes them the best value Troop Synapse unit.

Warriors are over-costed and fragile for the cost, and with no way to boost their Synapse range, their only true use as Synapse platforms is as stock standard broods of three sitting in the backfield.

Zoanthropes are the cheapest Synapse option in the codex, as they can be taken in units of one. Using line-of-sight blocking terrain and their thin - but tall - model means they can easily be hidden near Exocrines, Tyrannofexes with Rupture Cannons, Biovores and other long to medium range units without fear of being targeted. Outside of Hive Tyrants, they are the best Synapse option in the book as they are also Mastery Level 2 psykers.

Shrikes are similar to Warriors in that they are over-costed and too fragile to survive sustained fire power which will invariably target them due to being Synapse units, but they do have the benefit of wings. They can thus keep up with Gargoyles, Raveners and other mobile units lacking Synapse.

Trygon Primes are the most expensive generic Synapse creature, but also the toughest overall and one that can Deep Strike to make up for their 6" move. They are strong generalists with above average shooting and melee capabilities, and are probably your best bet for Synapse outside of Hive Tyrants, Tervigons and Zoanthropes.

My personal recommendation for any army list, regardless of points, is to use Zoanthropes as your primary Synapse units. This is because they are cheap, can be taken in units of one, and are the easiest to hide. From there, Hive Tyrants are the logical sources of Synapse from your HQ slots, with Flying Hive Tyrants in particular being the most effective HQ option in the book. A single Tervigon is a smart option in any Tyranid list simply because of the extra scoring units they provide, as well as their above-average durability compared to most other Synapse units. Trygon Primes may great Synapse units because they can Deep Strike and thus pop up when your army is about to clash with the opponents in their backfield or the midfield, giving you an extra Synapse unit that can't be killed on the first turn.


Keeping Synapse Creatures Alive

Even though I don't recommend using many of these units, I'm going to cover how to keep each individual Synapse unit alive. These units are mandatory to success as Tyranids, so keeping them alive should always be your biggest priority as a Tyranid player.

The Swarmlord - You need Tyrant Guard for the Swarmlord, regardless of how you feel about his five wounds and 4+ invulnerable save in combat. Grav Guns, Heavy Wraith Cannons, Plasma, massed autocannons/missile pods and so on will still kill him with ease. He's expensive, and adding Tyrant Guard jacks his price up even more, but taking at least two is my recommendation in every scenario. The old shenanigans of taking a Tyranid Prime and one Tyrant Guard simply won't work due to the loss of Iron Arm and the massive points increase of the Prime. Make sure the unit moves from cover to cover, ensure they are supported by ranged elements such as Hive Guard and Exocrines so that they don't get baited by Wraithknights and Riptides.

Hive Tyrants (walking) - The generally low cost for the abilities of Hive Tyrants means you might be able to get away with no Tyrant Guard, but I still recommend them anyway. Spending about 100 points to add an extra four Toughness 6 wounds with a 3+ armour save is worth it in any scenario, especially now that the survival of your Synapse units is practically mandatory. As with the Swarmlord, make sure to move from cover to cover as Tyranids lack invulnerable saves against ranged attacks outside of Zoanthropes - a monster without cover and no 2+ armour save or an invulnerable save is just asking to die.

Hive Tyrants (flying) - Flying Hive Tyrants don't need Tyrant Guard - who can't keep up with them - and don't need to rely on rolling up Catalyst despite being "loners". As Flying Monstrous Creatures with Toughness 6, 4 Wounds and a 3+ armour save, they are quite durable and can put out a lot of damage. Keep them supported through mobile ground units such as Gargoyles or other fliers like Crones and Harpies so that they aren't picked off.

Tyranid Primes - These should be kept in the middle of horde units like Termagants and Hormagaunts thirty-strong so that deep-striking and outflanking units can't pop up behind them and force a lot of saves and look out sirs. Another ideal unit to join is a Carnifex brood of two or three, giving the Tyranid Prime eight to twelve Toughness 6, 3+ armoured ablative wounds. While joining Warriors might seem useful due to their stat boost ability, I don't advise it as Warriors are too fragile to make ideal bodyguards for an expensive Tyranid Prime.

Tervigons - As a solo monstrous creature with no access to Tyrant Guard, you need to abuse line-of-sight blocking terrain and cover as much as possible with a Tervigon. Hope to roll up Catalyst, and maybe invest in Regeneration. Make sure to keep up a cover save, even if it means not advancing - a Tervigon can happily sit in the back or midfield if it means it survives and poops out additional scoring units that should only take a turn to grab an objective. Keep your opponent under pressure so that the Tervigon is not their priority; use a mix of flying monstrous creatures and aggressive monsters like Carnifexes or Tyrannofexes to flood the board with viable targets.

Warriors - Given the high cost and low durability per point of Warriors where common Strength 8 weapons are concerned, taking minimal broods of Warriors is ideal as small support units. Take three and hide them in terrain, or move from cover to cover to hide in the midfield. Don't use them aggressively as their damage output is subpar, and making them a target is a mistake.

Zoanthropes - Use units of one or two Zoanthropes to easily hide in cover, much like minimal Warrior broods. The 3+ invulnerable save reduces the value of just sitting in cover without blocking line of sight, so moving up through open terrain isn't a bad idea. Be aware that they are fragile to massed medium or low Strength shooting due to having only two wounds each, so keep them in the middle of your army, rather than at the front. Hiding a Zoanthrope in a building such as a Bastion is a smart, cheap way to boost your Synapse coverage and protect your valuable Synapse unit.

Shrikes - Use the mobility of Shrikes to your advantage, as well as three wounds each. Jump from cover to cover as Dangerous Terrain doesn't really faze three-wound models. Keep Shrike units small so that they are less unwieldy and can be hidden from sight.

Trygon Primes - Always deep strike Trygon Primes - they pay for an ability that is now incredibly rare in a Tyranid list, and can bring out a lot of damage from reserves when upgraded with a Miasma Cannon. If you lose your Synapse early on, having a Trygon Prime deep strike into Synapse range of your forward moving units can be a life-saver.


Thank you for reading this article, and please leave all feedback in the comments section below! I hope this article was useful in helping you to both understand the usage of Synapse creatures, and determine which ones fit your army list better. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, I'm Learn2Eel and today I'm here to talk about the new Tyranid codex! I'm going to be trialling shorter articles focusing on one unit at a time, a content form that should allow me to post up a Tactics article every night. I'm really keen to see the feedback to this type of article, as it is obviously a very big change from the bloated articles of the past. Please let me know if you prefer these smaller single-unit-review articles, or if you want me to continue with the old style! To mark this occasion, who else could I cover but the Swarmlord, the most deadly organism ever conceived by the other-worldly Hive Mind. I hope you enjoy this article!


The Swarmlord

Overview

The Swarmlord has an upgraded profile over a standard Hive Tyrant, but with only a few changes; it has an extra wound, a higher Initiative by one and a godly Weapon Skill 9 ensuring most enemies will hit it on 5s in combat. To add to that extra wound, the Swarmlord has a 4+ invulnerable save in close combat, giving it slightly above average durability for a foot Hive Tyrant against shooting, and severely boosted durability in combat for a foot Hive Tyrant. There is a stipulation on the invulnerable save in that it only applies to wounds caused by Melee weapons, so it will not apply to effects such as Spore Mine Detonations, Typhus' rot blast and so on. The Initiative boost ensures the Swarmlord will strike before most enemy commanders and units, though of course its lack of flesh hooks or spine banks mean that this it is negligible when charging into combat. For pure combat prowess, though, the Swarmlord is a premier melee unit once it reaches combat. It has five attacks base due to its pair of Bonesabres, AP2 attacks as it has the Smash special rule, and all of its melee attacks cause Instant Death. This makes it a ridiculously good character and monster hunter, one that while perhaps would take two rounds or so to down a Wraithknight, it should destroy most enemies with ease. Opponents to avoid for the Swarmlord are those with a strong Invulnerable save of 4+ or 3+, three or more wounds, and Eternal Warrior, or those that can strike before the Swarmlord and slay it with Instant Death. The prime cases of these are Nurgle Daemon Princes with Bale Swords, Skarbrand, Lord Kaldor Draigo, and the standard Chapter Master build sporting the Shield Eternal. Just be aware that the first two such opponents would fall to the Swarmlord if either of them was part of a combat also involving a Harpy, or if they charged through terrain.

The Swarmlord is not purely centred around straight offence and defence though, with increased support abilities as compared to regular Hive Tyrants, making it a complete package rather than a one-note character. The Swarmlord has a Psychic Mastery Level of three as opposed to a Hive Tyrants' two, meaning that it has a roughly 50% chance of generating crucial powers such as Catalyst or Onslaught in each game. Mastery Level three when combined with Shadows in the Warp makes the Swarmlord a really good anti-psyker unit, one that will usually Deny the Witch on a 4+ as well as reducing the Leadership of enemy psykers by three within 12". However, one of the real gems for the Swarmlord is the Dominion psychic power, particularly when combined with its innate Warlord Trait. The Swarmlord always has the +6" to Synapse range Warlord Trait, meaning that it confers Synapse to units within 18" at all times. As Synapse is more important than ever with potentially self-destructive Instinctive Behaviour results and having Fearless scoring bodies in an objective-centric edition, this is really invaluable to have. Where the true value of having Mastery Level three shines through is that the Swarmlord can freely take Dominion and still have the two powers that other Hive Tyrants would take, giving the Swarmlord an effective 24" Synapse range if it wants it. This is an under-rated ability of the Swarmlord, and one that makes it a true lynchpin for your force.

The Swarmlord also provides a +1 bonus to your reserve rolls, which synergizes best with flyer-heavy lists that want to keep the fragile Harpies and Crones in reserve, or with those that are using Trygon Primes and Mawlocs. As the last unit in particular is proving exceptionally popular, including the Swarmlord as your primary commander so as to not worry about taking an Aegis Line may prove worthwhile, consolidating many different abilities into one model. The last notable trait of the Swarmlord is that it can confer a single special rule upon either itself or another friendly unit within 18" at the start of each of its turns. Unlike psychic Blessings and Maledictions, these effects only apply for the duration of that Tyranid turn; something to keep in mind! The free benefits are useful, with a choice between Furious Charge, Monster Hunter and Preferred Enemy; there are no restrictions in terms of conferring the same special rule multiple turns in a row, too. Ideal uses of this include conferring Preferred Enemy on a heavy ranged unit such as an Exocrine or a Tyrannofex with an Acid Spray, or giving Furious Charge to a brood of Hormagaunts that is bereft of Adrenal Glands so that they can harm a Razorback in combat. Monster Hunter on a brood of Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs can be a truly nasty surprise for any opponent. Giving Preferred Enemy to a recently emerged Mawloc might seem too good to be true, and that is because it is. As the currently active player, you can decide which things come first when multiple rules have the "at the start of the turn" clause, such as the Swarmlord ability or Reserves. However, the Mawloc Terror from the Deep attack is resolved as it arrives from Reserves, so there's no legitimate method of giving it Preferred Enemy for use with that attack from what I can tell.


Where to Put Them

The Swarmlord should always be accompanied by a brood of Tyrant Guard, composed of a minimum of two bodyguards. This is because aside from a single extra Toughness 6, 3+ armoured wound, the Swarmlord has no real survivability boosts over a foot Hive Tyrant, a model that will drop quickly to sustained fire against massed Strength 7 and 8 AP4 and AP3 shooting. It is also a much costlier variant of a standard foot Hive Tyrant, so while paying the extra points to protect it does make it a rather huge investment, you need to spend those points so that it isn't a wasted investment. Having a 50% chance to roll Catalyst as one of the Swarmlords' psychic powers is a notable advantage, but one that you still cannot rely on. With no extra mobility options, especially as it lacks Fleet and thus will slow down Tyrant Guard equipped with Adrenal Glands, the Swarmlord needs to be used as the supporting centrepiece of a swarm. While deploying it straight in the centre of a force is probably a bit too obvious and simplistic, it does require added protection from tarpit units to avoid nasty melee encounters with Storm Shield Terminators and so on. It is a unit that should never be sent out alone, as its support abilities are truly what distinguish it from a regular Hive Tyrant; you want to make the most of that guaranteed 18" to 24" Synapse range and the free special rule addition.

The Swarmlord is a tough competitor in combat, of course, and will be treated as such by a savvy opponent; they won't willingly give you targets to charge, unless they are there to slow you down. You need to play on this by being a part of a very mobile force; one that uses plentiful and cheap Hormagaunt broods should work nicely due to the 13" average movement distance of the little terrors. This will ensure the Swarmlord is not the sole and obvious target for an opponent, but one of many they will have to prioritize to bring down first your Synaptic Web, and then your hard-hitters. Use Mawlocs to scare your opponent and affect their deployment, as spreading their gunline out ensures your critters can strike at and overwhelm individual units. The Mawlocs also gain adverse benefits from that reserve roll bonus provided by the Swarmlord, so they make a natural choice for an army featuring the Tyrantlord of the Swarm. Remembering that the unit lacks invulnerable saves against shooting as well as 2+ armour saves, use cover as much as possible. While blocking line of sight to the unit will be very difficult especially with the much larger new Tyrant Guard models, getting cover saves for the brood is easier than ever with but a part of each models' base counting towards cover for area terrain. The size of each model means that gaining cover saves through Termagants and Hormagaunts is practically impossible, but using a wall of Carnifexes armed with heavy ranged weapons, and a supporting Venomthrope between them and the Swarmlords unit, should prove very effective. If your opponent lacks a proliferation of Ignores Cover weapons, such a formation will prove not only terrifying to face, but incredibly resilient to boot, and one that isn't really slowed by terrain.


Best Uses

Despite the Swarmlord lacking increasing mobility over regular foot monstrous creatures, I think it nonetheless belongs in a fast assault army variant first and foremost. This is not only because it can freely give Preferred Enemy to a close-ranged Exocrine, or Furious Charge to a Hormagaunt brood that saves a lot of points on Adrenal Glands, but as it also grants a reserve bonus that is most useful for Mawlocs. These units are at home in a sheer target-overload list that rushes the opponent for the first turn or two until its guns and claws get into range to begin the feast. The Swarmlord should be using these units as both cover and tarpits to protect itself from unwanted threats, like Terminators or Plague Zombie blobs. It can them aim for varying units, even separating from its Tyrant Guard just before declaring charges as both the Swarmlord and a pair of Tyrant Guard can each mop up minimal or weak scoring units with ease. The Swarmlord can be used as a character assassin, but you are generally better off using it to crush particularly nasty units that your Hormagaunts and Termagants have tied up in combat. If you want to engage a unit that sports a particularly nasty melee character or a high Initiative force weapon, be sure to employ a Harpy - they are a cheap investment, after all - so that the Swarmlord can devour it before it strikes.

To make the most of its psychic potential, I recommend taking Dominion in most games so that you can keep up an almost permanent 24" Synapse bubble, eliminating the need for expensive items such as the Norn Crown on another 'commander' model. Catalyst, Onslaught, Paroxysm and the Horror are all really strong powers for the Swarmlord, and combining the Horror with Shadow in the Warp to pin down psyker units like Grey Knight Strike Squads and Seer Councils that (strangely) lack the Shard of Anaris is awesome. Ideally, you want three of those four powers in any combination, with Dominion thrown in if one of the powers won't be so useful; for example, the Horror taken against an Iyanden Wraith list won't do much of anything. Warp Lance is definitely a decent shooting attack for the Swarmlord, but it eats up two of its three warp charges, and generally you just want the Swarmlord to be making run moves to get as close as possible so that it can get outside the torrent of fire. Psychic Scream really won't work for the Swarmlord, and is the one power I always say to swap out; the ubiquity of destroying a Land Raider at range means that Warp Lance has a place, but I would also generally recommend swapping that out for Dominion against the really nasty gunline lists.


Hive Progenitor

The Swarmlord is a primeval creation of the Hive Mind engineered to be the perfect hybrid of warrior and strategist, the apex of the Hive Tyrant organisms. Its genetic template is stored within all Hive Fleets to be spawned as a natural response to heavy opposition. There is little that can stand before the might of the Hive Mind embodied, for the Swarmlord is a peerless curator of galactic annihilation that has honed its skills across countless battlefields. No mere dictator, the Swarmlord will not force the conquered to bow before it, but merely process them as yet more biomass for the Hive Fleets. It is this unknowable alien mind that makes the Swarmlord perhaps the most terrifying villain in the galaxy. It cannot be reasoned with, nor sated. By its will, foes will be slaughtered, worlds will be devoured, and galaxies will be gutted.

Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Hive Tyrants are the commanders of the swarms, the lynchpin that connects a Tyranid ground invasion force to its brood-mother, the Norn Queen, in the orbiting Hive Fleet. These are the most important creatures in a standard Tyranid army, and great care must be taken so that they survive. For this reason, Hive Tyrants that stalk the earth are protected either through specially engineered protectors, the Tyrant Guard, or adapted wings to allow them to soar above a battlefield and freely prey on the foes they choose. In this article, I will be covering the former Hive Tyrant variety. I hope you enjoy this article!


Hive Tyrant (Ground)

Overview

The Hive Tyrant sports one of the best overall stat-lines of any Tyranid monstrous creature, allowing it to effectively function as a gun-beast, a melee champion or just a generalist commander. Its Weapon Skill of eight means that all but the most skilled enemy characters will be hit on 3s by a Hive Tyrant - even one such as Abaddon! - while a Ballistic Skill of 4 makes it an above average ranged threat in a Tyranid army. Its Strength and Toughness of six in addition to four wounds are fairly typical of a Tyranid monstrous creature, as is the 3+ armour save. Despite not being an independent character in the traditional sense, a Hive Tyrant is still a tough beast to bring down on an individual basis compared to most other HQ choices in the game - the key is keeping it alive against the high Strength, low AP shooting that will inevitably be directed its way. The lack of an invulnerable save of any kind is a killer though, and one that must be accounted for through extensive use of cover and bodyguard models where applicable.

A Hive Tyrant is a strong competitor in melee, with Smash granting all of its four base attacks - and potentially up to six on the charge - AP2 and the potential to halve those attacks to two - or three if it has a pair of melee weapons - so that it gains both Strength 10 and Armourbane. With its Initiative of five and high Weapon Skill, a Hive Tyrant is thus a deadly opponent in combat against almost any enemy, particularly when re-rolls to wound and fleet are thrown in through Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands, respectively. It can go up to Strength 10 to deal with Wraithknights and Toughness 5 or lower multiple-wound models such as typical HQs, or use its decent amount of Strength 6 attacks to scythe through elite and light enemies alike. Vehicles are no deterrent to a Hive Tyrant with Smash in the mix, though one must be careful of charging an assault walker, such as a Soul Grinder, as such a walker has a good chance of surviving the initial attacks and striking back with deadly blows.

A Hive Tyrant can exchange its melee weapons for ranged biomorphs if it pleases, and with Ballistic Skill four, the already decently to very effective shooting of Ballistic Skill three Carnifex broods can be improved upon quite impressively. A pair of Brainleech Devourers on a Hive Tyrant can prove devastating to light and medium ground vehicles alike, making it into a premier anti-armour unit that will also put many wounds on monsters and infantry. The more accurate blasts delivered by Heavy Venom Cannons and Stranglethorn Cannons on a Hive Tyrant are also very much worthwhile, being cost-effective and nasty weapon options even on Carnifexes. The Hive Tyrant also brings strong psychic potential to a game, being a Mastery Level two psyker as standard. A walking Hive Tyrant can make effective use of nearly all the Tyranid psychic powers, from Dominion and Catalyst to Paroxysm and Warp Lance. The short range of Psychic Scream and the sluggishness of a foot monstrous creature that could very well be without Fleet makes it the one power I recommend swapping for Dominion in most cases. Otherwise, Hive Tyrants are strong psykers that while not on the same level as the versatile Mastery Level three Farseers, are nonetheless key to an effective Tyranid force by applying important buffs and debuffs as necessary.

Hive Tyrants also function as key Synapse providers in your army list, being arguably the most cost-effective and survivable - when protected by Tyrant Guard - source of Synapse. Where Zoanthropes have the advantage of low cost, and Tervigons can be taken as scoring units, Hive Tyrants eat up your mandatory HQ selections and are easily the best value choice in their Force Organization slot. Their Synapse range, unlike a Trygon Prime or Tyranid Prime, can be boosted without the addition of a Norn Crown by 6" through the use of the Dominion psychic power, one that is handily the Primaris power in the Tyranid psychic discipline. This makes the Hive Tyrant a reliable source of long-range synapse, as well as a good defensive general through its Shadow in the Warp. The 12" bubble is limited on a walking Hive Tyrant, but it ensures that any close-assault psykers - such as Heralds of Tzeentch in Screamer units or Farseers with the Shard of Anaris in Seer Council units - will struggle to cast their important psychic blessings. That the Hive Tyrant also always has a minimum of 5+ to pass Deny the Witch rolls means that trying to destroy it and any attached Tyrant Guard through witchfire powers, or disable them with maledictions, is not at all guaranteed.


How to Equip Them

A foot Hive Tyrant is best served not focusing on melee biomorphs and weapons, as its slow pace even with Adrenal Glands for Fleet will likely see a pure melee unit mostly wasted aside from its psychic and supporting abilities. For this reason, I would advocate taking one or more ranged weapons on the Hive Tyrant; making use of its ability to fire two weapons in a shooting phase due to its monstrous creature profile should not be underestimated. If you want to keep a single melee weapon, I recommend a Lash Whip and Bonesword even if the expenditure is high. This is because Scything Talons and Rending Claws won't really benefit a Hive Tyrant in melee, outside of the former being free to take in pairs and thus grant an extra attack. Besides, the Lash Whip gives the Hive Tyrant a whopping Initiative eight, as well as the potential for Instant Death wounds which can save its bacon against incredibly tough Wraithknights. Be aware though the Lash Whip and Bonesword won't make up for the lack of access to assault grenades for a Hive Tyrant, so be mindful of charging into terrain against units wielding power fists or other monstrous creatures.

On the subject of ranged weapons, I generally recommend one of the longer ranged guns if you don't purchase Adrenal Glands for both the Hive Tyrant and its Tyrant Guard brood. If you aren't sold on potentially running one inch a turn due to the lack of a re-roll, then a Stranglethorn Cannon or a Heavy Venom Cannon is a very smart purchase for the points. Be aware that adding a Stranglethorn to a list involving Mawlocs, Biovores and Harpies might be overkill, whereas Heavy Venom Cannons are probably the more generalist weapon that helps address the general lack of high Strength shooting across the codex. If you want to just run up into range and take Adrenal Glands for the entire unit, I recommend two pairs of Brain-Leech Devourers just for the sheer devastation they bring, as well as the potential for them to glance fliers and ground flying monsters. The Thorax Biomorphs are interesting, but I think they are better served on a flying Hive Tyrant due to their lack of Torrent. Consider them more for a defensive Hive Tyrant sitting in the backfield, one that can use a Rending template - for example - to ward off assaults from high value melee units. The Tail Biomorphs, while a nice inclusion to the codex, are more point-fillers than anything else. Still, adding an extra Strength 6 attack for a few extra points might be ok - if it weren't for the fact you can get an extra Strength 6 attack for free by keeping the stock Scything Talons.

The Bio-Artefacts are options to consider, certainly, though the high cost of most of them generally has me avoiding them outside of specific cases. The Reaper of Obliterax, for example, really isn't that useful on a Hive Tyrant that can purchase Toxin Sacs and a Lash Whip and Bonesword for less points and have most of the same benefits, plus a few extras. The Ymgarl Factor isn't really that noteworthy for the points for any monster I feel, even though having a turn where a Hive Tyrant need not worry about AP3 force weapons - Draigo ahoy! - is kind of funny. The Maw Claws of Thyrax are cheap, though they are better served for a flying Hive Tyrant as you want the Preferred Enemy bonus as early as possible. The Miasma Cannon is really interesting for either Hive Tyrant variant, with 36" small blast or a template weapon, both with good profiles. I feel a flying Hive Tyrant may make better use of it as an AP4 template with Poisoned (2+) is quite nasty, though it is otherwise an appropriately costed ranged addition to a ground Hive Tyrant. I feel that Brain-Leech Devourers and the one-only cannons are generally more useful though. The Norn Crown is there for a Hive Tyrant that either hopes to roll up two good powers, or always wants to take Dominion to essentially guarantee a 24" Synapse range, making it the equivalent of the Swarmlord. The potential for a 30" Synapse range due to one of the Tyranid Warlord Traits is humorous, but in the context of a Tyranid force, more Synapse creatures is better than a few with larger radii. The Norn Crown is hardly inexpensive either, so I would generally be more suited to taking an extra Zoanthrope for similar points.

The three optional ability purchases for a Hive Tyrant serve to further distinguish them from those in other Hive Fleets and personalize them more, but I tend to recommend only one. Indescribable Horror might be cheap, but when you consider that a Hive Tyrant and its Tyrant Guard will smash units prone to Fear in the first place, while units it really wants Indescribable Horror to work against are immune to Fear anyway, it just isn't worth the extras. Old Adversary is nice, but the high Weapon Skill of the Hive Tyrant coupled with cheaper Toxin Sacs is more preferable to me, especially as it too does not affect ranged attacks. Hive Commander is the gem of these abilities, conferring Outflank to a single Troops choice with no restrictions. You essentially pay a small tax to provide an extra deployment option for units such as Devourer-armed Termagants, Tervigons that are now able to spawn when they arrive, and even small units of Warriors armed to shoot at the rear armour of vehicles. This is a great ability and one that I recommend for competitive Tyranid lists, if only to give you more options in an already restricted army in terms of deployment.


Where to Put Them

For a walking Hive Tyrant, the first step is to take a brood of Tyrant Guard as its protectors. If you want your Hive Tyrant to survive the shooting-oriented 6th Edition tournament lists, this is not negotiable. I recommend two as each Tyrant Guard costs the same as a Zoanthrope and has good offensive and defensive stats; the ablative wounds alone are well worth the investment. Keeping your Synapse creatures alive is so pivotal, especially as a Hive Tyrant is likely to be your Warlord. Provided you use cover and line of sight blocking terrain as much as possible, your Hive Tyrant and its pair of Tyrant Guards should survive a hailstorm of fire with their Toughness 6, 3+ armour saves, applicable cover saves and eight wounds to chug through. The size of each model in the unit does make hiding incredibly difficult depending on how large terrain on your local gaming boards is, but blocking line of sight to your Hive Tyrant even at the cost of the Tyrant Guard should be possible.

With easily accessed Dominion, the potential for Synaptic Lynchpin and a purchasable Norn Crown, Hive Tyrants are effective sources of Synapse, and as one of your most durable generators of Synapse, keeping them in the centre of your force is ideal. As with the Swarmlord, having a line of Carnifexes backed by a Venomthrope brood that is itself supported by the Hive Tyrant and Tyrant Guard makes for a really nasty anvil and, if you give the Hive Tyrant a cannon of some form, one that does quite a bit of damage as it advances. Obviously, bunching up like this could be suicidal against some enemies, like Heldrakes and Wraithguard with D-Scythes, so don't be afraid to spread out and have your Venomthropes cover the more damaging Carnifex units if necessary. Hive Tyrants need to be in a position where they affect as many units as possible with both their psychic powers and Synapse, so I do usually recommend the core of an army to serve as meat-shields and be buffed in turn by the Hive Tyrant. A more defensive Tyranid list may want to drop the Tyrant Guard if there is sufficient terrain to block a Hive Tyrant from sight, using it as a strong counter-assault unit with two pairs of Brain-Leech Devourers when enemies close in. Such a build though I feel might be a waste of the Hive Tyrants' close range potential, especially as many opposing lists aren't really based around assault.


Best Uses

A foot Hive Tyrant belongs in almost any army list, not only because - unlike the Swarmlord - it can take Adrenal Glands and thus have Fleet alongside its Tyrant Guard, but as it has access to long ranged guns. It can form a tough anchor for any Tyranid force, one that both plays hard to get with Slay the Warlord, and is a key Synapse creature that can easily boost its' bubble up to 18". When deployed in a hidden position and moving up with tarpit Termagant or Hormagaunt units to disbar flyers like Heldrakes and Daemon Princes from landing near the Hive Tyrant, this is a unit that can be really effective whether it makes it to assault or not. If the Tyrant Guard die, but the Hive Tyrant survives the game, it will have been worthwhile because that would signify an opponent has dedicated quite a few resources to their destruction. Safeguarding your Warlord victory point is always handy. Use the Hive Tyrant less as a straight offensive unit such as a Tyrannofex and more of a supporter that moves quickly to get into position early on, and from there, directs its swarm through a Synapse bubble and - hopefully - psychic buffs like Catalyst and Onslaught.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Hive Tyrant - Hive Commander, Miasma Cannon, Stranglethorn Cannon - Put this guy with two Tyrant Guard protectors and have him as the central Synapse unit in your main advancing force. Advance with two accurate 36" ranged blast templates that murder light to medium infantry, as well as any psychic power buffs you can get for your nearby Tyranids. Hive Commander is here to Outflank a Troops choice, like a Tervigon or a decently sized Warrior unit. This is a durable as heck Warlord, Synapse node and psychic unit that is nasty in combat and can do a lot of damage at range.

Hive Tyrant - Adrenal Glands, Lash Whip and Bonesword, Toxin Sacs - This is your stock standard melee Hive Tyrant build; cheapish, nasty and overall efficient. Place it with two Tyrant Guard who also have Adrenal Glands and use them as a melee hammer unit. The Hive Tyrant alone is nasty as heck, able to easily take on Wraithknights and emerge victorious. As long as it doesn't charge through cover, it can also make short work of Nemesis Dreadknights.


Lord of the Hive

There are countless species that comprise each of the Hive Fleets, their physiology a result of genetic tailoring rather than natural birth. While each Hive Fleet bears their own unique adaptations, all Hive Fleets share many traits and species, and one that is now recognized as the forebear of planetary extinction is the fearsome Hive Tyrant. These loathsome monsters are the culmination of countless years of conquest, able to adapt against opposing strategies and outsmart the galaxies' most intelligent commanders. They are masters of warfare, skilled not just in controlling a battlefield with their mind, but wracking the foe with psychic barrages and their own substantial combat prowess. These leader-bests are the heralds of the Hive Mind, and to challenge one is to invoke the wrath of a Swarm.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Hive Tyrants are the commanders of the swarms, the lynchpin that connects a Tyranid ground invasion force to its brood-mother, the Norn Queen, in the orbiting Hive Fleet. These are the most important creatures in a standard Tyranid army, and great care must be taken so that they survive. For this reason, Hive Tyrants that stalk the earth are protected either through specially engineered protectors, the Tyrant Guard, or adapted wings to allow them to soar above a battlefield and freely prey on the foes they choose. In this article, I will be covering the latter Hive Tyrant variety. I hope you enjoy this article!


Hive Tyrant (Flying)

How to Equip Them

The first obvious step to taking a flying Hive Tyrant is to give it wings; this is a significantly cheaper upgrade than it used to be in the 5th Edition codex even when factoring in the massive advantages it brings with 6th Edition. It is also slightly cheaper than the equivalent upgrade for other monstrous creatures, such as Daemon Princes, which is certainly nice. Realistically, this is probably the best upgrade you could ever take for a Hive Tyrant, as it not only gives them incredible mobility which in turn makes their Synapse and psychic powers far more effective, but the capability to take on enemy fliers. Outside of Crones and monsters armed with a pair of brain-leech devourers, Tyranids don't really have any effective anti-air units. Throwing a Hive Tyrant with wings and a pair of brain-leech devourers into any army list will give them a unit that can annihilate any flyer in the game in one or two salvos if it goes for the more vulnerable side or rear armour. That is also now Ballistic Skill four just makes it a far better deal than it used to be, especially as such a build ends up being much less expensive, with psychic mastery level two thrown in to seal the deal.

Wings make purely assault Hive Tyrants more viable due to the significant mobility boost, even if they can't really work with Tyrant Guard - though you can still take a unit of them to run as a separate melee unit. Being a flying unit gives them a lot more overall survivability, and they should be launching assaults by turn two at the latest. As such, taking a pair of Scything Talons in addition to a Lash Whip and Bonesword will give you a relatively cheap and very dangerous melee Hive Tyrant that is its own delivery system. Throw Adrenal Glands and maybe Toxin Sacs into the mix, and you will have a Hive Tyrant with Fleet on top of its wings, six Strength 7 AP2 attacks on the charge at Initiative 8 - if it doesn't charge into terrain - and instant death on to wound rolls of a 6. This is at a comparable cost to Old One Eye, and certainly is a more viable choice because of how quick and durable it is against most ground weaponry. Unlike ground Hive Tyrants, you can choose your battles most of the time with a flying Hive Tyrant due to the 24" normal and 2D6" Run moves, followed by Fleet charges. Unless you are grounded in a precarious position, you should almost never get into combats you don't want to - say, against a Screamerstar. If you want to go a melee flying Hive Tyrant, this is definitely what I would recommend; the lash whip and bonesword, maybe the Maw Claws of Thyrax - if not, just a stock set of Scything Talons - and Adrenal Glands. Toxin Sacs are good value, but optional, as Fleet is what you really want for a dedicated assault unit. Such a Hive Tyrant will want Paroxysm in particular; against a pesky Wraithknight, for example, lowering its Weapon Skill even by one will force it to hit the Hive Tyrant on 5s in close combat!

For a more balanced Hive Tyrant that splits melee and ranged power, the lash whip and bonesword - or Maw Claws - replacement for one of the Scything Talon sets is mandatory if you want to get any kind of boost to its melee power. Just one set of Scything Talons will do absolutely nothing for a Hive Tyrant, so paying a decent amount of points to take a Lash Whip and Bonesword really isn't a bad idea. From there, with one ranged weapon in mind, the Miasma Cannon is a good bet for its nasty Poisoned (2+) AP4 template in particular on a flying monster, while Thorax Biomorphs - particularly the Shreddershard Beetles - are pretty darn nasty and cheap. The Heavy Venom Cannon is a very nice all-rounder choice, able to put a dent in any vehicle with a bit of luck, while the Stranglethorn Cannon is absolutely brutal against light to medium infantry. Each of the weapon options are nice, so I would base them off what you need more of; lacking Exocrines and Hive Guard, I would be more inclined to take the Heavy Venom Cannon. If Biovores and Harpies aren't present, then a Stranglethorn Cannon could be more useful. The Miasma Cannon is definitely a specialist infantry killer with variable ranges, but one that I would include even with Biovores and Harpies present, just because the AP4 means it will murder Fire Warriors, Dire Avengers and Necron Warriors which are some of the most common infantry around.

When trying to build a purely ranged Hive Tyrant, the best overall build tends to be a pair of twin-linked brain leech devourers just because they are so darn cheap for what they do. That they cost the same for a Ballistic Skill three, non-Skyfire Carnifex as they do for a Ballistic Skill four, Skyfire Hive Tyrant is just crazy good, especially as they are a fantastic deal even on Carnifexes! Putting out twelve Strength 6 shots that hit on 3s with re-rolls to hit will, on average, wreck a three hull point, AV11 vehicle. This includes Rhinos, Stormtalons, Dark Talons, Ravagers that have not Jinked and especially more lightly armoured vehicles like Land Speeders and Venoms. It will also strip off one or two hull points from an AV12 vehicle each time they are fired, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at when facing down Stormravens or Wave Serpents. Use the fantastic mobility of Hive Tyrants to get to the rear armour of Heldrakes, Vendettas and Wave Serpents to destroy them with ease. Though that is the best generalist build, one that also puts so many wounds on monsters and infantry alike, mixing one of the heavy cannons with a thorax biomorph is also something to consider. With a Stranglethorn Cannon and a Miasma Cannon, a Hive Tyrant can fly around from long range, being a pest as it drops a Strength 6 AP5 Pinning Large Blast in addition to a Poisoned (2+) Small Blast, all at 36". A nice alternative at short range would be to take a Miasma Cannon and a Thorax Swarm, preferably with Sheddershard Beetles, to drop first a Poisoned (2+) AP4 template, then a Strength 3 Rending template with re-rolls to wound. No cover saves for you, infantry blobs! This build is nice, but you do need to be aware that strictly short ranged Hive Tyrants can be neutered by a proliferation of Skyfire or even a single infantry unit camping on an objective with the random Skyfire benefit. Getting in rapid fire range of one or more units significantly increases the odds of taking grounding tests, so I do recommend the brain-leech devourers - even over melee and other ranged builds - to be a medium ranged threat that gets in range on turn one and does the most damage.

The Bio-Artefacts share most of the same qualities on a walking Hive Tyrant, save that they are generally a bit more valuable to a flying Hive Tyrant as their mobility means they are more likely to get the most use out of them. The Miasma Cannon, for example, is far nastier as a template weapon than a small blast, so a flying Hive Tyrant really wants it. The Maw Claws are exponentially better for a flying Hive Tyrant as it can reliably get that Preferred Enemy bonus by turn two, and they are a worthwhile replacement for a set of (useless) Scything Talons. The Norn Crown may be more useful here than for a walking Hive Tyrant simply because a flying Hive Tyrant is more likely to be out of range of friendly units even with Dominion thrown in, though I still believe it is unnecessary - just take more Zoanthropes instead! I'm not a fan of the Ymgarl Factor, but the more assault phases you can get, the better, so it probably is a handier addition for this Hive Tyrant. The Reaper of Obliterax is in a similar boat, not really being a worthwhile use of the points especially as a few upgrades around a lash whip and bonesword will do the same or better, but it is undeniably stronger on a faster model.


Where to Put Them

There are a few rule clarifications regarding flying monstrous creatures that many players continue to forget, even almost a full year and a half since 6th Edition released. The first is that wings on a monster do not count towards line of sight, which means that the small body of a Hive Tyrant can be easily hidden behind a decently sized ruin despite its comparatively massive wings. The second is that flying monsters use the exact same cover rules as ground monstrous creatures, with the additional option to Evade, granting it the Jink rule at the cost of snap firing its guns. Even when swooping, a flying monstrous creature with its base touching or in terrain will benefit from any applicable cover save provided by that piece of terrain. That a swooping flying monstrous creature never takes dangerous terrain tests, is never slowed by terrain, and benefits from terrain the same as any other monster, there is literally no reason not to finish their moves in cover. Even when arriving from reserve, or moving closer to an enemy unit, unless you want to charge a unit in that turn, finishing in cover is always recommended. That you have a 24" move distance and a possible 2D6" run just makes it easier to get into terrain, while the 12" minimum move should help you get into more clustered terrain pieces. As Hive Tyrants lack invulnerable saves, keeping to cover is essential as many Skyfire weapons will ignore their 3+ armour save. It goes without saying that Vector Strikes will offer you no defence, so try to plan for this by staying about 32" away from an opponents' board edge in the case of a Heldrake - it has to fly over you to Vector Strike with only a 36" move - which does suck. For other flying monstrous creatures, abuse their 90 degree maximum turn for Swooping and taking off and fly behind them; a Hive Tyrant equipped with two ranged weapons, unlike most flying monstrous creatures, won't care too much if it can't vector strike!

A common mistake made when using flying monstrous creatures is over-aggressiveness with them due to snap-shots from ground units being a requirement to hit them, as well as their 24" move and 2D6" run move. Once a Hive Tyrant is the target of focused shooting, it will have to take a grounding test for - on average - any unit that can put out six or more shots at it. Fire Warriors with their 15" rapid fire guns, a Land Raider Crusader, a small unit of Dire Avengers, an Annihilation Barge and so on will all statistically force a grounding test with an effective range of 24" to 30" when their own movement is taken into account. A failed grounding test is an almost guaranteed wound for a Toughness 6 model lacking an invulnerable save, and from there, potent anti tank or massed high Strength shooting - missile launchers, missile pods, lascannons, plasma guns, Bio-Plasmic Cannons and so on - will put the Hive Tyrant down very quickly. This ties into keeping to cover as much as possible; even though most weapons that do hit you will probably just be small arms fire, you want to be in cover for that inevitable failed grounding test. While cover saves are not allowed against that particular wound, they are against most shots that will subsequently target the Hive Tyrant. This can and will save your Hive Tyrant, so never go without terrain unless you have no choice. Even with the Evade rule, I still recommend sticking to terrain as you will likely want to get back in the sky and thus shoot your opponent, so minimizing the necessity of Evading is always handy - it is a last resort. To avoid getting shot at by an unnecessarily high amount of units, try to block line of sight wherever possible through the use of terrain. Don't always move 24" on the first turn unless you can get behind sight blocking terrain; even moving 12" should get your 18" brain-leech devourers in range, or heck, your 36" range guns can shoot regardless. Don't move flat out forward unless you are preparing for a fast assault and putting pressure on an opponents' heavy hitters, like Broadsides and Devastators, alongside other flyers such as Crones.


Best Uses

Much like a walking Hive Tyrant, its flying counter-part is suited to pretty much any army list you can imagine, though its mere inclusion is enough to justify a "flying circus". A flying Hive Tyrant brings Synapse, two very valuable psychic powers and a decently durable warlord choice to a Tyranid force. It is incredibly fast and, depending on the amount of Skyfire weapons in an opponents force, either quite a bit less or almost as durable as a Hive Tyrant with two Tyrant Guard on foot. It can be tailored for melee and ranged warfare - or do a decent mix of both - and has great stats that make it mostly immune to psychic attacks and characteristic tests. It is a great generalist that competes very well with flying monstrous creatures from any army because of its effectiveness and cost, as well as immunity to conventional instant death. When you take a flying Hive Tyrant or two, Crones and Harpies will crow and shriek - respectively - with joy, as sending up to five rather cheap and very damaging flying monsters at any opponent is likely to unnerve them, especially when they take up just over half of a 1500 point army list! They thus make flyer-spam supported by fast assault - namely Hormagaunts, Gargoyles and Mawlocs - lists far more viable with mobile Synapse generators. They work best for any kind of fast Tyranid army as they themselves are the quickest Synapse units in the codex.

The minimum 12" movement doesn't lend itself too well to a slower, Exocrine and Hive Guard themed list even when Dominion is thrown, so those are where the foot Hive Tyrant wins out for the most part. Where the ground Hive Tyrant is the more supportive type, the flying Hive Tyrant is definitely the one for aggressive builds; used smartly with terrain and controlled aggression, a flying Hive Tyrant is a devastating generalist that counters flyers, psykers and ground vehicles better than any other in the codex. In fact, its 24" move coupled with Shadow in the Warp makes it one of the prime counters to psychic-blessing reliant builds for Tyranids, such as dual Farseer Eldar or Screamerstars. I see the best use of the flying Hive Tyrant to be equipped with two brain-leech devourers, as they are the most cost effective weapon option and the biggest threat to vehicles - particularly flyers - and being an aggressive unit that hugs cover and uses its 24" move to hide as much as possible. It is an easy source of First Blood through its twelve Strength 6 shots with an effective range of 42", and is durable enough provided it isn't moved into the line of fire of many enemy units. Try to increase its Synapse bubble through Dominion to benefit your Gargoyles and other flyers if possible, and cast psychic buffs and maledictions as necessary.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Hive Tyrant - Two Twin-linked Brain Leech Devourers, Wings - This is your cookie-cutter flying Hive Tyrant, but also unarguably the best - plus an upgrade or two perhaps. They provide twelve twin-linked Strength 6 shots that hit on 4s naturally, meaning they can tear apart light vehicles, flyers, light infantry and medium armoured monstrous creatures with ease. They are still a good melee unit, especially as an incredibly mobile flying monstrous creature, while providing Synapse and great psychic powers. This is a generalist, and the best of the bunch.

Hive Tyrant - Miasma Cannon, Thorax Swarm with Shreddershard Beetles, Wings - This build isn't capable of really handling enemy flyers and flying monstrous creatures, but it sure does devastate infantry. A Strength 3 Rending template with re-rolls to wound paired up with a Poisoned (+2) AP4 template, what's not to like? It isn't too expensive either, only a handful of points more than the other, and it just annihilates infantry like few other monsters in the codex - shaded only perhaps by the Tyrannofex.

Hive Tyrant - Adrenal Glands, Lash Whip and Bonesword, Toxin Sacs, Wings - This is of course identical to the melee Hive Tyrant build I suggested for walking variations, but with wings added in. The option for Tyrant Guard as early bodyguards is cool, but unnecessary and costly. This build uses its insane speed and natural durability to pick its targets and mash them with Poisoned attacks with the potential for Instant Death at Initiative 8. Fleet on a Flying Monstrous Creature is nuts, and means it can run incredibly quickly. And with six attacks on the charge, it packs a wallop!


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Tyrant Guard have adopted the bio traits of Space Marines, sacrificing eyes and other important facial features so as to not compromise what is a near impenetrable armoured shell. These monstrous guardians serve as the protectors of a Hive Fleets' Hive Tyrants, perhaps the most important synaptic links to a Norn Queen in a swarm. As massive as the one they protect, and adapted with weapons to crush any foe, the Tyrant Guard are a truly fearsome sight. Led by a Hive Tyrant, these simple creatures become ferocious defenders unparalleled. I hope you enjoy this article!


Tyrant Guard

Overview

Tyrant Guard stalk the line between monstrous creature and infantry more than perhaps any other model in the game, especially owing to their crazy large models. Their background depicts them as engineered solely for defending the crucial Hive Tyrants, and their stats really do reflect this. With Toughness 6, two wounds each and a 3+ armour save, they are easily the most durable unit in the codex that isn't a monstrous creature. Being wounded on 6s by bolters and 5s by pulse rifles makes a huge difference, especially as Tyrant Guard provide ablative wounds against that massed small arms fire. I stop short of saying they are the perfect bodyguards though, as the lack of Tyranid transports, inability to deep strike and no option to get wings like certain Hive Tyrant builds limits their mobility quite a bit. The lack of invulnerable saves forces them to rely on cover, as they will always be an obvious target by protecting what will likely be the Warlord creature. Still, they are worthwhile alone for the ablative wounds they provide to a Hive Tyrant, and they are absolutely mandatory for the Swarmlord, meaning they always have a place. They do manage quite well on the other side of the spectrum too, with a good Weapon Skill five, three attacks base when counting their two melee weapon sets, solid Initiative four, and a very decent Strength five. They come equipped with Rending Claws and Scything Talons, the latter of which can be swapped out for much nastier - but costly - weapon options like Crushing Claws. Even stock Tyrant Guard are quite nasty, tanking wounds in combat against Strength four and lower opponents - they can't be targeted by krak grenades, importantly - while mashing up with a good number of Rending attacks each that also double as AP5 non-Rending wounds. Bare Tyrant Guard are mini meat grinders against chaff and tarpit units, while they are also quite threatening to monsters, light vehicles and elite infantry due to Rending.

Tyrant Guard can become doubly effective in combat through the cheap Toxin Sacs upgrade allowing them to take on something like a C'tan that absolutely despises poison. Of course, Tyrant Guard are only Toughness 6 with no invulnerable save, so they will drop quickly to monsters if they aren't baby-sitting a nasty melee Hive Tyrant. If you can get the monster to charge into cover, or the Tyrant Guard are equipped with lash whips and boneswords and aren't suffering Initiative penalties, it could lead to some....hilarity. Get a single 6 to wound against a Wraithknight from your lash whip and bonesword equipped Tyrant Guard and laugh at how your bodyguards slew a (metaphorical) titan. The other biomorph available to them is Adrenal Glands, one that I always recommend not because it grants Furious Charge - which is invalidated by equally priced Toxin Sacs - but because it gives out Fleet. Give Adrenal Glands to a Hive Tyrant and its Tyrant Guard and you can have a big nasty mini-deathstar with Fleet. Nice! Now, provided your Hive Tyrant doesn't get sniped out or killed first by some unfathomably cruel turn of fate, your Tyrant Guard will never actually have to worry about their feeding Instinctive Behaviour. If they do however, it really isn't nice - they can eat each other! There is an upswing to this though; for the rest of the game after their leader has bit the bullet, the Tyrant Guard get both Furious Charge and Rage. As your Tyrant Guard will likely have Adrenal Glands anyway, Furious Charge isn't that big a boon, but Rage is pretty darn nasty. Without Toxin Sacs or a weapon upgrade, each Tyrant Guard would have five attacks at Strength 6 with Rending on the charge. Ouch! They thus become a pretty scary proposition for your opponent provided they are kept within Synapse range of a backup unit such as a Zoanthrope, able to maul most infantry units and non-walker vehicles. It becomes so much worse if they actually do have Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Crushing Claws or Lash Whips and Boneswords; something tells me no one wants to see mini Carnifexes with five Strength 7 AP2 Armourbane attacks each on the charge surprising them with their smaller bulk.

But wait a second, how does a Hive Tyrant - which isn't an independent character - join a Tyrant Guard unit? Why am I imposing a rhetorical question this far into the review? Firstly, Tyrant Guard have the Shieldwall special rule, allowing one Hive Tyrant - or the Swarmlord - to join the unit. Only one Hive Tyrant may be attached, no more, no less. One shall be the number that can be attached, and the number that can be attached can be one. Two cannot be attached, nor can zero, except if you can then proceed to one. Four is right out. Once the.....wait, what was I talking about? Oh, the Hive Tyrant or Swarmlord automatically pass Look Out Sirs when attached to the unit, something along those lines, eh. Not enough pins or bits for me to be interested, though I guess ignoring sniping shenanigans with barrage weapons is somewhat* nice. But secondly, it was because they told me to! But really, they make fantastic bodyguards, crystal skulls or not.

*"Somewhat" may or may not be disingenuous. Please refer to the terminology "somewhat" as "incredibly" for future reference.


How to Equip Them

With a modest points drop and no significant changes in effectiveness, Tyrant Guard have three main permutations available. The first and certainly viable option is to keep them standard; unlike those they protect, they come not with two pairs of Scything Talons, but one pair in addition to Rending Claws. This means that they still benefit from a base three attacks each and four on the charge, with AP5 melee attacks that can potentially cut through armour with AP2 or +D3 to armour penetration. With a base Strength 5, Weapon Skill 5 and Initiative 4, this makes them very decent melee combatants, even if most of their 'grunt' comes from how tough they are. With Rending Claws and Adrenal Glands, Tyrant Guard can potentially get penetrating hits on AV14 vehicles, though this of course relies on a lot of luck. I like keeping Tyrant Guard bare on the weapon front simply because you want to keep those ablative wounds cheap. From experience, you don't plan on Tyrant Guard actually surviving, especially as Tyranids now only really have randomly generated Catalyst to protect them in terms of psychic powers. You pay those points for two Toughness 6, 3+ armoured wounds per model, something that is well worth the price to protect a far more important - and deadlier - Hive Tyrant. Rending Claws allow them to cut through chaff with ease and provide a decent threat against heavier armoured enemies, allowing them to hide behind that crazy good Toughness value.

Of course, if you really want those AP2 attacks that also crunch heavy vehicles, Tyrant Guard now have access to Crushing Claws. These are Unwieldy, give the Tyrant Guard AP2 attacks, a minor Strength boost and the Armourbane special rule. With four Strength 6 Armourbane attacks on the charge at AP2 per model, even a pair of Tyrant Guard can pretty reliably get two or three damage results against a Land Raider or Monolith, with each also getting a nifty +1 roll on the damage chart. This is a pretty costly upgrade though, but one that is quite tasty; ignoring 2+ armour saves comes naturally to a Hive Tyrant, but giving it to the Tyrant Guard bodyguards can make for a Terminator-mashing unit. It does conflict with what a Hive Tyrant brings to a unit though, especially as Unwieldy means that the Tyrant Guard lose a big advantage they have against power fists and power axes. I think that while Crushing Claws are a neat upgrade, they are probably unnecessary for Tyrant Guard unless you are running them with a Hive Tyrant separate from the unit. The Hive Tyrant alone can bring you those Smash attacks and cut through vehicles, and it is also prudent to note that Rending Claws on Strength 5 bodies should be handy enough. However, a point of note in regards to Unwieldy is that Tyrant Guard, like Hive Tyrants, lack access to both Flesh Hooks and Spine Banks. This means that if the unit charges into cover, they will be striking at the Initiative one step regardless, so it does give Crushing Claws a very nice advantage over the Lash Whip and Bonesword.

Speaking of the dreaded pairing, yes, Tyrant Guard now combine the Lash Whip and Bonesword rather than being limited to only one of the two at a time. The changes to lash whips make them far less desirable than they were, as previously they mitigated the lack of assault grenades as well as evening the playing field against high Initiative opponents. They allowed Hive Tyrants to deal with Black Mace equipped Daemon Princes, even if the Hive Tyrant itself would perish. They allowed the unit to combat someone like Mephiston with some degree of success, especially with a Hive Tyrant hiding behind a 2+ armour save. Now, they merely provide a +3 Initiative bonus to the wielder, boosting Tyrant Guard up to a whopping Initiative seven. While this is really cool, it is nowhere near as ubiquitous as the old incarnation; a flat reduction to Initiative one for all enemies in base contact completely mitigated the lack of assault grenades. Now, it is useless when charging into terrain, and still not as useful for the Hive Tyrant itself against Initiative five or higher opponents. The Bonesword also saw a few big changes, the first of which is that it no longer flatly ignores armour saves, but is instead AP3. This means that Tyrant Guard can't just scythe through Terminators, which is fair enough; though of course as they keep their Rending Claws, they can still use those to cut through 2+ armour saves. The more interesting change is that 6s to wound with boneswords now inflict instant death, rather than the "one leadership test for all wounds inflicted by boneswords in that phase" which was limiting and not that great against the usual Leadership 9 and 10 characters and monsters. This makes Tyrant Guard far scarier against Wraithknights, for example, but less threatening to Riptides and Dreadknights who can hide behind their 2+ armour saves against the AP3 wounds.

I personally prefer keeping Tyrant Guard stock with weapon options as, again, they are there to "die" rather than actually fight. If they make it into combat, master present or not, then that is merely a bonus. Besides, each put outs four Strength 5 Rending attacks at Initiative four with Weapon Skill five anyway. That's generally enough to beat down Tactical Marines who, laughably, cannot use their krak grenades against the Toughness 6 mini monsters, and most other infantry. If you do want to upgrade them, I tend to prefer Crushing Claws as when the cards are down and terrain is prevalent, the claws give Tyrant Guard the biggest offensive boost overall with guaranteed AP2, +1 Strength and Armourbane. Lash Whips and Boneswords are certainly nasty for 3+ armoured bodies, characters and monsters, but once you negate the lash whip bonus, I don't think they are as valuable. Again, four Strength 6 AP2 attacks rolling 2D6 for armour penetration can deal with almost all conventional units, vehicular or not, which is far better for using a lord-less unit of Tyrant Guard. If you want the best bodyguards, keep them cheap with their stock equipment. If you want a stand-alone unit, take Crushing Claws as it will make your Tyrant Guard a viable threat against any unit lacking lots of high Strength AP3 or AP2 attacks. The Lash Whip and Bonesword have their uses if you want to keep the Tyrant Guard with a Hive Tyrant, but I would still prefer the Crushing Claws if you want to spend those points to upgrade the Tyrant Guard.

The two other options available to Tyrant Guard that fit regardless of your weapon choices are Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs. In the previous codex, Tyrant Guard couldn't even take either of these biomorphs due to the lacking options for the model. Now generally speaking, Toxin Sacs give you the best offensive output; permanently having Poisoned (4+) attacks, especially with a good Strength of five, is always preferable to one round of Strength 6 attacks. Tyrant Guard using their Rending Claws, for example, will wound a Wraithknight on 4s with 6s ignoring its armour, while they would only wound on 6s - as well as ignoring armour - if they took Adrenal Glands. Similarly, they would wound on 2s against Space Marines with the Adrenal Glands for one round, but the Toxin Sacs would let them wound on 3s with re-rolls in every round. It's a wash, really, but it misses the true point of Adrenal Glands for the new codex. Now that they confer Fleet, Adrenal Glands have sky-rocketed into usefulness, giving a much needed speed boost for any Tyranid ground unit that lacks the special rule innately. For a unit entirely lacking ranged weapons - aside from potentially the Hive Tyrant - Adrenal Glands are almost a must-buy for Tyrant Guard, not so much that they reach combat, but to guarantee the Hive Tyrant does. Each model in a unit has to have Fleet for the unit to reap the benefits, so paying a small tax to give two or three Tyrant Guard as well as a Hive Tyrant Fleet is well worth your time. Neither upgrade is strictly necessary, but both are very useful; Toxin Sacs suffer a bit because, again, Tyrant Guard aren't really there for their damage output. Adrenal Glands, on the other hand, are always useful no matter the opponent. Just remember that giving Adrenal Glands to Tyrant Guard protecting the Swarmlord isn't really worthwhile as the Swarmlord itself lacks both Fleet and the option to take Adrenal Glands.


Where to Put Them

As any Tyranid player will tell you, terrain is your friend. I must sound like a broken record only four unit reviews into the Tactica series, but it really needs to be said. Tyrant Guard lack Move Through Cover, which can be very annoying when you are trying to move from cover to cover to make up for their lack of invulnerable saves. Handily, this is only an issue when their leader beast is detached or dead, so it isn't something to worry about; Move Through Cover applies if only one model in the unit has it, and as Hive Tyrants do, your Tyrant Guard and their quarry can move through terrain without issue. On top of rolling 3D6 choose the highest for movement and ignoring any kind of dangerous terrain test, giving Adrenal Glands to the Tyrant Guard and Hive Tyrant for Fleet will lead to a pretty mobile unit, one that will lose about 3" on your very fast Hormagaunt broods each turn. This all boils down to three short and simple words that you must live by to be a successful Hive Lord; keep to cover! Don't be a dolt, abuse line of sight blocking terrain and actually move into terrain at all costs. Lacking invulnerable saves means you can't get away with plonking up the field or deep striking anywhere you please much like Riptides or Legion of the Damned, and no 2+ armour on any model in the unit against shooting is a downer that really forces you to hide and slow down. Assuming you play on a standard game board, this won't be an issue. If you play against an Imperial Guard or Tau player who insists they should have all the terrain in their deployment zone to make the game "cinematic", shake their hand and slap them twice - once for their lack of ingenuity, twice for thinking a massacre is any sort of fun for both players.

So with that out of the way, there are two places to put Tyrant Guard. The first and most obvious is attached to a Hive Tyrant - or the Swarmlord - and slogging it up the field (though that of course is also disingenuous as they will always slog up the field with no deep striking) used as ablative wounds for an important Synapse creature. The Hive Tyrant or Swarmlord will typically want to be near the middle of the army and backed by Venomthropes and covering models such as Hormagaunts and Carnifexes to stay alive. With Venomthropes, a wall of monsters and two or more Tyrant Guard, the Hive Tyrant will be ridiculously hard to remove which is pretty much all you could want. Attaching a flying Hive Tyrant is viable as well, using the Tyrant Guard as early bodyguards and then detaching for both units to assault different targets, for example. The other use for Tyrant Guard is to detach the Hive Tyrant early on, or not join them at all. This plays on the relatively cost effective models themselves as an entirely distinct unit. A brood of two armed with Crushing Claws is not much more expensive than a Carnifex, but has almost double the damage output in melee and the same survivability - save that the damage output is halved after two wounds are suffered. All in all, they really aren't a bad deal, especially as their Toughness 6 and two wounds each mean that opponents will actually have to target them with some serious firepower to remove them. Even one Tyrant Guard can easily mop up an entire Fire Warrior team, Overwatch not withstanding. Of course, I think at that point I probably would still prefer a Carnifex, or even a Zoanthrope for the Synapse and psychic support role. I want Tyrant Guard to protect my valuable Hive Tyrant and even act as cover for Venomthropes, though using them as a separate unit can be kind of funny.


Best Uses

I'm sold on Tyrant Guard, especially with the points drop, but only when properly attached to a footslogging Hive Tyrant. A winged Hive Tyrant armed with two brain leech devourers really wants to be heading up the field early on to make use of its medium ranged weapons, while a flying Hive Tyrant with a Heavy Venom Cannon or another long ranged weapon may as well just drop the wings. I don't see the Swarmlord as being as valuable as a significantly cheap foot Hive Tyrant armed with a long ranged bio-cannon or two - such as a Stranglethorn Cannon and Miasma Cannon combo - while a melee Hive Tyrant is generally better suited to taking wings. The Tyrant Guard are there to keep the Hive Tyrant alive, not to actually kill stuff, as you always have to expect to lose models when foot-slogging - something only Tyranids know all too well, especially now that we don't have access to Gate of Infinity or Mycetic Spores. This is why I recommend keeping the Tyrant Guard stock, save for Adrenal Glands; they really don't need the extras, so make sure your Hive Tyrant also takes Adrenal Glands if you want the very handy Fleet bonus. Keep to cover, use Hormagaunts and Termagants as mobile tarpits and blockers, use other monsters to interdict and provide cover saves, and don't be afraid to move through terrain as it doesn't really slow the unit down that much.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Tyrant Guard (2) - Adrenal Glands - Yes, this is simple and short. However, as bodyguards for a melee Hive Tyrant also equipped with Adrenal Glands, Tyrant Guard literally need no other upgrades. Fleet on a unit comprising of eight Toughness 6 wounds and great melee capabilities is all you need.

Tyrant Guard (2) - Crushing Claws - If you want some bodyguards for a flying Hive Tyrant early on that transition into a solo melee unit, Crushing Claws make them incredibly nasty against almost anything. They can pulverise all kinds of infantry and vehicles, and they aren't too expensive either.


Living Shields

Bound by instinct and the will of a galactic entity to protect and serve the whims of a Hive Tyrant above all else, Tyrant Guard are defenders of a different kind. They are not valiant in sacrifice or strong in courage. They are creatures purged of all thought by a single overriding purpose; to stand as a wall of flesh and bone between the Tyrant Lords of the Swarm and those foolish enough to challenge them. They do not hesitate, and they do not falter, for such actions are as alien to them as the many Tyranids sub-species are to the known galaxy. They stand vigil even as their body is wracked by a torrent of destruction, for they feel nothing and know only to guard their masters. Strong and incredibly resilient, they are a shield against any foe, fighting with an impossible ferocity that only multiplies with the fall of the Hive Tyrants they defend.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! One of the iconic hold-overs from 3rd Edition Tyranids, Old One Eye has taken up a new role in the HQ slot, something that will definitely interest those aiming for a themed force involving massed Carnifexes. A tough nut to crack and one that can absolutely slaughter most anything that gets in its path, Old One Eye is one of two HQ choices that doesn't bring that pivotal Synapse to the table. Whether or not the classic bug strikes your fancy may very well be based upon this fact, so always make sure you have lots of other Synapse creatures if you bring the wounded beast of Calth to battle. I hope you enjoy this article!


Old One Eye

Overview

Balking at Old One Eyes profile at first glance is actually not that uncommon, even despite lacking some of the crazy stats we've seen for characters such as Skarbrand or Kaldor Draigo. It is one of the few native Strength 10 units in the game, meaning that its standard attacks will inflict instant death on Toughness 5 or lower models. Armed with Crushing Claws, Old One Eye literally never needs to Smash; it is already Strength 10, it gets Armourbane from the claws, and it even ignores Unwieldy because it is a monstrous creature. To put this into perspective, Old One Eye has five base attacks when counting its two melee weapons - it has a pair of Scything Talons it will never use - and six on the charge. It also does D3 Hammer of Wrath hits at Strength 10. Basically, any character that can't kill it before it strikes and lacks Eternal Warrior or Toughness 6, or any vehicle that gets in its way, your opponent may as well just slap those models off the table. Old One Eye, even with a pretty mediocre and disappointing Weapon Skill three, will just annihilate them with no difficulty whatsoever. Weapon Skill seven isn't too common for most armies, so Old One Eye will usually hit on 4s. I dread what would happen if a Daemon Prince that either fluffs its rolls or is, for some reason, not equipped with a Bale Sword or daemon weapon, goes up against Old One Eye. The result should be characterized with a suitable "splich" sound. Old One Eye may as well be the Tyranid equivalent of a freight train at full speed. Spartan Assault Tanks? One round is all Old One Eye needs.

With no ranged weapons to speak of and almost identical durability to a standard Carnifex, Old One Eye really has to prove its point in melee to be valuable. With its incredibly damaging attacks, all it needs is another little edge. This comes in the form of generating extra attacks for every hit in its first wave of attacks - you don't count the extra attacks for this rule - giving Old One Eye a potential twelve attacks on the charge, all at Strength 10 AP2. Of course, a significant amount of luck is required for that, but it essentially guarantees that anything that can't kill Old One Eye first and also lacks Eternal Warrior is going to get squished. Amusingly, Old One Eye also gets an extra tail attack at Strength 4, AP4 with Rending, which is something to remember more than anything else. So does Old One Eye do anything other than kill things so hard that they die to death? Fortunately, it does; it makes up for its lack of Synapse by conferring its Leadership 8 to friendly units within a 12" bubble. This is really handy if you are deprived of Synapse creatures, meaning even your basic Hormagaunts and Termagants will fail their Instinctive Behaviour tests less than 50% of the time. However, it still doesn't make up for the risks inherent with Instinctive Behaviour, especially as Leadership 8 isn't that great. You still need those Synapse creatures, so taking Zoanthropes, Trygon Primes and Tervigons is still as mandatory as otherwise. Hilariously, you may not care if Old One Eye itself fails an Instinctive Behaviour test, so long as it happens near an enemy unit or two. There aren't too many units in the game that will actually stop the beast in close combat, and none that can afford a walloping. And if Old One Eye gets Rage? Oh dear....

So with no ranged weapons to speak of and the same defensive stats as a Carnifex - Toughness 6, 4 wounds and a 3+ armour save - Old One Eye obviously has a bit of a hill to climb to reach combat. It can't join units - though it is a character - and it doesn't have any helpful special rules like Shrouding. What it relies on is its stock Regeneration, allowing it to regrow a wound on each of its friendly turns on a 4+. Additionally, its Warlord Trait affords it Feel No Pain on the turn after it takes an unsaved wound. Realistically, any competitive army list nowadays can easily deal with four Toughness 6, 3+ armoured wounds in one shooting phase, so having Old One Eye rely on Regeneration and a "delayed" Feel No Pain isn't really ideal for an expensive commander model. This is why I recommend not using it as a Warlord, just because it will forfeit that point much easier than you would hope. It might lose out on the Warlord Trait, but its better than having a Leadership 8 Warlord that lacks Synapse and is pretty darn easily killed. The amusing truth is that unless you take a Tervigon as your other HQ choice, Old One Eye will never be the Warlord anyway in an army with two HQs. Its Leadership 8 is the lowest of all the potential Warlord choices in the army, and Tervigons are not characters and thus cannot be the Warlord.


Where to Put Them

Old One Eye is a challenge to use because it is neither an independent character or naturally part of a brood. It has the same defensive stats as a Carnifex with Regeneration and the sixth Tyranid Warlord trait, which doesn't lend itself well to a HQ choice that may be a Warlord. With the terrain placement rules, try to have a big terrain piece on the edge of your deployment zone, then litter the middle of the board as much as possible. This should give Old One Eye some breathing room to move up; as it uses the standard Carnifex model, or the old Finecast model, it isn't too big of a target and thus can be hidden far easier than a Tervigon or Haruspex. Its Initiative of 2 means that charging into and out of terrain really isn't that big of a deal unless the opposing unit has power fists, so generally, not too bad at all. Its model is small enough to get a 5+ cover save from intervening Hormagaunt broods, especially with varying heights on terrain, so make the most of this as much as you can. Aim Old One Eye for highly valuable and durable vehicles, such as Ghost Arks and Land Raiders, or even go straight for units that are tied up by your more mobile infantry broods. Its offensive capabilities are naturally suited to taking on vehicles above all else, while characters lacking Eternal Warrior are also easy prey - Old One Eye can issue challenges after all! Combo-charging Old One Eye with a Harpy can be quite brutal, meaning enemies won't strike before it so that it can benefit from its extra attacks to slaughter units.


Best Uses

Old One Eye strikes me as wanting to be a fire magnet, but not exactly having the durability to be a great one. It will smash any vehicle and unit lacking power weapons it comes across into pulp, while many monstrous creatures would be best served trying to avoid it. But, it is still 'only' Toughness 6 with four wounds and a 3+ armour save. A pair of Riptides backed by Markerlight support will make short work of Old One Eye in one round of shooting. A squad or two Dire Avengers firing at their 18" range after or before Battle Focus moves will statistically put the beast down if it lacks a cover save. A volley from two to four grav guns will slaughter the monster of Calth. This is just reality; it is as easy to kill as a Carnifex in one round of shooting, but that is what you can try to exploit. Restrict as much shooting at Old One Eye as possible, and this will allow it to gain its Feel No Pain trait and make use of Regeneration. I would avoid making it a Warlord as it is one of the most easily handled Warlords that Tyranid players have access to, though it is probably the most damaging. Try to keep it backing a swarm of Hormagaunts, using them as cover and moving through terrain if possible. If nearby Synapse creatures are eliminated, Old One Eye's Alpha Leader special rule will come into play until another Synapse creature can move into range. One turn of Leadership 8 for a bunch of units should be just fine for their Instinctive Behaviour tests. From there, aim for the nasty units, or even just ten-strong Tactical Marines and other such bulky scoring units; getting Old One Eye, even unsupported, into such a unit will pretty much confirm its end. It will maul any typical scoring unit, so use that to your advantage to clear objectives - having Old One Eye sit on an objective in the midfield in cover is sure to frighten your opponents!


Legend of Calth

Many great horror stories owe their numerous credits to the monsters they invent, a creature so terrifying and disabling that it seems nothing can stop them. This is true horror, where individuals feel helpless in the face of fear, swallowed by dread. While Old One Eye may not be at home in such a setting, it nonetheless defies belief with its seeming immortality. A protagonist may feel they have put the beast down, but only to their demise does it lead as Old One Eye rises again. As it terrorized Calth from beyond its frozen grave, so too has this monstrous Carnifex sowed destruction throughout many worlds, striking from all angles unbeknown to its prey. An alpha organism of the Swarm, Old One Eye is a bestial creature that very much fits the legend. Death has claimed it countless times, but yet it never ceases to consume and annihilate all in its path.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! The Tervigon has become an iconic fixture in 5th Edition and 6th Edition Tyranid army lists with the previous codex due to its staggering versatility as a Troops choice monstrous creature that could double as a Warlord. While it has seen reductions in effectiveness, removal of certain abilities and penalties to those remaining, the Tervigon is still a great choice for any Tyranid army list and one that can swing a game in your favour with its potential to spawn scoring bodies. I hope you enjoy this article!


Tervigon

Overview

The Tervigon is a dedicated support monster, unlike all of the others in the codex that have differing roles and offensive abilities, and the profile of the beast depicts this. It shares the Toughness 6, 6 wounds and 3+ armour save of a Trygon, but its Strength of 5 and Initiative of 2 mean that its offensive capabilities aren't that great. Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill 3 are typical of Tyranid monstrous creatures, but with only three attacks, the Tervigon isn't going to do too much in combat. The Initiative boost in the new codex is very handy though, allowing the Tervigon to strike before power fists - though as it is no longer a character, this is almost irrelevant - if it doesn't charge through cover. Having three attacks may be low as well, but Smash doubles the Tervigon up to Strength 10 and sacrifices but a single strike; basically, there's little to no reason not to Smash as a Tervigon once in combat. As middling as its profile might seem in terms of aggression, the Tervigon has a number of characteristics that distinguish it from its kit-sibling the Tyrannofex. The first is Leadership 10 and Synapse that, on a Toughness 6, 6 wound and 3+ armoured model, is really darn good. Shadow in the Warp and its two stock weapons are almost additives at this point, but they are nonetheless useful. The Tervigon is a durable Synapse creature, it provides a nasty anti-psyker bubble, and it is still a monstrous creature that can bring down vehicles and light infantry with ease - albeit slowly.

This is where the Tervigon starts to get really interesting. Its stinger salvo and scything talons leave much to be desired for damage ouput, but the Tervigon is a Mastery Level one psyker. As long as you don't roll up Psychic Scream - which can be swapped out for the very useful Dominion - you will love the extra psychic power in your army, as the Tyranid powers are just so good. Having your Tervigon give a unit of Devourer-armed Termagants Onslaught to run and then shoot with their 18" guns makes them the miniature Dire Avenger rookies, while Catalyst for both the Tervigon and any other unit is delicious. The Tervigon has a lot more to offer though, as it can also be made a scoring unit by taking a brood of thirty Termagants as a single Troops choice. This unlocks one Tervigon as a Troops unit giving you one of the toughest and most flexible scoring units in the game, one that is also easily the best scoring Synapse option you can take. As a Tervigon is not a character, it can't be your Warlord anyway; Termagants are cheap, so taking them in a big brood so they don't easily give away victory points such as First Blood is logical. If it makes a big monster like a Tervigon a Troops choice, you may as well never leave Tervigons as HQ choices, especially with how good Hive Tyrants are. Freeing up your most valuable slots - HQ and Heavy Support for Tyranids - is always a good idea, and the Tervigon just becomes so much better as a Troops choice.

There is more to the Tervigon and the Termagants that change its position in the army list than just a simple force organization switch, and this is what defines the Tervigon even with the changes made to it. A Tervigon has the ability to spawn broods of Termagants, and the way this works is actually rather simple. The Tervigon ends its move, and then it spawns. Before I go on, I have to note that while spawned Termagants losing the ability to charge is a downer, not being able to move actually doesn't make a difference; the Tervigon used to spawn before it moved, so the total distance moved is still the same. This also means now that a Tervigon can spawn a brood on the turn it arrives from reserves, making uses of it with Hive Commander just so much better! Anyway, after it finishes its move, the Tervigon then spawns 3D6 Termagants within 6" with models that can't be placed discarded instead. The brood can do nothing but shoot or run, and is completely as-is for stock Termagants. Any double rolled for spawning means that you can't make further attempts to spawn with that Tervigon, which generally means the first or second spawning will see the Tervigon stop. So that's the basics, but what does it actually mean? Tyranids can freely create extra scoring units, in an edition where five out of six missions in the main rulebook use objectives. Regardless of how expensive a Tervigon may be, or how middling its combat prowess is, that it can create extra scoring units is simply crazy. Your opponent has to dedicate resources to remove those units, especially if the Tervigon isn't the only nearby Synapse creature. Those are extra units that can capture objectives, usually worth three victory points each. This is an ability that is far more valuable in 6th Edition than it was in 5th Edition, and I feel the changes to the Tervigon reflect this.

Of course, it isn't all singing and praises for the Tervigon. There are some obvious downsides to this that need to be considered to make the most of the unit and its babies. Firstly, the rule that stops further spawning when a double is rolled means you really should refrain from spawning until your other scoring units have died, typically around turn three to four. This gives the spawned Termagants in both turns another turn at least to try and get to an objective for the fifth game turn, and it also acts as free reinforcements for your army. Spawning early will leave your Termagants out of range to do much, and just make themselves another easy target for opponents. Spawning late affords a higher chance of the Termagants surviving due to casualties for the opponents army. However, I would also recommend keeping the Tervigon away from Termagants. The reason for this is that if the Tervigon dies, all Termagant units within 12" take 3D6 Strength 3 hits that, humorously, allow their paltry 6+ armour saves. The average roll for 3D6 is ten or eleven, and each wounds Termagants on 4s with only a 6+ save to keep them alive. You don't want to risk those odds, so move the Termagants away from the Tervigon if possible. If you need that Synapse bubble, keep them at 18" ranges and take Dominion on the Tervigon. One of the last notes on Tervigons is that they confer Counter Attack to Termagants within 12", supposedly to give you incentive to keep them nearby even with the "explosion". It really is nothing to worry about though, as the Tervigon lost the special rule conferring its Leadership 10 on to Termagant units, meaning they have to take a Leadership test to use that Counter Attack on, you guessed it, Leadership 6. It is merely something to remember rather than something to count on, unfortunately.


How to Equip Them

Tervigons are quite costly stock, regardless of if you factor in the cost of thirty Termagants to make them a Troops choice, so I've found that keeping the upgrades to a minimum with them is ideal. They are equipped with Scything Talons, which can be replaced with Crushing Claws, but I would avoid them. A Tervigon that Smashes loses one attack and gains both Strength 10 and re-rolls to their armour penetration rolls. A Tervigon that doesn't Smash and takes Crushing Claws is Strength 6 with 2D6 roll for armour penetration. Especially as it is a costly upgrade, I would actively avoid them as Smashing negates the point of using them. You can replace the Stinger Salvo with Cluster Spines for a pittance, but I would honestly just leave it be unless you have spare points. It's a small investment for a weapon that can't be snap fired, so it is more of a "if I have the points" upgrade. Otherwise, Tervigons can take the usual Biomorphs, such as Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands. I think Tervigons don't really need any Biomorph upgrades actually, especially as they no longer confer those two in particular on to nearby Termagants. Again, saving the points on most of the upgrades may be more prudent, though I would recommend Toxin Sacs just so that the Tervigon can keep enemy monsters at bay if you do want to purchase either of the upgrades. Adrenal Glands are great for the Fleet bonus, but unnecessary on a monster that really shouldn't be acting too aggressively. Regeneration is more worthwhile for a Tervigon than a Hive Tyrant or Carnifex, so it is something to consider, though it is expensive. I'm generally more for spending those points elsewhere, such as on a potentially more useful Bio-Artefact.

That Tervigons now have access to Thorax Biomorphs is really cool, giving them a nice and cheap template weapon that can be surprisingly deadly. Electroshock Grubs have the best overall offensive stats and are a legitimate threat to vehicles - Rhino and Chimera walls beware! - with Haywire, though the Rending provided by Shreddershard Beetles, especially with Shred, is really tasty too. I think if you see more light infantry and vehicles, go for the Electroshock Grubs, but if you see Space Marines and other elite forces, go for the Shreddershard Beetles. The Dessicator Larvae do have Fleshbane, but Strength 5 on the Electroshock Grubs is generally enough to worry most infantry anyway, while the potential for Rending makes the Shreddershard Beetles more enticing. I truly recommend one of these, especially as they cost the same as Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands, as they give a typically midfield or backfield baby-sitting monster a pretty potent template weapon. Enemy scoring units can be battered first by a nasty template and charged, or shot and then Overwatched and forced to grind against a monstrous creature in combat. The defensive uses of the Thorax weapons are really nice for a scoring Tervigon, and are generally always worth the points.

The Bio-Artefacts are a bit more useful for a Tervigon than a Hive Tyrant due to the former having a more restricted weapon arsenal to choose from. The Miasma Cannon is a great purchase for a Tervigon, especially for a solo Tervigon used as a scoring unit. The Miasma Cannon gives the Tervigon a nice, if inaccurate, long ranged weapon, but the real value comes in its Poisoned (2+) AP4 template. Combine this with a Thorax Biomorph and a Tervigon camping on a midfield objective can literally shred through any infantry unit that tries to pry the objective away from it, turning into a psychic Tyrannofex. The Norn Crown is nice, especially for a solo Troop Tervigon that will likely be one of your main Synapse creatures, though I'm more a proponent of the Norn Crown going on a Hive Tyrant backed by two to three Tyrant Guard. You want the Norn Crown on your most durable Synapse creature, and that particular Hive Tyrant build takes the cake - however, the Tervigon would definitely be second on that list. A Tervigon lacks both the mobility and the melee prowess to make the most out of the Maw Claws of Thyrax or the Reaper of Obliterax, even with Adrenal Glands, so I would reserve those for another "commander". The Ymgarl Factor does give some nice boosts to a Tervigon, but it is really expensive on an already very costly model and the buffs really don't match the cost, so I would leave it at home.


Where to Put Them

Unless you take the Miasma Cannon - which is unreliable at such ranges anyway - Tervigons are pretty much non-existent when it comes to long range presence. They are psychic support monsters that provide additional scoring units and can themselves take objectives, so they are naturally short ranged. They are a big juicy target for any opponent because they can make extra Troops choices in an almost entirely objective-dominated edition as well as being scoring themselves, so protecting them is always going to be tough. They don't have great combat stats, and even when given the Miasma Cannon and a Thorax Biomorph, they don't put out that much damage at close ranges either. When I say they are a support monster first and foremost, I really mean it. You want them hiding in terrain, sitting on an objective where the simple fact that they are a monstrous creature will make them immune to most typical clearing units designed to hunt Troops choices. Keep to cover to soak up tonnes of damage with their six Toughness 6 wounds and meaty 3+ armour save, and potential for defensive psychic powers such as Catalyst. They are an important Synapse creature because they can take Dominion, they have a large base and they are expensive, so keeping them off the front-lines is ideal where they can freely use a 12" to 18" Synapse range to keep the more aggressive units in check.

All the psychic powers except for Warp Lance - which they cannot use - and Psychic Scream work great for a typically midfield-camping Tervigon, while they become a really tough unit to shift if they themselves have Catalyst. Ruins and buildings will be its best bet for hiding, though its large size means fully hiding will be almost impossible. Use its spawned Termagant broods as distractions and tarpits to protect it from Balesword-armed Daemon Princes of Nurgle, or Wraithknights that can pile the wounds on them with ease. Always keep up a cover save and utilize Venomthropes if possible; Tervigons may have two more wounds than a Carnifex, but they can still fall to an average round of shooting from any competitive force. Don't be afraid to keep them as your backfield objective holder if necessary; it will take a lot to shift them if they are hiding behind a building in your backfield, and opponents likely will be forced to try. I've found Tervigons do make great support combat units when combined with a Termagant brood or Hormagaunt brood, but beware that they don't perish themselves, especially with failed charges. Its death can result in all nearby Termagant broods exploding! Make sure to keep a Zoanthrope nearby for cheap Synapse support in case the Tervigon dies.


Best Uses

Keep the Tervigon bare if you want, or give it both the Miasma Cannon and one of the Thorax Biomorphs. The two template weapons allow it to absolutely shred infantry blobs that can tarpit the lowly Weapon Skill 3, Attacks 3 Tervigon, while its Smash attacks can punch through nearby tanks and skimmers and overpower most walkers. Move the Tervigon up into the midfield, preferably on an objective, and start spawning around turn three or four. Keep to cover and try to set up in a big piece of terrain with walls blocking sight to the Tervigon. Use Dominion in a Synapse-light army list, or use one of the blessings and maledictions to your advantage - never keep Psychic Scream. As it moves up, fire the Miasma Cannon at any bunched up infantry unit in sight if you can, otherwise, just Run into position as quickly as possible. Waiting behind cover to make a last turn objective grab for one that is in the open is also ideal, and something that a Toughness 6, 6 wound monster is pretty darn good at doing, especially if it has those two templates. The Tervigon should use screens of Hormagaunts if nothing else so as to not risk blowing up all the Termagants in your army, though if there is plentiful cover around then screening units won't be necessary. If you are facing the dreaded flying monstrous creatures that can slaughter your poor Tervigon in combat, then bubble-wrapping - surrounding its base with closely spaced models - it with Termagants is ideal, as such armies tend to lack the ranged power to really deal with a Tervigon in shooting. Try to keep a Zoanthrope or other Synapse unit nearby for when the Tervigon likely dies, as it will be a prime target for an opponent and will probably be close to other non-Synapse units. The Tervigon itself shouldn't need too much baby-sitting, but having a wall of Carnifexes or other high pressure units to keep enemies off of its back is preferable.


HQ or Troop?

There are a few key differences between the HQ and Troop version that really should be noted here. The first is that a HQ Tervigon cannot be the Warlord as it is not a character - something that needs an FAQ update for certain - and it has no other benefits to speak of. A Troop Tervigon becomes a fully scoring unit and does not take up one of two HQ slots, instead taking up one of six Troop slots, but requires a brood of 30 Termagants to make it a Troops choice. Ultimately, a scoring monstrous creature is completely unique to Tyranids - until you bring up the new Adeptus Mechanicus lists in the Horus Heresy series done by Forge World - and it is incredibly valuable no matter how you slice it. Paying the price to make one a Troops choice is always worthwhile, I feel, and frees up your HQ slots for the infinitely valuable Hive Tyrants. So my answer to this question is a definite "Troops choice first, HQ second" with the HQ option only if you can't fit in any Termagants to an army list.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Tervigon - Miasma Cannon, Thorax Swarm with Shreddershard Beetles - This is what I like to call the "super Tervigon", one that provides light long ranged firepower as it advances but, once it closes, can annihilate infantry with its two template weapons. Throw in one of those as an Overwatch weapon and you have yourself a really nasty mid-table unit that isn't too much more expensive than a stock Tervigon.

Tervigon - No, I'm serious. Tervigons are one of the units in the book that I would be happy to leave stock, simply because you get all you need and want in the base cost. It's a tough, scoring monstrous creature that provides Synapse, a psychic power and some decent melee damage output. That's all you really need.


Brood Progenitor

Tyranids are a conglomerate of many radically different species, bound together by a single conscience; a Hive Mind, a voice that spans the eons and stars. All are created to fulfill a purpose in battle, perfection embodied in their role. As a Carnifex smashes through a tank, the Hormagaunt swarms devour the entails. Where Hormagaunts lay eggs to which other Hormagaunts are born to fight, wave after wave in an unending torrent of bodies, Termagants reproduce using a far different method. Their progenitor is not one of their own kind sent to die, but a massive, lumbering beast that is both a Synpatic link to the Hive Fleets and a mental chain to its Termagant children. The Tervigon, a gruesome birthing monster, keeps its own brood in incubation, ready to spring forth into battle with but a mothers' call. This cruel, alien representation of the bond between mother and child is yet another twisted reminder of how unutterably void of humanity the Tyranids are. As its children tear your flesh from bone, so too does the mother clamber over to feast.....

Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Tyranid Primes are the only fully fledged Independent Character in the Tyranid codex, and while they are generally over-costed - especially when compared to Hive Tyrants - being able to hide in a brood of Carnifexes while providing Synapse is just awesome. In fact, Primes will see use in competitive lists for this reason alone, their damage output and durability be damned! I hope you enjoy this article!


Tyranid Prime

Overview

The Tyranid Prime is unique among the species as a true Independent Character, something that not even Hive Tyrants can lay claim to. This allows the Prime to join any unit from Hormagaunt broods to Carnifex units, and even the Tyrant Guard defenders of Hive Tyrants. This is what defines their use in the army as, when compared to a Hive Tyrant, they are actually too expensive for what they would otherwise bring to the table. They can never match a Tyrant for damage output or versatility, so focusing solely on their Independent Character status is the key to using them effectively. The Prime does have the best stats of any Tyranid that is not a monstrous creature, however. Its Weapon Skill 6 and Ballistic Skill 4 are well above average for most Tyranids, albeit only slightly above the Warrior beasts they evolved from. With Strength and Toughness 5, they can tank those nasty Strength 8 weapons that Warriors fear above else, being far more resistant to Instant Death. They have a good Initiative 5 and a pretty crazy four attacks that, with their offensive stats, makes them more than comparable to Space Marine Captains in close combat. Where Primes do fall down on that front is expensive melee weapon options, lack of proper durability-boosting wargear, no invulnerable saves, and no real guaranteed way to make combat. They cannot take wings for some strange reason - I'll touch on this later - and there are no dedicated transports in the codex. As a melee beast, their profile and melee weapon options tend to be used more defensively to add somewhat to an already strong melee units' damage output, or to protect a ranged unit from assaults by non-dedicated melee units. They can bring Barbed Strangles, Venom Cannons and even the really nasty Miasma Cannon to bear on the ranged front, and their Ballistic Skill four makes them one of the most effective users of these blast weapons.

Of course, that isn't all a Tyranid Prime offers, something that may be obvious due to its place in the HQ slot. It is both a Synapse creature and confers Shadow in the Warp, giving you another potent anti-psyker bubble, and more absolutely necessary Synapse. That the Prime is an Independent Character serves to make it one of the most potentially tough sources of Synapse in the army, able to hide in broods of Carnifexes, the vacated Tyrant Guard meant to protect a flying Hive Tyrant, or even broods of Termagants. The ablative wounds are mostly unique for this particular Synapse creature, and as it can also be your Warlord, it is a smart choice in many games just because you can protect it than for any other particular reason. The Prime also has an extra special rule that is an attempt to make joining Warriors and Shrikes more enticing, as either unit when led by a Prime can use its Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill instead of their own. Warriors, even with a Prime tanking wounds behind its 3+ armour save, can't really guarantee making combat, so the Weapon Skill bonus isn't too important. The Ballistic Skill bonus, on the other hand, really helps for the Devourers and Deathspitters in the unit, while any Barbed Strangles or Venom Cannons will be slightly happier with 1" less scatter. It actually makes Warriors into a decent shooting unit, though one that is still over-costed for the damage it puts out - especially when you consider the price of the Prime. When it comes to Shrikes, though, unless you want to neuter them then never attach a Prime to Shrikes. A Prime cannot take wings or any kind of biomorph that changes its unit type to Jump Infantry, meaning that joining Shrikes would slow them down to the same pace as Warriors - effectively becoming Warriors with 5+ armour saves. This is one of the stranger oversights in the codex, and one that you should probably try to forget.


How to Equip Them

This is really dependent on what kind of units you want your Tyranid Prime to join. If it is going to be baby-sitting a brood of Biovores, for example, you can leave it stock as it will be wanting to hide out of sight along with the living artillery. If it is going to attach to a brood of Carnifexes armed with two pairs of brain-leech devourers each, then giving it a Miasma Cannon to extend the maximum range of the unit for resolving damage and no other upgrades is handy enough. For the most part, I avoid the melee biomorphs and standard biomorphs on a Tyranid Prime because they are quite expensive stock and don't really need the upgrades. Tyranid Primes have no reliable way of reaching combat, especially as they will actively slow down broods of Hormagaunts for example - lacking Bounding Leap - and so I don't really think the melee weapons are that worthwhile. If you want to use one, go for a set of Rending Claws to replace their Scything Talons and that really should be it. They don't make much use of the Maw Claws of Thyrax because they are not monstrous creatures and thus lack Smash, meaning they have to contend with its rather measly AP5, and they also cannot guarantee early combats. The Reaper of Obliterax is more useful for a Tyranid Prime than something like a Tervigon, especially as lacking Smash and being Strength 5 base makes the +1 Strength bonus more useful. Still, I think it is too expensive to really be justified, and you are probably better off with just a Lash Whip and Bonesword and Toxin Sacs combo. Giving the Norn Crown to a Tyranid Prime can be a huge help to make up for their inability to take Dominion as they are not psykers, but I recommend only giving it to a Prime that is either hiding with Biovores or is attached to a brood of two to three Carnifexes. A slightly cheaper but less effective alternative to the aforementioned Miasma Cannon for a Tyranid Prime is either a Barbed Strangler or Venom Cannon, and while they do have their uses, I still prefer the Miasma Cannon due to the small points difference.


Where to Put Them

The defining trait of Tyranid Primes is that they are Independent Characters; it is not their boosted profile over a standard Warrior, or their access to Tyranid Bio-Artefacts. They are the only true Independent Character in the entire codex, and as a Synapse creature additionally, there is never any reason to leave them alone. As I've already repeated myself countless times on moving through cover with certain units and using line of sight blocking terrain - and I'll cover each unit on that anyway - I'll instead talk about which units are best suited to being led by a Prime. Synapse comes at more of a premium in this codex than it used to mostly due to the Tervigon change and removal of Mycetic Spores making Zoanthropes and Warriors more restricted for deployment options, and Synapse is also more important than ever. This is why unless you are taking some kind of hugely expensive Tyranid deathstar with a kitted out Hive Tyrant or Swarmlord, two to three Tyrant Guard and a Tyranid Prime, you generally don't want to join up with Tyrant Guard. It's just a waste of their Synapse potential, really, unless it is a flying Hive Tyrant that detaches from the unit early on and has the Tyranid Prime being the actual Warlord. That is a smart and safe use of your resources, and should protect the Prime - and Warlord point - quite well.

But really, the best unit to join to are Carnifex broods. They are big models, they are scary as heck, they do so much damage in shooting and combat, and they are very tough in broods as monstrous creatures. They literally make the best bodyguards for a Tyranid Prime, even if they don't really fit that role in the fluff. With its Look Out Sir rolls, a Prime attached to a brood of Carnifexes can make the most of wound allocation shenanigans by standing at the front or the side of a unit. Carnifexes with double brain-leech devourers are ideal, providing a lumbering torrent of destruction that doubles as a sentry to the Prime. Such a units' only real weakness is a lack of Synapse, so attaching a Prime to the unit is just about the perfect solution. Other good choices are Termagant broods for massed, cheap ablative wounds and Biovores for having a Synapse unit nearby so they can hide and shoot without succumbing to Instinctive Behaviour. Hormagaunts are handy, but attaching a Prime to them negates their pivotal Bounding Leap rule, somewhat neutering their speed. As such, I tend to recommend against attaching a Prime to them. Hive Guard could use the mid-range Synapse if Zoanthropes aren't present, but a Prime's weapon options don't really gel with them, and they are one of few units that won't really benefit from a wound tank. Venomthropes and Zoanthropes are all ideally suited to a Prime, making use of its 3+ armour save and Toughness 5 - for instant death purposes, as it will actually be Toughness 4 due to majority Toughness rules - though Zoanthropes with their 3+ invulnerable saves don't need it as much. Warriors are of course an obvious choice, and using the Prime to soak up Strength 8 shots is ideal; just be careful not to throw it away, as losing the Prime is going to hurt more than losing a single Warrior at a time.


Best Uses

I feel the best application of a Tyranid Prime is to attach to a Carnifex brood armed with dual brain-leech devourers, while the Prime itself wields a Miasma Cannon and little else - none of the other upgrades are really necessary. The Prime confers Synapse to a unit that can kill itself without, a unit that also happens to be one of the deadliest and most expensive in the codex. The Prime gains protection from the Carnifexes, each model having four Toughness 6, 3+ armoured wounds. The Miasma Cannon eliminates the need for a Stranglethorn Cannon or Heavy Venom Cannon on one of the Carnifexes so that their "maximum range" for wounds isn't capped at 18". The Prime gives the three monstrous creatures more potential for wound allocation shenanigans, using its 2+ Look Out Sir roll when attached to the unit to spread the wounds around even more in different phases. It can take a wound or two, then Look Out Sir on to the closest Carnifex. On the next turn, it can swap the positioning of the models around and do the same thing, meaning it will take far more effort on the opponents' end to drop any single model in the unit, thus keeping their damage output at maximum for longer. As the Carnifexes will be heading up the midfield and will typically be supported by Hormagaunt, Termagant or Gargoyle broods, the Prime can use the Carnifexes as a "slingshot" unit to attach to the rear of one of those broods just before they declare a charge. Other good uses of the Prime are to join small to medium broods of Warriors to give them a damage boost with its Alpha Warrior special rule, though I feel Biovores - due to the lack of Synapse creatures with long ranged shooting - and Venomthropes - who otherwise drop too easily to Smart Missile Systems - could use the Tyranid Primes' unique abilities more.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Tyranid Prime - Adrenal Glands, Flesh Hooks, Lash Whip and Bonesword, Toxin Sacs - This is what you can safely call a "baby Tyrant". Join it up to a brood of two or three melee Carnifexes all with Adrenal Glands and watch the carnage unfold; replace the Devourer with the Lash Whip and Bonesword and keep the Scything Talons. This gives the Prime six Strength 6, Initiative 8 attacks on the charge at AP3 with the potential for Instant Death. Yes, this means it can slaughter most 3+ armoured monstrous creatures on the charge, and yes, it will scythe through almost anything. And hey, it has bloody Carnifexes as bodyguards! Oh, and assault grenades always win.

Tyranid Prime - Miasma Cannon - A nice long ranged small blast weapon on a Prime keeps it as cheap as you want while it actually does something. This should be attached to ranged Carnifexes armed with brain leech devourers; the 36" range of the Miasma Cannon is used to extend the maximum range of the unit for allocating wounds.


Alpha Organisms

The Hive Fleets constituting the greater Tyranid race base their incredible feats of destruction around their unmatched adaptability. Where other species can adapt their weapons, armour and other such technologies to combat specific threats over a period of a few months or years, the Tyranids can create entirely new sub-species designed to counter-act each unique foe they face. The very flesh of their own established bio-organisms can be mutated either in spawning pools or on the battlefields themselves to counter and destroy new strategies and opponents. Warriors embody these principles of the Tyranids more than any other sub-species - even the great Hive Tyrants - as they can adapt weapons of all kinds, wings, bounding legs, enhanced armour plating and numberless other adaptations. At the apex of the Warrior strain is the Tyranid Prime, the most vicious, intelligent and physically adept Tyranid creature not of the monstrous or gargantuan creature designation. It is a slayer of champions, a commander of numberless organisms, a well that devours psychic energy, and a direct link to the Norn Queen. Their very presence drives the lesser Warrior creatures to even more terrifying acts of ferocity, and few can stand before the relentless assault of an elite creature designed purely for combat and slaughter.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Lictors are among the galaxy's most feared predators, and no single beast has ever inspired as much fear as the legendary Deathleaper. A creature that is the stuff of horror tales in every civilization, Deathleaper alone was responsible for the breakdown in leadership on Saint Caspelan, leading to its downfall at the hands of the Swarm. I hope you enjoy this article!

Deathleaper

Overview

The Deathleaper shares most of its profile with standard Lictors, as one would expect from what used to be a standalone variant in the same Elites slot. The amount of special rules on offer is truly spectacular, though the stats aren't too much different from a Lictor. Strength 6 with five attacks base due to wielding two melee weapons gives Deathleaper quite a bit of offensive grunt, especially when its Rending Claws are factored in. Whereas a regular Lictor is only Weapon Skill 6, Deathleaper brings a crazy Weapon Skill 9 - the same as the Swarmlord - to the table, hitting almost any unit in the game on 3s and forcing most units to hit back on 5s. This, alongside its Initiative of 7 and assault grenades through flesh hooks are the only real defences Deathleaper has in combat; it is built to shred medium to light characters before they can attack, while regular infantry struggle to even hit it. The reason for this is that Deathleaper can only hide behind a paltry 5+ armour save, Toughness 4 and three wounds when in combat. Simply put, it is too fragile to go up against really nasty combat characters, while monstrous creatures and walkers will squish it with little difficulty. Deathleaper is best used as a bully against important support characters like Ethereals, Farseers and Chaplains, as it is a bit too fragile and doesn't do enough damage to take on most dedicated combat characters. The Deathleaper, with its flesh hooks, also has an extra little shooting attack at Strength 6 with no AP - nor Rending, sadly - that isn't likely to do much with Ballistic Skill 3.

Where Deathleaper starts to get interesting - as standard Lictors do - is in the plethora of special rules. It can Infiltrate, Outflank or Deep Strike without scattering, dependent on what suits your needs more. For both reaching and escaping combats of all kinds, favourable or not, Deathleaper has Fleet and Hit and Run. It causes Fear which generally won't make a difference as it is already Weapon Skill 9 and most characters it will really want it against are already Fearless or have And They Shall Know Fear. It has Move Through Cover and Stealth, generally leading to a 4+ cover save in area terrain and a 3+ in ruins, while having better chances of not being slowed by impeding cover. It is Very Bulky for the purposes of the experimental R'Varna rules, and it shares the same no-scattering on Deep Strike for friendly units arriving within 6" a turn after Deathleaper itself Deep Strikes on the board. Deathleaper adds two extra unique special rules to the mix though, the first of which is what makes it such a nasty counter to Ethereals, Dark Apostles and psykers of all kinds. Before the game starts, you get to nominate a single enemy character and reduce its Leadership by D3. For an Ethereal where Tau units use his Leadership instead of their own, for example, this can be a really funny way to win games through morale by combining Deathleaper with multiple sources of Pinning - such as Stranglethorn Cannons on Harpies. This penalty applies until Deathleaper is slain, and given that its next special rules makes it very difficult to shift from shooting, killing the Deathleaper is easier said than done if you use it with caution.

All shots taken at the Deathleaper are Snap Shots, meaning blast and template weapons of all kinds cannot attempt to target it. Heck, even Tau Markerlights really aren't that scary when they themselves have to snap shoot to get tokens on the Deathleaper. Provided you don't think this is some kind of god mode cheat allowing you to run the special Lictor out in the open, you can keep the assassin alive for quite some time. Against Tau, staying out of range of smart missile systems by hiding in your own terrain piece, but reducing the Leadership of an Ethereal or allied Farseer is not a bad use of the Deathleaper. If it means keeping the expensive critter alive, then it isn't exactly a waste. From there, Deathleaper has the usual trappings of a special character; a preset Warlord trait giving it extra victory points for slaying opposing independent characters and the Character classification. Deathleaper can challenge opponents and vie for extra victory points, while its Leadership 10 makes it an automatic Warlord choice if taken alongside Old One Eye. On that subject, those two share one unique trait that reduces their value as HQ choices. Indeed, the Deathleaper lacks Synapse and suffers from Instinctive Behaviour of the lurking variety, and while it is Leadership 10, the lack of Fearless means it is not immune to simply falling back. Failing at a crucial time can see the Deathleaper running out into the open against your whim, and promptly getting lit up by massed bolter fire that coincidentally ignores its armour saves. This is why it is best used as a forward disruption unit that will get in Synapse range of a Flying Hive Tyrant or Trygon Prime - that benefits greatly from the Deathleapers' Chameleonic Skin - on the second and third turn.


Where to Put Them

Provided you aren't staring down a bunch of Smart Missile Systems equipped on Broadside Battlesuits and Tau vehicles - the most common of which is the Skyray - or even opposing Hive Guard armed with Impaler Cannons, then Deathleaper can be deployed pretty aggressively. I'm favouring Infiltrate for Lictors and Deathleaper now that they aren't forced to Deep Strike as it synergizes better with any Trygons, Mawlocs and Trygon Primes in the list. Those love to have no-scatter Deep Strike, and they are only likely to benefit from Deathleapers' Chameleonic Skin if it is deployed on the board for turn one instead of coming from reserves. The reason for this is that Chameleonic Skin doesn't apply on the turn Deathleaper arrives, so unless you are counting on rolling "badly" for reserves on the second turn, I would want to Infiltrate Deathleaper for such purposes. Otherwise, no scatter Deep Strike is perfectly viable to guarantee the Deathleapers' survival for a turn, allowing you to deal with such units that could threaten it. Trying to Infiltrate within 12" is nice, but don't do it if there are mobile assault units - like Assault Marines - that can jump next to Deathleaper from 12" away, line of sight blocking cover be darned, as they will force enough wounds on Deathleaper to beat it in combat.

The two lucky charms for Deathleaper in such situations are forcing opponents to Snap Shoot it as well as Hit and Run. The former means shooting, particularly by templates that are a Lictors' bane, is almost non-existent against the Deathleaper unless it is in high mass, while the latter allows the Deathleaper to escape combats as necessary. Try not to get bogged down in combat, and always issue challenges so that Deathleaper can either force an opponent to sacrifice the champion either through losing their attacks or actually facing Deathleaper. Against Chaos Space Marines, for example, this can be abused due to their Champion of Chaos special rule forcing them to issue and accept challenges. In a typical round of combat, the Deathleaper will shred through an Aspiring Champion and other Sergeant-equivalent characters, so using this as a defence against all the attacks from a unit is practically mandatory. Using Deathleaper as a road-block unit against low-model heavy hitters such as Devastators is also nice; the Deathleaper can tie them up if it manages to get close and either proceed to kill the squad or Hit and Run out to hunt another unit while a Hormagaunt brood charges the weakened Devastators. Deathleaper is quick with Fleet and Move Through Cover as well its special deployment options, so charging in the second player turn or on the second game turn should be expected unless you are up against a serious gunline and no guarantee of reaching them. There is literally no reason not to keep Deathleaper to cover as, once opponents manage to hit - and twenty shots from ten Tactical Marines rapid-firing will get at least three hits - its 5+ armour save may as well be non-existent. It is barely slowed by terrain and it has assault grenades on top of Stealth; heck, it even has Fleet! Stick to cover and show those fools the meaning of terror.


Best Uses

Don't take Deathleaper as your Warlord unless you are set on a Vanguard themed Tyranid force. The reason for this is that its Warlord Trait isn't too crash hot - it specifies independent characters, not standard characters, and many independent characters can give it a run for its money - and it is very fragile against certain armies. A unit of three Broadsides within 30" of Deathleaper stand a very strong chance of putting it down in one shooting phase with their twelve twin-linked Strength 5, AP5 shots that ignore both cover and line of sight. A unit of three Hive Guard will average one hit against the Deathleaper and, unless they get incredibly unlucky, end its reign of terror with that lone hit. While Deathleaper is very difficult to kill conventionally, what with it easily able to hide due to Infiltrate, no scatter Deep Striking, hiding in reserve, forcing Snap Shots at it, Hit and Run as well as Weapon Skill 9, you can't afford to let enemies get a hold of it. Massed shots and close combat attacks will put it down in no time; even a single unit of Fire Warriors affected by an Ethereal's extra pulse shot power can do the trick with a bit of luck. While Deathleaper is easier to protect than some other HQ choices - such as a Tervigon - against standard "fire down the line" shooting, like any predator, once it is caught it can fall over very quickly. Besides, Deathleaper is not a Synapse creature, which is not something you really want on a HQ choice especially, doubly so if it is your only HQ choice. Against Tau, mechanized Eldar and other Tyranids, I recommend hiding the Deathleaper in reserves and hiding it in your backfield to penalize the Leadership of important enemy psykers and Ethereals. Against a-typical gunlines and foot-based lists, on the other hand, Deathleaper is a powerful tool in the right hands. Abusing cover and intervening terrain, Deathleaper can pretty safely make it into combat and proceed to take out those heavy weapon team-equivalent units, or hunt fragile independent characters such as Lord Commissars and Sorcerers.


Shade of Saint Caspelan

Tyranids are often described as mindless beasts driven by instinct and a greater will to ferociously assault and devour any position that impedes the process of galactic annihilation, but nothing could be further from the truth. The creation of many differing sub-species and the supreme tactical acumen of the Swarmlord and its Hive Tyrant descendants is proof enough of this, but the truest example of this comes from the legendary Lictor beast that terrorized the populace of Saint Caspelan long before its fall to Hive Fleet Leviathan. Like any other Lictor, it recognized the chain of command and struck in the nightly hours against veteran sergeants, commissars and generals. But where this mysterious beast truly earned its status as one of the most fearsome predators in the galaxy is when it identified the planets' spiritual leader as the catalyst for worldwide morale. Any lesser being would have simply slain this man and seen the populace embittered and driven by his sacrifice against the impending doom. Instead, the Lictor struck home against the leader, again and again massacring his guardians and colleagues, but escaping into the night instead of finishing the job. Driven mad by the gruesome murder of all those around him, each time spared to an unknown purpose by an inhuman monster, the man spread his fear and dissolution of faith across the world. The survivors of the horrific events of Saint Caspelan blamed this Lictor, this Deathleaper, an assassin that lived in the shadows as if it was born in their embrace, for the ease to which Hive Fleet Leviathan consumed their world.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Warriors are the most iconic and classic of all Tyranids, existing in the fiction for the race since their inception back in the Rogue Trader era. They have always been the archetype, the true identity of the Tyranids. Though they have not seen the justice they deserve from a rules perspective, they nonetheless have their many uses on the battlefield. I hope you enjoy this article!


Tyranid Warriors

Overview

Warriors are effectively the Tyranid equivalent to Tactical Marines, albeit at slightly over double the cost even before their significant range of costly upgrades are taken into account. Their profile is definitely alluring, though the cost is off-putting, especially once one realizes they lack Eternal Warrior. I'll start by addressing the elephant in the room; the survivability of Warriors. With three wounds each at Toughness 4 with a 4+ armour save, Warriors are as durable against AP5 or worse small arms fire as Terminators, and not much less durable against AP4 or better small arms fire. Against AP2 shooting that is Strength 7 or lower, Warriors are effectively twice as durable, able to lose two wounds per model before losing any full models, whereas Terminators only get a 5+ invulnerable save for one wound per model. For every Warrior that dies to Strength 7 AP2 shooting, two Terminators will die. Obviously, Warriors are at home against massed small arms fire and plasma that are so oft seen in this meta. Where the issues arise is that Warriors are Toughness 4 and thus incredibly prone to instant death from easily accessed Strength 8 weaponry. Warriors rely on their three wounds each to make up for a mediocre Toughness and armour save, giving them their high cost per model. When you take that advantage away, they may as well just be Toughness 4 Fire Warriors at over three times the cost before upgrades. Riptides with Ion Accelerators are by far the worst unit to face for Warriors, while missile launchers, hades autocannons, pulsars, heavy wraithcannons, battle cannons and all other manner of guns terrify Warriors to no end. One of the most devastating answers to Warriors, ironically, comes in the form of Hive Guard, ignoring both cover and line of sight as they shoot their conveniently Strength 8 AP4 guns at 24" ranges. This is why Warriors are always a difficult choice to recommend, just because they can either face an opponent lacking Strength 8 shooting - such as Necrons - or see so much of it they may as well not exist, like against Tau or Space Marines.

Moving on, Warriors do have an otherwise really nice profile, but again one that doesn't really make them worth the expense. They are Strength 4 with three attacks each base, easily able to get five each on the charge through free weapon exchanges at the cost of any ranged presence. Their Weapon Skill 5 and Initiative 4 make them more than decent melee units even left stock, while their massive range of options - from Adrenal Glands to Flesh Hooks and Rending Claws - can boost their effectiveness to staggering degrees. I personally prefer to keep them cheap, but some have found success with Warriors as elite melee units that scythe through Space Marines, Wraithknights and tanks with ease. This usually involves a mix of Rending Claws, Boneswords and Toxin Sacs, though any mix of upgrades for Warriors will see their cost skyrocket well above that of Terminators and closer to Centurion levels. On the flip side, Warriors are mediocre shooters with only Ballistic Skill 3 and decent but hardly top notch guns. A Warrior with a Devourer has a three shot 18" gun at Strength 4 with no AP that hits on 4s without modifiers, compared to a Fire Warrior with a pulse rifle that has a 30" gun at Strength 5 with AP5 that hits on 4s with far more easily accessed modifiers and a second shot at 15". When you factor in that a Warrior is more than three times the cost of a Fire Warrior, the basic infantry of another codex, Warriors are out-classed by a very significant margin by the ranged Troops choices of other codices in shooting. Their damage output just isn't that high, and their survivability is basically reliant on an opponent lacking instant death attacks, but that isn't all there is to Warriors. They are your most easily accessed, and one of the cheapest, Synapse units and give out that potent anti-psyker Shadow in the Warp bubble as an obvious extra. Like a Tyranid Prime or a Zoanthrope, it is their Synapse generation ability that makes them worthwhile above almost all their other abilities. They are there to provide extra Synapse when your big monsters inevitably go down, and they do a decent - if uninspiring - job of it, provided you keep them cheap. Warriors are essentially a false trap; they lure you in with many cool upgrades, but you should really just keep them stock.


How to Equip Them

As Warriors pay the same price for weaponry as a Tyranid Prime or Hive Tyrant does, I tend to avoid the melee centric upgrades as they are very expensive and far more valuable for other units. Rending Claws are cheap and far more worthwhile than Scything Talons, so I would recommend them on a few Warriors in a unit so that they can threaten vehicles and medium infantry in combat. One or two Boneswords paired up with Toxin Sacs for every four or five Warriors in a unit can give them a nice, if unreliable answer to monstrous creatures with 3+ armour saves such as Wraithknights and Daemon Princes. Still, Boneswords are expensive, and Warriors really don't have any reliable means to reach combat, so they are more of a utility upgrade in a medium sized squad of five or more Warriors. Lash Whips and Boneswords really aren't necessary or worthwhile I feel, especially as a bonesword with flesh hooks negates the disadvantages of charging through terrain - which is more important for an Initiative 4 unit - and is slightly cheaper. Lash Whips require the use of flesh hooks to really be worthwhile, and adding those two upgrades to any single Warrior almost doubles their base cost. Investing in melee Warriors just isn't that worthwhile, especially as they aren't nearly as durable per point as Carnifexes, nor have the means of delivery like Trygons. Adrenal Glands and Rending Claws are what I would give to each model in the unit, with the latter an upgrade you can afford to spread around rather than invest in for every Warrior.

The limit of only one bio-cannon for a unit regardless of size is one of many reasons I prefer small three-strong broods for decently priced Synapse and light ranged support. Barbed Stranglers and Venom Cannons are both decent purchases, with the former using Pinning to be a nice threat even against Space Marines, while the latter is the equivalent of the small blast firing mode for a Miasma Cannon against Tau and Eldar. I prefer the Barbed Strangler for the Pinning, especially with Tyranids having so many abilities affecting Leadership, such as Shadow in the Warp. Pinning down a ten-strong Strike Squad with a small three-strong Warrior brood because they happened to be in Shadows range of a flying Hive Tyrant is very amusing indeed! The other two Warriors in such a unit can be left bare, or even just given Rending Claws to take down AV10 and AV11 rear armoured vehicles with four Rending attacks each on the charge. Devourers are decent short ranged weapons, with Spinefists being a free exchange. I prefer Devourers for the extra 6" range and Strength 4, but the twin-linking on Spinefists and AP5 means that it isn't as easy a choice as it used to be. Deathspitters are the other ranged option, being Strength 5 and AP5 with that 18" range, but also being a (cheap) paid for upgrade. I tend to want to shave as many points off of Warriors brood as possible as trying to kit them out just makes them even more inefficient Terminator equivalents with neither the durability or the overall offensive grunt - and Terminators aren't even that great themselves! If you are sold on a melee unit, I recommend Adrenal Glands first and foremost more for the Fleet than Strength 5, though the latter effect is certainly very handy - especially when combined with Rending Claws. Keep the Warriors as cheap as possible after the Adrenal Glands, with maybe a few Rending Claws on each model. You can exchange the Devourers for free Scything Talons so that each Warrior has five attacks each on the charge, but in nearly any situation, those three Strength 4 shots at 18" are far better, doubling as three extra attacks at range instead of just one.


Where to Put Them

Warriors kitted out for melee probably want to be Outflanked using a Hive Tyrants' Hive Commander ability mostly for their protection and a gateway into the flank of an opponents deployment zone. Strength 7 AP4 and Strength 8 AP3 weapons tend to be the truest bane of Warriors, and aside from Armoured Battle Companies and Farsight Enclave lists, such weapons usually aren't seen throughout the majority of an army list. Use the turns that the Warriors are off the board - and even their own alpha strike when they arrive, provided they aren't destroyed by Interceptor shooting - to try and destroy such units if at all possible, or at least reduce their numbers. If you aren't a fan of this tactic, use Hormagaunt screens and make sure to give the Warriors Adrenal Glands above all else. This will allow the Warriors to be mobile, have intervening cover from the relatively tall Hormagaunt models, and provide Synapse for the cheap melee hordes. This is probably the way that Warriors were designed to function in a standard Tyranid list, and while it is simple, I'm not sold on its effectiveness. As Synapse creatures that are so vulnerable to Instant Death, Warriors are a big and obvious target for opponents that increases proportionately based on how many models are in the unit. They are expensive, especially with melee upgrades, and aren't really as mobile or durable as they need to be to foot-slog. Keeping to cover, even without Move Through Cover, is probably necessary.

For a ranged unit, the same principle of keeping to cover applies, save that you don't need to worry as much about being slowed down as such units can ply their trade at 18" rather than in base contact. These units are cheaper, less likely to be left out in the open due to failed charges or wanting to avoid the movement penalties of cover, and do their damage at range, making them more viable in larger units. They aren't the most effective shooters for their cost, but they nonetheless work very well as secondary Synapse units for short-ranged Termagant broods. Their general 18" range for shooting means they can stay just in range and affect Termagant units with the back models 6" away from an enemy unit. A unit of three with a barbed strangler or venom cannon is a more expensive alternative to a Zoanthrope for hiding in your backfield to babysit the amazing Biovores, but they do get scoring in the deal to make up for it. This is where I see Warriors being the most useful they can be; as a cheap scoring unit that can wade through most small arms fire, offers some extra damage at 18" and in melee, can score a home objective and provides Synapse to your long range units typically dependent on Synapse.


Best Uses

Warriors don't really work as a melee unit as they are fragile against heavy weaponry of which any army can bring lots of, even rival Tyranids, and the removal of Mycetic Spores means Warriors have no real way to make combat reliably. They can be Outflanked with Hive Commander to provide a probable turn three charge, as well as forward Synapse for fast Gargoyle and Hormagaunt broods. They are vulnerable to many Interceptor weapons though, with even an Icarus Lascannon reliably killing one outright, and being off the game board for one or two turns isn't too likely to save them if your opponent really wants to focus them down. If you can reliably neuter heavy fire with Strength 8 weapons, such as flying Hive Tyrants charging Devastator equivalents, Mawlocs popping up in the middle of units and killing heavy weapon bearers, or Crones killing off key Pathfinders, then this isn't a bad use of them at all. This is still reliant on a lot of luck, and the price of a decently kitted out and medium to large size unit is excessive once Flesh Hooks - for the near-mandatory assault grenades - and extra melee weapons are accounted for. Small broods may be cheap even with some melee upgrades, but they are woefully fragile and can be dealt with easily at range. Medium sized broods are a threat to most units in combat aside from medium to heavy vehicles and high Initiative monstrous creatures with lots of attacks, though they are very expensive and each model lost is a big blow. Large broods are too unwieldy, expensive and vulnerable to Strength 8 shooting to really be worthwhile, and even massed autocannon or missile pod fire will slaughter them. As a unit, they just have too many hard counters to recommend in a melee-centric role at any unit size. Even with Hive Commander, you have to hope you can neutralize your opponents heavy ranged firepower, and that the Warriors won't simply be fed cheap fodder units or even get near enough to valuable enemy units.

For these reasons, I advocate ranged Warriors above all else. Of course Warriors can only shoot one weapon, so keeping that free pair of Scything Talons is ideal - again though, one pair of Rending Claws for every three Warriors in a unit is a good idea for vehicle hunting. Always take a bio-cannon, they are appropriately costed and the long range allows Warriors to deal some damage and maybe Pin a unit in place before they get into range with most of their guns. Otherwise, keeping the Devourers is I feel the best bet as they are free, they have an 18" range which allows them to get in range of other shooters with much greater ease and their Strength 4 is nice and solid. Spinefists are too short ranged for a unit lacking Mycetic Spores and will just get laughed at by bolter-armed Space Marines, while Deathspitters add even more points - if not too many, thankfully - to a unit that is already more expensive than it should be. My ideal use of Warriors is a small unit of three armed with either a barbed strangler or a venom cannon and nothing else, sitting on a home-field objective and hiding out of sight. This is the cheapest self-reliant scoring unit Tyranids have access to, and that each model puts out four Strength 4 attacks - after six Strength 4 shots and one small blast - each on the charge means they can scare off minor disruption and weak tarpit units. They can move out a bit to pop off a 36" small blast with the hopes of Pinning or doing a few wounds here or there, and they can even try to get into the rear armour of a transport and destroy it with some luck. They don't really need support if they stay in the backfield, especially as they are Synapse creatures, and can even provide Synapse for nearby Biovores and Tyrannofexes armed with Rupture Cannons. You can use them behind intervening Hormagaunt or Termagant swarms as cheap support Synapse units to a primary beast such as a Tervigon, and opponents will likely ignore them in favour of the larger beast. Overall, players need to identify the use of Warriors as cheap Synapse and ranged support nodes, not as the expensive Terminator equivalents all their options might trick you into.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Warriors (3) - Barbed Strangler - This is a cheap little unit that functions as a backfield Synapse unit for Biovores and provides a pretty decent large blast AP5 weapon with Pinning. They don't need anything else to do their job, and they can even sit on an objective out of sight.

Warriors (6) - Barbed Strangler, two Rending Claws - This is double the cost of the previous unit, but with double the models and shooting. Not bad, especially as the two sets of Rending Claws give them some extra punch in combat. Use these as your main scoring unit supported by Carnifex broods and Tyrannofexes.


Scions of the Swarm

The web of Synapse spreads throughout a Hive Fleet through many living links, creatures possessed by the pure will of the Hive Mind. From the Norn Queens and Dominatrixes to the Hive Tyrants and Zoanthropes, Synapse is the great equalizer, the bond that unites all Tyranids to the singular purpose of destruction. In battle, the Warrior beasts are the most common Synapse nodes, twice the size of any normal man and wielding advanced bio-weapons. They are deceptively dangerous and driven always by the alien Hive Mind, being the most adaptable and proficient of all Tyranids. In the absence of a Tyrant Lord, it is the Warriors that lead a Swarm, guiding skirmishes and evolving into Tyranid Primes to lead fully fledged armies to battle.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! There are many dark portents of an impending Tyranid invasion, but none are more sinister than in infestation by the nefarious Genestealers. Weaving their way undetected through planetary defences and civilian populations, these humanoid creatures intermingle with the local populace, using telepathy and various disgusting measures to gain control of millions of citizens. These innocents are purged of their humanity and give birth to revolting hybrids, eventually leading to many planetary uprisings to destabilize and demoralize the planet, making it easy prey for the Hive Fleets. I hope you enjoy this article!


Genestealers

Overview

Billed as a frighteningly strong melee unit, Genestealers are the clearest example of a glass cannon in the Tyranid codex. They do quite a bit of damage against most enemy types once they reach combat, but actually making it there with Genestealers is quite a challenge. But first, let us look at what makes these terrors tick. Each Genestealer has a crazy good Weapon Skill and Initiative of 6, rivaling that of most commander-type models such as Autarchs or Captains. They have two attacks each for three per model on the charge, and each Genestealer is equipped with Rending Claws. This allows them to cut through lightly armoured tarpit units quickly, generally striking first, hitting on 3s and having AP5 attacks. The extra effects of proper Rending make Genestealers a nasty surprise for elite units such as Terminators, Broadside Battlesuits or monstrous creatures like the Nemesis Dreadknight. Their Strength and Toughness of 4 is befitting their supposed equivalency with Space Marines, giving them a solid looking profile at first glance. To add to their good melee capabilities, Genestealers have more deployment options and speed boosts than most other Tyranid units. Move Through Cover and their low armour save means there is little reason not to be advancing through cover - at least until they get close enough to charge - while Fleet makes any charge they attempt much more reliable, as well as giving them a re-roll for Run moves. As befits their background, Genestealers have the Infiltrate special rule, allowing them to deploy closer to an opponent than usual or opt to Outflank. Overall, they look like a nice melee unit in practice that is quite similar to Striking Scorpions.

Unfortunately, that is where the issues start to pop up. Genestealers are as fragile as they come even with that Toughness 4, with only a 5+ armour save - increased to 4+ on the Broodlord - for protection. This means that template weapons, even the cheap as chips flamers accessed by any Space Marine unit you can find, will murder large swathes of Genestealers in one go. That's before even mentioning what Overwatch with the Wall of Flame will do. Heck, twenty bolter shots from ten rapid firing Tactical Marines will statistically slay seven Genestealers assuming no cover. Now, this wouldn't be such an issue if Genestealers were cheap, but no, Genestealers are identical in base cost to Tactical Marines in the new Space Marine codex. Now, comparing any model to a Space Marine with all their special rules and wargear is ludicrously unfair, but the point remains that Genestealers are just so expensive for what they bring. They really aren't that deadly in combat once you factor in how many Genestealers are likely to survive to even make combat, and besides, they lack assault grenades. Like any other high Initiative unit lacking assault grenades, it is almost painful to see Genestealers striking after a blob squad of Imperial Guardsmen that, sadly, will kill entire Genestealer broods through their Overwatch and close combat attacks. The final insult is that Genestealers lack any kind of ranged attack, meaning that unless they get into combat they may as well be sitting ducks. When you factor this in, they really aren't that good of a melee unit to make up for it. The saving grace for Genestealers is that you can take small broods of them and make the most of their nasty squad leader, the Broodlord.

Now we are getting into more friendly waters, as the Broodlord is a really good model for the points. For half the cost of a Tyranid Prime, you are getting a psychic - but not Synaptic - version of the same character with a few stat modifications, such as a higher Weapon Skill and Initiative but a worse armour save. Like the Red Terror but without the limitations of being Unique, Broodlords are Strength and Toughness 5 characters with combat stats that are highly reminiscent of a Phoenix Lord. Their 4+ armour save isn't great, but it is still worlds better than the 5+ offered by Genestealers simply because the basic weapons and templates in the game are generally AP5. The Broodlord is an additional upgrade to the unit and dissimilar to its previous incarnation where it was purchased as an upgrade for a single Genestealer. This means that a maximum sized Genestealer brood would have twenty Genestealers and one Broodlord, as opposed to nineteen Genestealers and one Broodlord in the previous codex. It mostly serves to make taking the Broodlord more expensive for smaller units as they have to take a fifth Genestealer rather than just four and the Broodlord. The Broodlord doesn't just bring the pain in combat, but through its sole and nonexchangeable psychic power, the Horror. This causes a Pinning test with a -2 modifier to a single unit within 24" of the Broodlord, a power that - due to its medium range - gels very nicely with the Infiltrating or Outflanking Broodlord. This can pin down Riptides, Devastator squads - watch those Space Marine players lament not taking Veteran Sergeant - and all other kinds of nasty ranged units. The Broodlord is really valuable and serves to make a useable unit out of one that would otherwise be almost unplayable. Still, Genestealers do have one unique trait to consider that could be worthwhile in certain army types - they neither confer Synapse nor test for Instinctive Behaviour. This makes them the only fully self-sustainable unit in the codex that isn't also a Synapse unit, which is always something to keep in mind and allows them to, for example, hold down a flank by their lonesome.


How to Equip Them

Genestealers are much more limited in the options they can take compared to Warriors, but honestly, that's a good thing in its own way. To be incredibly blunt, you aren't as tempted to add even more points to over-costed models. Genestealers can add Scything Talons to compliment their Rending Claws, a choice that I would actively recommend against taking. The reason for this is that it is a heavy cost for a melee weapon that is a downgrade on their stock Rending Claws, with the only benefit provided being the extra attack for having two melee weapons. Now, it might be worth it from that perspective, but look at how much other codices pay for those extra attacks on basic infantry. Genestealers pay double that amount, and extra attacks are not what Genestealers really need. Unless you like the look of the models with them, avoid the scything talons.

Genestealers can also take one or both of Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs. The former isn't so useful as Genestealers already have Fleet, hence its lower cost than usual, but massed Strength 5 Rending attacks on the charge do allow them to have a better chance against AV12 walkers and AV11 rear tanks like Leman Russ Demolishers. Toxin Sacs are the better overall upgrade if you are wanting the Genestealers to take on monstrous creatures and other infantry, though, with a permanent benefit in combat letting them pile regular wounds on with Rending wounds for extra spice. Ultimately, I don't think Genestealers really need any upgrades to do their job, as they are a decent enough unit in terms of damage output once they actually reach their target. The high cost per model makes me avoid upgrades because of their fragility, so I recommend just keeping them stock. The Broodlord has access to the full Biomorphs list, meaning it pays over seven times as much as Genestealers for Adrenal Glands, and over three times as much for Toxin Sacs. For this reason, and with the Broodlord already having a base Strength 5, I would avoid these upgrades. It can take Acid Blood and Regeneration, but the former isn't likely to do too much, and the latter is more appropriately priced for something like a Tyrannofex. Again, a Broodlord is better left with no upgrades simply because those extras are costly and won't really help the Genestealers out. Their main issue is actually surviving to reach combat, and even Regeneration won't really help out on that front.


Where to Put Them

On a conventional gaming board where there is lots of line of sight-blocking terrain, I see little reason for Genestealers not to be Infiltrating. This is the logical method to make the most of the Broodlords' psychic power, it can't be countered by Interceptor, it allows them to charge either at the end of game turn one or throughout game turn two, and it gives them guaranteed cover to advance through. About the only time I would advocate more for Outflanking is if the middle of the board or the area close to an opponents' deployment zone is relatively devoid of terrain, and only even then against a gunline. Forward moving forces like standard Chaos Space Marine builds are more inclined to move into the midfield where Genestealers can try to hide in what terrain is available and pop out as deterrent units to try and break up an opponents' advancing battle line. Otherwise, Outflanking against a gunline does spare the Genestealers a turn of shooting and, hopefully, they will arrive when many other Tyranid units are starting to reach an opponents lines, generally on turn three. The lack of assault grenades for Genestealers is a right pain, but they are expensive enough that moving from cover to cover - the self-explanatory Move Through Cover really comes in handy here - is a necessity due to their 5+ armour save. Don't charge straight off and expect to get in with Fleet, first account for Overwatch, intervening terrain and the distance required. Charge less valuable units if it means a higher chance of making it into combat and pray that the Genestealers don't wipe out the squad in one round. Hide as much as possible, even with a nearby unit, as long as it means less shooting is possible at the Genestealers.


Best Uses

Due to the high cost of Genestealers, especially once their low survivability and above average melee damage output are taken into account, I prefer to use them as small, stock standard units of five Genestealers with an added Broodlord. The Broodlord may as well be worth the other five Genestealers with that it brings to the unit, giving the brood some tough wounds and a pretty darn nasty character in combat. The Horror is what you really want though, especially since it is guaranteed for the Broodlord who can Infiltrate to within 18" or 12" of the enemy battle-line. Pinning down a unit of Fire Warriors or - the holy grail - a Riptide could very well save not only the Genestealers, but several other models in your advancing Tyranid army. Using one or two such units of Genestealers increases the chances of this occurring, and even Pinning a single unit in place could prove pivotal. A Bike squad with an attached Chapter Master, for example, can still be Pinned, albeit with a lower chance due to base Leadership 10. If you manage that, you deserve a pat on the back. Once the Broodlords' stats are factored in, I think this gives you the best, most flexible Genestealer unit possible, and one that isn't too heavy on the points. If it pins something like a Riptide or an R'Varna in place on the first turn, it will be points well spent. If it doesn't, it is a nasty little melee unit that can try the same trick again next turn, making them a decent distraction unit. For Tyranids, anything that can reduce the firepower at your main monsters and swarm units is priceless, and this is something that multiple small Genestealer broods can do well. I never recommend large squads of Genestealers, as the Broodlord is arguably more valuable than the five Genestealers required to take one. Genestealers are just too expensive and fragile to be justified as a melee horde; if you want such a unit, look instead to your significantly cheaper and more effective per-point Hormagaunts.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Genestealers (5) - Broodlord - This is your cheap "Horror" unit, using the Broodlord's awesome innate psychic power to pin nasty ranged units early in the game. This unit isn't too expensive, is very nasty in an assault and doesn't care about Synapse. Force your opponent to focus them down by trying to move towards valuable but fragile shooting units.


Terror from Within

There are many terrifying sub-species in the Tyranid race, but none are more feared or reviled than the Genestealers. Inhabiting space hulks, merchant ships and other independent vessels, the Genestealers forage ahead of a Hive Fleet in an effort to scout and sow dissent at the lowest levels of society. They spread among the civilian populace, hiding from militant action and using countless inhumane methods to spread their influence. Sprouting like a flame, they use telepathy to assert control over key individuals while they mingle with civilians on a most primitive level, giving birth to the Genestealer Cults. Mixing aberrations known as hybrids with those slaved to the will of a Patriarch, the Genestealers mutate the populace into many rebellious sub-factions, spreading chaos and destruction. As the Hive Fleet nears, the Genestealers themselves emerge, slaughtering any who do not submit to their will. As the rebellion swells, so too do Lictors and other vanguard organisms begin to emerge, preying on the fear and weakness spread by the Genestealers. Countless planets have fallen well before the lumbering Hive Fleets arrived due to the acts of these alien, merciless creatures. No threat in the Tyranid race is more fearsome than these masters of infiltration, capable of turning even the most resolute of worlds into a hell of infighting and anarchy.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! There are two primary organisms that make up the massive numbers of a Hive Fleets' invasion forces; the Hormagaunts and Termagants. Where the Hormagaunts are simple melee beasts, the Termagants are more careful creatures armed with ranged biomorphs. Their interplay with the monstrous Tervigon as well as their defensive uses with potential Overwatch and snap firing at Flying Monstrous Creatures gives them greater utility over Hormagaunts at the cost of strict melee effectiveness. I hope you enjoy this article!


Termagants

Overview

Termagants are one of two choices to form the key building blocks to an effective Tyranid force, namely cheap Fearless horde units that are surprisingly mobile and cost effective. Their stats may be unimpressive, with threes almost across the board, but their incredibly low cost per model when combined with the effects of Synapse makes them some of the most useful Troops in the game. They strike at Initiative 4 in combat, albeit with only one attack each and Weapon Skill 3, making them weak melee fighters. However, as cheap units backed by Synapse, they all of a sudden become the game's cheapest Fearless horde unit, able to hold up all kinds of enemy units in combat at will. They are also the only fodder Troops choice with a ranged attack, bring the Strength 4 AP5 Fleshborer that, aside from its 12" range and Assault 1 profile, may as well be a half-ranged Bolter. They might only be Ballistic Skill 3, but the amount of shots such cheap models can put out, all of which ignore the armour of Imperial Guardsmen and Ork Boyz, is surprisingly nasty. Their Strength and Toughness of 3 is typical of a cheap horde unit, and while a 6+ armour save is inferior to that of a Guardsmen, their stronger shooting weapon - albeit with half the range - and easily accessed Fearless as opposed to paid for Stubborn makes them more easily utilized in large numbers.

With the changes to Instinctive Behaviour though, unlike Guardsmen who can be somewhat self reliant, Termagants are absolutely dependent on a nearby Synapse creature. With their below par Leadership 6 Termagants are likely to fail such tests, losing you control of the unit as a start and potentially leading to them falling off an objective. When you consider that Termagants are your cheap fodder scoring units that can easily hide behind cover on objectives, having a unit in your backfield suddenly run off the table and forfeit that objective can lose you the game. Like anything in a Tyranid army, Termagants are reliant on some form of synergy to be most effective. Though Tervigons aren't really the best unit to pair up with them anymore, and Synapse unit from a baby-sitting Zoanthrope to an attached Tyranid Prime will be both integral and incredibly useful. Termagants evolve into one of the premier Fearless road-blocks in the game due to their crazily low cost per model once a Synapse creature comes within range, and using them to deter other light infantry with their ranged weapons is always viable. Termagants can even be given upgraded ranged weapons to bring more devastation, though at great cost; Devourers can mulch anything with a Toughness value of 7 or lower, though they double the cost of each Termagant per model. Unlike other infantry as well, Termagants have Move Through Cover, meaning there is little reason not to be utilizing terrain as they advance or remain static. An entire unit of Toughness 3 models with 5+ all the way up to 2+ cover saves - with the help of either Night Fighting or a Venomthrope - is incredibly difficult for most armies to shift, especially when many such broods can be fielded.


How to Equip Them

Termagants have several more options than their Hormagaunt cousins, something that is based entirely on the fact that they have ranged weapons. For Biomorphs, they have access to both Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs. The former I feel is the more valuable choice, giving Termagants both Fleet and Furious Charge, making it a more valuable purchase than for Hormagaunts. Toxin Sacs allow them to threaten Dark Eldar Talos' all the way up to the Wraithknight, but with one attack each they aren't as good here as they are for Hormagaunts with two attacks base each. This is of course why Toxin Sacs are slightly cheaper for Termagants than Hormagaunts, but nonetheless, I feel giving Termagants the capability to damage rear AV10 vehicles in combat as well as re-rolling their charge and run distances is more useful, especially for the same points cost.

Termagants also have their own little special weapon system, with one in ten able to take a strangleweb; a Strength 2 template weapons with the Pinning special rule. As nice as Pinning is, that it only activates at short ranges - where the Termagants are likely to charge the unit affected by the strangleweb - limits its usage. It won't do too much damage with its lack of AP and pitiful Strength, and again, Pinning may be nice but when the Termagants are probably going to charge the affected unit, I don't think it is really that useful. Pinning doesn't affect Overwatch, for example, and it has to actually cause wounds to even force that Pinning test. It is thus not going to work on something like a Riptide, and is unlikely to affect a unit of Space Marines or other unit with a decent Leadership score and Toughness 4. That it can get a lot of hits as a template weapon is its saving grace, and something to remember is that Pinning down a unit so that it can't charge in the subsequent turn - such as opposing Assault Marines, for example - with a Termagant brood can allow your own melee units to deal with a specific unit without interference. Stranglewebs are incredibly cheap upgrades, so there's no fretting over taking one and having it not do much; they are cheap, they have a use. They aren't really necessary, but they can help out.

The other ranged weapons have no limitation on the number per unit, and can be freely mixed and matched within a brood. Spinefists are the first option, a free weapon exchange that is effectively a Fleshborer with one less Strength and twin-linking for a Termagant with only one base attack. The reduction in Strength in exchange for re-rolls to hit is actually a decent trade with no cost, and something that I recommend if you prefer the look of the weapons. Against lower Toughness models and Toughness 6, the Spinefist wins out, and it is tied on damage output against commonplace Toughness 4 opponents. The Fleshborer has the capability to damage vehicles and the model itself can be recycled for use with Tervigons, so really, this all comes down to preference. Spike Rifles are another free weapon options, and one that - in modeling terms - is very rare to come by. It is Strength 3 like the Spinefist but lacks an AP value and the twin-linked, though it has an extra 6" range - for 18" total - to compensate. I'm not really a fan of these as having AP5 guns on your most basic fodder unit gives them a serious edge over the fodder units of other armies in a tug of war, while the loss of twin-linking isn't really compensated by an extra 6" of range, as nice as it is.

The final weapon upgrade, and the most interesting by far, is the Devourer, a weapon that is part of the base equipment for Warriors. A Devourer doubles the cost of an otherwise stock Termagant model, but makes each Termagant identical to a Warrior for ranged damage output. Remembering that Warriors are almost four times the cost of a Termagant armed with a Devourer, this not only makes Termagants by far the more cost-effective ranged unit, but also arguably the most devastating in the codex against anything that isn't Toughness 8 or a vehicle. Devourers not only combine the Strength 4 of a Fleshborer with the 18" range of the Spike Rifle, but they have a whopping three shots each, tripling the rate of fire of every individual Termagant as opposed to every other weapon option. Essentially, Devourers triple the ranged damage output of Termagants, but make them twice as fragile per point. I think the incredibly low cost of Termagants and their speed with Move Through Cover shouldn't be wasted, so with the ability to mix and match weapons in a unit, giving half or a third of the unit - say, ten out of thirty - Devourers and hiding them in the rear or middle of a unit is the best way to go. An entire unit armed with them will either be small to make up for the cost, or just too expensive for fragile Toughness 3 models that have lost access to Mycetic Spores. It is a testament to the effectiveness of Devourers - the points reduction helps - that they still remain perfectly viable despite the removal of a guaranteed, safe Deep Strike option.


Where to Put Them

As your fodder units, Termagants are one of few you can deploy in the open and care little for the ramifications. They are a cheap Fearless horde unit that, when spaced out 2" per model - just make sure to move them quickly in bunches then use rough space out measurements to minimize the time taken to move them - aren't as vulnerable to blast and template weapons as you would think. If they get intervening cover from, say, a Tyrannofex, or if they move into terrain where they are barely slowed due to Move Through Cover, they become difficult to shift very quickly. Plague Zombies are testimony to this, with only short-ranged Space Marine builds or those packing Thunderfire Cannons, massed Wave Serpents or common Tau really able to destroy such units with ease. Pack in nearby Venomthropes and the unit starts to become almost as survivable as Space Marines and, in some cases, even more so - such as against Riptides with Ion Accelerators that ignore all armour and your Toughness value if it is below seven. In any case, Termagants are a unit where you can afford to lose models; that is the reason you employ them. It is not for their mediocre or low damage output or their slightly above average mobility in terrain, but their inexpensive nature and how many you can field.

Use them to bubble-wrap - surround a unit with individually spaced Termagant models so that no charges, particularly from flying monstrous creatures, are possible to the designated unit - Synapse creatures like Hive Tyrants with Tyrant Guard, or those vulnerable in combat such as Exocrines and Tyrannofexes. Deter drop pods and reserves by spreading your Termagants out further to cover as much space as possible around your monsters and Synapse creatures, preventing the typical short ranged weapons carried by such units from destroying those units. Deploy Termagants within Synapse range at all times, and keep more than one within at least 18" in case the closest Synapse unit is eliminated. Declare charges at units first with Termagants to potentially eat up Overwatch so the other more valuable units are left untouched. Use Termagants to surround vehicles, but not charge, allowing a model such as a Carnifex to move in and hopefully wreck it, surrounding and instantly destroying the embarked unit with the lack of space to place models. Make sure to keep Termagants away from a Tervigon at all times - armies such as Eldar or Imperial Guard are easily capable of killing one in a single shooting phase - as you don't want to risk losing models to its 'explosion' unnecessarily. Don't be afraid to charge Termagants by themselves as long as they are in Synapse range; try to charge units such as Wraithknights or Riptides, if luck chances that they are nearby, and merely hold them up so that they can't devastate your forces in shooting. The Fearless special rule conferred by Synapse allows large broods of Termagants to hold down such destructive monsters for extended periods of time, usually for at least two or more game turns with a fifteen strong brood.


Best Uses

I see the best uses of Termagants firstly as a thirty-strong brood to unlock one Tervigon as a Troops choice for games between 1000 to 1850 points. Larger games favour the use of more Tervigons in the Troops slots due to the extra firepower, and thus the need for more scoring units, though regular game sizes favour only one due to the high cost of a Tervigon. The thirty-strong Termagant brood(s) you use can either be left bare to keep points spent on your Troop slot low, or they can be given a mix of Devourers - preferably ten to fifteen in a thirty strong unit - to give them some really nasty extra shooting. I recommend spinefists for the twin-linked shooting for the most part, but fleshborers may be the better "utility" choice with the ability to glance AV10 vehicle armour; either choice is fine, realistically. From there, I like using medium sized broods of Termagants, around fifteen to twenty models, as cheap but sizable scoring units. These units take up less than a hundred points each and are well worth the extra investment, though the need for more than one or two is low once a Tervigon is factored in. If you aren't a fan of the Tervigon, then I recommend taking three to four of these medium sized broods. This is so that each unit doesn't suffer so much from Instinctive Behaviour or a lack of Synapse once in combat as they would in larger sizes. From there, twenty models strong is still high and will give you lots of scoring bodies and ablative wounds for objective camping. You will want Termagants in all the roles detailed above; surrounding your own monstrous creatures to prevent mobile assault units or ranged reserve units from having free reign to target them; using them to encircle loaded transports so that wrecked results lead to "free" casualties, and; charging dangerous units so that they have to slog through your cheap Fearless horde units before they can actually do any real damage to your army.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Termagants (30) - This is your generic scoring Tervigon unlock unit; they are a massive brood of cheap and very cost effective Termagants, surprisingly nasty in combat and shooting against other light infantry.

Termagants (20) - Ten Devourers - Like the unit above, this is a nice and large unit, but one that trades extra models for seriously upgraded firepower. Mixing and matching weapons within Tyranid broods allow you to hide the valuable Devourers behind Fleshborer Termagants. They are nasty in shooting against other infantry and can charge after unleashing a salvo to finish units off.


The Skittering Horde

Even after the destruction of the Hive Fleet and the death of its Norn Queen, the presence of the Swarm is rarely ever truly purged from a planet. Hormagaunts forage in mindless hunting packs for food, while Genestealers prey on the unwary as they try to spread their infestation to other worlds. But lurking deep in the caves and ravines, hidden from any enemy presence, are broods of Termagants. Driven by instinct to hide and survive, Termagants will attack only when discovered and retreat at every possibility. Though this basic survival instinct disappears once they are under the control of a Synapse creature, it is nonetheless integral to how they fight. They do not charge blindly to their deaths, instead staying at range and fighting defensively. With their ranged weapon adaptations, they make the logical defenders of more important creatures in a Swarm, able to assail and harass before meeting the foe in combat. But when driven forward by their leader beast, the Termagants are every bit as frightening as their Hormagaunt counterparts, scuttling over obstacles with unnatural speed and firing multiple deadly salvos into their foes just as they clash.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Hormagaunts are the more aggressive of the two most common sub-species of Tyranids comprising the former "gaunt" genus, designed to overwhelm opponents in close quarters combat. But where other Tyranids are birthed in the Hive Fleets and spawning pools, Hormagaunts are born pregnant and lay eggs before rushing into battle. These new births quickly hatch and dive straight into battle under the control of a Synapse creature, but not before also making way for the next wave. Facing even one brood of Hormagaunts is thus a nightmare for defenders, as unless one can deal with the broodlings quickly, more and more will spawn endlessly. I hope you enjoy this article!


Hormagaunts

Overview

There are two sides to every coin, and the opposite of Termagants are the screeching and deadly quick Hormagaunts. These predators sacrifice ranged weapons for boosted damage output in combat, with AP6 melee strikes from their Scything Talons and surprising mobility for a foot-slogging unit. At a slightly higher cost per model, Hormagaunts have a bit to prove over their scuttling siblings. After all, Termagants can shoot, allowing them to force grounding tests on flying monstrous creatures, Overwatch, take some Snap Shots when they are Pinned and so on. Happily, Hormagaunts are statistically one of the strongest melee units in the book, with each Hormagaunt putting out three attacks each. Even with mediocre Weapon Skill 3, Hormagaunts in significant numbers - remembering they are even cheaper than Ork Boyz - can dish out an absolutely ridiculous amount of attacks, all at a high Initiative 5. They will strike before Space Marines, though this is reduced in value due to their lack of assault grenades. As with Termagants, they are also fragile Toughness 3 bodies with pathetic 6+ armour saves. The idea is not to upgrade them fully and try to keep them alive, but bank on how inexpensive they are and drown your opponent in bodies. Without Synapse support, additionally, Hormagaunts become far less effective. Synapse gives them Fearless which is just brutal on ridiculously cheap horde units, while their Leadership 6 makes passing any kind of morale or pinning test when outside of Synapse especially painful.

Sadly, Hormagaunts suffer more from Instinctive Behaviour even than Termagants, mostly due to 50% of the results the brood will suffer. Once they fail that test, the unit will literally start to eat itself most of the time, typically losing just under half of a unit once it happens. It wasn't enough that Termagants had to fall back, but Hormagaunts will actually sit in place and kill themselves; they are unable to perform any actions after damaging each other. Where Termagants rely on Synapse, Hormagaunts absolutely require it. Once in Synapse though, Hormagaunts become almost analogous to Ork Boyz at a slightly lower cost, one that can still be Fearless and thus hold up monsters like Wraithknights interminably as long as a Synapse creature is nearby. What makes Hormagaunts unique in comparison to Ork Boyz is their speed even without transports. Hormagaunts not only have Fleet for re-rolling their charge and run distances, already a great advantage for a melee unit, but they also add 3" inches to any Run move they make due to their Bounding Leap special rule. With Fleet, that means a Hormagaunt brood moving through open terrain has a total average movement distance of 13" to 14". Add in Move Through Cover and the distance covered through actual terrain isn't lessened by any significant amount either. Who needs transports when your basic Infantry move almost as fast as Rhino-mounted Space Marines, and are able to assault at any time instead of waiting a turn once they jump out? This is what makes Hormagaunts so valuable even without guns; they are so darn fast, cheap and damaging in combat against other infantry - and potentially monsters when upgraded with Toxin Sacs - that they put early pressure on any enemy list. Their speed is what defines them more than anything else, leading to turn three charges on average, something that almost no other standard infantry unit lacking a transport in the game can lay claim to.


How to Equip Them

Hormagaunts only have access to two upgrades; Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs. Hormagaunts already possess Fleet, so Adrenal Glands are cheaper than usual for these little critters. Furious Charge is still a worthwhile upgrade for Hormagaunts though, especially as it is actually cheaper than Toxin Sacs, allowing them to damage the rear armour of most vehicles. Getting a surround on a Rhino packed with Tactical Marines, for example, and wrecking it with massed Strength 4 melee attacks will lead to a 'double kill' as the Tactical Marines are unable to be placed. Toxin Sacs are better for actual close combat damage output and at only a slightly higher point cost per model, so I recommend Adrenal Glands more so that your Hormagaunts can actually threaten vehicles. On that subject, Toxin Sacs turn Hormagaunts into mass murderers, able to put unbelievable amounts of wounds on literally anything with a Toughness value. Having a stock infantry model with three attacks each on the charge - or four if they fail an Instinctive Behaviour test - with Poisoned (4+) on each strike is incredibly nasty, but it also jacks the cost of a unit up rather significantly. That is what you always need to keep in mind; taking either Adrenal Glands or Toxin Sacs on each model in a twenty-strong unit is roughly equivalent to fitting in an extra ten bare bones Hormagaunts. Are the extra models more worthwhile than the upgrades? I believe that the best use of Hormagaunts is as cheap, surprisingly fast Fearless hordes that are the most cost-effective melee unit in the codex. They don't really need the upgrades and the fact that they are a horde unit of cheap, throwaway models has me leaning more to larger stock units than smaller upgraded units for a similar cost. If you are going to go with either upgrade, I think Adrenal Glands is better if you expect mechanized spam lists such as Chimera walls or Wave Serpents, but Toxin Sacs give Hormagaunts the better melee boost.


Where to Put Them

Hormagaunts should be deployed aggressively on the edge of your deployment zone, even if it means sacrificing turn one cover saves. With their average 13" movement distance every turn, Hormagaunts are capable of making turn two charges against the more mobile or short-ranged gunline armies - such as Grey Knights - while they should be getting into combat on turn three against the long ranged forces - like Tau and Imperial Guard. With Move Through Cover, Fleet and Bounding Leap, Hormagaunts are one of the fastest assault units in the game, even despite lacking any kind of transport option. You can freely move into terrain or deploy in it with little chance of actually preventing a turn three charge at the latest, though going through terrain each turn does increase the odds that a turn four charge will be their earliest chance against a static gunline. One of the added benefits of using Hormagaunts over Termagants is their more up-rearing pose, making it easier to claim cover saves for intervening models with any monsters or other units surrounded by them.

They lack ranged weapons and thus don't really work as slow 'bodyguard' units that bubble-wrap - surrounding a monster with closely packed Hormagaunt models so that no attempt at a charge to the monster is possible - a gunline beast such as an Exocrine, though their speed makes them far better suited to performing the same job with a Haruspex or Tervigon. Ironically, that they are not affected by a Tervigon "explosion" makes them better suited to bubble-wrapping them, and their melee prowess can actually allow them to defeat - or at least bog down - flying monstrous creatures attempting to reach a Tervigon. Their inability to snap shoot - or shoot at all - does mean they can't chance grounding nearby flying monstrous creatures, but not worrying about imminent doom from a Tervigon's death does make up for it somewhat. Hormagaunts are likely to be too quick for your Venomthrope broods if you want them to make combat early, especially as Venomthropes lack both Fleet and Move Through Cover, but keeping Synapse creatures such as Zoanthropes nearby should be both easy and mandatory due to the 12" regular Synapse range.


Best Uses

I'm a fan of twenty plus sized Hormagaunt broods, not too dissimilar from my preferred unit sizes for Termagants, but with a twist. Hormagaunts can't really be taken in small broods like Termagants can because Hormagaunts both lack ranged weapons and have more punishing Instinctive Behaviour, meaning they really should be charging enemies and really need a Synapse creature. Hormagaunts are more expensive than Termagants because of Bounding Leap and Fleet, making them one of the fastest Infantry units in the game. I feel that not making use of this by having Hormagaunts rush forward to try and tie up enemy units as early as possible is a waste of their potential, and using them for home-sitting on objectives is just points better spent on cheaper Termagants. The only advantage Hormagaunts have for such a use is that they are completely immobile with their worst Instinctive Behaviour result, unlike Termagants that are forced to make a Fall Back move. Using Hormagaunts as cheap speed-bumps works for units of fifteen, but opponents will be more cautious of them than of Termagants because they will be aware of both the boosted melee capabilities of Hormagaunts and how quickly and reliably they can make it to combat. This is why I recommend larger units of Hormagaunts than I usually would for Termagants, and I am also a believer in keeping them stock as well. They are more likely to lose models as they come in because broods of Hormagaunts can tear apart almost anything on the charge that is Toughness 7 or lower. If you do have the points on a twenty-strong brood, for example, to take Toxin Sacs on each model, then all I can say is "enjoy the feast". I use Hormagaunts less as speed bumps but more as the forward scoring units that provide intervening cover for other advancing monsters like Carnifex broods, Tyrannofexes and Exocrines. They can still be used to hold up a Wraithknight or other deadly low model count unit for a turn or a few, just like Termagants, though they are a bit more expensive for that purpose.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Hormagaunts (30) - Do you need anything other than massive broods of stock Hormagaunts? Probably not. Termagants are the most cost-effective melee unit in the codex, combining serious speed for a foot-slogging unit with piles upon piles of attacks. They are your bullet fodder and are a fantastic cheap tarpit unit that can hold down almost anything once in Synapse range with Fearless. Heck, they will even mash most other infantry units when charging in decent numbers.


The Unending Swarm

As the Hive Fleet descends, the signs of imminent planetary extinction grow exponentially by the day. One of the earlier signs of its arrival is the uprising of massive swarms of leaping beasts, creatures that are almost mindless in their dogged pursuit of civilians and defenders. These Hormagaunts are so terrible a threat not because of how dangerous each individual is, but the incredible rate at which they reproduce. All Hormagaunts give birth before rushing into battle, and their offspring too are born pregnant. It is this inhuman (and silly) trait that means dealing with a brood of Hormagaunts is only truly possible if their spawning point is located and purged completely. Similar to Orks, Hormagaunts can infest part of a world and make it a death zone that only elite military forces can hope to cross. When they revert to their basic instincts in the absence of a Synapse creature, they become even more ferocious and adapt cannibalistic tendencies, devouring each other and leaving only the strongest to survive for when another Synapse creature restores control.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Rippers have been a staple of the Tyranid race for several editions now, and are one of the few Swarm units remaining in Warhammer 40000. Unfortunately, their luck in the past few codices has steadily decreased, something that the new book has failed to address. This does not mean they are useless, however, merely that you have to use them in very specific roles to enjoy and real viability out of them. I hope you enjoy this article!


Ripper Swarms

Overview

I'll preface by giving a sad nod to these little guys that could. Each new edition and codex just serves to make Rippers more and more unusable. I'm hoping the next Tyranid codex fixes this problem and makes Rippers a worthwhile unit again. In any case, Ripper Swarms are intended to be your third cheap fodder unit alongside Hormagaunts and Termagants, but with a twist. As the name suggests, they are Swarm bases instead of just regular infantry, and this comes with a lot of unique traits. First off, don't get any ideas about using these as cheap Fearless scoring bodies as Swarms cannot capture or deny objectives. Secondly, they are more prone to template weapons than normal, suffering double the wounds; if a flamer inflicts two wounds on a single Ripper Swarm base, that would multiply into four wounds and thus kill the Ripper Swarm base outright. The main difference between a Swarm base and a standard infantry model is that a Swarm has more attacks and wounds than normal, with Rippers in particular having four attacks and three wounds. Their damage potential is low, however, with a meagre Weapon Skill and Initiative of 2 meaning they will usually strike last in combat and be hit on 3s. That they have three wounds each is nice against small arms fire, but once you start seeing Strength 6 weapons, Ripper Swarms begin to evaporate. They lack an immunity to instant death and thus any Strength 6 or higher weapon - Wave Serpents with their cover-ignoring Serpent Shields will have a field day here - will kill them outright. With only a 6+ armour save, Rippers are incredibly easy to kill and thus require exploitation of their tiny model sizes to hide behind terrain.

What would be about chest-deep on a Space Marine will fully cover a Ripper Swarm base, meaning they can easily have line of sight blocked to them. Aside from being a tarpit unit against Strength 3 and 4 attacks, don't expect much out of Rippers though; they are a mere Strength 3, even with a slog of attacks, and their low stats otherwise mean they aren't ever going to do much of anything in terms of damage. Uniquely, Rippers - and Sky-Slashers by extension - are the only non-Synapse unit in the codex that is affected by Instinctive Behaviour and is Fearless. This means once they reach combat, they won't be going anywhere in a hurry if your opponent lacks Power Fists, Power Mauls or other sources of Strength 6 or higher attacks. However, they are still prone to Instinctive Behaviour, and as feeding organisms, there is a 50% chance on each failed Instinctive Behaviour roll that they will stop doing anything and just eat themselves. As Swarm bases, they aren't likely to lose too many models to this, but being unable to do anything is still a terrible result. Compounding the issue is their pathetic Leadership 5, meaning they will fail the majority of Instinctive Behaviour tests they take. As such, keeping them in Synapse may as well be mandatory, almost to the extent that it was in the old codex! Interestingly enough, Rippers remain one of the few Swarm units in the game that can take a ranged weapon, even if Rippers are hardly an ideal shooting unit. They also have access to a number of close-combat oriented upgrades such as Adrenal Glands, while they can purchase the Deep Strike special rule to give a Tyranid player extra flexibility in the deployment phase. I'm not really a fan of upgrading Rippers aside from Deep Striking though as they are pretty horrendously over-costed as it is and the only worthwhile upgrade is also the only cheap one.


How to Equip Them

Rippers are already expensive, so adding extra upgrades to them is something I would avoid, as they die easily just the same. Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands are the two close combat upgrades available to Rippers, and for the most part I prefer the Adrenals. Five Strength 4 attacks per Ripper base with Fleet is pretty decent, though you mostly just want the Fleet. Toxin Sacs, again, are the better overall combat upgrade if you plan on fighting anything that isn't Toughness 4 for more than one round, but Fleet from the Adrenal Glands does make up for this. Remember that Toxin Sacs also aren't as good for Rippers against monsters as you might believe; any monster can Smash, and many have a base Strength 6, meaning they can inflict instant death on Rippers with incredible ease. At Initiative 2 and Weapon Skill 2, most monsters will be hitting the Rippers on 3s and striking before they can. Rippers can take a ranged weapon in the form of Spinefists which, with their Ballistic Skill 2 and four attacks base, allows each Ripper Swarm to put out four shots at Strength 3 hitting on 5s with re-rolls. It really isn't that great, especially as you can take four Termagants with Spinefists for slightly less who put out the same number of shots and are Ballistic Skill 3. I would just avoid them, especially as they too are not a cheap upgrade, in favour of Adrenal Glands or the next possible upgrade. Indeed, Rippers can purchase Deep Strike as per the previous codex, and it is the cheapest upgrade available. If you want cheap tarpit units, keep the Rippers bare as upgrades jack up the cost of the unit very quickly. If you want a unit that is cheap, can drop in the opponents' deployment zone and maybe draw the attention of a small scoring unit or try and tarpit a Devastator-equivalent unit, then take the Deep Strike upgrade. The other upgrades really aren't necessary for Rippers, and while certainly helpful, they don't do anything to help their survivability against incredibly common Strength 6 or higher weaponry that will flat out murder Ripper Swarms.


Where to Put Them

Rippers, like Termagants, can be hidden behind an Aegis Defence Line and completely out of sight. Their Ballistic Skill 2 means they won't make a difference for an emplaced weapon such as a Quad Gun, but they can be used as cheap interdiction units that move from behind an Aegis Line to tie up a melee unit for a few turns. Even with Adrenal Glands, they are slow and far too fragile per model once their Toughness 3 is taken into account for instant death purposes to act as an aggressive tarpit unit. Instead, keep them around Zoanthropes, Tervigons or even Biovores as cheap hold-up units to give your other ranged or backfield units an extra turn or two to do their work in shooting. Hide them either behind other models or behind any kind of terrain; they are tiny for a reason and very easily kept out of line of sight. Another use I see for Rippers, even though it really isn't that great, is to Deep Strike in a forward position and as close as possible to those heavy ranged units that will want to ignore them, but can't afford to if only because they can be tied up for several turns. Pathfinders, Devastators, Heavy Weapon Teams and other such units are prime targets for these; they can either waste a turn shooting at your crazily cheap three to five Ripper Swarm bases, or they can keep shooting at the rest of your army and then get tied up almost indefinitely. With Fearless, once they are stuck in combat Rippers will stay there against those kinds of units, even if they won't actually do any damage.


Best Uses

The only viable use for Rippers that I can see is to hide behind terrain or the low-hanging Tervigon model to act as a cheap, bare three-model tarpit unit that is cheaper than any other such unit you can get and more durable against small arms fire. Have them move out of cover once a close assault unit moves within range of your more valuable unit, such as the Tervigon or a Zoanthrope brood, for example. Try to get in the way to block any charges to the valuable unit, or charge the enemy unit so that they cannot shoot. The other use is to take a medium sized brood of four or five bases with Deep Strike and drop them near vulnerable small scoring or heavy weapon units. These units will typically struggle to fight off Rippers in combat quickly, being tied down for a number of turns. As long as the Rippers are fired at or in some way draw attention from your more important advancing elements, from Flying Hive Tyrants to Tyrannofexes, then the Rippers will have done their job. I don't really see them as being effective in either role, but if you want them to actually make something of themselves, these would be the ways to do it.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Ripper Swarms (5) - Deep Strike - This is a really cheap and surprisingly tough - against small arms fire with assumed cover saves - tarpit unit that can deep strike into the enemy backfield and try and tie up or kill Devastator equivalents. They are so darn cheap for what they do!

Ripper Swarms (5) - Deep Strike, Spinefists - Almost identical to the above unit with one exception; the addition of Spinefists. With four attacks each base, this is a unit that puts out a whopping 20 Strength 3 twin-linked shots at Ballistic Skill 2. It's a pretty darn cheap ranged unit that can put quite a few wounds on Pathfinders and their ilk.


Carrion Organisms

In times of war, disposing of the dead is a grim but necessary task. If left unattended, the fallen attract carrion birds and disease, spreading sickness and death throughout the survivors. In most societies, these bodies are burned and given due respect as worthy foes. The Tyranids, of course, share no such concept. To them, the dead are merely biomass to be fed upon and expunged into digestion pools. So as to not slow down their advance by stopping to perform this task, the Tyranids came up with an ingenious - but brutal - solution; the Ripper Swarms. These tiny parasites leap onto both the living and the dead, tearing flesh apart with razor sharp teeth. Countless beings have been eaten alive by these numberless beasts, and though they are hardly warriors, they nonetheless are to be feared by any among the living.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Hive Guard are a blind Tyranid sub-species created for defending Tyranid feeding "structures" such as capillary towers. Though they aren't the most effective ranged unit, their survivability is rather high for a ranged Tyranid unit. I hope you enjoy this article!


Hive Guard

Overview

The first quirk one usually notices about Hive Guard is that they are unsurprisingly analogous to their kit-siblings, Tyrant Guard, in terms of stats. Tyrant Guard come with a higher Weapon Skill by one, a higher Initiative by two, and an armour save boost of one. But where Tyrant Guard are an exclusively melee unit, Hive Guard are built for ranged anti-tank suppression. Though they are only Ballistic Skill 3, each Hive Guard model is equipped with a stock gun that puts out two shots. The weapons Hive Guard carry are some of the most dangerous to vehicles that can be found, with a unit of three bringing up to six Strength 8 AP4 shots that ignore all cover saves, and uniquely do not require line of sight to fire. Ironically, this also makes them absolutely devastating against other Tyranids, particularly Warriors, Shrikes and Raveners that will succumb to instant death with no saves possible against Impaler Cannons. They tear light skimmers to pieces by ignoring their Jink saves and punching through their armour with ease. The only real downside here is the 24" range of the guns, but ignoring line of sight does mean the Hive Guard can set up in sight-blocking terrain and fire without penalty or retribution. Ballistic Skill 3, however, relegates them to a mediocre ranged unit as each Hive Guard model only averages a single hit in shooting per volley. They end up being quite expensive compared to other armies' equivalents, namely Devastators, in terms of actual damage output to points cost.

Where Hive Guard make up for this deficiency is through their durability and melee prowess. Each Hive Guard is a whopping Toughness 6 with two wounds and a 4+ armour save. Yes, their thick armour plating should give them a better armour save than something like a Harpy or a Fire Warrior, but they are still quite difficult to put down. This is especially true once you factor in that - when armed with Impaler Cannons, anyway - they can fire without needing line of sight and will as such usually safe from a ranged counter-attack. Yes, heavy weapons fire can and will put them down pretty quickly regardless of their Toughness value, but the fact that they can hide and still shoot means most heavy weapons won't be shooting at them in the first place. The real kicker for Hive Guard will be Crisis Teams with missile pods and Eldar Grav-Tanks that can quickly circle around and shoot them, though the cover saves will come in handy. At least, that is what will generally threaten them at range.

Combat is a different matter entirely, and one that might surprise most if they think of Hive Guard along the same lines as Devastators. With Weapon Skill 4 and two attacks each at Strength 5, Hive Guard can certainly hold their own in combat, even though they probably won't go anywhere in a hurry with the low number of attacks a unit puts out. That they are immune to krak grenades as they are not monstrous creatures and thus force opponents to use their basic weapons against their crazy Toughness 6, Hive Guard can stick around in combat for a long time. Ideally, you don't want them in combat, but with a 24" or lower range on their guns it is almost an inevitability against any kind of assault army. Even a single unit of Assault Marines can be a pain for Hive Guard, forcing a Tyranid player to neuter that unit through Biovores or other shooting. It is nice though that Hive Guard won't collapse in a heap as soon as they charged, unlike most Tau and Imperial Guard units. Another key point in favour of Hive Guard is their above-average - for Tyranids - Leadership of 7, meaning they only fail Instinctive Behaviour tests half of the time. With Hunt and their Strength 8 shooting, failing won't be so bad on the 4,5 and 6 results, but the lower ones will still force them to go to ground. That they need to be within 24" of opponents to actually shoot means they will probably be in Synapse range as most Synapse creatures do tend to operate in the midfield anyway.


How to Equip Them

There are three available upgrades for Hive Guard, with none of them really being that useful unfortunately. There are two more melee-centric upgrades, Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs, both of which don't really fit for Hive Guard no matter which gun they choose. They have decent melee stats despite being a dedicated ranged unit, but they really don't need any assistance there. You want them to be shooting almost exclusively, and giving them upgrades like Furious Charge or Poisoned (4+) melee attacks really aren't going to help. They just add unnecessary points to the unit, upgrades which they are unlikely to really use. The only option you should consider is the alternate weapon as a replacement for the Impaler Cannon; Shock Cannons. Sadly, these are not a great weapon choice, especially now that Hive Guard fully ignore both line of sight and cover with their Impaler Cannons. Shockcannons have a 6" reduction to their range, are Strength 5 and AP5 with one shot as opposed to an Impaler Cannons' Strength 8, AP4 and two shots. It is also a small blast weapon, meaning that it cannot be used to snap-fire for Overwatch or to take token shots against zooming flyers and swooping flying monstrous creatures. The only selling point to a Shock Cannon is that it has the Haywire special rule, meaning that it first inflicts a Strength 5 hit on a vehicle, and then a Haywire hit. This really isn't that good, however, with small blasts being even more inaccurate than the Ballistic Skill 3 standard shots offered by an Impaler Cannon. The small blast template is unlikely to hit a decent number of models unless they are clumped up, and is worse for trying to deal with pretty much anything aside from bunched up light infantry. If it wasn't for the Impaler Cannon fully ignoring line of sight and cover - even without available Synapse, unlike the previous codex - then it might be worthwhile. As it is though, it is a paid-for - albeit cheap - downgrade on the Impaler Cannon and should thus be ignored. Just leave Hive Guard stock; they don't get any real value out of any of the upgrades.


Where to Put Them

Hive Guard are some of the tougher models in the codex with Toughness 6 and two wounds each, though their 4+ armour save does make them very vulnerable to massed Strength 7 AP4 shooting typical of Chaos Space Marine and Tau lists. While you might be thinking running them out in the open - save against such armies, obviously - isn't too bad an option, you really need to consider just how great a tool the Impaler Cannon is. Ignoring both line of sight and cover without any drawbacks is fantastic, and something you should always use. The issue is that 24" range meaning that unless you are playing against an aggressive army list, your Hive Guard are going to need to advance into forward terrain pieces. They lack Move Through Cover or any kind of speed boost over standard infantry - you can take Adrenal Glands, but they are just extra points that I don't think are really worth it - and they are pretty darn massive models. Hormagaunts can obscure them, but I'm pretty sure Termagants are incapable of this. Using screening models, even actual monstrous creatures, to advance behind safely into a suitable piece of terrain is ideal. If you are playing against, for example, Chaos Daemons, another Tyranid player or a Biker army, then deploying in terrain and remaining static will actually work. It can work against other armies, but a static gunline can easily sit outside the Hive Guards' 24" range.


Best Uses

My ideal use of Hive Guard is simple; hide them in a ruin or behind some form of line of sight blocking terrain, and proceed to unleash volley after volley of Impaler Cannon fire into vehicles, Toughness 4 multiple-wound models and monstrous creatures, in that order. They don't need or want any of the upgrades available to them, and there is almost no reason to ever have them in the open at any point in the game unless they are going to be out of Synapse range otherwise. Moving out to charge a nearby vehicle just in case it survives their shooting isn't out of the question, but I generally recommend against it as it tends to make the Hive Guard an easy target. Toughness 6 is nice, but a 4+ armour save means any typical Tau list will just shred them to pieces with massed missile pods or high yields. With Leadership 7 and the Hunt result, Hive Guard can somewhat safely operate independently, though I still recommend against it. The "decent" results for Hunt will have them moving freely and shooting their Strength 8 guns at whatever is closest. There are very few things that are immune to Strength 8 shooting, and though it might lead to them shooting at 2+ armoured foes that can laugh it off for the most part, it is still a much better deal than most other Tyranid units get. The only thing you really have to worry about is that half of the time, the Hive Guard unit will simply end up being Pinned. It is definitely not something to marginalize though, and as such I do recommend keeping them in Synapse range. Their 24" guns mean they will usually be in Synapse range of something, whether it be a Tervigon, a Zoanthrope or a Flying Hive Tyrant, so this isn't too much of a concern as it would be for the longer-ranged Biovores.

That Hive Guard are so tough with two wounds each and a couple of Strength 5 attacks per model means they aren't exactly easy to dispose of in combat either, able to scare off your typical fast tie-up units. As far as unit size is concerned, with Ballistic Skill 3 each Hive Guard added to a unit will statistically add a single extra hit on average; three Hive Guard, as such, would hit three times on average without any modifiers. Tyranids do not have access to re-rolls to hit or Ballistic Skill bonuses which is a right pain; many have sworn off Hive Guard simply because of that unnecessary Ballistic Skill drop. I think units of two are preferable, giving you a solid and moderately expensive unit that will hit twice with their Impaler Cannons on average. It's not great, but combine them with a Crone firing Tentaclid Missiles or a Heavy Venom Cannon on a Carnifex and they should pretty reliably dispose of an AV11 or lower vehicle each turn. And unlike most anti-tank units, Hive Guard can fire and remain perfectly safe by not exposing themselves. That they fully Ignore Cover means they are devastating to Warriors and Raveners, ironically, though one does need to realize that they aren't the be all-end all counter to Wave Serpents. 24" range with no line of sight required is good, but Wave Serpents tend to sit up the back of the board anyway. Once they do close to start trying to unload scoring units onto objectives, though, your Hive Guard should prove pretty valuable.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Hive Guard (2) - A pair of Hive Guard is a tough unit that, while not the most cost-effective ranged unit, one that can hide and is pretty nasty against skimmers in particular. Two are a nice and cheap unit that are easy to hide.

Hive Guard (3) - As above, but with the intent to actually kill vehicles in one go. An average three hits with Strength 8 shots will wreck AV10 vehicles on average, as well as AV11 two hull point vehicles. They still aren't great in terms of damage output, but the extra shots give them more chances of getting hits.


Blind Sentries

The Tyranids are an incredibly advanced race, able to freely create and adapt new organisms and bind them to the will of the Hive Mind. They are the only known species that does not care for owning land, instead assimilating and devouring it to strengthen and survive. The horrific toll a Tyranid Hive Fleet takes on a planet is only fully realized as the great capillary towers and gestation pools emerge, feeding the Hive Fleets lurking in orbit and spawning more and more Tyranids to fight and consume. The Tyranids are not foolish enough to leave such critical positions undefended, however, despite otherwise caring nothing of such concepts. It is for this reason that the Hive Mind fashioned a sub-species of defender organisms, able to collect sensory data telepathically from other Tyranids and fire devastating volleys into any foolish or daring enough to attack such pivotal areas. These creatures are the Hive Guard, blind protectors of the Tyranids' foot-hold on a planet. They are massive and brutish, sacrificing even their eyes for increased protection. They are the perfect guardians for these edifices, and countless warriors have met their end from afar without even sighting these killers.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! The Tyranids are not above - or beyond, depending on how you interpret a species so alien - resorting to assassination to destabilize and weaken a planet, and Lictors are billed as masters of the art. Though it isn't really their purpose, it is still something they pull off frequently in the background. They are a fragile and unwieldy unit in-game as you would likely expect, and one with a plethora of special rules and cool abilities. I hope you enjoy this article!


Lictors

Overview

Sharing a similar role to Genestealers as part of a Vanguard force, Lictors are distinct in that they are multiple-wound models with an eye-opening plethora of special rules. But first, let me address their stats making them surprisingly analogous to a range of independent characters. They are Weapon Skill and Initiative 6 and are one of only two units - the other being Deathleaper - in the army to natively possess assault grenades. They will strike before most units and will have even Space Marine Captains hitting them on 4s. Their Ballistic Skill 3 isn't much to write home about but, with Flesh Hooks and one of their unique special rules, it does allow them to be rather nifty little tank hunters. Each Lictor has four attacks base once you factor their paired melee weapons in combat and a whopping base Strength 6, meaning they can pretty easily rip open Wave Serpents to Leman Russ Demolishers on the charge. If a Lictor brood manages to snare an Eldar or Tau character or, humorously, a Command Squad or Heavy Weapon Team - if you see them - then lots of nasty Instant Death wounds will follow. They may lack the Smash rule shared by monstrous creatures, but the ability to wound even Space Marines on 2s with no modifiers is not to be sniffed at. Where Lictors do start to lose some traction though is with their survivability; each Lictor does have a tasty three wounds, but only a 5+ armour save for protection. Toughness 4 and this low armour save makes them a "bolter bait" unit, with a salvo from Fire Warriors in rapid fire range backed by Markerlight support for Ignores Cover sure to put even three Lictors down in no time. Tau Smart Missile Systems are about the worst nightmare for Lictors, with a 30" range, Strength 5 and AP5 meaning they wound Lictors on 3s and ignore both their armour and cover saves.

Of course, Lictors aren't a typical "run blindly at the enemy" unit like Hormagaunts or one of the many monstrous creatures in the codex. They have a number of special rules to give them a place on the battlefield beyond a mere expensive, fragile melee unit with limited ranged options. Their Chameleonic Skin and Deep Strike special rule allow Lictors to arrive from reserves without scattering, meaning they can be placed anywhere that is 1" away from impassable terrain and other models and just sit there with a big wide grin on their faces. They can also Infiltrate - and consequently Outflank - giving them unparalleled deployment flexibility for a Tyranid unit. Their 5+ armour save is certainly meek, so they have a number of boosts for being in terrain; they have Move Through Cover and thus don't take dangerous terrain tests when they Deep Strike, nor are they slowed in terrain. They come stock with Stealth, giving them a 6+ cover save out in the open and a +1 bonus to any other cover save they get. Having Lictors in a forest gives them a 4+ cover save right off the bat. From there, Lictors are a very mobile assault unit with Fleet for re-rolling both their Run and charge distances that, paired with assault grenades, make them possibly the most "modern" melee unit in the codex - they care little for you cover camping xenos! They even have possibly the gem of special rules for assault units with Hit and Run, meaning they can escape less favourable combats and freely move out of one combat to engage another unit - or just get the charge bonus again! With all their deployment options, including no scatter on Deep Strike, Lictors are a unit based around dictating their own personal battles. They can hide in terrain and arrive from reserve wherever they want, and they can reliably make it into combats and then escape them whenever they want. Unlike Genestealers, they do have Instinctive Behaviour, though their Leadership 10 is certainly helpful in this regard. Lurk means they will fall back half the time, while the other half of the results see the Lictors being practically immobile. For an assault unit, this is really bad, but something you shouldn't have to worry too much about because of that high Leadership.

Lictors are also supposed to fill a distinct support role in the army, that of sharing their no-scatter deep striking with allied Tyranids. Their Pheremone Trail can be used by allies on the turn after the Lictors have arrived from reserves - making it more useful for Infiltrating Lictors so that your reserves can use the bonus if they arrive on turn two. It applies to units that want to arrive within 6" of eligible Lictor broods, though it is limited by the lack of units able to deep strike in the codex; these are Spore Mine Clusters, Rippers and Sky Slashers, Shrikes, Gargoyles, Trygons, Trygon Primes and Mawlocs. Both Trygon variants really don't need the bonus because with Fleet, a 12" ranged attack and no mishaps when they hit a unit, they aren't so fussed about scattering. Spore Mine Clusters obviously want the help, but they are a cheap sacrificial unit and it would be a mistake to take Lictors just for them, though large Ripper and Sky Slasher broods may prove worthwhile for this tactic. Gargoyles are better off moving up the field as moving cover for your ground and flying monstrous creatures, and I think Shrikes are a bit too scared of most Interceptor shots to really risk Deep Striking. Mawlocs, on the other hand, with their cover-ignoring Strength 6 AP2 large blast attack, absolutely love this help. The 6" range is rather paltry though and, once you factor in that the Lictors have to start their turn within 6" of a unit you want to hit, it isn't that great. Unless they are hiding in a terrain piece near an enemy unit, the chances of it actually helping a Mawloc out are slim to none. Lictors never want to finish their own turn out of combat and within such a short range of opposing units unless they are on the other side of a terrain piece, due solely to their fragility when out of cover. If you do happen to strike gold and get the benefit, then by all means, it will be worthwhile. But really, the chances of it actually working as you want are so low that, in general, I don't see Pheromone Trail as a reason to take Lictors.

The last aspect of Lictors to cover is where they will do the most damage; in close quarters combat. Each Lictor has the aforementioned Weapon Skill and Initiative 6 with assault grenades and three attacks per model. These are impressive stats that are usually only shared by Space Marine special characters, though of course the fragility of Lictors is what makes them a distinctly separate unit. Like almost any Tyranid, Lictors come with close combat weapons, though they have two pairs stock as opposed to one. These are Scything Talons and Rending Claws, meaning that Lictors actually have four attacks base per model and five each on the charge. These are certainly impressive numbers, especially as Lictors actually do come stock with Rending Claws. In fact, for raw damage output, Lictors beat out the identically priced Tyrant Guard - without upgrades - with their higher stats, an extra attack per model and assault grenades. They lack the survivability, of course, but it is an interesting trait to note. As an aside, forget about the Scything Talons; there is never any reason to use them over the Rending Claws. Ask yourself, do you want to trade AP5 and Rending for mere Ap6 with no Rending? Yeah, stick with the Rending Claws. Additionally, Lictors have Fear, if it really means anything. Fear is worthless against most dedicated assault units as they usually have Fearless, while all Space Marines have And They Shall Know No Fear. Monstrous Creatures are all immune to Fear, and that thus leaves very few units that you both want the Fear bonus against and are prone to it. Tau are almost universally hitting your Lictors on 5s anyway, while squads of Guardsmen - for example - are going to get decimated in droves by all the Strength 6 AP5 attacks anyway.

By the by, five attacks per model on the charge at Stength 6, AP5 stock and the potential for Rending, as well as their high stats, actually makes Lictors one of the nastiest melee units that isn't a monstrous creature for Tyranids. Though I recommend never charging Terminators with them, a brood of three Lictors that charges - for example - bog standard Terminators will dish out fifteen attacks for ten hits. They will wound about nine times, one or two of which will be Rending. This means three Lictors can pretty reliably kill about three Terminators on the charge before they strike, which is hardly something to sneeze at. Power fists will of course rip apart Lictors in a heartbeat, so I would never actually do it. Still, if you see elite units with only a few models - or wounds - left, then charging Lictors into them is hardly a bad idea. A Riptide against those same three Lictors would have to take about three to four armour saves and one to two invulnerable saves when charged, while it would need 5s to hit the Lictors back with its two Smash attacks. Not bad at all. If you don't factor in Overwatch, three Lictors will have a lot of fun against a ten-strong Tactical Squad with a bare Sergeant. Again, ten hits with about nine wounds, one or two of which are Rending. That's is about four to five dead Tactical Marines on the charge. Ouch! Their six to five attacks back will hit about three times, doing about two wounds rounding up, which the Lictors should fail one or two armour saves and still have two or one wounds left on a Lictor. Theoretically, Lictors can hold their own in combat against a lot of units. The issues emerge once you do factor in Overwatch and shooting at the Lictors. Overwatch with any kind of AP5 template weapon will cause at least a few wounds alone on the brood, while rapid firing bolters from a ten-strong Tactical Squad will do a few wounds as well. Lictors are fragile in shooting, and as such are unlikely - even with all their "hiding skills" - to make it to combat without one or two casualties. Once they do make it, most vehicles, standard infantry that aren't in high numbers, and even some monstrous creatures will be easy prey for them. They are essentially a glass hammer with a ridiculous number of special rules to make up for how fragile they are.


Where to Put Them

There are three deployment options available to Lictors, two of which will compete against each other based on what you need Lictors to do, and the third of which is consequently rendered entirely pointless by one of those two. One of the two unique special rules Lictors possess is Chameleonic Skin, allowing them to deep strike without scatter. As with Swooping Hawks, this is an amazing ability simply because Lictors can literally pop up anywhere you need them on the battlefield without ever worrying about deployment or movement. What isn't so amazing is the lack of an effective ranged attack or the ability to go back into reserves freely, but it is nonetheless a great ability to allow a pretty decent melee unit a shortcut into combat. The other main option is Infiltrate, letting Lictors deploy between 18" to 12" away from enemy units depending on whether line of sight can be established or not. This also allows Lictors to Outflank, the aforementioned third deployment option, but it is rendered competely null by Chameleonic Skin. Instead of staying in reserve, then seeing which table edge you come from, Lictors that Deep Strike can arrive wherever they please. There's literally no point to ever Outflank Lictors instead of Deep Striking them.

As far as which situations benefit Deep Striking or Infiltrating, you need to factor in what you are going up against and the terrain available. A lack of cover in an 18" to 12" outside the opponents' deployment zone doesn't favour Infiltrating if they are a gunline because they can remain static and shoot the Lictors as soon as they pop out. If there is terrain in that gap, then Infiltrating becomes much more viable as the Lictors will actually be able to hide as they advance so that they can reach combat. Against more mobile lists that rely on short to medium ranged firepower, such as Grey Knights or mechanized Space Marines, hiding out of sight and attempting a charge on these vehicles once they advance might seem an easy choice, but I recommend against it. Charging a vehicle won't see the Lictors tied up and thus able to survive from shooting. Unless it is something like a Predator or other valuable vehicle, I recommend against charging it. Yes, destroying even a cheap transport is nice, but it isn't exactly a good exchange for a unit that can cost upwards of a hundred points. It depends on what is in the transport and what kind of transport it is. If you face an Eldar player that, for whatever reason, moves a Wave Serpent or Falcon near your Lictors, then don't hesitate; charge it! Punish those mistakes as Eldar Grav Tanks are most vulnerable in close combat. If it is a Rhino packing Honour Guard or a Sternguard Veteran squad that can jump out and kill your Lictors once they come into line of sight next turn, you may as well stop their mobility. For a transport carrying a Tactical Squad, for example, you really have to weigh up if attempting to destroy their transport is worth the guaranteed sacrifice of the Lictors.

Deep Striking comes into play more against backfield-sitting Wave Serpent lists or static gunlines when you don't have that cover available. You can hide the Lictors for a whole game turn from Smart Missile Systems and other weapons that will kill them quickly. You can deep strike them right behind a Skyray or a Fire Prism and let loose with Flesh Hooks on their vulnerable rear AV10. Chameleonic Skin gives the most options, as Deep Striking anywhere you want - especially against lists with artillery or Devastator units, or full gunlines - without scattering can lead to their usage as denial units, mobile assault units or light ranged units. They are, like deep-striking Rippers, a unit that isn't too valuable or dangerous but are just threatening enough to either force an opponent to shoot at them or charge and tie up - or kill - a unit. By the by, don't ever run Lictors out of cover unless you are sure they are going to charge that turn - Fleet is very handy indeed - which usually means about a 7" charge range if you want to be safe. The reason for this is that they are 5+ armoured bodies at Toughness 4, meaning they will drop to small arms fire - even from a decent amount of lasguns - very swiftly. With Move Through Cover and Fleet, there's basically no reason not to have them in cover. If you don't think you can reach combat or make a shooting attack without moving out of cover, Infiltrate or Deep Strike the Lictors on to an objective and force your opponent to come to them if they want more victory points.


Best Uses

With most static gunlines able to hide back behind a no mans land zone and pound Lictors to death if they try to move up, and more aggressive lists able to use their transports to move around or just plow through the Lictors, I'm generally more a fan of deep striking them. They can be hidden on the first turn from weapons like Smart Missile Systems, and they can freely pop up wherever they want as opposed to - usually - 18" away from opponents. You can use their Flesh Hooks to try and get shots on the rear armour of vehicles, or you can pop up adjacent to Pathfinders and Devastators in cover. Arrive in the lower levels of ruins and, depending on the architecture of the structure, such units won't even be able to see the Lictors if they are on the higher levels. If you aren't facing Smart Missile Systems or a static gunline, then Infiltrating is also a good option. This means you don't have to roll for reserves, guaranteeing that they will be on the board when you want them to. Pheromone Trail helps for any deep-striking Trygons, Mawlocs and Trygon Primes you have, with the second in particular loving no scatter on deep strike. Though the 6" range is pretty minimal, a proliferation of cover should make this possible, especially if your opponent is moving their foot-slogging infantry forward. Baiting by sitting on an objective with the threat of a Mawloc arriving to support the Lictors can dissuade opponents from attempting to take it if the Lictors are well hidden and cannot be shot at until the opposing unit is in close proximity. But really, the lack of deep-striking units in the Tyranid army makes Lictors suited to a disruption role first and foremost, and for this, Infiltrating near to plotted advances by fragile transports or heavy ranged units with a short range is a good and simple use for them. Deep Striking with no scatter allows you to pop up near whatever unit you want and using whatever cover or blocking terrain you want. Ruins and buildings are your best bet with their higher cover saves and solid walls.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Lictors (2) - With no upgrades, I'll just delve into what squad size I prefer for Lictors. Two is the middle-ground, having six Toughness 4 wounds that mean they aren't so easy as First Blood or kill point bait, nor are they too expensive.


Vanguard Assassins

There are countless stories that Imperial Guardsmen spread among planetary garrisons of the many alien and supernatural threats that they, or others, have faced. Great monsters that can barrel through fortifications with ease; traitorous incursions from within by possessed warriors, and; the dead themselves rising again and again to the slaughter. But few are more terrifying than the dreaded creatures that form the vanguard of a Tyranid invasion. These stalkers, these Lictors, prey on the unknowing and the fearful. The shadows are their domain alone, shredding and consuming any foolish enough to get in their way. They are intelligent beyond the means of most other Tyranids, able to detect through instinct and observation the valuable individuals in any planetary defensive effort. Whether they make their name as brutal killers in the night, or as mere beacons for the Hive Fleets, Lictors are one of the last sights any human would ever wish to see. For any such unfortunate souls, their survival chances will be as likely as evading rain in a thunder-storm.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! As the Tyranids clashed with Eldar Craftworlds across the galaxy, new monstrosities emerged as cruel representations of the noble, dying race. Most prominent among them are the Zoanthropes, seemingly under-developed and by no means dangerous beasts. Nothing could be further from the truth though, as Zoanthropes are the psychic artillery of the Tyranid race, capable of untold devastation while they control lesser beasts with their Synaptic powers. I hope you enjoy this article!


Zoanthropes

Overview

Zoanthropes are one of the few dedicated psychic support units in the game that is also not a character, bringing great value despite being quite fragile. As the background and model depict, the stats are definitely unimpressive. It has a Strength and Toughness 4, like a Space Marine, and two wounds per model. Its Ballistic Skill of 4 makes for one of the more accurate ranged Tyranids in the codex, though its combat abilities are decidedly sub-par. Weapon Skill 3 and Initiative 3 is similar to the fodder models of other armies, with but a single attack to defend itself and no actual melee weapons - unlike almost all other Tyranids. But this obviously isn't what you expect of Zoanthropes, and truth be told, their profile outside of Toughness and Wounds matters little. At first impression, they seem rather fragile with only a 5+ armour save and an inability to join units - like Lictors except without Stealth and deployment shenanigans - but each Zoanthrope has a whopping 3+ invulnerable save. This makes each Zoanthrope the equivalent of two Tactical Marines against AP4 or worse shooting, while it also makes them incredibly survivable against low rate of fire AP3 to AP1 weapons. The trick here is that Zoanthropes have two wounds each and are Toughness 4, meaning they are very susceptible to instant death from massed high Strength shooting. A Grey Knight "Rifleman" Dreadnought with psybolt ammunition can easily put down one or two Zoanthropes per shooting phase with its Strength 8 shooting. Massed small arms fire, particularly from Strength 5 basic weapons on Tau infantry, is the real bane of Zoanthropes though. Again, each is basically two Tactical Marines in terms of survivability, albeit at over double the cost of the two. Nonetheless, an opponent likely won't be successful with "throwaway" shots into them with one or two lascannons, for example.

Zoanthropes are the only Synapse unit in the Elite slot, and with all the other slots in the army being so crowded, they will often be the first extra Synapse unit you turn to for more coverage. As a Synapse unit, Zoanthropes are more survivable than Warriors - as an example - in most cases, though they are incapable of bringing token long ranged firepower and high melee prowess. They are also among the most easily hidden sources of Synapse, like Warriors, though they are incapable of ever being scoring units. That a Zoanthrope can be taken in a brood of one technically makes it the cheapest Synapse option in the codex, which is something to be mindful of when combined with a certain building to be discussed later. Zoanthropes also generate Shadow in the Warp like any Synapse creature, and are thus a great weapon against opposing psykers. Ironically, Zoanthropes themselves gain their identity by being such powerful psykers among the Tyranids. They use the Brotherhood of Psykers special rule, meaning one model casts the power and only one model can suffer a Perils in the Warp, regardless of how many models are in the unit. It also means a single Deny the Witch is all that is needed to stop their power, but for the most part, Brotherhood of Psykers isn't too bad. Zoanthropes are Leadership 10 psykers, meaning they are as reliable as they really can be in addition to being Mastery Level 2 for boosted 4+ Deny the Witch rolls against most other psykers. Overall, with Shadow in the Warp and their high Mastery Level, Zoanthropes are useful just for cheap extra psychic defence. Zoanthropes generate two powers for the whole brood, and one is always Warp Lance. The Brotherhood of Psykers don't restrict this as much as you might think, as each Zoanthrope added to the unit adds an extra shot to the Warp Lance power, giving greater incentive to take more Zoanthropes. That they are a unit that can also take Dominion with no hassle attached is a bonus they have over Warriors, giving them easily accessed and reliable 18" Synapse bubbles. In that sense, they are also the cheapest Dominion casters in the codex.


Where to Put Them

One of the popular places to place a Zoanthrope is in a Bastion or building, the former being a purchase that guarantees you will have at least one of the latter. This is due to two main factors; the first being that greater dependence on Synapse across the army, and the second being that a Zoanthrope can freely take Dominion to boost its Synapse range. When garrisoned inside a Bastion or other building, the Synapse range of the Zoanthrope is measured from all edges of the building, giving it several extra inches of actual Synapse coverage. Boost its range with Dominion, and the Zoanthrope alone can cover a huge area in the midfield and your deployment zone. The Zoanthrope is also quite survivable inside, unable to be targeted by ranged attacks and with a 3+ invulnerable save against damage results on the Bastion or building. Purchasing a Bastion and a Zoanthrope is thus a great way to provide Synapse for your army without taking other Zoanthropes or Trygon Primes, for example. Deploy the Bastion at the edge of your deployment zone with the Zoanthrope right behind it at the door, allowing it to freely move in on the first turn. Alternatively, you can sacrifice a few inches to actually deploy the Zoanthrope in the building. In either case, the door of the Bastion faces your deployment zone and forces assault units to travel around it to get to its access point.

If you don't plan on using this trick, then I recommend keeping Zoanthropes out of sight as much as possible. Their 3+ invulnerable save and lack of Move Through Cover makes terrain and cover saves redundant for them aside from trying to fully obscure them from sight. Zoanthropes are tall but thin models, meaning they should be able to hide behind a Carnifex or the low-hanging Tervigon, though not much else in the army can hope to fully obscure them. You want them to be behind your main lines, providing either 12" or a boosted 18" Synapse from the edges so that they aren't targeted unnecessarily by more ranged weapons. Massed small arms fire is what puts Zoanthropes down more than anything else, and staying about 10" away from your Hormagaunt or Termagant lines should do just fine for this. Don't use Zoanthropes aggressively; they are a support unit, as good as having Warp Lance all the time is, and their fragility reflects this. If they get into combat they may as well give up, while any actual focused firepower on them will probably put them down. They are your cheap source of Synapse in the Elites slot, and provide helpful psychic powers to boot, so don't waste them by moving them up alongside your main combat units. They are, after all, psychic artillery and should be used as such; in the rear of your main units while staying in Synapse range.


Best Uses

In a standard competitive Tyranid army list, featuring Flying Hive Tyrants as the main Synapse units, I do really like Zoanthropes as the backfield and midfield Synapse generators for a number of reasons. Their 3+ invulnerable save means they can more safely sit at long range not worry about cover-ignoring high Strength weaponry, and it also protects them from attacks by monstrous creatures such as Wraithknights. They are tall models but are still easily hidden out of sight by buildings and ruins, and as pyskers they can reliably boost their Synapse range to 18". Warp Lance gives them a very effective defensive tool, able to deliver a number of Strength 5 AP3 small blasts to eviscerate minor medium to semi-elite infantry, or Strength 10 AP2 lances that can punch a hole in any vehicle in the game. This utility means they can defend themselves at range, though they ideally want to be sitting back out of the typical 24" ranged bubble for small arms fire that other armies generate. This is because as nice as a 3+ invulnerable save is, Toughness 4 with two wounds each makes them surprisingly vulnerable to pulse rifle and bolter fire. To counter this, many players are taking a Bastion as their Fortification choice for Tyranids and either deploying the Zoanthrope in it at the edge of their deployment zone, or deploying it a bit further forward with the Zoanthrope stationed just behind it to move in during the first turn. The Bastion is a building, meaning the Zoanthrope can embark and hide from all ranged attacks; damage results on the building do cause wounds, but the Zoanthrope has a 3+ invulnerable save. The Synapse bubble of the Zoanthrope spreads from every part of the building, and is one of the safest and guaranteed methods of protecting any Synapse creature. Regardless of how you play it, the Zoanthrope is an ideal support unit that can default to Dominion as needed for its second psychic power. Keep it behind your lines and try to hide it; don't worry about getting cover saves as its 3+ invulnerable save more than compensates.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Zoanthrope (1) - The "solo" Zoanthrope belongs in a Bastion, providing a boosted 18" Synapse through with Dominion that uses the large Bastion "model" for measuring the radius. This is the best Synapse node available to Tyranids and is quite cheap.

Zoanthropes (2) - Like with Lictors, I prefer to take Zoanthropes in pairs. They aren't too expensive, and having two halves the chances of them giving up First Blood.


Psychic Artillery

Zoanthropes are among the most physically inept sub-species of Tyranids to make their way to the Milky Way galaxy, incapable even of supporting their own weight. Instead, they are some of the most powerful psykers in the Hive Fleets, using the Hive Mind as a conduit to amplify their own considerable psychic might. They deliver crushing blasts of warp energy capable of eviscerating the mighty Space Marines and crushing tanks into mulch with ease, all the while generating a near impenetrable psychic barrier giving them unworldly protection against any attack. They are avatars of the will of the Hive Mind, projecting its will through their innate Synapse aura to the lesser creatures of the Swarm. Leeching the very life essence from other psykers, Zoanthropes are a twisted reflection of the strengths of the Eldar; even more fragile of body, but possessed of the ultimate psychic abilities.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Venomthropes are another key support unit that the Elites section provides, showing clear inspiration and similarities to Zoanthrope broods. But where Zoanthropes are psychic artillery batteries and Synapse generators, Venomthropes are built for providing extra defences to nearby Tyranids, giving them boosted cover saves to try and make up for the army-wide lack of invulnerable saves. I hope you enjoy this article!


Venomthropes

Overview

As with the name, one of the early conclusions to be made about Venomthropes is their striking similarities to Zoanthropes - at least in regards to stats, anyway. Their offensive capabilities are low with Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill three - though the latter only comes into play when manning emplaced weapons as Venomthropes lack guns - and only two attacks each at Strength 4. Their Initiative of three is mediocre, but it boosts up to a whopping six due to their lash whips. Like most bearers of lash whips though, Venomthropes lack assault grenades meaning the Initiative boost won't come into play all the time. They also have Toxic Miasma, giving them a one-use-only extra melee attack of sorts that is good at clearing out any fragile infantry they are engaged in. Considering Venomthropes are fragile in combat though and will fall to massed attacks of any kind, they probably won't get to use it except against very minor opposition or when they are engaged in a multi-charge with other Tyranid units. Their Toughness of 4 and two wounds per model are also shared with Zoanthropes, as are the seemingly token 5+ armour saves that are generally rendered moot by either units' own unique defensive abilities. Where Zoanthropes have a 3+ invulnerable save, Venomthropes have the Shrouded special rule. This means they have a walking 5+ cover save in the open, a 3+ cover save in area terrain such as forests or craters, and a 2+ cover save in ruins or behind barricades and defensive lines. While obviously not as good as a 3+ invulnerable save that can't be ignored by any means, having strong cover saves almost universally is still very good against many armies - Tau, Eldar and Daemons notwithstanding of course. Unlike Zoanthropes and more akin to Lictors, Venomthropes really have to beware Smart Missile Systems in particular; they wound your toxic dispersal dudes on a 3+ and ignore both their armour and cover saves.

Where Venomthropes really start to differ to Zoanthropes though is in how they function as a support unit, especially as the former does not provide Synapse. Their Leadership 6 and Lurking Instinctive Behaviour is quite an issue, meaning they will fall back half of the time that they fail one of their tests, while the chance of failing the test itself is also quite high. Panic! They are thus a support unit that needs to be kept in Synapse, unlike Tervigons and Zoanthropes that provide their own Synapse bubbles. However, Venomthropes have arguably the strongest support ability as they provide the Shrouded special rule to units within 6" - the main rulebook states that only one model has to have Shrouded for it to confer to an entire unit, after all! Giving your hordes of Termagants and Hormagaunts moving 5+ cover saves is a bit ridiculous, as is having six wound Toughness 6 monstrous creatures such as Tyrannofexes and Tervigons with 3+ cover saves for moving through any kind of terrain. The Venomthropes themselves are quite fragile, but while they survive, they provide an immense survivability boost to every friendly Tyranid unit within 6" which - once one remembers that Tyranids are almost entirely based around short-ranged foot-slogging infantry and monsters - is one of the best abilities in the codex by far. Any decent opponent will learn to focus on the Venomthropes first to remove these buffs from other units, so a smart Tyranid player will have to hide them from shooting as much as possible, whether through large intervening models or staying in buildings.


Where to Put Them

Before I start, let me just re-iterate that Venomthropes are fragile in the same sense as Zoanthropes, but even more so. Where Zoanthropes don't care about Ignores Cover weapons, Venomthropes are scared to death of them. Venomthropes are also Toughness 4 with two wounds each, and with no guaranteed 3+ save, they are even less durable than two Tactical Marines for the most part. Unlike Zoanthropes, Venomthropes need to be within 6" of friendly units - rather than 12" or 18" - to be providing their defensive boosts, meaning that trying to keep them a long way back behind the lines simply will not work. So, with that out of the way, let's begin. I don't recommend purchasing Venomthropes for units like Biovores and Hive Guard who will usually be hiding anyway, even if you also want the Venomthropes out of sight. The units that really need that Shrouded bubble are your basic units and monsters, the ones that slog up the field to the enemy to try and get in range with their short-ranged guns or melee attacks. These are your Termagants and Hormagaunts, your Tyrannofexes and Tervigons, your Carnifexes and Exocrines, and so on. A 6" bubble extending from each model in a unit isn't too difficult to keep in range of multiple units; use the 2" unit coherency between your Venomthropes to cover an effective 14" diameter. Only one model and even just part of that models' base has to be within that 14" diameter for its entire unit to benefit from Shrouded, and yes, this also works for monstrous creatures with their massive bases.

So how do you actually keep the Venomthropes alive within range of these units? First off, remember to always use intervening models. Only 25% of a model has to be obscured from it to benefit from a 5+ cover save, meaning Hormagaunts and Termagants alike give an obscured bonus to Venomthropes. Stack this with Shrouding and this gives Venomthropes an incredibly easily accessed 3+ cover save. This is the most obvious and general way to keep them alive. The next is to hide them completely behind much larger models, typically Carnifex broods of two or more models, or a huge monster such as an Exocrine or a Tyrannofex. Each of these can obscure one or more Venomthropes entirely if they are bunched behind the monster(s), keeping them out of sight from ranged attacks almost entirely - the exceptions usually being deep striking forces or fast skimmer flankers - and giving them cover saves if they are spotted. The next step is dealing with barrage weapons that don't give a rats about intervening models or line of sight. Here, keeping the Venomthropes in cover is ideal if you do see barrage weapons, as you should be doing with the rest of your advancing models. Venomthropes may lack Move Through Cover which makes them a bit slower than many Tyranids, but they will always be Running and so this shouldn't be too big an issue. As long as it isn't an Ignores Cover barrage, moving up through a forest or crater will provide 3+ cover saves against those weapons.

Template weapons are obviously an issue, but most aren't that mobile; the trick is to keep the Venomthropes centred between many other Tyranids, meaning most templates won't be able to reach them. Spaced out horde units can halt Heldrakes from getting into position anywhere near your Venomthropes even with an effective 20" template weapon, which is also a reward for being able to move your individual models very quickly while spacing them out. The big issue comes against Smart Missile Systems, of course, with their 30" range and four twin-linked shots that ignore line of sight, cover and the 5+ armour save for Venomthropes. These things murder Venomthropes, and the only real way to hide them is to embark them in a building such as a Bastion. While I prefer a Zoanthrope manning a Bastion for the boosted Synapse bubble, a Venomthrope in a forward deployed Bastion can provide cover saves to your advancing units in the first few turns which can still prove crucial. The more bodies you have in the later stages of the game, the more pressured their shooters become!


Best Uses

I feel the best application of Venomthropes is in a list supporting primarily Carnifex and Termagant broods just for the sheer ridiculousness of giving so many cheap bodies 5+ cover saves in the open, and 3+ or better cover saves once in terrain - which both broods basically negate. These units aren't too fast to outrun your Venomthrope bubble without compromising their own chances of reaching combat or an effective range for their guns, but nor are they plodding and expensive. The more models that you provide Shrouded to, the more valuable it becomes as the more models you can potentially rescue with cover saves. Keep a Carnifex brood in front of about two Venomthropes to block all sight to them, with two or more well-spaced Termagant broods on both the flanks and slightly in front of the Carnifexes. Give the monsters twin-linked brain leech devourers for maximum pain at 18", making them deadly hard to shift while dealing incredible amounts of damage. Realistically, though, any combination of units that moves about an average of 9" to 10" a turn is a good fit for Venomthropes; any faster will probably get out of range of their Shrouded bubble, or is just wasting points by not making the most of their speed. Hormagaunts are still quite ridiculous with easy cover saves, but keeping the Venomthropes within range can be tricky unless you sacrifice the Bounding Leap advantage Hormagaunts have over Termagants. Tyrannofexes in particular though are absolutely ridiculous with Shrouded, making for easily the toughest unit in the codex by the length of the straight. Their average 20" range with the Acid Spray also suits Venomthropes who don't particularly want to get within close combat range as they are a weak melee unit and more fragile in combat than they are against most shooting. I like the use of Venomthropes in a building, like the cheap purchase of a Bastion for a guaranteed building, but I honestly prefer Zoanthropes there because the Synapse bubble can make or break Tyranid armies. Extra defensive boosts are obviously nice, but having units fail Instinctive Behaviour tests can actively lose a Tyranid player the game, so I feel protecting and boosting your Synapse is a priority.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Venomthropes (2) - I am preferring Venomthropes in pairs, again, because they aren't as easy to kill nor are they too expensive. Besides, having two Venomthropes spaced 2" apart gives a really nice 14" bubble of Shrouded for your army, all for less than a hundred points. How many other armies can claim to do that?


Noxious Vents

The Tyranids are nothing if not ingenious predators, able to adapt to any environment and ensure its eradication. As alien as they are, one cannot help but respect - if in abject horror - the tactics they employ so that each world they attack is consumed. Once such disgusting practice is the creation of Venomthropes, living vents of toxic fluids and spores that infect and paralyze all enemy life around them. Much like poisoning a well or the food supplies of a garrison, Venomthropes spread their deadly toxins into the atmosphere itself to make even oxygen a weapon against those foolish enough to stand before the might of a Swarm. These tentacled beasts ensnare and capture those who attempt to strike at the heart of these noxious vapours, soon finding their folly as their flesh and minds slowly dissolve like a killer virus set loose. Though they are physically weak and incapable of self defence against heavily armoured foes, they emit a cloud of spores able to shroud both themselves and any nearby Tyranid organisms from enemy fire. The advance of a Tyranid swarm can be dependent on these creatures, acting as beacons for entire armies to move forward under duress with few casualties.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks
again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! The Haruspex is a bio-titan made purely for consuming any and all life that gets in its way, much like the Ripper Swarms that scuttle beneath its feet. Its great maw and ridiculously long tongue make it an instantly recognizable and entirely distinct model, but its rules sadly don't live up to such standards. I hope you enjoy this article!


Haruspexes

Overview

Ah, the Haruspex. Trying to cover this unit can be downright confusing. It is a monstrous creature in the Elites slot, allowing for the most fulfilling monstrous creature spam lists yet. It is a plodding melee monster with an unreliable, mediocre shooting attack and no presence outside of 12". It isn't too expensive and can thus be plonked into a Tyranid list without too many repercussions on how it shapes up. It isn't survivable enough to be a dedicated assault unit, and is over-costed for what it does. It can heal itself by making it to combat, a mechanic meaning that it doesn't have to purchase Regeneration. It really isn't that good of a melee unit, with below average Weapon Skill, Initiative and Attacks for any kind of monstrous creature. Hell, I think the biggest problem I have with this unit is that the model is downright awesome and unique, but the rules are generic of a cheap monstrous creature wrapped in a more expensive and ineffective package. Where Carnifexes are cheap and can be taken in broods, Haruspexes pay a lot more per model despite not being that much more useful and can only be fielded solo. Where a Tyrannofex has the durability and firepower to be a threat to your opponent from a distance while just being a pain to remove, the Haruspex is still missile launcher bait and doesn't do much damage even in its preferred assault phase. This is a unit that was padded with unique rules to make up for its high cost and below average melee capabilities.

But if that was a bit too theoretical, allow me to detail my problems with the Haruspex. And please, don't take this as a full-on negative "review" of the Haruspex; I am merely expressing why this is a unit that doesn't function like the designers obviously intended it to. So, first up, how do its stats measure up? The Haruspex is middling in this area, with Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill 3 meaning its melee and ranged attacks will usually be hitting on 4s, with Tau really being the only enemies that it hits on 3s in combat. Now, remember that the Haruspex is pretty much a dedicated assault monster with only a single shot 12" shooting attack that isn't even that good and is, as you would expect, unreliable with Ballistic Skill 3. Carnifexes get away with Weapon Skill 3, but they have masses of attacks to make up for it with brood capabilities, as well as strong ranged options to compliment those melee capabilities. Add in Strength 9 base and Carnifexes make up for that low Weapon Skill just fine. The Haruspex, though? Three attacks at Initiative 3, for four attacks on the charge at Strength 7 due to its Crushing Claws. Like I mentioned before, there are unique rules that try to make up for this, but they don't really function as well as you would hope in practice. The first of these that specifically tries to make up for its lack of attacks is Rapacious Hunger, generating extra attacks for each unsaved wound the Haruspex does in close combat. First up, four attacks on the charge with Weapon Skill 3 against Tactical Marines - a pitifully mediocre combat unit - leads to two hits for two unsaved wounds. Two attacks generated, one hit, another unsaved wound. No more attacks. This dedicated melee monstrous creature that is hardly a guarantee of making combat in the first place, a unit that takes up a valuable Elites slot, and it only manages to kill three Space Marines on the charge. What? Hammer of Wrath at Strength 6 is of course decent, but it is nowhere near as good as the D3 Strength 9 hits Carnifexes do. And by the by, Rapacious Hunger only works for close combat attacks, not Hammer of Wrath or Acid Blood. Ugh.

The damage output of the Haruspex even with this special rule is decidedly below par, generating only one additional casualty on average to add to two casualties inflicted with the regular attacks. Having Acid Blood stock does kind of help, but when used against the Space Marine unit in the example above, their Initiative 4 means that they will only fail one out of three tries. It isn't even guaranteed to kill a Space Marine when they do fail that test, with a roughly 66% chance to kill one. Again, dedicated close combat monster, inflicts only four unsaved wounds on average against a Tactical Marine squad, and that is assuming some luck with Acid Blood. Now, this wouldn't be too much of an issue if the Haruspex was either very durable for its points, had some good ranged presence, or was mobile. These are elements other monstrous creatures that work in assault have managed to nail down. The Wraithknight not only brings a shooting presence, but it is very fast and hilariously tough to kill. It can make combat and quickly while blasting foes as it advances. A Daemon Prince with the Black Mace is incredibly quick, devastating in combat, and somewhat durable if your opponent lacks Skyfire weaponry. It can even bring psychic shooting attacks if it wants to stay in the skies. Alternatively, some melee monstrous creatures sacrifice these elements just for raw insane damage output and a decently low cost, such as Skarbrand - able to massacre anything that gets in his way, but not really all that survivable, fast and lacking in any kind of medium to long ranged shooting.

So what does the Haruspex do to make up for this? On the durability front, the Haruspex is slightly below a Tervigon, with five wounds at Toughness 6 and a 3+ armour save. This isn't bad at all, just like how a Tervigon takes a while to bring down, so too will a Haruspex - especially against small arms fire. But here's the rub; a Tervigon is a support monster that can do its job while hiding out of sight. The Haruspex is a melee monster that only does its job when out in the open or charging into units. Tervigons are more durable and don't need to worry about closing with enemies to be useful to you, where a Haruspex cannot afford such a luxury. Its 3+ armour save and Toughness 6 make it missile launcher bait like most any other Tyranid monster, while massed plasma and any other form of high Strength shooting - from Fire Warrior shooting to Broadsides with Heavy Missile Pods or Wave Serpents - it isn't that durable when it comes down to it, not once you factor in its points cost. When you cut it down, the Haruspex pays about 32 points per Toughness 6 wound. Compare that to the Wraithknight that pays about 40 points per Toughness 8 wound. You almost don't even need to factor in that the latter is a Jump Monstrous Creature and has two Strength 10 AP2 36" ranged guns. For a dedicated assault monster, it needed to either be quick or durable, and as a regular monster with only access to Adrenal Glands to give it Fleet for slightly increased mobility, the Haruspex doesn't fit for either. Shooting presence? A cool but really unreliable Strength 6 AP2 shot with a tiny 12" range that hits on 4s due to the Haruspex' Ballistic Skill 3. It has this little rule where it has Precision Hits, meaning 1 in 6 shots will get to pick the model they hit from a unit. Colour me unimpressed. And as we covered earlier, the actual melee damage output really isn't that great, while the cost isn't that much lower than something like Skarbrand once you factor in the near mandatory Adrenal Glands.

And this brings me to my biggest criticism of the Haruspex; like melee Carnifexes in the 5th Edition Tyranid codex, it is an inferior monster for the points compared to the Trygon. Yes, the Trygon, a monster I think isn't even that great compared to most of the other choices in the Heavy Support slot, a unit that degraded in usefulness by quite a large margin in the transition to 6th Edition with changes to Fleet and its reduced melee capabilities. Mind, I still think the Trygon is certainly decent, but my coverage of the Haruspex and detailed look at it has made me appreciate it so much more than I previously did. For less than a fifth of the cost of the Haruspex more, a Trygon gets a whole lot of buffs congruent with the traits I deem necessary to make a good assault-based monstrous creature. Durability? The Trygon has an extra wound. Mobility? The Trygon can Deep Strike - and safely at that for the most part - and comes stock with Fleet instead of having to pay for it. Shooting presence? Six Strength 5 AP5 shots at a 12" range, also on Ballistic Skill 3. Factor in the Deep Strike and this means the Trygon can actually use its shooting attack more often, and it is about on par or better in most cases than the Grasping Tongue.

Close combat ability? The Trygon has Weapon Skill 5 as opposed to 3, Initiative 4 as opposed to 3, six attacks base as opposed to three, with the Haruspex only having Strength 7 and Armourbane over the Trygon's Strength 6. Is one higher Strength on a monster really that good though? An odd number means it doesn't inflict Instant Death against more opponents than the Trygon does, and Armourbane isn't really an advantage as a Trygon can Smash, going to Strength 10, gaining Tank Hunters and it will still have more attacks than the Haruspex. Yes, five attacks base with two melee weapons means that a Trygon halving its attacks with Smash will still have four attacks base or five on the charge, as opposed to the Haruspex' three attacks base or four on the charge. Let us get this straight; the Trygon is more durable with an extra wound and able to avoid shooting for a few turns by hiding in reserves, faster with stock Fleet and the ability to Deep Strike and pretty much guarantee an assault on turn three, an equivalent or better shooter, and a significantly better melee unit. To prove this, let us put that last one to the test against the same Tactical Squad. We know that with some luck through Acid Blood, the Haruspex inflicts about four unsaved wounds. The Trygon, on the other hand, hits roughly five times for about five unsaved wounds. That doesn't factor in that the Tactical Marines have a much easier time wounding the Haruspex as they hit it on 3s, while they hit the Trygon on 4s. Besides, Weapon Skill 5 on the Trygon means it will hit anything in the game on a 4+ at worst, whereas a Haruspex will be hitting increasingly common Weapon Skill 7 and higher foes on a 5+. Again, the points difference between these two is minor at best. There are about two advantages a Haruspex has over a Trygon, advantages that really don't help as much as you would hope.

The first of these is that the Haruspex is in the Elites slot and not the Heavy Support slot, unlike the Trygon. Heavy Support is the best slot in the codex, filled to the brim with quality units that demand you take them. The Elites slot has a bunch of great units like Zoanthropes and Venomthropes, but the competition is a lot lighter. This gives the Haruspex room to breathe and be taken, unlike a Trygon that will often be outshone in usefulness by Tyrannofexes and Biovores. The second advantage is the other unique rule the Haruspex has, and one that - again - isn't that great once you put it into practice. If the Haruspex inflicts even one unsaved wound in combat, it regains a lost wound at the end of the phase. Sounds neat, right? Well, it is. It's like free Regeneration with the exception that it is contingent solely on killing enemies in combat instead of a random roll. What's wrong with that? Firstly, making combat, as I feel I have detailed before. Secondly, the Haruspex' mediocre at best damage output. Inflicting unsaved wounds won't be an issue against generic Space Marines and other infantry, but against elite assault units or characters with high Weapon Skill and/or good invulnerable saves? It is hardly a guarantee. Against Lucius the Eternal, for example, the Haruspex will only inflict a single hit on average, and that hit - if it wounds - has a 33% chance of being saved. And hell, Lucius really isn't that survivable as good combat characters go. So, if you get into combat with valuable units that you want to take out, the Haruspex won't really do that well anyway. Thirdly, it won't save the Haruspex. Between shooting, grenades and melta bombs hitting on Weapon Skill against monsters, nasty combat characters, a proliferation of monstrous creatures and the Haruspex' mediocre stats, I don't think this will really help it that much. The problem is that it works at the end of the phase, meaning that even if the Haruspex kills something, power fists or monsters striking at Initiative 1 due to charging through cover can and will kill it first. Is it enough the Haruspex also lacks assault grenades?

So what is the end result of these unique rules, a mediocre profile and a relatively high cost? A unit that tries to fit the bill of dedicated assault monster, but is inferior to the ones we already have. It doesn't compare well to a Trygon in any way imaginable. It doesn't compare well to a single Carnifex armed with two Brain-Leech Devourers for straight usefulness. Heck, it doesn't even have any obvious support abilities to make up for its damage output deficiencies. Am I being overly negative here? Yes, but only to prove a very important point; the Haruspex is a monstrous creature that does not fit well into an army list. It isn't survivable enough to fulfill the role of bullet sponge - especially as it isn't even that threatening - it isn't fast enough to put early pressure on opponents and be a valid early threat, it isn't versatile enough to help against flyers or fast skimmers and jetbikes that can outrun it. It just isn't good at what it does. It isn't by any means a horrendous or even bad unit, but it is one that really isn't worth it, and one that the Tyranid codex didn't need. We have the Tyrannofex as a bullet sponge. We have Carnifexes as adaptable generalist monsters. We have Mawlocs for bunker-busting and mind games with an Ignores Cover "shooting attack". We have Tervigons for a flat support unit that can also hold its own in close combat. We have Trygons and Trygon Primes as the elite melee monsters that also Deep Strike. We have Harpies and Crones to provide flying aerial anti-infantry and anti-flyer/vehicle fire support, respectively. We have Hive Tyrants to be the elite generalist monster that doubles as a support unit with psychic powers and Synapse. With all that said, what does the Haruspex bring that makes it stand out, that gives it some distinct role that means it can be useful in any given army list? Sadly, the answer is nothing. It is a Carnifex without the shooting potential, the ability to be taken in broods, or the low cost. Insultingly, it isn't even as good in combat as a Carnifex. Unlike all the other monsters in the book, I can clearly - and painfully, as I love the model - say that the Haruspex can be outright replaced with other units, specifically melee Carnifexes and Trygons. There just isn't a place for these guys outside of trying to throw in extra monstrous creatures, and it pains me to no end.


How to Equip Them

Like Hive Guard, Haruspexes are one of two units in the Elites slot with access to options outside of simply adding additional models; in this case, they can take one tail weapon and a select few Biomorphs. Though the tail weapons are cool and make a nice return to the codex, I don't think they are worthwhile for the most part. The Haruspex in particular can take the Thresher Scythe, with Strength 4, AP4 and Rending. I would rather pay those kind of points for a proper extra attack using the Haruspex's Strength, Smash and so on, so I'm not really a fan. The Haruspex can take regular Biomorphs, thankfully giving it access to Adrenal Glands and, thus, Fleet. The re-rollable charge and run distances for a dedicated assault monster are pivotal, and so I recommend taking them on every Haruspex you field. Toxin Sacs are, again, the strictly better combat biomorph, but the Haruspex suffers less from making the most of its damage output and more from its inability to reach combat reliably. It lacks the durability of a Tyrannofex, the mobility of a Flying Hive Tyrant, and the Deep Strike specialization of a Trygon. The only real way to mitigate this is with Adrenal Glands, so always try to have some points spare to give it to a Haruspex.

Toxin Sacs are nice, but once combined with Adrenal Glands they add a lot of points to what is already a pretty costly monster, so they can be avoided. Regeneration is the most expensive upgrade, giving the Haruspex a 50% chance to regenerate a lost wound at the end of each of its own turns. Unfortunately, Toughness 6 with five wounds and a 3+ armour save doesn't lend itself as well to Regeneration as, for example, a Tyrannofex. I'm not really sold on this expensive upgrade in general because opponents know to focus down individual targets at a time, and Tyranid monsters aren't exactly the most difficult to kill in one or two shooting phases. To be fair though, this does make more use of Regeneration than a Carnifex with one less wound. But really, aside from Adrenal Glands, the Haruspex doesn't need any upgrades; they are just more points that don't solve its biggest issue in reaching combat. Besides, if Fleet helps it reach combat, then Regeneration won't be needed as it will more than likely get a wound back after each assault phase anyway.


Where to Put Them

Let me get the obvious point out of the way first; as a Leadership 7 monstrous creature with absolutely no shooting capabilities and only decent durability, suffering from Instinctive Behaviour would usually be a pretty big letdown. However, as it is a solo model at all times with the Feed result, a Haruspex will never end up stopping and trying to kill itself, meaning you can somewhat control where it goes. You won't be able to control what it attempts to charge if it fails an Instinctive Behaviour test, and you won't be able to Run. The latter is what really worries the Haruspex, especially if you paid for Adrenal Glands to get the all-important Fleet. Not being able to Run can slow the Haruspex right up and even lead to it dying before it reaches combat. So, long story short; have a Synapse creature near the Haruspex for the first two to three turns until it reaches combat, usually on turn three or four. I prefer the solo Zoanthrope in a Bastion with Dominion for this purpose on the edge of your deployment zone, as its 18" Synapse range measured from the Bastion itself should easily cover for the Haruspex against most opponents. On the short table edge deployment on a 6x4 gaming board against a Tau or Imperial Guard army, though, your Flying Hive Tyrants and the near mandatory Tervigon will be necessary for those extra few turns though.

So, assuming you take Adrenal Glands, what about actually moving up and deploying? Deploy in cover almost all the time as there is no real reason not to; Move Through Cover and Fleet should see a Haruspex not really being slowed at all, while getting those pivotal cover saves. Alternatively, Venomthrope broods obscured by a Haruspex itself are a good fit if you don't want to lose any inches. Always try to keep cover saves up, as a Haruspex is incredibly vulnerable to massed missile launchers, especially with only five wounds compared to a Tervigons' six. This should be possible with Hormagaunts against ground-level opponents, but the Shrouded bubble of Venomthropes - or actually chancing proper terrain - will be necessary against higher-up foes. A Haruspex should be able to beat most units in combat that aren't dedicated assault units; you avoid such units because of its low Weapon Skill and Initiative values of three. You preferably want to be fighting regular infantry without krak grenades or melta bombs, where a Haruspex won't eat the unit too quickly and thus stay in combat for more than one turn, while also benefiting from its ability to regrow wounds as it causes unsaved wounds. Its Crushing Claws give it an edge against a lot of Toughness 6 monstrous creatures, while Smash allows it to inflict Instant Death on Toughness 5 or lower enemies. Walkers and vehicles should be easy prey for a Haruspex, though foes like a Furioso Dreadnought with Blood Talons should probably still be avoided.


Best Uses

I see the Haruspex primarily as an additional monster in a "Nidzilla" - short for monstrous creature spam - list where it won't be the only, or one of few, big bug(s) on the table. As it does lack the mobility, Deep Strike capability or durability of the other melee-oriented monstrous creatures in the codex, the Haruspex really demands a lot of target saturation in your list to survive. Where a Hive Tyrant on foot gets by with its Tyrant Guard bodyguards, a Haruspex has to contend with being a monster - and one that lacks Synapse at that, not that it should matter too much - with no way to really guarantee getting to the opponents' lines. It has less durability than a Trygon and no ability to Deep Strike, and it is in no way faster than any other ground monstrous creature. You need to have other aggressive monsters to take the heat off the Haruspex that, to be perfectly honest, isn't a major threat in combat anyway. Tyrannofexes, Carnifexes and Exocrines are perfect for this, and compliment the Haruspex well. Where those tend to sit just outside of charge ranges to chew through opposing units with shooting, the Haruspex can close with Hormagaunt broods and other assault units to tie up and destroy any stragglers. Give your Haruspexes Adrenal Glands, and run either one or two of them. Unlike other units, the Haruspex is more just a fire sink for your opponent and thus you don't need to worry about unit redundancy with two units. You can get away with just one, especially as taking a brood of Venomthropes and one or more Zoanthropes is always a recommendation of mine. Keep Hormagaunt broods in front of the Haruspex to provide it moving cover, and make sure to give it Adrenal Glands so it doesn't get left behind. Support it with Synapse creatures as necessary so it doesn't potentially forfeit its Run moves.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Haruspex - Adrenal Glands - This is definitely my only real recommendation for running a Haruspex. It wants Fleet above all else to hopefully make it into combat where it should handle itself just fine. The other upgrades are almost superfluous in comparison. You can get away with running the Haruspex stock to save points - after all, you should be using it more as a distraction unit to add to your target saturation - but I think Adrenal Glands are always worthwhile for this beast.


Monstrous Feeders

As the Hive Fleet begins its final descent to end the suffering and life of a planet, so too are the most gruesome and dangerous monsters in the Swarm unleashed. Among these bio-titans and feeding organisms are the Haruspexes, massive beasts created for the sole purpose of consumption. All matter is both food and prey to the Haruspex, with its titanic maw and incredibly long reach. Able to pull a soldier from a dozen paces out of their unit and devour them whole with its long, piercing tongue, the Haruspex is a terrifying foe for any enemy. To glimpse a monster intent on consuming all in its path, and with the bulk and stamina to do so, can paralyze even the strongest wills into numbness - easing the task of a Haruspex further!


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! In the 5th Edition codex, Pyrovores were regarded as one of - if not the - worst units in the game. Sadly, fortune really hasn't smiled on these maligned beasts in the new codex either. They may seem more effective at first glance, but the loss of a certain unit in the 6th Edition transition has left them in the dark. I hope you enjoy this article!

I'm going to be frank and up front. Don't take this article seriously. We know the rules designers that worked on the Pyrovore didn't take that poor creature seriously either. Though it may seem like I am getting really worked up and going on a rant, I'm just trying to poke fun at the situation, which is that the poor Pyrovore is endangered. Am I a terrible person for doing so? Probably, but at least the call to save the Pyrovore might finally be heard!


Pyrovores

Overview

Oh boy. If you thought I was negative with the Haruspex - when really I was just trying to properly convey the issues I and competitive gamers have with it - then you haven't seen anything worthwhile yet. I guess I can confidently say "where do I start?" because it is the honest truth. When you buy a model for use in games such as Warhammer 40000, you expect them to be....perhaps not worthwhile, necessarily, but at least have a use. To have a point. To have some kind of purpose. And ultimately, this is where the 6th Edition Pyrovore, ironically, has to bow down to its 5th Edition predecessor. The latter had a delivery system to make the unit actually able to do something in a game. The former does not, and despite the points decrease and stat boost from the previous edition, the Pyrovore is now broken utterly. But this is a bit too theoretical, isn't it? I haven't really explained why the Pyrovore is "broken", nor have I highlighted anything inherently good or bad about it. So, let's have a look at its stats.

The stat-line of the Pyrovore is identical to that of the Biovore, with threes for the most part and a few fours here and there. Its Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill of 3 are middling, but not too important ultimately. The Pyrovore lacks a Ballistic Skill-based shooting attack and doesn't want to be in combat anyway. Its Initiative value is a pretty terrible two, and with two attacks base, you can kind of see already why a Pyrovore shouldn't really be engaging in close combat. Now we get to the good stuff; Strength and Toughness 4 with three wounds per model makes Pyrovores the equivalent of Warriors in terms of durability. Heck, they even have the 'iconic' 4+ armour save to boot. This isn't too bad, really, as it means a Pyrovore can stand up to quite a bit of punishment from anything that isn't AP4 or Strength 8. Three wounds per model is not to be under-estimated. Now, as Pyrovores aren't Synapse creatures, you can expect their Leadership value to be low. And oh yes, indeed it is, with Leadership 6 being equivalent to that of Hormagaunts and Termagants.

Well, the stat-line isn't too bad, right? It's kind of like a Warrior that isn't nearly as good in combat, and lacks guns entirely. Nor is it a Synapse creature. It doesn't have Shadow in the Warp, and it also doesn't have Leadership 10 by extension. Pyrovores also can't take any upgrades, meaning they are stuck with that they have. They need support from a Synapse creature as their Instinctive Behaviour of Feeding means they can kill each other when in units of more than one. They are pretty terrible in combat with three Strength 4 attacks on the charge at Weapon Skill 3 striking at Initiative 2 - unless they charge through cover, where Initiative 1 takes precedence due to a lack of assault grenades. They also can't go above a unit size total of three. So, ummm.....what do they have over Warriors, exactly? Oh, that's right. They are garbage impersonations of Warriors that don't have the support abilities to rescue them from mediocre at best damage output, and cannot be fielded by themselves with their Feed result. Really. What do Pyrovores get?

I'll tell you. They get a heavy flamer. It's called a Flame Spurt, but really, it's just a heavy flamer. Nice, a cool and strong template weapon! Right? Uh-huh. Now, let me carefully explain why this is one of the worst designs for a unit Games Workshop have ever conjured up, and why it is utterly broken. First up, the Pyrovore's only ranged attack is an 8" long template. That's fine in most cases, where units have transports, the Deep Strike special rule, the Infiltrate special rule, the Outflank special rule, and a bunch of other rules to make up for it. These units have what is called a "delivery system" either optional or innate to the unit. They can reliably get close enough to use the weapon you pay for, the weapon that defines their usage in a game. An example of this would be Wraithguard armed with expensive D-Scythes. On foot, Wraithguard are very tough and thus can survive a withering amount of punishment, but you preferably want them in a transport to "deliver the goods", so to speak. Typically, this involves purchasing a dedicated transport in the form of a Wave Serpent. The Serpent is very fast, durable and can pretty reliably deliver its cargo to where they need to be. Simple, effective. Another example is a squad of Sternguard Veterans armed with combi-flamers. This unit can either opt to take a ground transport, like Eldar - albeit less effective with a lower cost to compensate - or to Deep Strike through the use of a Drop Pod. They can be delivered to their target on the very first turn, unleashing a brutal alpha strike with their flame template weapons. Though these units are good in general, they really aren't that useful when foot-slogging because they are slow, there is no guarantee they will actually get to shoot, and they will just generally be shot before they can do anything.

Now, with what you just learned, how do Pyrovores - equipped with the same kind of weapon - get delivered? They are infantry, meaning they move your typical 6" a turn with perhaps a Run move - thankfully, they aren't Slow and Purposeful for no good reason like some units *cough, Mutilators, cough* I could mention. Ok, that's fine, because they are the same unit type as those Wraithguard with D-Scythes and those Sternguard Veterans with combi-flamers. They have a transport, right? Nope, Tyranids have no transports. Well....that sucks. But surely they can Deep Strike or something like that? Nope, Pyrovores are incapable of deploying in any manner outside of the regular form of deployment - in your deployment zone. So, wait, how do they reliably get close to enemy units to use their template weapons in what has proven to be - ever since its release almost two years ago - a predominantly shooting based edition? That's the question we all want to see answered because, ultimately, the rules designers never worked this one out either. Yes. Pyrovores pay an excessive amount of points - they are more expensive than Warriors which, after my earlier comparison, should come as a shock to any reading this - for a template weapon they are likely to never be able to use. They cannot get into shooting range of a gunline with any kind of protection. They have no way to get close to an enemy unit that itself does not want to be near the Pyrovores. Fire Warrior bases can just laugh at your Pyrovores, sit back at 30", keep moving back 6" a turn, and pelt them to death. It's not too outlandish, after all. Pyrovores just aren't that durable either. And no, I'm not joking. Where a Tyrannofex has its Toughness 6, 6 wounds and 2+ armour save to keep it alive to get into that 20" range for its Acid Spray, Pyrovores get....the same maligned survivability of Warriors. Concentrated fire of any source will remove them quickly, unless they are supported by Venomthropes.....but why anyone would waste Venomthropes to try and make Pyrovores work is beyond my understanding.

So how do you make this unit work? I don't know. I honestly do not know. I don't know what the rules designers were thinking when they made the rules for this unit. I am not even sure I should be "gracing" this unit with a tactics article. Why bother? Clearly, no effort was put into this units' rules, and I frankly find it disgusting after having to endure their abominable rules throughout the entirety of 5th Edition as well. But hey, at least in the 5th Edition codex the Pyrovores could see some kind of use. Yes, as much as them having one less wound, one less attack, a lower Initiative and a slightly higher cost might have made them an even worse unit on their own, the fact they could take a....*drumroll*....transport made up for it entirely. Or at least, made them actually useful in a sense. Take a pair in a Mycetic Spore. Drop them next to a light or medium infantry unit. Toast them. Become a relatively cheap distraction unit from there on that is good at clearing out infantry by running around your opponents deployment zone with two Strength 5 AP4 templates. They were bad for the cost, but at least they could do something. They were worse than useless without that transport, but with it, they actually began to feel kind of like.....a unit. You know, an entity in a rules pamphlet that allows you to use a cool model in games. How cool is that! Using those awesome models in games and having them do something! Well....I don't even want to start down that route.

On the face of it, Pyrovores just do not know what they want to do. They are a short-ranged disruption unit that has no choice but to foot-slog up the board, thus making them almost impossible to use in any kind of worthwhile manner. When you get right down to it, their practically namesake weapon is to blame for this problem. The stats aren't too bad once you get down to it; it's like a Warrior that isn't that good in combat and lacks Synapse. That can be fine, but you would expect such a unit to be a lot cheaper than Warriors to show how Warriors pay for those important Synapse, Shadow in the Warp and extended melee abilities. That would make sense. Heck, the Pyrovore isn't even that bad in combat, just nowhere near as good as those Warriors that they are confusingly more costly than. It has an Acid Maw special rule that allows it to make a single Strength 5 AP2 attack, kind of like a Screamer but without Armourbane. It's not too shabby, but nor is it really that good; low Weapon Skill and Initiative make it doubtful the Pyrovore can either make the attack or hit with it anyway. And these solo attacks are nowhere near as cheap as they are on Screamers who are also Jetbikes and have a useful 'slashing' attack for moving over enemy units. Their Acid Blood can trigger against low Initiative enemies, but with three wounds each, a single Pyrovore should be expected to cause at least one failed Initiative test on a Space Marine unit. It's not great or even good, but it isn't horrible.

The problem is, the Pyrovore is given a weapon that Tyranids don't really dole out outside of expensive monstrous creatures. The idea, obviously, was to have a Tyranid unit that could deliver template weapons on the cheap, at least compared to monstrous creatures - unless you count the Strength 2 Strangleweb for Termagants that is more of a finesse weapon. It's not a bad idea, just one that was executed, well, horribly. Tyranids are based around typing up enemy infantry so that they can't shoot your own units. This is done with horde units of cheap Termagants and Hormagaunts, while monstrous creatures plod up to finish the job in subsequent turns. Now, while Tyranids are evolving more into a ranged army with the new codex, most of their units do still fulfill this role. They are a short to medium ranged army that also does well in assault, similar in a lot of ways to Grey Knights. With that said, what exactly is a Pyrovore supposed to shoot with all that tying-up units in combat going on? Think about it. You use Hormagaunts and Termagants as mobile cover for your other units, including Pyrovores who - with their 4+ armour saves and Toughness 4 - are bait for most heavy weapons. You will sit the Pyrovores behind those units so that they can survive. But wait, those units moving ahead of the Pyrovores will get into combat with other infantry units. When and what is the Pyrovore supposed to shoot? This is why transports and the Deep Strike special rule are in place for similar units to Pyrovores; they allow those units to fire their template weapons without being blocked by friendlies. Pyrovores, though? No such luck. I've already covered the fact that Pyrovores are neither fast or survivable enough to make up for this deficiency, so I won't bother repeating myself.

I will close on this though, because frankly, I could go on and on about just how....infuriating this unit is to me. This is the grand champion of badly designed rules. This is a unit that cannot work in any meaningful sense in a game. This is a unit that was designed to do something, but can't do it and thus has no purpose in any army list that any Tyranid player could take. This is a unit that is, and I dread speak the word, useless. I don't know what else to say, I really don't. I guess the first thing is, why on earth was the Mycetic Spore not at least given a rules representation with a paid for Deep Strike upgrade for applicable units? That would have actually made Pyrovores not only usable, but worthwhile. Sure, they would still be nowhere near as useful as a Tyrannofex that performs the same job and does so much more, but they would be able to drop down and incinerate infantry units in the early stages of the game. Getting rid of Pathfinders and Dark Reapers early on is better than letting them do their dirty work for several turns, after all! But no, a unit that is pretty bad in combat, has no long ranged shooting and only a template weapon to even somewhat attempt to justify being costlier than Warriors who have all of better stats, access to upgrades, bigger potential units, better combat capabilities, better shooting, guns that can shoot more than 8", support abilities with Synapse and a nasty anti-psyker bubble - this is what we get, and we are expected to plonk them on the field and....sit there making frog noises. I'm sorry, but I absolutely cannot stand this. This isn't just a mistake or something to be forgiven, this is two editions in a row of a unit not being worthwhile, and now the introduction of a unique uselessness that I cannot gloss over. Is this fair? In Australia, I have to spend $61 Australian Dollars on one of these models. Is it enough that I ask to be given some usable rules to go along with it? Apparently not! And that's.....I'm done.

This is intended to be more of a light-hearted take on the very poor situation of the Pyrovore, a near-extinct species that is dying out an alarmingly rapid rate. Please, please take the humorous outlook of this article to inspire you to try and help stop the decline of the Pyrovore population. We here at Imperator Guides give our thanks to all those trying to preserve the endangered Pyrovore, and hope that our little friends can finally make it somewhere in the world!

Oh, I guess I had better address their other unique special rule, one that can potentially be hilarious for all players if you decide to take it as the rules are written. When Pyrovores are killed by Instant Death wounds, they "explode", for lack of a better term. Basically, you resolve the effects as per a vehicle explosion, with units within D6" suffering a number of hits for each model in the radius at a respectable Strength 3. At Toughness 4, this means Strength 8 wounds will kill them instantly. So, I have one thing to say. Pyrovores, that are supposed to be hiding behind your Hormagaunts and Termagants, can blow up and kill them? Well, I guess if you face a power fist, dying hurts your opponents models....I guess. Whatever. What you will be interested in is the nuclear aspect of this explosion. Yeah. This is down to poor wording of the rules, but as it is, when Pyrovores are killed by instant death weapons, they hit everything on the board. I'm not going to quote the rule because that would be illegal, but basically, every unit - no telling of which units specifically - suffers hits equivalent to the number of models within that D6" inch range. So say when a Pyrovore explodes there are six Termagants within 3", this would mean every unit on the board, rules as written, would suffer six Strength 3 AP- hits. Cool, right? Well, not really, not aside from just the sheer hilarity that the idea of "Nuclear Pyrovores" exists. Even if you want to play it that way, it won't help you as a Tyranid player. Strength 3 cannot harm vehicles of any kind. Guess which army solely lacks vehicles? Yep, Tyranids hate "Nuclear Pyrovores" more than any other army. The irony is just so....so....so delicious.


Where to Put Them

You want Pyrovores in cover to make up for the fact that they only have a 4+ armour save with Toughness 4, making them missile pod and autocannon bait. Heck, any kind of heavy weapon is going to do a lot of damage to these guys. Of course, unlike Biovores, Pyrovores are exclusively a short ranged unit and thus won't be doing anything useful by just sitting in your deployment zone, hiding out of sight. No, they have heavy flamers that are all they really have to do damage, unless you count their lonely Acid Maw attack. These things are as slow as any Infantry model without Fleet, and don't even have Move Through Cover to speed up their cover-camping advance. So, realistically, you have to use them defensively - which doesn't really make sense, when you think about it. Keep them near some kind of valuable objective camper in your deployment zone, such as a small brood of Warriors. Alternatively, they can be used to ward off pesky infantry units that can threaten your Exocrines and Biovores up close. Deploy Biovores in terrain near this unit and keep them out of sight until they can shoot something or at least, well, block them with their bodies.


Best Uses

There's only one legitimate way to use Pyrovores in the new codex. Sit them behind some kind of terrain in Synapse range of a Zoanthrope so that they don't eat themselves, and near another typical backfield unit - such as Warriors that also eliminate the need for a Zoanthrope - like Biovores for them to guard. When enemies close in, jump the Pyrovores out and unleash two heavy flamers. From there, hope they get charged so that they can do some Overwatch with their heavy flamers. No, really. Did you expect anything else? I guess you can put them behind an Aegis Defence Line and man a Quad Gun with their mediocre Ballistic Skill and decent defensive abilities, but that is really about the extent of effective usage for these poor sods.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Pyrovores (2) - If you are going to take Pyrovores, you should take them in pairs. One is easy First Blood for any Barrage or ignores line of sight weapon, two is a bit of a pain to remove and a nastier defensive unit without being too expensive.


Wall of Flame

Did you honestly expect me to write a fluff section about Pyrovores? I mean, I would like to, sure, but I honestly don't have anything to work with. Yeah, they get one tiny little paragraph to explain their odd physical traits. No mystery, no important battles, no reference to what species they originally appeared against or were developed to fight. What is there to write about that wouldn't just be some kind of reprint of what you get in the codex? Well, as you know, Warhammer 40000 is a "beer and pretzels" game that should be played to heavy metal music of some kind. If I'm going to give Pyrovores their due, I have to do it in the correct manner. So, without further ado, I give you; Pyrovores.

"Sarge, what's that big frog thing walking towards us!"
"What the hell kind of crap are you talking about, Copley?"
"There, over there! In that hazy smoke! I think it's some kind of warning!"
"Smoke is never a warning, idiot, dark portents come in storms!"
"Well, what do we do about the damned frog with a....a...."
"Is that a gun on its back?"
"A....uh.....yes Sarge!"
"I thought the bugs were smarter than that! Why have a gun on its back that points straight upwards, it can barely shoot anything around it, let alone in front of it!"
"Maybe it thinks we're aircraft sir! Should we shoot it!"
"Well, it does smell like one of the bunker bathrooms...."
*intake of breath*
"FIRE!"
"It's spitting pus! It's spitting green pus!"
"I SAID FIRE!"
"One sec, Sarge, I think I want to give it a pat!"
"BY THE EMPEROR, FIRE!"
"What's it going to do, bleed on me?"
"Why can't they conscript warriors that know how to follow orders? Apparently telling them is half the battle!"
"Dang it all Sarge, it's not like it is going to start shooting fire at....uh.....AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
"COPLEY!"
"RAAAARGGHGHHGAIHHSHAHAH!!!!!"
"I'll be damned. Fall back, squad, fall back!"
"But sir, what about the fire frog?"
"Ignore it! It is slow and probably stupid too! Run!"
"Sir!"
"RUN!"
"Sir!"
*grunting and panting*
"Are we away, yet?"
"I still smell a toilet, Guardsman. Back in line."
"Hey Sarge, ever heard of that thing before?"
"No, and we shoul..."
"Maybe we should name it! All those other garrisons get to, so why can't we?"
"Guardsman...."
"Sarge, we're all going to die anyway. We're in the Imperial Guard, Emperor be praised. We're paid to do that."
*sighs*
"I'm thinking the Fire Frog. Yeah, that sounds nice."
"What kind of a name is that?"
"No really, Sarge. Fire Frog! Kind of catchy no? They can market that everywhere!"
"Ugh."
"Just think about it for a sec! Fire Frog....brought to you by..."
"That's a stupid name! You may as well just call it a....a....Pyrovore, or something else just as stupid. Hell, those Cadian dogs got away with calling that gun thing a Tyrannofex. Who honestly cares? It is just a name!"
"But I liked Fire Frog...."
"Well you can go and give your nice little Fire Frog a kiss, because it's still....uh....chasing us."
"Oh no, should we shoot it?"
"I guess. Or do you want to try and give it a hug like Copley?"
*sigh*
"Poor Fire Frog."
"Who cares!? FIRE!"
*repeated blasts*
"It's dead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Uh, Sarge, it's glowing."
"Oh yeah, what's that all about?"
"I don't know, it is your Pyrovore after all."
"Fire Frog! No....Pyro....Ah, just shut up Guardsman!"
"Ummm, hate to disturb you two, but this thing is glowing something really bright."
"Oh to the pits with you, it is probably just a...."

The Last Words of Squad Stupidious, Vaporised by a Nuclear Blast caused by an Unknown Tyranid Organism - Field Reports label this beast as a "Pyrovore"


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Shrikes are, literally, flying Warriors that trade durability for mobility in what proves to be a more interesting unit than their walking kin. Though they are still without an official model from Games Workshop, requiring both the basic Warrior models and conversion packs from Forge World, Shrikes are nonetheless an option to consider for many a Tyranid general. This is because they are one of the quickest Synapse units, able to easily keep up with Hormagaunts, Gargoyles and - to a lesser extent - Harpies and Crones. I hope you enjoy this article!


Tyranid Shrikes

Overview

The comparisons between Shrikes and Warriors are probably justified, though I do feel they are a bit unfair. Both units were made to fit different roles in the army, even if both roles are mechanically identical. They belong in different kinds of lists, and as such you should always think about which one fits your list better rather than which one is better as a stand-alone unit. But first, let's have a look at what makes Shrikes tick. The first obvious similarity to Warriors comes in their stats with there being only one exception to what would otherwise be identical. Shrikes are Strength and Toughness 4 with three wounds a piece, making them as tough as a Space Marine that can take their 3+ armour save even if the Shrikes themselves cannot. They are not immune to instant death, of course, and their Toughness 4 makes them prone to such an effect from Strength 8 and higher weapons. This unfortunately ties directly into the incredible firepower of a Riptide armed with an Ion Accelerator and buffed with supporting markerlights or a Tau Commander, a unit that is so common as to be something you should prepare for in almost any game. This aside, Warriors do have some pretty good stats. Three Strength 4 attacks each before melee weapons and other upgrades are taken into account is more than decent, especially with Weapon Skill 5 and an average Initiative 4 to back them up. While they do lack assault grenades to fully capitalize on being swifter than Ork and Necron assault units, they can purchase Flesh Hooks to make up for this deficiency while providing a light ranged attack.

They are a decent but uninspiring ranged unit, with Ballistic Skill 3 and a standard three-shot weapon at Strength 4 and AP- being mediocre at best. Three shots per model might sound high, but not when you consider that two Tactical Marines for the cost of a single Shrike put out an extra shot at a mere 6" less range when rapid-firing, and can shoot two shots at 24" rather than being capped at 18". When you consider their high cost per model and fragility, as well as the high expense of most upgrades, Shrikes - and Warriors - are not very efficient in terms of damage output. Like any Tyranid unit, you want them to join up with other friendly assault units if you really need to be rid of a given enemy squad. This is where their support abilities serve to make them more valuable than they would initially appear. Each Shrike not only has three wounds per model, good stats and decent damage output, but they also act as Synapse generators that prevent your other forces from collapsing as a result of Instinctive Behaviour. The new Instinctive Behaviour charts are even more of a penalty than ever, with one result leading to a unit destroying itself and another to a unit fleeing out of the blue. These are actions that go beyond a Tyranid players' control, ones that take the element of choice and tactics away from them and serve as harsh punishments for failing to keep your Synapse units alive and in range of those units that require control. This is the role of Shrikes, identical mechanically to Warriors; they are generalists that are unimpressive alone, but are made inherently worthwhile by the weaknesses of the rest of the army, downfalls that they can negate entirely.

But the mechanical similarity of role actually proves to be very distinct in practice. There are four noticeable differences between Shrikes and Warriors, with three of them proving to be major in all or most scenarios. Firstly, Shrikes have a weaker armour save than Warriors, trading a 4+ armour save for an inferior 5+ armour save. Shrikes are thus significantly less survivable against most small arms fire, suffering wounds automatically - assuming no cover - from AP5 weapons, as opposed to having a 50% chance to save each wound. Considering that Tau Fire Warriors, Eldar Guardians, Dark Eldar Kabalite Warriors, Space Marines of all kinds, Necron Warriors, Adepta Sororitas Battle Sisters, Chaos Daemon Pink Horrors and even Tyranid Termagants all carry AP5 or better weapons as stock, this means that Shrikes are incredibly vulnerable to the most basic shooting of all but two armies in the game. This means that they are significantly less survivable than Warriors, and are thus almost entirely reliant on cover - whether through intervening Gargoyles or terrain - to survive. While Warriors do need to attain cover saves to avoid the ranged attacks that can and will kill them instantly, they suffer no such limitation against small arms fire - except in the case of Eldar Bladestorm shooting and Pink Horrors with Flickering Fire. The main trade-off here is that Shrikes have double the mobility of Warriors effectively, changing their unit type from regular Infantry to Jump Infantry. While Warriors can survive a significant amount of small arms fire when compared to Shrikes, they will take roughly twice the length of time to actually reach a given position. With Tyranids having easily accessed cover saves through cheap horde units and the large amount of terrain that should be inherent to every 6th Edition gaming table, this serves to make Shrikes the more ideal assault unit of the two. Warriors are more naturally suited as a long range unit supporting other elements with a long range, while Shrikes are better for medium ranged shooting as their 18" gun range does not become a penalty once their 12" move is factored in, giving them the rough equivalent threat range of foot-slogging units wielding weapons with a 24" range.

The third major difference comes with the Force Organization slot each unit occupies, and what benefits it gives to one unit in particular. Warriors are a Troops choice, meaning that not only can they fulfill the mandatory two Troops slots that each Warhammer 40000 army must fill - excepting Imperial Knights - but they are also a scoring unit. Warriors can fulfill your Troop "tax" similarly to how Warhammer Fantasy armies are built with a minimum Core requirement, meaning that their actual cost is almost a non-issue. Shrikes, on the other hand, cannot be a Troops choice and thus their similar cost is actually felt rather than taken in stride. The main difference here, however, is that Shrikes are only a scoring unit in one out five possible missions featuring objectives, whereas Warriors are scoring in each of those five scenarios. Warriors can capture objectives which are pivotal to winning a game; Shrikes can only deny objectives. This means that Warriors make ideal objective sitters, protecting an objective and ensuring you get any applicable victory points. Shrikes are instead an objective taking unit, one that uses their mobility and high threat range to focus down enemy scoring units and prevent them from capturing the objectives closest or inside their deployment zone.

The fourth difference, albeit a minor one, is that Shrikes pay slightly less for Adrenal Glands than Warriors do. The reasoning for this is that Shrikes can get half the benefit of Fleet if they don't use their jump infantry movement in the movement phase, electing instead to gain a re-roll to their random charge length in the assault phase. Of course, by being a jump infantry unit, Shrikes naturally get more benefit out of Adrenal Glands anyway as they are far more likely to actually make it to an assault through mobility alone. Moving 12" and still getting a re-roll to their charge range makes Shrikes strikingly similar to Raveners in terms of sheer swiftness, while gaining Strength 5 attacks on the charge is always a welcome bonus. While it isn't too large a difference, it does add up with the other three changes to lead to a unit that goes about the same role as Warriors using unique methods. As Warriors move forward into the midfield or stay back with the walking units, Shrikes are more suited to striking at the enemy directly in their territory in conjunction with other flying units. Both are built as a Synapse unit first and a damaging unit second, but they go about it entirely distinctly. This is why I advocate Shrikes in one kind of list - a highly aggressive list - and Warriors in another kind of list - a medium to long ranged gun-line hybrid list. Both have their uses, even if Shrikes are far more vulnerable against more common forms of shooting, and as such I don't see the purpose in trying to work out which unit is stronger than the other in general. It is a pointless debate as either unit can work better in any given list depending on its make-up.


How to Equip Them

Shrikes are identical to Warriors in terms of available options, though they pay slightly less for one of the upgrades. They can exchange their Devourers for Spinefists with no cost, an upgrade that I would consider even more on Shrikes than for Warriors. The 12" range and lower Strength hurt, but the addition of an AP value (five) and twin-linking make it something of an even trade. For a jump infantry unit, the shorter range isn't that much of an issue either, actually. Whether you decide to stick with devourers or take the spinefists as such should come down to preference more than anything else. The devourers can also be replaced with deathspitters as a paid upgrade, gaining an extra Strength and that AP5. These are definitely an upgrade over the devourers and are one of the few options I would take on Shrikes; if you are going to deathspitters though, don't take any melee upgrades on the same model. Spread the upgrades around to reduce the cost of a unit as well as making each Shrike in the squad a target. Shrikes can also take a single barbed strangler or venom cannon regardless of their squad size, a cheap weapon upgrade that you really have no reason not to take. I prefer the barbed strangler with devourers and spinefists to focus the unit on harassing infantry, with the venom cannon better paired up with deathspitters to put out lots of medium Strength shooting that is a legitimate threat to light vehicles.

The more melee oriented options are definitely more interesting for the much faster Shrikes than they are for Warriors, but they still ultimately come up lacking. The reason for this is that while Shrikes are more mobile than Warriors, they are even more fragile while remaining inefficient in terms of damage output for the points spent. For this reason, I tend to put any points spent on upgrades towards bio-cannons or deathspitters simply because they tend to pay higher dividends. While Shrikes will survive longest in combat, they don't need the extra damage output to stay there and there are always units Shrikes won't be able to charge - or won't want to. There are more mobile units than Shrikes, or units with short ranged weapons like flamers and meltas, that the Shrikes will typically be unable to charge without great cost. With that said, I've found the boneswords and lash whip and bonesword combination to be unnecessary for the unit. Both are very expensive and will only really serve to increase the odds of Shrikes slaughtering units of Space Marines and other infantry in a single round of combat, something that is almost always a bad thing. Assuming Shrikes charge, they will want to spend two close combat phases locked up in a melee so that they don't get shot in the opponents' turn. Shrikes are already a pretty decent melee unit with four attacks each on the charge assuming they keep their ranged weapon, not to mention that the AP3 of these weapons won't really help against true dedicated combat units with 2+ saves or invulnerable saves anyway. Besides, to make use of a lashwhip and bonesword combo effectively, each Shrike equipped with them would also have to take Flesh Hooks so as to be striking at Initiative when charging through cover. Those two upgrades for just one Shrike are almost equivalent to the cost of a second stock Shrike, and in almost all cases that extra Shrike is better to give the unit both more survivability and more presence with Synapse. I tend to avoid melee upgrades on Shrikes despite them being naturally more suited to an offensive role than Warriors - especially when their mobile Synapse capabilities are considered for units like Gargoyles - because they are still very fragile, but some of them are worthwhile.

Rending Claws on about a third of the models in a unit is a very decent usage of points, allowing the unit the capability to damage AV11 and higher vehicles, as well as getting a few AP2 wounds as necessary. While I don't advocate ever charging Shrikes into Terminator equivalents, adding those potential wounds can still mean the difference between a unit being flattened totally by a Dreadknight and one that actually weakens it somewhat for Tyranid shooting to finish it off. Shrikes, interestingly, get Adrenal Glands for a point less per model than Warriors despite actually getting greater benefits out of it. I understand that as jump infantry they can re-roll their charge distances if they don't use their jump packs in the preceding movement phase, but they are still effectively twice as fast as Warriors. Being able to move 12" and then re-roll their charge distance or run distance is of higher value here than it is as a costlier upgrade to Warriors. Strength 5 attacks on the charge is also very handy, and so I am a big proponent of Adrenal Glands for Shrikes. Toxin Sacs, again, are the better combat upgrade though, but I am still of the opinion that Adrenal Glands are a better fit because of Fleet. Where other units - like the Haruspex - need every bit of extra speed, Shrikes don't need it so much and as such I would consider Toxin Sacs for them more than most other units. That they are also far more likely to get into combat and make use of Toxin Sacs is a plus, obviously. The last available upgrade for Shrikes are Flesh Hooks, giving Shrikes an extra little shooting attack that is far inferior to any of their other ranged options. The big draw here is the assault grenades which are pivotal for any real assault unit worth their weight in points, though I'm not sure Shrikes really need it. I don't consider them an elite melee unit and they really should be bullying units that would struggle against them anyway, whether they strike at Initiative 1 or 4. They're necessary for melee-oriented Shrikes, but the cost of them plus weapon options will add up very quickly - unless of course you swap the devourer for scything talons. I don't recommend this as having guns on any unit can make a big difference - good luck catching Jetbikes, fast skimmers and flying monstrous creatures without guns! - and the extra melee attack isn't nearly as valuable as, for example, three equivalent ranged attacks.


Where to Put Them

Shrikes are rather reliant on the usage of Gargoyles to survive in such a shooting dominated meta, mostly because charging through or into cover can be a big issue for them. While three wound models shouldn't worry too much about dangerous terrain tests, with only a 5+ armour save those extra unsaved wounds can really start to add up. And besides, unless you are paying for Flesh Hooks or have widely available terrain to cover your advance, Shrikes are going to be relying on saves provided by intervening models. Gargoyles do this better than any other unit with a height comparable to a Shrike and their identical mobility. This is why even if you are on a terrain-heavy board, I still recommend taking at least one brood of Gargoyles to protect a Shrike brood - besides, the Gargoyles can actively tarpit a Wraithknight or Dreadknight, units that Shrikes fear above all else. This is a similar principle to using Hormagaunts or Termagants to bubble wrap Warriors, though with the Shrikes actually being able to outpace more units. If you are faced with barrage weapons, be sure to spread the Shrikes out with the 2" maximum unit coherency spacing and jump them from cover to cover - a single Basilisk shot that scores a direct hit on a Shrike unit outside of terrain can reduce a full unit to nothing but a bloody mess. If you can avoid going through terrain and attain cover saves through the use of Gargoyles - who themselves are cheap and expendable enough to not worry too much about going through cover - then that would be my recommendation, as Shrikes don't want to be losing wounds unnecessarily, nor do they want to strike last when charging enemy units.


Best Uses

Shrikes are, obviously, very similar to Warriors in a lot of respects. Aside from a few key facets, the units are essentially identical. But where Warriors are ideally placed in the backfield as a cheap scoring Synapse unit, Shrikes are definitely your midfield aggressors and Synapse beacons. This is because Shrikes exchange a 4+ armour save for jump infantry classification, a change that - as well as being unable to score in five out of six missions - narrows them into being a more aggressive unit. If you want Shrikes that sit back and protect your medium to long ranged units, such as Exocrines and Biovores, you may as well just employ Warriors who are tougher and can score in every mission where objectives are used. Why waste the advantages of a unit to try and shoe-horn them into a role that another unit performs better in? This is why I see the main usage of Shrikes to be as a mobile Synapse unit in the same vein as a flying Hive Tyrant, providing that pivotal element of control to your Gargoyles, Raveners, Harpies and Crones. If you are using a highly mobile and aggressive force, Shrikes are the logical fit as additional Synapse units to play off of your HQ choices. Unlike Trygon Primes who are more reliant on Deep Striking in the enemy backfield and providing Synapse to units in about the turn three onwards range, Shrikes are there from the start moving up the field with your other units. They can keep the swarm in check even if your flying Hive Tyrants are killed, something that Trygon Primes can't do nearly as well if your force is mostly composed of jump infantry and beasts - or even Hormagaunts. There's no real reason to take Shrikes if you don't want them to fulfill this kind of role in a highly aggressive list, as Warriors and Zoanthropes are more than serviceable enough in the job for slower, more cautious lists. While I do prefer the latter kind of army list nowadays, the former does have its place and this is where Shrikes belong. Keep them cheap with devourers, some rending claws and a barbed strangler or venom cannon, and move them in support of your Gargoyles and Crones. Put light ranged pressure on units you wish to focus down and try to set up combo-charges with your other units, as even stock Shrikes are very nasty on the charge.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Shrikes (6) - two Rending Claws, Barbed Strangler - This is a meaty unit intended for infantry hunting primarily, one that is large enough to be a large threat to your opponent if left unchecked, but also not too large to draw too much attention away from your monstrous creatures. This unit causes Pinning checks and has a few Rending Claws as "just in case" cheap weapon options for vehicles mostly.

Shrikes (5) - four Deathspitters, Venom Cannon - This is what I like to call the "Trygon broodlings" unit. Twelve Strength 5 shots at 18" and one Strength 6 small blast at 36" provides a pretty decent fire-base for the cost with a 30" effective range on the Deathspitters. Add on above average melee capabilities with four Strength 4 attacks at Weapon Skill 5 per model on the charge, and this is one of my favourite all-rounder builds for Shrikes. It can threaten most things at range decently, like a Trygon, and can mulch through regular infantry, again, like a Trygon. While the Trygon obviously has a lot of advantages and is only slightly more expensive, the Shrikes have the advantage of not taking up an incredibly contested Heavy Support slot.


Aerial Commanders

As Warriors act as synaptic links for the many hordes comprising the ground invasion force, their winged brethren take to the skies to spread the will of the Hive Mind to the aerial Tyranid organisms. Proving just how adaptable the Warrior genus is in particular, Shrikes trade extended armour plating for wings and increased responseiveness, able to traverse all manner of terrain to reach the enemy. As the elite among the Tyranid forces, Shrikes are deadly combatants that use their supreme swiftness and strength to overwhelm the foe, or remaining behind their ravening lessers and acting as unseen manipulators.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Raveners are snake-like predators that are created with ambush and disruption in mind, a role that doesn't really translate well to the table top. They are capable of Deep Striking as well as having innately high mobility, but their actual abilities are otherwise suited for a straight combat unit, one that isn't as effective as one would want. I hope you enjoy this article!


Raveners

Overview

Much like Shrikes are compared against Warriors, so too do Raveners find themselves competing with Shrikes. Unlike the former comparison though, the latter has proper justification as both units fulfill rather similar roles and even occupy the same slot. While Shrikes are more the generalist unit, Raveners are often built for such a purpose and gain superior standard combat prowess and special rules in exchange for ranged weapons and Synapse. Before I touch on that more, though, I want to discuss what makes Raveners tick. First up, the profile. Strength and Toughness 4 with three wounds a model makes them unsurprisingly analogous to Warriors, especially once one compares the visual style of each model, though Raveners have a 5+ armour save more in keeping with Shrikes than Warriors. I've already covered the relative survivability of a Shrike and as Raveners share the same exact defensive stats, I won't bother repeating myself to that extent. I will say however that Raveners are not only afraid of missile launchers and Ion Accelerators, like Warriors, but also cannot take that much punishment from small arms fire when out of cover, like Shrikes, forcing them to stick to terrain at all times. But where Shrikes can get hurt by dangerous terrain tests, Raveners suffer no such penalties as they are Beasts instead of Jump Infantry. But what traits does a Beast have to differ from Jump Infantry? Well, Beasts always have Fleet instead of having to halve their movement to get the same effect for charging, while they even have Move Through Cover despite never being slowed by terrain. This is for Deep Striking Raveners specifically who can pop up in terrain, benefit from a near necessary cover save and not have to take Dangerous Terrain tests. Essentially, Beasts have a lot of advantages over Jump Infantry while sharing the same 12" move.

From here, Raveners continue the similarities to Shrikes with an identical Weapon Skill 5 and Ballistic Skill 3 making them good melee fighters and mediocre shooters. Each model has three attacks on their profile plus two combat weapons that can be combined with a gun - unlike Shrikes who can have one gun and one combat arm or two combat arms - giving them four attacks each, for five per model on the charge. With a higher Initiative 5 than the Shrikes' Initiative 4, this actually serves to make Raveners a better close combat unit for the most part unless a player over-spends on upgrades for the Shrikes. They can mash through most units that aren't dedicated melee units, monstrous creatures or vehicles, and they also pull off assaults much quicker. Shrikes need to purchase Adrenal Glands to be as quick as Raveners for movement and charging, an upgrade that isn't exactly cheap. Raveners can be given guns for small or large points costs, but they are generally very weak shooters with their damage output remaining inferior per model to the rough equivalent points cost in Tactical Marines. Where Raveners really start to diverge from Shrikes is that they are Leadership 6 units that suffer from Instinctive Behaviour. Now, this wouldn't be too much of an issue if it was Hunt or even Lurk, but Raveners suffer from the Feed behaviour. The reason I say I prefer Hunt and Lurk is because the worst results of those two are pretty easily mitigated. Hunt has them getting Pinned, essentially, which means all you have to do is move a Synapse creature within range of them and they get back up immediately and can move as normal. Lurk has them Falling Back, but as they Fall Back to their own table edge, this means they would thus be retreating to your midfield or backfield Synapse units anyway. Feed will see them attacking each other immediately before a Synapse unit can be moved to help them, and while the worst you will see is one Ravener dying, that is still an expensive model you need for tanking wounds against shooting flat out dying with no say on your part. Yes, you can move a Synapse unit in range of them to stop the effect like with Hunt, but by then the damage will have already been done.

So overall, Raveners are a bit iffy for their cost. They are fragile, their damage output in melee is great but their shooting capabilities are below par and there is a good chance they won't reach combat in the first place despite being one of the fastest ground units in the game. If it weren't for Ignores Cover becoming so darn prominent in 6th Edition with Tau, Eldar, Space Marines, Daemons - who just charge you instead - with their Skull Cannons, Imperial Guard Artillery and so on, it wouldn't be as much of an issue. But combine all that with an Instinctive Behaviour result that will make the unit completely redundant half the time and you have a unit with diminishing returns the more you take of them. Ultimately though, they aren't a bad unit, just one that is one of many Tyranid glass cannon equivalents. But where the issues arise are when one compares them to Shrikes. Again, I don't really like comparing units, but in this case it is somewhat justified. Raveners can't operate independently for risk of flailing about doing nothing due to Instinctive Behaviour, and Leadership 6 does them no favours. Raveners are a quicker assault unit than Shrikes, but as Shrikes can actually take assault grenades, this advantage is mitigated - particularly the Raveners' Initiative 5.

Raveners can take guns alongside their combat weapons, preserving an extra attack, but Shrikes get those expensive guns (on Raveners) for free, effectively losing a close combat Strength 4 attack but gaining three Strength 4 attacks at 18" with no additional cost. They also get cheap Deathspitters and free Spinefists, making them a superior ranged unit and one that doesn't pay for combat oriented abilities straight up. The thing to remember is that Raveners are the same cost as Shrikes because they have Fleet, because they completely ignore terrain for movement and because they have Initiative 5. As it is, Shrikes don't have these options included in their basic cost and are thus more tailorable as a result. You can build Shrikes for shooting and not feel like you are wasting their abilities, unlike Raveners that lose out on Synapse and Shadow in the Warp just so they have an easier time of making it to combat. Shrikes can perform the same Deep Strike disruption tactics as Raveners, albeit cheaper and better as they don't pay for the same guns Raveners do and have Synapse to boot so they can function independently. In the old codex, this balance was struck by having Shrikes at a slightly higher cost per model than Raveners. Now, at the same cost per model with Shrikes dropping to the Raveners' price, I feel that Raveners have decreased in value by a large degree, especially as Synapse is even more valuable in the 6th Edition codex than it was in the 5th Edition codex. That Shrikes have a lot more options available to them for you to kit them out to your needs is almost the last straw, and brings me close to saying "Shrikes over Raveners". I feel that if Synapse was going to be made more important and Shrikes dropped in points, Raveners really should have as well. I mean, aside from being a faster combat unit that is slightly more effective against certain enemies, what do Raveners really have over Shrikes? What do they have that could possibly replace a 12" moving Synapse generator? This is one of the bigger missteps with this codex and something I hope is addressed in the next iteration. As it is, Raveners are fine as a unit, but the codex seems to want you to avoid them in favour of Shrikes which I feel is a really disappointing outcome.


How to Equip Them

Where Shrikes get the choice of a free Devourer or extra Scything Talon, Raveners begin with the latter but must pay a small price to upgrade to the former. But where Shrikes can only take one or the other, Raveners uniquely get both with their thorax-mounted weaponry in addition to two close combat themed pairs of arms. With innate Deep Strike despite being Beasts and ignoring Dangerous Terrain tests of all kinds due to their unit type conferring Move Through Cover, Raveners make for neat little ranged disruption units while being primarily assault oriented. Unfortunately, Raveners are quite expensive for what they do and compare rather ill favourably to Shrikes, sharing their fragility even against small arms fire but lacking the independent capabilities. In the old codex, Raveners could be used as incredibly fast distraction units to rush enemy Devastator and Pathfinder equivalents due Instinctive Behaviour having no real draw back for them. Now, however, with a 50% chance to stop performing any action whatsoever for a game turn, Raveners cannot afford to be out of Synapse range and thus demand support from Shrikes or Flying Hive Tyrants, the only Synapse creatures that can reliably keep up with them. When one factors all this in, Raveners become a very expensive proposition and one with diminishing returns the more upgrades you slap on them.

I feel the trick to Raveners is to leave the guns at home simply because they add to a units cost very quickly and won't really do much damage anyway - losing an attack also reduces the value of Spinefists from the previous incarnation - while the Raveners really need to be in combat to survive as it is. Toughness 4 and a 5+ armour save won't get them anywhere fast, even with three wounds per model. Just abuse their 12" move and Move Through Cover with Fleet re-rolls to Run and Random Charge Length distances to get into combat as quickly as possible. If you feel a gun is in order though, I do recommend the Spinefist as the twin-linking on a Ballistic Skill 3 unit and AP5 is better than just three straight Strength 4 shots. There's no point to taking a higher Strength gun if it will miss half the time. Where Shrikes can get away with sitting at range, Raveners have to pay to get those useful guns and are less effective a ranged unit because of it. Besides, Raveners are more naturally suited to combat anyway with Initiative 5, five attacks per model on the charge regardless of whether a ranged weapon is taken and innate Fleet. I just feel that the unique traits of Raveners compared to Shrikes naturally favours an assault approach rather than a ranged approach. Unfortunately, with no assault grenades and mostly short-ranged Synapse, pulling off an assault with these guys is incredibly difficult especially once Overwatch is factored in. It leaves them in a tight spot, but ultimately I'm just not a fan of paying those points per model to get 18" Devourers or the 12" Spinefists - the latter may as well just have you charging instead!

Avoid the Deathspitters at all costs, you don't ever want to be paying Terminator prices for Raveners. Besides, if you really want a ranged weapon, the Devourer will do the job just fine for half the points cost. Deathspitters - and Devourers by extension - are there for foot-slogging Raveners, but at that point, why not just keep using your re-rollable Run move? Spinefists with a 12" range are better for Deep Striking purposes as they are cheaper and the shorter range won't make a difference for the most part when arriving from reserves. Rending Claws are a useful upgrade as always, especially as Raveners still get the benefit of an extra attack due to the second set of Scything Talons they always have. Five Rending attacks per model on the charge, six if they succumb to Rage and don't eat each other, is pretty darn nasty after all. I recommend taking more than the one in three for Warriors and Shrikes though as Raveners are probably more likely to be in combat, and as they lack support abilities, you may as well make the most of their attributes.


Where to Put Them

This is a tricky one as there are merits to either Deep Striking or running up the field. Deep Striking of course relies on luck, mandates Spinefists as an upgrade at the very least and always runs the risk of those expensive Ravener models not arriving when you need them to. On the other hand, slogging it up the field will see much more firepower directed at the fragile Raveners, and there is little guarantee of them even getting close enough to an opponent to shoot, let alone charge. I recommend doing it based on how you built your Raveners. Spinefists? Deep Strike them and target smaller, more fragile infantry units and act purely as a cheap distraction. Devourers? You can probably get away with advancing behind or near a fast Synapse node such as a flying Hive Tyrant; use Gargoyles as cover if necessary. If the Raveners are faced with overwhelming firepower, it might be prudent to be more aggressive than usual. The ridiculous speed of Raveners - and assuming there is suitable line of sight blocking terrain - should see turn two or three charges at the absolute latest, with the former being more the norm. If you can manage to hide the Raveners from most firepower while advancing, that is the way to go, even if it means sacrificing a turn in combat. Raveners are pitifully easy to kill for any kind of army list, so don't throw your opponent a bone unnecessarily or you will find yourself in the red early on.

Keep to cover; with Move Through Cover and Fleet, there is literally no reason for Raveners to ever be outside of terrain, especially with that puny 5+ armour save. Even Shrikes who don't ignore Dangerous Terrain should still be in cover, so don't give your opponents' Whirlwind Scorpius free First Blood because those long poppy trees don't seem inviting enough. Raveners can mash most enemy units in combat pretty easily as long as they don't suffer too many casualties from shooting; their high stats and plentiful attacks with potential Rending - if you took the cheap Rending Claws upgrade - allow them to slaughter light to medium infantry pretty capably. Avoid dedicated melee units that will typically pack power weapons or lots of attacks, as either is death to Raveners with their Toughness 4 and 5+ armour save. Always be in Synapse range, usually from Shrikes or a flying Hive Tyrant due to the Raveners' sheer mobility, as you can't afford to risk them standing around eating each other. A deep striking Trygon Prime is also a good option as it should usually pop up near the same units Raveners can bully. The only exception to the "stick to Synapse" rule would be if the Red Terror is leading the unit, in which case its high Leadership 8 does significantly reduce the chances of a failed Instinctive Behaviour test. I would only ever risk this once in a game in that tricky spot when the Raveners are likely to be out of Synapse range on the second or third turn as they prepare a charge in the assault phase, as Leadership 8 is just barely above the average roll on 2D6.


Best Uses

When adding up the low survivability of Raveners and their very impressive combat prowess, I'm led to the conclusion that they should operate in medium sized broods. Ideally, a close combat unit wants to stick in combat for two players turns - including the turn they charged in - with the same unit so that they break free from the enemy in their turn and are free to charge another unit without getting shot at. For Raveners in particular, this is almost a mandatory tactic but one that is surprisingly difficult to pull off. The problem lies in the fact that three-strong Ravener broods - unless they are Deep Striking - will be ousted in one turn against any decent shooting army if they have nowhere to hide, so you really need those extra bodies. However, with each Ravener having five Strength 4 attacks at Weapon Skill 5 on the charge, they are prone to wiping out a large number of units in the first round of combat.

Against a team of 12 Fire Warriors for example, factoring in Overwatch, a brood of six Raveners will be cut down to five - even with no proper shooting accounted for. From there, assuming the Raveners did not charge through or into terrain, they will strike first with a whopping 25 Strength 4 attacks hitting on 3s, wounding on 3s and forcing a 4+ armour save. If we round up each number, that is 9 misses, 5 failed wounds for a total of 11 wounds inflicted, leading to about 6 failed armour saves. The Fire Warriors hit back with 6 attacks, hitting on 5s and wounding on 5s, leading to two hits and maybe one unsaved wound total. Just like that, the Fire Warriors have lost by five or six and, on base Leadership 7, are incredibly likely to run away unless affected by the Stubborn bubble of an Ethereal - which would be counter-intuitive for the Tau player in this situation. Against a ten-strong Space Marine Tactical Squad, a similar result occurs, though we will throw in Rending Claws on each Ravener to make up the sizable points difference between the two test subject squads. We get Overwatch, and that sixth Ravener survives due to Strength 4 and not Strength 5 shooting directed at it. From there, again assuming no terrain in the charge, the Raveners strike first with 30 attacks this time, hitting on 3s and wounding on 4s with 6s leading to Rending wounds. This is about 20 hits, 10 wounds - roughly three of which are Rending - for seven armour saves on a 3+. That should be about two failed, for five dead Tactical Marines. The other five strike back with five attacks - assuming no Veteran Sergeant - for three hits, one or two wounds for a dead Ravener. Bam, the Tacticals lose by 4 or 3, reducing them to Leadership 4 or 5 respectively. Another combat where the Space Marines are likely to flee, but unlike the Fire Warriors which the Raveners could at least wipe out through Sweeping Advance, the Tacticals with And They Shall Know No Fear will automatically regroup and proceed to blast the Raveners to bits even without friendly support.

Granted, these combats are against painfully mediocre or sub-par units in close combat, but these are the basic Troops of enemy armies, the kind of units Raveners are designed to punish - much like how Assault Squads are really built for hunting scoring units. Raveners don't have the survivability or stats to really take on most dedicated combat units without getting annihilated in turn, and the cost of upgrading each Ravener to have Rending Claws alone is expensive enough as it is. But you absolutely can't afford to take just three Raveners as they are too darn easy to kill. It's a hard balance to strike, and one that I think leads me to prefer Deep Striking units. Yes, Interceptor shooting can murder them, but at least it can force the shooting unit to focus on a cheap ~100 point units instead of your more valuable Synapse units and Troops. Three with Spinefists put out 9 twin-linked Strength 3 shots when they arrive, enough to be a nuisance against your typical Pathfinder unit and kill a few. From there, your opponent can either go for the cheap Ravener unit and not your Synapse lynchpins, or they can ignore them - or put light resistance against them - and watch as that small Ravener unit carves up light infantry squads with ease. Ultimately, this is the use of Raveners I feel makes the most sense; the 12" range of Spinefists is equivalent to their possible Deep Strike scatter, and the shooting is light enough that you won't worry too much if they can't fire when they arrive. A small unit is still very capable of tearing through medium sized typical scoring units, while they can tie up all manner of enemies for at least a few turns - once they are in combat, they probably won't be losing it and thus won't even be bothered by a lack of Synapse. But that's just the problem, isn't it? This plan can be ruined if you don't manage to get a Synapse unit near them the turn after they arrive, as Instinctive Behaviour on Leadership 6 will likely see them gaining the Stupidity special rule - oh, wrong game! At that point, as it would be turn three minimum when this would occur, your flying Hive Tyrants and Trygon Primes - if any - should be nearby at this point. Of course, it would be awesome if they could be left to their own devices, but ah well.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Raveners (5) - Devourers - This is a decently costed unit that pops in at under 200 points, can tear units apart in combat and offers some decent shooting. This is your typical "well rounded" Ravener unit that can be used to ground flying monstrous creatures and generally just be a nuisance. Usually, you will lose at least two Raveners before they make it to combat, and only three Raveners should shouldn't be wiping enemy units in one turn.

Raveners (3) w/ Spinefists - This is your cheap little annoyance unit that Deep Strikes and clocks in at one point under 100. They shoot light infantry and cause a bit of a stir by forcing opponents to deal with them and are surprisingly cheap to boot. If they survive, they can attempt to charge a unit and should do very well for themselves with five Strength 4 attacks per model. Instinctive Behaviour is an issue, but by turn three there is a good chance your other Synapse units will be nearby anyway.


The Red Terror

It has been far too long since this glorious little snake abomination has graced our codex, and while not a spectacularly triumphant return as we all hoped for, the Red Terror is still a very decent unit. The first thing to notice is that despite being an upgrade to a single Ravener unit, the Red Terror comes off as a discount Tyranid Prime. The stats are surprisingly similar, the Red Terror is superior in terms of close combat capabilities unless the Prime spends a huge amount of points on upgrades, and the lack of Synapse for the unique Ravener is made up by a significantly lower cost. Besides, the Ravener is twice as fast as a Prime and has access to Deep Strike, two options a Prime apparently couldn't be bothered trying to evolve. In any case, the Ravener is a rather costly upgrade to one Ravener brood in your army with its points cost just shy of three basic Raveners. Like any discussion of a character that is designed for damage output rather than support abilities, you are probably asking - why not just take the three Raveners instead? It is a valid criticism and one that I don't think the Red Terror actually makes up for, but its abilities are unique and strong enough to justify its inclusion regardless, I feel. The Red Terror has a whopping six Strength 5 attacks on the charge - without Rending, unfortunately - at AP6 that combined with Weapon Skill and Initiative 5 make it, like Karanak, a devilishly impressive combat model even without armour-ignoring attacks of any significance. Combat characters are generally falling out of favour in most codices - save for a few notable exceptions such as the Laughing Autarch or the Eternal Chapter Master - with a focus instead on support or force multiplying abilities. Fateweaver, Farseers, Ethereals, Dark Angel Librarians and the like are the more common and competitive options because they buff units around them to ridiculous degrees, or are just plain cost effective beyond all others. It is with this in mind that models like the Red Terror become more valuable and their lack of armour ignoring attacks less of an issue; these models are fragile and will be mashed by massed Strength 5 attacks anyway.

But is bullying non-combat oriented characters the Red Terror's sole purpose? Well, like Raveners, that many attacks is sure to hurt most things, especially at Strength 5, so the Red Terror only adds to the speed at which they scythe through infantry. As I explained earlier, this is generally a bad thing as you want to stick in combat for more than one round, but it can be used to your advantage. The Red Terror brings Toughness 5 and a 4+ armour save to the unit that, while the former mechanically won't have much function when majority Toughness 4 kicks in, can save you a lot of hassle. The Red Terror can actually take AP5 shooting, can soak up Strength 8 wounds one at a time instead of dying instantly, and isn't as frightened of power weapons in a challenge due to Toughness 5. Additionally, the Red Terror confers Leadership 8 on the unit, replacing their sub-par Leadership 6 and giving them a good chance of passing Instinctive Behaviour tests. This actually allows Raveners to operate as they did in the old codex somewhat; as independent combat beat-sticks looking to quickly tie up Devastator equivalents or even try and get a surround and wreck result on a light transport. Even with Leadership 8, I still recommend trying to keep in Synapse range as the Feed result can be pretty terrible for the already fragile Raveners that are so dependent on constantly moving. They need to be in combat and anything that prevents them from getting there absolutely must be avoided.

So is the Red Terror worth those extra points? I tend to lean towards a "no" because three extra Raveners will win out on survivability while Synapse remains a near necessity, but that is before remembering its completely unique Swallow Whole special rule reminiscent of its introduction back in 3rd Edition. I still recall the Red Terror as the model that caught my eye and the one the Games Workshop Sydney staff of over 10 years ago kept talking about. It was this big important model that could lead a Swarm - coincidentally, the starter set at the time was the Battle for Macragge - and everyone was talking about it. The model was awesome and I remember reading its fluff section in the Tyranid codex; reading how it could eat Space Marines in one gulp, filling me with dread. Thankfully, this rule returns in all its splendor and gives the Red Terror a reason to exist even if it isn't as cost-effective an inclusion as its cost in Raveners would be. If the Red Terror manages to hit with four out of its six attacks, it can choose to forgo rolling to wound and instead remove a single enemy model in base contact from play - provided it fails an invulnerable save if it has any. This works on anything that isn't Very Bulky or Extremely Bulky, so potential targets are (with potential unit specific exclusions) infantry, jump infantry, jetpack infantry, beasts and cavalry. When you strike against a commander model, even one such as a Space Marine Chapter Master or Commander Farsight, the Red Terror can remove them from play - ignoring Eternal Warrior and all that jazz. With six attacks on the charge, this isn't as unlikely as you would think, especially when combined with Paroxysm against Weapon Skill 5 opponents. Against Weapon Skill 4 or lower enemies, the Red Terror averages four hits on the charge, allowing you to use the Swallow Whole attack. While many enemies will probably get killed by regular attacks anyway, using it to finish off a Master of the Forge hiding behind pesky 2+ armour saves is quite neat, as well as not having to slog through four wounds on a Tau Commander. It isn't some game-breaking special rule, but it is nice and makes the Red Terror a real threat to enemy HQ models.

Overall, the Red Terror is a decent but unnecessary upgrade to a Ravener brood. The Leadership boost is nice but is mitigated by Synapse which you should probably have anyway - failing and eating each other is still an uncomfortably likely occurrence - while the extra Strength 5 attacks will probably serve only to see the Raveners get out of combat a turn earlier than they want to. The Swallow Whole rule is cool for killing off an otherwise very tanky character, but it isn't all that reliable and won't be that worthwhile against most opponents. The survivability boost the Red Terror has do help out somewhat, but as Raveners are mostly prone to death through shooting, their majority Toughness 4 cancels out half of the Red Terrors' defensive boosts. A 4+ armour save does allow it to tank AP5 shooting, but you don't want it to be taking that many saves as a 4+ still isn't that great anyway. The real value there lies in being able to take a krak missile to the face and not explode in a pile of gore, but those three shots it can tank - again - would be the same as losing three Raveners that are the same rough cost as the Red Terror. And those three Raveners can survive a heck of a lot more small arms fire, regardless of the 5+ armour save - remember, cover is your friend! Truth be told, the Red Terror is still cool and has the element of cheapness compared to a Tyranid Prime in its favour, but it really isn't an ideal use of points when the equivalent amount of models in the unit are a better investment. It is a nice addition to a unit that isn't what I would call terrible, but if you have the rule of cool second, then I would leave the Red Terror at home where you - and it - can reminisce about the good old days.


Subterranean Lurkers

Often mistaken as snake-like adaptations of the Warrior genus that have mutated a slithering tail and gait instead of legs, Raveners are a unique mash-up of the roles shared by Lictors and Trygons. They are stalkers and ambushers first, striking from beneath the ground without warning or defence against their attacks. To the horror of enemies, though, Raveners are not just mere predators but true front-line combatants, wreaking havoc on enemy lines with their ferocious speed and bulk. As a Mawloc devours one from below, so too does a Ravener shred its prey unseen - leaving only mangled corpses behind as a sign of their involvement.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Ripper Swarms are one of the oddities of the Tyranid codex, a unit that has decreased in usefulness and availability as each edition passes - almost as Games Workshop themselves have lost interest in them. Unfortunately, their flying siblings the Sky Slashers don't fare much better, even if these winged munchkins do have greater mobility to their name. I hope you enjoy this article!


Sky Slasher Swarms

Overview

Flying Rippers. Well....I guess flying Warriors are a thing, so whatever. The idea of a swooping rat makes me laugh, but I digress. Sky Slashers are identical in all but name, one missing upgrade, one slightly cheaper upgrade and unit type to Ripper Swarms, and are quite a bit more expensive per model to boot. I labeled Rippers a mostly pointless unit as Termagants and Hormagaunts do their jobs so much better - aside from being a cheap tarpit that can Deep Strike - and Sky Slashers are generally no different, save that they also compete with Gargoyles and don't need to pay to Deep Strike. So that I'm not repeating myself - notice a trend with these recent articles? - I'll just cover the basics. Rippers are Strength and Toughness 3 with three wounds per Swarm base which, with four attacks each, would logically make them the equivalent of three Gargoyles. Of course, it doesn't quite work that way; Toughness 3 with a 6+ armour save lends itself incredibly well to Instant Death, especially with so many Strength 6 or higher weapons in the game right now. Sky Slashers are also ineffective offensively as, even with four attacks per Swarm base, they are a pitiful Weapon Skill 2 meaning they won't hit very often anyway. You can equip them with Spinefists to make the most out of their four attacks, but even with twin-linking, that Ballistic Skill 2 really hurts their damage output. It's not enough that they are Initiative 2 and lack assault grenades, meaning they will get pulped by almost anything before they can strike. Sadly, despite being the only innately Fearless tarpit unit in the army - if you exclude Rippers (huh?) - they suffer from Instinctive Behaviour, and the Feed result at that. With Leadership 5, there is a very good chance your Sky Slashers will have a mental breakdown and kill each other, all while being unable to do anything whatsoever except hover awkwardly. A tarpit that can be ignored completely? Does not compute!

So the stats are pretty bad, they are completely dependent on Synapse and they are bloody expensive to boot. Not the best start, but we can at least try and compare them to Rippers. The wings do make them Jump Infantry, as you would expect, while they oddly pay slightly less for Adrenal Glands than Rippers do. I already touched on this with Shrikes and Warriors, as it seems the codex is designed with Adrenal Glands being more expensive - and thus more valuable - for foot infantry rather than jump infantry. The extra movement generally favours jump infantry in this case, but for Sky Slashers in particular, I'm not sure it really matters as I dread to spend any more points on these expensive little mouths anyway. The only other notable difference between the two is that Sky Slashers come stock with the Deep Strike special rule - as they are jump infantry - which one can reasonably assume is why they are quite a bit more expensive than Rippers, unlike the price difference between Termagants and Gargoyles. So let us get to the big question; are they worth it over Rippers? I don't think so, honestly, even though you would think a jump infantry version of a combat tarpit unit would actually make sense. Sadly, Sky Slashers are just more expensive and will still die just as fast against any meaningful resistance or attention. Rippers do the tarpit job cheaper, they don't really need wings as Deep Strike can get them there anyway, and the kicker is that Rippers with the Deep Strike upgrade are still quite a bit cheaper than Sky Slashers. It's unfortunate and surprising, but I honestly just think you may as well take Rippers instead. Heck, at least Rippers take up one of six slots instead of one of three.


How to Equip Them

Even more than Rippers, I dread to put most of the upgrades on Sky Slashers because you quickly end up with crazily expensive swarm bases that will fold the moment a Wave Serpent so much as glances at them. Need I mention that every army in the game can put out a lot of Strength 6 shooting that will instantly kill Sky Slashers? Even if they are Jump Infantry and not regular Infantry, unlike standard Ripper Swarms, Sky Slashers are still unlikely to ever reach a combat and do much of anything other tie units up. With that said, why bother spending points on making them more damaging in combat when their sole purpose is just to tie units up? They are Fearless, after all, and thus do not need to rely on generating combat resolution to stay in combat. Using this theory, I would leave the upgrades at home for Sky Slashers - unless you are Deep Striking them. In that case, I definitely recommend Spinefists as, with four attacks per model and twin-linking, they can - much like the small Ravener units I described in my previous article - pop up and do some light shooting, be a general nuisance and tie up smaller units. This is the best use of Sky Slashers, especially as they have the Deep Strike capability incorporated into their base cost with the Jump unit type. You may as well make the most of it and leave the cheaper Ripper Swarms as your backfield and midfield tarpit units. While Sky-Slashers do end up being slightly more expensive when equipped for that suicide role, they also get a 12" move for making sure they can tarpit something.


Where to Put Them

As Sky Slashers already have the Deep Strike special rule, using them in the same way as you would a Deep Striking Ripper Swarm unit is advisable, even if Sky Slashers aren't as good at it. Rippers get by because they are cheaper and don't take up a contested slot; they can be slotted into an army list with no difficulty whatsoever. Sky Slashers, on the other hand, are in a slot where only three units can be taken outside of 2000+ point games. They compete with Gargoyles - a superior unit in the same roles as Sky Slashers that can handily score in Scouring missions - a Synapse unit in Shrikes and the two cheap flying monstrous creatures used to bulk up a Tyranid airforce. Rippers, of course, don't really worry about that. But, again, I digress. You can use them as a flying tarpit, but once they stick their little heads out in the open - and I don't mean in open terrain, I just generally mean in line of sight of enemies - they aren't going to last very long if your opponent remembers their Toughness 3. Again, Gargoyles suit any list better here, especially as they can put out triple the models for the same points cost and thus cover more area to deny opponents clear charging routes. Regardless of how you want to use them, you need to keep Sky Slashers in cover; three wounds per model won't mean much with a 6+ armour save and Toughness 3. The odd failed dangerous terrain test here or there isn't going to be anywhere near as bad as suffering a fusillade of pulse rifle fire without cover saves available.


Best Uses

Unfortunately I'm even less of a fan of Sky Slashers than Ripper Swarms simply because they want to be the more aggressive unit but still lack the means to do so without getting squashed. These are even more expensive Toughness 3 tarpit units with nothing to really save them from getting splotched by a Serpent Shield or stray Missile Pod shot. The best uses of Ripper Swarms are strangely enough still evident here; keeping them as small three-base-strong tarpits to hide behind monsters and Aegis Defence Lines as cheap Fearless interdiction units, or as small annoying Deep Striking units. They might be Jump Infantry, sure, and they pay a lot for it, but are they really paying for something they want or need? Ultimately, they are as easy to kill as Rippers, are easier to see because the models are higher up and still don't want to be used in combat except as a tarpit. As Hormagaunts, Termagants and Gargoyles are much better for front-line tarpit, scoring - and generally being useful - duties, Rippers and Sky Slashers are there for your Exocrines, Hive Guard and Biovores, the kind of units that sit at long to medium range. So where does that leave Sky Slashers? Unfortunately, in the same situation as Rippers, save that they are more expensive. If Gargoyles didn't exist, they might have a role as a flying tarpit, but as Gargoyles do exist, Sky Slashers are one step short of being rendered null and pointless. If you want Sky Slashers for a flying tarpit, just take three Gargoyles instead. With that in mind, use them the same way you do Rippers with the exception that as a Deep Striking unit they can move 12" on that subsequent turn.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Sky Slashers (4) - This is a decently cheap and surprisingly tough - against small arms fire with assumed cover saves - tarpit unit that can deep strike into the enemy backfield and try and tie up or kill Devastator equivalents. You can try and run them up the field to provide mobile cover for Shrikes or Raveners as well, or try and hide behind buildings to leap out when necessary.

Sky Slashers (4) - Spinefists - Almost identical to the above unit with one exception; the addition of Spinefists. With four attacks each base, this is a unit that puts out a whopping 16 Strength 3 twin-linked shots at Ballistic Skill 2. It's an ok unit for the cost, I guess, but one that is surprisingly mobile if your opponent ignores them. Using them to block a transport from moving forward is quite funny.

For satirical purposes, I basically quoted the Ripper entries. The idea that Shrikes are simply flying Warriors and Sky Slashers are merely flying Rippers always amuses me when I look at Tyranids from a design stand point. A similar case can be made for all the derogatory terms about females used as a naming convention for the army. Just some of the funny things you notice about a product, I guess.


Descent of Fangs

If it wasn't enough that teeming masses of carrion organisms devoured all - living or dead - in their path, some of those same creatures adapted wings; shredding any unlucky enough to be sighted by the swarm. Like a chattering bat swarm, the only sign that these horrors are closing in for the kill is the endless droning of miniscule, flapping wings.

Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Descending in the thousands, Gargoyles are another adaptation of the Gaunt genus that bear close similarities to Termagants. Armed with Fleshborers and a unique poisoned attack, Gargoyles are cheap and very effective jump type equivalents to your standard horde infantry units. While they still are as blatant a "stick wings on unit x" example as Shrikes, Gargoyles still have a niche and prove to be among the Swarm's best source of massed bodies. I hope you enjoy this article!


Gargoyles

Overview

One of the issues I take stock with in Warhammer 40000 is the need to make "flying" versions of readily identifiable units, and Gargoyles are one of the clearer examples of this. They share the same gun, stats and even a couple of the same options as their obvious inspiration, Termagants. However, Gargoyles do have a unique ability that helps to distinguish them further from Termagants aside from just being "Termagants with wings". First though, let us look at the profile and, yes, aside from being Jump Infantry, Gargoyles are literally identical to Termagants in every sense here. You've got the middling Weapon Skill and Ballistic three, the above average Initiative four, the typical Strength and Toughness 3, one Attack per model, a pitiful 6+ armour save and a low Leadership value of 6. You've got the generic light infantry stats with a slight buff to Initiative and a weaker armour save, but this of course is mitigated by being Jump Infantry in the case of Gargoyles. Like Termagants and Hormagaunts, the stats are very much deceiving; these three units are point for point the deadliest melee units in the codex. This might seem hard to grasp at first, but when you factor in that a single Trygon is the equivalent of about thirty two Gargoyles, you will start to see what I mean. Yes, the horde units are more susceptible to templates, blast weapons, Ignores Cover shooting and massed small arms fire, but the 6th Edition meta has swung so heavily towards both Ignores Cover and high Strength shooting. Monstrous Creatures are better than ever, but the price comes with cheaper and stronger firepower than ever before. In that sense, thirty two Toughness 3 wounds can be better than six Toughness 6 wounds, and vice-versa. The number of attacks that the horde units put out are staggering, of course, but with Gargoyles it is a bit of an odd situation as they won't always be using those extra attacks on the charge.

What differentiates Gargoyles from Termagants - aside from, again, having wings - is they have the Blinding Venom special rule. This allows them to make a single attack with the Poisoned (6+) and Blind rules instead of striking normally. Functionally, Poisoned (6+) allows Gargoyles to wound anything in the game, even a Wraithknight, which is always something to keep in mind if you don't take the arguably less valuable Toxin Sacs (for a unit that already has a form of Poison). Gargoyles still wound Toughness 4 opponents on 5s and Toughness 3 or lower opponents on 4s or better and so on as, per the rulebook, you still use the required roll if it is better than the fixed roll. As Gargoyles only have a single attack when not charging, there is literally no reason not to swap out for Blinding Venom when the Gargoyles have received a charge or are in the second round of combat. They get re-rolls to wound against other Toughness 3 opponents effectively for free, and can always fall back on being able to wound incredibly high Toughness models - a surprise for opponents hiding behind Toughness 7 or 8 for sure. Of course, the really interesting part here is the Blind aspect of the attack. Per the main rulebook, Blind works off of successful hits, not wounds caused, meaning that even five Gargoyles that hit with three attacks will cause three separate Blind tests. When you remember that Gargoyles are a horde unit of incredibly cheap models that should be taken in large units of fifteen at minimum, you begin to see just how good this is. The Blind rule is usually let down by forcing only one test on units that are predominantly Initiative 4 or higher, with Necrons, Tau and Orks being the main exceptions. Once you start throwing five to ten tests at a unit, even Initiative 5 and higher opponents who only fail on a 6 will statistically fail one on average.

So what does Blind do again, exactly, other than force tests? Well, failing those tests has some pretty serious repercussions; the afflicted unit becomes Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill one until the end of their next turn. There are a lot of uses of this once you factor that at least six hits from a Gargoyle unit using their Blinding Venom will statistically see a failed test. The most obvious is for combo-charging. Gargoyles are Initiative 4, meaning they strike before a surprising number of units - including a bunch of Tyranid units. A unit that gets struck by Weapon Skill one will become not only incredibly easy targets for the other Tyranid unit in the combat, but their own damage output will be significantly lessened. Take trying to tarpit Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield Terminators with Gargoyles. Yes, the idea of trying to tarpit an elite melee unit like Terminators with a horde unit seems rather silly or intelligent depending on how many attacks the Terminators are getting through various potential buffs or their squad size. In any case, you generally wouldn't charge Gargoyles alone into such a unit. However, ten Gargoyles alone will statistically see one failed Blind test. From there, even five such Terminators are going to be hitting on 5s with their ten attacks, leading to three hits and three kills on average. Yikes, not such a great tarpit clearer eh? Once you factor in that the Terminators would usually be killing about five or six Gargoyles, it is a pretty big defensive buff. It really shines when applied in conjunction with something like a Trygon; having that Trygon hit on 5s and able to hide behind Toughness 6 is such a huge and oft much needed survivability boost. For these reasons alone I think Gargoyles are worthwhile, and while the offensive benefits of Blinding Venom have definitely been toned down dramatically, it is still one heck of a useful ability. Assuming you don't send them into combat unsupported - which usually doesn't end well for Tyranid units due to the army universally lacking assault grenades and high survivability - then pretty much unit you pair them up with will find Gargoyles to be an invaluable ally. Heck, the Haruspex probably derives the most benefits from Gargoyles in this sense with Weapon Skill 1 opponents completely mitigating its damage output to survivability quirk.

The other less obvious use of Blinding Venom is to shut down a units' shooting capabilities almost completely. A Dire Avenger squad of any size is going to be nasty, particularly with some lucky rolling, for your monstrous creatures in particular. Charging them with a decent sized unit of Gargoyles probably won't get you anywhere other than tying them up for a turn or two. That's fine for the most part, but becomes a lot more intriguing once you realize that when they break from combat, those Dire Avengers are going to be Ballistic Skill 1 assuming you hit them with Blinding Venom. Ballistic Skill 1 shooting units of almost any capacity - Lootas excepted - are close to being a non-threat in that they are so dependent either on incredibly high rate of fire or support buffs, and most opponents won't plan ahead on addressing these issues when they are basically out of sequence. That you can throw the remnants of a Gargoyle brood at a ranged unit and, with some luck, see their shooting rendered mostly null is really valuable. Silencing the guns of Devastators even if you can't kill them outright is invaluable for Tyranids, even if it is just for that one turn - or two if you factor in the turn they were tied up in combat. While there are Blind-immune units - most notably Tau Battlesuit units - it is still a special rule with a far reach and lots of potential. While my initial reaction to the change with Blinding Venom was similarly jaded, just realizing how good it can be on a Jump Infantry unit that can help your army to advance not only as a tarpit but with that Blind is just so useful.

In general, Gargoyles are just a fantastic unit, even if their offensive output - especially with available upgrades doubling in points per model - has dropped significantly. That is perfectly fine though as the added functionality of Blind, plus retaining the capability to wound absolutely anything with a Toughness value, still makes Gargoyles a versatile unit. They aren't just Termagants with wings, they are Gargoyles with a clear purpose in the army, a low cost, great mobility and a pretty great support ability once you put it into practice. Yes, Tyranids aren't based around melee nearly as much as they used to be, but it is still where many of the Swarms' broods excel, and Gargoyles are one of the keys to making such a list work. Blinding Venom is a staggeringly under-rated ability even if it could be interpreted as inferior to its previous incarnation. Heck, I've gotten this far into my Overview without even mentioning Instinctive Behaviour! Yes, Gargoyles do kind of rely on being paired up with Shrikes or near flying Hive Tyrants, but I think Hunt in particular is less of an issue for Gargoyles than Feed is for Hormagaunts or Lurk is for Termagants. At least if you are using Gargoyles for denial purposes, the worst result is that they just Go to Ground and sit on that objective. They can use their decent little guns in Overwatch and their Blinding Venom in combat to hold up enemy units while awaiting support from a Synapse creature. They don't just Fall Back or start eating other, becoming completely useless. This way, they don't hurt each other, they get a boosted cover save and, heck, once they get into Synapse range they immediately get back up. There are a lot of shenanigans that can be abused with this; you use Gargoyles as meat shields for your flying monsters or ground Synapse units such as Warriors and forage ahead then Go to Ground once shot. This way, they won't have to worry about Instinctive Behaviour as they will already have gone to ground. Do this in cover and they will be getting anything from 4+ to 2+ cover saves, becoming surprisingly hard to shift and a real annoyance for your opponent. Move a Synapse unit into range and watch the Gargoyles get back up and proceed to act normally - even shooting and charging! So yes, Instinctive Behaviour isn't much of an issue here, at least certainly not as much as it is for other units. You still want to keep them in Synapse range, obviously, but it isn't the be-all end-all to making the unit work. Gargoyles are good enough as it is even when that painful negative is considered.


How to Equip Them

Gargoyles have an incredibly long list of options, with a grand total of two to further customize your fodder infantry. Poor joke aside, Gargoyles only access to Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs; unlike their ground variant in Termagants, they don't get any replacements for Fleshborers which is a bit of a shame. Flying Devourers would definitely be awesome to go along with flying Brain-Leech Devourers and mitigate any potential range issues the weapon has on Termagants. Of the two upgrades they can take, I'm more in the school of taking Adrenal Glands than Toxin Sacs because Gargoyles do come stock with Blinding Venom - even if it is significantly changed over its previous incarnation. I've already discussed Blinding Venom so I won't go into it too much again, but it effectively allows you to wound Toughness 5 and higher opponents on 6s while also gaining Blind, as well as actually being able to harm Toughness 7 and higher opponents in combat.

The Blinding part of the attack is the really valuable part, of course, with Initiative 4 Gargoyles potentially able to reduce enemies to Weapon Skill 1 for your monstrous creatures to really tear them apart. Even just generally, having the enemy at Weapon Skill 1 for what amounts to a game turn is awesome for a protracted combat. Neither upgrade works with Blinding Venom though, so if you do plan on making use of it - and you really should as Gargoyles are intended for a combo-charge role - then Adrenal Glands are the better fit as they at least give an out of combat upgrade through Fleet. Jump Infantry with Fleet are pretty darn quick, of course, and should be able to do a reasonable job of keeping up with flying monstrous creatures and getting into assault a turn early to both tie up and soften up an enemy unit for a melee monster to crush. Honestly though, both upgrades aren't really that valuable for Gargoyles once you do factor in the surprising usefulness of Blinding Venom when combined with all other Tyranid assault units. Gargoyles don't need the extras - even Fleet, as they are quick enough anyway for your predominantly 6" moving combat units - and do just fine as a very cheap horde unit without upgrades, especially now that both upgrades have doubled in cost since their previous incarnations.


Where to Put Them

As models on flying stands, the most obvious place to put Gargoyles is spread around a flying monstrous creature or even a walking monster. Heck, anything from Shrikes to Trygons make great choices to "bubble-wrap" with Gargoyles due to their speed and low cost per model. Their Blinding Venom also gives them some incredible combo-charge potential and allows them to hurt some units they would otherwise have to pay for Toxin Sacs to harm. I prefer to keep them around a Synapse creature for obvious reasons, but also because our usual mobile Synapse units can benefit so much from intervening cover provided by the Gargoyles. Shrikes need cover saves to make up for their abysmal armour save. Hive Tyrants with wings - assuming they are separate from Tyrant Guard - are still 3+ armoured monstrous creatures with only four wounds that lack an invulnerable save, and thus also require cover saves to survive. While you will slow down flying monstrous creatures by surrounding them with Gargoyles, the more considered play style the new Tyranid Codex intimates actually fits into this just fine. Of course, Gargoyles might be a great tarpit in melee but they are still incredibly fragile against ranged attacks. You need cover for them to work, so deploying them - again, near or around the unit you want to protect - in area terrain or even behind a ruin is wise. Make use of the 2" unit coherency rules as much as possible as Gargoyle wings mean they are incredibly susceptible to weapons that use blast markers and templates. If you want to just tie a unit up, keep them in Synapse range and go for Tactical Squads or inferior units in terms of melee capabilities, such as Necron Warriors or Tau units. If you actually want to kill things, pair them up with a monster or another unit and make use of their Blinding Venom to reduce enemies to Weapon Skill 1 for the next combat phase.


Best Uses

I'm honestly in the school of thought that you should leave Gargoyles bare, run them in pretty large squads to make full use of just how cost effective they are and just flood the board with even more horde units from the Fast Attack slot. Each upgrade they can take is a third of their total points cost and as Gargoyles are pretty much your best or second best tarpit unit overall due to their high mobility and cost, I think leaving them bare is the right idea. Toxin Sacs give them a great melee boost, but waste their Blinding Venom. Adrenal Glands are nice for both Fleet and Strength 4 attacks, but the inability to combine Furious Charge with Hammer of Wrath and Blinding Venom is a downer. Besides, Fleet isn't as necessary for a unit that is mostly about protecting another unit rather than necessarily getting into combat. Make the most of the fact that they are effectively Termagants with wings and a surprisingly nasty combo-charge ability in Blind Venom for a mere few points more per model by running them in large units in conjunction with flying monstrous creatures or Shrikes. Aim them at nasty units or weak units; either way, once you hit Blinding Venom off, that unit will be incredibly easy prey for any of your proper dedicated assault units. They just naturally fit as the protectors of Shrikes or flying Hive Tyrants in particular, providing much needed cover to those units, acting as a tarpit and move-blocker against nasty opposing flying monsters, and they are just a generally cheap and cost effective unit. They do decent damage at short range in either the shooting phase or the assault phase, and when they reduce a unit to Weapon Skill 1 through massed Blind attacks they will probably make their points back from how easy it makes combat for something like a Haruspex. The reality is that as long as they are kept in Synapse range, Gargoyles rank up with Termagants as one of the most cost-effective units in the codex and should be one of your main priorities to employ as a Tyranid player. They can fight many units very well, they are a great tarpit, they are fast, cover gives them good survivability and their Blinding Venom gives them additional support capabilities.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Gargoyles (20) - If the idea of putting out 20 Blind attacks after any applicable Strength 3 Hammer of Wrath attacks appeals to you, this is the unit for you. Cheap for what it does, able to cover a lot of space - and thus provide cover to many units - and nasty on a combo-charge, even on the first round with an Initiative 3 or lower unit. If you don't have much faith in the Blind effects or they won't be useful in a given situation, there are always massed standard Strength 3 attacks on the charge!

Gargoyles (15) - Adrenal Glands - This unit is the same exact cost as the above unit, but gains Fleet and two Strength 4 attacks each on the charge provided they don't use their Blinding Venom. This is your more generalist Gargoyle unit that doesn't necessarily operate around combo-charging with lower Initiative Tyranid units. They are fast, put out a lot of Strength 4 attacks plus Strength 3 Hammer of Wrath and are generally a deceptively annoying unit for opponents. Don't forget that even one failed Blind test in the second round of combat if the Gargoyles are performing badly will see the enemy unit at Ballistic Skill 1 for the next turn, making them incredibly ineffective at range.


Deathly Pulse

Throughout legend and myth, the portents of doom come from storms, locusts feasting ravenously or livestock stricken by an unknown assailant. But for countless garrisons throughout the galaxy in the universe of Warhammer 40000, it is perhaps the faint pulse every second that is the most terrible sign of imminent death. Standing idle, those on watch and unable to sleep can hear a faint, regular beat, a sound that is as maddening as it is enchanting. It is only when the time for escape has long passed that the unwary defenders realize the true horror of what faces them; a thousand creatures borne on leathery wings, screeching in a kind of alien, predatory glee as they find their quarry unaware and unprepared for what will come next. Perhaps the knowledge that there a million of these creatures for every human is so chilling, or that they are not alone alongside other greater beasts.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Harpies are one of many new organisms introduced in the Tyranid 5th Edition codex that had to wait a whopping four years to see an official kit release, and I think it goes without saying that they were one of the most anticipated models from Games Workshop. Even despite their weak rules in 5th Edition, 6th Edition revolutionized the Harpy with the addition of Flying Monstrous Creatures, and the new codex sees a further improvement on these screeching serpents. I hope you enjoy this article!


Harpies

Overview

Ah, the Harpy, quite easily my favourite model from the 6th Edition Tyranid release. The model is awesome, but do the rules hold up? Fortunately, they fare a lot better than most - including myself - initially thought. A common mistake we all make is to look at a unit without support and on its own merits in an army when first reviewing a codex; this is, after all, why we have those early articles marked as "initial impressions". I will however come out and say that the Harpy - and the Hive Crone too, by extension - have really surprised me with their effectiveness on the table-top. Their best advantage is not in what they bring so much but more that they are a cheap flying monstrous creature that gives you an incredibly cheap flyer equivalent that is tougher than the more expensive vehicular variants found in other armies. Besides, flying monstrous creatures are of course just so much more versatile than flyers; the former can charge units, use Smash to instantly kill characters and take on vehicles, has more freedom of movement with a 12" minimum move and, of course, is far tougher to destroy by conventional means. So let us look at the individual benefits of the Harpy and just why I think it is a close competitor with the Hive Crone and Gargoyles as our best Fast Attack choice. First off, the stats. While these are unimpressive, you need to remember that for the majority of a game, enemies will need to snap-shoot at the Harpy lest they have Skyfire weapons. Its Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill 3 are middling, but the latter is offset by twin-linking on its main gun and the low scatter potential of its unique weapon. With Strength 5 and that low Weapon Skill, though, the Harpy isn't really suited to combat, especially with only three attacks. While that odd number does mean it sacrifices only a single attack when it Smashes, it still isn't anything special. What is odd is the monsters' high Initiative of 5 typical to Raveners or Commander-equivalent units. This can see potentially lucky charges against enemy walkers or monsters by using those high Initiative Smash attacks, but Weapon Skill 3 and only three Smash attacks on the charge still sees me rather against this kind of approach.

The Harpy has mediocre durability for a monstrous creature when solely considering its five Toughness 5 wounds with a 4+ armour save, but again, its nature as a flying monstrous creature gives it a lot more leeway than an initial impression would suggest. However, it goes without saying that the Harpy is fragile, especially as it lacks an invulnerable save. Massed small arms fire has a criminally high chance of seeing a failed grounding test on a flying monstrous creature, and Harpies are especially vulnerable to that kind of shooting. Bolters wound the beast on 5s, and any armour save forced is failed half the time which really isn't commendable for a monstrous creature when bolter fire can be massed in ludicrous numbers, particularly by a Legion army list. This is why I tend to keep Harpies back away from enemy units and mostly use their main gun instead of their close-range attacks; they are just so fragile and will die the instant they are grounded. On that note, a failed grounding test is almost guaranteed to cause an unsaved wound on a Harpy what with its complete lack of an invulnerable save, and five wounds really isn't that much when you consider its defensive stats. The exception to the "stay back" rule is when your army build is more aggressive, filled with Tyrannofexes, a Tervigon or two and many other Flying Monstrous Creatures as a core. Here, Harpies act almost as "chaff" units for the Tyranid force, being highly mobile and even sacrificial units due to their very low cost that can easily tie up a unit for a long time due to innate Fearless. Its combat potential is low, but it is still a monstrous creature and will beat down on Tactical Marine equivalents provided they aren't taken in large numbers - and yes, ten Tactical Marines will probably have their way with an unsupported Harpy due to Strength 6 AP4 Krak Grenades.

The interesting quirks of the Harpy become more apparent the closer it gets to an enemy, though, even if it isn't necessarily a unit you want near a high concentration of enemy units. The first of these are its unique Spore Mine Cysts, fired as per a Bombing Run for flyers with no difference that I have been able to discern. When a Harpy flies over a unit when swooping - and it should always be swooping! - it can count as firing one weapon for the shooting phase and drop a Strength 4 AP4 Large Blast with Poisoned (4+) using the Barrage rules that scatters a miniscule D6". This is a really powerful tool, especially as it can be fired in conjunction with the Harpies' primary weapon; the Spore Mine Cysts absolutely devastate light to medium infantry, something the Stranglethorn Cannon also excels at. And if you actually manage to miss something with a large blast that only scatters D6" then it creates D3 Spore Mines automatically that can charge a unit - and thus explode - on the turn they are created. I've not found this happens too often, but when it does, it can be pretty hilarious; using them to soak up Overwatch instead of your more valuable standard units alone is awesome. You can even opt out of firing the Harpies guns and do both a bombing run and a Vector Strike in the same movement phase, doing a whole lot of either pseudo or full Ignores Cover wounds. While the Spore Mine Cysts are limited by a 24" range and the large oval base of the Harpy, as well as its fragility at close range, they are nonetheless a very devastating weapon against Eldar, Tau, Necron and other light infantry in particular. This is one of the biggest reasons to be more aggressive with a Harpy, especially when they - or Crones - are taken in numbers. Harpies just excel at destroying infantry which, as the usual unit type for scoring units, makes Harpies pretty darn valuable in the vast majority of missions from the main rulebook.

As if that wasn't enough, Harpies combine their Initiative 5 with the Sonic Shriek, a special rule that imposes itself when one of these monsters charges an enemy unit. Each enemy model in the same combat as a Harpy on the turn they charged suffers a whopping -5 penalty to their Initiative. The obvious and limited use of this is to make up for a Harpy lacking assault grenades, but in the context of an army universally lacking assault grenades, this is a really powerful tool when used alongside Hormagaunts, Shrikes and all manner of Tyranid assault units. Not only does it mitigate the penalties of charging through cover enough that both sides will fight on even footing, but if your units don't charge through cover then it can see even your slow Carnifexes tearing units apart before they strike. A Wraithknight isn't so scary for your Tyranid Prime and Carnifex Brood all with Toxin Sacs if it strikes last due to the help of a friendly Harpy, no? This is just another great ability that can make up for the Tyranid codex' flaws and serves to make the Harpy one of the better value monsters in the codex. It can't really deal with flyers, but it is cheap and versatile enough to be a worthwhile unit in any army list planning on taking three or more flying monstrous creatures. Oh, and as for Instinctive Behaviour - of which the Harpy suffers from Hunt - you will never need to worry either because of Leadership 10, or because it forces you to shoot the nearest enemy units as a Harpy ignores the first result. For a flying gun beast...that's not bad at all!


How to Equip Them

Harpies have two primary weapon options that will provide slight variations on their role on the battlefield, with a number of secondary upgrades able to give them some slight but unnecessary boosts.The first and biggest choice to make with a Harpy is the main gun; do you take the stock Stranglethorn Cannon or the paid-for Heavy Venom Cannon? As a general note, both weapons are twin-linked and thus make up for that Ballistic Skill 3 for the most part, and also reduce the accuracy issues inherent with a small blast. While I do prefer a Barbed Strangler over a Venom Cannon on Warriors, for example, I am more a fan of the Heavy Venom Cannon on a Harpy. The reasons for this are pretty straightforward, actually. A Strength 6 small blast really isn't that threatening to most vehicles, particularly with a mediocre AP value, and so the large blast of the Barbed Strangler is generally better for light infantry hunting as a well spaced unit will only get hit once or twice by a small blast usually. Throw in Pinning and an identical cost and the Barbed Strangler is probably the better bet for a unit that can only really engage infantry anyway. With the Harpy, I look at the upgrades each gun has over their standard version; the Stranglethorn Cannon has two higher Strength, while the Heavy Venom Cannon has three higher Strength. Strength 9 is a massive threat to most vehicles and so its inability to hit many infantry models is mostly a non-issue, though the high Strength does make it a nasty surprise answer against multiple-wound Toughness 4 models such as Crisis Suits. Throw in the very strong Spore Mine Cysts all Harpies have that decimate light to medium infantry with ease and their ability to be used against a separate target to what the Harpy shoots at and you can see the versatility a Heavy Venom Cannon brings. A Strength 9 small blast will penetrate AV12 about 50% of the time on average, and is one of few Tyranid ranged weapons that can actually harm - perhaps even penetrate - AV14 vehicles. Put it on an incredibly mobile platform that can get side shots very easily and you have yourself a real winner.

Now, this isn't to say the Stranglethorn Cannon is without its uses. A Strength 6 AP5 large blast with Pinning is still pretty nasty, especially as both main guns have a 36" range, allowing you to decimate light infantry and force masses of armour saves on well armoured bodies with Toughness 4 or lower. It's a nice weapon for sure, I just feel the Strength 9 small blast a Heavy Venom Cannon offers give the Harpy less of a niche role as an infantry hunter and more a generalist role similar to a Flying Hive Tyrant armed with two twin-linked Brain Leech Devourers. It can harass heavy infantry and all manner of ground vehicles from afar, bomb infantry when it closes and then perform a charge against lone or fragile units with great effect. Its combo-charge potential is enormous with its Sonic Shriek ability effectively giving combat-wide lack of necessity for assault grenades, an aspect of combat that Tyranids typically find themselves lacking in. Combine the Initiative penalty from a Harpy with the Blinding Venom of Gargoyles and watch as your opponents fall before your mediocre combat units without much of a fight; Weapon Skill 1 Honour Guard won't worry even Gargoyles as much as you would think! I digress though, so I'll close with the thought that both weapons are good but the Heavy Venom Cannon gives you a lot more flexibility with a Harpy and for only a miniscule increase in points. I've found success with both weapons though so if you find yourself five or ten points over your army list limit, don't be afraid to drop the Heavy Venom Cannon back down to a Stranglethorn Cannon as your Harpy will still have some strong shooting to put out!

The other upgrades available to a Harpy are ones that I generally avoid mostly because of how unnecessary they all are for a monster fitting the role a Harpy does. The Harpy is a bomber in the form of a flying monstrous creature and generally doesn't belong in combat except to attack smaller, less threatening units like Combat Squads or Artillery squads. It does have an awesome combo-charge ability with Sonic Shriek but unless it could actually be used to swing a combat you might struggle in - something Tyranids usually don't have too much of a problem with - then you don't need to worry about it. The Harpy is fragile and doesn't want to end up gliding during the opponents' shooting phase because you killed an enemy unit in one round of assault. It is safest when swooping and using its long ranged guns to its advantage, so don't waste the firepower on offer for mediocre combat abilities as far as Tyranid monsters are concerned. All this is a long-winded explanation of why I think you shouldn't bother with any of the Biomorphs. Fleet from Adrenal Glands might be handy, but the Harpy has a 36" ranged primary weapon. I wouldn't be so concerned about trying to get it into combat quickly, especially as it can regularly move 24" a turn when swooping anyway. The other, combat-centric upgrades might help if you do find your Harpy fighting a nasty enemy unit in assault, but a Harpy generally won't win against any decent melee unit regardless of what upgrades it takes. As such, I recommend leaving the Biomorphs at home. The Harpy can take a third ranged weapon in the form of Cluster Spines or a Stinger Salvo, and I generally avoid these because one of the best abilities the Harpy has counts as firing a weapon. The Spore Mine Cysts can pair up with either the Harpies' Vector Strike or main gun to do a lot of damage to one or two units per turn. A third gun doesn't fit in there as both of them aren't nearly as useful as any of the other weapons a Harpy has. You can make a case for a Stinger Salvo against fliers, or for Cluster Spines as an 18" shooting attack for while the Harpy gets close enough to use its Spore Mine Cysts, but a 24" move per turn means you really shouldn't have to worry about this. Besides, you will be paying for a gun you will fire once, if at all. My advice is, again, to leave these alone and keep the Heavy Venom Cannon as a Harpies' only potential upgrade.


Where to Put Them

As Flying Monstrous Creatures, you have two main options in deployment. You either deploy them in cover, or you keep them in reserves. The former is more common because it allows a Harpy to start dealing damage on the first turn and use cover or their swooping mode if they have the second or first turn, respectively, to survive. Hiding them behind terrain isn't too hard if the piece is solid enough; wings are not counted for the purposes of line of sight to flying monstrous creatures, and since the main bulk of both the Harpy and the Crone is in the wings, hiding them really isn't as difficult as it might seem. You need to keep Harpies in cover because Toughness 5 with five wounds and a 4+ armour save is far too fragile, especially against a standard Tau or Imperial Guard army list, to have out in the open or in the sights of many units. Don't deploy aggressively with them but instead deploy them behind line of sight blocking terrain or in cover; they have a 24" swooping move with a 36" ranged heavy gun. They do not need to be deployed at the fore under any circumstances, unless you really want a first turn bombing run with the Spore Mine Cysts.

Keeping Harpies in Reserves is the alternative and, while not too common, certainly viable way to deploy them. This is to safe-guard them from an inevitable fusillade of first turn shooting where, Night Fighting excepted (but not against Tau), they are usually at their most vulnerable as they will be gliding if your opponent takes the first turn. Another line of thought is that the more shooting your opponent has, the more chances of a failed grounding test there are. While Tau in particular bring lots of Interceptor shooting, again, a 24" move from reserves as well as the stipulation that wings do not count for line of sight should allow a Harpy to hide on any decently filled game board. I generally prefer to start Harpies on the board though because they add to that crucial target saturation at the start of the game, something that is so key to a good Tyranid army. The majority of units in your army need to be viewed as sacrificial, a harsh but necessary truth that allows your surviving elements to mop up the enemy. While not every game works in this way, I find having five to three flying monstrous creatures on the board at the start of the game in conjunction with a pair of Tyrannofexes and a Tervigon - all at 1250+ point game sizes, by the way - is generally enough to keep opponents on their toes.


Best Uses

I see the best use of Harpies is less as a one or two-off unit that you throw into any army list, but as support for your Flying Hive Tyrants. Harpies have Leadership 10 and are thus not really worried about Instinctive Behaviour, but one or two flying monstrous creatures can be taken down pretty easily. Take five - two of which are key Synapse creatures - though, and all of a sudden any typical list, even many competitive ones, is going to be struggling to get rid of twenty-three Toughness 5-6 4+-3+ armoured wounds that can only be hit regularly by Skyfire weapons. The best part about Harpies is that they are cheap, giving you the most inexpensive flying monstrous creature in the game that is fully capable and ready without any upgrades, unlike a Daemon Prince for example. You don't need to put any points into them - maybe exchange the Stranglethorn Cannon for a Heavy Venom Cannon and that is it - for them to be an effective unit, one that adds a lot of versatility to your army. You can use them to clear out small scoring units, tie up Devastator and Pathfinder equivalents and even Smash a vehicle to pieces. They are also a naturally Fearless unit, so getting into combat with a nasty ranged unit that can't do too much to a Toughness 5 monster in combat is also a nice use of the Harpy. If you are worried about being pelted by massed small arms fire that is actually deceptively dangerous for a Harpy, keep at range; you have either a Stranglethorn Cannon or a Heavy Venom Cannon, so make use of their 36" range! Otherwise, give this thing a Heavy Venom Cannon, use it in conjunction with a whole bunch of other flying monstrous creatures and go nuts. It can destroy vehicles - though I would avoid Walkers with power fists - at range pretty effectively or much easier in combat, it can do a lot of damage to most units at range but often more-so when it is close enough to do a bombing run. The Harpy works best at short range due to its increasing damage output and potential with melee attacks and Vector Strikes, though its minimum 12" move means that unlike vehicular flyers you are pretty free to go where you want and sit back if necessary.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Harpy - The stock-standard Harpy build is also a great one, putting out a ridiculous amount of anti-infantry shooting through multiple large blast weapons. With a twin-linked Stranglethorn Cannon and Spore Mine Cysts, Harpies usually won't need any other weapons, not unless you don't mind spending a few extra points on Cluster Spines or a Stinger Salvo for the turn or two before it starts dropping bombs.

Harpy - Heavy Venom Cannon - There are merits to both of the weapon choices, but the Heavy Venom Cannon is undeniably the generalist choice - and with only a tiny price to accompany it! This makes for the most versatile and effective Harpy build I feel, able to bomb infantry and then either hit them with a Strength 9 blast or target all manner of vehicles with it.


Swooping Shrieker

Likened to the serpentine Trygon, a Harpy is a graceful beast soaring on massive fleshy wings even despite its colossal weight. The curved spikes of its carapace and long, sinuous tail are oddly enough the least threatening aspects of this hellish creature born from the skies. As it swoops low it delivers a deadly payload of spore clusters and strangling vices, obliterating armour and dissolving fleshy tissue in a matter of moments. What marks this out like no other bomber is its ear-piercing shriek, heard only when it descends into the thick of battle to consume its prey, or as a defensive weapon which no foe can bear. If their skulls are not rent by this sickening scream or by its vile, toxic weaponry, the Harpy becomes vulnerable with its weaker physical attributes a sacrifice for its unparalleled speed in the air. But even so, a Harpy is no mere beast when driven by the Hive Mind and is still capable of rending any warrior limb from limb with ease.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Hive Crones are one of a handful of new additions to the Tyranid army range, bringing raw versatility, decent survivability and high speed all at a very affordable points cost. This is a unit that literally screams to be part of an army laden with flying monstrous creatures, and it certainly gives you quite a few reason to go up that route. I hope you enjoy this article!


Hive Crones

Overview

The kit-sibling to the hotly anticipated Harpy model, the Hive Crone battles it out with the flying Trygon to determine just what is the most versatile Tyranid model in the army before any upgrades are considered. Instead of trying to directly compare them as the two are pretty distinct in their preferred targets, I will merely save myself from repeating what I wrote earlier and sum up the stats of the two beasts. The Crone has identical stats to a Harpy in every area, even the high Initiative 5. This means the Crone is a mediocre close combat fighter that is only saved by its unit type, a mediocre shooter in regards to Ballistic-Skill based weapons, and has low survivability for a monstrous creature unless it isn't facing Skyfire weaponry. Both get away with these seemingly weak stats by being so versatile and cheap, while being a flying monstrous creature does a lot for their durability in general - the extra mobility alone to avoid most close combat encounters is a big enough boon for these two. The Leadership 10 for both also means they really don't have to worry about Instinctive Behaviour, especially as both are Fearless anyway and are thus immune to the worst effects of both. In essence, both the Hive Crone and the Harpy are two of the best Tyranid non-Syanpse models in terms of self support, combining ferocious speed and good damage output with all the goodies that come with being a flying monstrous creature. The Crone, distinctly, has the Feed Instinctive Behaviour as opposed to the Harpies' Hunt, meaning it loses the ability to shoot but, importantly, can still Vector Strike and fly off the board. Alternatively, you can charge a fragile infantry unit if you want to keep the Crone active. Instinctive Behaviour really isn't a problem for these two!

Where the Crone really starts to differ from the Harpy is in its ranged damage output, and in the formers' lack of the Sonic Screech ability. The Crone, as such, lacks the insane combo-charge potential of a Harpy that can stymy the army-wide lack of assault grenades. While this is a downer, as well as the Crone being quite a bit more expensive, its versatility and shooting capabilities are absolutely top notch. First off, it can clear out large swathes of infantry with its Drool Cannon, a template weapon with very respectable Strength 6 and AP4. This means it will essentially annihilate entire squads of infantry from the Eldar, Tau, Necron and Imperial Guard armies with no saves allowed, even inflicting instant death on Toughness 3 characters. The only issue here is that it lacks the Torrent profile meaning it is limited by the movement of the Crone itself, an issue famously circumvented by the Chaos Space Marine Heldrake. I've found that while it will severely limit the hits you get each turn, particularly before your Crone gets into the enemy deployment zone in the first turn or two, the large base of the Crone and 360 degree view mean it isn't quite as limiting as I initially thought. It's a nasty weapon for when you need an infantry unit dead and your Tyrannofexes and Harpies can't handle the job. From there, the Crone has four Tentaclids, the first missile-type weapons available to Tyranids. These have pretty lacklustre profiles with Strength 5 and AP5, but their special rules are what makes them so valuable; each is a Haywire shot that also re-rolls to hit against Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures. Haywire means that the Strength 5 shot can maybe inflict a glancing hit on an AV11 or AV10 vehicle and then have a huge chance to swipe off another hull point, or just strip hull points off of any vehicle you see. Haywire doesn't effect monstrous creatures though, so I would keep the Tentaclids reserved for flyers in particular. Heavy vehicles like Land Raiders really hate Haywire, even if a Crone is only likely to strip two hull points off on average with its four missiles. For an army that really struggles to deal with heavily armoured vehicles except in combat, a few salvos with Tentaclids from multiple Hive Crones can prove an invaluable defensive tool against these armoured behemoths.

So already we have a monster that can deal with enemy flyers, ground vehicles and infantry pretty well, though it isn't as good at the first two as a Flying Hive Tyrant armed with twin-linked Brain Leech Devourers, not is as good a squad-killer as a Harpy. But that the Crone combines these roles into one cheap model is what makes it stand out, and that is before mentioning its devastating Raking Strike. This special rule grants the Hive Crone a Vector Strike with a whopping Strength 8, capable of inflicting instant death with no cover saves allowed at AP3 on Toughness 4 multiple-wound models, or of just destroy Vindicators and Predators with their weak side armour eleven. The big question is, then, how does it rate against the Heldrake's amazing Meteoric Descent? The most important factor here is range; the Heldrake can move 36" and then fire a torrent template weapon in any direction, giving it unprecedented mobility and the ability to be placed almost anywhere and still do damage. The Hive Crone, instead, can movw 24" and then fire a template weapon lacking the crucial torrent rule, meaning that while it also has a 360 degree line of sight it has significantly less range of damage. This means it is less likely to be able to fly over a unit and then shoot a weapon effectively if they are spaced well. That its template weapon lacks torrent means it has no way to make up for being limited by smart positioning on your opponents part, meaning you can't get away with a Vector Strike and then a template shot covering a good number of models. Where a Heldrake has always been able to Vector Strike a worthwhile target on the turn it arrives for me, the Crone is unlikely to do this until at least the second turn except if its controlling player goes second against an assault or heavily aggressive army. This means that it is a lot more limiting than Meteoric Descent, but really, that isn't so much of a bad thing. A 24" move is still great and not to be under-estimated, but the base size of the Harpy can be an issue here. In any case, when the Vector Strike is used, it is undeniably strong; ripping 3+ armoured monsters and medium to light vehicles apart with ease. Combine that with potent anti-air missiles and a nice little cover-ignoring weapon and you have yourself a cheap and effective unit that rightly takes its place as the most versatile monster in the Tyranid army.


How to Equip Them

In my Harpy Tactica, I pointed out why you should probably leave all the upgrades - except the Heavy Venom Cannon - alone; a Harpy does not need them as it doesn't really want to be in combat, nor will it really get much benefit out of an extra ranged weapon due to its already stacked shooting attacks. Unfortunately - or fortunately if you are into keeping things cheap - the Hive Crone is in a similar boat except only exacerbated by its four Tentaclid Missiles. Replace the Spore Mine Cysts with the Strength 8 Vector Strike and the Stranglethorn Cannon with the Drool Cannon, then add four Haywire anti-air missiles and you kind of get the drift of why you shouldn't add another shooting attack. While a Harpy does have a long-ranged weapon, the Crone has to rely on its missiles as it closes before it can really do some harm with that Vector Strike and template weapon; their 36" range allows the Crone to fire off up to two full salvos in your backfield if you want to play safe early on. Even then, I'm still not really a fan of either gun as the Vector Strike more than covers for any shooting they provide, while a Drool Cannon - when it is in range of something - is far more devastating than either Cluster Spines or a Stinger Salvo. And again, those combat upgrades aren't necessary on something that does most of its damage in the air and won't win combats except against weak units in melee anyway. Keep the Crone bare and keep the points low so that you can take more bodies in your list.


Where to Put Them

As with the Harpy, a Hive Crone can either begin the game in or behind terrain, or start off the board in reserves. You can't ever leave it out in the open due to its middling defensive stats unless it is swooping - and even then, as it suffers no negative penalties for being in cover, it may as well always be in terrain anyway - in which case you should still avoid getting too closed to massed small arms fire. If you only have one to three fliers, try to be more cautious with them; consider not going for the easy Crisis Team kill and instead for that more isolated Pathfinder team if it means another probable turn of your Crone surviving. Even an army lacking in Skyfire likely won't have too much trouble grounding a Crone if they have lots of infantry with bolters or equivalent weapons, and once grounded, a Crone is literally a sitting duck. Using the rule that wings do not count towards line of sight for a flying monstrous creature, deploy the Crone either sideways or straight behind a building or suitable piece of terrain depending on its proportions. Minimize first turn firepower to it as much as possible by deploying safely and giving it a cover save at least; why try and deploy aggressively when there is both no guarantee of going first and going second is so much better for late-game objective capturing! A Crone's best weapon may be its Vector Strike, but it has many other weapons and capabilities to employ before it gets close; unless you are playing with five or more flying monstrous creatures, I advocate against being really aggressive. You want your ground forces to maintain a close distance to a Crone, if only so that they can assist a Crone when it is inevitably grounded or charged. Alternatively, you can hold the Crone in reserves and Deep Strike it - flying monstrous creatures are swooping when they arrive from deep strike - or come in from your table edge to try and catch out faster moving enemies. Either way is a viable tactic, but I prefer to keep it on the board for that ever crucial target saturation, personally.


Best Uses

Again, the Crone is well suited to a support role and for clearing out your enemies' smaller infantry units in combat. A Crone, with Smash, can destroy light to medium vehicles - though walkers with power fists should be avoided - and take on five strong or less infantry units equivalent to Tactical Marines, though it can take on larger units of Fire Warriors or Eldar Guardians pretty effectively. Use its Vector Strike against AV12 side armour or lower vehicles and Toughness 4 multiple wound models - like Crisis Teams and medium-sized Tyranids - and the Drool Cannon to mop up squads of 4+ armoured infantry. The Tentaclids should be reserved for heavy vehicles with side armour thirteen or higher where your Vector Strike becomes inefficient, or for flyers that can also be dealt with through the Vector Strike. All of this makes the Crone an unparalleled monster in terms of versatility in the Tyranid codex, and it is darn cheap to boot. Ideally, a standard Tyranid list with Exocrines, Tyrannofexes, other Harpies and Crones and so on is suited for massacring light to medium infantry in droves, which means your Crones are better left for vehicle hunting, something the rest of the army struggles with at long range. Use the Tentaclids as one of the Hive Fleets' best defences against flyers and AV14 vehicles, but always try and Vector Strike wherever possible without dangerously exposing the Crone itself. I prefer not to take too many risks with these things and move up into advanced cover in the first turn, preparing for a "fly-by" on the second turn and onwards. Many opponents will expect you to try and Vector Strike on turn one and attempt to counter that with their own flyers and unit positioning, so don't fall for the bait and instead disillusion them by doing it in the turn you prefer. The Crone may lack the support capabilities of a Harpy when making a charge, but it nonetheless makes up for it in offensive prowess; if you do have four or more flying monstrous creatures, don't be afraid of aggression. I still recommend using the first turn to get into position so as to not over-extend and end up in the sights of all the enemies' guns, but if it means sacrificing a cheap monster so the rest of your swarm can advance unharmed, it may be worth it.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Hive Crone - I really think a Hive Crone doesn't need or want any upgrades, simply because none of them will actually help it with any issues or roles it has. It is already an incredibly versatile monster that doesn't want to be in combat except against weak units or vehicles, an area where those Biomorphs really aren't necessary. The extra ranged weapons aren't really worthwhile once you consider the Crone's five weapons as well as the Vector Strike.


Death from Above

In the cold emptiness of the void, the countless bio-ships of a Hive Fleet slowly traverse the galactic plane in search of new worlds to feast upon. It is in this period of transition where much of a Swarm is yet unborn or in stasis that the Hive Crones, great winged scions of the Hive, glide effortlessly through the darkness as sentient guardians of the Hive Fleet. Controlled by the indomitable will of the Hive Mind, these monstrous predators can tear all manner of enemy vessels apart through strength or numbers alike. But it is when the Hive Crones descend like a meteorite from the heavens alongside numberless Mycetic Spores that the true danger they pose becomes exposed. Created to dominate the skies, Hive Crones are singular in their purpose and as efficient as any other creation of the Hive Mind. The utter destruction of all aerial threats will only see a temporary lapse in the death toll as a Crone then rakes at the ground, causing havoc and terror in equal proportions.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Spore Mines are certainly one of the more unique units in the Tyranid codex, lacking any kind of real usability outside of exploding if they make it into combat. They are incredibly one-note and are generally best left for Harpies and Biovores to spawn. I hope you enjoy this article!


Spore Mine Clusters

Overview

I have a query for you. Without considering any special rules, would you take a unit where each model has no Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Attacks, ranged weapon or saving throw, and every single other stat is a 1 - including Strength, Toughness, Wounds and Leadership - all for the same cost as a Hormagaunt? If you answered no, then you have the right idea. If you answered yes, well, you probably have your reasons. This is why I find Spore Mines rather intriguing; they really aren't a unit you would go out of your way to include, but are instead perfect as free "reinforcements" when supplied by missed Biovore and Harpy shooting. Their stats are obviously the worst in the game, but that doesn't really make a difference to how you would use them - or at least, most of the stats don't. Being Toughness 1 with no save outside of applicable cover is horrendous and restricts Spore Mine Clusters to only one use outside of being generated by Biovores and Harpies. As you would expect, the special rules do make a difference here. Fearless doesn't matter outside of immunity to Pinning and the inability to voluntarily go to ground, both of which don't really matter anywhere as Spore Mines being shot at even with cover are probably dead anyway when lasguns - yes, lasguns - wound them on 2s.

What you will be interested in, however, are the three other special rules. As the name implies, Spore Mines explode once they get into combat, from little to devastating effect. At the Initiative 10 step of the fight sub-phase, the entire Spore Mine unit is removed from play, placing a large blast over one of them in the process. The Strength of this large blast is equal to four plus the number of Spore Mines in the unit beyond the first, with the Strength value capped at ten. Hits from the large blast Ignore Cover and are AP4, meaning they will utterly annihilate any infantry with a 4+ armour save. Sadly, the maximum unit size of six means the highest Strength you can get to is nine, meaning no Instant Death shenanigans against Toughness 5 monstrous creatures. But hey, they can still harm vehicles and inflict Instant Death on the ever prominent Toughness 4 multiple wound models - mostly found ironically in the Tyranid army. The potential applications of this are pretty high, obviously, though a unit cap of six and their pitiful defensive stats means they usually won't make it into combat with any kind of decent numbers. Generally speaking, the D3 created by missed Harpy or Biovore shooting is most likely to get into combat untouched, especially as they can charge on the turn they "arrive". If you manage to get even two into combat with a vehicle that will take hits on an armour facing of ten then even two Spore Mines can potentially get a penetrating hit through. If you can get six through - remember, walkers are the only vehicles that can Overwatch unless you count the passengers of transports with fire points - then you will see a whopping Strength 9 hit on a vehicle that can lead to some hilarious results, even if the lack of AP2 or AP1 means the damage result isn't modified.

The key to their explosions, of course, is their mobility; their survivability is the worst of any unit in the game, so being able to make it to enemies is understandably difficult. Thankfully, Spore Mines can Deep Strike, giving them the ability to act as ridiculously cheap Deep Striking annoyance units. While they can never be scoring or denial units, not conferring any kind of Victory Points means you can be extremely aggressive with them and not care at all about mishaps - remember, the largest squad of these costs less than a bare-bones ten-strong Termagant unit! They are so cheap that you can throw them into an army list instead of taking a few extra "filler" upgrades and have a little unit that will either distract your opponent ever so slightly or take out the bulk of a medium to light infantry unit. There's literally no reason not to Deep Strike. Unfortunately, there is one last issue for these living bombs to contend with; all of their infantry movement is halved. They move 3" instead of 6" and halve all Run and random charge length distances. Did I mention they should never be deployed on the board? Deep Strike them right next to units, ignore the fact they might mishap and just try and throw a spanner in the works with your sub-50 point unit. Literally, that is the only use to this unit.

They are a weird one as they do present a nifty little tactical option, but the reality is that one split-firing Broadside Battlesuit will statistically kill an entire unit of these things in one round of shooting, leaving maybe one alive out of six if they don't have cover saves. They die so easily that they can't really be considered a proper distraction unit, especially as they are unlikely to do anything on the turn they arrived plus the one after due to their halved movement and charge distances. Even if they manage to Deep Strike 2" away from a Necron Warrior unit, those Necrons can just move 6" away and shoot at something else. An 8" gap here will mean that the Spore Mines will have to roll a 10 on their 2D6 random charge length to reach the Necron Warriors. Not that great, is it? This is why I think you should just leave Spore Mines alone, except to keep some handy if you are using Biovores and Harpies. Those two units will miss - though the latter will do so very rarely - and when they do, having those Spore Mine models handy can lead to some really funny and even game-breaking moments as you end up killing the unit you thought would escape harm. If they weren't so fragile and slow even with Deep Strike, these might have a place, but as it is, those Fast Attack slots are really valuable - especially with the new Skyblight Swarm dataslate - and I recommend filling them with something else. Take these only if you have a spare slot and nowhere to spend upgrade points on.


Best Uses

Undeniably the only real way to use Spore Mine Clusters as their own unit is to Deep Strike them. Leaving them in your backfield with the intention of scaring opponents away from an objective won't work as they are Toughness 1 models with a single wound per model and no save, other than applicable cover. Any kind of shooting will kill them pretty much instantly and even the most paltry shooting will have absolutely no difficulty getting rid of these things, especially as they are Fearless and thus cannot go to ground for boosted cover saves. By the same token, you can't try and move them up the field to be used as a distraction unit as even the most wasteful shooting from a pitiful ranged unit will get rid of them before they ever get close enough to do anything. Remember, Spore Mines are slow, incredibly so. Deep Strike them. The tactical possibilities you get from Deep Striking them are great and all, but hey, you can actually get a unit that does something. Isn't that marvelous?

Six Deep Striking Spore Mines are a ridiculously cheap sub-50 point unit that will more than likely be ignored if you play an aggressive Tyranid list as, generally, an opponent will have far more pressing issues to deal with from your other units. If they somehow get targeted by Interceptor fire, they've already done their job. They will die, but that will be a unit or emplacement that can't shoot at your other units in the shooting phase - you know, the ones that cost more than a third of a century. If they get shot on the opponents' turn instead, the same logic applies as it is less stuff shooting at your valuable units. If they charge a unit alongside another Tyranid unit and you resolve the Spore Mines first, you can play some good mind games with Overwatch. Sure, they have a maximum charge range of 6", but potentially forcing your opponent to risk sacrificing Overwatch against the other unit or just resolve it against the Spore Mines is a victory in every way. Heck, if they get into combat, they will pay for themselves instantly. In reality, this is a unit that is less than 50 points for six models that will either force your opponent to shoot at them, or get into combat and literally make mince meat of an infantry unit. Not bad at all!


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Spore Mine Clusters (6) - Spore Mines are ludicrously cheap but also easily the most fragile unit in the game, meaning that you need to take a maximum sized unit if you have any hopes of them at least doing something in a game. Whether they eat a round of Overwatch fire so another unit can charge unharmed, take Interceptor shooting to spare your main forces or somehow make a charge, they are so cheap as a tiny little annoyance unit that can pulverize 4+ armoured infantry units with ease.


Mindless Artillery

As Tyranid organisms and pods rain from the skies, millions of lesser creatures descend almost unbeknownst to the defenders of a world. These seemingly harmless beings drift aimlessly around their point of impact, grouping together as if driven by a distinct gestalt consciousness from the Hive Mind. It is only when the foolish or unwary close with these creatures that their true purpose becomes all too clear; they are living bombs, exploding in a detonation of volatile toxins and acid. Many of them famously guard the gestation pools, the hidden feeding grounds of a Swarm ready to be delivered to the lingering Hive Fleet. Though they are seemingly utterly mindless, they are clear and effective in their lone purpose.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Carnifexes are the brutish living tanks of the Tyranid Hive Fleets, created to batter down walls and ram through gates with brutal efficiency. As siege monsters, Carnifexes are the bulkiest of the Tyranid monstrous creatures, sacrificing both raw size and agility for incredible strength and a thickly armoured carapace. These are the oldest and most common war engines of the Tyranids, and the famous monsters have finally been restored to their former glory. I hope you enjoy this article!


Carnifexes

Overview

What is the name of that popular Drowning Pool song? Let the bodies hit the floor? There's no denying how well that song meshes with violence of any kind, but watching monstrous Carnifexes tear all manner of enemies to pieces in record time is perhaps the most satisfying event to play the song to. These are the "troopers" of the Tyranid monstrous creatures, with a good analogy that Carnifexes are as Tactical Marines while Trygons and Tyrannofexes are as Vanguard Veterans and Sternguard Veterans, respectively. They have a pretty standard profile for a Tyranid monster, though they are only of only two to have a mere four wounds alongside the Hive Tyrant. Paired up with the almost obligatory Toughness 6 and 3+ armour save, the Carnifex is one of the least durable Tyranid monsters, particularly once psychic powers and the like are thrown into the mix where the Hive Tyrant does edge ahead. However, the Carnifex is also the cheapest of the Tyranid monstrous creatures, clocking in at almost half the cost of a stock Trygon Prime. For points per Toughness 6 3+ armoured wound, Carnifexes are the second lowest - though there is a sizable gap between them and the impressive Mawloc. This actually makes them one of the more durable units per point in the Tyranid army even despite their middling Weapon Skill and general lack of wounds compared to other Tyranid monsters.

With all that said, how do they do in terms of offensive output? Carnifexes remain the "generic" generalist monstrous creature that is decent at everything but not great at anything, save destroying tanks which is something they do better than any other Tyranid. This is due to their incredible base Strength 9 that often means they don't even need to Smash for Strength 10 and re-rolling failed armour penetration rolls to destroy vehicles, while also allowing them to inflict instant death on Toughness 4 models without halving their attacks. On that note, Carnifexes have had their base attack value reduced by one to three which makes them functionally identical when Smashing - you round up statistics in Warhammer 40000 - while variations that combine a ranged weapon with a melee weapon or a second ranged weapon have one less attack than before. However, a higher Initiative value of two gives them some leeway when engaging units armed with Unwieldy high Strength weapons such as power fists and thunder hammers, meaning they don't need to rely on a combination of assault grenades and a successful charge to strike before such weapons. Speaking of their Living Battering Ram special rule, it has been changed from an Initiative bonus on the charge to making their Hammer of Wrath inflict D3 automatic hits instead of just one. While this may seem like a down-grade at first, when one considers that a Carnifex is Strength 9, potentially inflicting three automatic Strength 9 hits per Carnifex can be devastating. Medium to Light Vehicles can be easily destroyed just through Hammer of Wrath from a Carnifex, with the special rule giving them a massive boost against Walkers that would typically inflict a lot of damage on a Carnifex before it could strike.

Their melee weapons, however, have seen a decrease in usefulness. Scything Talons no longer affect Tyranid monstrous creatures at all save when used to provide an extra attack by having two pairs of melee weapons, while Crushing Claws no longer provide an extra D3 attacks and instead provide a Strength bonus plus Armourbane. While Crushing Claws did drop in points, gaining potentially three extra Strength 9 AP2 attacks was generally preferable, especially when combined with Smash. The way to go for melee Carnifexes now is to give them the resurgent Adrenal Glands, an upgrade that now provides Fleet at a slight increase in points over its previous incarnation. Leave them stock with the two pairs of Scything Talons so that they have four attacks per model as before, while adding Fleet and Furious Charge in and all at a lower total cost than a stock Carnifex in the previous codex. Interestingly, despite many Tyranid characters and monsters losing access to some of the now defunct Biomorphs, Carnifexes have actually gained one new option and lost none with Acid Blood thrown into the mix. Sadly, neither this nor Regeneration are worth the points for these lumbering brutes, even though both have arguably improved over their previous versions. Toxin Sacs, of course, have benefited most from the edition switch rather than the new codex, unlike Adrenal Glands, with the changes to Poison rules actually giving them a reason to exist as an option for Tyranid monstrous creatures. A Strength 9 model will wound 99% of the models in the game on a 2+ and gain re-rolls to boot in close combat, an upgrade that helps to make up for the loss of free re-rolls to hit from Scything Talons.

In regards to ranged options, the Carnifex brings the same weapons to bear as always; it can take cheap twin-linked deathspitters, the amazing twin-linked brain leech devourers, or one of two 'cannons' in the form of the Stranglethorn Cannon and the Heavy Venom Cannon. While the brain leech devourers remain the best ranged weapon option available to Carnifexes, the low cost of both the Stranglethorn Cannon and Heavy Venom Cannon, as well as their boosted range over the other two guns for the purposes of wound allocation and maximum range, make them worthwhile investments. From there, the changes to Carnifexes are mostly arbitrary; their assault grenade upgrade adds a pathetic but essentially free little shooting attack, while Bio Plasma is unchanged and thus still not really worth your time. The boost to Initiative 2 bears repeating though, especially as the current Space Wolf codex still allows for the disgusting Jaws of the World Wolf to be used; instead of failing on a three or higher against this test or die power, they instead fail on a four or higher which is a decent improvement. However, the most negative change comes in the form of Instinctive Behaviour, specifically the new Feed table. Carnifexes remain the only Tyranid monstrous creature that can be taken in broods instead of just solo, and it is still arguably their defining trait. Instead of just gaining Rage and suffering no other ill effects when they fail an Instinctive Behaviour test, Carnifexes that fail and are in a unit of more than one model will actively eat each other, inflicting automatic Strength 9 hits on each other and being unable to perform any other actions! This is a horrible result and one that forces them to stay in Synapse range more than ever, though suffering from Rage otherwise still limits their shooting and gives them a charge bonus as normal.

Now, compared to the previous codex, the same problems are obviously still apparent; the Carnifex is a generalist that isn't really that great outside of one or two specific builds, and even then its mediocre profile and lack of deployment options limit its effective roles. It is still a slow monster that is vulnerable to Blind tests and Unwieldy high Strength weapons, and has gained nothing to make it more durable against heavy weapons firepower - the loss of guaranteed Catalyst does hurt, even if the power itself improved. But here is the catch, and something that makes Carnifexes one of the stars of the new codex and rightfully so. They have seen a massive points decrease per model, with a stock Carnifex dropping a whopping 25% of their previous points total. With upgrades either getting cheaper or remaining virtually identical to before, the Carnifex has seen a massive improvement based not on stat changes or equipment changes like some other units - like the new Greater Daemons, for example - but instead through a necessary cost decrease that sees them at the price point they always should have been.

Put simply, you can take a single Carnifex for every four naked Tyranid Warriors in your army, giving you one of the cheapest monstrous creatures in the game that further distinguishes itself through number of upgrades and diversity of roles through equipment. That you can now field three stock Carnifexes for less than what you would have paid for two "Dakkafexes" (Carnifexes armed with two twin-linked brain leech devourers) in the old codex is simply astonishing and, with the increased defensive benefits provided by Venomthropes and general points drops across the codex, sees the resurgence of these great beasts. While I do feel the Tyrannofex is the star of the Heavy Support section and the codex, the Carnifex is a close contender; it mashes vehicles like no other, it is incredibly cheap and cost effective and can be adapted as a combat monster or as a devastating gun platform. I'm so glad that these iconic walking tanks have returned to the fore and to the army lists of Tyranid players everywhere; hopefully this is a reminder to Games Workshop of what writing good rules for all units, especially the iconic ones, can do for everyone's morale.


How to Equip Them

Carnifexes are one of the most customizable monstrous creatures available to Tyranids, able to be catered heavily towards either ranged or melee combat. The stock equipment for these highly mutable models is two sets of Scything Talons that, unfortunately, serve no purpose other than to provide the Carnifex with an extra attack. Their only use is to provide an extra attack when paired together or with Crushing Claws, so you can pretty freely replace them as you please. Speaking of the crab claws, these are a bit of an oddity. They give +1 Strength to make the Carnifex Strength 10 which, understandably, is pretty ridiculous. They also confer Armourbane to all of its melee attacks that, when paired with that ridiculous Strength value, will see it tear anything with an armour value to shreds in a single assault phase. The points cost is very reasonable here, especially as a Carnifex with these and Scything Talons will have five Strength 10 AP2 attacks on the charge plus D3 Strength 9 Hammer of Wrath hits, as opposed to five Strength 9 AP2 attacks. The bonus to Strength only really makes a difference against wraith constructs and Toughness 5 multiple wound models, as the Armourbane bonus kind of makes that extra point of Strength superfluous against vehicles.

This is obviously great, but the thing is, you can achieve similar effects through Smash without paying for the Crushing Claws, sacrificing an attack for four Strength 10 attacks on the charge that re-roll failed armour penetration rolls. Unless you have bad luck with dice rolls and face lots of AV14 vehicles, Smash with the re-rolls to vehicle penetration rolls are suitable enough, while losing a single attack to get Strength 10 generally isn't a bad thing with four attacks per Carnifex on the charge. Heck, the D3 Strength 9 Hammer of Wrath attacks can often destroy vehicles by themselves! Crushing Claws have the advantage of being cheap, but I think I would prefer some of the Biomorphs over them as the latter upgrades actually do bring something unique to the Carnifex, not a slight boost on something it already does well.

This is where Biomorphs such as Adrenal Glands really come into the fore for Carnifexes. Much like any other walking monstrous creature that is primarily assault based, melee Carnifexes should almost always be packing Adrenal Glands for the crucial Fleet bonus. At the same points cost as Crushing Claws, Adrenal Glands provide Fleet and one turn of Strength 10 attacks, providing some of the offensive benefits while allowing the Carnifex brood to re-roll Run and random charge length distances. For any assault-based unit, actually making it into combat is key, and Fleet is a Tyranid monstrous creature's best bet outside of wings - an option that, sadly (if for the sake of humour) Carnifexes are lacking. The seemingly minimal speed boost does make a big difference, especially when you have to make a clutch 7" or longer charge, or just simply can't afford to roll low at any given point. Failing a 5" or 4" charge is definitely not outside the realm of possibility, so having a re-roll for melee Carnifexes is most definitely pivotal.

Others such as Toxin Sacs provide more combat-oriented benefits, such as re-rolls to wound against anything in the game that hasn't been buffed to Toughness 10 through Iron Arm - the only such case outside of gargantuan creatures is the Great Unclean One. It is a cheap upgrade that maximises the combat efficiency of melee Carnifexes, though ultimately it is unnecessary. If you want to keep the Carnifexes cheap when considering the almost mandatory Adrenal Glands, you can afford to leave Toxin Sacs behind as I feel the Fleet bonus is more important here. Still, having a Carnifex with both Fleet and re-rolls to wound in close combat for fifteen points less than a Carnifex in the previous codex with no such upgrades is nothing to sniff at, certainly. I would avoid Acid Blood and Regeneration though as the former is mostly wasted points on a unit that not only gets better offensive stats out of Toxin Sacs but will also lose most of its wounds against ranged attacks, while the latter is an incredibly expensive upgrade that isn't nearly as valuable on a four wound model as it is on a six wound model. While having broods of Carnifexes can make Regeneration "safer" in the sense that you can switch their positions between phases, too many armies are capable of killing a Carnifex each turn with ease. Those points are best left for Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs, or saved to be spent elsewhere.

Of course, the Carnifex is not solely a melee monstrous creature but can be given a variety of ranged weapons. There are four of these in total, two of which use high rate of fire and twin-linking to put out lots of accurate high Strength shots, while the others provide large or small blasts with Pinning or a ridiculous Strength value, respectively. Remember that each of a Carnifex's Scything Talons can be exchanged for a monstrous bio cannon, meaning you can give it two ranged weapons just like a Hive Tyrant. The first and cheapest of these weapons are twin-linked deathspitters, a weapon that pales considerably to the slightly more expensive twin-linked brain leech devourers. The former brings three Strength 5 AP5 shots at 18", while the latter provides six Strength 6 AP- shots at 18". AP5 only works against units that have a weak armour save anyway, while the extra point of Strength and double the number of shots is always preferable. It is for this reason that if you were to choose between either of these weapons, I would always take the brain leech devourers without fail. The option to take twelve Strength 6 shots that re-roll to hit with an 18" range for the cost of a single Tyranid Warrior is downright ridiculous and should be your preferred weapon load-out for ranged Carnifexes.

The latter two weapons that use large blast and small blast templates respectively are the Stranglethorn Cannon and Heavy Venom Cannon, the former which is identical in cost to a brain leech devourer and the latter which is only marginally more expensive. These weapons have double the range of the brain leech devourers and deathspitters, but their strict offensive output is generally lower - at least in regards to the devourers. A large blast with Strength 6 and AP5 is certainly decent, but having six twin-linked shots with AP- is almost always better except against light infantry hordes that aren't individually spaced out. That the brain leech devourers can also target zooming flyers and swooping flying monstrous creatures gives them utility as decent anti-air weapons. The main advantage of the Stranglethorn Cannon is that it has the Pinning special rule which is always useful, though without penalties to Leadership like the Horror it isn't that likely to do much.

The Heavy Venom Cannon's draw is Strength 9 and AP4, able to instantly kill Toughness 4 models on the spot and ignore a lot of armour. That it is a small blast means it isn't really effective against infantry provided they are spaced out 2" from another, with the small blast only really able to hit one or two models at most without favourable scatter. This is generally a different matter against vehicles, with a small blast on Ballistic Skill 3 still able to at least touch a vehicle with an average scatter roll; any hit with a Strength 9 weapon is pretty darned good, though the AP4 means it is mostly good just for stripping hull points. Truth be told, the extra range is nice over the brain leech devourers, but those also have far more utility with anti-air potential as well as re-rolls to hit to make up for the Carnifex's mediocre Ballistic Skill. The short range generally isn't that big of an issue as long as you take multiple monsters in a brood so that they are a difficult target to shift; just Run into position from the get-go.

Of course, no article discussing Carnifexes would be complete without referring to its unique upgrades. Carnifexes are still one of a handful of Tyranid units with access to assault grenades, with Spine Banks being their own particular form of this pivotal assault upgrade. This is a very cheap upgrade that allows Carnifexes to strike at Initiative 2 instead of Initiative 1 on the charge which generally is only helpful against models that are affected by Unwieldy, other Tyranid monsters and Necron characters with warscythes. I find that while Spine Banks are ridiculously cheap and striking before power fists is always handy, the examples of where the Spine Banks would really be useful are few and far between, particularly as there is never a guarantee that a Carnifex would be charging into cover in the first place. If the Carnifex was Initiative 3 or higher I would consider this more, but as it is, it only really helps it against power fists and thunder hammers. It also comes with a Strength 3 small blast that lacks any AP value and has a 6" range, something that is downright forgettable as charging an enemy at that minimal range is almost always preferable. For the points though, I guess you can't really complain.

Bio Plasma also makes a return in all of its mini plasma cannon glory, providing a Strength 7 AP2 small blast with a puny range of 12". I wasn't a fan of this weapon in the old codex and even with the Carnifex itself dropping in points I still don't see the value of it; the upgrade itself may work out cheaper than before overall but it still doesn't compare to the many superior ranged weapon options. A 12" range puts your Carnifex in assault range, for one, while Ballistic Skill 3 and a lack of Ignores Cover make it very unreliable. A small blast template isn't ideal for hitting anything but medium to large sized vehicles, and its Strength 7 isn't that high. When you can get six twin-linked Strength 6 AP- nothing shots for five points less that also have a 6" higher range and can be used as Snap Shots and during Overwatch is pretty insulting. It is a cool and thematic upgrade, but one that is severely handicapped compared to the other ranged weapons a Carnifex can take. The final batch of upgrades added to the new codex are two tail weapons, the Thresher Scythe and Bone Mace. The first adds a Strength 4 AP4 Rending attack to the Carnifex that, while seemingly decent, is only slightly less costly than Crushing Claws which make all of a Carnifex's attacks Strength 10 and Armourbane, making it rather pointless. The latter confers a Strength 8 attack that is slightly more expensive but also much more valuable, particularly for destroying vehicles; remember that monstrous creatures ignore the Unwieldy special rule. Unfortunately, this too is a rather silly upgrade as, again, you could just take Crushing Claws instead for the same exact cost and get far more benefits. Extra attacks are nice, but not when their stats are lacking - the inability to combine Smash with Tail Biomorphs makes them pretty lacklustre on monstrous creatures. You should just take Crushing Claws, or better yet, Adrenal Glands, for the same cost.


Where to Put Them

Carnifexes are best deployed as close to the edge of your deployment zone as possible while also providing them a cover save. This is because they are mostly medium to short ranged fighters that can bring most of their weapons to bear in the 18" or lower mark. Even when kitted out for ranged combat, their melee prowess as a brood is still highly useful with base Strength 9 and four attacks per model on the charge. This means you really need them to get up close as quickly as possible which is best done by using up that deployment zone as much as possible; position them in the furthest forward piece of terrain, or behind it, or even near a terrain piece just outside of your deployment zone. 3+ armoured Toughness 6 wounds are nice and all, but concentrated heavy firepower will still be rid of them rather easily, so making full use of cover is necessary despite the slight mobility penalty it imposes. Adrenal Glands are always a good upgrade for Carnifexes in this regard, allowing them to maximise their Run moves as they make it into advanced positions.

Carnifexes should be spaced out 2" from each other wherever possible so that large and small blast weapons like battle cannons and plasma cannons can't get easy hits on two or more members of a brood. Their large base sizes make it impossible for a small blast to hit more than two Carnifexes from the same brood, and ditto with a large blast provided they use the unit coherency distance to full effect. Their bulky models make for excellent cover provided by the intervening model rules for other Tyranids, particularly vulnerable Synapse creatures such as Zoanthropes or Warriors. A single Venomthrope can hide behind a Carnifex and be completely obscured in the frontal arc, giving out Shrouded to the unit so long as that one Carnifex survives. This can mitigate the need for using cover and give the Carnifexes a slight speed boost as a result. Using a wall of Carnifexes for units such as a Hive Tyrant and Tyrant Guard provides the valuable HQ and Synapse unit with mobile cover, an invaluable tool for any Tyranid player.


Best Uses

I feel the best implementation of Carnifexes into a Tyranid Swarm is to employ them either in pairs or in trios, and from there have just Adrenal Glands or two sets of twin-linked brain leech devourers. The three main advantages a Carnifex has over all other Tyranid monstrous creatures is its adaptability in regards to upgrades, its low cost per model and the capability to be taken in units of up to three models. Two stock Carnifexes are only slightly more expensive than a single Trygon Prime, while you can fit in three for just over half a century of points than the Swarmlord alone. They are tied with the Hive Tyrant for the least survivable Tyranid monstrous creature on foot, but they are also significantly cheaper than all other monstrous creatures - save the Mawloc, where the difference is less pronounced. My belief is that there is no reason not to exploit this, similar to how Necrons can get ridiculously cheap units of three wound, Toughness 6 monstrous creatures. Carnifexes are an iconic unit but one that is considered the closest analogy to "fodder" out of the Tyranid monstrous creatures; they are akin to a cheapish brick wall that you can throw into any army list. Pairs and trios of Carnifexes bring lots of wounds and damage output that no single Tyranid monstrous creature can match.

As far as the weapons and upgrades are concerned, melee Carnifexes don't really need Crushing Claws unless you regularly face Land Raider spam army lists. These kinds of broods are more dependent on Adrenal Glands for Fleet that give them a speed that, when potentially combined with up to three monstrous creatures in a brood, can be downright terrifying for all but the most arduous of gunlines. The other melee upgrades are unnecessary for a unit that is universally Strength 9 in combat and even adds D3 Hammer of Wrath attacks at Strength 9 to their already impressive close combat potential. A walking brood of fast monsters that can reliably make it into combat due to Fleet re-rolls is definitely not something most players want to be facing. The other popular unit of Carnifexes is the holdover from the last edition, the "Dakkafex" armed with two twin-linked brain leech devourers. This unit puts out an absolutely insane amount of medium Strength shooting that is able to tear apart light vehicles, infantry of all kinds and monstrous creatures with almost unparalleled efficiency. They are cheap for what they bring to the table and are almost a must-take, even if the loss of Mycetic Spores has limited their overall usefulness somewhat. These units should both be making Run moves in the first two turns of the game until they get into assault or shooting range, unleashing their devastating offensive potential on any unit that is unfortunate enough to be in their sights. Aside from common deathstar builds, three Carnifexes - even ranged ones - can deal with almost anything in combat with little difficulty, while those armed with brain leech devourers form the most impressive Tyranid fire-base you can find.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Carnifexes (3) - Two with Two Twin-Linked Brain Leech Devourers, One with a Stranglethorn Cannon and One Twin-Linked Brain Leech Devourer - This is what I like to call the "Fexstar". This unit will run you well over the four hundred point mark but is undeniably worth every point spent. You get a whopping 30 Strength 6 Twin-Linked shots at 18", capable of annihilating almost anything that isn't AV13 or higher that gets too close - and those vehicles won't stand against 3D3 Strength 9 Hammer of Wrath hits and 12 Strength 9 attacks on the charge! The lone Stranglethorn Cannon is there to give the Carnifexes a 36" ranged weapon to get around the whole allocating wounds and maximum range issue, while also giving a pretty nasty Pinning Strength 6 AP5 Large Blast weapon. You can either just Run into range or take some early pot shots with the Stranglethorn Cannon before you get within 18". Your choice!

Carnifexes (3) - All with Adrenal Glands - While this unit isn't that much cheaper than the one listed above and is obviously completely null in terms of ranged damage, its speed and melee prowess is just frightening. Twelve Toughness 6 wounds with 3+ armour saves and Fleet for re-rolling Run and Random Charge Length rolls? Oh, did I mention that the unit puts out 15 Strength 10 attacks on the charge after it does 3D3 Strength 9 Hammer of Wrath hits? Holy heck is this unit frightening!

Carnifexes (2) - Each with Two Twin-Linked Brain Leech Devourers - This is your primary Carnifex unit, one that sacrifices a third monster for the sake of straight efficiency. A third Carnifex can often be overkill on your points limits as well as destroying particular units through both ranged and melee attacks, so having just two works fine here. They can be a particularly nasty bodyguard for a Tyranid Prime and are a surprisingly well priced and damaging unit.


Living Engine of War

Of the countless Tyranid sub-species, one has proven to be the most devastating and fearsome of all even though it is by no means the largest or most intelligent. If a garrison manages to push back the hordes of lesser Tyranid organisms, as well as any aerial or ground attacks from Gargoyles and Raveners, they cannot afford to grow over-confident for even a moment. As the Swarm retreats, momentarily weakened and confused, a deafening roar sounds across the battlefield silencing all chance of victory. The earth begins to tremble as a wall of living tanks, great monstrous beasts thickly armoured and incredibly bulky, begin their final march to the walls and gates. In moments the defences are torn down and smashed to pieces, defenders ripped from their vantage points in a sickening feast of gore and blood. These beasts are the Carnifexes, the strongest of all Tyranids and designed solely as engines of destruction.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Biovores are the closest analogy to artillery in the Tyranid army, bombarding enemy positions from afar and out of sight. Their deadly payload is actually a cluster of Spore Mines propelled at ridiculous speeds by various muscle spasms in the Biovore itself. The changes to this mechanic and the Spore Mines themselves serve to make the Biovore a very interesting unit, even before you consider the positive buffs it otherwise received. Though its role in a vehicle-heavy 5th Edition meta was limited, 6th Edition breathed new life into this unit, and the new codex only serves to improve on what was already a great unit in the Heavy Support slot. I hope you enjoy this article!


Biovores

Overview

When you buy a model for use in games such as Warhammer 40000, you expect them to be....perhaps not worthwhile, necessarily, but at least have a use. To have a point. To have some kind of purpose. And ultimately, this is where the 6th Edition Pyro....

Oh, right, sorry. This is the Biovore Tactica! Where are my manners? Yes, the names may be similar, the models may be trying too hard to mimic their spiritual frog lieges, but by the Emperor are Biovores just so darn good. It reminds me of an exchange I used to have with my nephew. "What's that, uncle?" "Why, that is a Biovore, dear nephew." "It's so fat and ugly..." "The beauty is on the inside. Remember?" "Yeah, yeah....say, what's that over there? It looks kind similar." "That is the Pyrovore, nephew. You must never use that." Ah, please, forgive that lapse. In any case, yes, Biovores are the good twin, the one that doesn't hide in alleyways and conceal a flamethrower in their tattered leather jacket. In fact, they are easily one of the best value units in the codex not only in regards to their abilities, but the context of 6th Edition where so many players are favouring less vehicles and more infantry. 5th Edition wasn't exactly kind to Biovores even if they were a good unit in certain circumstances simply because vehicles and mechanical transports were the name of the game for the most part, leaving Biovores as almost completely null in many engagements. They didn't exactly fit the bill of an all-rounder choice, especially with the great value Trygons of the time that were so nasty with their Fleet and ridiculous number of attacks.

I've covered the changes in 6th Edition that make Biovores so much better even without their own rule changes, so I won't go into major detail on that front. Instead, I'll just quickly reiterate why Biovores really launched into a whole new level of competitive usage due to the edition switch; the changes to Barrage rules making them more dangerous, as well as transports being less favourable with less forgiving rules and an inability to capture objectives when embarked. Enemies have to go out in the open, giving the anti-infantry specialist Biovore a new lease on life with something to shoot at. Enter the new codex, and Biovores have managed to improve even more on their previous incarnation, with an extra wound, attack and point of initiative to give them a better rounded stat line. This makes them harder to remove for opponents while also making them less of a push-over in close combat if something manages to corner them.

However, the biggest change here comes from the reworked Spore Mines that they fire. Clusters of Spore Mines are an interesting but ultimately limited unit because they are incapable of really reaching any unit to force detonation, but Biovores provide a creative solution to this issue. Each time they miss with one of their shots - and yes, a unit of two or more Biovores is still only treated as missing once for this rule - D3 Spore Mines are created. This is a bit more limited than before, but now the Spore Mines can actually be controlled when they are placed. In fact, they can charge on the turn they are "created", leading to some hilarity with multiple charging units. Miss that Fire Warrior squad that is about to face a charge from your Hormagaunt brood? Force them either to Overwatch the nasty Strength 4 minimum AP4 large blast-providing Spore Mines and face the full wrath of the Hormagaunts, or take on the Hormagaunts and eat up that delicious explosion. Just being able to charge an infantry unit and potentially get even one Spore Mine into combat with a Toughness 3 and 4+ armoured infantry unit can pay dividends, often killing more than any single Biovore shot ever could with assumed cover.

Even without these changes, however, the Biovore would still be a stellar unit as I have already mentioned. They have three Toughness 4 wounds with a 4+ armour save, identical to Tyranid Warriors, but they have the advantage of freely being able to hide behind terrain without wasting many of their talents. They can beat off very light resistance in combat and synergize well with minor scoring Warrior squads in the backfield. The rest of their stats aren't that great with mostly threes and twos across the board, but for a unit that will rarely see combat and is likely to be firing without line of sight anyway, most of these don't really matter. Then, of course, you get to its cannon; a 48" ranged gun that shoots a Strength 4 AP4 Large Blast with the Barrage special rule. When these miss, they create the aforementioned Spore Mines, meaning that even their inaccurate shooting can play in your favour.

Their only real issue, unless you count the multiple barrage rules as an issue, is their Leadership 6 and Instinctive Behaviour Hunt; a failed Instinctive Behaviour test will see a 50% chance for the Biovores to Fall Back, effective immediately. For a unit that is only there to shoot and will get blown to pieces if they run back into line of sight of enemy units, this is obviously a horrible result; try to pair Biovores up either with solo Zoanthropes or minimalist Warrior broods to safe-guard them. Going back a bit, though, the multiple barrage rules are a bit punishing, especially with how inaccurate a unit that is either Ballistic Skill 3 or firing out of sight. The first shot missing will still spawn Spore Mines, but if you, for example, hit with the first shot but miss with the second shot, you won't get the Spore Mines. It's sad, especially if the entire unit misses, but ultimately this really isn't that much of a negative to weigh out just how good this unit is. All they need is a Synapse unit and some terrain to hide in, and they will always prove a valuable addition.


Where to Put Them

Biovores, as the Tyranid analogy to Whirlwinds and Thunderfire Cannons, belongs behind the front-lines and in cover. With the Barrage special rule and a 48" range on their gun, there is literally no reason to not be deploying in a hidden area, whether in the back corner of your deployment zone or in the middle of an open terrain piece. Keep them out of sight, and keep them in cover. Their three Toughness 4 wounds with a 4+ armour save are certainly decent against small arms fire, but with only a maximum of three models in a unit, they can't really afford to get in the sights of massed infantry. Avoiding high Strength weapons is also wise by abusing terrain as, of course, they lack invulnerable saves and Eternal Warrior - issues endemic to all multiple wound models in the Tyranid army.

A 48" range may not be able to cover the entirety of a standard 6x4 gaming board, but the threat of up to three Strength 4 AP4 Barrage Large Blasts from a unit of Biovores gives them a huge threat zone regardless. Infantry of all kinds, even the Toughness 4 and 3+ armoured kind, are unlikely to invite direct attacks from Biovores if they can avoid it. So, let us recap on what we learned over the past month that I have been reviewing the Hive Mind's children. Keep to cover, stay out of sight when possible. Cover is your friend, so don't waste it. Any terrain you can find in the backfield may as well be labelled "Biovore Paradise". Be sure that if you are taking Biovores that you also take a small brood of Warriors with either a Barbed Strangler or Venom Cannon to provide backfield Synapse and a home-field scoring unit.


Best Uses

Unsurprisingly, Biovores are pretty narrow in their effective uses. Strength 4 can't do much at all to vehicles, even with always hitting side armour; you might be able to strip a hull point off here or there, but the natural inaccuracy of these weapons makes it incredibly unreliable. They are there to shoot infantry from afar while hiding out of sight, or at least staying in cover. They are rather pathetic in combat as well by ranking even worse than Tactical Marines, their only saving grace being that they have three wounds per model. The role that Biovores fill is infantry suppression, using the Barrage rules and a Strength 4 AP4 ranged profile to destroy light and medium infantry that have a 4+ or worse armour save. Barrage ignores cover saves provided by intervening models, only allowing them if the model itself has Stealth or Shrouded, or is actually standing in a terrain piece. Pair this up with wounds being allocated from the centre hole of each large blast, and you can use these to try and snipe out special or heavy weapon carriers in squads, or even characters like Sergeants and Ethereals.

In general, you have yourself a ranged weapon with a very long range that doesn't need line of sight to fire - though doesn't benefit from the Biovore's Ballistic Skill for scatter purposes if this is done - that is death to Toughness 4 or lower and 4+ armoured or lower infantry models. Add in Pinning to lock down units and prevent enemy units from firing at full Ballistic Skill against our other units and despite how narrow the role of Biovores is, you won't regret using them. Squads of Fire Warriors, clusters of Ork Boyz and other such units are their preferred targets, while tougher units such as Wraithguard and Terminators are less invisting as choices.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Biovores (3) - Biovores are one of the most cost-effective units in the Tyranid codex, with identical durability against ranged attacks compared to Tyranid Warriors that is combined with a devastating anti-infantry shooting attack. The 48" range and Barrage special rule allow you to hide these models pretty easily, so taking a maximum sized squad is hardly an issue at any point.

Biovores (2) - As with units of three Biovores, a pair of these nasty artillery beasts is great value for points, especially at less than a triple digit figure. A pair is less intensive on points - even though Biovores are inexpensive for what they bring - and also less punishing on the player if they fail a Synapse test or have no viable targets to shoot.


Bloated Death

As Imperial positions prepare to repel another Tyranid wave, they will often spot large, plodding beasts off in the distance, advancing seemingly independent of the rest of a Swarm. To mistake these for harmless Synapse nodes or some kind of defensive beast is a mistake that few live to repeat, not once they are disintegrated by blasts from the creatures. These are Biovores, constructs of the Hive Mind that are created to bombard enemy positions from afar, a task that they perform with inscrutable efficiency. Whether they merely suppress enemy positions and prevent them from advancing or firing back at other encroaching Tyranids, or annihilate them in a hail of venomous death, Biovores are among the most dangerous bio-organisms devised by the alien Hive Mind. Much like the dreaded Nebelwerfers made infamous by the shrill shrieking of their shells' descent, the terror evoked by the mere presence of these gun beasts can break even the hardiest of soldiers' resolve.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Trygons are gigantic, serpentine creatures that move with a sinuous speed no other Tyranid organism of that size could possibly emulate. Designed less as front-line combatants and more as the natural progression of the Ravener strain, Trygons burrow deep beneath the earth to emerge and devastate central and rear positions in enemy battle lines. They expose the weakest elements of an opposing force, crushing them in a swift stroke of brutal scything. Though not as dominant as their 5th Edition or even 4th Edition incarnations, the new look Trygon is still one heck of a battle monster. I hope you enjoy this article!

As the Prime is essentially an upgrade over a regular Trygon, I will cover it in this article.


Trygons and Trygon Primes

Overview

When the new Tyranid codex released, there was a general consensus - and yes, that included me - that the new Trygon and Trygon Prime had been hit badly with some of the changes to the codex. While they did receive a small points drop, losing re-rolls to hit on all close combat attacks and paying more for some upgrades generally wasn't seen as a good trade. With some more experience with the new Trygon though, I have come to the conclusion that it is only "weaker" than its previous codex incarnation was in 6th Edition. The loss of a base attack to be replaced by being granted an extra attack through two sets of weapons stacking is a big change that means it will always have one more Smash attack than it previously would have. While the lack of re-rolls to hit does hurt its damage output considerably, this is a unit that dominated the 5th Edition Tyranid Heavy Support slot and the changes in 6th Edition made it easily capable of taking on considerably more expensive enemies - like Wraithknights or even Dreadknights - with ease.

I feel that while the toning down probably wasn't justified, it isn't something I disagree with and the small points drop does help soften the blow. The reality is, the Trygon is still useful even if the rules designers failed to fix one of its broken special rules, if only because it remains now as one of the few units able to Deep Strike in the codex. The removal of the Mycetic Spore has seen the Trygon become even more useful than before as Tyranids do need multiple forms of deployment to assault the enemy from all sides and saturate all areas of the field with viable targets. That the Trygon itself isn't as powerful as it used to be is made up by this fact, I feel.

But enough of that, what do we actually have in front of us? Well, aside from one tiny change, the profile of the Trygon is identical to the previous version, and this is most definitely a good thing. Weapon Skill 5 and Ballistic Skill 3 distinguish it as a melee-centric monstrous creature, while its Initiative 4 and Leadership 8 make it roughly analogous to a Space Marine in many respects. Strength, Toughness and Wounds 6 are of course shared between many monsters in the Tyranid codex, though out of those the Trygon is the only one that can claim to be a truly great combat unit due to its other stats. A 3+ armour save to back up all those wounds makes the Trygon incredibly resistant to small arms fire, and even massed Strength 7 AP4 shooting from missile pods and autocannons will still have to force about eighteen total armour saves to kill the Trygon. Between rolling to hit, usually on 3s or 4s, and rolling to wound on 3s, this is no easy feat for most armies; of course, multiple Crisis Teams or a Broadside Team with Markerlight support can do the deed, but the points investment is obviously high.

Between two sets of Scything Talons and five attacks on its profile, the Trygon still has the same whopping six attacks when fighting a melee. The only change here comes when the Trygon halves its attacks for Smash; as the value halved is the base attacks before modifiers are included, a Trygon would thus have three Smash attacks plus one for having two close combat weapons. In a sense, the change to Tyranid close combat weapons acting as proper melee weapons has given it a hefty boost in damage output against Toughness 5 or lower models lacking Eternal Warrior, in addition to vehicles who are now more vulnerable than ever. Add in Toxin Sacs and a Trygon can dish out up to five Strength 10 attacks that re-roll to wound against all targets on the charge. Ouch!

The Trygon has a set of additional special rules that help to distinguish it further from Carnifexes and Haruspexes, giving it a more unique position in a Swarm. Like the Haruspex and unlike Carnifex broods, a Trygon has no fear of its Instinctive Behaviour due to being a solo model; gaining Rage every time it fails when one considers how good its melee stats are is never a bad thing! Where both of those other units have to purchase Adrenal Glands for Fleet to remain viable as combat units, a Trygon comes stock with Fleet and thus never has to worry about paying for that upgrade. The Trygon is the only monstrous creature in the army to natively have Fleet, something that serves to save you points and something that should be factored into their high base cost when comparing to other melee monstrous creatures.

What really gives the Trygon its place though is that it is one of only two monstrous creatures in the army - the other being the Mawloc - that is capable of deep striking, bringing the total number of Tyranid units with alternative deployment options (if you exclude Hive Commander) up to eleven. While it does lack an effective ranged weapon like most other effective deep striking units such as Sternguard Veterans in Drop Pods or suicidal Chaos Terminator units, it is enough to threaten light vehicles and weak infantry alike with up to six Strength 5 AP5 shots at 12". However, what none of those units bring is the sheer terror of a colossal six-wound monstrous creature with Toughness 6 that is infamous for being one of the stronger melee units of its kind in the game. If a Trygon appears in your opponents backfield, they will either scramble to destroy it - generally not an easy task - or make the fatal mistake of ignoring it. If the latter situation occurs, a Trygon can happily wreak havoc by tearing apart entire units of infantry and vehicles or monstrous creatures of all sizes; everything is prey to a Trygon!

Remembering that the Trygon possesses safe Deep Strike from its Subterranean Assault rule - the more left unsaid about the other effects of this special rule, the better - and its superb melee skills and the Trygon is still one of the scariest monsters to face in the Tyranid force. Having the option to deep strike a six wound monster gives you a lot of flexibility in deployment to confound and force mistakes from the opponent, while it is also one of the more cost effective choices in the book even if you just run it up the field. It is one of the few units in the codex that really doesn't need upgrades despite having access to them, as it does its job very well with all but Toxin Sacs.


How to Equip Them

Compared to Carnifexes, Trygons are very limited in terms of options with access only to the regular Biomorph list and two tail weapon upgrades. Depending on your perspective, though, this may actually be a good thing as a Trygon doesn't really need any upgrades, save perhaps for one. Both of the tail weapons are mediocre additions, as has been the case throughout the rest of the codex, though I guess an extra Poisoned (2+) attack isn't all that bad. Honestly though, just take Toxin Sacs instead and leave it at that.

Unlike most other Tyranid units, Toxin Sacs are the real winners for a Trygon simply because it already has Fleet and thus only receives half the benefit for the more expensive Adrenal Glands. Furious Charge is inferior in almost every imaginable scenario to Toxin Sacs for pure combat effectiveness, so if you want to upgrade your Trygon, just leave it with poisoned close combat attacks. The other Biomorphs aren't really worth the points, especially on an already costly unit. Regeneration makes a lot more sense here than it does for a Carnifex, for instance, but it is still an expensive and unreliable upgrade that fails to take into account the ability of many armies to slay a Trygon and similar monster in one round of shooting. Acid Blood is only really effective against low Initiative enemies, and even then one must wonder if it is worth the higher cost over Toxin Sacs. My recommendation is to skip all the upgrades, except the almost mandatory Toxin Sacs - and even that is only taken because of the massive boost to damage output it provides.


Where to Put Them

The ability to Deep Strike gives Trygons a lot of deployment flexibility that few other Tyranid units possess. You can either play them from reserves and use their "safe" deep striking to enter the battlefield in an advanced position, or deploy them alongside the rest of your forces to add considerably to your target saturation. Ultimately, it depends on how you are running your swarm. Trygons can be used pretty well as fire sinks, even if Toughness 6 and 3+ armour are easier to negate than ever before, as six wounds gives and potential Catalyst or Regeneration gives them good staying power. Your average three-strong Broadside Team all with high yield missile pods, smart missile systems, attached missile drones and buffed with Ballistic Skill 5 from Markerlight support will still statistically kill a Trygon in one go, but other lesser shooting platforms will struggle immensely to down it in one go. The more units forced to shoot at one of your monsters to kill it, the less shooting the rest of your units must face.

This is why Trygons do work when deployed on "foot", especially as they are point-for-point one of your cheaper monstrous creatures per Toughness 6 3+ armoured wound. However, Deep Striking a six wound combat monster like the Trygon that has a nifty little shooting attack can be very scary for any opponent, especially in a concerted attack with Infiltrating elements or other Trygons and Mawlocs. Hitting your opponent with a lot of units at once on turn two or three can serve to panic them and see them waste shooting at multiple units and fail to eliminate most of the targets. These kinds of tactics are required for Tyranids to really succeed, and the Trygon having safe deep striking assists those efforts greatly. That a Trygon doesn't need to worry about Instinctive Behaviour so much due to a combination of good Leadership and less worrisome results means you can freely Deep Strike it without fear of losing control.


Best Uses

I see the Trygon mostly as an aggressive gun-line breaker designed to pop up near your opponents backfield support or ranged units and isolate them. It either serves as a moderately expensive distraction from then on - deep strike it into cover if possible as it ignores dangerous terrain - or as a devastating attacker that annihilates one or more key units. A Trygon is still pretty darn cheap for what it brings, so using it in a risky manner like this is rarely a bad idea; after all, why waste a near guaranteed turn three charge (provided reserve rolls are favourable) and the ability to break up the middle of a formation? Running it up the field does work as well, especially as it has innate Fleet and thus does not require Adrenal Glands as an upgrade, but I feel the terror a deep striking six wound melee monster brings is too good to pass up.

Don't forget its shooting attack, even if a regular Trygons' isn't that great; use it to shoot at the rear armour of vehicles and small, light squads like Marker Drone squadrons or Pathfinders. If there are no good or viable targets, Run into a better position, such as more beneficial terrain in terms of cover or just closer - or further away, in the case of a Dreadknight for example - to ensure a charge on its next turn. Trygons can easily take on squads of Tactical Marine equivalents, and do pretty well against elite infantry such as Terminator equivalents as well. With Toxin Sacs, they can go toe to toe with almost any monstrous creature in the game and come out on top due to their awesome stats like Weapon Skill 5 and six attacks base, or four base when Smashing.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Trygon - Toxin Sacs - Your standard Trygon is principally a more expensive and "elite" combat monster than the Haruspex or even a Carnifex, even if it does retain a decent shooting attack. Its high Weapon Skill and innate Fleet make it naturally suited for taking on enemy monsters and being an aggressive monster. This means that Adrenal Glands really aren't necessary as they would be for other combat-oriented monstrous creatures. Instead, Toxin Sacs win out here just for the sheer efficiency boost they provide at such a low cost. I consider this upgrade near mandatory with so many Riptides and Wraithknights populating the meta, especially now as the Trygon no longer re-rolls failed to hit rolls in close combat.


Trygon Prime

Much like the previous codex, the Prime is effectively a Terminator-priced upgrade to a Trygon that gives it a few key advantages; interestingly enough, however, the Prime is now its own separate unit entry. The changes made by this "upgrade" mostly centres around the removal of Instinctive Behaviour, the addition of both Synapse and Shadow in the Warp and a boost to Leadership 10 over the standard Leadership 8. The Trygon Prime is thus the only source of Synapse in the Heavy Support slot and, with Synapse being more important than ever, an even more important unit than ever before. While the choice between a Trygon or a Prime was generally down to personal preference before, I feel the Prime upgrade may very well be near mandatory now. Synapse might not necessarily be harder to come by in the new army list, but it is certainly more difficult to sustain, especially now that Tervigons don't bring it so cheaply and your forces can literally fall apart.

The Trygon Prime is, as such, the only Synapse unit aside from Shrikes that is capable of deep striking. This makes them almost mandatory in more aggressive lists such as Hormagaunts mixed with Gargoyles and Carnifexes with Adrenal Glands, while they remain useful as supporting Synapse units in the same vein as Tervigons are for spawning Termagants. If an opponent eliminates all of your Synapse units or scoring units, being able to call in an extra Synapse or scoring unit through a deep-striking Trygon Prime or a spawning Tervigon will be crucial to continuing the game and having any chance at victory. A Prime that deep strikes cannot be targeted until it arrives, keeping it safe in the early turns; this can be used to great effect if you focus on ridding the opponent of their heavy weapons early on at the cost of your other Synapse units. The Prime can deep strike in where needed with its safe scatter to restore control to your in-fighting swarm units, an invaluable tool indeed.

The Prime also possesses a significant boost to its ranged attack, gaining an additional six shots for a total of twelve Strength 5 AP5 shots with an increased 18" range. This not only reduces the penalties of a bad deep strike scatter, but it also becomes a truly legitimate threat to vehicles with rear AV 10 such as the Battle Leman Russ variants. On average, a Prime will hit six times and get one glance and one penetrating hit, potentially leading to a disabled or at least neutered tank; it goes without saying that it is very helpful for trying to finish off small left overs of infantry units. While still not a great shooting attack, it is one that you should actually consider using very often instead of just running, unlike the regular Trygons' ranged attack.

The Prime has access to all of the same upgrades as a regular Trygon, and as stated before, I feel the only worthwhile one is Toxin Sacs; while not mandatory, they provide such a big boost to combat effectiveness that I would really advise them. Of course, a Prime is not solely a combat monster like a regular Trygon, so you shouldn't feel forced to take it. The twist here - and likely the reason a Prime is now its own separate unit entry - is that it can, unlike a regular Trygon, take the Tyranid Bio-Artefacts usually only available to certain HQ choices. Of those, two in particular stand out; the Miasma Cannon and the Reaper of Obliterax. While expensive on an already costly model, these provide massive boosts to the damage output of a Trygon Prime. The Miasma Cannon should be used in conjunction with deep strike as a reserved infantry-sweeper that can clear out entire 4+ armoured units with ease, a weapon that can also be used defensively to get rid of potential tarpit units.

The Reaper turns the Trygon Prime into a ridiculous combat monster with Initiative 7, Strength 7 and Instant Death on to wound rolls of a 6. Remember how a Trygon Prime has five attacks base, and plus one for two combat weapons, a bonus that still applies when the Reaper is added? Yes, this is as absolutely ridiculous as it sounds. Expensive, yes, but undeniably brutal, allowing a Trygon Prime to scythe Wraithknights, Dreadknights, Riptides and all manner of enemies apart with ruthless efficiency. The other relics are decent, with the maw claws being a cheap way to bring back re-rolls to hit of a sort, but I feel the Reaper is a better - albeit far more significant - investment. The Norn Crown is better suited to a better protected creature such as a Hive Tyrant with Tyrant Guard bodyguards or a Tervigon that can feasibly hide in the backfield. The Ymgarl Factor is a mediocre upgrade I feel, especially at such a high cost; just take the Reaper instead for slightly more points.


The Serpent Strikes

When one feels tremors in the earth, their natural instinct is usually to hide under a stable platform or surface. But when a world is stricken instead by a Tyranid infestation, such places are no longer safe from the jaws of the earth. Even if the prey knows of what foul creature is searching for them, their fate cannot be changed; like a spider in its web, the titanic Trygons can sense the movements, the rush of blood in those they stalk. Like a howling maelstrom emerging without warning, a Trygon erupts from the ground with the subtlety of a thunderclap, destroying all nearby through the sheer force of its entrance. Those who survive have precious few moments to react and try to harm the beast, for fleeing from a monster that can hunt without sight or smell is impossible. The last breath of those attacked is silenced quickly by the scything blade arms of the Trygon, leaving nothing but mounds of dismembered corpses in its wake. Truly, to be hunted by a Trygon is to be courted by the whim of Death itself, for no mortal can escape this leviathan serpent without facing its wrath.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

EDIT: This was going to be the Trygon Prime article, but as I decided to just add that to the regular Trygon article, this post is moot. Please ignore!

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Mawlocs are vicious predators that stalk foes of the Swarm from beneath the earth using the heart beats of their prey as a guiding light. Unlike the more combat-oriented Trygon, the Mawloc is very much built for disruption and chaos with its colossal maw able to swallow entire squads of infantry as it emerges from beneath their feet. With a huge points drop and a boost in destructive power, the Mawloc is a far superior option than it was prior to the new codex. I hope you enjoy this article!


Mawlocs

Overview

My brother and I have a very dear friend who also collects Tyranids, trying out all kinds of units and playing with the rule of cool first and foremost. He had a saying, a battle cry if you will, that I feel is very appropriate for this article; "I am the great big mouth!". While the Haruspex does challenge the Mawloc for the World's Biggest Mouth award, the latter at least can live content in the knowledge that it actually has workable rules. Jokes aside, the Mawloc is the kit-sibling to the plastic Trygon and is, as such, a newer take on the ancient Forge World Tyranid monstrous creature. Where the Trygon is an elite close combat unit with variable support and ranged abilities based on a certain upgrade, a Mawloc does not fit the mold of gun-beast, melee monster or even a support tool. Instead, the Mawloc is the largest and perhaps most terrifying disruption unit in the codex, with its claim to fame being that it is the only Tyranid monstrous creature designed almost exclusively with such a role in mind. But just how well does it perform this role? In truth, while it lacks both the precision of Lictors and the disabling capabilities of Genestealers, the Mawloc is undeniably the most terrifying of these with one of the deadliest, yet random, special attacks in the game.

First up though, let us take a look at the Mawlocs' stats. Like the Trygon, this is a monstrous creature with a whopping six wounds, Toughness 6 and a 3+ armour save. I've already discussed why this is good durability for any monster to have, even despite the lack of a 2+ armour save or invulnerable save, so I won't go too heavily into that. However, what is crucial to note is just how ridiculously cheap a Mawloc is, clocking in at half a century less than a Trygon with identical survivability against ranged attacks. Woah! Yes, that is approximately 23 points per Toughness 6 wound, as opposed to the Trygon's rough 32 points per Toughness 6 wound. As a barometer, a Tyranid Warrior pays about 10 points per Toughness 4 wound with a 4+ armour save, while the Mawloc pays slightly over double that for a Toughness 6 wound with a 3+ armour save. Impressive, no? This is perhaps the most advantageous trait of a Mawloc; while it is obviously a unit with wildly varying damage output, it is crazily cheap in regards to its durability. Unfortunately, the rest of its stats aren't as impressive; Weapon Skill 3 and three attacks base are much akin to a standard Tyranid monster, though it does have the benefit of a good Initiative 4. Strength 6 means it can defend itself decently in close combat, especially with Smash and all the other lovely monstrous creature specific rules thrown in, but it won't stand up to any kind of dedicated melee unit. That it lacks a Ballistic Skill value means you can't try and play shenanigans with clearing out the enemy Aegis Defence Line and hijacking their Quad Gun, especially as it also lacks a typical ranged attack of any kind. On that note, it also lacks melee weapons and as such doesn't receive an extra attack or any other bonuses in combat.

The profile might seem middling at first, but when you look at it and contrast to its points cost, it becomes a lot more inviting. The Mawloc also doesn't need to worry about Instinctive Behaviour really, with a good Leadership 8 and the Feed result being almost meaningless to a single model unit. Failing a check doesn't prevent a Mawloc from attempting to use one of its two unique special rules, meaning that it can continue to bring the pain regardless of if the Hive Mind exerts its will or not. One of the more awesome inclusions for a Mawloc is the Hit and Run special rule, allowing it to high-tail safely out of combats based on an Initiative test. This gives the Mawloc a rough 66.6% chance of escaping an unwanted combat which, combined with natural Fearless, means that it can itself be used as a tarpit or as a bait unit in equal measure. There is nothing more amusing than an opponent believing the nasty Mawloc is tied up in close combat or about to die in the subsequent turn, then have it Hit and Run to safety and begin its attacks anew. This combines particularly well with the Deep Strike capabilities of the Mawloc, much akin to the Trygon, though the similarities between the two begin to truly diverge at this point.

That big mouth the Mawloc possesses isn't just for show, of course. Like the Trygon, the Mawloc has some nifty special rules related to Deep Striking, but where a Trygon is intended to provide an entry point for other units and has a safe scatter mechanic, the Mawloc trades these abilities for one of the nastiest entrances you could imagine. After rolling for scatter and assuming the Mawloc doesn't hit impassable terrain, it emerges, regardless of any friendly or enemy models in the way! Before the model is placed, you get to put a large blast marker directly over where it would enter the field of battle; any models touched, friend or foe, are struck by an automatic hit at Strength 6, AP2 with the Ignores Cover special rule. Yes, this annihilates infantry of all kinds and, with all hits being resolved against the side armour of vehicles, is also potentially devastating against light transports. Just let that sink in for a moment, though. A Strength 6 AP2 Ignores Cover large blast. While it might not inflict instant death on such a wide range of targets as a Riptides' Ion Accelerator does, nor have the potential accuracy, this is still nonetheless a brutal attack. It can decimate entire squads of units from Tactical Marines to Terminators, Guardsmen to Dire Avengers, Fire Warriors to Pathfinders and so on. It can cause an incredible amount of wounds on units comprised of models with multiple wounds, such as Ogryns or Centurions, while even monstrous creatures that are low on wounds are right to be fearful.

As devastating as the Terror from the Deep attack is - and yes, that is the name of the special rule! - it is inherently random and unreliable because it is based entirely around the deep strike mechanics. As we (should) all know, deep strike is resolved by initially placing a marker, rolling two dice and a scatter dice and then moving the marker to the final position indicated by the dice. The chances of a direct hit are slim, as are actually hitting anything if your opponents spreads out their units. This means that you cannot rely on the Terror from the Deep attack to do damage as the chances of it getting a good scatter and lots of hits on a unit that is truly susceptible to the AP2 strikes are quite low. Obviously, armies with incredibly high model counts based around larger squads, such as horde Orks or infantry-centric Imperial Guard, will be far more susceptible to the Terror from the Deep; however, such armies aren't necessarily that popular. Your typical opponent in an 1850 point game will likely have anywhere between thirty to fifty infantry models spread out among various units, with multiple vehicles or monstrous creatures in support. These usually won't be large units, and any smart opponent will know to spread their models out to avoid severe damage from a Mawloc. The average damage output of a Mawloc, especially when one considers it lacks any kind of ranged attack and is mediocre at best in close combat, is rather low indeed.

However, this is where, again, the low cost of a Mawloc really needs to be at the forefront of any tactical discussion concerning "the great big mouth". This is a unit that has mediocre combat abilities and a potentially nasty but very unreliable deep strike attack, but is very tough for its points cost and leaves so much room for you to fit in other units. If this was all it did, it would be valuable because of the potential of that attack - much like the now retired Doom of Malan'tai, though obviously nowhere near as bonkers - but the Mawloc has a lot of other uses. For one, failing to kill all enemy models with the Terror from the Deep attack doesn't force surviving models to move out of the way as it previously did, but instead inflicts a second round of hits on them with the exact same profile. This maximises the damage output of the attack, and that the Mawloc can be placed even within 1" of enemy models gives it a lot of leeway for placement. However, if the Mawloc still can't be placed after resolving that attack twice, it mishaps, and this is the really amusing part. The Mawloc has the Burrow special rule which, from turn two onwards, allows it to go back into ongoing reserves to - per the rules as intended - deep strike and do a Terror from the Deep attack on its subsequent turn. Now, look at how Burrow plays with the two main mishap results; if the Mawloc is delayed, it will automatically arrive next turn to do another Terror from the Deep attack. If the Mawloc is placed by an opponent, it can freely burrow on its next turn and try again. The only mishap result that is actually bad for a Mawloc in any real sense is the destroyed result, but with only a one in six chance of occurring, it shouldn't be seen as a deterrent.

This I feel is the beauty of the Mawloc; though its main damage dealing mechanism is unreliable, the tools with which it can continue to use that attack are very safe indeed. If it is misplaced, it can burrow on its next turn and try again. If an opponent charges it after it has done some severe damage to a unit, it can Hit and Run out of combat and Burrow on its turn. If it arrives near a vehicle or valuable ranged unit that fails to destroy it, the Mawloc can charge them and either destroy or simply tie them up, then do the Hit and Run trick at the end of the opponents' turn. That the Mawloc can easily escape combats, will never run away and cares little for Instinctive Behaviour makes it not only one of the most independent units in the Tyranid codex, but also arguably the most self-sufficient. It can wreak havoc in the enemy backfield, then either Burrow or continue the assault as desired. It can be deployed on the field to act as a distraction unit, or be deep struck and used as a terror weapon against your opponent. All the while, it never has to worry about Instinctive Behaviour - remembering that it need not test when it arrives from reserves either - and can easily frighten your opponent into focusing on it at the expense of your other units. The potential uses of this monstrous creature that is barely more expensive than a Carnifex are staggering, and while it is inherently random in regards to the damage it deals, it is nonetheless one of the most stable performers in the codex. It is a strong unit that works so well because it is cheap, can be put literally anywhere and used as an effective disruption tool.


How to Equip Them

Where a Trygon can get away with taking no upgrades but generally wants Toxin Sacs for the combat boost they provide, a Mawloc really needs no extra points invested into it. It is one of the weaker Tyranid monsters in an assault and generally doesn't want to be there in the first place, other than to maybe tie up a dangerous ranged unit so that your other units don't need to face their fury, or even just destroy a vehicle. The two traits that define a Mawloc are its "ranged" attack and the fact that it is so darn cheap for a Toughness 6, 6 wound and 3+ armoured monstrous creature. Wasting those advantages on melee-oriented upgrades generally isn't the best idea as a result, I feel. Even more so than the Trygon, I would avoid the tail biomorphs; it is nice that they were included, but I've never felt they were worthwhile on any unit in the codex so far.

As for the Biomorphs, Adrenal Glands is probably your best bet because of Fleet if you do need to use your Mawloc to charge a unit in a pinch - it is likely to happen at least once in a game where the devour attack becomes inefficient - while the others can be skipped. Toxin Sacs can help maximise its damage output in close combat, but with only three attacks at Weapon Skill three, it is an upgrade that is mostly wasted on a Mawloc. Regeneration is something to consider if only because the Mawloc, like the Trygon, is one of the more worthwhile contenders for it due to its higher durability than most other Tyranid monstrous creatures. In fact, as far as I can tell, Regeneration rolls can be made for Mawlocs even when they are in reserve; once burrowed, you can still roll to see if they regain a wound! I am not clear on the ruling for this, but that seems to be the way it works; if so, it is certainly an appealing upgrade. However, again, I feel the best advantage a Mawloc has is its low cost; slapping an expensive and often unreliable upgrade on probably isn't that great. Acid Blood works in combat only which, for a Mawloc, isn't really worth the points. Realistically, a Mawloc doesn't need any upgrades; I think Adrenal Glands might be decent for Fleet, but really, on a unit that has mostly safe deep striking in addition to Hit and Run, do you really need that Fleet?


Where to Put Them

The best way to deploy Mawlocs is to start them in reserves where they can attempt to attack enemies with their Terror from the Deep special rule from turn two onwards, rather than be forced to wait to Burrow on turn two at the earliest. While deploying on the field does add to your early target saturation and presents another juicy, scary target for your opponents to focus on, most opponents know that Mawlocs are not a threat until they start deep striking. Even then, the Terror from the Deep attack itself really isn't all that reliable. Enemies may often ignore Mawlocs starting on the board in favour of your Synapse creatures and more valuable monstrous creatures, such as Tyrannofexes or Exocrines. While the guaranteed turn three arrival is a plus, the odds of a Mawloc not arriving on turn three or two at that point is slim unless your opponent has some serious reserve penalty capabilities. If you are going to deploy them on the field though, place them in the most forward position you can while retaining a cover save and use them aggressively. This may force the opponents' hand and make them waste shots at your incredibly cheap six wound monstrous creature. If they manage to eliminate it, the likelihood will be that they have invested a serious amount of firepower into the Mawlocs' death than they could realistically afford to. Use this grace period for your other units to advance unmolested. Otherwise, just deep strike the big beast and hope that it can bring the munch down (I am so sorry)!


Best Uses

I feel that the best implementation of a Mawloc into standard Tyranid army lists is to use it in its primary, stated role and little else; a disruption unit, first and foremost. The Mawloc is not a close combat beast like a Trygon, nor does it bring the ranged dominance of an Exocrine. While not as durable as a Tyrannofex, it is still easily the most inexpensive monster per Toughness 6 3+ armoured wound in the codex - I stop short of saying "the game" as the Necron Canoptek Spyder owns that accolade. Nonetheless, it is an advantage that cannot be under-estimated; the Mawloc might be very unreliable in terms of its damage output, but it is hilariously cheap considering its survivability. Heck, it is still a monstrous creature with three Smash attacks on the charge; it can deal with infantry blobs sufficiently or tie them up, it can destroy most vehicles with ease, and it can even be used as a tarpit unit on its own. Hit and Run combined with Burrow allows the Mawloc to be a true terror for your opponent, seemingly gifting them a free kill and then disappearing to renew the attack elsewhere. Using it to bait out elite enemy units of either the ranged or melee variety and then pulling a disappearing act is both intelligent and amusing, particularly as many opponents under-estimate just how many escape mechanisms this monster has.

Ideally, its Terror from the Deep attack should target scoring units that aren't vehicles or monstrous creatures - some examples of these do exist, after all! - early in the game to help you win the objective game, and then transition to hunting vehicles with its close combat attacks once its deep strike ability becomes superfluous. Of course, a Strength 6 AP2 large blast that ignores cover is always going to be useful, but if your opponent is mostly mounted in transports, for example, it will be difficult to really harm them. Attacking transports with the Terror from the Deep attack isn't a bad idea, especially with the consecutive strike if it doesn't destroy the vehicle a first time, but they aren't as vulnerable as most infantry would be. Terminator units, as an example, will evaporate with a favourable scatter roll unless they are wielding storm shields, so the Mawloc certainly shouldn't be lacking for units to strike against. While the formation-breaking uses of Terror from the Deep are limited now due to it merely inflicting another wave of hits instead of actively pushing units out of the way, it is nonetheless an even more dangerous bunker buster than previously. Slapping ignores cover on it makes it sheer death to almost any infantry unit in the game, and it isn't unheard of for a Mawloc to make its points back after just one of these attacks. Even though it is only likely to get one direct hit throughout the game, the low cost of a Mawloc and just how much of an annoyance it can be has made it a truly valuable addition in the games I have played. The potential is there, even if it is very random; the best advice I can give is to not forget Hit and Run, allowing the Mawloc to escape combats and freely initiate its ground-shattering destruction again.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Mawloc - A Mawloc needs no upgrades to perform its stated duties. While Toxin Sacs are a good upgrade, as well as Adrenal Glands - remembering that a Mawloc lacks Fleet - a Mawloc will ideally be burrowing or deep striking on each turn anyway. The Mawloc is not a combat monster, so I feel you can leave the upgrades at home and marvel at how ludicrously cheap each of those Toughness 6 wounds are per point.


Heartseeker

As cruel and dangerous a hunter the Trygon is, it is the newer breed sharing its physical stature and predatory instincts that truly inspires terror in those facing a Hive Fleet. Like the older and stronger Trygon, this newer breed hunts from beneath the earth, using its long and sinuous body to tunnel through rock and dirt with ease. But where a Trygon emerges to attack and destroy with its talons, the Mawloc splits the ground only to swallow those too slow to escape its attention. Able to snap tanks in half and consume even the largest of the Adeptus Astartes whole with its titanic maw, the Mawloc is a beast designed as a terror weapon unlike any other. There are few thoughts more chilling than to be eaten alive by a gargantuan alien monster, and the Hive Fleet, insidious as it is, has endeavored to prey on this fact. Trading physical stature and enhanced combat instincts for more efficient consumption organs and processes, this evolution of the Trygon may not be as inherently dangerous as its sibling, but to underestimate a Mawloc is to spend many days trapped in utter darkness, slowly melting away as digestive acids flood your body. Much like the many horrific creatures of legend, the Mawloc senses through heartbeats and motion; to stay still but be breathless is as certain a death as is running from tremors in the ground.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Exocrines are, much like the Tyrannofex, designed as a living monstrous death dealer from afar. They are armed with one of the more devastating bio-weapons in the xenos arsenal, one of the more nightmarish of the Hive Minds' creations. The Exocrine was seen as the less interesting, more generic kit sibling of the Haruspex before the two were released, though it has since proven to be the far more effective of the duo. Though seemingly expensive for what it does, the Exocrine brings versatile and strong firepower at a medium range for a really affordable points cost. I hope you enjoy this article!


Exocrines

Overview

If you thought the Haruspex was a bit mediocre, well you would be....well, right. Does that have negative repercussions for the Exocrine though? Nope! When the rules for the two monsters leaked, I immediately jumped on the Exocrine as one of the more cost effective monstrous creatures in the new codex, a unit that was simple in its design but very effective in its role. While the gun beast doesn't bring out anything crazy or zany, there is no confusion about its intended purpose and no question that it does that job well. But first, we'll start with the stats and remark on how decent, not bad or great, they are. Interestingly enough, they are completely identical to the Haruspex, despite the latters' melee focus; before any special rules or close combat weapons are considered, the ranged Exocrine fights just as well as the close combat Haruspex. This sees the Exocrine with a good profile that sits in the middle for Tyranid monstrous creatures, with five wounds at Toughness 6 and a 3+ armour save. From there, it has three attacks at Strength 6, Initiative 3 and Weapon Skill 3, making it roughly equivalent to a Tyrannofex in close combat and not all that bad. It can crush vehicles and defend itself against infantry, but it definitely won't stand up to heavy resistance in combat and ideally won't be there in the first place. Ballistic Skill 3 is middling for an elite ranged unit, obviously, but the weapon carried by an Exocrine as well as an additional special rule make this less of an issue than it seems.

An Exocrine is not a Synapse unit as you would expect, and it suffers from Instinctive Behaviour of the Hunt variety. Leadership 7 would usually be a death sentence for a unit suffering from the mindless syndrome, but as Hunt is essentially "shoot the nearest unit" with either a six shot Strength 7 AP2 or single shot Strength 7 AP2 large blast weapon, it likely won't be an issue in most circumstances. Like most Tyranid monstrous creatures, the Exocrine is very self sufficient overall even if it is a good idea to keep it both in Synapse range to avoid shooting at a bad target and having a supporting unit to get out of or avoid combats. The only other notable unique special rule that the Exocrine has is also one that will only really see use late in the game, if at all, from about turn three or four onwards. This is because this particular rule, Symbiotic Targeting, only functions if the Exocrine was stationary in its preceding movement phase; if this was the case, it increases its Ballistic Skill by one, usually to four. Having its six shots hit an average of four or five times instead of three times, as well as its large blast reducing scatter by one inch, is more significant than it might seem and definitely very useful. Unfortunately, the 24" range on the Exocrine's sole ranged weapon limits the usage of this special rule against defensive lists, though it will likely see use in later turns and against aggressive army lists.

Speaking of the Exocrine's ranged weapon, having a stable form of plasma is something Tyranids tend to lack, making the living artillery organism almost mandatory in a sense anyway. 2+ armour saves might not be in vogue in the usual sense - those poor Terminators - but Riptides, Chapter Masters and Seer Councils with Protect make AP2 so valuable and necessary nowadays. Without it, Tyranids lack reliable means of bringing down 2+ armoured units at range, making the Exocrine incredibly valuable. It helps that the gun itself is quite powerful, with it able to use two firing modes, choosing one before it shoots. This is either six shots at Strength 7 AP2, or one shot at Strength 7 AP2 using a large blast, both with a mediocre 24" range. This allows Exocrines to effectively engage infantry squads of all kinds, light to medium vehicles - leaving heavy vehicles to melee attacks if necessary - monstrous creatures and nullify 2+ armoured wound tanks. The versatility is undoubtedly there, with it able to Overwatch with the six shots and even Snap Fire at flyers if need be as well. It is a very strong ranged weapon and one that many opponents have learned to fear over the months since the new Tyranid codex was released. Make sure to always remember that the 24" range is quite limiting, meaning the Exocrine is a medium ranged firebase unit, not a long ranged artillery monster as its background depicts. Oh, and if you like pointless weapons, well the Exocrine brings that as well with a set of Scything Talons. They serve absolutely no purpose and frankly confuse me. Hooray! Even despite this, the Exocrine is priced similarly to a Tyrannofex and a decent bit cheaper than a Trygon which with its exclusive high rate of fire medium ranged AP2 shooting makes it one of the premier choices in the Heavy Support slot for Tyranids.


How to Equip Them

I'll be honest and straight forward; as with the Mawloc, an Exocrine really doesn't need or want any upgrades whatsoever. The available tail biomorph is a thresher scythe, adding an additional Strength 4 AP4 close combat attack that is statistically inferior in every way as a melee upgrade to the identically priced Toxin Sacs biomorph. As such, the tail biomorph is there for fun and little else. Besides, the Exocrine is a ranged monstrous creature first and foremost, not a melee unit; if you want one of those, take a Trygon instead. As you can imagine, this rends both Acid Blood and Toxin Sacs as mostly pointless upgrades as an Exocrine really shouldn't be in combat. Toxin Sacs may see use more as a defensive upgrade as, again, I don't put much faith in the fact that Acid Blood only really works against low Initiative foes. The 24" range of the Exocrine's gun actually gives Adrenal Glands some good value as the re-roll for Run moves can help to get into range a turn or so early. However, again, I would probably avoid it as it isn't really all that helpful. Regeneration is an upgrade that is questionable even on a six wound Trygon, for example, and much more so a five wound Exocrine. I would skip it as while it is obviously nice, the high cost just pushes the Exocrine investment to unnecessary levels. Leave this monster bare as none of the upgrades will really help it with its stated purpose, which is to blast foes apart from afar.


Where to Put Them

With no alternative deployment options such as Deep Strike or Outflank, the Exocrine belongs on the battlefield with the rest of your forces. This opens up the always handy tactic of employing Venomthropes as a defensive tool while they use the Exocrine as a screen against enemy fire. Using the Venomthropes behind and smaller creatures such as Hormagaunts that are tall and numerous enough to provide intervening cover to an Exocrine to the front will allow an Exocrine to advance into range with its bio-plasmic cannon. In this sense, the 24" range isn't that much of an issue as the Exocrine is naturally tough enough and gets a lot of survivability boosts from other units to make it to the midfield with ease. If you use such units to cover the Exocrine, moving through terrain to gain cover saves usually won't be necessary unless it is facing a range of nasty barrage weapons from Basilisks, Colossi and so on. This means it can advance without being slowed down and employ Run moves, usually seeing it in range of backfield gunline armies by turn three unless the game is using the short table edge deployment on a standard 6x4 gaming board.

If such units are unavailable or Barrage weapons are to be faced, moving through terrain at the possible expense of speed isn't a bad idea at all; rolling 3D6 for moving through cover due to the aptly named special rule makes it rather reliable. Still, if you can avoid being slowed down without sacrificing much or at all on durability, then that is generally the preferred option. Like with any Tyranid unit, keep to cover wins the game, not running blindly into the open; Tyranids mostly lack invulnerable saves for a reason, after all. Instinctive Behaviour really isn't an issue for the Exocrine, so deploying it away from available Synapse isn't necessarily a bad thing, or moving outside of their bubble so as to keep or begin shooting. However, I still recommend against it as being forced to shoot at a Land Raider the Exocrine cannot hurt as opposed to a juicy squad of Tactical Marines in the open, for example, is never ideal. On that note, try to avoid charging an Exocrine unless you are attempting to destroy a vehicle and the bio-plasmic cannon is either unlikely to or incapable of doing the deed. It belongs at range and wants to avoid potential combats as much as possible; keeping a baby-sitting unit of Hormagaunts nearby isn't a bad idea, though generally speaking those should be far forward of an Exocrine. Instead, use a nearby Tervigon to spawn Termagants in a pinch if assault units are looking to tie the gun beast up.


Best Uses

The best application for an Exocrine is undoubtedly as a medium ranged platform sitting in the midfield and preferably backed by a support or melee unit such as a small brood of Warriors. Exocrines need to be shooting early, so advancing with mobile cover provided by Hormagaunts and Venomthropes together or individually is almost mandatory to protect the five wound beast. Ideally, move into a ruin within 24" of multiple enemy units and begin the bombardment. From there, don't be afraid to sacrifice Ballistic Skill 4 to be able to escape attacks by opposing close combat units. Being able to move and shoot its weapon is still great and is far preferable than to have it be unable to shoot whatsoever, after all. The best targets for an Exocrine tend to be monstrous creatures like Riptides that are otherwise near impervious to Tyranid shooting, light to medium vehicles like Rhinos and Wave Serpents, and finally squads of medium to heavy infantry like Tactical Marines and Broadside Teams that are also quite resistant to the mostly AP4 ranged prowess of Tyranids. Exocrines benefit hugely from Onslaught in particular due to the ability to Run and shoot for what is definitely a more limited range than you would want for an artillery beast. Plus, due to the wording of its Symbiotic Targeting rule, running and then shooting doesn't impose the Ballistic Skill penalty as long as the Exocrine didn't move in the movement phase! One of the more obvious uses for the Exocrine appears to be sitting it behind an Aegis Defence Line and Quad Gun, but this tactic really doesn't work against the good gun-lines I've found and I prefer the Bastion anyway for the Shrouded or Synapse bubble it provides.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Exocrine - Much like the Mawloc before it, an Exocrine is at home without upgrades, amusingly enough. The biomorphs aren't really suited to a ranged monster, while Regeneration is a questionable purchase even on a more survivable Trygon. The tail biomorphs might see use once every so often on a melee unit, but they are a definite skip for a unit based on shooting.


Bio-Plasmic Devastation

"Mind over Matter" is a truly interesting statement when one refers to the monstrous Exocrine, one of the newest and most deadly Tyranid bio-organisms. One of the more controversial implications of this idiom is the use of a weapon by a wielder; is a weapon inherently dangerous, or is it only as destructive as the creature that uses it? For the Exocrine, this logic cannot be applied, for the weapon itself is what controls the hulking monstrosity. Indeed, the Exocrine shares two minds, one in the main bulk of the beast and the other housed in its distinctive and titanic bio-plasmic cannon. The latter exerts control over the more subjective "primary" brain, subtly controlling its movements and forcing it to a stand still so that it can focus its efforts on a foes' annihilation. Unlike most other creatures, even many Tyranid organisms, merely lopping off the head will not stop its rampage; to destroy the creature entirely is to silence its weaponized extension. For a biomorph that emits a highly volatile plasmic discharge, the simple act of killing an Exocrine is inherently dangerous. That is, of course, if he prey can even close with the living artillery beast, able to accurately bring destruction to its foes long before they ever reach its diminutive bulk.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! As silly as the name might be, the Tyrannofex is nonetheless one of the most frightening monstrous creatures available to a Tyranid Hive Lord. Blending superior ranged firepower with the greatest survivability of any Tyranid monstrous creature, the Tyrannofex is a premier choice in the new codex. Of course, this wasn't always so as it was generally a ridiculously expensive unit previously; now, with a drop of almost a third total in points and no other changes, the Tyrannofex has been catapulted into the spotlight as one of the xenos' best tools. I hope you enjoy this article!


Tyrannofexes

Overview

I fondly recall my memories of the old Tyranid codex from after the time 6th Edition dropped, what with so many rules and changes introduced so as to make the inter-galactic species a true threat on table-tops again. However, one unit I definitely never got behind was the Tyrannofex, a monster conceived as a heavy ranged unit but one that was unbelievably expensive without the output to match. As some may recall from my Tyranid Predictions article, I could viably see the Tyrannofex' base point cost dropping to around the 180 mark. Suffice it to say, I wasn't far off the mark and I couldn't be happier for it! The actual rules for the Tyrannofex were always strong, being the only monstrous creature in the codex to natively possess a 2+ armour save that was made all the more ridiculous by its great defensive stats. It just needed a significant points drop and I was so surprised to see that the final cost ended up being lower than my already rather outrageous prediction. As you might guess, I am a massive fan of the new look Tyrannofex and to say that it is one of the stronger units in the codex would be a vast understatement.

First up, let us analyze that juicy profile. As I have already mentioned, the Tyrannofex has a 2+ armour save that also happens to be the only one in the codex outside of a random melee-only upgrade for high level character models. This is great for a unit that lacks an invulnerable save, making it relatively safe against massed missile launchers or missile pods, but what truly makes it crazy good is that the Tyrannofex packs a whopping six wounds at Toughness 6. Yes, it has the same defensive stats of a Trygon mixed with a superior 2+ armour save and ends up being a cheaper model overall. While the Trygon obviously brings a lot to the table through Deep Strike and its melee capabilities, a Tyrannofex is nonetheless a hugely cost effective model that is by no means a slacker in terms of damage output. On that note, the Tyrannofex is a decent melee unit with Weapon Skill 3, Strength 6 and three attacks at Initiative 2. These are superior stats to the Tervigon which is rather surprising given the previous codex, though if Crushing Claws are added to the Tervigon than this superiority disappears - a Tyrannofex has no melee weapon options, unlike the vast majority of Tyranid monstrous creatures. Add in natural Fearless as a Tyranid monster into the mix and the Tyrannofex actually makes for a great combo-charge unit alongside a horde unit or other monstrous creature, adding a few extra wounds or damage results where applicable and necessary.

Like most Tyranid monstrous creatures, Instinctive Behaviour isn't a massive issue for a Tyrannofex, especially with Hunt as a Fearless unit is immune to the worst result on the chart. An above average Leadership 8 helps this significantly, though as the Tyrannofex' primary weapon will usually be capped at Strength 6, the cost of failing a test can still be high. Being forced to shoot at the closest enemy unit within a 20" range with the Acid Spray, or an 18" range with the Fleshborer Hive, could very well end up with the Tyrannofex targeting but unable to hurt a vehicle. For this reason, I do recommend keeping a Synapse unit handy as a "just in case" tool, if only because a Tyrannofex will often be supported by other units suffering from Instinctive Behaviour as well. Speaking of the Tyrannofex' ranged arsenal, it really packs a punch against infantry in particular with its stock Acid Spray being the Tyranid equivalent to the flaming Torrent template borne by an Astra Militarum Hellhound. Eldar, Tau, most Necrons, Dark Eldar, Imperial Guard and even non 2+armoured Space Marines will be fearful of a Tyrannofex armed with this weapon, and the great beast can add a secondary template weapon to the mix as well for extra burning goodness. While the other primary weapon options that replace the Acid Spray, the Rupture Cannon and Fleshborer Hive, are subpar at best, the overall capabilities of a Tyrannofex are nonetheless quite significant. It is incredibly tough with one of the best points per wound ratios of the Tyranid monstrous creatures that, when backed with a 2+ armour save, makes it the most durable model in the codex. It slaughters infantry from 20" and closer with ease, and does all the usual monstrous creature stuff that you would expect; smashing vehicles and inflicting instant death on characters are to be expected.


How to Equip Them

Unlike the previous two unit reviews I have published, the Tyrannofex actually has more options outside of the standard biomorphs list plus one or two tail adaptations - though it is unsurprisingly lacking the latter as per the Tervigon. We'll start with the basic biomorphs and get them out of the way as, realistically, you probably won't be using them on Tyrannofexes anyway. Fleet is useful for reliable Run moves from Adrenal Glands while Furious Charge is decent for a monster that, while not a great combat monster by any means, is likely to be in combat anyway with combo-charges alongside fodder units. This is one upgrade I would take, while Regeneration may actually be worthwhile here. The most expensive biomorph gives the Tyrannofex the most benefits for the cost of any Tyranid unit, after all, as it has by far the highest natural survivability in the codex. While the points cost is high and thus leaves me iffy on a unit that, endemic of the rest of the army, should generally be kept as cheap as possible, it is certainly a decent proposition. I would however avoid Toxin Sacs and Acid Blood as they are most definitely combat centric and a Tyrannofex generally doesn't want to be there; its' main focus is as a gun beast, though it is admittedly a bit more of a generalist than an Exocrine. Still, these are points better saved for other units; of the biomorphs, Adrenal Glands and Regeneration should be considered, but ultimately are hardly necessary.

The Tyrannofex has three primary weapon options and three secondary weapon options, with the former being mandatory and the latter being optional. The standard primary weapon is the Acid Spray and it is easily the best weapon the Tyrannofex has; it is a Strength 6 AP4 Torrent Template. It might lack the AP3 of a Baleflamer as well as the insane movement capabilities of a Heldrake, but it nonetheless annihilates xenos and standard human infantry with impunity. It can be exchanged for a Fleshborer Hive for a tiny points cost, but ultimately the Hive is an inferior paid for "upgrade" over the Acid Spray. Twenty shots at Strength 4 AP5 might sound nice, but a Tyrannofex is only Ballistic Skill 3; when you factor in the 18" range, it is a really limited weapon. Against a standard Tactical Squad, for example, those twenty shots will hit ten times for five wounds and two dead Space Marines. The Acid Spray, on the other hand, with auto-hits and 2s to wound, only needs 6 hits to do as many wounds as the Fleshborer Hive; the Acid Spray becomes far superior once it hits 4+ armoured or worse units. The Fleshborer Hive might look nice, but it is ultimately a rather pointless option as it is a down-grade on the standard option. The Rupture Cannon is significantly more expensive than the Fleshborer Hive and is an anti-tank weapon, but despite the total points cost of the unit armed with one dropping with the new codex, this is still not a worthwhile weapon at all. Two Strength 10 AP4 shots at 48" range isn't bad, but it is far too expensive and unreliable with Ballistic Skill 3 and no form of re-rolls to hit available. Stick with the Acid Spray as Tyranids can get far better anti-tank options elsewhere.

The secondary weapons, the Thorax Swarms, are interesting though; there are three available, and each is a template weapon lacking torrent unlike the Acid Spray. As each has an identical cost and only differentiates in terms of damage output against variable targets, you can freely select one to fit the role of the Tyrannofex; either as a light vehicle hunting generalist or as infantry murderer. I personally prefer the latter role for the most part as the Tyrannofex isn't great against vehicles outside of close combat. This is why I wasn't the biggest fan of the Electroshock Grubs as at the range it works in the Tyrannofex' close combat strikes are preferable anyway. Almost guaranteed hull point damage for the points is nice, but it usually wastes the Acid Spray I find; however, when you also add in that the Electroshock Grubs are Strength 5 and AP5 which gels best with the Acid Spray, it really is a great choice. Of the two remaining, I prefer the Shreddershard Beetles; they might seem the weakest with Strength 3 and AP-, but Rending gives them a lot of utility against more elite units that also meshes well with the AP4 Acid Spray. The Dessicator Larvae are nice, but tend to be inferior against most units than either of the other templates; the Electroshocks mash light infantry better, and the Shreddershards kill elite infantry with greater efficiency. This brings us to two good choices, the Electroshock Grubs and Shreddershard Beetles, and of the two, I am starting to prefer the former. Rending is really nice for hunting 3+ and 2+ armoured units, but pairing Strength 5 and Strength 6 templates up is likely to do as much or more damage anyway. Add in the Haywire effect and permanent AP5 on the Electroshock Grubs and I have changed my tune from release to this Thorax Swarm variety. Ultimately though, both of them are good and worthwhile - if unnecessary and risky due to the short range - options that are never bad because of their low cost.


Where to Put Them

Your standard Acid Spray-armed Tyrannofex operates at about the 20" and lower mark in relation to enemy units, using its Torrent template to annihilate infantry not sporting 2+ or 3+ armour with impunity. Its 2+ armour save, Toughness 6 and 6 wounds make it the most survivable monstrous creature in the codex by far, and of the hardier ones that can be found in the game. The only downside is the lack of an invulnerable save or of natural Feel No Pain - though this of course can be randomly obtained through Catalyst - which can only really be mitigated through cover saves and line of sight blocking. Like with the Tervigon, Termagants may not be tall enough to provide intervening cover bonuses to a Tyrannofex, but Hormagaunts and any other models of a similar or larger height are easily capable of doing so. Those two units in particular compliment each other very well, with Tyrannofexes being able to fire their Torrent template over the Hormagaunts and soften up enemy positions for the lesser Troops choice to finish off any stragglers and capture or deny objectives. The Hormagaunts also protect a Tyrannofex from close combat where, while not a bad unit by any means, it definitely isn't as scary as it is in shooting. Still, a 2+ armour save allows it to tank almost anything in close combat, so don't be afraid to get into a melee to support your other units! A Tyrannofex doesn't really benefit from being part of a static list, something to keep in mind when designing your army list.


Best Uses

The ideal implementation of a Tyrannofex into a standard Tyranid army list is to use it as a line-breaker; a massive, impossibly hard to kill unit that can break the enemy formation with heavy close ranged firepower and melee prowess. While the Tyrannofex isn't a great melee unit and its shooting is only really devastating against infantry, it nonetheless is very versatile; it can deal with vehicles in combat and has defensive uses with its one or more template weapons. A Tyrannofex' ideal targets are most definitely cover-camping infantry that are otherwise resistant to a lot of a Tyranid armies' anti-infantry shooting, such as from Stranglethorn Cannons or Brain leech Devourers. The effective 20" range of the Acid Spray allows the Tyrannofex to eviscerate 4+ armoured infantry quite early into the game, especially with help from Onslaught on about turn two or three. Infantry that are Toughness 4 or lower with a 3+ armour save or worse tend to be prime targets for a Tyrannofex, though 2+ armoured infantry that are Toughness 4 or higher should probably be left to your Exocrines and combat units. When deploying a Tyrannofex, try to identify all sources of AP2 in your opponents' army list; either deploy away from them, or use available terrain, Venomthropes and intervening cover provided by Hormagaunts or a wall of Carnifexes to protect the Tyrannofex. The beast is inherently a front line unit, providing support in combats for other units to break combats down and destroying infantry formations.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Tyrannofex - This is without a doubt the best way to run a Tyrannofex in my mind. It doesn't really need any of the combat-centric upgrades, and nor are the other primary weapon options worthwhile over the standard Acid Spray. Enjoy your six wound, Toughness 6, 2+ armoured monster!

Tyrannofex w/ Thorax Swarm Shreddershard Beetles - While the 12" range disparity between the Acid Spray and Thorax Swarms can be a bit disconcerting, the Tyrannofex is ultimately a close range beast and having two nasty infantry-shredding template weapons is always nice. Thorax Swarm upgrades are very cheap and quite nasty, with I feel the Shreddershard Beetles being the best overall. A Tyrannofex can handle vehicles in close combat at the rough range of Electroshock Grubs, while the Rending hits of Shreddershard Beetles offset the AP4 Acid Spray to inflict more potential kills against elite infantry.

Tyrannofex w/ Regeneration - If there is any monstrous creature in the army that should be given Regeneration, it is easily the Tyrannofex. With the highest natural survivability of any Tyranid monstrous creature by far with the 2+ armour save, in addition to an innately low cost for what it does, Regeneration makes more sense here than anywhere else in the codex. While I still prefer keeping a Tyrannofex bare as Regeneration is expensive, that it is likely to restore a wound every two turns on such a tough monster can give many opponents nightmares.


Living Tank

In the waning hours of the red sun’s journey, Space Marine Squad Commodus raised their boltguns as one again to the screaming masses of xenos before them. Marked by their distinctive talons and long surging legs, the Hormagaunts leaped over the wreckage of the Predator ‘Devastator’ with the screech of scale and flesh against steel and battered concrete. The call to arms came not a moment late. “Fire!” The thunder of bolters radiated through the burning city, drowning out even the death shrieks of those Hormagaunts first to die. Feeding themselves to devastation, the xenos advance faltered as blood and limbs exploded across the walls and roads of Tarsis. As dozens fell before the relentless fire of the Space Marines, their resolve emboldened by the teeming corpses before them, the Hormagaunt charge broke as if driven by a sudden cold snap. Fleeing out of sight into the smoke and ashes, the Space Marines lowered their bolters and a cry of victory emerged from a few of their ranks, diminished as they were by the brutal fighting in the earlier hours of the dying day.

Their victory and elation were momentary, though, as the earth began to heave and pulsate like none of the battle brothers had ever felt before. The Space Marines snapped to attention and steeled themselves for another conflict, searching the nearby ruins for the origin of the increasingly vehement pulsing. The ground shook and roiled ever more powerfully, as Squad Commodus whispered quick prayers to the God Emperor of Mankind. It was only as the last of these were uttered that a deafening crash and roar of metal and rock saw the Space Marines wheel in unison to their right, their fearless devotion to humanity a shield they believed could repulse any foe.

It was not long before this truth was dispelled than two were incinerated in an instant by a gout of green liquid, dissolving their armour and flesh in a matter of moments. It was then that a titanic monster surged into view from out of the dust and rubble, thundering into the fore as the Space Marines levelled their boltguns and fired once more. To their dismay and doom, the explosive shells of their weapons merely bounced harmlessly off of the hulking beast, a creature so massive as to dwarf the departed ‘Devastator’ thrice so. It was too late that the remnants of Squad Commodus spied the static forming around the creature’s frontal carapace; in a single sickening instant, a bed of lightning erupted from the monster. The last two remaining members of Squad Commodus could barely draw out their combat blades as the lumbering behemoth smashed into them, crushing them under-foot in an instant. With a triumphant roar, the bestial Tyrannofex wheeled and charged towards the nearby gunfire cloaked by fire.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

[Learn2Eel]

Article 35 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 1)

[Learn2Eel]

Article 36 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 2)

[Learn2Eel]

Article 37 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 3)

[Learn2Eel]

Article 38 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 4)

[Learn2Eel]

Article 39 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 5)

[Learn2Eel]

Article 40 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 6)

[Learn2Eel]

Article 41 - The Seven Stages of Infestation (Day 7)

[bismarckii]

I think warrior primes should be used most often I've been playing tyranids quite some time and taking them to tournaments and winning them. Even in this edition with new book I'm very confident in my nids in 1850 style or 1000 my nids can carry the game. I don't use flyrants ever! And in this edition they aren't even really considered. They are to to big of targets enemies know their potential and bring them down fast. Here is example of my tournament list for about 1850
Prime- ymgarl artifact
Reaper artifact
Aderline glands
Prime - swords
Barbstranggler
Troops
Termagants - 30
Tervigon - regen
Heavy support
Carnifex brood - 2
Regen
Adrenalin glands
Carnifex brood - 2
4x brainleach devourers
Carnifex brood - 2
4x brainleach devourers
Fast attack
Harpie

What I do is place my dedicated melee warrior prime in the melee fex brood the other prime joins a squad of daxa fexs. The fexs are the list they will be placed near each other or in fashion of daxa flanks melee center. Warlord is melee prime with melee fexs. What I'm doing with fexs is spreading out target priority. Which fex unit to shoot every thing is deadly. Daxa fexs delete units in open and light vehicles also great anti air. Melee fexs have the warlord and in all instants where I've gone into melee wreck face especially with my prime that dishes out 7 attacks on change. Synapse is protected have a horde of guants especially because when I've played and tested list no one is shooting guants or tervigon because carnifexs are just walking up the field and deleting units. When the fex unit starts to die or will die next turn prime leaves unit and joins some guants. Only one time has a prime died in the at least 10 times played to some assult terminators. Most armies don't have enough power to kill this many carnifexs especially when I have other units supporting them like the guants charging some troops or harpie being distraction or tervigon pumping babies (this is luck based) to much threat everywhere and when being tactical and making strategic decisions us very rewarding. Target priority is very stressed. There are limitations in this list though with heavy vehicles but MC close combat works.

[daboarder]

thing with primes compared to tyrants is you get
+2W +1T +1S +1I +2WS +2Ml and Ap2 with smash.....all for 40 pts extra.

I mean a primes what, TWICE the points of a chaos lord.......before gear. And if your worried about hiding in units you can get tyrant guards for roughly the same price as whatever unit you'd put a prime in for similar protection.

[bismarckii]

I'm no worried about hiding them because they can hide easily, my concern are with the carnifexs they are there to provide critical synapse for them and to provide melee protectionand character killing jobs. I have 2 tough synapse creatures over my one tyrant with no flexibility if guard die and his guard are quite unless except for sponges even in melee they don't deny armour unless you put points into them. Another thing mentioned above is even in tournaments my prime has never died but once because of assault terminators. Where as tyrants die left and right. Your missing the decision making process in why I choose them over tyrants. If you want just stats wise decision making then yeah tyrant way to go but I'm looking at winning games based on deception of where the threat lies and denying points like slay warlord or first blood. I get first blood my first turn of shooting with fexs so there you go. Critical analysis of opposition and the way they perceive threat on feild is what makes my nids work.

[Tynskel]

thing with primes compared to tyrants is you get
+2W +1T +1S +1I +2WS +2Ml and Ap2 with smash.....all for 40 pts extra.

I mean a primes what, TWICE the points of a chaos lord.......before gear. And if your worried about hiding in units you can get tyrant guards for roughly the same price as whatever unit you'd put a prime in for similar protection.

I think this down plays the versatility of a Prime. There are many things that you can do with a Prime that you cannot do with a Tyrant. The fact that you can move from squad to squad, hidden from threats, is a bonus. You can enter buildings, another bonus, especially since you can charge from buildings (the ultimate bonus).

[daboarder]

personally my take on the prime is that whether you take one or not depends more on the unit you want to put him in than on the prime itself. Are you running warriors, then yes the prime has a place to go a tyrant wouldn't. Venomthropes keep getting tapped out? consider a prime. but in most situations a tyrant can fill the same strategic role and more.

[Gleipnir]

Tyranid Prime to me seems like you need a 9 man Tyranid Warrior unit to get its value out of it, since it seems like his points cost assume he is always buffing 9 other Warriors or Shrikes. With the added cost of some of the Bioartifacts I can see him being somewhat useful in other mobs like with Maw Claws or a hard to remove Synapse Lynchpin, like others have said though Hive Tyrant just seems to do everything better for a more reasonable cost. Plus I prefer the psykers for force multipliers they bring over what the Prime gives.

[Halollet]

thing with primes compared to tyrants is you get
+2W +1T +1S +1I +2WS +2Ml and Ap2 with smash.....all for 40 pts extra.

I mean a primes what, TWICE the points of a chaos lord.......before gear. And if your worried about hiding in units you can get tyrant guards for roughly the same price as whatever unit you'd put a prime in for similar protection.

With primes compared to brood lords you get
+1Ws -4Bs +2I for 65 points less. Very similar stat line for half the price.
You swap out Synapse for a Psychic power, a gun and talons for rending claws, and you get the ability to infiltrate.

So yes, I think the Prime is way overpriced. You can get a pack of stealers with a broodlord for 5 points more then a base Prime. That just doesn't seem right.

Other then him hiding and denying your opponent Slay the Warlord, I can't think of anything really practical.

Even boosting warriors, for his point cost you can get 4 more warriors which would make up for the boost. He's competing against 12 scoring wounds that also have synapse and can get just about everything he can.

[Learn2Eel]

Venomthropes and Haruspexes have been added in, they are at the bottom of Page 2.

I've edited the articles on my blog to include Recommended Builds sections, I'm going to go through now and edit those in here :) I hope you guys are enjoying the series!

[Lord_Valorion]

Learn2Eel, thank you for your always very nice articles. But i've seen you wrote that a monstrous creature gains "armourbane" when it smashs, but this is not the case. You should read the "Smash" rule again.

[Learn2Eel]

Just an artifact of me being all nostalgic about 5th Edition, hehe. Fixing now. Cheers!

[Learn2Eel]

Pyrovores added in!

[Halollet]

Pyrovores added in!

I have to give you a bow for actually writing up a full report instead of just going;

Pyrovores

.... nope.

[Learn2Eel]

I have to give you a bow for actually writing up a full report instead of just going;

Pyrovores

.... nope.

Sorry for the late reply; cheers hehe! I still caved in and parodied the whole situation with the mini-fluff section, but I refused to publish an article without some tactics in it. It's just a shame GW don't really seem to care about some of the models they produce.

Shrikes added (and fixed)!

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, Raveners have been added in on Page 3! The article also covers the use of the Red Terror. I hope you like it!

I thought I would use this (I'll make a blog post about it as well later) place to ask a simple question; does anyone know why my Pyrovore Tactica has become so popular? I've found it shared on Reddit, but I'm not sure that covers why it had a whopping 1500 (roughly) views on my blog within a day or two of it being posted. For reference, most of my Tyranid Tactica articles tend to hit the 350 view mark on my blog within the same time frame. Is it because of that silly, over-the-top "fluff" section? Is it because it is a Tactica article about Pyrovores? Has it been shared on a lot of websites? I'm really curious to know, any tips are really helpful! Thanks guys!

[This Dave]

Pyrovores added in!

I don't play Tyranids and this is probably a bad idea anyways, but I may have thought of at least a surprise use for those hateful things. Can they use the tunnel a Trygon makes? If so, they might be a fun thing to pop out if a tunnel and puke on anything nearby. And even if they get killed, maybe the explosions might take out something. If nothing else, it should confuse and distract the opponent.

[daboarder]

sure can, but the trygon tunnel is largely un-usable anyway

[Learn2Eel]

I don't play Tyranids and this is probably a bad idea anyways, but I may have thought of at least a surprise use for those hateful things. Can they use the tunnel a Trygon makes? If so, they might be a fun thing to pop out if a tunnel and puke on anything nearby. And even if they get killed, maybe the explosions might take out something. If nothing else, it should confuse and distract the opponent.

As daboarder mentions, the Trygon Tunnel itself is broken. You have to hold both the Trygon and the Pyrovores in reserve, hope the Trygon comes before the Pyrovores and doesn't just mishap. If there was a way to Deep Strike Trygons on turn one - and affect Raveners! - it would actually help Pyrovores and Devourer Termagants a lot, but as it is, relying purely on luck completely invalidates the tactic.

[daboarder]

If the rumours concerning the new endless swarm dataslate are accurate however the Trygon tunnel is going to see a surge in use thats for sure.

but not for the pyrovores.

[Learn2Eel]

I don't even remember what the rumour was, it was that destroyed Hormagaunt/Termagant units could come back from reserves right?

[daboarder]

on a 4+ yeah

which means they can come back through the tunnel :D

[Learn2Eel]

Wow, I see what you mean now. Yeah, that is bloody useful and should see a big surge in the popularity of Trygons and Trygon Primes!

[daboarder]

unfortunately we're about to get knight boned.....there is very little in our book that is even remotely effective to those things.

You can't tarpit them as they stomp, and throwing any MC against them get both models dead at best and at worst usually just results in a dead MC. It really does have a lot of nid players scratching their heads. I'm thinking MAYBE combat flyrants, one with reaper and adglands, the other with ymgarl and adglands (and LWBS)....but thats a disgusting amount of points

[Learn2Eel]

unfortunately we're about to get knight boned.....there is very little in our book that is even remotely effective to those things.

You can't tarpit them as they stomp, and throwing any MC against them get both models dead at best and at worst usually just results in a dead MC. It really does have a lot of nid players scratching their heads. I'm thinking MAYBE combat flyrants, one with reaper and adglands, the other with ymgarl and adglands (and LWBS)....but thats a disgusting amount of points

Zoeys, maybe? We tend to take them anyway, just not in great numbers. Only problem is Lance doesn't work on super-heavies......ARGH!

[daboarder]

Lance does work on super heavies. Entropic doesnt.

The rrouble with zoeys is to position them so that they arent firing through the shield. Hard to do wirh only 3 units

[Learn2Eel]

Ah, that's right. Hmm. I think Zoeys will probably end up being our best counter that won't itself die to the Knight. Provided you keep a good distance and position other crucial units near the Zoeys, that Knight is going to have to get close if it wants to stay in combat. Of course, the problem lies in that Tyranids are an army it can safely sit back and shoot against.....

If it does get close though, two Warp Lance hits should at least get one "Explodes" result on it through the shield. Better than nothing I suppose, especially at 150 points.

[daboarder]

You still need to cast deny and so on. Two are unlikely to explode I think youll need three to even get through the shield. There's a long discussion on the hive about it. Gyst is that the best we can do is dog pile it to death with fmc's and try to kill the rest of the army. And if you face 2+ Then good luck.

[Buddhist_Possum]

You can't even assault them right?

"Charging a Vehicle
A unit can charge a vehicle... However, a unit cannot charge a vehicle that it cannot hurt - it must have some possibility, no matter how small,of
being able to inflict at least a glancing hit."

More reason that horde can't help here, all they can do it block lanes. Genestealers could get some hits in but mildly.

Hive Guard might have to start helping out again. Against 13/12, it's not horrible.
Flyrants and Crones smashing could do some damage too (w/ Tentaclids maybe getting a few glances in).

[citadel]

You can't even assault them right?

"Charging a Vehicle
A unit can charge a vehicle... However, a unit cannot charge a vehicle that it cannot hurt - it must have some possibility, no matter how small,of being able to inflict at least a glancing hit."

More reason that horde can't help here, all they can do it block lanes. Genestealers could get some hits in but mildly.

Hive Guard might have to start helping out again. Against 13/12, it's not horrible.
Flyrants and Crones smashing could do some damage too (w/ Tentaclids maybe getting a few glances in).

Per BRB, walkers are an unusual type of vehicle and follow the following rules for assault -

Pg 84 of BRB -
"Walkers assault, and are assaulted, like infantry models, meaning that they make charge moves and can be locked in combat. Walkers that are locked in combat cannot be shot against."

Combine this with the BRB FAQ -
Q: Can I charge an enemy unit that I can’t hurt? (p20)
A: Yes.

These entries lead me to the conclusion that the IK can be charged and tarpitted. I don't quite know the rules for Stomp, which people say will give it about 2 turns of tarpit at absolute max, so it has to be something with wounding multiple models regardless of it's A characteristic or using blast templates as melee choices for large amounts of models, or something.

Edit: Apparently the entire issue is debatable considering the Super Heavy Walker is still a Vehicle and thus, follow vehicle charge rules unless the enemy unit can damage it, then it gets tied up. However, I'd like to think that as a Walker it is described as assaulting like an Infantry unit and follows the rules for Infantry (with the exceptions printed on Pg84), thus my original reasoning that they can be pitted is correct. It seems the issue has been hot for about a year now, and hopefully with the IK release we can get some clarification in a FAQ or in the Codex. Otherwise, can any TOs weigh in on this?

OH AND! I google'd Super Heavy Stomp and this is what I found. This better be how it's done in game -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PWstGihLyk

[daboarder]

The faq adresses the basic rules it doesnt override the rules for vehies on pg 76

[Gleipnir]

Can't Fearless Gargoyles Blind Tarpit them?

If you take the Skyblight then can keep coming back too no?

Last I knew Blind was checked on a hit and FAQ allows it to effect walkers ergo Super-Heavy Walkers as well and since Fearless cheap clusters don't care if they can harm something to stay in melee they got those knights preoccupied till you can get something that can hurt it like a Carnifex Brood with Crushing Claws, its the D weapon explosion of the Imperial Knight dying that hoses Nids most.

[daboarder]

Can't Fearless Gargoyles Blind Tarpit them?

If you take the Skyblight then can keep coming back too no?

Last I knew Blind was checked on a hit and FAQ allows it to effect walkers ergo Super-Heavy Walkers as well and since Fearless cheap clusters don't care if they can harm something to stay in melee they got those knights preoccupied till you can get something that can hurt it like a Carnifex Brood with Crushing Claws, its the D weapon explosion of the Imperial Knight dying that hoses Nids most.

Stomp!

and even worse they can walk those stomps outwards to higt units they aren't even in combat with

the best tactic seems to be surround them with gants but DON'T charge, force him to move.

[Gleipnir]

yeah but gargoyles by virtue of being Jump can effectively spread and surround a knights base to make it hard for one knight to stomp clear of them all. Plus Blind makes the knight easy bait for the next guy, since it lasts till the end of their next turn.

[daboarder]

its not so much the gargoyles that I'm too worried about its anything within walked pie plate range

[Gleipnir]

yeah gathered that after I responded, but at least they'd be tar pitted and immobile till they cleared them out allowing you to move stuff you are afraid of him chaining 3"-15" stomp markers to until you moved in with a unit that could kill it is still a random roll so no guarantees he rolls all 3 blast markers every turn, charge with a Carnifex and when it explodes as the controlling player assign all the D hits to the gargoyles in base contact first, then charge the Carnifex into the next tar-pitted knight rinse and repeat and hope your gargoyles keep coming back. If you took the Skyblight odds are you are even taking all the objectives from his knights you have tarpitted as well.

Actually the explosion scatters then resolves from the middle so no guarantees the Carnifex will be around to use over and over.

[daboarder]

yeah skyblight hard counters knight spam

the abillity to take 3 flyrants, 4 crones, 2 harpies and still have up to 90 scoring gargs that COME BACK!!! Yeah that list doesn't care if your running 5 knights....your in trouble

I may actually start trawling Ebay to get the models for that one.

[Gleipnir]

yeah skyblight hard counters knight spam

the abillity to take 3 flyrants, 4 crones, 2 harpies and still have up to 90 scoring gargs that COME BACK!!! Yeah that list doesn't care if your running 5 knights....your in trouble

I may actually start trawling Ebay to get the models for that one.

Id probably still try and keep a Swarmlord w/ Tyrant guard for charging around with though, what's 1 less Flyrant when you have all that other stuff.

Ultimately though Tyranid Rising II gave us a lot of good stuff though, for little to nothing point wise, since none of it forced us to max out any unit sizes.

Hoping we get something for Old One Eye, Swarmlord and Trygons/Raveners in the next one.

[Learn2Eel]

yeah skyblight hard counters knight spam

the abillity to take 3 flyrants, 4 crones, 2 harpies and still have up to 90 scoring gargs that COME BACK!!! Yeah that list doesn't care if your running 5 knights....your in trouble

I may actually start trawling Ebay to get the models for that one.

I think I know why you would go on Ebay for that one....$115 a FMC is way too much for me lol. Especially when they only take up 130-160 points per model.

EDIT: Sky-Slashers added in!

[Learn2Eel]

Gargoyles have been added in!

[Learn2Eel]

Harpies added in on Page 3.

[Learn2Eel]

Hive Crones added in on Page 3. Heavy Support coming up soon....Carnifexes are taking a while!

[Nid Bits]

Any reviews on using the dataslate formations like Skyblight Swarm?

[Learn2Eel]

Spore Mine Clusters have been added in on Page 3. Carnifexes are done! Wooo :D


Any reviews on using the dataslate formations like Skyblight Swarm?

Not at the moment, unfortunately, as I don't own them. I've seen the rules but I don't know the full picture on all of them. Similar to how I haven't done reviews for any of the codex supplements, I'm going to wait until I own the data-slates before I review them. Sorry!

[Learn2Eel]

I've added Carnifexes in on Page 3, down near the bottom. They got the most attention of any unit I have done so far in the history of Imperator Guides!
I might be taking a little break after them for a few days to a week, so don't expect Biovores in two days. Sorry!

Thanks for all the support guys! We are officially in the home stretch now, with only 6 unit reviews left! Huzzah!

[Learn2Eel]

Biovores have been added in at the bottom of Page 3; enjoy! Sorry for the delay!

[xsquidz]

Just some thoughts on carnifexes and some examples of how they can work really well.

I played in a 1850 tournament and I took 2 units of 3 fexes, 2 dakkafexes and 1 stock. The stock one was up front and was there to absorb wounds, that way if they did do 4 unsaved wounds in a turn, I would lose that one versus a dakkafex. Its a lot of points for a meat shield but it can save your more expensive ones and if it doesn't die, you can still move it to the back and play wound allocation games with it. Then if all 3 live, its a huge punch on the charge.

Don't forget about onslaught! It works so well on dakkafexes. Use it on them on turn one and you can move 6, run d6 and fire 18 inches, that means you are in range on turn 1, even if you go first! I explained to all my opponents how it worked and yet in all my games on turn 1 I could get some really nice shots off. In game one a dakka brood (so 24 TL S6 shots) and both my flyrants focused on his seer council on turn 1 and I killed like 9/10 of them or something before they could move.

In the next game I was facing a 3 wraithknight army. I lost a full dakkafex brood on his 2nd turn but was able to tie up 2 of the knights with guants and then the other dakkafex brood would assault them and with 3d3 HOW attacks and then 13 charging attacks at S9, AP2, I killed 2 knights each in just the charge! I won both games mainly due to fexes, but with the upgrades the 6 of them were almost 1/2 of my 1850 points. :)

[Learn2Eel]

Yeah using a bare-bones Carnifex as a foil for two Dakkafexes is definitely a good idea, no question! Cheers for the input, and nice to hear your Carnifexes have been serving you well!

By the by guys, Trygons and Trygon Primes have been added in at the top of Page 4. Enjoy!

[Learn2Eel]

Mawlocs added in on Page 4, just under the Trygon article. Enjoy!

[Learn2Eel]

Exocrines have been added in a day late on Page 4 on the lower part of the page. Only one unit review left! Woohoo! Almost done guys :)

[xsquidz]

An amusing thing about exocrines is that it says they get the BS+1 if they don't move in the "movement" phase, it says nothing about the shooting phase. :) That means that RAW you can stand still in the movement phase, but then run and shoot in the shooting phase and get the BS+1 if you use onslaught on them.

Maybe they will address it in an FAQ-if we ever see another one of those!

[direhippo]

I'm curious. Given that the Exocrine is an MC, it has the ability to shoot twice. Can it fire the bio-plasmic cannon twice, each on a different mode? It doesn't seem so, but it ultimately depends on how a weapon is defined.

[Tynskel]

Hey guys, my name is Learn2Eel, and today I'm going to be bringing you another article in the Tyranid Tactica series! Exocrines are, much like the Tyrannofex, designed as a living monstrous death dealer from afar. They are armed with one of the more devastating bio-weapons in the xenos arsenal, one of the more nightmarish of the Hive Minds' creations. The Exocrine was seen as the less interesting, more generic kit sibling of the Haruspex before the two were released, though it has since proven to be the far more effective of the duo. Though seemingly expensive for what it does, the Exocrine brings versatile and strong firepower at a medium range for a really affordable points cost. I hope you enjoy this article!


Exocrines

Overview

If you thought the Haruspex was a bit mediocre, well you would be....well, right. Does that have negative repercussions for the Exocrine though? Nope! When the rules for the two monsters leaked, I immediately jumped on the Exocrine as one of the more cost effective monstrous creatures in the new codex, a unit that was simple in its design but very effective in its role. While the gun beast doesn't bring out anything crazy or zany, there is no confusion about its intended purpose and no question that it does that job well. But first, we'll start with the stats and remark on how decent, not bad or great, they are. Interestingly enough, they are completely identical to the Haruspex, despite the latters' melee focus; before any special rules or close combat weapons are considered, the ranged Exocrine fights just as well as the close combat Haruspex. This sees the Exocrine with a good profile that sits in the middle for Tyranid monstrous creatures, with five wounds at Toughness 6 and a 3+ armour save. From there, it has three attacks at Strength 6, Initiative 3 and Weapon Skill 3, making it roughly equivalent to a Tyrannofex in close combat and not all that bad. It can crush vehicles and defend itself against infantry, but it definitely won't stand up to heavy resistance in combat and ideally won't be there in the first place. Ballistic Skill 3 is middling for an elite ranged unit, obviously, but the weapon carried by an Exocrine as well as an additional special rule make this less of an issue than it seems.

An Exocrine is not a Synapse unit as you would expect, and it suffers from Instinctive Behaviour of the Hunt variety. Leadership 7 would usually be a death sentence for a unit suffering from the mindless syndrome, but as Hunt is essentially "shoot the nearest unit" with either a six shot Strength 7 AP2 or single shot Strength 7 AP2 large blast weapon, it likely won't be an issue in most circumstances. Like most Tyranid monstrous creatures, the Exocrine is very self sufficient overall even if it is a good idea to keep it both in Synapse range to avoid shooting at a bad target and having a supporting unit to get out of or avoid combats. The only other notable unique special rule that the Exocrine has is also one that will only really see use late in the game, if at all, from about turn three or four onwards. This is because this particular rule, Symbiotic Targeting, only functions if the Exocrine was stationary in its preceding movement phase; if this was the case, it increases its Ballistic Skill by one, usually to four. Having its six shots hit an average of four or five times instead of three times, as well as its large blast reducing scatter by one inch, is more significant than it might seem and definitely very useful. Unfortunately, the 24" range on the Exocrine's sole ranged weapon limits the usage of this special rule against defensive lists, though it will likely see use in later turns and against aggressive army lists.

Speaking of the Exocrine's ranged weapon, having a stable form of plasma is something Tyranids tend to lack, making the living artillery organism almost mandatory in a sense anyway. 2+ armour saves might not be in vogue in the usual sense - those poor Terminators - but Riptides, Chapter Masters and Seer Councils with Protect make AP2 so valuable and necessary nowadays. Without it, Tyranids lack reliable means of bringing down 2+ armoured units at range, making the Exocrine incredibly valuable. It helps that the gun itself is quite powerful, with it able to use two firing modes, choosing one before it shoots. This is either six shots at Strength 7 AP2, or one shot at Strength 7 AP2 using a large blast, both with a mediocre 24" range. This allows Exocrines to effectively engage infantry squads of all kinds, light to medium vehicles - leaving heavy vehicles to melee attacks if necessary - monstrous creatures and nullify 2+ armoured wound tanks. The versatility is undoubtedly there, with it able to Overwatch with the six shots and even Snap Fire at flyers if need be as well. It is a very strong ranged weapon and one that many opponents have learned to fear over the months since the new Tyranid codex was released. Make sure to always remember that the 24" range is quite limiting, meaning the Exocrine is a medium ranged firebase unit, not a long ranged artillery monster as its background depicts. Oh, and if you like pointless weapons, well the Exocrine brings that as well with a set of Scything Talons. They serve absolutely no purpose and frankly confuse me. Hooray! Even despite this, the Exocrine is priced similarly to a Tyrannofex and a decent bit cheaper than a Trygon which with its exclusive high rate of fire medium ranged AP2 shooting makes it one of the premier choices in the Heavy Support slot for Tyranids.


How to Equip Them

I'll be honest and straight forward; as with the Mawloc, an Exocrine really doesn't need or want any upgrades whatsoever. The available tail biomorph is a thresher scythe, adding an additional Strength 4 AP4 close combat attack that is statistically inferior in every way as a melee upgrade to the identically priced Toxin Sacs biomorph. As such, the tail biomorph is there for fun and little else. Besides, the Exocrine is a ranged monstrous creature first and foremost, not a melee unit; if you want one of those, take a Trygon instead. As you can imagine, this rends both Acid Blood and Toxin Sacs as mostly pointless upgrades as an Exocrine really shouldn't be in combat. Toxin Sacs may see use more as a defensive upgrade as, again, I don't put much faith in the fact that Acid Blood only really works against low Initiative foes. The 24" range of the Exocrine's gun actually gives Adrenal Glands some good value as the re-roll for Run moves can help to get into range a turn or so early. However, again, I would probably avoid it as it isn't really all that helpful. Regeneration is an upgrade that is questionable even on a six wound Trygon, for example, and much more so a five wound Exocrine. I would skip it as while it is obviously nice, the high cost just pushes the Exocrine investment to unnecessary levels. Leave this monster bare as none of the upgrades will really help it with its stated purpose, which is to blast foes apart from afar.


Where to Put Them

With no alternative deployment options such as Deep Strike or Outflank, the Exocrine belongs on the battlefield with the rest of your forces. This opens up the always handy tactic of employing Venomthropes as a defensive tool while they use the Exocrine as a screen against enemy fire. Using the Venomthropes behind and smaller creatures such as Hormagaunts that are tall and numerous enough to provide intervening cover to an Exocrine to the front will allow an Exocrine to advance into range with its bio-plasmic cannon. In this sense, the 24" range isn't that much of an issue as the Exocrine is naturally tough enough and gets a lot of survivability boosts from other units to make it to the midfield with ease. If you use such units to cover the Exocrine, moving through terrain to gain cover saves usually won't be necessary unless it is facing a range of nasty barrage weapons from Basilisks, Colossi and so on. This means it can advance without being slowed down and employ Run moves, usually seeing it in range of backfield gunline armies by turn three unless the game is using the short table edge deployment on a standard 6x4 gaming board.

If such units are unavailable or Barrage weapons are to be faced, moving through terrain at the possible expense of speed isn't a bad idea at all; rolling 3D6 for moving through cover due to the aptly named special rule makes it rather reliable. Still, if you can avoid being slowed down without sacrificing much or at all on durability, then that is generally the preferred option. Like with any Tyranid unit, keep to cover wins the game, not running blindly into the open; Tyranids mostly lack invulnerable saves for a reason, after all. Instinctive Behaviour really isn't an issue for the Exocrine, so deploying it away from available Synapse isn't necessarily a bad thing, or moving outside of their bubble so as to keep or begin shooting. However, I still recommend against it as being forced to shoot at a Land Raider the Exocrine cannot hurt as opposed to a juicy squad of Tactical Marines in the open, for example, is never ideal. On that note, try to avoid charging an Exocrine unless you are attempting to destroy a vehicle and the bio-plasmic cannon is either unlikely to or incapable of doing the deed. It belongs at range and wants to avoid potential combats as much as possible; keeping a baby-sitting unit of Hormagaunts nearby isn't a bad idea, though generally speaking those should be far forward of an Exocrine. Instead, use a nearby Tervigon to spawn Termagants in a pinch if assault units are looking to tie the gun beast up.


Best Uses

The best application for an Exocrine is undoubtedly as a medium ranged platform sitting in the midfield and preferably backed by a support or melee unit such as a small brood of Warriors. Exocrines need to be shooting early, so advancing with mobile cover provided by Hormagaunts and Venomthropes together or individually is almost mandatory to protect the five wound beast. Ideally, move into a ruin within 24" of multiple enemy units and begin the bombardment. From there, don't be afraid to sacrifice Ballistic Skill 4 to be able to escape attacks by opposing close combat units. Being able to move and shoot its weapon is still great and is far preferable than to have it be unable to shoot whatsoever, after all. The best targets for an Exocrine tend to be monstrous creatures like Riptides that are otherwise near impervious to Tyranid shooting, light to medium vehicles like Rhinos and Wave Serpents, and finally squads of medium to heavy infantry like Tactical Marines and Broadside Teams that are also quite resistant to the mostly AP4 ranged prowess of Tyranids. Exocrines benefit hugely from Onslaught in particular due to the ability to Run and shoot for what is definitely a more limited range than you would want for an artillery beast.


Recommended Builds

These are a few example builds for the unit that I feel can fit into a number of competitive Tyranid lists. I'll list some thoughts on each build and what kind of lists they fit better in.

Exocrine - Much like the Mawloc before it, an Exocrine is at home without upgrades, amusingly enough. The biomorphs aren't really suited to a ranged monster, while Regeneration is a questionable purchase even on a more survivable Trygon. The tail biomorphs might see use once every so often on a melee unit, but they are a definite skip for a unit based on shooting.


Bio-Plasmic Devastation

"Mind over Matter" is a truly interesting statement when one refers to the monstrous Exocrine, one of the newest and most deadly Tyranid bio-organisms. One of the more controversial implications of this idiom is the use of a weapon by a wielder; is a weapon inherently dangerous, or is it only as destructive as the creature that uses it? For the Exocrine, this logic cannot be applied, for the weapon itself is what controls the hulking monstrosity. Indeed, the Exocrine shares two minds, one in the main bulk of the beast and the other housed in its distinctive and titanic bio-plasmic cannon. The latter exerts control over the more subjective "primary" brain, subtly controlling its movements and forcing it to a stand still so that it can focus its efforts on a foes' annihilation. Unlike most other creatures, even many Tyranid organisms, merely lopping off the head will not stop its rampage; to destroy the creature entirely is to silence its weaponized extension. For a biomorph that emits a highly volatile plasmic discharge, the simple act of killing an Exocrine is inherently dangerous. That is, of course, if he prey can even close with the living artillery beast, able to accurately bring destruction to its foes long before they ever reach its diminutive bulk.


Thank you for reading this article! Please, share your thoughts on the article and the changes I am experimenting with for this series. I am open to any and all feedback! And remember, for any and all discussion on Tyranids and Games Workshop stuff, head on over to +Bell of Lost Souls. Thanks again! Eel out.

No mention of emplaced weapons. All those words... lost on the real value...

[Learn2Eel]

An amusing thing about exocrines is that it says they get the BS+1 if they don't move in the "movement" phase, it says nothing about the shooting phase. :) That means that RAW you can stand still in the movement phase, but then run and shoot in the shooting phase and get the BS+1 if you use onslaught on them.

Maybe they will address it in an FAQ-if we ever see another one of those!

A good catch that I forgot to mention; I'll edit it in right away!


I'm curious. Given that the Exocrine is an MC, it has the ability to shoot twice. Can it fire the bio-plasmic cannon twice, each on a different mode? It doesn't seem so, but it ultimately depends on how a weapon is defined.

If a single weapon has two or more firing modes, you get to pick one of those firing modes and that is how the weapon fires in that shooting phase. No individual weapon can be fired more than once in the same shooting phase unless a special rule - such as the Fury of the Legion special rule - explicitly says otherwise. The monstrous creature rule lets them fire two weapons in the same shooting phase, not the same weapon twice. I hope that helps!


No mention of emplaced weapons. All those words... lost on the real value...

I assume you mean the Quad Gun on an Aegis Defence Line? Here's the thing; Eldar/Tau/Imperial Guard gunlines don't care about it, nor do Soul Grinder spam plus Screamerstar/Flesh Hound bomb Daemons. The Quad Gun isn't that great against AV12+ vehicles with invulnerable or cover saves, nor do a lot of the top tier armies use AV11 or lower fliers en masse. As for Necrons, they really don't care about an Exocrine manning a Quad Gun either because they can shoot down both targets with ease without losing a single Night Scythe as they really don't mind Evading with their fliers.

Sure, it seems nice on paper and all but ultimately it is an inferior usage of the Exocrine I find. If the Aegis Line is deployed forward, the opponent can easily neutralize it before all your Tyranids even get close to them. If the Aegis Line is deployed in your backfield, your Exocrine can shoot the Quad Gun and that is it as smart opponents can just avoid its 24" AP2 shooting with no repercussions. If Tyranids had more long range shooting, and if the Exocrine's main gun wasn't 24", the tactic would have some merit. Unfortunately, it is a waste of the best aspect of the Exocrine and a waste of a Tyranid force that almost universally lacks weapons with that kind of range. In that case, I wonder what opponents will want to shoot at? Easy, easy. That five wound monstrous creature isn't so threatening at the back unless your opponent is playing some wonky AV10-11 spam with no Night Shields/Flicker Fields/Jink saves, but then Tyranids don't really excel at mopping that up from afar either.

Sorry, but the Aegis Line is far outclassed by the Bastion for Tyranids. The Shrouded/Synapse bubble it provides is immense, cheaper and ultimately far more worthwhile and effective in the end. Opponents aren't going to care that much about a BS4 Quad Gun; what they will care about is that a single Zoanthrope provides you an effective 18-24" Synapse bubble or a Venomthrope provides a roughly 10-12" Shrouded bubble. No thanks! I did however add a little note about an Exocrine on a Quad Gun into the article for those interested; I just don't think it is the best use of the model as it almost always wastes its AP2 potential which Tyranids generally have trouble with getting at range.

[xsquidz]

Are you going to do a page about the various uses of fortifications for tyranids?

What about psychic powers? I think people underestimate how good the tyranid ones are-sure they aren't as good as the BRB overall but they can be very effective.

[Learn2Eel]

I have been mulling it over as I've mentioned Fortifications and Psychic Powers more than a few times in my articles, but have yet to really cover them. I'll probably do one in the future, thanks for the suggestion!

[Maelstorm]

Keep up the great articles - I look forward to reading more!

[Learn2Eel]

Well you didn't have long to wait as Tyrannofexes are now up down by the bottom of Page 4 :D
Cheers mate, I'm glad to hear you are enjoying these!

[Tynskel]

A good catch that I forgot to mention; I'll edit it in right away!



If a single weapon has two or more firing modes, you get to pick one of those firing modes and that is how the weapon fires in that shooting phase. No individual weapon can be fired more than once in the same shooting phase unless a special rule - such as the Fury of the Legion special rule - explicitly says otherwise. The monstrous creature rule lets them fire two weapons in the same shooting phase, not the same weapon twice. I hope that helps!



I assume you mean the Quad Gun on an Aegis Defence Line? Here's the thing; Eldar/Tau/Imperial Guard gunlines don't care about it, nor do Soul Grinder spam plus Screamerstar/Flesh Hound bomb Daemons. The Quad Gun isn't that great against AV12+ vehicles with invulnerable or cover saves, nor do a lot of the top tier armies use AV11 or lower fliers en masse. As for Necrons, they really don't care about an Exocrine manning a Quad Gun either because they can shoot down both targets with ease without losing a single Night Scythe as they really don't mind Evading with their fliers.

Sure, it seems nice on paper and all but ultimately it is an inferior usage of the Exocrine I find. If the Aegis Line is deployed forward, the opponent can easily neutralize it before all your Tyranids even get close to them. If the Aegis Line is deployed in your backfield, your Exocrine can shoot the Quad Gun and that is it as smart opponents can just avoid its 24" AP2 shooting with no repercussions. If Tyranids had more long range shooting, and if the Exocrine's main gun wasn't 24", the tactic would have some merit. Unfortunately, it is a waste of the best aspect of the Exocrine and a waste of a Tyranid force that almost universally lacks weapons with that kind of range. In that case, I wonder what opponents will want to shoot at? Easy, easy. That five wound monstrous creature isn't so threatening at the back unless your opponent is playing some wonky AV10-11 spam with no Night Shields/Flicker Fields/Jink saves, but then Tyranids don't really excel at mopping that up from afar either.

Sorry, but the Aegis Line is far outclassed by the Bastion for Tyranids. The Shrouded/Synapse bubble it provides is immense, cheaper and ultimately far more worthwhile and effective in the end. Opponents aren't going to care that much about a BS4 Quad Gun; what they will care about is that a single Zoanthrope provides you an effective 18-24" Synapse bubble or a Venomthrope provides a roughly 10-12" Shrouded bubble. No thanks! I did however add a little note about an Exocrine on a Quad Gun into the article for those interested; I just don't think it is the best use of the model as it almost always wastes its AP2 potential which Tyranids generally have trouble with getting at range.

I didn't know that when you field an Exocrine with Ageis Line that that would be your *entire* army!

[Learn2Eel]

I didn't know that when you field an Exocrine with Ageis Line that that would be your *entire* army!

Did you even read my post?

I've tried it several times and dropped the Aegis Line in favour of a Bastion, if I take a Fortification at all. It is not that great of a tactic.

[Tynskel]

Did you even read my post?

I've tried it several times and dropped the Aegis Line in favour of a Bastion, if I take a Fortification at all. It is not that great of a tactic.

Your posts are not about tactics, or at least very little about your posts are about tactics, but they are very long. You might as well throw in everything, at the length you are writing.

I just simply disagree with your assessment on the Ageis/Bastion with a Exocrine. That little bugger completely benefits from adding more shots. If your opponent is shooting the Ageis gun, then they are not shooting your Giant Bugger.



Tyranids are all about the sacrifice. You don't care if bugs get destroyed. You only care if your opponent gets eaten at the end of the day. So, if the gunbeast gets blasted, allowing your exocrine to slag more, then why not?


Additionally, the Exocrine is BS4. Whether you give her a Lascannon or a Quadgun, it is a good investment. Not to mention, cover, and extra wounds.

[Learn2Eel]

Your posts are not about tactics, or at least very little about your posts are about tactics, but they are very long. You might as well throw in everything, at the length you are writing.

I just simply disagree with your assessment on the Ageis/Bastion with a Exocrine. That little bugger completely benefits from adding more shots. If your opponent is shooting the Ageis gun, then they are not shooting your Giant Bugger.



Tyranids are all about the sacrifice. You don't care if bugs get destroyed. You only care if your opponent gets eaten at the end of the day. So, if the gunbeast gets blasted, allowing your exocrine to slag more, then why not?


Additionally, the Exocrine is BS4. Whether you give her a Lascannon or a Quadgun, it is a good investment. Not to mention, cover, and extra wounds.

Ok, I'll grab out my Grav-Tank Eldar. I can sit at 36"+ the entire game away from that Exocrine and blast the rest of your army to pieces, ignoring a BS4 Quad Gun that can only average 1 hull point on one of my 3 HP AV12 skimmer tanks a turn, and that is if I fail a 4+ Jink save. In this situation, the Quad Gun won't do much damage, and the AP2 from the Exocrine is wasted. I'd be more afraid of that medium range AP2 because it can eviscerate my D-Scythe Wraithguard when they are inevitably forced to jump out. A Quad Gun though? Pass. Oh, and if you try and deploy that Quad Gun forward, I'll either steal it from you or just kill the easy Exocrine target. It might be a similar situation if there was no Quad Gun....but those points could also be spent on a Bastion with either a Zoanthrope or Venomthrope, something I'm much more afraid of as killing Synapse creatures is the easiest way to beat Tyranids.

Alternatively, I'll bring my standard Tau. Even without Broadsides and only one Skyray, my entire army out-ranges your Exocrine on a Quad Gun, meaning the little boy doesn't ever get to use its AP2 on something valuable like...I don't know....a Riptide. Enjoy trying to catch my 2+ armoured monster between Jet Pack and fodder Fire Warrior units. At least if your Exocrine was advancing with the rest of the army then that AP2 pressure would actually force me to shoot at it and let other stuff get through. This way though, you can have those 100 points and I'll just eliminate everything else without a care in the world for the baby.

What if I crack out classic Death Korp style Imperial Guard? You'll have to spam either Biovores or Mawlocs to break down my infantry blobs reliably, while my artillery/heavy weapons can just pound the rest of your army to death. Losing a few infantry models, presenting AV14 front vehicles or having barrage tanks hiding behind cover gives you no decent targets for the Quad Gun. Even if I run the T7 W4 3+ armoured artillery units from Forge World, that Quad Gun still ends up being a waste as it only averages one unsaved wound per every three wounds inflicted on them. Remembering that these things come in squadrons of three, are cheap as chips and have ablative Guardsmen wounds. Your Exocrine ends up being an expensive paper-weight instead of using that AP2 large blast to clear out my infantry significantly quicker.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this as every time I have used the tactic, it has failed and just made me say to myself "why not take a Zoanthrope in a Bastion for the same points cost while keeping the Exocrine?" My meta consists heavily of long-range armies, like Tau, Eldar and Imperial Guard. Yours may differ, and ultimately the Quad Gun + Exocrine combo might work against some armies, mostly close assault ones, but those long ranged armies can ignore it every day of the week and see usually both the Exocrine and Quad Gun being wasted points. If I can afford to ignore your T6 W5 3+ monstrous creature with a nasty AP2 gun, I'm going to be the one cheering, not the Tyranid player.

By the by, if these aren't tactics, what are they?

[Gleipnir]

Gotta say I agree with your assessment on the Exocrine being better off moving rather than hanging back manning a gun emplacement, particularly since 3 Zoanthropes in a Bastion are much more effective at what you would be using the Exocrine for, you get a larger Synapse footprint, one Zoan can fire the battlement emplaced Quad gun at BS4 that is now part of an AV14 building and thus less vulnerable and can't be stolen, another Zoan can fire the Heavy Bolter at BS4 and the third Zoan can fire off 3 Warp Blasts thru a fire point. And if you don't want to pay for a Bastion pay 5 points more than an aegis line for an Imperial Bunker and slap a quad gun on its battlement with 2 Zoans(1 for firing out a fire point and 1 for manning the emplaced gun.) you can even add some walls/barricades in front of the Imperial Bunker to give the building a cover save since it has a low enough profile to gain a 25% cover bonus.

At higher point totals like double force org I can see it being useful having a Exocrine hang back for rear area support though.

[Maelstorm]

@Learn2Eel - Keep tossing out the ideas. We appreciate your hard work and the discussions the articles evoke. Even strident opposing views can fuel new ideas.

None of these things operate in a vacuum and will always work better or worse (your mileage may vary) depending upon your opponent, his codex, the terrain and how much Mountain Dew you've had while playing.

Keep up the good work!

[Tynskel]

Ok, I'll grab out my Grav-Tank Eldar. I can sit at 36"+ the entire game away from that Exocrine and blast the rest of your army to pieces, ignoring a BS4 Quad Gun that can only average 1 hull point on one of my 3 HP AV12 skimmer tanks a turn, and that is if I fail a 4+ Jink save. In this situation, the Quad Gun won't do much damage, and the AP2 from the Exocrine is wasted. I'd be more afraid of that medium range AP2 because it can eviscerate my D-Scythe Wraithguard when they are inevitably forced to jump out. A Quad Gun though? Pass. Oh, and if you try and deploy that Quad Gun forward, I'll either steal it from you or just kill the easy Exocrine target. It might be a similar situation if there was no Quad Gun....but those points could also be spent on a Bastion with either a Zoanthrope or Venomthrope, something I'm much more afraid of as killing Synapse creatures is the easiest way to beat Tyranids.

Alternatively, I'll bring my standard Tau. Even without Broadsides and only one Skyray, my entire army out-ranges your Exocrine on a Quad Gun, meaning the little boy doesn't ever get to use its AP2 on something valuable like...I don't know....a Riptide. Enjoy trying to catch my 2+ armoured monster between Jet Pack and fodder Fire Warrior units. At least if your Exocrine was advancing with the rest of the army then that AP2 pressure would actually force me to shoot at it and let other stuff get through. This way though, you can have those 100 points and I'll just eliminate everything else without a care in the world for the baby.

What if I crack out classic Death Korp style Imperial Guard? You'll have to spam either Biovores or Mawlocs to break down my infantry blobs reliably, while my artillery/heavy weapons can just pound the rest of your army to death. Losing a few infantry models, presenting AV14 front vehicles or having barrage tanks hiding behind cover gives you no decent targets for the Quad Gun. Even if I run the T7 W4 3+ armoured artillery units from Forge World, that Quad Gun still ends up being a waste as it only averages one unsaved wound per every three wounds inflicted on them. Remembering that these things come in squadrons of three, are cheap as chips and have ablative Guardsmen wounds. Your Exocrine ends up being an expensive paper-weight instead of using that AP2 large blast to clear out my infantry significantly quicker.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this as every time I have used the tactic, it has failed and just made me say to myself "why not take a Zoanthrope in a Bastion for the same points cost while keeping the Exocrine?" My meta consists heavily of long-range armies, like Tau, Eldar and Imperial Guard. Yours may differ, and ultimately the Quad Gun + Exocrine combo might work against some armies, mostly close assault ones, but those long ranged armies can ignore it every day of the week and see usually both the Exocrine and Quad Gun being wasted points. If I can afford to ignore your T6 W5 3+ monstrous creature with a nasty AP2 gun, I'm going to be the one cheering, not the Tyranid player.

By the by, if these aren't tactics, what are they?

There we go, something.

You forgot something...
You don't have to have the exocrine mounted on the Ageis Gun the entire game.
Most bugs can shoot.

*that is called tactics* The ability to think beyond just 1 use of a model...

[Learn2Eel]

There we go, something.

You forgot something...
You don't have to have the exocrine mounted on the Ageis Gun the entire game.
Most bugs can shoot.

*that is called tactics* The ability to think beyond just 1 use of a model...

:rolleyes:

Ok, so you either didn't read my examples or you don't understand how limiting a 24" range is against those armies. You appear to agree that sitting the Exocrine behind an Aegis Line against those armies doesn't work, so think about how long it takes for an Exocrine to get into range of those armies anyway. Usually it takes about three turns of movement. Have you noticed a flaw in your "tactic" yet? Your Exocrine needs to be moving on turn one or turn two to reliably get into range of an enemy gunline. This means the Quad Gun is going to be unmanned by the unit you purchased it for incredibly quickly. If you leave it sitting on the Quad Gun until turn three or four, chances are it will never get in range with its 24" range gun. Even if you do make the choice to have Warriors man it early on, this does not change the fact that the Exocrine itself is not a good unit to put on the Quad Gun. Every turn you waste behind that Aegis Line gives me more time to deal with all of your other threats which, with no T6 W5 3+ armoured monster backing up all of your other units, becomes a lot easier. I don't need to worry about that AP2 for a while, so I don't need to bother shooting a unit that will still eat up quite a bit of shooting. Regardless, as Gleipnir and I have repeated, the Bastion ends up being better value because it provides more for a Tyranid army at half the cost for the fortification itself, and doesn't waste the potential of a sub-200 point monstrous creature. If you have to move your Exocrine from out of the Aegis Line early on to ever reach my stuff, you are still wasting the Quad Gun and the Exocrine.

Sure, those are tactics, I agree. My job though is to identify the ones that work best, and your one is not one of those, sorry. Regardless of how you use that Exocrine and Quad Gun, it will never be as useful as the Synapse/Shrouded bubble and defence for the associated unit provided by a Bastion.

[daboarder]

Eel is right. An exo Ok n a quad is a waste. If you want a quad gun use a venom of zoan to shoot it

[americanninjax]

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I was looking over my digital codex for Tyranids today and noticed that Tyranid Prime is no longer an IC. I thought it was since this new edition dropped. Was this one of their background digital updates? Because this means he can't join other units anymore, right? Any thoughts on how this changes the tactics of using a Tyranid Prime?

8942

[daboarder]

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I was looking over my digital codex for Tyranids today and noticed that Tyranid Prime is no longer an IC. I thought it was since this new edition dropped. Was this one of their background digital updates? Because this means he can't join other units anymore, right? Any thoughts on how this changes the tactics of using a Tyranid Prime?

8942

That has to be incorrect. that would mean that he becomes the worst model in the game. and doesnt actualy work (see his special rules)

[americanninjax]

Right? Because without IC he can't join warriors or shrikes, and since he can't take bio-cannons it makes him a less equipped Warrior with a 3+ save. Weird. I hope it's a mistake.


Edit: never mind. I messed up. I somehow spaced out and overlooked the actual special rule section for him giving him IC. I was just looking at unit type. Ignore my concerns. Sorry!

[xsquidz]

Any chance we are going to see an update to these tactics for 7th ED? Sure some things didn't change much at all, others changed a lot. For example, I love my dakkaflyrants even more now. Much harder to ground them with shooting but they are worse in that they can't land and assault in the same turn (unless they get shot down), but for how the dakkatyrant works I still think its an improvement and the improved (arguable jink).

[Halollet]

Rippers now have OS. They might need another look at as well. Deep striking rippers in maelstrom missions are another thought.

[xsquidz]

Rippers now have OS. They might need another look at as well. Deep striking rippers in maelstrom missions are another thought.

I am playing in a league soon with IG as my main and 2 sets of nid allies and both have rippers with DS for that exact reason! :) Dis is what I'm talkin' bout!

[Iago Torres Piñeiro]

I think that the only way to play nids right now it is have more than 2 flyrants

[Polymphus]

Is there any way to make nidzilla work these days? Not necessarily in tournaments, but for casual play. I thought maybe large-target saturation could force your opponent to make bad decisions, but I haven't been playing nids long enough to really be sure about it.