6 Simple Steps to a Better Tyranids List

[drummerholt1234]

1. Protect your Hive Tyrants with Tyrant Guards like a squirrel protects his nuts. They are the ball of the army but don't be afraid to whip it out if ya have too .
2. Outflanking Genestealers are the first step to raping a gunline or any army for that matter.
3. Monstrous Creatures win fights...but WoN gaunts win missions.
4. Never pay more that 6pts for a gaunt without WoN and 9pts for a gaunt with WoN.
5. Boomfexes and Walking Dakkarants=WIN!!!
6. Get one zoanthope with only synapse and keep it in the nest out of LOS (deployment zone) for WoN gaunts.

Not the only way but one of the most competitive ways!

[RocketRollRebel]

Good points there. I dont play Tyranids but I do face them quite frequently and those tend to all be things that give me lots of trouble. Especially the outflanking genesteller party!

[Chumbalaya]

Outflanking is fail, otherwise I'd agree.

Bugs need to handle armor and the are unfortunately bad at it. The next best plan is to shake it enough and grind them down with a ton of MCs.

[VinceBlack]

Good post alot of good information. The idea of using scuttling genestesalers to outflank combined with a lictor to give them rerolls to hit due to his feeder tendrils in a tandum attack, as well as a reroll to get them in exactly when the time is right from his pheremone trail makes a very effective meatgrinder. Cant wait to see the new nids codex but I still think that they are a viable army now just have rethink strategy.

[drummerholt1234]

Unfortunately the Lictor is over priced at the moment IMO.

It will be better in the next dex here is why:

1. He will cost less (or have better stats to justify his points)
2. His Pheromone Trail power will be more like the Astropath in that it will be a +1 and reroll on the outflank chart (that's my guess)
3. He may have that power weapon power that the brood lord has.
4. He will have some different upgades that you can give him.

Thats just what I think will happen based on how the recent dexes have been writen (It's not a rumor just my guess).

@Chumbalaya

Outflanking is not fail. Outflanking a whole army without a modifier like an astropath is fail. One outflanking stealer squad will force the opponent to bunch up slightly or possibly lose a key unit to the stealers. It is true that outflanking can be countered and I do read ******'s blog. Just my humble opinion.

[Old_Paladin]

Outflanking stealers into a gunline is dangerous for them. You better pick your first target really well, cuz you probably won't be seeing a second. Poor armour and limited numbers means they'll be wiped out if caught in the open with shooting.

Now, if well placed, it could work. You'd need to charge two units. Throw the bulk of your attacks at one, and destroy it. That leaves you tied up with the other unit, that you pile-in to. On your opponents turn, finish the second unit off. This leaves you free to do what you want on your turn, and you haven't been shot.

[drummerholt1234]

Outflanking stealers into a gunline is dangerous for them. You better pick your first target really well, cuz you probably won't be seeing a second. Poor armour and limited numbers means they'll be wiped out if caught in the open with shooting.

That is very true. Target choice for this tactic comes with experience. You have to pick the target that will take 2 CC phases to fully wipe out not just the one you will run right over. That way, you skip the opponents shooting phase.

Your second point is also correct

[Old_Paladin]

That is very true. Target choice for this tactic comes with experience. You have to pick the target that will take 2 CC phases to fully wipe out not just the one you will run right over. That way, you skip the opponents shooting phase.

This is a danger in 5th ed. though. Unless you are blessed with a choice or targets that are stubborn or fearless. You'll need to take out over hlaf the squad (to make sure you are likely to finish the other half next round), but also want to minimize your own losses.
Because of the moral modifier, they are likely to break. Say a target unit of 10, you should kill 5-6, say you have 2 losses; thats still a -3 to leadership to them. Say it was a unit with Ld 9, now its 6, and they could run. But it's also not worth it to take more losses to balance it out; if 4 stealers died, then now they might be too weak to do more damage.

[drummerholt1234]

I agree that it is dangerous. That why it takes experience to pull it off. You have to know which units you can hit/not hit. Ya know what I'm saying?

[RocketRollRebel]

Outflanking is fail, otherwise I'd agree.

Bugs need to handle armor and the are unfortunately bad at it. The next best plan is to shake it enough and grind them down with a ton of MCs.

I'm curious why you say out flanking steelers is fail? Aside from the kind of high price tag I don't see much of a down side to it. Add a lictor and you get a reroll for your reserves and with fleet and move through cover you stand a decent chance at sinking your claws into a juicy target. I think it's one of the better ways for 'Nids to take out enemy armor.