In light of the many suggestions and my 13-2 pasting at the hands of mech guard ... I've been mulling over the Nid choices that I could take.
This is the current list I'm running, it's still based around the core of the parasite and the Prime ... both of which are performing well for their points!
So here goes:
- Tyranid Prime: Lash Whip and BoneSword, Devourer, adrenal glands
- Parasite of Mortrex
- 2 x 1 Hive Guard
- Doom of Malantai in a basic Spore
- 20 basic Hormagaunts
- 4 Warriors with rending claws, toxin sacs and deathspitters in a spore
- 10 Termagaunts
- 5 genestealers
- 5 genestealers
- Tervigon with Regen, Catalyst, toxin sacs
- 20 Gargoyles with toxin sacs
- Trygon with regen
- Trygon with regen
Tactical shifts...
The Hormagaunts play fast bullet screen while the termagaunts and tervigon (plus offspring) hold objectives. The Gargoyles run with the Parasite (and do not deepstrike!) and pick their fight to provoke lots of spawn. The parasite can then join the spawn when his Gargoyles are used up! The genestealers attempt to infiltrate at point blank or flank ... depending on whether we have first turn. The hiveguard set up shop with the tervigon and wait for the Hellhounds to close... generating lots of immobilised and other effects.
The Doom, Tyranid Warriors and Prime and the two trygons deepstrike ... but I'm learning with deepstrike to go slightly 'out of range' on one flank. This limits the fire power shooting at you and can also 'chase' some enemies into the arms of the parasite!
That said the Doom and the two Trygons are generally dying on the turn they arrive. The 'up front' effect of the Doom putting him at point blank range to a lot of return fire power. opponents are leery of letting any of these into close combat and therefore the doom and trygons are yet to raise a claw in attack!
I'm actually still unconvinced by the doom's effectiveness. Especially given it's 'heat'... 30 more points for 2 anti-tank shots seems good odds. Perhaps Zoanies are the way forward... but the doom is a lot of fun. It's just too easy to roll a 1 or 2 versus a missile launcher or lascannon hit...
That said, a couple of Zoanies would offer a dependable shot at Pask in his Punisher ... which is an awesome anti-nid build ... those 29 BS4 reroll to wound S5 shots against MC's really add up!
The genestealers are yet to succeed at all. They've singularly failed to jump the enemy OR kill any of the mech they've gone after. 6's to hit, followed by 6's to penetrate is a big ask. I'm half tempted to cash in those boys for another Zoanie and maybe a lictor.
With this in mind, here's the list I'm currently thinking on for facing mixed guard:
- Tyranid Prime: Lash Whip and BoneSword, Devourer, adrenal glands
- Parasite of Mortrex
- 2 x Hive Guard
- 2 x Zoanthropes in a basic Spore
- Deathleaper
- 20 basic Hormagaunts
- 4 Warriors with rending claws, toxin sacs and deathspitters in a spore
- 10 Termagaunts
- Tervigon with Regen, Catalyst, toxin sacs
- 20 Gargoyles with toxin sacs
- Trygon with regen
- Trygon with regen
The addition of Deathleaper gives you a great anti-psyker/leadership boost. Plus he's nice and durable when dropped into that area terrain with the heavy weapon teams. I really lacked a close-in elite choice to throw at the heavy weapon teams in the last game. If I decide I want to take stealers again ... I can downgrade him to a normal lictor (who'd do nearly as good a job!).
What do you think?
