tyrinids tactica

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Army Wide Special Rules/Army Notes

This is an important section to cover by itself, as the army-wide special rule for

Tyranids are highly focal to how the army works. It will chiefly determine what

units you purchase and the mixture you go for. It also serves to emphasize the key

theme of the book; synergy.

Synapse - A unit with this special rule is Fearless and, to a bug, has Leadership

10. In addition, any Tyranid unit within 12" of a Synapse creature does not need to

test for Instinctive Behaviour and gains the Fearless special rule. In a nutshell, you

need Synapse so that your hordes don't run away from combat, your monstrous

creatures don't derp out, and your mid/long-range ranged units can fire at peak

efficiency. On that last note, Hive Guard and Biovores can't fire without Line of

Sight if they fail an Instinctive Behaviour test - essentially meaning you want to

keep them near a Synapse creature at all times. Despite this, certain units can do

fine without Synapse; notably close-combat Carnifexes and Trygons. Keep this inmind during deployment and when positioning those units. For the most part

though, you should have a wide range of synapse creatures in your army spread

out nicely to ensure your army doesn't collapse upon itself at a moment's notice;

whether through some Tyranid Warriors, a Tervigon or a couple of Zoanthropes,

always keep multiple Synapse units at hand.

Instinctive Behaviour -This is what any non-Synapse creature suffers (or

benefits, in certain cases) from - each unit with this special rule that is not in

Synapse range at the start of their movement phase must take a Leadership test or

fall prey to their basic survival instincts. For the most part, you don't want that atall - hence the importance of Synapse creatures. There are two kinds of Instinctive

Behaviour - the first is Lurk, and is usually given to units with a ranged focus; this

forces them to move into the nearest area terrain, and allows them only to shoot at

the nearest enemy target. Essentially, they become uncontrollable, and far less

useful, units. The other, far more interesting kind of Instinctive Behaviour is Rage

- the unit gains the Rage special rule, meaning they become deadlier on the charge,

but cannot shoot any ranged weapons they have. Depending on the unit and the

situation, this can be far more of a boon than anything else - for an already

Fearless Trygon or Carnifex, the benefits are fantastic, and Hormagaunts, if used

against a unit they should wipe out, will do well with this too. Again though,

mostly you want to avoid Instinctive Behaviour at all costs - a ranged Carnifex

with expensive guns never wants to be disallowed from shooting, for example.

Shadow in the Warp - The Tyranid form of psyker defense, and unanimously

named the third best psyker defense in the game. Shadow in the Warp forces any

enemy Psyker within 12" of a creature with this special rule to take any psychic

tests on an extra D6; this usually means 3D6 Psychic tests, often resulting in either


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Perils of the Warp or a failed psychic test. Obviously, this has many applications

with mobile units - such as Shrikes and flying Hive Tyrants - that have the special

rule, and allow Tyranids to shut down psykers far better than most other armies.

The best trait about Shadow in the Warp is that every single Synapse creature

provides it - in fact, the only non-Synapse unit in the codex that has Shadow in the

Warp is the Doom of Malan'tai. Obviously, as you need lots of Synapse creatures,this will mean you should always have a very wide bubble of Shadow in the Warp

- meaning exploding brains for everyone! Hooray!

Special Characters - Tyranids have several special characters or 'rare' units, most

of which crowd into the already congested Elites and HQ slots. Units such as

Deathleaper and the Doom of Malan'tai are quite deadly, but provide little in the

way of support abilities. The Swarmlord, on the other hand, whilst also

exceedingly dangerous, acts as a great force multiplier for your army. Tyranid

special characters, aside from Old One Eye (sadly), are all competitive units that

have a place in many Tyranid army lists. Most of these units now have their ownunique models - the exceptions, currently, are the Parasite of Mortrex, the Doom

of Malan'tai, and Ymgarl Genestealers. There are some ways around this - the

Doom is easily converted using a Zoanthrope model and spare parts from a

Trygon kit, whilst Ymgarl Genestealers can be used with the normal Genestealer

models, providing you make sure to indicate somehow that they are Ymgarls. The

Parasite is altogher a different prospect, as it would likely require some serious

conversion of a Tyranid Shrike. If you can find one, an old school or Forgeworld

flying Hive Tyrant would be a great stand in with some conversion work - such as

adding in Ripper Swarms to its base. Unlike some codices, you should make the

time to study the Tyranid special characters - in particular the Doom of Malan'taiand the Swarmlord.

With all that in mind, let's have a look at the Tyranid HQ choices!

HQ

As a note, every Tyranid HQ choice, with the exception of Tyrant Guard, provides

Synapse and Shadow in the Warp. This essentially means that each one provides

both a potent psychic defence in an edition that favours psykers, and a Fearless

bubble where your other bugs do not need to test for Instinctive Behaviour. This

means that each choice base provides great (and essential) support and defensive

abilities for your army! Whilst our HQ choices tend to be expensive, they can be

kitted out to perform amazing feats on the battlefield.

The Swarmlord - Our primary special character, and one of the most feared units

in the entire game, the Swarmlord is a Hive Tyrant with several unique traits that

combine to make it a devilishly powerful lord of the swarm. Being the only in-


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codex Mastery Level 2 psyker, and able to take four psychic powers, the

Swarmlord can fit a wide variety of roles; buffing your units and weakening your

opponents', or making itself even more incredibly powerful - the choice is yours,

his versatility is absolutely delightful in 6th Edition. The Swarmlord is also the

undisputed challenge-king; without a doubt, he is the best character-killer in the

entire game, particularly when paired up with psychic powers such as Iron Arm,Warp Speed or Invisibility. Draigo, Mephiston, Abaddon and the like will be

reeling in fear when they see the Swarmlord approaching. The Swarmlord, due to

a very high price tag and its lack of shooting abilities, is best used in bigger games

where its inclusion won't compromise your ability to devastate enemies from

range. Unlike Draigo, Mephiston or their equivalents though, the Swarmlord is

still very effective in smaller games due to its amazing support abilities; handing

out Preferred Enemy and psychic blessings such as Endurance like candy. If you

use the Swarmlord, prepare for it to be the target of any sane opponent wanting to

keep it away from their battle-lines; to mitigate this, pair it with some Tyrant

Guard or perhaps a Tyranid Prime and you will have Warhammer 40K's mostdevastating melee death-star. The Swarmlord is a great unit that is best served in

larger games where its exorbitant cost balances out nicely.

Hive Tyrant - The most commonly seen Tyranid HQ choice (that is taken in the

HQ slot), the Hive Tyrant has a lot of customization options and natural abilities

that make it a dire threat for your opponent in any stage of the game. However, it

pays a heavy toll for those abilities; Hive Tyrants quickly exceed two-hundred

points with even the barest of upgrades. As they are a big and obvious target for

your opponent, they need protection first and foremost; there are three ways to do

this. One is Armoured Shell - a neat +2 armour save, in conjunction with otherunits. The second is wings - turning the Hive Tyrant into a devastating, but costly,

flying monstrous creature. The last is to take Tyrant Guard to ensure its survival

until it can close with the enemy. Hive Tyrants, like the Swarmlord, can provide

strong offensive and support abilities for your army; they are great close-quarters

combatants and have access to a wide range of psychic powers. Generally, a Hive

Tyrant should be equipped based on the rest of your army list; as Tyranids lack

anti-air, the most common Hive Tyrant has wings and two twin-linked brain-leech

devourers. This gives you a very durable, very dangerous mobile threat that any

self-respecting opponent will need to focus on. Again though, you must pay a

hefty price to use this. Hive Tyrants, whilst expensive, are deadly when equipped

for the right situation, and provide a great variety of abilities to support your core

army - be aware to protect them as best as possible, as they are a natural points-

sink. I would also avoid the Thorax Swarm on a Hive Tyrant, as the extra shooting

isn't worth the points when you need to worry about durability far more. A Hive

Tyrant is a good choice that shines when used with wings or Tyrant Guard; be

very careful not to upgrade any more than is absolutely necessary though, and

never leave it alone (unless flying). Costs, sadly, will add up very quickly no


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go with the Cluster Spines, as I feel Stinger Salvos are far too weak to really

justify taking them for snap-shot and Overwatch purposes - however, it comes

down to preference. With access to psychic powers such as giving Feel No Pain to

friendly units, Tervigons are amazing units that will always be a big target for

your opponent; learn to protect them whilst moving them up the field, and you will

not be disappointed.

Tyranid Prime - The cheapest HQ available to Tyranids by some margin, the

Tyranid Prime is a Warrior on steroids; a Strength, Toughness and Initiative of 5,

and better combat abilities in general. The Tyranid Prime is usually used if you are

wanting to go for a cost-effective HQ without compromising your options in other

force organisation slots. Their basic stat-line and equipment paints a pretty picture

when compared to, for example, a Space Marine Captain - they start with better

weaponry, are harder to kill in general and are much more important in terms of

keeping your army under control. With cheap upgrades that can turn them into a

melee powerhouse that can stand toe-to-toe with far more expensive characters inother codices, the Tyranid Prime is a very nasty model that has the benefit of being

one of only two true Independent Characters in the codex. Due to its Toughness 5,

three wounds and Look Out Sir!, the Tyranid Prime is a great candidate to attach

to a squad that traditionally suffers either from S8 instant-death weapons or being

tar-pitted in combat, such as Zoanthropes, Hive Guard and Biovores. It also

provides important synapse for the latter of those two units, keeping them firing at

full efficiency and keeping your inexpensive Warlord out of the line of fire. If you

take a Tyranid Prime, take Toxin Sacs and either a pair of Boneswords or a

Bonesword and Lash Whip and leave it at that; it doesn't need anything else to

perform as required. Use it well, and it will serve you well - a good choice.

As an aside, some of the best units for a Tyranid Prime to join include; the

'Fexstar' (two Carnifexes with two twin-linked brain-leech devourers each),

Warriors (five Warriors either with Deathspitters or Boneswords), Zoanthropes,

Hive Guard, Biovores, and even horde units such as Termagants or Hormagaunts.

The Parasite of Mortrex - A unit that has benefited greatly from 6th Edition, the

Parasite's character status allows it to challenge and single out those pesky power

fists that were usually its bane. With Implant Attack, Rending Claws and a decent

stat-line, the Parasite is a good character-assassin that is both mobile and easily

protected when paired either with Sky-Slasher Swarms or Gargoyles. The Parasite

works well with Rippers as well, keeping them from killing themselves so long as

they stay within 24" - though Rippers generally aren't worth the investment

anyway. In addition, it can, almost like a Tervigon, create more Ripper Swarms if

it kills enemy models or enemy infantry units Outflank; a nasty, if unreliable way

of adding more tarpit units to your force. The biggest hindrance to fielding the

Parasite though is its high price-tag; costing as much as a basic Tervigon, you


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need to ask whether it really is worth the cost. It is far less durable, less

offensively potent in certain cases (particularly against vehicles) and doesn't

provide scoring units like a Tervigon does. In that sense, whilst I feel you can find

better value elsewhere, the Parasite can work if used in an army list that suits it;

one that is heavy on Gargoyles, Raveners, flying monstrous creatures and the like,

where its speed and situational abilities become more useful. Generally though,whilst a decent unit, you are better served elsewhere.

Example Builds - For your viewing pleasure, I've provided some different builds

for each HQ choice when paired with other units.

Hive Tyrant w/ wings, two twin-linked brain-leech devourers - 260

The Swarmlord w/ Tyrant Guard (1), attached Tyranid Prime w/ bonesword and

lash-whip, toxin sacs - 445

Hive Tyrant w/ armoured shell, old adversary, two twin-linked brain-leech

devourers - 265

Tyranid Prime w/ bonesword and lash-whip, toxin sacs, attached to Zoanthropes

(2) - 225

Tervigon w/ crushing claws, cluster spines, catalyst, toxin sacs, adrenal glands -

220

The Parasite of Mortrex attached to Gargoyles (20) w/ toxin sacs - 300Last edited by Learn2Eel; 02-17-2013 at 05:32 PM.

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02-17-2013, 02:11 AM#2

Learn2EelHey all, I am back and ready to dive right into the Elites section of the Tyranids! I

hope this is both entertaining and useful for you, and as always, if you want more

Tacticas concerning some of the big players in 6th Edition, or are looking for

some great hobby tips, head on to my blog over at;


We are open to any and all critiques and suggestions. Thanks again!

Elites

Our Elites slot is home to our widest array of competitive choices, with Hive

Guard, Deathleaper, Zoanthropes and others all trying to crowd into your army
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=284696http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=284696http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?29841-Tyranid-Tactica-6th-Edition&p=284697&viewfull=1#post284697http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?29841-Tyranid-Tactica-6th-Edition&p=284697&viewfull=1#post284697http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?29841-Tyranid-Tactica-6th-Edition&p=284697&viewfull=1#post284697http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/member.php?14467-Learn2Eelhttp://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/member.php?14467-Learn2Eelhttp://imperatorguides.blogspot.com.au/http://imperatorguides.blogspot.com.au/http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=284696http://imperatorguides.blogspot.com.au/http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/member.php?14467-Learn2Eelhttp://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?29841-Tyranid-Tactica-6th-Edition&p=284697&viewfull=1#post284697http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=284696


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list. Generally speaking, most Tyranid armies are best served by using their Elites

slot to get invaluable ranged anti-tank - of which Hive Guard are the most popular

by far, though Zoanthropes are also good for this. Reserve-heavy armies, or those

relying on melee or disruption tactics, will find they are best suited to units such as

Ymgarl Genestealers or the Doom of Malan'tai. My usual recommendation would

be a mix of mostly Hive Guard and some Zoanthropes, with maybe the Doom ofMalan'tai or some Ymgarl Genestealers thrown in. Tyranid Elites tend to be the

most consistent performers in a Tyranid force.

Hive Guard - With a S8 AP4 Assault 2 24" range gun at BS4 that essentially

ignores cover saves, Hive Guard are the premier tank hunters in the codex and

pound-for-pound one of the best units in the book. Though their close combat

abilities are admittedly mediocre, Hive Guard make up for that by being tough as

nails - each one is Toughness 6 with two wounds and a +4 armour save! This gets

much better when you look at their special rules though - so long as they don't fail

an Instinctive Behaviour test, Hive Guard are able to shoot without requiring Lineof Sight; you can hide them in a ruin with no windows and fire at a tank, and not

grant it cover saves! As a rule, Hive Guard ignore cover provided by Jink, Night

Fighting, Smoke Launchers and so on; only area terrain works, and only if it

actually lies between the Hive Guard and their quarry. My interpretation of this

rule is that, for example, if in a forest, the unit has to actually be behind trees the

Hive Guard are facing; otherwise they won't get cover. This makes Hive Guard

incredibly threatening to vehicles, as well as any Toughness 4 or lower multi-

wound model - units that are ironically found in abundance in the Tyranid codex.

Generally speaking, Hive Guard are unlikely to die if you use them in this way,and will require at worst a turn or two to get into position and start firing away.

Mech heavy armies rightfully fear Hive Guard, which makes them a great target

for them - one that is very hard to shift! The best aspect of this unit is their cost;

they are cheap for what they bring, and thus can and should be run in high

numbers. Competitive Tyranid armies tend to feature a minimum of six Hive

Guard at 1500 points - they are an amazing unit that you should always make

room for. A note on unit sizes; three two-strong broods can engage more targets

and potentially 'stun' more vehicles each turn, but two broods of three should

wreck an AV11 or lower vehicle each turn on average. I suggest trying each kind

of build out and working out which works best for you.

Lictors - Despite rocking an awesome model, Lictors are sadly one of the least

useful units in the codex, a fact made all the more apparent by the prevalence of

Hive Guard and Zoanthropes in the Elites slot. They are good in combat, and they

provide a handy reserves bonus the turn after they arrive - their ability to appear in

any terrain anywhere on the board is useful. Unfortunately, they are peppered with

drawbacks; without cover saves, they die extremely easily - flamers are their bane,


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and with the changes to Overwatch, this means they are highly unlikely to ever get

into combat. Though their combat abilities are decent, they are not as good as their

exorbitant price tag would indicate. They have a mediocre shooting attack and

suffer highly from not being able to assault the turn they arrive, leaving them

stranded and open to readily available firepower that will most likely wipe them

out. Their reserve bonus is also of little use, as it applies after the Lictors arrive;given that you generally want reserves down as quickly as possible, and that they

are random, this is not good at all. Though Fleet and Hit and Run can save them if

they get into combat with something nasty, generally, the damage will have

already been done. They are too expensive and their abilities are mediocre at best -

as much as I would love to use them, as their background and models are amazing,

they are one of the weakest links in the codex and should be avoided for

competitive play. If you are going to use them, deploy them smartly and use them

to tie up units such as Devastators for a turn - forcing them to fire at the Lictors or

be wiped out is a good way to draw fire off of your more valuable units, even if it

is only for a turn.

Deathleaper - Given that I just lambasted Lictors, you would think my opinion of

a special character version of them that is more than double the cost would be

exceedingly negative. Yeah, well, surprises do happen, as Deathleaper will prove

when you employ it. Put simply, like the Parasite, Deathleaper is an expensive unit

with very situational abilities; unlike the Parasite, Deathleaper's abilities are far

more likely to be of use to you. With Stealth and Shrouded, it has a meaty +4

cover save in the open - making it a lot more durable than a standard Lictor -

coupled with its ability to disappear off the table at the end of your movement

phase, and reappear without scatter like a Lictor, Deathleaper can be very difficultto get rid of, and one of the best baiting units in the entire game. It reduces the

Leadership of an enemy character by D3 before the start of the game - making

psykers and Dark Apostles cry - and any enemy infantry unit within 12" of it has

to test for both Difficult and Dangerous terrain. Nice!

Unlike Lictors, Deathleaper actually does shine in combat - with an incredible

WS9, I7 and 4 S6 attacks that Rend on a +5, Deathleaper is not only far harder to

hit for most infantry, it also will kill much more - obviously, it is a phenomenal

character killer. Did I mention its shooting attack also rends on a +5, making it a

very funny "pop up, blow up a tank, disappear" unit? All this combines to make

Deathleaper one of the most versatile and dually situational units in the game, with

an almost limitless array of tactical applications - to use it properly requires the

deft touch of a highly skilled player, as any wrong move and it will die quickly. I

am also quite convinced it is a member of the League of Trolls - headed by Trazyn

the Infinite and Tzeentch. The best example of this is to sit on an objective far out

of the way of both armies, hiding, and force your opponent to send a nasty unit its

way. For example, an opponent deep-strikes a close-combat Terminator squad in


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to kill it as Deathleaper will likely wipe out a standard Troops choice single-

handedly. Deathleaper then disappears, meaning that Terminator squad is forced to

foot-slog across the board for the rest of the game. You would be surprised how

often something like this will happen - and I have seen it happen, if you don't

believe me. Despite its exorbitant cost, its assortment of abilities make it a deadly

tool in the hands of a skilled player; don't use it lightly, but if you get good with it,Deathleaper will be a regular star.

Venomthropes - With cover saves more readily available than ever in 6th Edition,

and with a reduction to the cover save it provides, the Venomthrope is no longer as

useful a choice as it was; its main purpose to protect your swarms as they moved

up. Despite this, it is still a decent unit to employ; it has defensive grenades and

lash whips and forces opponents to take dangerous terrain tests when assaulting,

meaning that it can hold out in the unfortunate event that it is charged - allowing

you to save the day with your other units. Their Poisoned attacks and Toxic

Miasma also give them a decent chance of harming their opponents, thoughVenomthropes should generally keep out of combat. With a Toughness of 4, two

wounds and a weak armour save though, they are prime targets for things like

missile launchers and Hades Autocannons. Though their innate cover saves help,

they aren't exactly hard to kill and as such need to be protected appropriately.

Generally speaking, they are there to help protect other units - use them as such,

and you won't be disappointed, especially in a game where terrain can be hard to

come by. They are a decent unit that, whilst not as effective as they once were,

still have a place in a lot of Tyranid armies.

Zoanthropes - Remember how I said Hive Guard will usually be crowding intomost of your Elites slots as you need their anti-tank capabilities? Say hello to their

pen-pals, the Zoanthropes - brain-bugs that literally radiate with power. Providing

both Synapse and Shadow in the Warp, Zoanthropes are arguably the most

versatile unit in the codex. With access to the many rulebook psychic disciplines,

as well as their own considerably strong offensive powers, Zoanthropes can have a

very unique role in almost any game they play in, based upon the circumstances at

hand. Their basic powers are not to be dismissed; Warp Lance is a S10 AP1

Assault 1 18" Lance at BS4, or, as I like to call it, a mind-bullet that turns Land

Raiders into barbecued grime, and their other power, a S5 AP3 Assault 1 24"

Blast, is a great ability to make Space Marines feel the heat. Packing that much

offensive power generally means they want to get up decently close; a Mycetic

Spore (covered later) is invaluable in this way. Their other use though, of course,

is as support psykers; with each Zoanthrope in a brood (maximum of three) able to

switch their powers out for two rolls on the Biomancy, Telekinesis or Telepathy

disciplines, this allows for some random, but very diverse play. Interestingly, each

Zoanthrope makes this choice individually; one can keep their stock powers,

whilst another rolls on Biomancy and potentially gets Endurance, handing out Feel


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No Pain and It Will Not Die.

As you would expect, their high offensive capabilities at range and strong support

abilities come at the cost of durability; though they are Toughness 4, with two

wounds and a +3 invulnerable save, they are hardly infallible and easy prey for

massed Bolters or Krak Missiles. Due to their reputation and latent powers, theyare also a high priority target for any intelligent player. Their frailty becomes even

more pronounced in melee, where their low Weapon Skill, Initiative and Attacks

means that units such as Tactical Marines can beat them down with little

difficulty. As it goes, Zoanthropes require finesse and a good deal of protection -

usually through target saturation. An opponent won't focus on your Zoanthropes if

a Trygon is barreling towards them, right? Generally, pairs are best advised for

Zoanthropes - one is an easy kill point, and three becomes just a little too

expensive. When it comes to switching their powers out, you should do it if you

feel their offensive powers either aren't needed or you are more worried about

certain kinds of enemies or protecting your units - when flyers are in abundance,going for Objuration Mechanicum is always worthwhile. Conversely, getting

Endurance on at least one Zoanthrope in a brood is a good way to either keep them

alive or boost the survivability of another unit exponentially. Keep them protected

at all times, and regardless of how you use them, they shouldn't disappoint. A

great unit! As for the Hive Guard and Zoanthrope comparison, generally, Hive

Guard are better tank-hunters against anything that isn't AV13 or AV14, as their

range and number of shots balance out the higher Strength and AP of the

Zoanthropes. However, Zoanthropes are both more multi-purpose and more

expensive - and pay for that with relative frailty.

The Doom of Malan'tai - The second special character in the Elites slot, and one

that is quite famous in tournament and local circles alike. The main reason for this

are its special rules; firstly, it regains a wound up to ten for each unsaved wound it

causes. Secondly, it has an ability where at the start of either players' shooting

phase, any enemy unit within 6" takes a Leadership test on 3D6 - for every point

they fail by, they take a wound with no armour saves allowed. It's Strength is

always equal to its Wounds value. Lastly, it has a psychic power where the

Strength is equal to its wounds, resolved as an AP1 Large Blast. Yeah. This thing

is destruction incarnate to foot-slogging armies, forces which are now in

abundance due to 6th Edition - the really funny thing is though, this little bug was

already considered 'cheese' in a mech-heavy environment. So, what are its

drawbacks? A Toughness of 4 and only a +3 invulnerable save means that it

suffers the same problem Zoanthropes do - instant-death from readily available

Krak Missiles. Generally speaking though, the move to S7 (Plasma and

Autocannons) over S8 (Melta and Krak Missiles) is becoming more and more

apparent, and few players bother with Power Fists now due to the challenge rules.

And, because it gains wounds so quickly and easily, small arms fire simply doesn't


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and their mediocre stat-line. Have I mentioned yet how Tyranids excel at anti-

infantry firepower all the time, regardless of taking Pyrovores?

Despite being an unnaturally aggravating unit to use and justify their high cost in

both money and points, Pyrovores can be made to work if you are really dedicated

and/or bought the models (which isn't a bad thing, as they are nice to look at). Theonly real way to use them is in a pair in a Mycetic Spore, and hope to get their

flame on against +4 armoured infantry - namely Tau, Eldar, Dark Eldar and so on,

of which the Pyrovores may find they aren't completely useless against. The really

sad thing though, is that for the exact same points cost, you can get the Doom of

Malan'tai in a Mycetic Spore, which is both far deadlier and far harder to kill -

opponents can afford to ignore Pyrovores, but not the Doom, or even Ymgarls.

Unfortunately, Pyrovores deservedly carry the label of "worst unit in Warhammer

40000" - they are a confused mess that tries to do two things and ultimately fails

horrifically at both. Did they have to make it cost a mere five popsickles less than

a Hive Guard? Ignore these - there is absolutely no use for Pyrovores even in asemi-competitive scene.

Ymgarl Genestealers - The Tyranid equivalent of bogeymen hiding beneath a

child's bed, Ymgarl Genestealers have some interesting unique rules that make

them a difficult unit to ignore when writing up an army list. The first one is why

they are so respected - and feared - in 6th Edition; they begin the game in

Reserves, and once they are available, are placed in a piece of area terrain secretly

selected after both sides have deployed. They may then launch an assault on the

turn they arrive. This is obviously a massive advantage to have, given the changes

to Outflank meaning there are only a handful of units able to charge on the turnthey arrive from reserves - essentially a melee alpha-strike that, if played right, ties

the unit up and prevents them from being shot at in retaliation! The applications of

this are far and wide, with being able to tie up nasty ranged units and destroy them

- such as Devastators - or wrecking an otherwise durable vehicle, like a Leman

Russ, in combat with their Rending Claws. Generally speaking, Ymgarl

Genestealers want to finish their first assault during their opponents turn, even if it

can be hard due to their insanely good combat abilities. What say you to each

model in the unit having a Space Marine Captain-esque profile for combat

purposes, minus an attack and grenades, plus a point of Initiative and Rending

weapons? I'm betting - yes, yes indeed!

Their other unique ability ties directly into killing units in the turn that you want -

they must 'shift' their forms at the start of each assault phase, regardless of whether

they are in combat, and gain either +1 Strength, +1 Toughness or +1 Attack - the

entire unit picks the same benefit, and you must change to a different one each

turn. With a +4 armour save, the Toughness boost is the best way to severly

cripple, but not wipe out, an enemy unit on the turn they arrive and take


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punishment quite easily. Then, switch to the Strength or Attacks bonus -

whichever would be more effective in that situation - and finish off the unit,

allowing them to move and charge something else the next turn. Generally

speaking, more attacks helps against lower Toughness, high model count units,

whilst the extra Strength helps against high Toughness, low model count units.

Don't forget your Rending Claws - this can make a big difference when fightingcertain units, and paired with +1 Strength or +1 Attack, makes Ymgarls a very

serious threat to high Toughness units and vehicles. Of course, for all that gravy,

you do have some drawbacks; namely the lack of assault grenades, meaning you

will usually strike last on the turn you arrive, and they are rather expensive.

Though I think they are priced appropriately for what they do, you need to strike a

balance between cost and effectiveness - that usually means taking seven to eight-

strong broods, with any less being too few to win combats and any more becoming

too much of a point sink. As an alpha-strike unit though, they have few equals,

save of course for the Doom of Malan'tai - you can't go wrong with Ymgarls

though. Just remember not to use too many of them and thus sacrifice ranged anti-tank through Hive Guard or Zoanthropes.

Example Builds - Though our Elites have no upgrade options, here are some

recommended bulds based on unit size for these units;

Hive Guard (3) - 150

Zoanthropes (2) w/ mycetic spore - 180

The Doom of Malan'tai w/ mycetic spore - 130

Ymgarl Genestealers (8) - 184

Last edited by Learn2Eel; 03-01-2013 at 08:00 AM.

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02-17-2013, 02:12 AM#3

Learn2EelHowdy guys, I'm back to give you my thoughts on the awesome Tyranid Troops

choices! I look forward to seeing how you run your Troops in 6th Edition, and as

always, if you want more Tacticas concerning some of the big players in 6th

Edition, or are looking for some great hobby tips, head on to my blog over at;



Troops


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The core of a Tyranid army, Troops choices are where the majority of your mostly

necessary bodies will come from, either in the form of tough Warriors, droves of

Hormagaunts and Termagants, amazing Tervigons, or a mixture of all. The most

competitive combo usually proves to be Termagants paired with Tervigons,

though Hormagaunts are always great, whilst Warriors and the like fit into a wide

variety of lists. Usually, you don't want to upgrade your Troops choices that much- though they are generally the best units to give upgrades to. Just don't go

overboard and remember that greater numbers usually win with these units.

Tyranid Warriors -Arguably the most famous sub-species of the Tyranid race,

Warriors often form the core of a Tyranid army - they are durable, provide decent

firepower, and are good in combat. Generally speaking, they are your more

expensive - but stronger - utilitarian infantry equivalents to Space Marines, though

they are less adaptable to taking out vehicles and will generally fall over in a heap

when engaged by a walker. Tyranid Warriors provide a key role by being the only

standard Troops choice that provides Synapse and Shadow in the Warp, meaningthey play a big part in most armies so that your forces can operate at peak

efficiency. They are invaluable in smaller games where their relatively cheap cost

compared to other Synapse alternatives comes into play, and larger games where

you can't spread out your Synapse coverage as much without them. On top of this,

they come stock with decent anti-infantry guns, and with Scything Talons, a good

Weapon Skill and a high number of attacks, Warriors are quite nasty in an assault.

In fact, their natural profile is fantastic - though their Ballistic Skill and Armour

Save are mediocre, each Warrior has three wounds and Leadership 10, on top of

usual Space Marine statistics like Strength, Toughness and Initiative 4. They can

be kitted out with lots of different options that either make them nastier shooters orTerminator-hunters in combat alike.

The main detriment to their cause, however, is their cost and vulnerability to

instant death - whilst 6th Edition is favouring plasma over krak missiles, they still

drop like flies to Hades/Psybolt Autocannons and Leman Russ Battle Tanks, both

of which are very common in the game nowadays. They will cease to exist the

moment they come up against Tyranid Hive Guard. Their upgrades, whilst great,

add up to an already considerably expensive unit that are too easily negated by

certain weapons. However, it is not all bad - by the same token, a Warrior will on

average die to three plasma hits, whilst two Terminators would die to the same

number of shots and cost a lot more points. A Tyranid Warrior is - incredibly - as

durable against small arms fire as a Terminator, for cheaper. This means that the

meta change does benefit them immensely, though S8 weapons can and will still

appear - and Warriors are prime targets for them. Make sure to abuse cover with

them as necessary, and be careful where you set them up - they are both great

objective holders and grabbers, but should be kitted out accordingly. A brood with

a Venom Cannon or two with Deathspitters will provide a nasty defensive unit that


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is not easily removed, especially in combat. Kit a combat unit out with

boneswords or a lash whip and bonesword and move them from cover to cover to

grab midfield objectives - almost anything that gets near them will be eviscerated.

Even Paladins will be frightened of them!

Generally speaking, you want to minimise the upgrades on Warriors as much asyou can though - to ensure they don't die too quickly, you need them in chunky

broods of around five or six, which when you add good stuff like Toxin Sacs and

Boneswords can quickly turn into a 200+ point investment that disappears the

moment a Battle Cannon shows up. Upgrade them as necessary, and they will do

fine - it must be noted, however, that an entire army composed of Warriors is not

recommended, as it will simply leave you too vulnerable to several kinds of

armies, and will have too small a model count to make a big difference. They

work well in one or two units, spread for synapse coverage and firepower with a

touch of melee danger. They are good in that sense, but you need to make sure to

take care of them.

Genestealers - Once one of the deadliest combat units in Warhammer 40000,

Genestealers have been hit hard by the changes to Outflank - meaning they can no

longer charge out of reserves. Whilst this means that you can't simply abuse them

in that way, forcing a worried opponent to bunch up in the middle of the board and

thus become easily surrounded, they are still quite capable fighters once they

actually get into combat. With a ridiculous Weapon Skill and Initiative paired with

a good chunk of Rending attacks, they will make mince meat of almost any

equivalently costly unit. There are few Troops choices in the game that carry as

much threat as they do up close. But is that all there is to them? Unfortunately, no.With a weak armour save and a middle-of-the-ground Toughness, Genestealers are

prime bait for any kind of anti-infantry shooting - even the standard Bolter ignores

their armour saves, meaning Genestealers are forced to hug cover as they run

forward. Though Move Through Cover and Fleet mitigate this, mobility does

become an issue, and actually declaring a charge at the wrong moment can be very

costly - with the new Overwatch rules, Genestealers can be gunned down well

before they even get close to the enemy. Flamers are, and always have been, their

bane - more-so with the Wall of Flame.

So how are Genestealers run in a competitive sense? Most commonly, they are

infiltrated into a good position before the game begins, forcing your opponent to

focus on them or lose a chunk of their forces, or hiding in a good line-of-sight

blocking terrain to minimize their casualties when they move up. As for the actual

squad layout, the most common build is as the 'Broodlord Delivery System' - that

is, a bare five-strong squad with one upgraded to a Broodlord. The reason for this

is the amazing abilities of the Broodlord, especially in light of 6th Edition -

particularly challenges. Broodlords rock a stat-line that would make a Tyranid


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Prime blush, and they are a paltry sixty poppies - with Rending Claws and a high

volume of S5 attacks, they are very adept at killing up close. The best part is their

basic psychic power, Hypnotic Gaze - simply put, you and a random opponent in

base contact (i.e. a challenge) roll a D6 each and add your respective Leadership

values, remembering that a Broodlord is LD10. If the Broodlord rolls equal to or

higher than its opponent, that enemy model can't attack at all. See where I amgoing with this? You can feasibly tarpit a nasty commander such as Draigo and

wail on him, causing a wound each turn without even a hint of resistance. Typical

squad leaders will usually fall in a heap when a Broodlord is around, and many

Commander-level characters stand little chance at defeating it too. And, with

access to Biomancy and the like, it can either buff itself even more or provide

some great benefits for other units in your army. Simply put, you want a

Broodlord - you know you want a character assassin in a squad so small your

opponent won't see it coming.

Whilst the Commando style Genestealers are a good and nasty unit that is verycheap, they shouldn't fill up your Troops choices - Termagants, Tervigons and the

like should still fill up most of your slots for the purposes of objectives games.

Genestealers run in this fashion are there to kill - though they can obviously grab

an objective and dissuade melee units from engaging them, it still isn't their best

use. For what they cost, Genestealers are fantastic in combat, but lack reliable

ways of getting there without suffering significant damage along the way - this

means that the best way to use them is as smaller, distraction units that

complement your army. I wouldn't usually use them in any other capacity. Always

add a Broodlord to these spiny fellas.

Mycetic Spore (Dedicated Transport) - The Tyranid Drop Pod, (no really!) a

Mycetic Spore is a cheap-as-chips monstrous creature that will die the second a

krak missile hits it. But that isn't why you are here - it deep strikes a friendly unit,

such as Termagants or even a lone Carnifex, into the fray with the same scatter

reduction rules as a Loyalist Drop Pod. And for that purpose, it is great - not to

mention, it can do a little bit of damage on its own, with a decent ranged weapon

and lash whips to dissuade potential chargers (want to know what happened to the

unlucky Daemon Prince that charged a Mycetic Spore?). Once a unit has dropped

down and jumped out within 6" - a very tasty change in the recent FAQs (Doom

alert!) - the Mycetic Spore is immobile and can't do anything except shoot at

something that gets close to it. It has terrible WS and BS, and generally a terrible

stat-line - albeit a high strength - but again, that isn't what you worry about with a

Mycetic Spore. It literally pays for itself when Devourer-armed Termagants drop

in and wipe out an entire enemy infantry unit, or launches a smiling Carnifex right

into the thick of your opponents' backfield.

Mycetic Spores definitely combine well with certain units, particularly ones such


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as Zoanthropes and the Doom of Malan'tai - the latter of which requires a Mycetic

Spore - and as such is well worth the price tag in every game that you use them.

As for upgrades, you don't need to worry about them - whilst sticking Cluster

Spines on them might be fun, it generally isn't worth upgrading something that is

there solely to transport a unit and provide some very light harassment in a tiny

radius. You should always consider these when using several units - laughably,they are the only way to make Pyrovores even a slight, miniscule possibility for a

semi-competitive army. That is, if you've buried your head up your.......

Tervigon (Troops) - As I mentioned these in the HQ section already, a lot of what

I would normally say has already been covered - I advise checking that section to

get a more full analysis of a Tervigon in general. However, I will say that they are

fantastic support units that, by spawning more Troops choices, are a key choice in

almost any competitive Tyranid army. They are extremely durable and are very

dangerous in a pinch - give them Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Crushing Claws

and Catalyst and you are set. What I didn't cover before, was that every Termagantbrood in the army list allows a Tervigon to be taken as a Troops choice - that

cheesy T6 W6 monstrous creature that casts psychic buffs and is very dangerous

up close can be a scoring unit? You read right - as a Troops choice, a Tervigon is

even more brutal for your opponent to deal with, as it is arguably pound-for-pound

one of the toughest scoring units in the game, whilst providing amazing buffs for

units around them. It simply makes an already incredible unit that much better,

and I thoroughly recommend that you use Tervigons as Troops choices wherever

possible. A phenomenal unit, and one that should form the core of your

competitive armies in conjunction with Termagants.

Termagants - The Tyranid equivalent of Guardsmen, Termagants are cannon-

fodder with decent guns, which, combined with Move Through Cover, make them

decent harassment units - they are also great tar-pit units. They are crazily cheap

and can be fielded in table-covering hordes, though their use usually involves

taking smaller broods. There are two main ways to field them; the first is as

minimum sized units to fit Tervigons into your Troops slots; which you would be

crazy not to do, frankly. Considering Tervigons spawn more Termagants, you

don't need to field those starting on the board in large broods - invest the points

elsewhere. When paired with Tervigons, Termagants become brutal combat units

against the likes of monstrous creatures and even elite infantry - drowning your

opponents in a high number of Initiative 4 poisoned attacks. If you use Termagants

with Tervigons, never upgrade them either - their best upgrades to fit the role in a

Tervigon-heavy army are actually purchased for a Tervigon, that applies to

multiple units and is much cheaper.

The other, and perhaps more popular, use of Termagants is decent sized broods

armed with Devourers - S4 AP- Assault 3 18" guns that make even your basic


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Troops a nightmare for light infantry of any kind. Even Space Marines will feel

the heat from the sheer number of shots put out by Devourer-armed Termagants -

appropriately abbreviated to 'Devilgants'. They pay for this weaponry though, as

each Devilgant costs the same as two basic Termagants. This is where you need to

weigh up cost and effectiveness - whilst Devilgants win in most cases, they are

very fragile for the cost and become more obvious targets for your opponent. Youdon't want to tar-pit with Devilgants either, a key role which is often filled by

Termagants. Generally speaking, Devilgants should stick to cover - as for delivery,

they can also take a Mycetic Spore, which I would recommend as they are quite

capable of obliterating entire infantry units in a single salvo at close range.

Overall, Termagants should always be used in one of two ways; as meat for

Tervigons, or as rockin' Devilgants. Each path for this unit is great if used

correctly, even if their role changes considerably. When used as large swarms with

no upgrades though, you are better off looking at Hormagaunts - provided you

aren't fielding Tervigons of course. Termagants aren't naturally a great unit, butwhen moulded into one of those two themes, they become very effective and

dangerous units for a very low cost. Always consider Termagants or Devilgants in

your competitive armies.

Hormagaunts - The little critters have undergone some serious changes in 6th

Edition. They are almost as quick as they once were, though it is more random

than before. Overwatch means opponents can get some extra shots into your

hordes, reducing their combat effectiveness, and random charge lengths can leave

them stranded due to a bad roll. Cover saves are thankfully far easier to come by,

but the biggest change is Fearless; with the removal of No Retreat! wounds,Hormagaunts truly are one of the most cost-effective melee horde units in the

entire game. Also, the change to Rage has benefited Hormagaunts greatly; they no

longer charge at the nearest enemy unit, but instead gain an incredible +2 attacks

on the charge! This means you will need to weigh up whether risking the loss of

Fearless is worth the bonus damage they can cause. With Scything Talons, a high

Initiative and a sheer number of attacks, Hormagaunts can put the pain on nearly

any unit with impunity - Hormagaunts can and should be fielded in absolutely

massive broods, fulfilling every players' vision of a far-spread Tyranid horde

backed by monsters. Though they lack guns, the sheer speed of Hormagaunts

usually compensates for this - they are more expensive than Termagants, but

generally much better at what they do.

Hormagaunts have access to a few upgrades, the main one to focus on though is

Toxin Sacs; for a paltry cost, you can give each Hormagaunt Poisoned attacks,

turning them into literal blenders against anything that isn't a vehicle. A

Wraithlord got you down? See how much it likes being hit by sixty or more

attacks hitting on 4s with re-rolls of 1s, then wounding on 4s. Hint; that is a very


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dead Wraithlord. Obviously though, the costs mount up the bigger a unit is;

generally speaking, Poison is a fantastic upgrade when preparing for multiple

opponents, though Adrenal Glands also have a place due to allowing Hormagaunts

to damage the rear armour of most transports. Usually, I wouldn't bother with

Adrenal Glands though, as Hive Guard should take out said transports before the

Hormagaunts get close, and Toxin Sacs are far more useful in general. One of thecrippling oversights for Hormagaunt is a stark lack of assault grenades; usually

though, Hormagaunts can ignore this if you charge them at the right units. Taking

all that in, I would say Hormagaunts are point-for-point the best melee unit in the

codex, and our best tarpit outside of Tervigon-spawned Termagants. Take them in

broods of 20 or more, and either leave them bare or give them Poison - they will

do their job, and do it very well.

Ripper Swarms - Your other tarpit unit, Rippers have lots of wounds and attacks,

but are far less effective in combat than Hormagaunts and cost considerably more.

Not to mention that Rippers actually die once they fall out of Synapse range -sadly, they are a unit that always needs to be kept in check, which is not always

possible. Still, they do have their uses; aside from S6+ weaponry, they are

considerably more durable than Hormagaunts, and are likely to hold up most

infantry units in combat for a longer period of time, which is important for any

Tyranid army. For the record, you should also avoid upgrading them - they are

already a lot more expensive than they should be, and the upgrades do little of note

to justify their cost. The only potentially useful one, given their role, is the Tunnel

Swarm upgrade - the cheapest of the lot. This allows them to Deep Strike, getting

close to the enemy much quicker. Of course, this means they are a lot more likely

to mishap and either be delayed or die, so you need to be careful if you use this.Still, you should probably just avoid that and run them up the field - they really are

there to die, so you may as well let them soak up some firepower. I would usually

avoid Rippers, but they are ok once they get into combat; soaking up some

worried Devastator fire and assaulting them is sure to give you a smile.

Example Builds - Our Troops choices have multiple builds and options available,

and I'll cover some of them here;

Warriors (5) w/ deathspitters, venom cannon - 190

Genestealers (5) w/ Broodlord - 116

Tervigon w/ crushing claws, cluster spines, catalyst, adrenal glands, toxin sacs -

220

Termagants (15) w/ devourers, mycetic spore - 190


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Hormagaunts (20) w/ toxin sacs - 160


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Reply With Quote 02-17-2013, 02:13 AM#4

Learn2EelAre they after you? That's right, it is the Tyranid Fast Attack section with my

detailed thoughts on each unit and how they perform in 6th Edition. Don't forget

that if you want more Tacticas concerning some of the big players in 6th Edition,

or are looking for some great hobby tips, head on to my blog over at;



Fast Attack

Our Fast Attack choices benefit a lot from upgrades and additional weaponry,

particularly in the case of Shrikes, Raveners and Gargoyles. Harpies and the like

don't necessarily need upgrades to be effective, though they do have a few options

available to them that change their role. Generally speaking, your Fast Attack units

are designed either for mobile anti-infantry shooting or fast anti-infantry melee,

with little real deviation. Gargoyles are the most cost-effective, though Shrikes

and Raveners demand some attention as well. Think about fast moving units in

other slots when looking at the Fast Attack section first and foremost.

Tyranid Shrikes - Flying Warriors! With wi...oh never mind. Anyway, Shrikes

are essentially Warriors with a weaker armour save, a slightly higher base cost

and, as you might have guessed, wings. Shrikes, despite not being a Troops

choice, essentially fill the same role as Warriors - providing Synapse and Shadow

in the Warp, though they are mobile and thus fit well with other fast-moving

elements, such as Gargoyles. Again like Warriors, they can be kitted out for some

fast-moving ranged firepower, or hard-hitting melee. The latter one is where

Shrikes really shine; with their speed, the inclusion of Hammer of Wrath, and the

general lack of AP2 weapons at Initiative, Shrikes equipped with Boneswords are

amongst the most devastating close-combat units in the game - at least when used

against elite infantry such as Terminators and medium infantry like Space

Marines. They even put out enough attacks to wade through hordes with relative

ease. They are expensive though, and if you give them other upgrades which

dramatically increase their combat effectiveness - such as the effervescent Toxin

Sacs and useful Adrenal Glands - each model will cost in excess of 50 coyotes.

Though they will mulch through many similarly-costed units in combat, their


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anyway. You can take guns on Raveners, but it does change their role a bit - don't

take Rending Claws and guns, they simply become too much of a points-sink. If

you want to take ranged weapons, give them Devourers or Spinefists, the latter of

which while less useful on units such as Termagants are far better on Raveners

owing to their high number of attacks. A common tactic is giving them Spinefists

and Deep Striking out of the ground, surprising your opponent and killing a chunkof infantry. Usually though, I would avoid giving them guns and keep them with

Rending Claws - they are at home in combat, and they are safest there as well.

Raveners are a good, if expensive (but what isn't in the Tyranid army?) unit that

are great diversionary attackers.

Sky-Slasher Swarms - Rippers that have adapted into jump infantry, Sky-

Slashers sadly suffer from the same basic issues as Rippers - they are over-costed,

they are ineffective, their upgrades are too expensive and provide mediocre boosts,

and, laughably, they still die when outside of Synapse. When you consider that

Sky-Slashers have wings for the purpose of tarpitting units much quicker, and thusrequire mobile synapse, you should only ever use them if you have Shrikes or

Flying Hive Tyrants handy. Clocking in at one and a half times the cost of a

normal Ripper Swarm, Sky-Slashers are decent in the sense that they will get to

their quarry much quicker, though, again, you are still paying too much for a very

ineffective tar-pit - Hormagaunts are almost as quick, much cheaper, and far better

in combat. Much like Rippers, I would usually avoid Sky-Slasher Swarms -

however, they do make a decent and fluffy bodyguard for the Parasite of Mortrex.

Gargoyles - Very cost-effective flying Termagants - notice a theme going here? -

that do combat far better than their scuttling ilk, due to their melee attacks causingan auto-wound on every to hit roll of a six. Being only a measly potato more than

a standard Termagant, Gargoyles gain the very huge benefits of being Jump

Infantry - they are twice as quick as Termagants and are thus far better at closing

with the enemy quickly to provide decent anti-infantry firepower, or even charge

certain units. Sadly, they do lose Move Through Cover, meaning they are

susceptible to Dangerous Terrain tests. Still, they make up for it in yet another way

- their upgrades, including Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs, are as cheap as they

are for Termagants, or half as expensive as Hormagaunts get them for. Given their

mobility and pseudo-Fantasy poison rule, Gargoyles make for great melee units -

unlike Termagants, they neither benefit from nor need the support abilities of a

Tervigon to do their job well. Twenty Gargoyles with both Adrenal Glands and

Toxin Sacs will cost significantly less than twenty Hormagaunts upgraded

similarly - though Gargoyles aren't Troops, they still fulfill the same basic role

almost as well, if not better, for the points.

There are few negatives to taking Gargoyles - mostly, they are yet another cheap

horde unit, but the one that is by far the most cost-effective. About the only


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consideration is what units to run them with - like anything in the Tyranid army,

they are not designed to operate alone, as you want to keep them near Synapse

creatures as normal. This is where Flying Hive Tyrants, Harpies, the Parasite of

Mortrex and Shrikes come into play - three of the four units benefit the Gargoyles

immensely, though the Gargoyles themselves prove to be excellent foils for those

units too. The Parasite, for example, gets to join up with a very nasty unit that cansoak up a lot of wounds. The flying monstrous creatures get bubble-wrap and

mobile cover, with Shrikes enjoying the particular benefits of the latter. Overall,

there is very little one can say against Gargoyles - they are a great unit that is

almost imperative in an army list with other winged monsters. Take two broods of

twenty, upgraded decently, and they will commonly be at the top of your MVP

list.

Harpy - The only other flying monstrous creature Tyranids have access to, the

Harpy suffers the unfortunate restriction of not being able to target flyers with any

weaponry of real note - a S5 Vector Strike and four S5 shots simply do not cut itagainst most fliers in the game. If you are worried about anti-air, always go for a

Flying Hive Tyrant with two twin-linked brain-leech devourers. Always. Now,

onto what the Harpy does well - it is death incarnate to most infantry in the game,

usually firing a S6 Pinning Large Blast, a S5 Large Blast, and dropping a once-

per-game bomb resolved as D3 S4 AP4 large blasts. Put simply, it will obliterate

hordes and blob-guard whilst putting on enough wounds to give even Space

Marines a serious headache. It also has a S5 AP3 vector strike that ignores cover,

which is best used against certain enemies - particularly those poor, poor Space

Marines. Being a flying monstrous creature, it is hard as hell to shoot down, and it

is exceedingly quick, compensating for the mediocre range of its weaponry. Dueto being a monster, it can also in a pinch charge an enemy vehicle or even an

isolated unit, such as a Long Fang squad, and tear them to shreds - obviously

though, gliding at the wrong moment can leave a Harpy dangerously exposed to a

counter-attack. As good as its anti-infantry firepower is, it is sadly very fragile as

far as Tyranid monstrous creatures go - a Toughness of 5, four wounds and only a

+4 armour save make it mince meat for Autocannons, particularly Hydras, that are

in abundance in the current meta. Given their high cost, Harpies are a risky unit to

use - they will lose any aerial duel, and be high priority targets for foot-slogging

army lists.

The Harpy does have access to upgrades - Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs and

Regeneration, though a Harpy typically requires none of these as its combat

abilities don't need improvement - it is supposed to shoot anyway - and

Regeneration, whilst cheaper for a Harpy, is still too random to justify its expense.

It can swap out its two ranged weapons for alternates that make it more useful

against ground vehicles, though I believe you should give these a miss as the

Harpy does not do anti-tank particularly well at all, especially for the cost. At least


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when used solely as an anti-infantry platform, the Harpy shines - it can put out a

lot of hurt very quickly, and in this way, it combines very well with Gargoyles and

Flying Hive Tyrants for cover and target saturation. Whilst I find they are decent

units, they are definitely over-costed, and as I have made clear before, Tyranids

have anti-infantry firepower in abundance by taking any kind of basic army. They

are best used only if you plan on using other flying units, as they are too fragile tojustify their cost if used alone. A note I will make is their Sonic Screech ability - it

halves the Initiative of enemy units in an assault for the first round. This works

well with other units, though with readily available cover and the high Initiative of

most Tyranids anyway, it isn't all that much of a boon. As far as the actual model

goes, I would recommend purchasing a Trygon kit and getting your hands on a set

of Flying Hive Tyrant wings - if that proves too costly, try getting a set of organic-

looking wings elsewhere, either from Forge World or Games Workshop. It would

require a lot of conversion work, but I would say it will be worth it if you do it

correctly - just keep in mind that an actual Harpy model may very well be released

in the coming year.

Spore Mine Cluster - Living bombs that explode the second any enemy unit gets

within 2" of them, Spore Mine Clusters are a bit of an odd duck out - they deep-

strike on to the board before any units are deployed, and if any of them scatter into

impassable terrain or off the board, the entire unit dies. Once they've landed, each

Spore Mine in the cluster is treated as an individual Spore Mine during the game.

You can't even control them once the game starts - they drift D6" in a random

direction at the start of each turn, and are removed if they move into impassable

terrain or off the board. They aren't cheap either - at least, not per model, as their

squad sizes are very small as far as Tyranids go. Once something does touch themor get too close, they do quite a bit of damage - you centre a S4 AP4 large blast

over the Spore Mine, hitting anything nearby. Not bad at all. You might be

thinking that against armies with light infantry, such as Tau or Eldar, these can be

a great scare tactic - unfortunately, because they deploy before every other unit

does, a smart opponent can simply ignore them, or, even better, tank shock them

with vehicles and watch them combust harmlessly. As such, their best use is to

attempt to deep-strike them onto an objective that is out of the way - they will

literally die the second they are shot by anything, with one Toughness 1 wound

and no saves each. I don't rate them personally, and the points are far better off

invested elsewhere, but for laughs, why not?

Example Builds - Here are some good or decent ways to run our much loved Fast

Attack choices;

Shrikes (6) w/ lash whip and bonesword - 300

Raveners (6) w/ rending claws - 210


25/35

Gargoyles (20) w/ adrenal glands, toxin sacs - 160

Raveners (6) w/ spinefists - 210


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Reply With Quote

02-17-2013, 02:13 AM#5

Learn2Eel

First-Captain

Hey all, I'm back to review the final section of the codex; our monstrous heavy

support options! I hope that you find these insights useful on the 6th Edition

battlefield, and as always, if you want more Tacticas concerning some of the big

players in 6th Edition, or are looking for some great hobby tips, head on to myblog over at;



Heavy Support

The source of most of our monstrous creatures - all designed for varying kinds of

destruction - the heavy support slot holds the distinction of five out of the six units

offered being a big nasty bug. Typically, you should avoid Carnifexes and Old

One Eye - the former only works when built a certain way, and the latter is far tooinefficient. Trygons and Biovores tend to be the best available choices and are

quite suited to 6th Edition play, whilst Mawlocs and Tyrannofexes tend to strike a

middle ground in terms of cost-effectiveness. Upgrades aren't necessary or even

possible on most of the units here, and frankly you usually want a higher quantity

of these monsters for target saturation purposes. If you want a line-breaker, look

no further than the Trygon.

Carnifex - One of the most well known Tyranid organisms, the Carnifex is a

living tank used for the sole purpose of battering enemy fortifications and tanks,

whilst scything through infantry with ease - at least, that's how it works in thebackground. The sad and painful truth is that a Carnifex is an over-costed

monstrous creature that needs to be turned into a gun platform to be anywhere near

viable. Despite being close-combat oriented, it has a mediocre WS and an

Initiative of 1 - that last one means that, for the most part, it will be striking at the

same time as power fists and meltabombs; meaning it will get chomped very

quickly by most units. Even krak-grenade toting Space Marines will give it a lot to

think about. Though its battering ram rule does make it Initiative 3 on the charge,
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the prevalence of cover, and the fact that most enemies are Initiative 4 or higher

anyway, doesn't help all that much - even with frag spines (assault grenades), a

Carnifex still can't single out power fists in a unit and will surely be walloped. The

biggest problem the Carnifex faces is the competition within the codex - for only a

small investment, you can get yourself a Trygon that is literally twice as effective

in combat, and much faster to boot. You might think, well, a Carnifex can take aMycetic Spore and a Trygon can't, but Trygons can deep-strike with the same

scatter-reduction rules that a Mycetic Spore comes with. Essentially, a Carnifex

pays for abilities that are greatly inferior to that of the Trygon.

So what else can a Carnifex do aside from being a mediocre combat monster?

Well, the good news is that against walkers, tanks and skimmers (but not fliers), a

Carnifex can quite capably destroy them with little difficulty - S9 base, including

Hammer of Wrath, plus its re-rolls to hit due to Scything Talons make it a fantastic

wrecking ball against heavily armoured vehicles. Don't waste them on transports

and the like - you have Hive Guard for that. Even then, a Carnifex isn't quickenough to really justify being used in that way. Don't give it the melee-oriented

upgrades - Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs are virtually useless on a model with

S9, and Crushing Claws are too expensive on a model that both struggles to hit

and doesn't usually need to Smash anyway. Regeneration and Bio Plasma are too

expensive for what they give you - Bio Plasma is essentially a Plasma Cannon

with a third of the range, meaning it can scatter onto friendly forces quite easily,

and Regeneration is too random and expensive to use. Seriously though, why does

Regeneration cost as much on a 4 wound monstrous creature as it does on a 6

wound monstrous creature with the same Toughness and armour save!? The

Carnifex, like the Pyrovore, will simply leave you scratching your head, especiallywhen put next to a Trygon - there is simply no reason for it to be over-costed the

way it is given its mediocre profile.

If you want to use the awesome looking Carnifex, you should be happy to find that

there is a way to run them that is very much worthwhile - replace both their

scything talons with the lauded pair of twin-linked brain-leech devourers. This

build is commonly labelled the 'Dakkafex' - putting out 12 S6 twin-linked shots a

turn, a Dakkafex is a serious threat to transports, infantry, and even fliers, all at a

decent price. Though I would still say it is over-costed, it at least will help out

your army quite a bit, especially if you are using Zoanthropes or Ymgarls instead

of Hive Guard. Even then, a mech-heavy meta can lead to a mixture of Hive

Guard and Dakkafexes - durable anti-tank platforms that will regularly pull their

weight. I wouldn't bother with any of the other ranged weapons, as they are all

out-performed by the brain-leech devourers. One thing to consider when using a

Dakkafex is whether you want to shell out and grab it a Mycetic Spore, or run it in

a pair. A very common unit for a Tyranid Prime to join is a 'Fexstar' consisting of

two or three Dakkafexes, providing both an insanely durable gun platform and a


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unit few enemies would want to get close to. Everyone loves wound allocation

shenanigans! However, the lone Dakkafex in a Spore combines really well with

other deep-striking units, such as the Doom of Malan'tai or Zoanthropes. Either

way you go is costly, but they are both effective in 6th Edition and well worth

your consideration. If you aren't using Carnifexes in either of those builds though,

you will likely be disappointed.

Old One Eye - A long ode to a forgotten era wherein the combat Carnifex was

viable, Old One Eye is one of the most painfully over-costed units in the entire

codex - and much like the rest of the Tyranid range, he sports an awesome model

too! Why do the mediocre or bad units have to have the best models? Anyway,

Old One Eye is a grossly expensive unit that is essentially a Carnifex upgraded

with Crushing Claws, a better version of Regeneration, and a cool ability that

gives it some potential bonus attacks, all at S10. Strangely, Old One Eye also lets

every Tyranid within 12" can use Old One Eye's Leadership of 8 for any Morale or

Leadership tests they are required to make - generally speaking, this is situationalat best as most Tyranids that would benefit from it should be in Synapse range and

thus be Fearless anyway. Aside from that, well, that really is all there is that makes

Old One Eye unique - it is essentially a much costlier version of a unit for few

gains based upon a unit that was already too expensive for what it does. If that

doesn't give you the best indication of how I feel about Old One Eye, consider

this; for a mere twenty paddles more, you can grab the Swarmlord.

How does Old One Eye compare to the Swarmlord? Here; the Swarmlord has

more wounds, provides Synapse in a larger than normal bubble, provides Shadow

in the Warp, has an invulnerable save in close combat, has a ridiculously higherWeapon Skill, has a far higher Initiative, has a higher Leadership, is a Mastery

Level 2 psyker, it can make itself even more powerful or buff friendly units, hands

out Preferred Enemy or Furious Charge like candy, forces opponents to re-roll

successful invulnerable saves, always inflicts instant death, and can be hidden by

bodyguards. What does Old One Eye get? A higher Strength and the chance of a

few bonus attacks and Regenerating wounds. Here's a tip; the Swarmlord wins by

a country mile. Don't bother with Old One Eye, unless you really like the model or

don't care about competitive play. I've yet to meet someone that doesn't like Old

One Eye, but he is nothing but a sad joke, and it really pains me to say it. If it

weren't for Pyrovores or perhaps Lictors, Old One Eye would be the worst unit in

the codex, period, to be brutally honest.

Biovores - Artillery! FIRE! Ahem, Biovores are one of two long-range shooty

units in the codex, providing some nasty anti-infantry firepower - they launch

Spore Mines, as discussed earlier. A S4 AP4 large blast using the Barrage rules is

nothing to sneeze at - particularly because of the AP4 and Barrage rules. So on top

of wiping out Tau, Eldar and the like, the Barrage rules make cover a pain for


28/35

those units to come by, and also allow for 'sniping' - with wounds allocated from

the centre of the hole, some decent scatter rolls can lead to units being neutered.

Your oncoming Trygons worried about the plasma gun and missile launcher at the

back of that Tacitcal Squad? Hit them with a Biovore, and as long as you get it

where you want, you should kill both of them with no difficulty. All of a sudden,

that Trygon which was likely going to lose several wounds to that Tactical Squadfrom shooting can move up and charge with not a care in the world. What about

that nasty Necron Lord with Mindshackle Scarabs daring your Hive Tyrant to get

in to the unit. Give him some Spore Mine love - with a bit of luck, the Lord will be

done and dusted, literally. It is in this way that Biovores are so useful in almost

every single game you will play in 6th Edition - even Space Marines will suffer

when Biovores are around, due to the large amount of wounds they can dish out.

They aren't really costly either, costing - I don't know whether this is sad or

humorous - as much as a Pyrovore for oh so much more.

So what do you need to worry about with Biovores? Well, they have essentiallythe same exact stat-line as a Pyrovore, and are thus easily instant-killed by

weapons such as missile launchers, or brought down with massed fire. Unlike

Pyrovores, Biovores neither need to be close or, provided they don't fail an

Instinctive Behaviour test, need Line of Sight to shoot their quarry - hide them in

your backfield with some kind of Synapse creature plonked on a nearby objective,

and they will do just fine. Also, if their shot scatters off and hits nothing, you get a

free Spore Mine! Hooray! Yet another reason you shouldn't bother with Spore

Mine Clusters. Keeping on the Biovores, as long as you protect them adequately

and keep them away from concentrated shooting and melee units, they will work

out very well - a great unit overall.

Trygon - Ask yourself a question; do you want a melee powerhouse of a

monstrous creature that acts as both the perfect line-breaker and will scare the

pants off of any opponent, all for a very efficient price? If you answered yes, say

hello to the Trygon! (If you answered no....seriously?) A Trygon is a dedicated

combat unit that has very reliable ways of getting there - namely, it is very tough,

quick due to Fleet, and can even deep-strike without fear of mishaps, except for

scattering off the board. With a Toughness of six, six wounds and a +3 armour

save, the Trygon is a tough as nails monster, one that usually suffers from being

too big a target for your opponent and too hard to obscure - fortunately, the 6th

Edition cover rules means that a Trygon can simply be touching a part of area

terrain and gain a meaty cover save, all the while still maintaining a very high

speed! It has a shooting attack to help it out on the way, which is nothing shabby -

S5 AP5 Assault 6 at 12", decent for light vehicles and weaker infantry. Generally

though, what you really want to know are its combat abilities - it has an incredible

six Weapon Skill 5 attacks at S6 I4 base, re-rolling all failed to hit rolls! You

guessed it - this will run rampant through Infantry of nearly any kind, especially


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standard Terminators. And against vehicles, it puts out three or more Smash

attacks that are unlikely to miss, meaning that almost any unit in the game is

literally screwed if this thing gets close. Of course, any opponent - even those who

don't know what a Trygon does - will prioritize its immediate death due to how big

and scary it is, not to mention how quickly it moves.

These things are absolutely fantastic as linebreakers, notably because they can

both soak up the damage and deal it out in amazing quantitites. Their speed and

reliable deep-striking means they have multiple viable ways of getting to the

enemy, though generally speaking I would advise running them up the field -

whilst they may get shot down this way, they provide an incredible threat for your

opponent and will boost your target saturation immensely. Your Tervigons and

Hive Tyrants should be able to move up untouched if the Trygon does its job and

you use cover smartly. If it does make it, prepare to wreak some joyous carnage.

Ultimately, how you deploy them should be situational - in certain cases, deep-

striking them in conjunction with other reserved units can provide a very nastyselection of threats that emerge all at once, forcing your opponent to literally turn

and fire at the nearest units in a haze of confusion. Trygons also benefit your

Reserves - any reserved Infantry can emerge the turn after a Trygon has deep-

struck from where it emerged - placing them within 6", and letting them shoot as

normal. This is definitely useful, but not all that great. As far as Instinctive

Behaviour goes, Trygons also benefit immensely from being naturally Fearless

and having Rage - no-one wants a Trygon charging them, let alone one with eight

attacks! As such, you generally don't need to worry if a Trygon gets out of

Synapse range, which is likely to happen anyway due to their speed.

As far as upgrades go, Trygons can take Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs and

Regeneration - the first and third generally aren't all that great on a Trygon, as the

Smash rule compensates for the Strength bonus applied by Furious Charge, and

Regeneration is still too unreliable to justify the cost. However, Toxin Sacs are

absolutely brutal on a Trygon - essentially guaranteeing it will kill whatever it hits,

and making it far deadlier against other monstrous creatures. Talos' and

Wraithlords won't be smiling if you hit them on 3s with re-rolls, then wound them

on 4s, ignoring their armour. Want to know what happens with a Raging Trygon

with Toxin Sacs? Here's a hint - that is almost an entire Tactical Squad gone in one

round. If you want to spend any more points on a Trygon - remembering that they

are expensive - take Toxin Sacs. The other upgrade that you should consider is

turning the Trygon into a Trygon Prime - it's shooting attack gains double the

amount of shots, it becomes a Synapse and Shadow in the Warp-generating

creature, and it becomes a character. Whilst the upgrade is expensive, it is

worthwhile most of the time - usually though, taking a Prime upgrade should be

based on the rest of your army. If you are low on mobile Synapse, a Prime

becomes invaluable - similarly, the extra shots make it a deadly alpha-strike unit


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against vehicles, deep-striking behind a tank and promptly destroying it. Being a

character both works for and against you; it can single out power fists and the like

and kill them before they can hurt it, but in turn, it can be tarpitted for an extra

turn, meaning it will likely emerge at the end of your assault phase and thus be

shot by your opponent immediately. It also isn't nice to be locked in a challenge

with someone like Draigo and be unable to kill some Paladins before the TrygonPrime bites it, though Shadow in the Warp works wonders in mitigating Force

Weapons. Either way,

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