Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Awakening The Swarm: 1500 Point Tyranids

With all the rumours floating about, I want to set up a solid comparison. I'm excited to see the new codex, and build a hundred lists with brand new stats, units, and costs. That said, I feel it is very important to remember your roots, and think I can only appreciate the new if I remember the old. With that in mind, here's my baseline reading on a "competitive" 1500 take all comers list.

HQ
230 - Hive Tyrant - Wings, 2 x Scything Talons

Elites

150 - Hive Guard x 3

120 - Zoanthrope x 2

Troops

180 - Tervigon - Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Cluster Spines

180 - Tervigon - Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Cluster Spines

140 - Termagants x 10, Devourers, Mycetic Spore

100 - Termagants x 20

Fast Attack

160 - Gargoyle x 20, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands

Heavy Support

240 - Trygon Prime

Total - 1500


Here's the plan:
I have a large mass of heavy duty models that can take a pounding while they storm across the table. With 3 dangerous monstrous creatures on foot (the tervigons make up for a lack of combat prowess with the added threat of spawning - I'd rate them very similarly to Trygons for target priority at the start of the game) to soak fire, my relatively few infantry models will be spared most of the heavy weapons fire. Turn 1 I'd likely deploy my Gargoyles and Flyrant behind the three big walking monsters, with a 2-man line of Gaunts in front to provide cover. Turn 2, My whole line will have run forward the previous turn, so this movement phase involves clearing my screen from in front of the Tervigons, so they can spawn 6", move those gaunst up 6", and go for the assault. Average threat range is 19", which combined with the average 9.5" move + Run from the previous turn should get some gaunts into combat. Combined with this are the Flyrant and Gargoyles, who are what I like to call my Hammer units. They are highly mobile units that get into combat, and whatever they assault first dies, either by mass attacks or by few, powerful attacks. These two Hammer units will have used the previous turn to use their extensive movement to position themselves to back the less manoeuvrable gaunts by picking out the enemy's counter assault units or heavy firepower and either killing them or weakening them so severely that even my weaker units (tervigons, gaunts) will have nothing to fear.

Of course I also have two scary and resilient elite choices that provide some ranged support and help to diffuse oncoming fire while restricting highly mobile enemies (skimmers, jetbikes, etc) from outflanking and moving into my army's blind spots.


Now, from you guys, I want some feedback. I'd like to see how you'd play against it, what you think would be hard counters, and what you'd change.

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