Musings on a Win Streak: Tyranids

Ahh, 6th Edition.

First I'd like to say that this article is not meant to brag or be full of hubris; I am not a great 40k player, I am merely a 40k player. The sample size for this set of games has been small so I can't really say that this is a trend, or a meta-game shift, or anything like that.

Currently I am 4-0 with my Tyranids in 6th Edition. Great, right? Much maligned in 5th edition, the Tyranid codex still has a lot of problems. Many things were shored up as MCs were made better and the new psychic powers are amazing, however shooting got better and assaulting got tougher. Fearless was made to be what it should be. In that four game winning streak I played Meched Chaos Space Marines, Drop pod / Caestus Ram Marines, foot Grey Knights, and Chaos Daemons with shootyness.

The list I've been using has been centered around the following:

1000pt Tyranids 5th Ed (2010) Roster (Standard)

Selections:

HQ (270pts)

• Hive Tyrant (270pts)
  Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Synapse Creature
  Bonded Exoskeleton, Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Toxin Sacs, 2x Twin-linked Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Wings

Elites (200pts)

• Hive Guard Brood (100pts)
  • 2x Hive Guard
    Instinctive Behaviour - Lurk
    2x Claws and Teeth, 2x Hardened Carapace, 2x Impaler Cannon
• Hive Guard Brood (100pts)
  • 2x Hive Guard
    Instinctive Behaviour - Lurk
    2x Claws and Teeth, 2x Hardened Carapace, 2x Impaler Cannon

Troops (530pts)

• Termagant Brood (50pts)
  • 10x Termagant
    The Scuttling Swarm
    10x Chitin, 10x Claws and Teeth, 10x Fleshborer
• Termagant Brood (50pts)
  • 10x Termagant
    The Scuttling Swarm
    10x Chitin, 10x Claws and Teeth, 10x Fleshborer
• Tervigon (215pts)
  Brood Progenitor, Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Spawn Termagants, Synapse Creature
  Adrenal Glands, Bonded exoskeleton, Catalyst, Claws and teeth, Dominion, Onslaught, Scything Talons, Stinger Salvo, Toxin Sacs
  
  
• Tervigon (215pts)
  Brood Progenitor, Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Spawn Termagants, Synapse Creature
  Adrenal Glands, Bonded exoskeleton, Catalyst, Claws and teeth, Dominion, Onslaught, Scything Talons, Stinger Salvo, Toxin Sacs
  
  

Created with BattleScribe

Vendetta pilot prepares for takeoff

As you can see in 1000 points this army has quite a bit of toughness six to deal with and plenty of psychic powers to buff up my models. The flying tyrant has been the key in every game so far, zooming around the board shooting up targets. The hive guard are there to blow up transports and the tervigons are there to make troops, hold objectives, and crack vehicles with smash attacks.

I can't say this is some ingenious plan. The Tervigon and Hive Guard have probably been the best models out of the codex even in 5th edition. The Hive Tyrant was barely ever used by competitive players (I used him because he's my favorite model) but with 12 twin linked strength six shots and swooping around the board he's so much better now. Combine that with the ability to go up to toughness 9 and get FNP / It Will Not Die and you have a recipe for destruction. He is the main reason I've won the four games.

HOWEVER: I haven't yet played guard or a flyer heavy list, really. Fliers will wreck me, simply put. Tyranids do not have the strength of fire nor skyfire to take down fliers. It'll be bad.

Wish Tyranids had some of dis

So what does the future hold for this winning streak? It'll probably die next week. I'm going to change up the list a bit to try other things. The mission for next week will make fast attack slots scoring, but I don't have any gargoyles painted yet (the worst... I have 70 of them. Should have them painted because they're amazing in 6th Edition). I have a harpy but they're godawful. 


I think I'm going to try to speedpaint 30 gargoyles this weekend and have them ready for Wednesday. It'll make me feel a lot better about the army because they're some of my favorite models.

1000pt Tyranids 5th Ed (2010) Roster (Standard)

Selections:

HQ (195pts)

• Tervigon (195pts)
  Brood Progenitor, Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Spawn Termagants, Synapse Creature
  Adrenal Glands, Bonded Exoskeleton, Claws and Teeth, Dominion, Onslaught, Stinger Salvo, Toxin Sacs

Troops (100pts)

• Termagant Brood (50pts)
  • 10x Termagant
    The Scuttling Swarm
    10x Chitin, 10x Claws and Teeth, 10x Fleshborer
• Termagant Brood (50pts)
  • 10x Termagant
    The Scuttling Swarm
    10x Chitin, 10x Claws and Teeth, 10x Fleshborer

Fast Attack (132pts)

• Gargoyle Brood (132pts)
  • 22x Gargoyle
    Instinctive Behaviour - Lurk
    22x Blinding Venom, 22x Chitin, 22x Claws and Teeth, 22x Fleshborer, 22x Wings

Heavy Support (570pts)

• Carnifex Brood (570pts)
  • 3x Carnifex
    Fearless, Instinctive Behaviour - Feed, Living Battering Ram
    3x Bonded Exoskeleton, 6x Twin-linked Devourers with Brainleech Worms