Creative Solutions To Codex Creep?
With scores of Space Wolves downed by my star cannons and Imperial Guard all but on the run (except for one pesky Tallarn army in particular, but I’ll avenge myself next year!) I’ve now been turning my runes of witnessing to the up and coming Tyranid codex.
I honestly don’t know anything about it other then the fact that it will be over the top and that bugs will be back! I like to try and war game out certain ideas and tactics so hopefully I will be ahead of the curve when a new codex drops.
The Skimmer Sled
So how is an elite jetbike and skimmer army going to deal with the hoard of bugs and the stealer shock that will hit the table? Easy, use the idea of a skimmer sled to pound them into the dirt. Here is the idea that I have already been using with great success vs. current Tyranid armies so hopefully it will just need a little tweaking when the bugs multiply in the new ‘dex…
Jetbikes, Dire Avengers, and Destructor-Warlocks put out a lot of close range shots perfect for killing bugs. The problem is, with an average 12” range if I’m shooting at them, then they are on top of me next turn assaulting with superior numbers. What I need to do is keep them off my jetbikes for a turn or two so I can thin the numbers and go in for the kill; flushing things out with my Destructor-Warlock spam Seer Council.
First is the bait- often a group of Dire Avengers or Guardians with a scatter laser platform who go out ahead of my main force, pop off a few shots and then star running as the bugs give chase. Behind them my jetbikes move into position flanked by my Vypers, laying down some more 36” – 24” shots. Just as the mass of Tyranids is about to crash into my mass of jetbikes and Dire Avengers, I move fast with my skimmers throwing up a skimmer wall in front of the units. Think of a “V” formation with my jetbikes in the center, or just check out this picture for the concept in action.
During the shooting phase my jetbikes will get a cover save along with the skimmers for moving fast and then in the assault to follow on the skimmers my opponent will need sixes to hit me, and even with AV 10 rear armor they are hard to take down with holo-fields and vectored engines. Even better, sometimes the little guys that swarm my vehicles are only strength 3 so they can’t even hurt me. I’ll also use tank shock to herd bug swarms into the center of that “V” and then hit them with the destructor seer council.
Another related use of skimmer sleds is claiming objectives later in the game. Check out this example below vs. a horde of Black Legion World Eaters. It’s turn five so I’m moving to take the objective in the center of the table formally held by a group of Berserkers before my star cannons cooked them. Problem is my opponent gets to go last before we roll to see if the game ends. If I throw my jetbikes on the objective (since they are scoring troops) I’ll just get assaulted and wiped out. BUT if I ring my vypers around the objective and then zoom the jetbikes in the center since they can fly over models I’ve collected a cover save on everything and protected my jetbikes from assault for that turn.
~So how are you older codex armies adapting to the newer codices? Sound off with some creative solutions of your own. This is the thread to show off the cool dirty tricks that you older but tricksy players use to keep the younger codices in their place!
