Evolution of the Bug – Tyranid Playtest Report
I’m back here with my Tryanid Playtest report. I had a chance to playtest my nids over the last couple of weeks, and I’m very happy with their performance so far. I’ve learned a lot and I think these guys really can do some damage to all comers, including Imperial Guard Mech. Lets ake a look:
These articles are the prelude to my Aggo style of lists which I am working on right now. Playing “blocks” style, by just taking blocks of squads that worked together, really helped me learn the units and evolve the list out from there.
My first list variant went up against my Ork Mech Guard.
List 1: 1850pts
- Swarmlord
- 2x Guard with lashes
- 3x Zoeanthrope
- 3x Hive Guard
- 2x Carnifex w/ Brain Leech Worms
- Tervigon
- 10x Termagants
- 10x Termagants
- 10x Termagants
- 20x Hormagaunts
- 20x Hormagaunts
We just lined up 12″ in and went at it. The tanks were deployed from the left edge to midtable in a firing formation. I just ran at him with the ‘fexes and Tervigon making a slight flank. It was a tough fight and after my synapse broke on turn 3 with not too many tanks popped, I reworked it some more.
This was the Tyranids first try, they had to adapt.
What I learned:
- Psychic Hoods shut down nids. They don’t just shut them down they smack them in the face and say “NO”. Why? Well an average roll on a hood negates any psychic power. So no Lances from the Zoes, no buffs from the Broodlord, nada, nothing. Now there is a counter to this, the Deathleaper, which gives one enemy model -d3 LD if he’s alive.
- Carnifexes get 12 S6 Twin Linked Shots! However they are 190 points now, which may seem terribly steep but you have to remember 8 shots for 115 may have been under priced. Anyways I like them because they give your opponent something else to shoot and you can hide stuff behind them. Plus if protected by a Termagant speed bump, great staying power and counter assault especially when combined with preferred enemy from a nearby Tyrant/ Swarmlord.
- Hive Guard rock. There really isn’t much bad to say about these guys, even thought their save is 4+. Hide them behind a Tyrant squad, or 2 ‘fexes and they will serve you well.
- Rolling doubles sucks when spawning Termagants with the Tervigon, cause you can’t spawn any more! Lucky me I did it on my first try. I mean its good for holding objectives but bad for it’s main purpose.
- Swarmlords, and Tyrants for that matter, die unless they have 3 Tyrant Guard, the end, period. When you add in that third guard it seems to make shooting at the squad a waste. You really have to try to burn down a 3 guarded HQ. The best way I think to defeat it is to just give it table space and time.
