Warhammer 40K: This Week’s Meta Hotness – Tyranid Warrior
The Tyranid Warrior used to be a joke, got good in the Crusher Stampede list, and then continues to be good new Tyranid apocalypse as the default Troop choice.
In the ever-shifting meta of 40K, armies rise and fall. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about armies that are hot or not, but a lot less time looking at units that are running the show. Today let’s start by taking a look at one of the hottest units currently running around the tabletop.
Tyranid Warrior Basics
The Tyranid Warrior is the default Troop choice for most Nid based armies. They are strength and toughness 5, have a decent amount of attacks, and can be bought rather cheaply in units of 3. These are the perfect things to set up a must-have part of your army that needs 3 troop choices to fill out a Battalion. Did I mention they were very cheap for either a decent combat threat or just backfield objective holders? 80 points is just criminally cheap when you look at other armies troop choices (cough cough pox walkers or plague marines at 60 and 105 points each). They have decent armor with a 4+, default synapse, and extra abilities to make the other parts of the army work. It’s just so many things – all within a shell of 240 points to fill out your troop option.
Why are Tyranid Warriors good?
They are troops, they are cheap, they are tough, and have built in fearless. Plus they can do some synaptic imperative abilities to cause exploding 6’s for all of the army when in combat and within synapse range. If you told me I could take 3 Primarus Lt’s, give them some better guns, and a super cool aura ability I would take them in a heartbeat. These guys are extremely undercosted and pushed to the limit. It is about time. They were very bad before the White Dwarf Crusher update and the new Tyranid book update.
Sample List
Charlie Andre won the Motor City Mayhem with this list and piloted it thru a 9 round even with 170 players. The finals was a Nid on Nid match up with one of the players timing out in the end. Still it shows you how brutal the new Nids can be with so many good things in the book you can just wreck stuff and having good troops helps this list out.
++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Tyranids) [106 PL, 2,000pts, 9CP] ++
Hive Fleet: Kraken
Hive Predator [-1CP]: Extra Warlord Trait
Hive Predator [-1CP]: Extra Warlord Trait
Rarefied Enhancements [-1CP]: Extra Bio-artefact
+ HQ +
Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Onslaught, Power: Smite, Power: Synaptic Lure, Relic: Resonance Barb, Warlord Trait: Synaptic Tendrils
Winged Hive Tyrant [11 PL, 205pts]: Adrenal Glands, Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Onslaught, Power: Paroxysm, Power: Smite, Relic: The Reaper of Obilterax, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Adaptive Biology
+ Troops +
Gargoyles [4 PL, 80pts]
Hormagaunts [4 PL, 80pts]
10x Hormagaunt: 10x Hormagaunt Talons
Tyranid Warriors [4 PL, 80pts]
Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon
+ Elites +
Deathleaper [5 PL, 95pts]: Warlord Trait: Alien Cunning
Haruspex [11 PL, 195pts]: Adaptive Physiology: Dermic Symbiosis
Maleceptor [9 PL, 170pts]: Power: Smite, Power: Synaptic Lure, Power: The Horror
Maleceptor [9 PL, 170pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Neuroparasite, Power: Smite
Tyrant Guard [8 PL, 120pts]
3x Tyrant Guard (Scything): 3x Two Rending Claws, 3x Two Scything Talons
Venomthropes [5 PL, 105pts]
3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes
Zoanthropes [7 PL, 150pts]: Power: Psychic Scream, Power: Smite, 3x Zoanthrope
+ Fast Attack +
Raveners [8 PL, 150pts]
5x Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
Raveners [8 PL, 150pts]
5x Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
Raveners [8 PL, 150pts]
5x Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
++ Total: [106 PL, 9CP, 2,000pts] ++
Using the Tyranid Warriors
Again it is more bodies that hit the tabletop mixed with fulfilling a troop role, a synapse role, and a decent counter punch option if they end up getting close enough to the enemy. This unit would show up in almost any other army if available. So it completely makes sense that these are going to be the default troop option until we see some kind of points adjustment that is rumored to be coming. All of these mid range monsters in Nids feel tougher then they should be. They have too many wounds, too much toughness, and discounted to the moon. Use em while you can!
NOM NOM NOM!
Let us know what units you think are hot right now, down in the comments!
