Thinking of Nids...

**Forest** · 10th November 2011 20:53

If you want a list that will be versatile and do some real damage just find a HQ u like(hive tyrants are the best choice) and use genestealers. You can substitue them for ygarmls and feild lots of them. It's a good way to adapt to nids. They don't require synapse and are very powerful for being a troop choice. Best if all they ARE the most versitile mid I've used. Rending claws are enough to crack tanks, infiltrate is a good way to get close fast, and ygarmls go dormant if you like to get "kinky" and screw with peoples thinking.

**SuperADJ** · 12th December 2011 18:33

I've also just started a Nid army, and so far I've had a blast with it. I also started a Dark Eldar army (I'm looking for a force to play against my BA army, so something with a 'darker' feel to it was essential) but forgot all about transports with that one and subsequently found it a little underwhelming. Rather than do the sensible thing and buy some Raiders and Venoms I bought a Hive Tyrant and several handfuls of bugs!

I was wondering, though, what people are using for the Mycetic Spore? As far as I can see GW haven't released a model, so what kind of rules are concerned when using a model? I was thinking about a toy dinosaur egg I have!

Also, DS seems like a good idea, and I'm getting used to it from my battles with the Scions of Sanguinius. But Synapse (or rather, lack of it) concerns me. Should I aim to have one of my Synapse units up where I want to drop off, say, a carnifex? Or is it okay to simply leave a unit like that to revert to its instinctive behaviour? Rage on a Carnifex actually doesn't seem terrible, although I guess it could be capitilised on by a cunning opponent. Much like Death Company - spent 2 turns in my first game vs the Nids chasing a brood of termagants around the table. Not good. Kinda funny, though.

Finally, what options are considered must haves on a Hive Tyrant. I totalled up my wishlist for him and it came back at 305pts. I nearly fell off my chair - I tend to think that anything over 250pts is massive. But does he justify the cost? Or is it better paring him right back to stay as near to the default 170pts as possible?

Sorry for all the questions!

**Sybrite** · 12th December 2011 19:37

for mycetic spores, lots of people use the big plastic easter egg toys or dino/plasma-dragon eggs. they work fine but are not really to my taste (since putting a giant egg on the table to block LOS doesn't suit my play style)
I made my by cutting the dome off of water jugs that suited my size needs (so my spores looks like stubby versions of the alien facehugger eggs that have opened up)

tall enough to still give cover to little bugs but not block line of sight (which is key if you're trying to pack it with 20 devilguants)

synapse in range for deep strikers really depends upon the list. with the way the rules are setup you ignore a unit's instinctive behavior the turn it arrives from reserves (BRB pg 94, second paragraph of "Arriving From Reserves"). Usually though, if you're deepstriking you wont need to worry about synapse at all, as most deepstrike units are there to directly assist your main force so they usually land inside synapse range (with only mishaps and extreme scatter landing the unit far away from synapse) . as you already mentioned some units don't much care about, it's only if your opponent is savy enough to capitalize if they catch a unit out of synapse range (like forcing a moral check on lurking units near an objective, or kiting a 'feed' unit). but those situations do not pop up very often to really warrent planning a strategy around its more just part of the risk you take when you decide to hold units in reserve as well as deep strike some/all of those reserves.

for hive tyrants, you really need to scrutanize each upgrade to justify its cost. the only option I consider a 'must-have' is the bonesword/lashwhip that comes base on a Tyrant (because assault grenades are scarce and terrain isn't, combat Tyrants really need the lashwhip to ensure they get any attacks in close combat)
as for other upgrades:
-scything talons, cool since they're free, but you really need a plan laid out if you're ditching the sword and lashwhips for a second set
-deathspitters : not a good choice since it's only 3 S5 shots
-devourers : decent gun since it's 6 S6 shots (careful about taking 2 sets though since you already have psychic shooting that can take up your second gun slot, but if you know your against an anti-psyker, a dakka tyrant is a really mean thing)
-StrangleThorn/HVC: can you get it cheaper somewhere else (YES >Harpies and they're Twin-linked) but if you don't have a harpy conversion and you still need the long ranged fire support
-Hive Commander - be sure you're list uses plenty of reserves and that out-flanker.. if you're not using at least 3 reserves then you don't need this costly upgrade
-Indy Horror - No, just No...
-Old Adversary - this is mostly to give a gun-bug list a little CC edge, you don't need to waste points on this if you have combat bugs that already have scything talons (since those bugs already have a builtin re-roll to hit)
-Adrenal Glands - only if you have the spare points since the Initiative bonus usually doesnt matter (lashwhip/terrain) and the Str bonus is only good if you're against alot of heavy vehicles (AV14, hard to crack with just S6, S7 helps but only just on avg 2d6 rolls)
-Toxin Sacs - no... S6 means you wound most on a 2+ anyway (Assuming T4 or less)
-acid blood - kinda cool, but only if you have the extra points (rare since 15pts goes a long way with nids)
-Implant attack - not needed, especially if you kept the bonesword
-toxic miasma - horrible actually since at best it wounds 50% of the time, and then you still get an armor save ontop
- regen - good upgrade but be sure you've picked up at least one tyrant guard before you pay for this (unless you're taking wings in which case you don't need the T.gaurd) but also remember one of your psychic powers can sap wounds back for you, so regen isn't a necessity
-Thorax Swarm - not needed, but if you're already doing the close up Dakka Tyrant (2 TL Devourers) it's some extra icing on that pain cake (since the thorax is a free shot)
-armored shell - I don't see the point or rather the cost (still no save vs lascannons/powerweapons), but others do and swear by it... me its almost another tyrant guard so extra wounds> situational armor save
-wings - depends on the list your making, but if you're not taking wings you're still spending that 60pts to take a Tyrant Guard

**Beeva** · 12th December 2011 19:41

Mycetic Spores, I use Plasma hatchers. Work brilliantly! Mycetic Spores are pretty good, common tactics are to stick some Zoanthropes or the Doom of Malan'tai in it. Otherwise Termagents can do well in them. Carnifex's get a bit expensive and you can only have one per spore. I've never put Warriors in it but I guess that can work. As for Synapse you kind of have to think about where you're going to drop them. Synapse isn't such a big problem for Nids providing you're careful with your deployment. Most things will do what you wanted them to do anyway.

Tyrants are fun, but keep them cheap! I usually just take mine as stock, it's already nasty! If you are going to upgrade it think very carefully about the role you want it to do. Wings is a very nice upgrade. I'm not a fan of the heavy guns personally. He's more likely to earn his points back the cheaper he is. Tyrant Guard are also a good idea.

**SuperADJ** · 12th December 2011 20:28

Those look superb, I'm always amazed by the creativity of the users on here! I guess it comes with the territory when you start getting serious about modelling and converting the miniatures. The plasma hatchers look cool too, and funnily enough on Amazon the list of what people bought along with the hatcher includes the WH40k rulebook and Tyranid codex!

My army is a bit muddled currently, I'm basically using everything I have and setting up against a list of the same pt value from my BA. I think I understand BA reasonably well now so it's a good test for the Nids. I actually have 2 Hive Tyrants, and have armed them differently to experiment with the various weapons. So far I really like the Bonesword and Lash Whip - it really gives the big guy an edge in CC, even against characters who rely on speed (my DE Archon got taken out in a single turn against the Lash Whip tyrant). The scything talons I have on the other HT seem a little underwhelming in comparison. I'm trying out the Heavy Venom Cannon and Stranglethorn Cannon, and again the former is doing the better job. It's pretty versatile and my list is sorely lacking in anti-armour (only one Zoanthrope) so I think I'll stick with that. So far the other options are Old Adversary, Adrenal Glands and Acid Blood, with Leech Essence and Paroxysm as the Psychic Powers. I think that totals 245pts, which seems acceptable considering he's pretty beastly and gives the army plenty of support.

I'm also running a pair of carnifex(es?!). One has a Heavy Venom Cannon and TL Devourers, the other has TL Deathspitters and TL Devourers. Unfortunately they are fixed like this and so I won't be able to make any changes. I'm a little confused as to what to do with them, frankly.

I love the sound of the Doom of Malan'tai, and saw a couple of neat conversions on eBay. But as I'm worried about armour I'm not sure he's the right choice, I'd probably be better off picking up maybe 3 more Zoanthropes and putting them in 2 broods of 2.

I've not got any Hive Guard or Tyrant Guard, unfortunately. I was rather hoping that the hordes of gants and gaunts would confer a cover save to them, but are they simply too small to be used in this manner? Otherwise I'll have to get spending as my biggest worry is AP2 weapons laying waste to my precious MCs!

Incidentally, currently I'm running 2x HTs, a zoanthrope, 3x warriors, 20x genestealers (2 broods), 12x hormagaunts, 55x gants (2 broods), 3x raveners, 2 carnifex (1 in each brood as they have different options) and a biovore. I also have 6 spore mines, but don't list them as I may need them for 'missed' biovore attacks! Bit of an odd army, I guess, but it's proving great fun!

Thanks for the tips, I'm going to try to DS a bit more and get a feel for what works. I can see Zoanthropes could be effective as I'd get within range for the Warp Lance sooner, and maybe even get to shoot at the back of Land Raiders and the like!