500 points Escalation

[fenrir]

Hi all! I am recently getting back into the hobby, and a local escalation league seemed great motivation to paint up more minis and learn 8th edition.

League stipulations are starting at 500 points with atleast 1 HQ 2 Troops that MUST remain in the list throughout the league (can increase unit size ie start with 20 gaunts but up to 30 at higher points level). The league will go up 250 points at a time, and no LoW until 1500+, FW allowed on a match to match basis upon agreement with each opponent.

Personal stipulations, I prefer to play by the rule of cool and would like to include units that I would enjoy to paint and see on the battlefield. I love most of the model range so it makes it hard to fit everything I like into one list, but the two biggest ones I do not care for effect the 500 points base that will remain throughout the league - I am not a fan of Flyrants, and I do not care much for genestealers, I prefer the idea of a swarm of gaunts! And that is why I am asking all of you, it would be easy enough to use a flyrant or broodlord and genestealers and build from there. With an army idea I like, I came up with the following:

HQ
Tervigon

Troops
Hormagaunt x19
Termagants x10 Fleshborer x15 Devourer

498 points

Probably something like Leviathan or Jormungandr to start the league for survivability
The gaunt base will be useful at higher points, but I worry that the tervigon may be a waste of points over a shooty walkrant. Thoughts?

[brenadeluna]

Well a Tervigon is going to be shot to pieces and isnt really that good besides refilling your termies while you can get a lot more out of a tyrant.

[fenrir]

Do you think a Walkrant would suffice? I like the idea of a Miasma cannon and scything talons. Would I really be that much better off with a Flyrant? Not entirely sure how best to equip a tyrant to compliment my forces throughout the escalation league

[devilrules]

i would take neurothrope as hq as it cant be targeted and is so cheap, allows you to maybee add hive guard too which should also be auto include. are units allowed to change fleet in the rules as this will affect what you take to start a lot.

i think a tervigon would hamper you untill at least 1500 pts if not for longer, also dont really see the point of a walking tyrant ever anymore.

[devilrules]

my list would be 2 nurothropes, 14 fb gaunts, 17 hormagaunts, 3 raveners, and 3 hive guard.

fb gaunts for screen with a neurothrope and hive guard for multiwound targets.
hormies and raveners for objectives and killing chaf.
the other neurothropes for added synapse and mortal wounds.

for 750 add a flyrant and ripper swarm to make a batalion.

for 1k add devilgaunts and bring up with raveners using jorm tunnels

[tallthor]

I'm in an escalation league myself right now.
Run this, aggression in low point games is necessary.

Hive FLeet Kraken
Relic: Cameleonic skin (-1 to hit in shooting)
Warlord Trait: Adaptive Biology to reduce damage by 1 after first wound

FLyrant with dual dev and brainleech + MRC + toxin sacs 188
13 Genestealers - (3 with acid maw) 156
13 Genestealers - (3 with acid maw) 156

5-0
Wins against:

1. Tau (Some sept leader or whatever, tiny guy with 5 wounds as HQ)
2. Khorne Demons (with a Bloodthirster as HQ)
3. Chaos Khorne Berzerkers (Demon Prince HQ)
4. Astra Militarum (Company commnder with auila and steal command points warllord trait, other notables is he brings two Banewolfs with the str 6 2d6 auto hit ap-1 flamer.)
5. Dark ELdar (2 raider ships or whatever full of kabalite warriors and whitches and a measly archon HQ or something.)

[sneekyo]

can you explain a little bit about how you won those matches

[afewveiws]

But he doesn't like flyrants or genestealers. Why suggest a list that is made of only models he doesn't like?

How do you feel about the swarmlord? Being that you go up by 250pts this will be the only time you will be able to add him to your army. Take a look at him, and remember that 2 units of rippers is only 66pts.