Interesting CC Deathstar?

[squash]

I loathe Tervigons, but this occured to me, what do you guys think?

Tervigon, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Catalyst, 195

Tyranid Prime, Lash whip and bonesword, scything talons, 95

Tyranid Prime, Lash whip and bonesword, scything talons, 95

30 Termagants, 150

Total: 535

Here's the basis, a lot of lists involve naked termagants and an upgraded Tervigon, so most of the cost is stuff you'll already have.

Here's how it works, you jam the two Primes in the Termagant unit, the Termagants have cheap bodies to take hits, meanwhile the Primes do the actual killing in combat, and they should do very well in challenges. The Tervigon will give the entire poison attacks and furious charge, which should make for some excellent wound rolls for the Primes.

[wisdomseyes1]

I have been doing this since 5th. I do it in a smaller scale though (15 gants to each prime and the primes are separate units) but it works well.

As a death star, it's hard to call it one. It is usually a near unlike able force of pure destruction that is supposed to cost a lot. Now while the cost doesn't really define it as a deathstar, it is a common trait.

The entire unit here is really composed of 2 tyranid primes and 30 wounds. Fun on paper, in practice it isn't actually a close combat Allstar and has little to no shooting relevant to its goals.

Tyranid primes are fantastic, but they are hardly worth deathstar level damage output. (yes, I do know you also get feel no pain, doesn't really change my argument since you can kill the tervigon and the gants not only get hit (which includes the primes) but they also lose every buff granted. Then the termagants are just extra wounds, since by all of them will be in cc in the charge, and not all of them will live to see anything past the hooting phase an overwatch)

It's not a bad tactic. It is a good tactic, but it isn't a deathstar. Because I am not afraid of gangs coming at me if their weak spot is so aptly exposed

Ps: regen and TS on the primes. Regen to allow them to take a wound or 2 and then look out sir on the gants, saving you a few. Otherwise you are just pawning them off avoiding your own armor save. TS helps with close combat against everything and many characters are t5, so it helps out there as well. Just my 2 cents.

[squash]

You don't need toxin sacs on the primes, the Tervigon gives it to them.

[wisdomseyes1]

Aug 2, 2012 7:30:42 GMT squash said:

You don't need toxin sacs on the primes, the Tervigon gives it to them.

1 6 wound mc is easy to shoot down for the most part. If common opponents can't deal with a single tervigon, then there is no reason to take a deathstar becaus their firepower isn't all that great to begin with.

I understand exactly how the tervigon effects the unit, my issue is how reliant the unit is to the tervigan to be effective. If that tervigon dies (and missiles should still exist if Tyranids are in your local meta) then your tervigon has an issue. It protects that unit, but not really itself. It can die, it likely will die because your marching it up the board with the deathstar, and when it gets shot down, exactly like the real deathstar with its one weak point, the entire thing blows up. The deathstars defensive flaw should be a little more... Inconspicuous I guess would be the right word.

Also consider that Swarmlord + 2 guard with whips + prime with lw/ bs/TS/regen = 525 points. And, one of these is suggificantly better than the other.

It's unit synergy, something I think many people have been doing for a while. It's not really a deathstar, because it doesn't kill or effect the board in quite the same way as one does.

I'll admit, I had never considered taking 30 gants in one unit, and I had never thought of taking 2 primes and putting them in said unit. It is quite interesting. I'll admit that.

[squash]

You are right though, the fragility here isn't the actual combat unit, it's the Tervigon. However, I do think these are models most players are putting on the table anyway, with the exception of the primes.

[gloomfang]

This is an illegal Deathstar. You can not attach the Prime to any other unit that always must consist of 1 model unless it is also an IC. So no Tervigons, Tyrants or T'fex.
The only way you can get around the Tyrants is the fact you are actully joining the Prime to the TG.

And also you would only get the TS from the Tervigon if the Prime was with a unit of Termiguants getting the buff as it affects the whole brood.

[Jabberwocky]

Gloom, he IS attaching to the gants. The Terv just follows close by.

[gloomfang]

Aug 2, 2012 14:18:01 GMT Jabberwocky said:

Gloom, he IS attaching to the gants. The Terv just follows close by.

Ok I missed that. In my mind a deathstar is a single unit.

The only place I see this having issues (as I am having them now) is having the stinking Tervigon in range for the buffs.

Having them within 6" for the charge is ok, and that is when AG is checked. But having them within 6" when combat starts is much harder.

My issue is that I tend to only do things like that with my spawned gaunts and are wicked fast on the turn they spawn. 6+6+2D6 vs 6+2D6.

[wisdomseyes1]

Aug 2, 2012 10:50:36 GMT squash said:

You are right though, the fragility here isn't the actual combat unit, it's the Tervigon. However, I do think these are models most players are putting on the table anyway, with the exception of the primes.

Well, primes where used in the "Godzilla" list that consistently placed high in tournaments last edition (everything after grey knights though I stopped hearing about Tyranids placing high in tournaments at all)

Most people are using tyrants right now which limits the reason to take tyranid primes. The tyranid seems better because FMC have become very popular. I still prefer saving a good chunk of points to support the core, fliers are really the only issue carnifexen and tyrants are being used. The prime has never even bad, jut right now doesn't serve the roll people think they need (anti transport and fliers)

I do believe it's a fad that will eventually change though. Primes are still vey close to my heart and still serves much purpose. the tyrant got hugely better than it was before, but that really only applies to the flyrant, which just justifies 60 point wings, not really the tyrants cost as a whole (still a 4 wound mc tht is going to e taking grounded tests or et shot at, for the same points as other MC's without wings, and the supports to the army it supports are also more expensive than say, a tervigons supporting abilities. It's just expensive and that makes it lower the model count of the army as a whole)