Harpies in 6th Ed.

[varcertez]

6th Edition seems to have made Harpies and Flying Hive Tyrants completely awesome. But before I got too carried away with converting and painting a couple to play with, I wanted to ask how the Tyranid Hive has fared with them in their recent battles. These are the main points that perked my ears:

- Can dart around the battlefield moving 12-24" bringing down the wrath of twin-linked blast/heavy blast weapons, all without ever having to worry about being charged into

- All the while, hitting units with vector strikes (2-4 S5 AP3 attacks) and spore mines that they fly over

- Can reenter reserves at almost anytime

- Can now effectively assault 14-24" in a single turn and strike a S10 blow to a troublesome vehicle (if so desperate)

[fleetofclaw]

Harpies are great against lots of infantry, especially t3 or enfeebled t4 stuff. The problem I see with them is they have some silly stats and abilities that don't synergize. For example, sweet high initiative, an ability that lets you charge in to cover and halve enemy initiative, yet only two bloody attacks??, Those vector strikes at s5 are not great, and aside from stinger salvo (laugh) it's their only anti air option. And the new FAQ that lets them skyfire is useless since their primary gun options are both blasts.

The harpy isn't totally awful, just not "competitive". If you like the idea of it, then go for it. I'm REALLY hoping this rumored harrier gives the tyranid air force a much needed boost, especially being the one army that can't take allies.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using proboards

[Deleted]

Already threads on Harpies, take a look around and you'll find them

[gigasnail]

it'd be awesome if it was 120 points.

[infornography]

Harpies are not that good. You get them close enough to use the spore mines and vector strikes, then they will ground you and beat you up.

With only toughness 5, they will die very fast to a twin linked assault cannon on a flyer, especially if it has psybolt ammo, not to mention all the other nasty guns flyers can take. They can't really fight back against other flyers because blasts can't target them.

The only thing harpies are good for is blasting large infantry mobs from a distance which makes their wings almost more of a liability than a help.

Flyrants are still pretty awesome, especially with double twin linked devourers. Harpies just don't have the toughness, Strength, armor, or guns to make use of their ability to swoop.

[dakkathrope]

The swooping rules did make the harpy be better unit for its cost in my opinion. In 5th it was just easy-to-kill, and not good at utilizing its abilities. Now with swoop you can move far enough to use the spore mine drop, it no longer can hit the harpy, and it's more mobile to stay away from things that ground it easily.

[ZergLord]

Harpies are horrible because of their 4+ Save. When Marines get their Anti air Missiles, which are Str7 AP4, Harpies are going to die in droves.

[Jabberwocky]

Not to mention a lot of guns struggling to hit it in the first place.

Like an MC, 1 alone will be weak. Run 2-4 FMCs and you start getting a lot out of each.

Stinger salvo isn't terrible, its the equivalent of an MEQ heavy bolter, which can be shot into the rear of vehicles and flyers, along with the vector strikes. S5 AP3 vector strikes along with the TL large blasts are also great against marines.

The spore mines are handy too for barrage, picking out target models. His mobility also lets him get better shots at particular models through positioning.

[gigasnail]

vector strike is autohit, d3+1 attacks on side armor. napkin mathing, just under 3 average hits, 1/3 of those will glance or pen av 10, 1/6 glance on av11. so pretty safe to nail AV10, but it's spray and pray with AV11. eh. critter would be much better if it could carry BL devourers, etc.

edited: meant av10/av11, NOT av11/av12.

[infornography]

I think you are forgetting, our codex is the weakest one for anti air capability. We can't take storm ravens, dakka jets, valkyries, or any other good anti air flyers and we can't ally with any codex that CAN bring them.

Against anything other than Tyranids, that hard to hit isn't a big deal. As I said, a twin linked assault cannon can drop a harpy by itself in one round. They don't even rate a whole volley from another flyer. If they had toughness 6 OR armor 3+ they would be much better, neither and they go down too easily.

You can either rush the front line with the expectation that they will go down in a blaze of glory (consisting of a small handful of low to medium strength large blasts and a S5 vector strike) or you hang them back and just shoot one gun from maximum range each turn.

Either way they won't make up their points by a long shot.

[dakkathrope]

Harpy is strength 5, it can't touch AV12 with vector strike

[gigasnail]

sorry; meant av10 and av11. posting from work, lot going on here, will correct post. thanks ~

[gigasnail]

checking necrons codex, nightscythes are 11 all over. stormchikken is 12 all around, the stormtalon is 11 all around. razorwing is 10 all around, voidraven is 11/11/10. the ork fliers are 10's all over. harpy looking less and less useful as AA platform. hopefully the harrier rumor isn't all smoke.

[coredump]

Harpy is lousy at anti air. It is 'possible', but still lousy.

We are not, however, the worst codex for this. Try Eldar, or Tau, or even many of the MEq dex that don't have access to flyers.

[cobbles]

As someone that uses Harpy's all the time since 6th released at tournaments, I think i'm pretty qualified to give my opinion on them.

They are pretty good harassment units, objective contesters. Can tie up weak units or kill tanks in combat. Their anti infantry firepower is pretty good. They are probably worth 160 points, but no more.

However their KEY role is to attract firepower away from the flyrants. That's why using a random harpy doesn't work, you need to fit them in your list, with say gargoyles and flyrants so that your opponent is struggling with targets. I sometimes purposely drop my Harpys into 24" range so that units with bolters will shoot them over my flyrants, leaving them untouched for next turn.