{Your Views Welcome} Hive Fleet Mantis 1750pts.

[DukeMantis]

Hey all!

Below is the army i am working towards after taking up 40k after a 2 year hiatus from wargaming. I feel it may be weak in some areas (psych, perhaps also a (please do not swear) Tervigon loadout)however it is not supposed to be the best it can be, but a combination of what i like (hormies and trygons), what i want to try out, and what works.

I would love to hear any input you may have on this! Anywhere i can improve or re evaluate?

The List: <EDIT - NEW LIST ADDED LATER IN THIS THREAD, CHECK IT OUT!>

Hive Tyrant w/ Wings, Hive Commander, LW/BS, T-L Devourer
270

Tervigon w/ Cluster Spines, Scything Talons
165

6 Ymgarl Stealers
138

2 Hive Guard
100

2 Hive Guard
100

16 Hormagaunts
96

18 Hormagaunts w/ TS
144

18 Hormagaunts w/ TS
144

15 Termagaunts w/ Spore, Devourers
190

Trygon
200

Trygon
200


1747 POINTS

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I would roll for biomancy or take standard powers.

I planned to set up with Hormies and Terv on the board, using the smaller unit off Hormies with no upgrades as a screen(am aware this is not optimal). Hive guard would also deploy, most likely with one unit on each flank. Hive Tyrant would probably start behind cover(would likely use his outflank on a gaunt unit).

Turn two hopefully i could spore in the devilgaunts and bring in both Trygons behind enemy lines as well as ambush something with Ymgarls while the hormie swarm stomps upfield supported by the tervigon. The hope is to envelop and annihilate while spawning some extra troops for grabbing objectives with the Tervigon.

I also have a unit of 6 Tyranid Warriors with Toxin Sacs, Scything Talons and Deathspitters. They are not part of the list above but they are an option i could bring in for something else at 1750.

Thanks for reading

[blind[tyrant]guardian]

maybe what you could do is have one group of 3 hive guard, ditch the small unit of hormies, and take the Doom of malan'tai w/ a spore. he is such an amazing distraction and can thrive backfield with some support. you would still get the hormagaunt flood feel, but the army would also have an absolute BOMB that it can use to draw fire from your trygons. Gargoyles, gargoyles, gargoyles. they are an excellent screen for your hormies to arrive in cc safely (?), definitely take some just so your gaunts survive, if nothing else.

[Raven]

Since you're already running Termagants you may as well make that HQ Tervigon a Troops choice so it can capture objectives.

[DukeMantis]

Thanks for the tips guys

I originally planned for one unit of three hive guard but was thinking that when fighting armies with loads of vehicles (rhinos or ork trukk spam) i would only be able to target them one at a time, rather than two units of HG targetting two separate vehicles a turn, Doom does sound like a cool idea and with the FW model being so awesome i will mull that over carefully...

A screen of gargs for the hormies rather than using more gaunts for the job does seem logical, i cant recall what the minimum unit size is for those without digging out my codex but ill look into it!

Does anyone feel im selling myself short for Psych options at this points threshold?

Will definately be using the Terv as troops!

[DukeMantis]

Thanks to the advice and views from people on threads ive posted and throughout these forums ive updated the list for my new Tyranid army, heres what i came up with if anyone is interested I ordered the models included here so i can finally try out these fancy Gargoyles!

Hive Fleet Mantis - 1850 (* = Deepstriking/Dormant)

Hive Tyrant w/ Wings, T-L Devourer, LW+BS, Paroxysm, Leech Essence
245

6 Ymgarl Genestealers*
138

3 Hive Guard
150

20 Hormagaunts w/ Toxin Sacs
160

20 Hormagaunts w/ Toxins Sacs
160

16 Devilgaunts w/ Spore and Devourers*
200

Tervigon w/ Scything Talons, Crushing Claws, Adrenal Glands, Onslaught, Catalyst, Dominion, Cluster Spines. Will be going Biomancy.
230

10 Gargoyles w/ Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
80

10 Gargoyles w/ Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
80

Trygon*
200

Trygon*
200

1843 pts

Variants:

-Taking Doom and a spore by shaving off three Hormies from each unit, a Hive Guard and a two Gargoyles from each unit(forming the remainder gargs into one unit, likely then to screen the flyrant rather than the big swarms).

-I could take two units of two Hive Guard, dropping some gaunts and gargoyles once more.

-I will easily be able to step up to 2k with a 240point unit of Tyranid Warriors with Deathspitters, Scything talons and either AD or TS, i would shave some points somewhere to give the Tyrant Hive Commander to Outflank and bring them in somewhere scary!

Tactis: I plan to start with Hormie swarms left and right of the tervigon, the swarms being screened by Gargoyles, Hive guard prepared to move up and take firing positions and the Hive Tyrant Swooping. I hope all the action to start turn two with deepstriking Trygons, Devilgaunts and Ymgarls - the aim is to provide lots of scary targets to cause dissaray while i close in for the kill.


The main opponents in the local area seem to play vanilla Space Marines, Black Templars, Blood Angels and Orks, i feel this list is all purpose enough to combat most of those armies in either objective or killpoint games. Hoping to have my first game before Xmas (alot to paint and build) so stand by for a batrep!

As usual any views tips or advice welcome!

[ravengoescaw]

Personally this is IMHO I don't take a flyrant as my only HQ choice, unless I am running Harpys with it. I don't like my HQ/warlord hanging out in the wind by himself. I know Harpies are not an excelent unit but they are the only other FMC we have thus only on able to keep up with Flyrant. You can with your army build have him be just as useful shelled, thus being harder for your oponet to get slay the warlord.

[NidsAndMarines]

Just a couple of points/observations.

You can't have CC and ST on the tervigon - it's one or the other I'm afraid (both would be mint!).

And there's not an awful lot of synapse in your list. The h'gaunts are nice with rage, but if they somehow then lose combat they're really likely to just scuttle away - maybe get sweeping advanced

'Nids & Marines

[DukeMantis]

Thanks alot for the tips guys, hrrrm i didnt realise id left myself short on synapse... once ive made that correction on the Tervigon (thanks for pointing that out!) i can shave a few models somewhere to perhaps make one of the Trygons a Prime... ill think on it.