My first three games.

[praesul]

Over the weekend I had my first three games of 40k with my new nid army.
All three games were 1000 points. All three games used a tervigon, a flyrant with devourers (2 devs), 2 Hive guard, and the battleforce box.

I had a loss (Game one against Space Wolves), a win (Against Blood Angels) and a draw (against grey Knights)

The loss I'll put down to it being my first game of 40k ever.

The win seemed more down to my opponent picking a bad list (very vehicle heavy)

The Grey Knights are what bring me here with the following problems.

First is: What is the best way to deal with Terminators (2+ armour save being the problem).

Second being that would I be better off ditching my hormagaunts in favour of more hive guard. Hormagaunts smashed space wolves scouts in the first game, they did nothing but serve as cannon fodder for the other 2 games. Their effectiveness in close combat is undeniable but the hive guard had alot more consistency. They knocked off the blood angels transport in my first turn (I had first turn that game) and helped me pick off terminators.

Any advice would be great. If you want more specifics I'll happily give details, but I figured I'd spare everyone a huge wall of text.

[glassiya]

Most people think that the best way to deal with Termis is to tarpit them with something outnumbering (20+ gaunts, for example). Respectively, something like this (horma) can unleash enough attacks, that most likely he'll get 4 or 5 ones on his saves.

If not, we still have a lot of ways to deal with 2+. Our monsters strike with ap2, our boneswords ignore armour completely, and our psykers always can have Biomancy Signature. Also there are genestealers, but I try to not rely on Rending much, it's too random.
If they take shields, though, return to plan A - gaunts, a lot of them. Hormagaunts does well against SMs, when upgraded with AG and TS altogether. This way you increase your chance to wound them from 1/3 to 3/4, and it's totally worth it.

[thisguy1109]

I like to focus my twin linked devourers on terminators (any anti infantry guns really). Just like assulting with guants; just hit them so hard with numbers they will miss a few saves.

[N.I.B.]

Trust your experience, Hive Guards > Hormagaunts. You can't go wrong with lots of Hive Guards. Instead of Hormagaunts you take Tervigons and Termagants.

Terminators on foot hates to take lots and lots of armour saves, so spam them with wounds and drown them in buffed Gants. Lots of Termagants with Tervigon buffs is pretty much the answer to everything in close combat. If you want, momma can wade in with Iron Arm and speed things up.

[rpricew]

Another point to consider is, if you go all Hormagaunts then your opponent can either mech up and avoid them or Gunline them down. If you go all Hive Guard, then they can counter that with ranged firepower until they're dead too. When you bring both, then your opponent has a much harder time countering both threats at the same time.

Terminators die to forcing them to roll 1s... doesn't matter if its a wave of Hormagaunts, Str 8 shooting or a combination of both. Of course, if you can use what we have that ignores their Armor saves and force Inv Saves... your odds go up. However, the more specialized the weapon, the more point costs.

[paxmiles]

Oct 8, 2012 15:04:27 GMT praesul said:

The Grey Knights are what bring me here with the following problems.

First is: What is the best way to deal with Terminators (2+ armour save being the problem).

Second being that would I be better off ditching my hormagaunts in favour of more hive guard. Hormagaunts smashed space wolves scouts in the first game, they did nothing but serve as cannon fodder for the other 2 games. Their effectiveness in close combat is undeniable but the hive guard had alot more consistency. They knocked off the blood angels transport in my first turn (I had first turn that game) and helped me pick off terminators.

Any advice would be great. If you want more specifics I'll happily give details, but I figured I'd spare everyone a huge wall of text.

GK terminators function very differently than terminators found in other SM chapters.

In regards to killing them, depends on their build/function in the GK list, but the best option is to shoot them to death. This probably won't work, but if it does, it is the best option as it features the least cost in models in order to sink the targeted squad.

Assuming you need to engage them in assault, lash whips and getting the charge on them are both important for facing GK. Even there, if they have some of the special grenades, you may still lose. GK are just beastly.

In general, if you know you will face GK, be wary of fielding any psykers, as the GK get rather obscene bonuses against them. If you take them, be certain you understand all the GK abilities before you deploy, as they can really mess up a player without prior knowledge.

The good news with GK, is that they take losses much harder than other armies, as they are very elite in construction. This weak point can be negated with Inq henchmen troops or allied IG, but it is a weak point.

Many GK abilities are also psychic in nature, and so will be hampered by models with shadows in the warp. The deathleaper can also be of use for reducing the Ld of the GK HQ, as this often greatly limits their hq's psychic potential.

Of all the bug weapons for anti-GK, I suggest biovores the most. This is simply because the biovores outrange most of the GK abilities, and can fire without too much worry of return fire. It doesn't deny their saves, but they may fail a save or pinning test (barrage is pinning in 6th, right?), both of which will hurt them quite a bit.

Hope this helps. GK are a nasty opponent for bugs.
-Pax

[Raven]

Any non-vehicle problem can be solved by throwing enough Termagants at it.

[N.I.B.]

Oct 9, 2012 5:07:37 GMT Raven said:

Any non-vehicle problem can be solved by throwing enough Termagants at it.

Exactly.

Quoting myself from a tournament two weeks ago:

I spawn almost 30 Gants and charge the Terminators, along with 2 Iron Armed Tervifexes. Psykotroke grenades reduces one of the Tervifexes to a single attack (and is hit automatically in combat) but I answer the challenge from the Grand Master with the other T8 Tervifex, watch his attacks bounce and gobble him down with a bunch of S10 AP2 attacks. Smashing!
The rest of the Terminators all die from 50-60 poisonous attacks with rerolls. So, obliterating 10 Terminators and a Grand Master on the charge, feels good.

[syu]

Don't forget gents one of tyranid strength that got boosted in 6 th Ed : psychic abilities...in my last battle bro tournament we went up vs a 40 man gk army with four squads of ten. I had dev flyrant, tervigon, and a unit of zoans on spores... All chose the biomancy psychic except one flyrant... 3 models got enfeeble... Casted on a gk unit, he denies witch on a 5+... Which didn't work often... This brought down toughness to 3... Aside from my tl devs, even my gants were wounding on a 3+ from shooting...caused lots of wounds.. In the end...wiped out two units and even vs gants gk termites took time to kill...

Added icing to all the tactics listed above...:-)

[rick]

Boneswords are AP2 now too. Not that it changes much vs armour, but +1 on vehicles is a difference µ

[hadriel]

Oct 9, 2012 14:39:38 GMT rick said:

Boneswords are AP2 now too. Not that it changes much vs armour, but +1 on vehicles is a difference µ

when did boneswords become ap2? i thought they just ignored armor. just making sure i didnt miss something

[GuardDog78]

Boneswords "ignore armor"...they are still AP - for the purpose of attacking vehicles...

[hadriel]

Oct 9, 2012 16:51:19 GMT GuardDog78 said:

Boneswords "ignore armor"...they are still AP - for the purpose of attacking vehicles...

would they still be AP- if they were on a MC for purposes of attacking Vehicle or would they be AP 2

[GuardDog78]

Monstrous creatures have "smash" ruling which confers AP 2 to all attacks...boneswords at that point just give you the possible ID bonus...but most people probably take LW/BS with tyrant for the whip...not the sword...
For warriors/shrikes/prime and tyrant guards...no difference in regards to assaulting vehicles...

[syu]

Oct 9, 2012 16:57:48 GMT GuardDog78 said:

Monstrous creatures have "smash" ruling which confers AP 2 to all attacks...boneswords at that point just give you the possible ID bonus...but most people probably take LW/BS with tyrant for the whip...not the sword...
For warriors/shrikes/prime and tyrant guards...no difference in regards to assaulting vehicles...

and you do not need to actually smash to get the AP2, even mc regualr attacks at S6 still confers an AP2...sweet