1k tyranid list for game againt chaos

[biorivera]

Hey all,
So I threw together a list for 1000 points to play with a friend I had no idea played 40k(study buddy for all my classes- occasional bar friend) and he plays chaos. Anyways he comes over my place, sees the new chaos book on my table and flips out(he didn't even know there was a new chaos book).

He claims he's going to play fairly competitively, but he's not going to use any models he doesn't have(forge/maulerfiend/helldrake) so I decided to do the same(because my mawlocks and trygons are actually still at my parents house and not my apartment thanks to my own forgetfulness). He HAS however played w. the newest ruleset(moreso than me I think actually).

anyways, I was looking for some list critique, pretty much any suggestion is something I can do minus incorporating trygons/mawlocs- I play him tomorrw(we have an exam monday in molec. genetics so we're going to inter-space study questions with 40k cause we're typical jocks like that)

List:

HQ:
Hive tyrant- 2 biomancy powers- wings- Brainleech devourers x2

elites:
-2 hive guard
-5 ymargl stealers
-2 Zoanthropes

Troops:
-5 genestealers
-5 genestealers
-12 termagaunts
-1 tervigon- 3 biomancy powers(otherwise vanilla)

Beyond what I know he won't run, I think he(much like all of my friends who play chaos) plays plague marine heavy lists- though with the advent of a new dex its very hard to predict.

Does anyone have list advice for me here? I've played a few chaos lists so I have a vague idea what to look out for(but highlighting threats is more than welcome).

i also can say I feel iffy about the ymargls- the squad might be too small me thinks-though that does make it easier to hide. I haven't played with these guys much since the 6th ed. assault the turn you enter nerf. I can say readily that there is terrain I won't have problem infiltrating into unseen(as its my table and my terrain)- however the terrain is also basically all ruined buildings meaning there isn't truly a totally safe place for my hive guard to hide(and all my buildings have windows on every floor so getting around to the collapsed wall side of a building isn't truly necessary in many cases).

-I feel solid about the devil-flyrant but I mean its hard not to imo.
-psychic spam tervigons have become my new favorite thing, plus I'm pretty much counting on that tervi to be the guy to claim objectives.
-I'm also questioning my inclusion of troops stealers and how to run them. I was thinking to run them across the board behind gaunts, but I don't feel like their wall of gaunts will hold up long enough to keep them safe considering squad size and what would likely become reliance on the tervigon to spawn them more of a screen. Do you guys think I should combine the stealers squad? Or get rid of them and do something totally different?(maybe like a back-sitting squad of warriors to claim rear objectives-since I'm afraid they'll die to ID otherwise)

Any advice, greatly appreciated

[Sensei]

Your list looks pretty good. I haven't played the new chaos yet, so not really sure what you might come up against there. In my experience in 6th though, Zoans are really not worth taking.... roll for psychic test, opponent rolls to deny the witch, roll scatter to hit (with BS 3) or if using the lance a 4+, roll to wound, opponent takes armour/invuln saves. There are just WAY too many possibilities of offensive psychic powers being completely wasted. Psychic buffs are great, but zoans only get one roll for their 60 points - not worth it in my opinion. All in all, I really love the concept of the zoanthrope and my friends used to fear them, but with 6th edition rules I've found them to be completely useless in games.

Dropping them gives you another 120 points to play with - you can beef up your ymgarls a bit or add another troop. Genestealers are again one of my favourite units/models, but have become less effective in 6th. I would only take one unit of them. Keeping it at around 5-8 models. I'd keep them near/behind your terv for cover and a nice counter assault if your terv gets attacked or threatened.

If you're worried about synapse, consider throwing in a unit of warriors. Yes, they can be instagibbed by S 8 fire, but in a 1000 point list, there hopefully isn't too much of that (keep in mind I don't know new chaos). As well, I've found barbed stranglers effective for disrupting enemies. It's not guaranteed, but I've messed up opponents' plans by causing a casualty and having them fail their pinning test. It's long (for nids) range means you can target an enemy unit you don't want to deal with right away. I've found it effective for disrupting lightly armoured but mobile units.

If you're worried about cover, I'd throw in some gargoyles if you have the models. 80 points nets you 10, and spread out in a line they can give some good cover, plus you have the tyrant to keep up and provide synapse. Gargs offer a viable cover, provide a decently mobile option for either shooting or assaulting and although they aren't overly strong, I've found they tend to do alright. If they happen to get wiped out, they didn't cost too many points and stopped something from shooting/assaulting a more valuable target. As well, I've found them to be decent at tying up an enemy's frontal assault unit - you can usually deny them the charge, and then get one of your heavier hitters into place to charge before the gargoyles get wiped out, again denying the enemy the charge.

The only other thing I would consider if you've got the point is throwing TS and AG on the terv. It makes your gaunts much more effective and is a bargain for the points (about the only place AG is really worth it now).

Hope that helps, and good luck in your battle. Let the Hive know how it goes, I'm interested to hear. My brother plays chaos and I'll be tackling him when I head home for the holidays.

[lordofthebrood]

Use a zoanthrope as a Doom Of Malan'tai. There's no model for it yet so surely that fits within the 'what you see is what you get style rules'?

For a spore pod, wrap a kinder surprise egg in tin-foil and spray/paint it. It looks veiny and egg-shaped and is a reasonable size...

The flyrant should do very well. I played against a nurgle army last weekend and it was my second most successful unit after my trygon.

[biorivera]

I actually have a hydracast DoM lol, sick insane model(I don't expect the GW model to be as cool). i have a model literally to represent any non-apoc model minus the trygon/mawloc/trygon prime(which i also have a model for just not in my current apartment as a result of forgetting it at my parents place).

I might drop the zoans for something, maybe double tervigon it up. i'll consider some warriors me thinks. the second tervi is just uber attractive because of biomancy bombing(two tervigons in 1k to me is borderline overkill imo- though the added gaunts would certainly aid me in screening those stealers and with potentially dropping enfeebles that could be sick nasty.

Considering dropping the zoans for a devilfex or a warrior squad me thinks. Doom could be fun too I reckon- I just get bored running him so often lol.

[Lanesend]

One thing about chaos. All of the characters MUST issue and accept challenges. This is something you could use to your advantage. Especially if you see a hidden powerfist in a squad. If you charge a tactical squad with a TMC, you kill the champ on your own round. Kill the squad in his round.

PS. Zoans get 2 rolls each on the psychic charts (but can cast only one per round). Blessings and Maledictions don't have to be cast at the same target.

[lordofthebrood]

Use the Doom. He may be boring, but he is so worth it.

A devilfex in spore pod is a good idea but you do have a dakka flyrant. You're going to need at least one other unit of synapse (unless you run a lictor genestealer army...)