500 pts Escalation Rate my list!

[sturm]

So a couple of friends and I are starting an escalation league over the next few months. One night a month, 2-3 games a night (for as long as it's possible) against different opponents. It's basically a 500 points list, adding 250 points after each night. Restrictions are no flyers before reaching 1250 points, allies allowed and everything on the table must be painted, but this one isn't a problem.

I'm only allowed to build on my previous list, meaning I can only add new critters to the list or give upgrades (that will stay there forever) to existing bugs. I'm looking to stay as balanced as possible. I'm most likely going against Blood Angels, Imperial Guards, CSM and 2x Dark Eldars. Here's the list:

== HQ ==
Tyranid Prime (1) - Toxin sacs, Lashwhip and Bonesword, Scything Talons = 105 pts.

== Elites ==
Hive Guard Brood (2) = 100 pts.

== Troops ==
Termagant Brood (10) - Fleshborer = 50 pts.
Tervigon (1) - Stinger Salvo, Toxin Sacs, Cat = 185 pts.

== Heavy Support ==
Biovore (1) = 45 pts.

== Total ==
485 pts.

So I'm left with 15 points and I can't decide what to do with it. I was also on the edge between getting the biovore or another hive guard. I went with the biovore because of the Dark Eldars and IG, but I'm still debating if it's a good choice or not. What do you guys think?

Also, I'm not sure if I have to roll before every game for the psychic powers or only once before my first game, which means I can't say if it's a good idea to get the tervigon another power or not.

[Macradon]

NOOOOUUUU!!!!!
Don't put toxin sacs on the prime!!!

At a 500 point list, I got a very good list for ya!
It may not seem good, but it's very effective, for sure.

It's 500 pts. straight, so here it goes.

== HQ ==
Tyranid Prime (1) - Lashwhip and Bonesword, Death spitter = 100 pts.

== Elites ==
Hive Guard Brood (2) = 100 pts.

== Troops ==
7(6) Genestealers: Toxin sacs, Broodlord
3 Warriors: Pair of boneswords, Rending claws, Adrenal gland(Furious charge).

== Total ==
500 pts.

How to play with the army:
Genestealers stay in reserve and wait to come in, when they come in, get them into cover and wait for your next turn to assault.
The warriors and prim will move up, trying to stay in synapse range of the hive guards. Make the Hiveguards stay in cover, behind the warrirs or just behind normal terrain, try make them follow up with the warriors in synapse range. Warriors are great against any psyker, a big deal against Grey Knights, multi wounded creatures and so on. The warriors would provide CC wounds, the Hiveguards will provide strong firepower in cover and the genestealers will devastate everything left.

The Hiveguards will shoot flyers(If any), vehicles or just some irritating infantry. The warriors will defeat anything that attacks the Hiveguards in CC. The genestealers are a comeback if you're losing. Prime and Broodlord can challenge other guys, broodlord wants to use Hypnotic gaze and stop the challenger from attacking. The prime will just slash the opponent.


That's one of the preferred lists of mine. You can use it, or maybe just use your list and see how it goes That's how to find out if the list is good or not. If your roll bad, that's not the list, that's a failure 12''. (aprox. 12 inches from the failure(You))

Kudos
-The tamer

[retnab]

Alternatively if you're wanting something closer to what you're starting with, maybe something like this?

== HQ ==
Tyranid Prime (1) - Deathspitter, Lash Whip And Bonesword = 100 pts.

== Elites ==
Hive Guard Brood (2) = 100 pts.

== Troops ==
Termagant Brood (11) - Fleshborer = 55 pts.
Tervigon (1) - Stinger Salvo, Toxin Sacs, Cat, Onslaught, Taken As Troops = 200 pts.

== Heavy Support ==
Biovore (1) = 45 pts.

== Total ==
500 pts.

What are you planning on doing with the Prime? If you're having him go right for melee, you can drop the Deathspitter for a Devourer or ScyTals and take another Gaunt as well. I do agree the Biovore is a risk, against a swarmy army (or as swarmy as 500 points gets) it'll do great but against MEq not so much.

[Lanesend]

I like to disagree that the biovore is bad against MEQ.

You don't take it for the total damage output, but for sniping heavy/special weapons and models witch Chaos icons and the likes.

Because of the wording for barrage in 6th, your opponent has to save all of the wounds on the closest model from center of the blast, so a direct hit on a heavy weapon model, and he has to save all wounds from the blast on that model. (and even MEQ's fail one in three saves).

[FTGTEvan]

My thought is that I hesitate to take a prime - I'm not sold on his effectiveness, and I'm not sure I'd want to be stuck with him. I would take another troop slot and put the terv in HQ for now. Of course, this is assuming you can swap it's FOC slot later and add a tyrant. That said, if you like running a prime, and use him in normal games, go for it - I'm no doctor, and I have limited experience. Otherwise, I like the list. And I don't see why you would have to keep your rolled powers game to game.

[sturm]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

@tamer: Why would the toxin sacs be a bad idea? Re-roll to wound against pretty much everything is I think too good to pass. Unless it's overkill?

I understand the list you posted can work when played that way, but I fear that the warriors will be eating missile and be IDed, if not now, in later games and be pretty much useless. I'm also unsure about genestealers in 6th, but I guess I could give it a shot. They are still CC monsters once they get there I guess.

retnab: I was thinking about running the prime with the hive guards has a way to discourage any assault on them. But reading your question, I realized that I could probably use him more agressively and maybe have him join a unit of termagants and run up front. The hive guards would them be left behind the tervigon as cover and walking up the board.

Lanesend: i feel biovores will be very useful in later games against IG (he's probably going for a platoon army) and the DEs, but as you said, the snipping ability is also something that's on my mind. Hopefully i can force some pinning tests and pray for a high roll.

@vta:from what I understand of our rules, I won't be able to swap a tervigon in the FOC, and I don't want to waste an HQ slot on one. I also like to use the prime as mobile synapse for later games. The next thing on my mind is how i'll use the eventual hive tyrant. I tend to play very aggressively with it and hate to give away the warlord point to my opponent, so the prime takes that role. I dkn't know if thats a great idea though. What do you think?

[FTGTEvan]

I could see the Prime as warlord working, particularly if you're taking a flyrant; I haven't played with one, but I get the impression he's hard to bring down, but going to be out front/exposed a bit.

If you keep your prime with the hive guard in cover and play with wound allocation, it could make him survivable certainly, even if he doesn't offensively make back his points, denying a victory point and providing backfield synapse could be worth it. Not sure about Toxin sacs on him in that case, maybe give him a deathspitter instead so he can have some range?

[undertow92182]

I agree with VTAries. Stick the prime in with the HG so you can have some backfield synapse. Deathspitter is a great upgrade for this task to give him semi-reliable ranged attacks.

After that you can give your Tervigon adrenal glands rather than giving your Prime toxin sacs. This gives your termies just a little extra bang for their buck once they cross the field.

My 500 point list is almost identical to this one so I can see where you're coming from with it. You need those HG alive to pop transports so having a LW/BS deathspitter Prime with them makes them difficult to engage. Make good use of cover and crack open the enemy candy shells and let your Tervigon and her babies feast on the tasty chocolate inside.