Rippers Rippers Rippers.

[duke]

hello again everyone! I am back after a long while away- such is life in college. however, I am kicking up my nidly nids once more- but am looking for a new list.
firstly- I want to be able to win against many types of armies.
secondly- I want to get a good laugh out of the list as well.
thirdly- I want the parasite and rippers.

ok- so I know that this sounds destined to fail, but I'm determined to discover a way of running a ripper-friendly list that is both competitive and fun. right now I'm looking at 1500, but will probably grow out larger and larger as time goes by.
if anyone has any thoughts, I would greatly appreciate the insight.
thanks!

[ranmafan]

You'll want to create specialized Rippers:

AG rippers - light vehicle busting
TS rippers - Infantry/MC killers

Alternate models to consider -
Tunnel Swarm Spinefist + TS - anti infantry
Sky slasher swarm + AG - Light vehicle busting

Typically this is what you would be fielding - your main problems are naturally anything with a rear-AV higher than 10, walkers and vindicators.

Maybe just one or two units of Zoanthropes in Spore pods to provide additional Synapse and anti-armour capabilities.

Sample 1500 list (1499 pts)

HQ: Parasite
Elites: 2x 2 Zoanthropes in Mycetic Spores (1 w/ TL Deathspitters)
Troops:
1x 8 Tunnel Swarms w/ Spinefists
3x 8 Ripper Swarms w/ Toxin Sacs

Fast Attack:
3x 9 Sky slasher swarms + AG (or replace 1 swarm's AG with TS)

I'm not that qualified to speak about Ripper armies - the other forum vets are, but this army will not be playing for objectives. You'll basically be leaping towards the enemy, moving and running as fast as you can. The Sky slashers provide cover for the TS rippers - they then pop any Rhinos they come across and let the TS rippers finish off their contents.

The Zoanthropes will drop in to kill anything too tough for a Ripper Swarm, and the deep striking tunnel swarms are an auxiliary unit meant to punish an unengaged unit and/or run interference for the occupied Rippers.

Just IMO.

[Nightmare20]

With a list like that, how do you win 9/10 games being objective based? no scoring units will likely hurt you bad. Why not run tervigon as well for the troops and synapse?

[duke]

thanks ranmafan- I never really thought about that. specialized rippy-rips does sound pretty apatizing.. and I'll never say no to sky slashers. haha

Cerberus 10- your right, I kinda forgot about that. if I take some tervigon and termagaunt support for just such a reason, ill be better off defending my objectives. although I want lots of rippers, by no means do I need to have only rippers. although it would be cool if I could~ haha

[Nightmare20]

Id be tempted to take as many skyslashers as posible to keep up with the parasite and give all the rest spinefists. Tervigonwith crushing claws and term brood for scoring and maybe a trygon prime for high point games?

[scrotatohead]

I made a list simiilar to the one below only with a trio of Malanthropes in place of the PoM, minus buffs on the swarms. Its designed as a fluffy list to represent a "clean up" force, following the advancing Tyranid front lines to clean up and consume the bio-mass scatterred about the battlefield. It's certainly not tournament worthy but makes for a fun and interesting game. If you want more rippers or another synapse option you've got plenty of broods to play with:

== HQ ==
Parasite of Mortrex (1) = 160 pts.

== Elites ==
Hive Guard Brood (3) = 150 pts.
Venomthrope Brood (2) = 110 pts.
Pyrovore Brood (2) = 90 pts.

== Troops ==
Tervigon (1) - Crushing Claws, Cluster Spines, Toxin Sacs, Cat, Onslaught, Taken As Troops = 225 pts.
Termagant Brood (10) - Fleshborer = 50 pts.
Tervigon (1) - Cluster Spines, AG, Toxin Sacs, Cat, Onslaught, Taken As Troops = 210 pts.
Termagant Brood (10) - Fleshborer = 50 pts.
Ripper Swarm Brood (9) = 90 pts.
Ripper Swarm Brood (9) - Spinefists, Tunnel Swarm = 171 pts.

== Fast Attack ==
Spore Mine Brood (3) = 30 pts.
Spore Mine Brood (3) = 30 pts.
Sky-Slasher Swarm Brood (7) - AG = 133 pts.

== Total ==
1499 pts.

[blindmage]

All Rippers and nothing but Rippers! Go for the Table! Eat their puny sentient brains and be one with the swarm! Rippers are life!

[GuardDog78]

Seriously...e-mail Blindmage directly...if anyone knows rippers, their tactics and viability...it's him. If GW suddenly came out with a ripper HQ...we'd probably be able to hear his shouts of joy from the moon...

[0800hell]

NORN QUEEN must be made makes rippers scoring ALL RIPPER LIST HERE HE COME!!!!!!!!!

[blindmage]

0800hell: That's what the Malanthrope should do! You used to need to field one brood of Rippers to have a Malanthrope in your list

[0800hell]

Yes!!!!! great idea I think i may ask my club for that so be how it is I have 42 unused rippers lol

[blindmage]

Play them! I routinely use all my rippers!

42? any flyers?

For a pure ground army:

Malanthrope - 110

3x Hive Guard - 150
3x Pyrovore - 135

9x Rippers w/ TA, AG, Spinefists, Tunnel Swarm - 225
9x Rippers w/ TA, AG, Spinefists, Tunnel Swarm - 225
9x Rippers w/ TA, AG, Spinefists, Tunnel Swarm - 225
9x Rippers w/ TA, AG, Spinefists, Tunnel Swarm - 225
9x Rippers w/ TA, AG, Spinefists - 189

Total Points: 1484
Wound Distribution: T3 = 135, T4 = 6, T5 = 4, T6 = 6
Total Units: 8
Maximum in Reserve: 4 (all Tunnel Swarm Rippers)

End stage list, defending the Reclamation Pools and Capillary Towers.

Use the Hive Guard for heavier armour, Pyrovores for hordes or weaker foes, the one ground squad of rippers soaks up wounds and provides a barrier vs assault on the advance. Malanthrope boosts things in range. DS the other rippers to shoot things to death and force assaults. Overwatching with Rippers is better than the +1 for charging, unless you need the S4 to re-roll the poison.

Win Condition: Table them
Primary Goal: Force a Draw. They'll play to win. Playing for the draw throws their plans and gives you chances to sweep them off the field.

Edit: oops, that's 45 rippers.... Drop 4 from the on board squad (you need 41 rippers) and add another Malanthrope in the same brood. 1494 points, loose 12 T3 wounds, gain 4 T5 wounds, plan stays the same

Edit again: Oppsed on that last change. To get 1494, you'd take 1 ripper from each DS'ing squad, not the on board one.

Personally I like adding in some Sky Slashers that are guarding the Parasite, all CC if I want to smash them into things and try to pop out extra babies, or add in the Spinefists for more shooty goodness. Gives some pressure early on and gets a MASSIVE Synapse bubble up table. a 24" Radius (48" across) should cover most of the board.

[0800hell]

Thanks im going to use this list just for fun next game i play

[blindmage]

Let us know how it goes!!

It'll be nice to see another End Stage army.

[scrotatohead]

Blindmage,

When you say "The Malanthrope boosts things in range" are you talking about Prey Adaptation?