Help re-unite me with the bugs at 2000 pts please.

[lofton]

I really like the Carnifex, Hive Tyrant, Warriors, and Hormagaunts, the Exocrine model, and the Trygon. I started nids a while back because of the carnifex and warrior models. (A long while back before all of the spawning bugs and such, they look meh...) I am thinking of jumping back into 40k and coming back to nids. With the current meta are the big bugs still strong, if so which ones?

I could use some help with a 2k list if anyone is feeling spunky. I know flyers seem to be the rage and we have a couple decent looking ones now I see. I like to play all comers lists that have a chance to beat any list. (I don't play to dominate, nor do I enjoy getting curb-stomped, so I try to shoot for the best of both worlds)

[lofton]

Would it be better to start lower? At this point I have 0 nids and cannot decide. I want to go the big bug route but the 170 starter kit is nice except it is mainly troops.

[gigasnail]

hi there, and welcome! this link will help get you up to speed (there's a lot to digest):

thetyranidhive.proboards.com/thread/47385/tyranid-hive-rules-codex-tactica

the fast and dirty: any list involving 2-3 flyrants with X2 devourers, 2-3 carnifexes with X2 devourers, the troops option of your choice (either deep striking ripper swarms, termagants + warriors, termagants + zoanthropes, or tervigon + termagant swarm, or if you're feeling froggy, multiple large hormagant broods), and top off with venomthrope/malanthropes (pretty much necessary to prevent pods/scouting bikes from alpha striking and crippling you first turn), gargoyles, biovores, a crone (nerfed but still decent), and/or a zoanthrope to help provide synapse to the gribblies and you have a good start.

[gigasnail]

Aug 13, 2014 0:45:30 GMT lofton said:

Would it be better to start lower? At this point I have 0 nids and cannot decide. I want to go the big bug route but the 170 starter kit is nice except it is mainly troops.

the best bet is to ask the people you're going to game with what points level they play at, and go from there. most places range from 1500-1850. some folks still do 2k, i know it's my favorite but the guys i run with typically don't.

[blucord]

It's a good place to start, tons of bugs!!! And you can get reacquainted with your painting skills with gaunts. I do suggest you get two hive tyrants and use them with wings, the are almost an 'auto-bring' plus they look amazing. Are you familiar with any of our formations? What's in those would be good first buys. A few warriors,a couple FMC's, worms...mainly big bugs, they are fantastic to run in games 2000 or less... gene stealers are garbage, it makes me sad but they have just been beaten to the ground so I wouldn't take them. Most of your elite choices are great and can be interchangeable depending on who you are playing against. In my opinion venoms might be better than zoans... But that's just with the style I play. Look hard into it, bugs are the best!! But not the easiest to get into, But are well worth the pay off. Use the hive as your research platform, there is tons of good stuff in here! Use the collected thoughts and opions of the nid players that play all sorts of style to help you figure out how you want to play!

[lofton]

I think most around our area do 1850 if I recall. I usually play WM/Hordes but I want to give 40k a go again since they are trying to repopulate it in the area. I used to have some nids but only painted them and didn't play them. I figured I would buy 1 flyrant, 2 carnifex and then see what else I would need. The biggest question I have is at 1850 what am I looking at if I use my flyrant and 2 carnifex, should I add in a crone, tervigon, or exocrine. I like those models and they were reviewed as decent. Secondly, are termagaunts fine or do you need the hormagaunts for more dakka? (I have always been partial to the look of the talons)

[gigasnail]

you've got it flipped; the termagants have the guns. any of those things will be a good fit.

[lofton]

My bad mixed em up, is one clearly better than the other or no?

[macdaddyt]

Aug 13, 2014 2:23:29 GMT lofton said:

My bad mixed em up, is one clearly better than the other or no?

They both provide the role of tarpit/meatshield.
Gants (the guys with guns) are my preference as troops in 7th because they are cheap, and because they have a gun. You can bring a lot of them for little cost and they have a (mediocre) shooting threat in a game where shooting is the way to go. (Though don't expect them to kill a lot) Primary advantage (Cheaper/Gun)

Gaunts(the stabby ones) are nice in their own way. They are fast and only slightly more expensive than gants. Most of the time I use these guys as a big target to take fire off my other units. If you take them. Rush them at your opponents weaker units or use them to tarp it vehicles and MC's just by being there. (Primary advantage: SPEED!!!)

IMO go one or the other. Don't normally take both versions as it's better to try to keep a basic focus to your army and it's function. Do you want a fast force that's in assault (or dead) by turn 2-3? Or do you want a slower force that replaces speed with survivability.

[lofton]

Well, I love speed which brought me to nids way back when. I would be lying if I said the swarmlord hive tyrant with all the swords looks awesome as well as the carnifex with all melee claws. However, I want to stand a chance and know that my best bet is the dakka rants with some support elements. I just didn't know if the stabby gaunts would fill any roles with the shooty bugs, for example tar pit something bigger until I shoot and kill some other stuff or the shooty gaunts were the way to go.

[gigasnail]

there's really not much of a reason to ever take hormagants when gargoyles exist.

[lofton]

KK all I needed to know thanks a ton! Any thoughts on the pros or cons of taking a crone, tervigon, or an exocrine? Leaning toward exo for more support fire but not too sure on all the new bugs.

[gigasnail]

the pros/cons of those are often debated. they're all 3 solid units. there's not a short answer, but i'll try:

crones: good AA. would be great AA, but a crone using vector strike has a limited movement compared to flyers and a large base so it's sometimes hard to actually pull off. has the haywire missiles for anti-vehicle, but has BS3 (they are TL vs air targets though). used to be a great all-rounder as you could land and assault with smash at S10 and only loose one attack. the changes to FMC assaulting and the VS nerf kicked these guys in the pants, but they're still solid enough to use one of, just no longer a no-brainer/take 2+ all the time/everytime (the vomit cannon is great vs xenos or AM troops in cover/behind an aegis) and does basically the same thing a tfex does to ground troops.

tervigon use to be nine miles of bad highway. then our new codex came out, and the unit was nerfed in ever conceivable way. (i'll stop crying about it now) it still squirts out scoring troops though, and as objective secured can be a big thing, this is always useful. this isn't debated, what is often debated is the cost. when you stack on the fact you have to have a 30-strong unit of gants to make her a troop, the costs stacks up quickly to the point where you're paying up the wazoo for a bunch of troops, none of which are particularly hard to kill (T6 will not save your tervigon, either. but squatting one next to a malanthrope in ruins or rubble giving her a 2+ save might). i much prefer taking her as an HQ, still keeping the ability to squat babies out, but vastly reducing her cost. note that i'd only do this using double CAD, would never user her in lieu of a flyrant in any capacity.

exocrine vs dakkafex vs tfex has quite a few threads for it. i don't feel the exo is worth it on his own (and we've hashed this one out quite a bit; coredump did a long and thorough math-fest comparing the dakkafex vs the exo, and dakkafex is nearly always better just from the sheer number of hits it puts out). however, the exocrine does have a solid place as part of the Living Artillery Node formation, which gives him pinning (on all ranged weapons) and lets you re-roll the scatter die on his blast if he's within 12" of the warrior brood in the formation. it's a really, really solid formation.

hope that helps.

[lofton]

You are the man or woman giga thanks a ton! Where does one get the formation info from download only? Last question I swear I meant trygon (Big tall skinny bug with scything talons?) I think.

[drkshmn3984]

I havent had much use for a trygon w this book.. seems to be many more options for heavy support. like said already. carnifex is solid. exocrine is great as part of the living artillery formation. also in regards to tervigon ive had plenty success running only 1 flyrant w a tervigon hq. tervigon is still a solid synapse anchor for the slower stuff and i havent felt the lack of a second tyrant. alot of this can be meta in my area which may differ from where you play. Back to heavy choices though. tyrannofex has been great for me just take him w acid spray and electroshock grubs. maybe adren glands and or regen. i personally dont like paying the points for regen. but tfex is the one to do it. also dont overlook hive guard. even w the bs drop they still do their job. and biovores are fantastic. especially since they come with the living artillery formation as well