More assimilation swarm debate

[Kyokii]

With the new and beautiful change to synapse and +1s my assimilation swarm list building has hit a new snag as I cannot decide: biophagic flow enhancement now makes tyrant guard s10! as it buffs the models in the unit. This is quite the breakpoint.
What would be better? Free intervention and fight first or s10 melee?
Really it's a question of how relevant s10 melee is.

I have a couple lists in mind mucking around thanks to this one guy whose name sadly, escapes me that went well in a tourney a couple weeks back and made me hyped to try some stuff since I have the models. Please take a look and offer any thoughts. Really just want to hear what the hive thinks, maybe get some insight that I'm missing. Much appreciated
List 1:

2k assimilation range focus w/ tyrant (2000 points)

Tyranids
Strike Force (2000 points)
Assimilation Swarm


CHARACTERS

Hive Tyrant (250 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Heavy venom cannon
1x Monstrous bonesword and lash whip
• Enhancement: Instinctive Defence

Neurotyrant (115 points)
• Enhancement: Biophagic Flow (Aura)

Tervigon (175 points)
• 1x Massive scything talons
1x Stinger salvoes

BATTLELINE

Termagants (120 points)
• 20x Termagant
• 20x Chitinous claws and teeth
18x Fleshborer
2x Strangleweb

Termagants (60 points)
• 10x Termagant

Termagants (60 points)
• 10x Termagant


OTHER DATASHEETS

Exocrine (135 points)


Haruspex (125 points)

Lictor (55 points)

Lictor (55 points)


Psychophage (95 points)

Psychophage (95 points)

Ripper Swarms (25 points)

Ripper Swarms (25 points)

Ripper Swarms (25 points)


Sporocyst (145 points)


Tyrant Guard (170 points)
• 6x Tyrant Guard
• 6x Crushing claws and rending claws

Venomthropes (70 points)
• 3x Venomthropes
Zoanthropes (200 points)
• 1x Neurothrope
• 5x Zoanthrope (neurotyrant here)


This first list is actually a pretty big shift from what I had been working with. See post 2, where I also have that warrior+prime unit with instinctive defence instead of the tyrant guard.
Though this list has less accuracy in melee with the guard you get the option of free lethal hits with the tyrant, cheaper 4+++ for harvesters(the haruspex) on objectives, lethal hits on even the zoanthropes if I have positioning right, and a bit more lone op shenaniganery. Sporocyst has been a surprisingly resilient and killy zone defence and maintains free overwatch.

[Kyokii]

2000 assimilation test 2 (2000 points)

Tyranids
Strike Force (2000 points)
Assimilation Swarm


CHARACTERS

Deathleaper (80 points)

Neurotyrant (130 points)
• Warlord
• Enhancement: Parasitic Biomorphology

Tervigon (175 points)
• 1x Massive scything talons
1x Stinger salvoes

Winged Tyranid Prime (80 points)
• 1x Prime talons
• Enhancement: Instinctive Defence


BATTLELINE

Hormagaunts (65 points)
• 10x Hormagaunt

Termagants (120 points)
• 20x Termagants


OTHER DATASHEETS

Exocrine (135 points)

Haruspex (125 points)

Lictor (55 points)

Neurogaunts (45 points)
• 1x Neurogaunt Nodebeast
• 1x Chitinous claws and teeth
• 10x Neurogaunt

Neurogaunts (45 points)
• 1x Neurogaunt Nodebeast
• 1x Chitinous claws and teeth
• 10x Neurogaunt

Psychophage (95 points)

Psychophage (95 points)

Ripper Swarms (25 points)

Ripper Swarms (25 points)

Ripper Swarms (25 points)


Tyranid Warriors with Melee Bio-weapons (150 points)
• 1x Tyranid Prime
• 5x Tyranid Warrior

Tyrannofex (190 points)
• 1x Powerful limbs
1x Rupture cannon
1x Stinger salvoes

Tyrant Guard (170 points)
• 6x Crushing claws and rending claws

Venomthropes (70 points)
• 3x Venomthrope

Zoanthropes (100 points)
• 1x Neurothrope
• 2x Zoanthrope

This list trades out some of the ranged damage for more board saturation from the neurogants in deployment, the reactive warrior unit, and S10 tyrant guard that hits on 3s and can get that +1 to wound if we spook the target enough. We lose out on some stratagem use since no tyrant means no -1cp/turn and no sporocyst to overwatch and poop mines to get silly with extra regenerations.

Whatch'all think? I do value the tervigon pretty highly for keeping the gants topped off on board presence and s10 scything talons feel reaaaally good against a lot of enemies. I think the attack volume eeks them out over crushing claws on her but I have t don't the match there.

[purestrain]

I run triple haruspex because monsters are my shtick, but that looks tasty.

[piersonsmuppet]

I vote for free Heroic & FF on the Warriors and +1S on the TG. TG are more likely to survive and make use of the +1A after killing a unit and receive a more impactful increase from both the extra S and A.

Warriors are more dangerous into a larger variety of targets, so make a better counter-charge unit imo.

[Kyokii]

Jun 22, 2024 0:03:07 GMT purestrain said:

I run triple haruspex because monsters are my shtick, but that looks tasty.

I only have a max of 2 and the exocrine gets. Some backfield stuff that my melee can't get at early game. I might try a pair sometime, though. The extra harvester is also nice.
And I love our wargleblargle frog.

[purestrain]

OOE needs to not be an epic hero (doesn't make sense for us to have them past swarmy anyhow, unless they add the Nephilim((?)) King)

Have a 3man squad dump out so much anti tank that it would make a void missile blush.

[Kyokii]

Jun 22, 2024 16:25:44 GMT purestrain said:

OOE needs to not be an epic hero (doesn't make sense for us to have them past swarmy anyhow, unless they add the Nephilim((?)) King)

Have a 3man squad dump out so much anti tank that it would make a void missile blush.

Ha, I like where your head's at and last night I had thrown ooe into a list with 2 haruspexes. Just make it target saturation.
Hive tyrant hanging back with tfex and early game death spitters on the carnifexes, still the neuro with the guard and parasite.
I wish we could enhance the named guys so much. Though a downside to the carnifexes in assimilation is the lowered Regen potential. You can only revive infantry and monsters get D3 wounds back. So you're more consistent at healing things like zoanthropes and tyrant guard.
Granted, even 1 wound back on a carnifex means a lot. Especially with a 6+++.

Assimilation Swarm really quickly went from "there's not enough here, I don't even wanna try" to "I have 4 lists to promote the synergy of a balanced diet" because I can't quite decide how I wanna play it.

[piersonsmuppet]

Jun 22, 2024 16:25:44 GMT purestrain said:

OOE needs to not be an epic hero...

Oh man, OOE and 2 Fex with free HI and FF would be fantastic.

[purestrain]

Ooe and two Carnifex, both with Crushing Claws and scything Talons, with OOE sporting +1S on melee weapons equipped in the unit plus a neurotyrants sustained synapse bug would make them violently powerful.

Start with the Carnifex with 8 S14 ap -3 d6+1D on 4s rerolling, then they get 4 S10 ap-2 3d swings.

Then OOE swings in.

6 S16 ap-3 d6+1 attacks, if they kill a unit, it goes to 10 Claw 6 talon and 7 Ooe swings.

But we can't have nice things like that.