Email: List "Shock and Maw"

From Steve M:

"This list is the result of playtesting about a dozen games since my last post.  My respect for the power of a Tervigon as a troops choice forced me to add another and a unit of termagaunts as troops.  I have now dropped the Swarmlord and tyrant guard and boosted the save of my DakkaTyrant to 2+ to face my local tourneys barrage of missile launcher devs, long fangs, and deathwing terminator lists.  My losses have come to Blood Angels with Mephiston, 9 vehicles with twin assault cannons, and 12 devastators with missile launchers. 

Three of my units drop in with spore pods.  Two Carnifexes with dual twin linked devourers giving them 12 twin linked strength 6 shots and the Doom of Malantai.  Hive commander also gives me the option of outflanking a tervigon or termagaunt unit should I choose to do so.  This would most likely happen in dawn of war missions.  Anyway here is the list.

Hive Tyrant w/ 2 Twin Devourers, Armored Shell, Regeneration, Paroxysm, Leech Essence, Hive Commander, and Implant Attack
3 Hive Guard
3 Hive Guard
Doom of Malantai in Spore Pod
10 Termagaunts
10 Termagaunts
10 Termagaunts
Tervigon w/ Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Crushing Claws, Cluster Spines, Catalyst, Dominion
Tervigon w/ Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Crushing Claws, Cluster Spines, Catalyst, Dominion
Tervigon w/ Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Crushing Claws, Cluster Spines, Catalyst, Dominion
Carnifex w/ 2 Twin Devourers in a Spore Pod
Carnifex w/ 2 Twin Devourers in a Spore Pod

Well, what do you think? 
I also have a rules question.  What happens when your opponent tries to tank shock a spore pod?  It is an immobile unit.  The way I see it, Only 2 options are viable. 
1.  The pod must death or glory and gets 1 str6 plus 2d6 attack on the front armor. 
2.  The tank stops 1 inch away as the pod cannot move and so cannot be tank shocked out of the way."

Thanks for the email Steve.  I believe the recent Tyranid FAQ addressed the tank shock/spore question.  The spore is a fearless MC, so you move it out of the way as per the tank shock rules.  It also has the option of performing death or glory with the 6+2d6 pen roll on front armor.

The list looks pretty solid.  The reason you've probably lost to Meph/shooty lists is you're a bit light on ranged anti-armor, and your close combat units are only throwing down a couple attacks.  Drop fexes are fun, but you have almost 1/3 of your army starting off the board, and the shooting you do have is short range.  I find deep strike lists like to start further back to bide time until their reserves arrive.  If you play a hybrid drop list and throw 65% of your army at 100% of your opponent's army from the very beginning, they have 1-2 shooting phases to thin you out.  This means you want a list that can castle a bit and weather the storm until the drop units arrive. 

With the current list, you're probably having trouble giving cover to your tervigons making them vulnerable to missiles.  Hive guard have the same threat range as those 9 assault cannons and can only suppress 2 pet turn, so you'll lose that shootout.  As they also rend, your catalyst is less effective.

Also, your close combat units aren't nearly specialist units.  The tyrant can hit hard, but without preferred enemy he's only going to put out a couple wounds.

I would take this list either more towards a drop list with long range shooting, or a foot slogging list.  I'll try to keep the lists close to the original.

Drop List Version:
Tyrant + Armored Shell, Hive Commander, Heavy Venom Cannon
Tyrant Guard x1
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Termagants x10 + devourers, mycetic spore, twin linked deathspitter
Termagants x10 + devourers, mycetic spore, twin linked deathspitter
Tervigon + adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst
Tervigon + adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst
Carnifex + devourers, mycetic spore, twin linked deathspitter
Carnifex + devourers, mycetic spore, twin linked deathspitter
Tyrannofex + Rupture Cannon
85pts to play with

It's not a pure drop list, but follow me here...  Tyrant, tfex start out in front of your force with 2+ saves.  Between them and the hive guard, open up as many transports as possible in the first two shooting phases, then torrent the remnants with the dakkafexes and devilgaunts.  It's light on assault, but play it conservatively and supergants with paroxysm can still pack a punch.  In many cases, you can gun down assault units when the pods start dropping in.  Against the BA list, you can deploy far back and draw the razorbacks towards you into hive guard range and exposing them to rear armor shots when your spores drop.  Fire all the spore's deathspitters first in hopes they can also damage rear armor and provide more opportunities for the gaunts/fexes.  You'll still need to be wary of Meph, but an average spawn of gants with FnP should hold him down for 2 assault phases.

Foot List Version:
Tyrant + Old adversary, Armored Shell, Devourers
Tyrant Guard x2 + lash whips
Hive Guard x3
Hive Guard x3
Venomthropes x2
Tervigon + claws, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst
Tervigon + claws, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst
Tervigon + claws, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst
Termagants x10
Termagants x10
Termagants x10
Carnifex + devourers
Carnifex + devourers

So a foot list with the same foundation, but more synergy.  You want old adversary for tervigons with claws.  Venomthropes make the gaunt bubble wrap a real pain to get through.  Standard 6 hive guard for AT/suppression and 36 devourer shots for mopping up.  It's a slow list and you'll need to bunch everything up nice and tight to get old adversary and spore cloud love.  Play the tervigons aggressively though and don't forget their babies spawn 6" up, move 6" and can also assault 6" all in the same turn.  Tarpit everything you can until the slower stuff catches up.  Spore cloud and 3x FnP should allow you to ignore the missiles and the non-rending assault cannon shots.  This list can actually bring Meph down with gaunts also if you play old adversary and brood progenitor powers well.

Anyways, good list, I'm glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for sharing.  Feel free to send me some batreps if you take pics during any of your games.