Keep in mind every game in this format will have 2 c&c objectives, 3 sg objectives, and killpoints will be scored. This means every list is designed to do well with objectives and yield as few as possible kp's.
List #1
The Parasite of Mortrex
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Genestealers x20
Genestealers x19 ts
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Termagants x10
Gargoyles x20 + ts, ag
Tyrannofex + Rupture cannon
Cluster spines
Desiccator Swarm
Tyrannofex + Rupture cannon
Cluster spines
Desiccator Swarm
This list isn't hard to figure out. I'm thinking the PoM will do well creating units to contest long range objectives. Some of my teammates think it will give up too many easy kp's.
My first game at yesterday' s tournament was DoW/kp's against a rhino rush witchhunter army with 3 exorcists.
List #2
Tyrant + as, oa, devsx2
Tyrant Guard x3 + whips
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Hive Guard x3
Hive Guard x3
Genestealers x19
Genestealers x19
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Termagants x10
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
This list has less anti-tank, more survivable synapse, and stronger synergy in combat via old adversary.
My second game at yesterday's tournament was c&c/spearhead against a dual land raider csm list.
List #3
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Genestealers x19
Genestealers x19
Raveners x3 + rending
Raveners x3 + rending
Spore Mines x3
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
My third game at yesterday's tournament was pitched battle/5 objectives against a blood angel list with 5 dreads and mephiston.
List #4
Prime + bs/bs, regen
Prime + lw/bs, regen
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Genestealers x20
Genestealers x20 + ts, broodlord
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Termagants x10
Warriors x8 + deathspitters x7, strangler
SporeMines x3
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
This list is designed with a shooty warrior deathstar to hold the center, provide synapse, and torrent nearby units.
Painted display board with newly based genestealers.
List #5
Prime + lw/bs, regen
Prime + regen
Hive Guard x3
Hive Guard x3
Genestealers x19
Genestealers x19
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Termagants x10
Warriors x8 + 7 deathspitters, strangler
Raveners x3 + rending
Raveners x3 + rending
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
Detail of finished genestealers.
List #6
Prime + lw/bs, regen
Prime + regen
Hive Guard x3
Hive Guard x3
Ymgarls x10
Genestealers x19
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Termagants x10
Termagants x10
Warriors x8 + strangler
Tyrannofex + rs, cs, desiccator
I liked this list a lot, but the state of terrain at some tournaments paired with a poor track record with reserve rolls leaves me uncertain about this list.
Sure love my genestealers... It looks like the black skin is very shiny, but most of the white reflections you're seeing are dry brushed on.
List #7
Prime + lw/bs, ts
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Hive Guard x3
Hive Guard x3
Ymgarls x10
Genestealers x20 + broodlord
Genestealers x20
Termagants x20
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Tyrannofex + rs, cs, desiccator
This list is probably one of the best, but would involve buying, assembling, and painting 2 more boxes of stealers.
List #8
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Hive Guard x3
Hive Guard x3
Ymgarls x10
Genestealers x20 + broodlord
Termagants x14
Tervigon + ts, ag, cat
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
Tyrannofex + rc, cs, desiccator
Biovores x2
So those were the lists I play tested over the past 2 months in preparation for the event. Which ones do you like and why?
Well, after writing a few lines, my post went poof, so here I go again. I prefer your 7th list with the exception of ymgarls. I dislike the dependance on reserves. Also in almost every game I find myself loving my Hive guards and in max numbers (even against horde type lists they do amazing by shooting nobs, nob bikers, terminators or FNP units.)
ReplyDeleteThus I think I would do something like the one below, which is very close to what you've already play-tested.
Keep up the great work on your blog and good luck.
== HQ ==
Tyranid Prime (1) - Lash Whip And Bonesword, Scything Talons = 95 pts.
Tervigon (1) - Cluster Spines, AG, Toxin Sacs, Cat = 195 pts.
== Elites ==
Hive Guard Brood (3) = 150 pts.
Hive Guard Brood (3) = 150 pts.
Hive Guard Brood (3) = 150 pts.
== Troops ==
Broodlord Brood (328 pts.)
Broodlord (1) - Scything Talons = 62 pts.
Genestealer (19) = 266 pts.
Broodlord Brood (328 pts.)
Broodlord (1) - Scything Talons = 62 pts.
Genestealer (19) = 266 pts.
Termagant Brood (10) - Fleshborer = 50 pts.
Tervigon (1) - Cluster Spines, AG, Toxin Sacs, Cat = 195 pts.
== Heavy Support ==
Tyrannofex (1) - Rupture Cannon, Cluster Spines, Thorax Swarm - Desicctor Larvae = 265 pts.
Biovore Brood (2) = 90 pts.
== Total ==
1996 pts.
Oh, lists challenge:)
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that in manystealers-list 1 tervigon is enough. So, lists 1, 4, 5 are out of challenge:)
I don’t like warriors. They bring no synergy to our army. Models are not any good as do their stats:) So, list 6 is out.
List 2 has less target saturation than others. “Get rid of stealers”, - it cryes. So, list 2 is out.
List 8 is dependent on stealers, but has not enough of them. Out.
List 3 looks solid. I like a small unit of spores. But I feel that you need a unit of biovores to add there (instead of one unit of raveners, maybe?)
List 7 looks interesting, but I like devgants much more than bare termagants:) Take them;) Maybe you can even drop the Prime and take 20 devgants then.
That was just my thoughts, feel free to ignore all of them:)
I have to say your models really popped with the basing done, love the scheme. IIRC your stealers was flat on the bases and now they are standing on rocks - did you break them off their bases?
ReplyDeleteSpore Mines, I've never used, but I know Fritz like a few to disrupt enemy deployment in the games he get to go first. I would chose one of the lists with 2 big Genestealer broods backed up by 2 Tervigons, which is either #2, #3 or #7. I don't think much of min sized broods of Raveners, so #3 is out. So #2 or #7 would be my pick.
Looking at #7, as akt above, I wouldn't like to invest 230 points into random Ymgarls. Me too would max out Hive Guards, which leaves you with enough points to take another 10 Gants to move the HQ Tervigon to troops. The last 30 points could go into 2 Onslaughts for when you need to reach out and touch something, or beef up the Gants (2 broods of 18).
Thanks for the input guys.
ReplyDelete@ NIB ~ I originally built a rainforest display board back a year ago with the same pieces I use for "Planet Petco" ( http://synaps3.blogspot.com/2011/02/hobby-planet-petco-gets-touch-up.html ) but I found my models got lost with all the geen and black. It makes sense that a splinter fleet stranded on a planet would adapt camouflage, but doesn't make sense for earning appearance points hehe.
My color scheme is pretty cold, so I figured warm tones on the base would make the models pop. The sandy color is pretty light also so it helps contrast the black skin. My new vision is scarab beetles scuttling across a desert. It can also pass as a planet that the splinter fleet has scoured of life.
I did indeed cut almost 20 of them off their plastic tab and re-mount them on rocks. What a mess hehe. I cut my thumb twice and got a good amount of blood on some. My first battle with them I was placing casualties on the table edge and broke several off. I went back and added a gross amount of super glue as they all stand on 1 foot and now they seem solid. If I deploy the units close together, I can also use the ones on rocks as one unit so my opponent can tell them apart.
I cut the tabs off of all my Hormugaunts & stealers and used 1/32 inch pins running through the base for attachment points. If you need a few bits & pins let me know. I have a few extra.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the lists, I like 2, 7, & 8. 2 is the most similar to lists I run, while 7 & 8 are where I see some of my army selections going.
I'm curious to why take Hive Guards in 3x2 instead of 2x3? Especially when you want to be light on kill points. I see many do this and I always wonder.
ReplyDelete@NIB
ReplyDeleteYou can threaten 3 targets with 3x2 hive guards instead of 2.
^This.
ReplyDeleteMy personal playstle prefers the chance to suppress more vehicles per turn. More suppression means longer survival. I feel it's one of the finer points of finesse with the nid army. Often, we over extend one portion of the army to secure a quick kill and end up trading units.
Genestealers can flip tansports perfecty fine if they have been stunned or immobilized. Less shots per vehicle could end up as more suppression, reducing movement and incoming fire. Now, if my opponent is sitting on 3 shaken/stunned/immobilized transports, he has to decide if he wants to unload the troops and hope he can gun down 40 genestealers, or hope those genestealers don't surround the transport ad wreck it. Forcing your opponent to make hard decisions will lead to them making more mistakes.
Like I said, it comes down to pesonal preference and play style. Will 3x2 make a huge difference over 2x3 at the end of the day? What about in the fomat where every game counts killpoints? Will mech spam be reduced or will I never get a pairing against a mech heavy list? Or do I offer less killpoints and more focused fire to reap killpoints faster?
These were all questions I was asking myself when I was designing lists and playtesting.
I see. Im fond of Onslaught and as with all unit-wide buffs you get more benefits the bigger the unit is, which means I always go 3 strong Hive Guards when rolling with Onslaught.
ReplyDeleteBut I also like to stack the odds to get that 5+ result on the vehicle damage table.
I have a couple problems with onslaught. It adds another dice roll (run) to the mix so another chance to fail (roll 1"). It's also a shooting attack which means that tervigon can no longer fire its pie plate, run, or assault. I also have to give up FnP? Too many sacrifices just to get a possible. Few more inches of shooting.
ReplyDeleteI've stopped using reserves, deep strike, and outflank for the same reason: too much weight on a single dice roll. Onslaught never makes my lists for the same reason. For my personal playstyle, I rely on as many certainties as I can.
I completely agree with your statement about certainties. I started playing tyranids again recently and was using 3 spore pods and a tyrant with hive commander. Total waste of points!
ReplyDeleteI now use a list similar to list 7, which I believe is your best and most balanced.
My similar list is:
Tyrant w/2 twin devourers, armored shell, old adversary, and 1 tyrant guard
3 Zoanthropes
2x 3 Hive Guard
2x 10 Termagants
2x Tervigons w/toxin sacs, adrenal glands, cluster spines, and catalyst
2x 19 Genestealers plus a Brood Lord
The brood lords will do you well against Grey Knights who need to take a psychic test at -1 leadership and rolling 3 dice for shadow in the warp from one of your synapse creatures. I have also found the Tyrant to be more effective than the Tyrannofex in a few ways. The tyrant guard helps provide a cover save, increased weapon skill/initiative, synapse, shadow in the warp, the twin devourers hit and kill a lot more, the old adversary makes the genestealers, gaunts, and tervigons more effective, and you have the ability of paroxysm up your sleeve should you need it.
Just my $0.02, love the blog by the way.
All true, Onslaught is situational and has a random element, but it's not only for Hive Guards. I've used it in order to push a sister Tervigon within buff range or Termagants, and the extra run on Hive Guards has won me the odd game were I could nuke troops holding a hard to reach objective.
ReplyDeleteI plan to put Onslaught to the test in a big tournament in a couple of weeks.
Why on earth did you mount those Genestealers on rocks and raise them up?!?
ReplyDeleteModeling for a disadvantage?
That's a new one....
TBH I hate the static height of all nids. I actually think the poses for nids are terrible also. I wanted to add some neutral elements to the bases to make it look like they are scuttling over something other than flat ground. It also serves as a way to differentiate genestealer units without glaring color differences.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm also not fond of the Genestealer models I can kinda understand. I mix in a bunch of Space Hulk 'stealers, but I cut down the decorative stuff they're perching on and mount them on slotta bases.
ReplyDeleteThey end up just a hair taller than the regular ones, but at least they've got some cool poses.
I use the Space Hulk Broodlord as well, but his 'mound of Skulls' also got cut down. He's pretty much standard size as well that way.
Get your hands on some of those if you need more 'stealers! They're cheap on e-bay, or ask around...that's how I got mine (Blood Angels player).
Of course, you can't use the 'digging up through the floor' one...that IS modeling for an advantage.
I'd hate to see you lose models because someone can draw LOS to the 'stealers mounted on the rocks.