[Beerninja]

Ok, So I've been in Afghanistan for a while now and got a Tau army painted up...although not played yet... I've got 3 more months and need a new army to paint and i like bugs. So with that being said how does this list look? I was trying to expand on the Swarm Box

Flyrant with 2 twin linked Devours with brain leaches

3 Zoanothrops
3 Venomthrops

3 Warriors with 3 deathspitters
3 Warriors with 3 deathspitters
60 Hormagaunts with Glands
40 Termaguants

10 Gargoyles
1 Hive Crone
3 Ravners

1 Carnifex with Crushing Claws Bone Mace, and Toxin Sacks
1 Tryogon Prime

I feel like i have enough Synapse on the board. I was kinda going for a swarm list. tell me what you think. thanks

 

[SoL Berzerker]

I would drop the glands on the Hormagaunts and give them Toxin Sacs. 4+ poison is always better than a S4 on the charge.

You do have enough synapse.

I wouldn't use the Carnifex, that is just because I don't like them though. I would drop him, then put regeneration and toxin sacs on the Trygon Prime. Why put 4+ poison on him? Because the new rules for poison let you re-roll the wound if you would normally wound the model on less than a 4+. So paying ten points for re-rolls on the wounds is great. Also, less of your attacks will be hitting because of the new Scything Talons rule, so you need to capitalize on every wound available. Regen is important, they take a lot of hits and now that Regen is on a 4+ its a no brainer for models with 6 wounds.

I would also split up the Venomthropes. One unit of 1 Venomthrope and another unit of 2 Venomthropes. That will let you have a greater spread of cover.

With the remaining points from taking out the Carnifex you can hand out upgrades or put in more units. Overall I feel like it is a solid list.

 

[Beerninja]

Thanks! I really like the Carnifex model...and the idea of him using the claws to rip apart a tank is kinda awesome. just wondering why you don't like him? I'm not a nid player and honestly havnt played my tau much...well at all...really

 

[SoL Berzerker]

I don't like the Carnifex because it is too many points for what it does. Just comparing it to other units in the codex, right now it's sitting at 160 points. For that many points you can have a Haruspex. I would not recommend taking a Haruspex, but for the same amount of points, it is light years better than the Carnifex. It has an additional wound, can regenerate when it gives a wound, and gains additional attacks based on how many attacks it hits with. So you are trading all of those special rules for the Carnifex who's only advantage over the Haruspex is his S10 with the Crushing Claws, but the Haruspex has those as well putting it at S7, not THAT big of a difference.

Now, taking a base Carnifex at 120, and then comparing it to a Wraithlord who is also 120 points, the Carnifex again gets its ass kicked. The Wraightlord has a S8, T8, and I4. The Wraithlords can also be much more effective in shooting. How on earth the Carnifex got put at 120 points is beyond me.

Believe me, I try hard to use Carnifexes, I have 5 of them! In 4th edition they were the best! But now they are over priced and when compared to other units they just cannot perform how they should.

For those 160 points, I would recommend buffing the units you have now. Regen to the Tyrgon, Crone, and Flyrant. Give Toxin Sacs to the Trygon. Adding one more Warrior to each squad you have.

Or you could add in a Tyranid Prime, throw him with a squad of Warriors and deck the Prime out for combat.

The Red Terror is also not a bad upgrade for the Ravenor squad. There is a lot you can do with 160 points.

 

[Beerninja]

So something more like

Flyrant with 2 twin linked Devours with brain leaches, Regen
Tyranid Prime w/ Deathspitter

3 Zoanothrops
2 Venomthrops
2 Venomthrops

3 Warriors with 3 deathspitters
4 Warriors with 3 deathspitters
60 Hormagaunts
40 Termaguants

10 Gargoyles
1 Hive Crone w/Regen
3 Ravners

1 Tryogon Prime w/ Toxin Sacs.

I also considered dropping the Carnifex for some Biovors...

 

[SoL Berzerker]

That is a nice list!

However, Biovores are also a very awesome addition. Taking Regen off of the Flyrant and Crone, then dropping the 4 Warrior squad down to 3 would allow you to take 2 Biovores, and then have 15 points left over, which would allow you to give a set of Boneswords to the Tyranid Prime. He is a monster in close combat, so those would be a nice addition. Take the Deathspitter off of the Tyranid Prime though, and give one of the Warriors a Barbed Strangler. Replace the Devourer on the Tyranid Prime with Scything Talons as well. That will give him 5 attacks at AP3 in close combat.

So summing up everything, this is what the list would look like

Flyrant with 2 twin linked Devours with brain leaches
Tyranid Prime w/ Boneswords and Scything Talons

3 Zoanothrops
2 Venomthrops
2 Venomthrops

3 Warriors with 3 deathspitters
3 Warriors with 2 deathspitters 1 with Barbed Strangler
60 Hormagaunts
40 Termaguants

10 Gargoyles
1 Hive Crone
3 Ravners

1 Tryogon Prime w/ Toxin Sacs.

1 Biovore

1 Biovore


So with this, you have your Tyranid Prime joining the squad of Warriors without the Barbed Strangler. You don't want to put them together because this will force your opponent to choose what he wants to fire at. Does he shoot at the squad with the Prime, or the squad with the Barbed Strangler that is pinning his troops? Keep the Venomthropes behind each squad of Warriors, then put a squad of gaunts in front of the Warriors, the gaunts have a 5+ cover and Warriors have a 3+ cover. That will allow you to move up the table with some safety.

For psychic powers on the Flyrant, if you get The Horror, keep it! You can use The Horror to try and pin one of your opponents shooting squads. You can then shoot your Biovores at another two squads, and the Barbed Strangler at yet another. If everything goes well, you can pin four of your opponents shooting squads and increase the odds of your army making it up the field. Pinning tests are your friend.

One thing to think about when deploying your army, do not worry about deploying your Zoans with the Venomthropes. The 3++ save on the Zoan is just as good as anything the Venomthrope can give you, so don't limit your deployments by scrunching everything around the Venomthropes.

 

[Beerninja]

Thanks so much for the help! the best part is, all of these are minis i WANT to paint which is the biggest thing for me!

 

[SoL Berzerker]

Awesome! Glad I could help! Now get out there and devour some.... Well anything really!