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2000 points Zero Carnifex list #1

417 views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Tarnag 
#1 ·
As it is, I don't have 6 carnifexes with which to make your typical Tyranid list. My other army is Tau, and I've never had one unit act as a crutch that allowed the rest of the list to keep pace with other armies, every unit is viable, and there are many ways to deal with each sort of problem. Tyranid army lists are driving me bonkers, as we're forced to depend on Carnifex to do a lion's share of our work, and to have a strong force capable of surviving a bit of incoming fire we have to max out on the Carnifex. Hence, I'm trying to do a series of experimental lists to prove that Tyranids can work without having to depend on Carnifex to win.

I dub thee, the "Leviathan Pincer" list.

This army is actually two 1000 point lists, so I will post everything in it and assume that for every one unit, there is another.

1 Hive Tyrant +Enhanced Senses +Extended Carapace +Toxin Sacs +Twin-linked Deathspitter +Venom Cannon +Psychic Scream
3 Tyrant Guard
1 Lictor
4 Warriors +Deathspitter +Scything Talons +Toxin Sacs +Extended Carapace
1 Warrior +Barbed Strangler +Scything Talons +Toxin Sacs +Extended Carapace
8 Gaunts +Spinefists
10 Hormagaunts +Adrenal Glands (+I) +Adrenal Glands (+Ws) +Flesh Hooks +Toxin Sacs
10 Genestealers

Tactics play a significant role in this list, so allow me to explain:
The goal of this army is to approach the enemy from two flanks, using the Hive Tyrant and guard, backed by the Warriors, as a virtual shield for the Hormagaunts and Genestealers. The two Pincers will move to the enemy's flanks, softening the enemy up with varied firepower (Warriors to deal with infantry squads, Hive Tyrants trying to disable enemy armour, and Zoanthropes dealing with the greater threat of the two). Once in range, the goal is to assault with both the Hormagaunts and the Genestealers simultaneously, Genestealers assaulting the closest enemy unit and Hormagaunts assaulting the next-closest unit. My hope here is to simply beat the enemy, being in range of at least two Psychic Screams will reduce the assaulted squad's leadership by -2. When the enemy squad breaks (at least a -3 modifier for losing assault by 1) they will be pursued by Initiative 5 and Initiative 6 broods, which should be able to easily catch the enemy as they flee and wipe out entire broods. Lictors are in the list to provide early distraction from my pincers, to deal with heavy firepower units early (or land-raiders if they're present) and to provide their Feeder Tendrils to the assaulting squads. The Hive Tyrant will join the fray when in range, as Tyrant Guard are actually very good at close combat, along with their ranged-combat oriented Tyrant. Gaunt squads were included to hold rear objectives.

The list has a good model count (76), and a very balanced mix of shooting and assault capabilities. Unfortunately, the assault elements of the list are limited, having to stay behind the slow moving shooting elements until in range, and vulnerable to any sort of firepower. Once in range, they will be devastating to my foe, I'm just worried about their getting there. My other concern is the possibility of facing a Land-raider list. Tyrants, Zoanthropes and Lictors can kill them, but it's going to take a lot of persistence.

Comments are more than welcome, remember I'm trying to wield a list without using Carnifex at all (and Biovores have stepped out of the picture when 5th came into play).
 
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#2 · (Edited)
The only thing I can see is the Hormagaunts. I may be wrong (as I don't have my codex on me) but you are paying more for them win those Biomorphs than you would for a Genestealer, which are leagues better in assault! You would be better off taking them instead, for more punch in CC.

Otherwise it's an interesting list, I have never seen that type of Tyrant before, but it seems really interesting (I may just try it myself.

I commend you for trying to make a Fexless list though, it's sure an endeavor.

EDIT: What is with all the Carnifex hate though? I haven't seen a 6 Carnifex list in a really long time, and I doubt any Nid player seeks to max out on them... I run Nidzilla and I only have 4 Fexes and one Tyrant most of the time.
 
#3 ·
I'm actually paying the same points value for them, and they're fulfilling different roles in my army. The Hormagaunts (with flesh hooks) will be the first models in my list in assaults. They're designed to kill like Genestealers so that I can force morale checks within psychic scream range and run them down, and with Flesh Hooks and Initiative 5 they'll be striking first against most and running them down too.

As for the Carnifex hate, they're the "use this unit to win" model of the Tyranids. I can't enter a thread on LO's Tyranid forum without hearing about how someone needs to take two Sniperfexes. I admit that they're good units, but when people consistently take up to six of them in a list... we're just maxing out on heavy support, and we're supposed to be more flexible than that. I'd rather face a foe and instead of having them say "Oh jeez, now I've gotta kill more Carnifex" I'd like to have a competitive fight with a balanced force.
 
#4 ·
I like it, it is nice and refreshing. With some outside the box thinking like this you may be able to sneak in some Raveners as well. That way they don't have to lumber behind your big bugs and can pop out/combo with the Lictor for some massive damage! It's less units on the field to take pie plates to the head and more with the precision striking, especially with the re-roll the Lictor gives. I've always wanted to see a Choir army in action, please report back with how this performs!

Oh and don't forget that units with Flying have the abililty to Deep Strike as well. If you bumped your points up you could dump in a CC Flyrant right on them to occupy their forces while yours trudge up the line a.s.a.p. Plus it would work nicely with the living blenders your Raveners are and get some lovely re-rolls from your Lictor. =)
 
#5 ·
Ah I see, if you are using them for a quick charge and tie up they should perform well enough to guarentee those Genstealers the charge next turn.

Im iffy about the Psychic Scream on the 'Thropes but not the Tyrants, usually a Psychic Choir doesn't function as well without a full roster of it, but based on your results (in the other forum) it seems to work well for you.
 
#6 ·
I'd like to sneak in some more deep-strikers like the Lictors, and I've wanted to due to the Lictors' ability to allow re-rolls on reserves. However, only Lictors have the ability to assault the turn they deepstrike, were I to take Raveners I'd either deepstrike and blast the nearest infantry squad with Devourers or use the shooting phase to run so as to be closer to the nearest enemy squad and not so tightly packed so they could survive some blast weaponry. Unfortunately, I'd have to find points for these guys, and the only thing I could viably cut from the forces to get two Ravener squads would be my two Warrior squads, who are extremely effective at shooting and provide a second shield wall for my close combatants should my Tyrant and guard be eliminated.

I'm also avoiding taking any more elites or fast attack, as I need troops choices to score objectives. Half of the strategy is to move a flank up the field from objective to objective, first dropping off a Spinegaunt squad, then a genestealer squad at the next objective and, if I'm lucky and if they survive, dropping the hormagaunts off at the last objectives. Though they are my heavy hitters, if I make it to close combat way up the field without my genestealers I've got my entire Psychic Choir, Hive Tyrant and Warrior remnants to chew things up.

If I took a CC Flyrant, I would have one less Tyrant with guard to shield my forces. Though I really appreciate the suggestions MattyMorgs.

And that's exactly it Tarnag. Using four models with Psychic Scream instead of my maximum five works well enough. In that most recent game that you read about, my hormagaunts caused a Pathfinder squad to take a leadership check at -9 leadership. They failed and got run down. I'd love to max out on things, but this list is designed to work in two separate flanks, which means two even forces and no odd numbers of units (such as three zoanthropes). Plus, that would mean less points for close combat squads or scoring units.
 
#7 ·
Sounds very cool, I would actually like to try something like this now, I have just about all the models there, it sounds like an interesting endeavor tactics wise (I usually split my force into flanks anyway, this would just make it easier), and definately worth a try.

Looking at my force I realize I'm much less of a Nidzilla player than I put myself up to be, I have actually started fielding more models than my IG friend does...

Once again I applaud you on this, it's forcing me to see Nids differently, at least slightly.
 
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