Editing Hydraphant (section)

=== Tactics 8th Ed (outdated) ===

The Hydraphant exists as the largest possible model the Tyranids can currently field, coming in with suitably titanic stats (S17 T15 W80 SV 2+/3++/4++ (which can be upped to 2+/2++/3++)) and some suitably powerful guns, although at best they are only Strength 16. Normally, this may seem like a lot, but for something which is equivalent in-game to a Warlord class Titan it is nothing that special. However, it will eat smaller titans (Warhounds, Pylons, Squiggoths, etc.) for breakfast, due to the fact that it fires 24 of these shots, with each wound roll of 6+ dealing 3D3 mortal wounds against {{W40kKeyword|Vehicles}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monsters}} and {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}} models. Ergo, where it truly shines is in the destruction of enemy tanks, minor titans and walkers, anti horde duty on infantry and as a massive force multiplier for your Tyranids.

Firstly, its Clouds of death and despair rule will make your troops (at least within 24") almost impossible to hit when combined with a Venomthrope, and will slow down and choke everyone else (something that you’d be shelling out hundreds, if not thousands of points to achieve normally as a Tyranid player, and on a much less durable frame than the Hydraphant). This, combined with the option to make the Hydraphant a transport which heals/revives all units within 6” D3 previously lost wounds or models (as long as the models have a maximum wound count of 1) actually gives you a reason to group your forces together like an actual swarm and encourages you to take infantry units in an apocalypse game, something which would normally just be a waste of points or a means of accessing more strategems. Next in the general support department it’s also a psyker (not on the same level of a [[Dominatrix]] with a Norn queen on its back though) who can cast three powers from the hive mind discipline and deny three powers a turn, all with a +3 casting bonus (like Magnus this degrades with damage), meaning that even with the new +1 casting cost to smite each time its used you can still reliably cast it 3 times a turn. Alternatively, if you want to be [[That Guy]], you can cast catalyst on the Hydraphant to make it virtually invulnerable or suitably buff up the swarms of infantry scurrying around its legs. If you really wanted to go overboard on the psychic powers then you can choose the Attention of the Norn Queen ability instead, which gives the Hydraphant a +1 to all its psychic tests (have fun with your almost guaranteed D6 mortal wound smite with your +4 manifesting bonus) and invulnerability saves, giving you a 2++ against shooting attacks and a 3++ against melee attacks, making it just as/more durable than a Warlord Titan (although you can’t block mortal wounds), waltz this in front of your army to absorb all the dakka like a distraction Carnifex on Uber, space steroids.

The Hydraphant does of course come armed for a fight as well as being an excellent support unit. Starting with it’s more long range support guns, it has a Venom Mortar Launcher (effectively a weaker, long range mega bolter), a Heavy 20, 36-360” S6 ap -2 damage 1 gun which ignores line of sight and cover, and has the perfect stats to annihilate GEQs (you will kill 13.9 guardsmen on average per volley), and is also a surprisingly good MEQ killer as well. It also has the range to chip away at anything your opponent is trying to hide away on the opposite side of the board. For larger targets (as previously mentioned) it possesses two Hydraphant Dire Bio-Cannons, Macro 12 96" S16 ap-3 2D6 weapons which deal an additional 3D3 mortal wounds on a wound roll of 6+ against {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}} or {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}} units. These two guns are undeniably powerful, and will annihilate heavy armour and smaller class titans, but for something which is supposed to be equivalent to a warlord class titan they are "relatively" weak, their main advantage being high rates of fire. As such you'll want to reserve these guns to vehicle hunting, being far more than capable of annihilating a Baneblade or Knight in a single 12 shot volley. For point defence it has its Pyro acid breath, 18" Pistol 4D6 auto-hitting shots which hit like a mega bolter which inflicts a -1 leadership to the target, deterring anyone from charging you (10 man guardsman squads will be destroyed with plenty of room to spare), helping to keep your defensive swarms unmolested and your titan free from tarpits. With its ObSec rule, sit on top of the main objective and watch your opponent cry as every bit of damage dealt to the 80-wound monster is healed in its fight phase, and as the supporting units, buffed ''ad infinitum'', clear away every last remaining drop of his army that has so far survived the Hydraphant's wrath.

Melee wise it has the standard 1 attack = 4 hits, Strength: User melee weapon you'd expect of a Warlord Titan, but every model slain or every 2nd point of damage dealt to an enemy by this weapon heals the wielder by 1 wound, allowing you to out grind against things like knights, but if you want it to be harder hitting in melee, then there are its Spore cloud scything talons, classic double strength (i.e. S32 base!) ap -5 weapons which deal 5D3 damage, and with a constant 6 attacks there won't be much which can survive against it in melee, especially when backed up by its invulnerability saves. The Imperium and Chaos just lost their monopoly on Apocalypse.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}
{{40k-Tyranid-Bioships}}