Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Tyranids (section)

===Apocalypse Units/ Lords of War===
*'''[[Hierodule]]''' Though it looks like a gigantic gaunt, it's really more like a carnifex on angry, angry steroids; this Bio-titan eats tanks for breakfast and is roughly the Tyranid equivalent of a baseline Stompa or a Warhound class scout titan.  It comes in two versions, the melee only version which has four huge scything talons that can carve up vehicles and superheavies in close combat, and has a huge flamer. The ranged version has two huge scything talons and two biocannons (this particular version of the biocannon is S10 AP3 assault 6) which means that you can spit out twelve S10 AP3 hits per turn, now despite "only" having AP3, the sheer number of high strength shots will quite regularly defeat AV 14, so you can pop open land raiders and monoliths (the only two units with AV 14 all around), kill baneblades and battle fortresses from the front (though it's still recommended that you go for their side or rear armor, <strike>because you should always try to take the most favorable option possible</strike> attack their weak point for massive damage), take out titans and stompas (Void shields and power fields only have an AV of 12 and collapse if struck with either a glancing or penetrating hit, though only one layer of shielding will be destroyed by a single hit; as for a titan's armor, it's generally identical to a baneblade's, <strike>not even a warlord has AV 14 on it's sides or rear)</strike> (Partially correct, its AV15 on the side), Brass scorpions, and Gargantuan creatures. Overall, a solid choice. In addition, all biotitans can tank shock, but this is generally most useful for the melee Hierodule, as it lets it just plow through a whole army of infantry models to get at the superheavy sitting at the back with a smug smile on it's face. Hilariously, Lysander can beat even the melee version of this in CC, for 1/3 of the points, but that tends to apply to most storm-shielded models up against Tyranids. But don't buy the model - buy [http://hydracast.blogspot.co.uk/p/mother-of-brood.html this] and replace it's arms with rupture cannons stuck on flesh-borer hive bitz (if you want a fat-looking knock-off).Put the hierodule's head on,and you get rid of the outdated body.

*'''[[Hierophant]]''' Coming in at a thousand points, the Hierophant is the priciest Tyranid unit in regular scale (or more accurately, not-epic) 40k and is easily one of the priciest units period.  But it makes up for that by having two extremely long ranged s10 ap3 (yes, a shot from this is more likely to kill [[Land Raider]] than it is a terminator, go figure) assault 6 biocannons, gargantuan creature rules, a metric fuckton of claws, lash-whips, warp-fields, and some of the highest armor saves, toughness, wounds, and strength stats you have ever seen. You thought the four uber-daemons were tough? You haven't seen shit, compared to this beastie those four are nothing. There is not a single non-apocalypse unit in any codex that this thing wouldn't eat for breakfast.  No matter what range it fights at, it will fuck something's shit up. Mr.space marine with a hidden power fist doesn't have shit on this guy. It is however, an colossal firemagnet, even if he is nigh on impossible to kill. With regeneration, he is pretty much the ultimate damage sponge, the few things that do hurt him will simply be rolled away. The psychic power 'Warp Field' gives it a 6++.  Where it really shines is close combat against other super heavies where it will [[RIP AND TEAR]] with wild abandon. It also has access to a few useful upgrades, e.g. a hellstorm Str 5 AP 3 flamer, when wounded causing a large blast that is either auto wound ap 2 or D3 glancing hits, or being able to have a 20 transport capacity should help to transport vulnerable units across the board.

*'''[[Harridan]]''' the Tyranids' flyer, it is for all intents and purposes, a fucking flying Hierodule (with the best of both versions) it has the exact same bio-cannons as a Hierodule (S10 Ap3 assault 6 x2) but as a flyer, most things can't hit it, and it can pop open tanks with it's bio-cannons or its claws and is one of the only Tyranid units that can deal with enemy flyers (some people debate that it can actually assault a flyer, tearing it's shit up, and now with sixth edition, it most certainly can!). It can carry One Gargoyle brood, but mainly you want this for the bio-cannons mounted on a extremely difficult to hit platform, though a trio of Harridans shitting out sixty Gargoyles right on top of someone is a hilarious way to drown someone in flyers. Due to its immensely powerful guns, only superheavy fliers have any chance of surviving being shot at by the bio-cannons and even then they're going to take a severe beating to their 1d3 structure points. With its gargoyle broods, it can fulfill three out of four major roles for fliers excellently, air superiority, ground attack, and bombing. Strangely for a Tyranid unit, it's very elite compared to other fliers, very powerful, but also expensive, so the enemy's fliers will probably outnumber your harridans. Escort them with flyrants and harpies, laugh at your enemies feeble attempts at stopping these terrors from tearing them a new asshole. And if you stand still, you can shoot your bio-cannons TWICE, twelve S10 shots are going to fuck over anything it comes across. Really the only other flier that can challenge the Harridan is the Manta. Pray you never have to fight a manta, with it's 4++, 10SP, 96 S6 shots, 11 TL S7 AP3 shots, 2 Heavy Railguns and shitload of missiles.    

Note that copious amounts of Poisoned weapons are the bane of bio-titans (note that the FAQ says that super heavy creatures are only poisoned on a 6 rather a 4 or less, so it's not that bad), so armies like the [[Dark Eldar]] who typically spontaneously explode in apocalypse games are actually a legitimate threat to your units. Be wary of this, and unless you are confident that your smaller units are the real punch of your army, and not the bio-titans, be prepared to sacrifice other Tyranid units to keep your Bio-titans safe from poison. Also don't forget to use their FNP and IWND - these are key parts of why GCs are so dangerous.
Also remember Fleshbane is modified too; but 30k mechancium is able to bring this in quantity so don't get careless.