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

==Tactics==

*'''Protecting Monstrous Creatures''': Monstrous Creatures have less wounds than a horde of gaunts, but are only one model. This makes them more vulnerable to single shot weapons, but less vulnerable to pie plates. In 7th edition, they can get cover saves far easier than in 5th. If there is a unit between them and the unit shooting them, they get a 5+. If they are at least 25% obscured by anything, they get a 5+. A wall of gaunts is all that is needed to shield them. Be careful in how the gaunts are positioned, however, so that you don't slow the Monstrous Creature. Hormagaunts are ideal for this, because they run 1D6+3 with fleet. Gargoyles are good as well, with their 12" movement. Keep the gaunts in front and shield the Monstrous Creature, then charge with them in a manner that leaves an opening for the Monstrous Creature to get in as well. Since most Tyranid ranged weapons have low AP, you will get far more cover saves from this than your opponent's units will. Tervigons can do this without even trying, since they spawn their own gaunt meatshields. If you are playing a "Nidzilla" army without many gaunts, venomthropes can provide a similar effect: just be careful to keep them alive. If at all possible, combine a gaunt wall with a venomthrope for 3+ cover monstrous creatures.

*'''Dealing with Flyers''': 7th edition is filled with Flyers. Stormravens, Stormtalons(aka flying potatoes), Doom Scythes, Burna-Bommaz, Vendettas and many others 1)arrive from reserve 2)can move up to 36" 3)require snapfiring to hit 4)can't be assaulted (normally). The following strategies are of use against Flyers:
**'''Devourer''': The Devourer can glance Flyers to death. Devilgaunts fire it S4 Assault 3. A mob of them are sure to hit the flyer; however this only works against AV10.
**'''Dakkafex/Tyrant''': Monstrous Creatures fire S6 Assault 6 Twin-linked per Devourer, and so can even glance a Stormraven with some luck. The Twin-linked is great when snap firing. The big weakness of the Devourer is the 18" range, and the fact that S6 isn't very effective against a Stormraven or a cheap Vendetta. However, on a Flyrant, due to the lack of having to snapfire, unless you are shooting against armour 12 (read, Stormraven) you will usually put down a 3HP flier in one salvo.
**'''Impaler Cannon''': S8 Assault 2 24" Ignores Line of Sight is a good deal. These can easily get glances on Flyers: if you can hit them. That's the problem: you only get 6 shots per Elite slot, per turn. Only one hits on average, and even that will only cause damage half the time against some of the heavier Flyers.	
**'''Vector Strike''': This is the other tool in the Flying Hive Tyrant's and Hive Crone's arsenal: D3 attacks that automatically hit the side armor. This seems to be how Games Workshop wants Tyranid players to deal with Flyers. Unfortunately, these attacks are only at S6(or S5 in the case of the Harpy) (and S8 in the case of the Hive Crone!). It is still worth the attempt in many situations, however. It is statistically likely for this to at least do something and almost statistically guaranteed for a Hive Crone to do some significant damage.		
**'''Hive Crone''': 4 S5 Haywire missiles that rerolls to hit against fliers and S8 vector strikes arguably make this the Tyranids' [[Heldrake]] (and it can start the game already on the table too). Just try not to let it get grounded, because then it's as good as dead. See the entry on Hive Crone tactics for how to avoid messy painful death.
**'''Mucolid Spores''': A surprise late addition, the Mucolid Spore has an obvious advantage of being far cheaper than most of these other options, being a troops choice for only 15 points, or just bringing a Sporocyst and spawning one the moment you see a flyer.  These spores are special in that they're able to assault Zooming Flyers and Swooping FMCs, leading to an S8-10 AP3 hit on the side armor with no way to avoid it.  However, this requires that the spores be led directly to the flyers so that they don't get misled to another target.  If you use a Sporocyst, then you're locked to having only one spore per model spawned, making them even more precious.

*'''Spore Mine Spam''': Take 3 harpies, and 9 Biovores.  Make your Biovores shoot at things they can't see to maximize your chance of missing. Every bullet spent shooting a spore mine is a bullet not spent shooting your real threats.  You don't even always want to assault with your spore mines having them block passageways, and provide cover to your coming swarm can provide more then a couple dead models.
** If you have a Sporocyst within midfield, then you'll have opportunity to throw out even more spore mines, as the living fortification can spit out a whole cluster of the things each turn and then cut them loose.  Coupled with a Venomthrope, you'll have a fucking massive wall of covering pos

*'''Deathleapers assassination... thing'''
Turn 0
Remember that Deathleaper is not an Independent Character (but is an infantry Character - like most HQ choices, In or MC), and thus works alone, but you could always shoot for a combined charge. watch and wait. Hope that the deathleaper passes LD test (he has 10 so your probably okay)
Turn 2
charge into the warlord as quickly as possible have the deathleaper issue a challenge which the enemy will accept because they'll be facing 20 genestealers.
Defeat them at I7 with 6 attacks (you charged right?), WS 9 and S 6. Kill warlord. use hit-and-run Drink delicious tears. Use pheromone trail to deep-strike mawloc for added troll.

*'''DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKA:''' Tyrannocyte upgraded to one of the two cannon types, and 20 devilgaunts (in the pod)
On turn 2, deepstrike the Tyrannocyte within enemy lines. Then proceed to DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKA the enemy to death with massed anti infantry shooting (or even anti tank if you can find armour 10 or bring venom cannons.

*'''Neutralize:''' Harpy, and 10 Gargoyles. Assault the same unit with these guys on the same turn. The harpy gives the poor souls -5 to their initiative so the gargoyles strike before they do. Then use the blinding venom attack.  Unfortunately, the Gargoyles can't force more than one Initiative test per phase anymore, but making it on a six for most units will be hell regardless.  Combo with something to chop 'em with.

*'''Tervigon Tackle:'''1 Hive Tyrant, 1 Tervigon, and 30 Termagants. Use Termagante to take Tervigon as a troop, and combo with Hive Commander to let the Tervigon Outflank. Giving an Electroshock weapon is strongly recommended so that the turn he shows up vomits some guy into your enemies ass and then prepare to harass em.

*'''Blob of FUN:''' Take your new, shiny Patriarch and Primus and stick them into a blob of 30 hormagaunts. Now, this gets you a mob of 32 models with Stealth, Zealot, Infiltrate AND Hit and Run at I7. Hell, upgrade those hormagaunts to toxigaunts and mess up any MC that is stupid enough to get into charge range of this mob. Also works best with the Ghosar Quintus Broodkin formation, because you want Stealth and Shrouded (on turn 1) on those guys. And if your Magos or Patrarch gets invisibility, just play this[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavMtUWDBTM]. As of the latest FAQ draft, this may no longer be feasible: [https://www.facebook.com/1575682476085719/photos/pcb.1621074768213156/1621073644879935/?type=3&theater]. But remember that these new drafts are just that, drafts, not official yet and still subject to change. Since GW is hearing feedback for them before release (hearing being the keyword, not necessarily listening, but even that much is more than they've done in a long time), if you don't like Genestealer Cults being [[derp|Allies of Convenience for Tyranids]], now is the time to actively complain about it.

[[Category:Warhammer 40000 Tactics(7E)]]
[[Category:Tyranid]]

{{Warhammer_40k_Tactics}}