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

==Ranged Weapons==
Okay, this is going to be the crazy part. The Destroyers of Worlds got a big range of (Pun not intended) Ranged Weapons in the book. To keep this organized and easy to know who can use them, each weapon will be under the selected unit(s) that are equipped with/can exchange to that weapon, and if they're worth using or not.

*'''Hive Tyrant Weapons*<sup>2</sup>''':
**'''Twin-linked Deathspitter''': Cheapest weapon, these are similar to Twin-linked Pulse Carbines, but with extra shots. Pretty decent for its points cost, although it gets overshadowed by this next weapon.
**'''Twin-linked Devourer with brainleech worms''': Quite a tongue twister, no? In any case, these should be auto include for your Flyrant, because these Devourers are Elite and Horde killers as they dakka two times better than ordinary Devourers and have S6 shots. Two of these can dump 12 shots with rerolls (Plus the fact they're now BS4) and can even glance flyers to death like the StormRaven. As I've said, these are auto include, otherwise [[Derp|you're doing it wrong]]!
**'''Stranglethorn Cannon''': Hmm, a S6 AP5 pie plate with Pinning. A walking Tyrant makes better use to these because they aren't as mobile and the weapon above gives Flyrants the best bang for their buck since they can deal more damage. But in the case for the footsloggers, this is the better choice because of its long range at 36" and cause Pinning, making the job easier for your Gaunts. Pretty decent at softening up those Marines before your other units charge in.
**'''Heavy Venom Cannon''': This version is a S9 AP4 cupcake. This one is meh, while these are Fire/Necron Warrior killers, and can threat Terminators, the blast isn't as good and more than likely cover negates the AP (And theres usually a lot of cover). Situational at best. (Oh, almost forgot. You can only equip one cannon per a model)

*'''Tervigon Weapons*<sup>2</sup>:''' There ain't much to equip them with, but the Thorax Biomorphs are worth using to make em more versatile. It makes them more expensive, but if the Miasma Cannon too pricey for you, then check out the template weapons below. One of them should make your Tervigon a threat.

*'''Termagant Weapons''':
**'''Fleshborers''': The traditional compact-carbine-nest, these are basically Bolt Pistols. A good weapon to stick with although better range would have been nice.
**'''Spinefists''': Now that these are free, you have a choice between stronger shots or reliable hits. Either way, Spinefists are also good, it will come down to your preference and who you're facing.  One thing to keep in mind is that while spinefisfs are slightly worse against most targets, they are better at overwatch by nature of being twin linked.  Otherwise, against T1 and 3 fists are best, and against 4 they are equal.  Everything else is better killed with fleshborers.
**'''Spike Rifle''': Another freebie, except this Harpoon Launcher acts more like an Assault 1 Lasgun (IE, even worse). No bits exist, so you will need to do some conversions if you want to use this weapon. They suck. Want to use em anyway? Only use is to add some affordable meat shields for your devilgaunts. Though they only do this as good as the alternatives if you need to stay out of a dangerous threat zone (avoid counter attacking flamers, melee units etc) The range can make the overall damage output not terrible compared to it's brothers against minimal toughness units and any who won't care about ap 5. Their ONLY advantage over devourers is affordability/durability, so tailor the ratio. More SR for more bodies more devs for power. Laugh as your opponent wipes out sad spike gaunts to get to your devils, especially if they have [[Carnifex|more]] [[Hive Tyrant|important]] [[Dimachaeron|things]] [[Zoanthrope|to]] [[Hive Guard|worry]] [[Genestealer|about]].
**'''Devourer''': A favorite by many, this thing has a good amount of dakka for the price of a Termagant, meaning you'll pay twice the price of a Gaunt. But for having longer range, granting you strong slugs (Or worms) and just outgun the rest of the options, how can you argue for its expensive cost? A fantastic choice IF you can afford them. A 30 strong brood with these things can and will slaughter any other infantry on the map if they are caught in the open in range of the entire brood.
**'''Strangleweb''': Huh, forgot to include this in the list. Anyway, every ten Gaunts in the unit can take this weapon for- wait, it's 5pts? Oh, its a Template weapon, okay that's fine, and they're... S2 Ap- and Pinning? Ugh, maybe it was best to not bother mentioning this crappy web shooter. Just take Devourers, or stick with your Fleshborers. The Template damage is too weak and Harpy's with Stranglethorn Cannons does a better job Pinning down entrenched units. You only have to cover two MEQs with the template to beat the wound output of a fleshborer, so for 5 pts it might not be a terrible investment.
**'''Mixed Weapons''': The big change and lets be honest other than point cost reductions the only important option is that you can now throw a row of othergaunts in front of your Devilgaunts.

*'''Warriors/Shrikes/Prime*<sup>1</sup> Weapons''':
**'''Devourer''': The default weapon, it gives then the dakka they need. Good to keep overall.
**'''Spinefists''': Why would you give up the Devourers for these? Jokes aside, these are decent since they're AP 5. They're more useful on Shrikes since they're faster, but in most cases the Devourer outclasses Spinefists, in terms of range and damage output. 
**'''Deathspitter''': Even more deadly than Devourers, your get S+1 and AP5 for 5pts a pop. Solid choice if Devourers aren't doing it for you.
**'''Barbed Strangler*<sup>1</sup> ''': A S4 AP5 pie plate Not bad, but with BS3 (For Warriors and Shrikes), it would be difficult to land a hit, even more so to wound if they're MEQs or in cover. If a Prime is with them, sure it can be useful.
**'''Venom Cannon*<sup>1</sup> ''': Stronger with S6 AP4, but they're small blast. As mentioned above, you should save the points for something else unless the Prime is hanging out with them. (Note, like the Hive Tyrant you can take only one of these blast weapons per unit)

*'''Rippers/Sky-Slashers Spinefists''': You don't get these for free this time, and cost a Termagant each. In friendly games they're great, but in general don't bother as it makes them more expensive. If they were half the price, then they would be an auto take.
**Now in 7th edition units with the Swarms USR are proper scoring so now that deep-striking these lil' gribblies is an option, Spinefists now give the Rippers something to do with 12+ twin-lined shots on the turn they arrive before heading towards the prey on that objective.

*'''Hive Guard Weapons''':
**'''Impaler Cannon''': Awesome. Krak Missles that Ignores Cover and don't require line of sight makes these a must have. Short range and AP4 tho, but they're still awesome. Hive Guard earned the name of premier transport hunter in the game thanks to these guns.
**'''Shockcannon''': Not as good because they don't Ignore Cover, even shorter at range, and you need line of sight. Being blast and Haywire makes them good at glancing all vehicles and even penetrate on 6s. If Shockcannons were free to swap (And don't require line of sight), then they would be worth considering. As it is, save the points and stick with Impaler Cannons.

*'''Pyrovore Flamespurt''': Basiclly a Heavy Flamer. No need to go into details since you won't be using them sadly.

*'''Haruspex Grasping Tongue''': If you're familier with the Bloodthirster's whip, then this is the Tyranid's version, but with Gulp! If you roll a six to hit, it counts as a presicion shot! Useful when you roll it, you can pick which TEQ you want to eat!

*'''Gargoyle Fleshborers''': Not much different here, but since they're jump infantry, they can get closer and get more shots in.

*'''Ravener Weapons''':
**'''Spinefists''': Cheapest out of the three, with a good number of shots/attacks and with them being Beasts plus their mediocre BS, these are a great pairing for the two. Good to put on a couple of Raveners.
**'''Devourer''': Couple of points more to equip, otherwise same weapon as other units.
**'''Deathspitter''': What the hell?! 10pts per a model? Well they certainly are better than Devourer, but damn it's expensive. If you want a fast moving model that can use a Deathspitter, consider using them on Shrikes since they're both cheaper and generally a better unit because they're Synapse Creatures. Otherwise it's a decent choice.

*'''Harpy Weapons''':
**'''Twin-linked Stranglethorn cannon''': A single S6, AP5, Pinning Large Blast, with the added benefit of being twin-linked. This is going to increase the Harpy's role in meat-grinding infantry, which is largely it's most important role. The only time this loadout will fail to disappoint is when your opponent is fully mechanized. Which leads to the next weapon choice.
**'''Twin-linked Heavy Venom cannon''': This costs 5 points more that may be an up/downgrade depending on how you use it. The S9 on this weapon is going to allow you to instant-death T4 units, but first consider how many of those models you're going to hit. Most multi-wound models are typically on medium bases. Disregarding the twin-linked attribute, when spread out, (or even slightly spaced apart) you're only going to hit one or two models at best. Instead, intend to use the HVC in tandem with the speed of the FMC for taking out side armor on transports. 
**'''Spore Mine Cysts''': Being S4 AP4 and Barrage, this makes Orks, Tau, and the like scare their infantry with the amount of damage it can deal. Cover won't save them this time! If the Harpy misses, then she drops d3 Spore Mines on the place it lands. See the unit for more details.

*'''Hive Crone Weapons''':
**'''Drool Cannon''': This mouth watering template will scare the pants off of light infantry, although it lacks Torrent  (And the ability [[Heldrake| to shoot from any direction]]) and it doesn't ignore MEQ saves as always. Still, not bad of a weapon.
***Even though, ironically, the Crone can fire any weapon 360 degress because it's a FMC and not a vehicle, and now the [[Heldrake]] cannot.
**'''Tentaclids''': Sweet Hive Mind, Seeking and Haywire missiles? Now we have a way to deal with flyers aside our special Vector Stirke. [[Nephilim Jetfighter|Dark Angel players wished their Blacksword missiles had these rules.]] The downside? One use only, and you have four, so use them wisely. Ironically, the Seeking rule makes the Hive Crone more accurate against units in the air than units on the ground. 

*'''Carnifex Weapons''':
**'''Bio-Plasma''': A somewhat useless weapon upgrade. With a 12" firing range, most units Bio-Plasma is good at taking out are also amazingly good at anal-plowing Carnifexes. Now consider this, taking Bio-Plasma on a dakkafex is going to impair the ability to fire two Brainleech Devourers, something you paid to use. Taking Bio-Plasma on bare bones Carnifexes is just asking for trouble, as you'd have to deliberately get in range of dangerous units and then only be able to assault them since you shot at them. Avoid taking unless you have a hardon for acid-drooling mouths (I do).
**'''Twin-linked Deathspitters''': Again, this should be considered using if you're low on points, especially if you want to run three in a Brood or use one in low point games. Beyond that, this weapon lacks the awesome power this next weapon holds.
**'''Twin-linked Devourers with Brainleech Worms''': Geez, there's the long name again! But seriously, if you didn't equip your Carnifexes with these weapons, punch yourself in the face real hard. These are popular for the same reason as why Hive Tyrants use these, except you're still stuck with BS3. With two Brainleech Devourers, this set up only cost 150 pts, so take another Carnifex if you want more [[Dakka|Dakka]]! Much like the Hive Tyrant, accept no substitute.
**'''Stranglethorn Cannon''': Better than a Heavy Venom cannon -- situationally better than Brainleech Devourers. Consider taking if you don't want to put your Carnifexes in range of your opponents short to medium range firepower.  If your looking for a mix of melee and shooting for your Carnifexes, however, taking this and Crushing Claws will cost the same as a Dakkafex. While not as awesome, it's still a good choice. Pinning can also play a role in some situations.
**'''Heavy Venom Cannon''': These should typically be avoided on Carnifexes. You're going to spend a lot of points on a unit that is going to be outshined by other units that perform the same role. They lack the mobility to hit anything but front armor, have BS3 SMALL blast, and can't handle air units like Brainleech Devourers can.

*'''Biovore Spore Mine Launcher''': Excellent cheap pie plates with Barrage on a 3 wound Brood, they excel at killing light infantry behind cover. Drop these on a unit sitting on an objective, and use their blood and body parts to make yourself some salsa when victory is yours.

*'''Trygon Bio-Electric Pulse''': These mind bullets are the bane to light infantrys as not only they have strong shots, but the fact the Trygon can Overwatch, which can surprise new players that weren't expecting to recieve return fire for charging in.
**'''Trygon Prime Bio-Electric Pulse with Containment Spines''': A beefed up version, extra range and dakka for the Prime. This puts it on par with two Twin-linked Brainleech Devourers, as AP5 can be an advantage in some cases.

*'''Exocrine Bio-Plasmic Cannon''': If you think the Bio-Plasma is weak sauce, then you're going to love this. The option to switch from Large Blast or '''Assault 6''' Plasma shots makes this a must have as the versatility of this Plasma Cannon is awesome. Best of all, it lacks the Gets Hot rule, so find a place to sit to get the extra BS point, and start blasting shit!

*'''Tyrannofex Weapons'''
**'''Acid Spray''': It's a Drool Cannon with Torrent added to it. This one is ment to take away cover from infantry that relies on them, and S6 is terrifying to boot. 
**'''Fleshborer Hive''': Wow, an Assault 20 bolter at 18". While not as impressive as the Acid Spray, it's a five point upgrade and is meant to take on blobs like Boyz and Cultists. But at BS3, about half the shots will hit. It still haves it's uses tho, so it isn't a terrible weapon.
**'''Rupture Cannon''': Now with Smash getting nerfed, the Rupture Cannon can find some use in taking on tanks. Don't expect to blow up Land Raiders with this, but it can help take a hull point or two off. Combine this with a Carnifex with Crushing Claws, and you have a way to deal with mech lists.

*'''Thorax Biomorphs''': Template weapons that're all 10pts. Only one can be taken per model. These are your choices:
**'''Desiccator Larvae''': A Fleshbane template with no AP value. Useful on high Toughness units and Daemons.
**'''Electroshock Grubs''': Pulse Rifle template plus Haywire. Probably the best against Hordes and Vehicles before charging in. If a walker charges a model with this thing the look on your opponents face will make the 10 points back straight away.
**'''Sherddershard Beetles''': S3 with Rending and Shred. This is your TEQ killer right here.
*** These can NOT be fired any longer in addition to other weapons, kinda takes some of their punch. Nice to throw on a model you want to have two shooting attacks without giving up an artefact/melee weapon.

('''*<sup>1</sup> = Cannot equip the weapon. *<sup>2</sup> = May equip a Thorax Biomorph.''')

There's more to come. Stay tune /tg/