The essentials

[logan_grimnar18]

Kinda a weird topic, but i'm looking to buy a bug unit for my brother for christmas but i haven't even cracked the bug book in 8th. what's the most essential tyranid unit in 8th? he has plenty of gaunts, carnifexes, and hive tyrants. 

 

thanks hive mind!

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

I enjoy a Tervigon. it's a reasonably durable source of synapse, and spsychic abilities. If your playing matched games it's a bit like a termagant transport (if open play games then it's a termagant generator) and it's a nice centerpiece model.

 

I play quite casually though so there's probably a lot of players with more tactical opionions that will join in.

[Kastellan Kong]

Genestealers and Neurotrope/Zoans are a solid starting point.

 

For big bugs, the Carnifex is lovely. The start collecting box isn't as nice as the one before, but still an ok buy (stealers and broodlord are both nice, and the Trygon isn't too bad).

 

The Tervigon is so bad it almost hurts, but the kit also makes a Tyrannofex, so build that if you bought the box.

[Xenith]

Hello Logan!

 

What might be good is some units that were poor or outright bad last edition, but are now pretty good to great. These include:

 

Tyrannofex (bio acid or rupture cannon)

Exocrine (12 plasma shots  a turn, statistically kills a rhino per turn iirc)

Neurothropes (outstanding HQ choice now)

Biovores (deal mortal wounds when thy hit, seriously hamper opponents movement when they miss. Win win)

 

Other units that are staples of nid lists:

Hive Guard - 6 of these are a great choice

Trygons - to bring in units of 3x devourer gaunts for 180 shots turn 2.

Mawlocks - the new distraction carnifex, cheap, dishes out mortal wounds. 

Flying hive tyrants.

Zoanthropes - 3W each with 3++ and capable of 5MW per turn in units of 6, these are hard to shift and provide a synapse anchor for the army. 

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

...The Tervigon is so bad it almost hurts...

 

See, I told you better answers would come along! Kastellan Kong should be less mean to the poor Tervigon... At least it's not the the pre 8th Pyrovore. XD

 

I guess it all depends on why he collects, is it for the models, or for playing, does he only want to play casually or tournaments? that sort of thing.

[Xenith]

The Tervigon is great for non-matched play games, but anything that requires you to spend points on reinforcements kills it.

 

It should be 100pts max, or keep the current cost and have free respawns. 

[Arson Fire]

Hive Guard are fantastic if you can find the kit. But seriously these things are sold out almost everywhere.  About a month back I was at warhammer world in nottingham, and they didn't even have any in stock there.

[Xenith]

Hive Guard are fantastic if you can find the kit. But seriously these things are sold out almost everywhere.  About a month back I was at warhammer world in nottingham, and they didn't even have any in stock there.

 

They moved to direct only, like over 50% of GW stuff has to make room in stores for more boxed sets, starter kits, currently supported expansion, etc.

 

Hive guard havent been in stores since late 2016? Same as Chaos predators, etc.

 

They've been in stock online for a while. 

[Redtoof]

Worth noting that if we get some points drops in Chapter Approved a lot of our bad units might become good or at least ok units. In January Tervigons might be amazing!

[Xenith]

Worth noting that if we get some points drops in Chapter Approved a lot of our bad units might become good or at least ok units. In January Tervigons might be amazing!

 

Even at the 100pts I said, the Tervi is only good as a hard to kill HQ choice. No offensive power (4x S5 shots per turn?), just denial.

 

240 odd points and making termagants cost no reinforcement points would not be game breaking, but would boost its utility and it might see the table. 

[Kastellan Kong]

 

Worth noting that if we get some points drops in Chapter Approved a lot of our bad units might become good or at least ok units. In January Tervigons might be amazing!

 

 

Even at the 100pts I said, the Tervi is only good as a hard to kill HQ choice. No offensive power (4x S5 shots per turn?), just denial.

 

240 odd points and making termagants cost no reinforcement points would not be game breaking, but would boost its utility and it might see the table.

Aye, someone mathed it out with the spawning costs of the Termagants, and landed 80pts. Which sounds stupidly low, but seeing as any "spawn" gants are lost if the Tervigon is killed before they get to spawn, I think they're in the right ball park. I'd rather they just let them spawn units for free.

 

Until something major changes for matched play, the unit is super trash.

[Dont-Be-Haten]

The Exoxrine is possibly the best unit in the Nids codex that isn't an HQ.

 

Every. Single. Game. It is a monster on damage output and I always think, "Damn, I wish I had a 2nd one."

 

It partially depends on which morph you take also that can help with staples. I love Mawlocs, but they are useless after turn 2. Because of the way the matched play rule is they can't burrow back underground after turn 3 or they will count as being destroyed. At least that's my interpretation since reserves have to come in by turn three or count as being destroyed.

 

Neurothropes are super clutch. The nids fall prey to lack of spells they can cast. But I always take the Horror and Smite on them.

 

Biovores are hit and miss. I've moved to a dakkafex over taking 3 biovores but sometimes I bring both. The morph that allows you to re-roll 1s if the unit stood still is a fantastic 1-2 punch for the tyranid gun line. 3-9 biovores with 1-3 Exocrines in a spearhead detachment is really shooty and can put out both a lot of damage and free screens to block charging lanes. (I only have 3 biovores, but some batreps have fielded more and done a lot of damage/harassment)

 

Lastly I favor the Hive Crone because she does mortal wounds to Vehichles on a 4+ has a 30" natural movement and can charge turn 1.

[Arson Fire]

I love Mawlocs, but they are useless after turn 2. Because of the way the matched play rule is they can't burrow back underground after turn 3 or they will count as being destroyed. At least that's my interpretation since reserves have to come in by turn three or count as being destroyed.

Fortunately, that's not how it works.

 

The Tactical Reserves rule destroys units that have not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the 3rd battle round.

Since the mawloc has been on the table prior to the end of round 3, it has already 'arrived on the table'. Doesn't matter that it later on left the table.  It has arrived, so it meets the criteria for not being destroyed.

 

Furthermore, burrowing a mawloc doesn't put it into reserves.  It merely 'removes it from the battlefield'.  There's a distinction to be made between units which were set up as reinforcements during deployment, and units that just aren't currently on the field.

The mawlocs burrow ability is more akin to rules like 'Da Jump', or 'Gate of Infinity'.  Only that the unit is delayed a turn before re-appearing on the field.

 

 

 

For precedent, look at the genestealer cult Return To The Shadows stratagem, from chapter approved 2017.  It is worded the same way as the mawlocs ability.  Letting you remove a unit from the battlefield, and bring it back in the next turn. 

Then take a look at the Xenos 2 FAQ:

Q: If, in a matched play game, I use the Return to the Shadows Stratagem to remove one of my Genestealer Cult units from the battlefield during the fourth battle round, are they considered to be destroyed because of the Tactical Reserves matched play rule?

A: No.