Jormungandr Buildup 500-2k

[Alcyon]

With the new 9th Ed rules releases Genestealers are looking a little more fragile, and to be honest, I've never liked how inconsistent their armour plating is compared to the rest of the swarm. I also hate wings and love being sneaky, so Jormungandr seems like a perfect choice. This is my attempt to sketch out a theoretical army I'd end up with by building up slowly from the same base.

• Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids) [31 PL, 8CP, 499pts]
  • Configuration
    • Battle-forged CP [3CP]
    • Detachment CP [5CP]
    • Hive Fleet

      Selections: Jormungandr

  • HQ
    • Malanthropes [5 PL, 120pts]
      • Malanthrope

        Selections: Grasping Tail

    • Tyranid Prime [6 PL, 77pts]

      Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

  • Troops
    • Termagants [3 PL, 56pts]
      • 4x Termagant (Devourer)

        Selections: 4x Devourer

      • 6x Termagant (Fleshborer)

        Selections: 6x Fleshborer

    • Termagants [3 PL, 56pts]
      • 4x Termagant (Devourer)

        Selections: 4x Devourer

      • 6x Termagant (Fleshborer)

        Selections: 6x Fleshborer

    • Tyranid Warriors [9 PL, 100pts]
      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

  • Elites
    • Venomthropes [5 PL, 90pts]
      • 3x Venomthrope

        Selections: 3x Toxic Lashes

Idea here is that we don't want to advance because we'd lose our cover bonus, and since that's a big part of Genestealers' appeal we're going without them or Broodlords. A base of Warriors screened by Termagaunts and protected by Venomthropes/Malanthrope should hopefully be resilient and shooty on its way to combat, and I love that it affords us a Battalion at only 500 pts.

• Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids) [65 PL, 7CP, 1,000pts]
  • Configuration
    • Battle-forged CP [3CP]
    • Detachment CP [5CP]
    • Hive Fleet

      Selections: Jormungandr

  • Stratagems
    • Progeny of the Hive [-1CP]
  • HQ
    • Malanthropes [5 PL, 120pts]

      Selections: Warlord

      • Malanthrope

        Selections: Grasping Tail

    • Tyranid Prime [6 PL, 78pts]

      Selections: Adrenal Glands, Boneswords, Deathspitter

  • Troops
    • Hormagaunts [9 PL, 120pts]
      • 24x Hormagaunt

        Selections: 24x Scything Talons

    • Termagants [6 PL, 64pts]
      • 4x Termagant (Devourer)

        Selections: 4x Devourer

      • 8x Termagant (Fleshborer)

        Selections: 8x Fleshborer

    • Tyranid Warriors [9 PL, 130pts]

      Selections: Adrenal Glands

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

  • Elites
    • Venomthropes [5 PL, 90pts]
      • Adaptive Physiology

        Selections: Unnatural Reactions

      • 3x Venomthrope

        Selections: 3x Toxic Lashes

  • Fast Attack
    • Spore Mines [2 PL, 30pts]

      Selections: 3x Spore Mine

  • Heavy Support
    • Biovores [2 PL, 40pts]
      • Biovore

        Selections: Spore Mine Launcher

    • Exocrine [11 PL, 155pts]

      Selections: Bio-plasmic Cannon, Powerful Limbs

    • Trygon Prime [10 PL, 173pts]

      Selections: 3x Massive Scything Talons, Adrenal Glands, Arachnacyte Gland, Bio-electric Pulse with Containment Spines, Biostatic Rattle

The idea with this expansion is to capitalize on the combo of a Trygon Prime with Arachnacyte Gland and the Hive Instinct stratagem to allow for a turn 2 charge out of deep strike, bringing the Hormagaunts along. 24 may be too many to fit around the big daddy so I'm considering cutting that unit down slightly and running some Raveners, as to my understanding they don't need to deploy anywhere near the Trygon, just within 9" of the same charge target.

Meanwhile the Malanthrope will be hanging back to protect the Exocrine and grant synapse to it and the Biovore. I also filled out some of the other units a little.

• Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids) [37 PL, 5CP, 527pts]
  • Configuration
    • Detachment CP [5CP]
  • HQ
    • Hive Tyrant [9 PL, 166pts]

      Selections: Adrenal Glands, Heavy Venom Cannon, Monstrous Rending Claws, Power: Catalyst, Power: Smite, Power: The Horror, Prehensile Pincer Tail, Warlord

    • Tervigon [13 PL, 180pts]

      Selections: Massive Scything Talons, Power: Catalyst, Stinger Salvo

  • Troops
    • Ripper Swarms [4 PL, 55pts]
      • 5x Ripper Swarm

        Selections: 5x Claws and Teeth

    • Termagants [6 PL, 48pts]
      • 12x Termagant (Fleshborer)

        Selections: 12x Fleshborer

    • Tyranid Warriors [5 PL, 78pts]

      Selections: Adrenal Glands

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

      • Tyranid Warrior

        Selections: Boneswords, Deathspitter

Past 1k I'm not quite sure what to do with the list; I don't want to go too deep on the one Trygon Prime, so instead I put in another Battalion adding a Tervigon and more Termagaunts to improve the screen plus a Tyrant and additional Warriors. I'm wondering whether I'll have enough anti-tank at this points level and whether I might not be better off adding in a Tyrannofex and/or some Hive Guard.

Would love to hear any thoughts or feedback.

Edited July 1, 2020 by Alcyon