Help with dealing with a Helbrute

[DarkPhoenix]

Hello. I’m looking for help and suggestions for dealing with a Helbrute in small points games (combat patrol). Thanks for reading!

 

Here’s the situation from yesterday. Played two games of Tyranids vs Thousand Sons. Both games were a massacre for the Thousand Sons. The Helbrute would not die, even the second game where everything was thrown at it after it alpha struck the Carnifex with the twin lascannon.

 

Lists

Tyranids

Tyranid Prime

Tyranid Warriors x4

Red Terror

Raveners x3

Raveners x3

Carnifex

 

Thousand Sons

Sorcerer

Sorcerer

Rubric marines x5

Rubric marines x5

Helbrute

 

The TSons have a power that allows a unit, in this case the Helbrute, to be warped around the board chasing down units trying to run or hide from it.

[Reigart]

A couple of questions:

 

• What are your Warriors and the Carnifex armed with?
• Do you know the name of the power for the Helbrute to warp around?  I wasn't aware Tsons had this power.  I knew they had relics or traits for some one-time shenanigans. 

[DarkPhoenix]

Warriors are armed with deathspitters and a barbed strangler. Carnifex had devourers and heavy venom cannon.

 

TSons power is Sorcerous Facade from Ritual of the Damned.

[IronDreddKnight]

I'd consider swapping the raveners and red terror. (Unless they're working for you) I've always struggled with those units.

 

What other units do you own?

Edited July 28, 2020 by IronDreddKnight

[Reigart]

My comments will assume you want to stay with the same models.  Please let me know if that's different.  I don't know if you're using points or power levels, which could be another factor.

 

I see three issues - (1) dealing with Helbrute, (2) durability of units (including the Carnifex), and (3) Tsons Psychic Powers.

 

(1) Dealing with the Helbrute

 

What head option is your Carnifex armed with?  If you still have the head options, enhanced senses could provide better assistance hitting the Helbrute (and other Thousand Sons). Another option could be the Acid Maw to give your Carnifex an AP -5 attack in combat.  Given that you said it doesn't survive long enough to get into melee, I would consider Enhanced Senses.

 

Assuming you bought the warriors new, you should have one extra in the box.  You could make a venom cannon warrior, instead of using the barbed strangler.  This will give a more anti-armor weapon and could create some issues for the rubric marines (as damage d3 it would not allow +1 to their save).  It would provide some anti-armor redundancy if your Carnifex gets popped.  Also, although expensive in a combat patrol mission, you could fire twice with this unit...hopefully to get the Helbrute.

 

What melee weapons are the warriors and the Raveners armed with?  Rending claws usually are a choice to farm for 6s to wound for the large AP.  Another option could be boneswords.  If you want to go scything talons, then you could choose a custom hive fleet from Blood of Baal and have on of the traits be -1 AP scything talons.  This could benefit the raveners especially.

 

A weird thought could be looking into combat relics for the Prime - the Ymgarl Factor or Behemoth's Sword/Lash and get toxin sacks.  This doesn't appear that it could help much.

 

(2) Durability of Units

 

What hive fleet are you running?  If you want durability, you could try leviathan, to get 6+ FNP.  The damage mitigation may help.  Another option could be to go Jormungandr and get cover bonuses.  If not, I believe there is a custom hive fleet trait that gives a 6+ FNP (if you don't move)...I usually hate staying static, but just trying to think through it.

 

For your Carnifex, if you have the back still and have points, giving it a spore cyst could be helpful.  The -1 to hit could mitigate some of the incoming fire.  If you wanted, you could do adaptive physiology to give it a 5+ invulnerable.

 

For your warriors, you could give them adaptive physiology to ignore ap -1 and -2.  This would allow them to ignore the inferno bolt weaponry.

 

If you had a psyker, catalyst is always powerful.

 

(3) Tsons Psychic Powers

 

The lack of psykers hurts (no denials on hand).  Also, mortal wounds from smite would get around the armor and infantry toughness. 

 

If you went Kronos you could give your Prime the warlord trait to make miscasting harsh.  Coupled with the Kronos-specific stratagem, you can make them cast on one dice and try to go for miscasts.  The issue with this approach is basically being within 18" (?).  I'm not sure how do able that is for you.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Thanks for the thoughtful analysis. I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out on the tabletop.