What's up everyone, Chaplain Sam back with more Tyranids in 7th Edition. Today's discussion is all about elites. I really like the elites in the Nidz book, in fact some of my favorite Tyranid units are elite choices! I'm including Forge World units because I think they can fill a lot of holes for Tyranids, but I am aware that some groups are still hesitant to include/allow them. Alrighty, lets get to the good stuff!
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| http://www.deviantart.com/art/Tyranid-Haruspex-Artwork-436699767 |
Good
- Malanthrope - In my opinion malanthropes are one of the top 3 Tyranid units. I was so pumped when the I saw the new rules for them. Outside of Flyrants, they are the best synapse creature available. I've always felt that most synapse creatures are a bit a of a point sink. Not malanthropes! Basically they're venomthropes on steroids with synapse. Perfect! At toughness 5 with 4 wounds and regeneration they are plenty durable. They have a shrouded bubble like venomthropes, which can also give preferred enemy if the malanthrope is involved in a combat that results in an enemy unit being destroyed. The cherry on top of an already awesome package is poison (2+) attacks. All that for 85 points. Boom. These boys are a must-take for me!
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Average
- Hive Guard - I really like hive guard. They are one of my favorite units and the first I try to squeeze in if I'm not playing my tournament lists. At BS3 they are pretty unreliable, but they put out two S8 shots a piece that ignore cover and line of sight. They also have a 24 inch range, which is pretty rare for Nidz. Overall, they can be pretty hit and miss (literally), but they are super flexible and responsive. Do not underestimate the value of shooting through walls from 24 inches away.
- Zoanthrope - In my opinion, malanthropes fill the role that the other 'thropes would play even though they are a bit different. Zoanthropes have the benefit of being psychers so they can act as warp charge batteries to get you some extra dice to throw during the psychic phase. Zoanthropes are solid and pretty cheap, but I'll always choose a malanthrope.
- Venomthrope - These guys are basically a malanthrope-lite. They're very serviceable and they used to see a lot of time on the table. However, there really isn't a reason to take them over malanthropes unless your meta is anti-FW.
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Poor
- Haruspex - Slow close combat monstrous creatures without any ranged weapons really struggle in 7th edition. The haruspex is no different. It's an aggressive and fun model, but slow + close combat just doesn't work anymore.
- Lictor Brood - Another iconic Tyranid unit! These guys have plenty of close combat prowess and a slew of special rules. The problem is all their delivery methods involve them eating one or more turns of shooting before they get into combat. Whether the walk up the board, infiltrate or deepstrike, they cannot charge immediately. That means they are going to get shot to bits because they're only T4. I imagine most people were really hoping for the latest Tyranid codex to give these guys a boost because they really are awesome. Maybe next time!
- Pyrovore - These guys may take the crown for worst bug in the book. Slow, 8 inch range template and poor in close combat. That's a very bad mix. It's really unfortunate because I like the fluff and idea behind pyrovores.
Chaplain Sam's Choice: Malanthropes. That was probably pretty obvious if you read through the entire post. I think one malanthrope is a must-take in almost any Tyranid list. In fact, I take two in my tournament lists! I think the only reason you wouldn't take one is if you ran a 6th edition style Skyblight list.
That's it for post. I hope y'all enjoyed!
Chaplain Sam signing off.
What do you think the best elite choice is for Tyranids? Do you include malanthropes in your Tyranid lists? Let me know in the comments!