Tyranids Tactical Guide | Warhammer 40,000 Tactical Guide

• A lot of moving parts and rules can overwhelm newer players
• Can be easy to load up on certain units and run out of points whilst neglecting other areas
• Reliant on Synapse units for a lot of army functionality, and the Synaptic Link is often crucial to maintain to maximise effectiveness
• Units are generally focused on one role, and do little to nothing outside of their speciality
• The latest in a string of “Creeped/Pushed” Codexes, likely leading to some significant nerfs or points increases in the future, and negative connotations in the meantime

The “Pure” Army rule, this enables you to pick a bespoke ability at the beginning of each battle round for each type of SYNAPSE creature you have on the Battlefield. Each can only be picke once per game, regardless of how many of that type you might have in your army, but all SYNAPSE creatures in your army then gain that special ability, granting it to all your units that are within 6”. These aren’t Auras, so can’t be affected by rules which modifier them, but likewise they don’t stack. The flexibility of these is strong, letting you decide what will best suit your army as the game goes on, and what might be needed at a certain time.

Of course, using one will shut it off for the rest of the game, and the unit dying stops it from being selected if they’re the only unit (outside of certain abilities), so timing is key. There is little point using a defensive ability if nothing in your army is under threat this turn, likewise an offensive ability might not be useful if you’re unlikely to be making attacks. You don’t have to use one each turn however, so you can always save one for later if it’s not going to be useful on a given turn.

Lets your smaller horde units Fight when in Engagement Range as normal, or if within 2½” of enemy models, effectively giving them an extra “rank” of models that can fight. If there are any rules which reduce Engagement Range (like the Line Unbreakable Stratagem for Dark Angels), they just cancel each other out and normal Engagement Range rules are used instead. Whilst this won’t exactly help your Termagaunts or Gargoyles inflict too many extra wounds, it can help against light infantry, and is especially useful for Hormagaunts, making large units of them a serious danger.

Deep Strike by any other name, if it’s a snakey Tyranid, it has this. This lets you bring up some quite nasty melee monsters into enemy lines, though be wary as their large bases or unit sizes can make them somewhat easy to screen out.

Not a general rule per se, though definitely one of those ones which occurs enough that it should have been. Effectively the Tyranid Monster version of Explodes, doing some Mortal Wounds on a 6 when they die, however this one only ever affects the closest enemy unit, so whilst it is potentially less damaging in a big area, also means you never run the risk of hurting your own units. Every MONSTER has this, usually doing D3 Mortals to the closest enemy within 6”, and TERVIGONS and TYRANNOFEXES inflicting D6. CARNIFEXES are another exception, having a weaker version and only doing a single Mortal with a 3” range.

Head honcho of the Genestealers, the Broodlord is a 1/1/1 PSYKER, with a decent WS 2 Str and T 5, 7W and 6A at -3 D2 (AP-5 on 6s to Wound) and built in reroll Wounds. Like their smaller brethren they can deploy 9” away from the enemy Deployment and enemy models, making them a serious threat in the early turns, especially if you win the roll off. A 4++ helps keep them around a bit longer, and their Vicious Insight ability lets you give a CORE unit in the Synaptic Link 6s to Wound get +1AP in Melee, letting even lots of light attacks shred through armour with enough of them. A decent second in command for 120pts, they make for a good leader of a spearhead, or a useful backline commander who can help deal with any intrusions in your own lines. A unit of GENESTEALERS in the same Detachment can make one of your Broodlords be a “free” slot, giving you more HQ access if you want.

The Brain Bug leader, the Neurothrope is a nice support character, being a 2/2/2 PSYKER with a built in +1 to Cast, and hard to shift with T5 6W and a 3++. In addition, they can help heal up a ton of damage to your ZOANTHROPES, as well as themselves, with every Mortal Wound taken in the Psychic Phase by an enemy within 18” of them (regardless of source) healing 1 Wound to a NEURO/ZOANTHROPE within 12”, to a max of 3 per phase. Finally they can pick any PSYKER in Synaptic Link and let them cast all their powers on 3D6 discarding one for the Phase, which given the potency of the Hive Mind powers makes this a potent tool indeed. For a fairly cheap 100pts, you get a reliable and hard to kill support Psyker who also buffs your other Psykers as well, making them ideal as a backline Synapse.

The Alpha of the Warrior broods, they take the Warrior statline and character-fy it, with +1 to WS, BS, A, Sv and bumping up to 6W. They also gain a reroll 1s to Wound for one CORE unit in Synaptic Link. With a plethora of weapon options, all of which are free, they can do a decent bit of Shooting and Melee (see the Warrior entry below for a full breakdown of their options), as well as the Gland, Sacs and Flesh Hook wargear options for 5pts each. All this for 85pts, making them a steal for their prowess and abilities. Just watch out for the lack of Invulnerable, as that can cause them to wither quite quickly in the face of stronger attacks. If your Detachment has WARRIORS in it, one Prime won’t take up a HQ slot, so you’ve got the option if you want it.

The big mama for the swarm, this living incubator has a very tough T8 and 17W, on top of a 2+ Sv. Coming with a Stinger Salvo for some light infantry firepower, and a choice of Massive Scything Talons for versatility (ala the MALECEPTOR) or Massive Crushing Claws for anti tank goodness at Str 14 -5 Dmg 3+D3, their main benefit lies in the buffs they bring. A 1/1/1 PSYKER, they also grant a unit of TERMAGANTS in Synaptic Link +1 to Hit with Shooting, making their massed firepower much scarier, and can also either revive 2D6 Termagants to a unit within 6” (setting up wholly within 6”), or once per game can add a brand new unit of 10 onto the battlefield wholly within 6”, costing you no additional points. This grants the Tervigon nice flexibility as they can quickly bring back casualties, or add another ObSec unit onto the battlefield, ideal for Objectives and Secondaries. Even getting to the Tervigon can be tricky, as any unit of TERMAGANTS with 15+ models within 1” and closer to the attacker prevent the Tervigon from being targeted in the first place, making them much harder to shift at ranged. All told the Tervigon is a strong buffing piece, though pretty much reliant on having Termagants around in order to make the most of their abilities, and at 215pts you need them to be doing those buffs to your little bugs.

Take a giant alien monster snake, and then give it a bigger brain. A TRYGON (see below) with SYNAPSE, and a Command Phase ability to give a CORE unit in Synaptic Link +1 to Advance and Charge. They also get AP-2 on their Bioelectric Pulse, making them a bit more reliable at ranged. As with the base Trygon, they have access to Adrenal Glands (well worth it to hit Str 8, despite the 15pt cost), Toxin Sacs, and a choice of tail for Prehensile like the Winged Tyrant, a Toxinspike for an extra -3 D2 attack, or a Biostatic Rattle to prevent a single unit in Engagement Range rerolling Hits or Wounds against you, should you roll over their Ld on 3D6. The main benefits are access to CHARACTER based abilities, and of course being SYNAPSE. Whether this is worth 30pts is down to you, as there are no other stat boosts to talk about, and their Synaptic Imperative, whilst fun, is certainly not the strongest available.

Unlike most Special Characters, the Tyranid ones do benefit from their Adaptations, meaning you will gain access to all the rules for your chosen Hive Fleet, something to consider when adding one to your army.

The humble Termagant has a pretty standard “human” profile, albeit a pitiful Ld 5 (good thing you have Synapse). They pack a nasty gun in the form of the Fleshborer however, hitting at a pretty scary Str 5 -1 D1, with Assault 1 at 18”. They can be swapped for a Devourer which gains +1 Shot, but loses -2 Str and -1AP, not worth the 1 pt premium you’re paying. Spinefists are also an option, if you want to carry around 2 Laspistols. They also have access to Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands, but these are generally not worth it. At 7pts they are cheap enough to flood the board without breaking the bank, but expensive enough to not want, or indeed need, to load up on upgrades. With Synapse nearby they will hold to the last bug, making them ideal for backline and midboard Objective duties, all whilst adding on high quality firepower, if at average accuracy.

The melee gaunts, these guys come with the same statline as their shooty siblings, but with a 10” Mv, and eschew ranged weaponry for 3A at -1 D1. Coupled with their Bounding Leap to grant them +3” to Pile Ins, and they can really overrun a battleline or entrap units with their big squad sizes. With access to Toxin Sacs for a point, or Adrenal Glands for 2, they can be made even better in melee, though on top of their 8pt base cost this will add up quickly across a unit. Whilst great for disruption and blending lighter infantry, they will need support to carve through tougher units, and they’re still only T3 1W with a 5+, so they won’t withstand concentrated firepower, but they are good for adding to the threat saturation of the army.

A Termagant that gets +6” Mv and FLY, for the cost of only having a 6+ Sv, and only being able to take units of up to 20. A fast ObSec unit with Fly is a rarity, and they’re fairly cheap for 8pts. Whilst their gun is of course great, you’ll generally be wanting Gargoyles to be your Objective cappers and Secondary units, flying around to score things like Engage or RND, whilst avoiding return fire where possible given their flimsy stature. One thing to watch out for is they can’t innately Deep Strike, despite their wings, so you can’t rely on them going deep into enemy lines in the mid to late game outside of certain Stratagems.

The Bodyguard (literally, urgh) of the Hive Tyrants, these burly slabs of muscle are a dedicated heavy melee unit, coming in units of 3-6 and sporting an impressive T6 4W and 2+ Sv, and hit out at WS 3 Str 5 and 3 Attacks. Coming stock with Rending Claws and 2 Scything Talons ala the Warriors above, they can also opt to replace their Talons with either a Lash Whip and Bonecleaver (Str 5 -1 D2), or Crushing Claws, which make them a nasty  Str 8 -3 D2, but weirdly costs 20pts, as they are priced individually at 10, so you probably won’t bother. With access to Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs, they can be boosted further for melee havoc, and if within 3” of a HIVE TYRANT, they also get +1 Attack. And have Bodyguard for them, making a HIVE TYRANT, untargetable whilst they’re alive near him. Which is nightmarish to consider. They even don’t take up a slot when in the same Detachment as a TYRANT, isn’t that nice. Their main downside is that they aren’t incredibly killy compared to other units for their cost, and are a bit slower than the Tyrants themselves, being only a 6” Mv, but these aren’t exactly dealbreakers as they can just advance to keep up, and their goal is to protect, so if they add in some extra damage in melee that’s a bonus.  

The Hive Mind looked at the Imperium’s Assassins, liked the look of the Eversor and Calidus, and said “What if I combined them, and made it just…better?”. For a measly 70pts, the Lictor is a nasty melee beast, with 6A at WS 2 Str 7 -3 D2, all with Fight First, making it ideal for murdering unsuspecting characters and unsupported Infantry. With it’s Hidden Hunter rule letting it arrive from Reinforcements and reroll Charges on the turn it does so (though with the caveat it must also be wholly within 6” of a board edge or terrain, as well as the usual 9” away), it can strike in a lot of places on the board with it’s small base size, though even when footslogging it’s 10” Mv and Flesh Hooks make it quick to get to it’s prey. Defensively it packs a decent T5 and 5W, but more importantly it is -1 to Hit, with a 5++, and can never be Shot whilst they are getting Cover and the attacker is over 12” away. Even if the Lictor was the only thing they could see and it was the closest, if it’s in Ruins and 12.1” away, it’s literally invisible. Nasty. Of course, killing is pretty much the only things the Lictor can do, being eligible for scoring many mainstay Secondaries, so whilst they make a good disruption and backline threat, they won’t necessarily help win you the mission. 

Special Character LICTOR, being the basic Lictor but much better for 25pts more. With +1 Attack he’s slightly more killy, but his main improvements are defensive, getting +2 Wounds and a 4++, as well as more disruption potential, getting a 6” Aura that prevents enemy units from starting Actions (though it doesn’t shut off ongoing ones), as well as preventing any enemy units in Engagement Range from using any Stratagems, at all. This makes it ideal for dealing with units that draw a lot of strength from Stratagems, or being used as a support piece to shut down major defensive abilities. If you were looking for a single Lictor for assassination/disruption missions, consider Deathleaper instead for more reliability and longer lasting presence.

A big armoured brain bug that focuses on a mix of support and psychic output, with a smattering of melee damage thrown in. A 2/2/1 PSYKER, they add some extra powers, though their main ability will be to use their Encephalic Diffusion Psychic Action, which for WC 6 grants them a 6” Aura of -1 Str to enemy Ranged Attacks, which coupled with their large base size makes for an effective army booster. Even when doing the Action they still dish out damage however, as the closest enemy unit within 12” takes Mortal Wounds whenever a Psychic Test is passed on a 7+, doing 3/2/1 as they degrade (note this is not a Characteristic, so does not get the benefit of certain abilities that allow you to act on top profiles or count as double wounds remaining). If you focus on casting lots of Powers with this bug, you’ll be inflicting a lot of Mortal Wounds up close, though this is offset by their fairly slow speed of 8/7/5. Whilst they only have 3 Attacks, they strike with their Massive Talons for anti tank and anti marine options, so they can engage with heavier targets if needed, and with their standard big Monster statline and sporting a 4++, they are a tough beast to bring down before they get up close and brain melty. Not cheap at 170pts, but offer a lot of support and offensive options for the cost.

These once joke beasts are now a serious anti infantry mulcher, with 2 options for their ranged attacks, be it the 12” anti heavy infantry Burning Spray (D6 Str 6 -2 D2), or the anti light infantry Pyrogout at 18” (2D6 Str 4 -1 D1), both being Assault and autohitting letting them have a decent extra bit of movement and perfect accuracy. Whilst you don’t want them in Melee, they can hold their own against lighter or smaller units, with 3 Attacks each at Str 6 -3 D1. Defensively they’re pretty robust with T5 5W and a 3+, and they even explode in 3” for a Mortal Wound. For 30pts they are cheap for their output and comparative survivability.

Mega Melee Murder Monster, the Haruspex takes your “big” Monster statline ala the Maleceptor, makes him a shock assault beasty. With 5A at Str 7, he has two options for melee, he can go infantry blending with his Maw, striking at  -1 D2 but x3 Attacks, or use his Claws for tank busting, hitting at a healthy x2 Str AP-3 Dmg D3+3. He also has his Tongue which hits at Str 6 -3 Dmg 3, ignoring Look Out Sir, so could get lucky and eat an unsuspecting support HQ. Finally he has a 6” Aura of -2 Ld to enemy models, and heals a Wound each time he slays an enemy model, to a max of 3 per Phase, which combined with his already good defences can keep him going for longer than he should. At 170pts he’s not that cheap for a solely melee combatant, and so he needs to get up field as soon as possible to make the most of his good profile. 

Floating sacs of gas and tentacles, these INFANTRY come in units of 3-6 for 35pts each, and start off with a decent T5 and 4W, albeit only a 4+ Sv. Similar to the Toxicrene, albeit on a smaller scale, they are here to disrupt your foe. With their Grasping Tendrils they can stop one non-MONSTER/VEHICLE unit from Falling Back on a 4+, one enemy unit within 3” at the start of the Fight Phase suffers a Mortal Wound but more importantly Fight Last, and finally they have a 6” Aura of -1 to Hit your non-TITANIC units with Ranged Attacks. With 5 Attacks each at Str 5 -1 D1, though always wounding non VEHICLE/TITANICS on 2+, they are good for blending light infantry, though you probably only want to do this in a pinch. With an 8” FLY Mv, they can get to where they need to provide their support abilities, and when spread out can offer their buffs in a wide area.

Living Psychic Batteries of Doom, Zoanthropes are a 1/1/1 PSYKER unit of 3-6 brain bugs, that offensively do little, unless they zap stuff, and you’ll want to zap stuff with them. When they cast a Smite or Witchfire power (so Psychic Shriek, Neuroparasite or Psychic Scream) they add +1 to Cast for each model in the unit, and if it’s a Smite you do an additional Mortal Wound for each model in the unit, to a max of +3. This makes them fantastically reliable at dishing out Mortals, with even a squad of 3 able to cast your first Smite on double 1s, and getting the Super Smite on a fairly easy 8+. Coupled with their incredible Imperative, and being tough to shift with T5 4W and 4++, they are capable of anchoring a part of your line whilst also threatening heavy units that come close. Used offensively they can add some devastating output and force your opponent to screen with lesser units to protect their elites, keeping them out of the fight for a bit longer. They aren’t too cheap at 50pts a pop, but with their powerful output and buffs, they are well worth it, and don’t even take up a slot if you have a NEUROTHROPE in the same Detachment.

Elite vanguard organisms, the Genestealers all come with an 8” Mv and Infiltrate, making them a serious turn 1 threat if you win the roll off, or a big distraction that has to be dealt with should you not. 4 Attacks at WS 3 Str 4 -3 D1 makes them well suited to carving through all manner of Infantry, and chipping away at heavier units, whilst T4 and a 5++ (4++ in Melee) makes them fairly resistant to low level attacks back, albeit only 1W each. They can however bring along an Infestation Node for 20pts, which can either be set up with them, or via an Action sacrificing your Movement, which brings back D3 slain Genestealers in your Command Phase if within 3”. It doesn’t move, and if it’s ever within 3” of enemies and you aren’t within 3”, it is automatically removed, but regardless it’s useful to have to add a bit of longevity to the unit if needed. 1 in 4 (which is an odd choice given they come in units of 5-10) can be given an ACID MAW or FLESH HOOKS, neither of which are particularly strong or useful in the context of the rules they give, but they are free, so whatever. They can also have Toxin Sacs for a hefty 3pts a model, or an Extended Carapace for 1pt which reduces their Mv to 7”, but increases their Sv to 4+. Neither are particularly necessary, and only really serve to increase the points on their already fairly costly 16pts, so you can probably avoid them. Really you want them as an early game threat to deal with a key unit asap, or provide breathing room for your latter waves of forces. A BROODLORD in the same Detachment as them can also be taken without using up a Slot, good if you want to add some bigger punch to their assault.

Coming Soon!

Bases of little munchy bugs, Rippers aren’t particularly strong or tough, with each base being T3 and 4W with a 6+, and hitting with 4 Attacks at WS 5 Str 3. They do get to Deep Strike, and also get +1 to their Sv vs Ranged when getting Cover, so can be somewhat tricky to shift with light firepower, making a small unit of 3 handy for popping up to nab an Objective or Secondary, cheap at 45pts, but not really likely to do much else, and being SWARMS precludes them from many Actions. The whole unit can take Spinemaws for a 6” Pistol 4 Str 2 AP0 D1 ranged attack, but it’s rarely worth it. Not being usable as a Compulsory Detachment Slot is another odd choice, but fine. Overall there’s not much they do that others can’t, though they have some very fringe uses in regards to Secondaries like Engage or Behind Enemy Lines.

A flying Snake CHARACTER, the Parasite is an assassin/disruptor beast, whose main draw is being a fast (16” FLY) SYNAPSE creature to offer buffs to where needed, as well as their Parasitic Infection rule. By successfully wounding a non-VEHICLE unit with their Ovipositor (though they only ever get 1 Attack with it at Str 6 -1 D1, so easier said than done), the target takes a Mortal Wound and becomes Infected. Whilst Infected, a unit loses any Objective Secured they might have, and in addition you roll a D6 for the unit at the start of your opponent’s Command Phase. They take D3 Mortal Wounds, and on a 4+ remain Infected, otherwise they are no longer Infected. If 2+ Mortals are done, a single Ripper Swarm is set up within 3” of the enemy, outside of Engagement Range. All this is, well, fine. It’s sometimes hard to pull off, as you need to successfully Wound, ie damage, not just make a successful Wound Roll, then a 50/50 chance for the Infection to wear off before the ObSec negation kicks in (as Primaries are scored end of Command Phase), and you might get a Ripper, which are, well they’ll be there. So there’s plenty of hoops for a cool, albeit niche rule, and you’re otherwise not all that killy with admittedly 6 Attacks at AP-2, but Str 5 D1. Whilst somewhat tricky to pin down with the permanent -1 to be Hit and no reroll Hits allowed, their T5 and 6W will only go so far with keeping them around, but for 80pts they’re a cheap source of SYNAPSE that can occasionally be useful in dealing with stubborn units or lone, smaller Characters.

Shai-Hulud The first of the big snakes, this larged maw gribbly comes with a decent Str and T7, 14W and a 3+ Sv, making it a “lighter” version of the standard Tyranid Big Monster Chassis. It does have the -1 to be Hit in Melee however, and is faster at 10/8/6, alongside the option to Deep Strike. It has a number of offensive options, either anti infantry in Melee for a whopping 16 Attacks at -1 D1, as well as literally swallowing things whole, with one non-VEHICLE unit in Engagement Range in the Fight Phase taking D3 Mortal Wounds on a 2+, or flat 3 Mortals on a 6, with the added bonus of the enemy counting as below Half-Strength for Morale if any models were destroyed (seeing your pal eaten whole is a bit unnerving). They also have the option to act as a pseudo-Bombardment, placing a Marker in your Command Phase, forcing you to emerge within 12” of the marker in your next turn’s Movement Phase, but then every enemy within 6” of the marker taking D3 Mortal Wounds on a 3+, getting +1 if the unit is 6-10 models, or +2 to the roll if they’re 11+, and should you reach the lofty heights of a 7+ on the roll, you do D3+3 Mortals instead. You can set up within 9” and outside the Engagement Range of enemy units when you use this rule, but then you can’t charge, though it’s useful for positioning for Objectives or Secondaries. With the same tail and wargear options as the TRYGON PRIME, they are predominantly an area denial and distraction unit, which for 125pts base is pretty affordable for what they can do, or at least threaten to do.

The second big snake monster, having the same stats as the Mawloc above, albeit with “only” 12 Attacks. These attacks do hit harder however, with AP-3 and D2, making them great at carving through heavier infantry and lighter tanks, and they have a smattering of ranged output with their Bio-electic Pulse, a 12” Range Assault 8 Str 5 AP0 D1 attack. As with the other snake monsters, they have a trio of tail options as well as some wargear (with the Adrenal Glands approaching a must to make them even more reliable), but otherwise they are nothing more than a beatstick. The utility of them Deep Striking is what makes them a bit more of a threat than perhaps other beatstick monsters, as despite their lower Toughness and Wounds, they have the ability to strike out at undefended positions, warranting your foe to screen or anticipate the Trygon’s arrival. At 145pts base, they can be costly for their output, but their presence cannot generally be ignored or neglected.

Two separate types of Spores, with differing stats and rules but both following the same identity and restrictions, namely that they don’t interact much with the game itself, and they explode to do Mortal Wounds. Regardless of type, they autopass Morale, can’t do Actions or score Missions, can’t Charge, are ignored for Look Out Sir and setting up units within X” (so you could deep strike within like 5” if you wanted), and other models can move through them as if they weren’t there, though not ending any move on top of them. So as mentioned, they don’t really interact with the game or other models, unless they explode. When they end a move within 3” of an enemy unit, or an enemy unit ends a move and passes within 3” of them during that move, they explode for a number of Mortal Wounds on that unit, depending on a D6 roll and size. Note this is on a model by model basis, so one Spore Mine exploding doesn’t cascade explosions down the unit. They are not useful for anything else, and with a 4” Mv and 6+ Sv, they aren’t sticking around too long, but the threat of the Mortals for cheap can afford them a target on their back, protecting other units in a way. They can also Deep Strike, and can do so on Turn 1 if you want, letting you add a small deterrent to an enemy’s advance.

Coming Soon!

A smaller variant of the Pyrovore, these beasts of burden instead site back and lob Spore Mines into the battle, either firing a D3 Shots at 48” and able to ignore Line of Sight if targeting a unit a SYNAPSE creature can see, and doing a single Mortal Wound on a Hit. Alternatively, they can sacrifice their shooting and perform an Action to set up D3 Spore Mines per Biovore, for free, anywhere wholly within 48” and more than 6” away from enemy units, letting you set up choke points and traps. Only one unit can do that per Phase however, so you can’t suddenly be adding dozens of mines onto the battlefield, but it’s worth considering, especially since the potential for damage can be higher, more reliable given their BS 4, and also weirdly defensive as the Mines might absorb firepower. Make sure they’re far back though, as whilst T5 with 4W, they only have a 4+ Sv, and 2A at Str 6 -1 D1 in Melee, hitting at WS4, means they won’t be fighting their way out of units looking to hunt them.

All your Carnifexes, regardless of their subtype below, follow the same basic principles, with some little tweaks between their units. They all sport a healthy statline of WS 3 BS 4 Str 6 T7 9W 4A and a 2+ Sv, have -1 Dmg built in, get +1 Attack on the Charge or Heroic Intervention, and can be taken as units of 1-3, which are deployed within 6” then act as separate units. Whilst each takes on a slightly different archetype, they are all a good general purpose monster which act as a good speartip for your assault.

Chunky defensive/artillery style gunbeasts, they pack a pretty robust defensive profile of T6 4W and a 3+, and a choice of ranged options hitting at BS 3. Their Shockcannon is a solid anti tank gun, an Assault 2 36” Str 7 -2 Dmg 3 weapon that always wounds VEHICLES on 4+, and does a Mortal Wound in addition against them, or the anti heavy infantry Impaler Cannon, firing 3 Heavy shots at 24”, at Str 6 -2 D2 ignoring Light Cover, with the additional ability to ignore Line of Sight if shooting at a target that a SYNAPSE creature can see. Regardless of option, they can ignore any Hit and BS modifiers when shooting at a target a SYNAPSE can see, and they also have an Action to make them count as 3 Models for the purposes of controlling Objectives, at the cost of Moving that turn. The Hive Guard are a potent, albeit pricey ranged support unit, with a base cost of 50pts and +10pts for an Impaler. You may have better options depending on the role you want them to perform, though there are still a decent option due to their accuracy and Objective holding potential.

The biggest beast in the Codex, this massive walking gun platform rocks up with a whopping 17W at T8 and a 2+ Sv, making them a real pain to shift whilst still benefiting from Terrain, and a choice of 3 guns for anti light infantry, anti heavy infantry and anti tank duties. The Fleshborer Hive hits out with 30(!) Str 5 -1 D1 shots at 24”, more than capable of rinsing through light squads, whilst 5pts more nets you the Acid Spray, for an armour melting 6+D6 shots at Str 6 -3 D2, auto hitting, albeit Heavy and only 18” range. For 20pts you can instead take the Rupture Cannon, a tank buster extraordinaire that fires 3 Shots at 48”, hitting at a mighty Str 14 -4 Dmg 4+D6. They also come stock with Stinger Salvos for some extra anti infantry firepower, and their Powerful Limbs use their 4 Attacks to hit at Str 7 -1 D2. As with most big gribblies, they can take Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs, though melee beasts they are not. Try to avoid melee if you can, unless you’re fighting something you wanted to shoot at anyways, and at 170pts they’re a pretty affordable source of firepower. 

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With identical stats as the Crone above, the Harpy trades out some of their versatility for a more heavy hitting output. Losing their Tail attack and +1 to Hit FLY units, they instead drop Spore Mines onto the battlefield, either as a direct bombing run attack- rolling a D6 for each model in a unit they pass over, or 6D6 for MONSTERS/VEHICLES, up to 10D6, and doing a Mortal Wound on each 4+; or by spawning 3 Spore Mines anywhere within 1” of a point you moved over, and 6” away from enemy units. Whilst they keep their Stinger Salvos, their main armament is instead either 2 Stranglethorn Cannons, or 2 Heavy Venom Cannons for +10pts, which coupled with their speed and agility lets you bring some heavy firepower to hard to reach targets. Ideal for dealing with heavier infantry, the Harpy is a bit more specialised, but no less deadly for only 160pts.

Coming Soon!