Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
Devourers throw out the most shots, with Stratagems, are some of the deadliest guns you own.
Monstrous Claws are cheap-as-free (because your Hive Tyrants don't want to be in combat, that's why they <Fly>)
If your Hive Tyrant does want to be in combat, then chuck on Boneswords and go to town.

I'll see if you can spot a pattern.

Spoiler
Show
Behemoth, Battalion (really?)
(W) Hive Tyrant with Wings - 193 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
Catalyst, Psychic Scream, WT; Tenacious Survivor,
Ymgarl Factor

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 193 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
The Horror, Psychic Scream

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 193 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
Paroxysm, Onslaught

Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points

Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points

Behemoth, Outrider
Hive Tyrant with Wings - 193 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
Catalyst, Psychic Scream

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 193 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
Catalyst, Psychic Scream

Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points

Jormungandr, Spearhead
Hive Tyrant with Wings - 198 Points
x4 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Catalyst, Psychic Scream

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 198 Points
x4 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Catalyst, Psychic Scream

Mawloc - 104 Points
Mawloc - 104 Points
Mawloc - 104 Points
Biovore - 36 Points

Total: 1988 Points

Hive Tyrants obviously get better the more you have of them. Since I've only ever seen three played at a time...They've all been terrible. But I guess when you have 7, it's a different story.
Apparently, this is what a Melee Tyranid list looks like. With Jorm Tyrants in the back.


Spoiler: Only 5?
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Kronos, Brigade
Hive Tyrant with Wings; x4 Devourers with Brainleech Worms - 198 Points
Hive Tyrant with Wings; x4 Devourers with Brainleech Worms - 198 Points
Neurothrope; The Norn Crown - 70 Points

Termagants (x15) - 60 Points
Termagants (x15) - 60 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points

Hive Guard; Impaler Cannon - 48 Points
Hive Guard; Impaler Cannon - 48 Points
Hive Guard; Impaler Cannon - 48 Points
Hive Guard; Impaler Cannon - 48 Points
Hive Guard; Impaler Cannon - 48 Points
Hive Guard; Impaler Cannon - 48 Points
Lictor; Flesh Hooks, Rending Claws - 45 Points
Pyrovore - 38 Points

Gargoyles (x15) - 90 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points

Biovores (x3) - 108 Points
Biovore - 36 Points
Biovore - 36 Points

Kraken, Supreme Command
Hive Tyrant with Wings - 213 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Boneswords, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 198 Points
x4 Deathspitters with Slimer Maggots

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 189 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands

Total: 1999 Points

Again, this is one of those things where I'm like 'I guess (?) Hive Tyrants can Melee if they want to?


Spoiler: Tyranids *can* Melee, not that they should
Show
Kronos, Outrider
(W) Hive Tyrant with Wings - 198 Points
x4 Devourers with Brainleech Worms
Psychic Scream ; WT Soul Hunger

Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points

Mawloc; Biostatic Rattle - 104 Points
Mawloc; Biostatic Rattle - 104 Points

Leviathan, Battalion
Hive Tyrant with Wings - 193 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
Onslaught, Paroxysm ; Ymgarl Factor

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 198 Points
x4 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Onslaught, Psychic Scream

Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points
Ripper Swarms (x3) - 33 Points

Mucloid Spore - 20 Points
Mucloid Spore - 20 Points

Mawloc; Biostatic Rattle - 104 Points
Mawloc; Biostatic Rattle - 104 Points

Leviathan, Supreme Command
Hive Tyrant with Wings - 184 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws
Psychic Scream, The Horror

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 184 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws
Catalyst, Paroxysm

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 184 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws
Catalyst, The Horror

Hive Tyrant with Wings - 184 Points
x2 Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Monstrous Rending Claws
Psychic Scream, Catalyst

Total: 2000 Points


Hive Tyrants without Wings don't exist, that model is called 'The Swarmlord'.
The way I understand it, is that Hive Tyranits can Melee, though you don't really want them to if you can help it. Monstrous Rending Claws still do a ****-ton of Damage, the re-rolls To Wound increase the validity of Toxin Sacs, and are free. Did I mention that?

Because Tyrants can <Fly>, they often treat their Charge as a free move forwards. Do some wounds, maybe. Then, either your opponent Falls Back, or you do, in your turn. But, by that point you'll have 3+ unengaged Hive Tyrants within your opponent's DZ. You'll have probably played Rapid Regeneration at least once.

Carnifexes with x4 Devourers (or Deathspitters) are like A-tier units. So...If you've got Carnifexes, they are a suitable replacement for Hive Tyrants. They just don't <Fly>.

EDIT: I've just remembered that the Hive Tyrant kit is extremely limited and doesn't even have Monstrous Claws . IIRC, I used this method for a commission I did to make Devourers. But that's only 'cause up until now, Rending Claws on Monstrous Creatures were totally useless. I wish I could see pictures of the above armies. I'm assuming that they're just calling the claws in the Wings, 'MRCs' but I don't know that. Also, there's at least one 'Tyrant in there with Boneswords and Devourers, so there's no way you could justify the Wings as being 'Boneswords'. So, yeah. I don't know how you're supposed to do it.

I imagine that people taking Venom or Stranglethorn Cannons, are simply being hamstrung by the limitations of the kit, not that those options are actually any good.

EDIT II: That said, Rending Claws being useless, is probably a copy-paste into 8th, where they're not useless, but still free? Almost certainly an oversight and bound to change... Unless it doesn't. But, since Tyranids dominated the January tournament scene, I can't see how people (GW) aren't going to notice.
Where did you get those lists from? Also Jormungdar doesn't work on units with Fly.