Tyranid Drop Pods (huh?)

[thade]

So, you'll all be happy to know that I won my first game against Nids tonight. He had a pack of termaguants (shooty), two packs of genestealers, a hive tyrant with a retinue of two, two zoanthropes, a shooty carnifex (big template, pinning, must've have mid-strength because it seemed to wound 50% of the time), a pack of ravenors, and a pack of warriors.

 

I had:

- Libby in TDA w/ SS (Quickening & MotA...but while I missed Null Zone it turned out not to matter too much)

- Vanguard 7 marines (3 with single LC, 1 with SS, 3 vanilla)

- LRC w/ MM and SB (spare 10 points at the end)

- Dev Squad with 4 ML and Rhino

- Tac Squad with PF, Melta, PC, Rhino

- Tac Squad with PF, Flamer, HB, Rhino

- Tac Squad with PF, Flamer, HB, Rhino

- Vindicator

 

It was C&C mission and I was worried until I found out my psychic hood could keep the zoanthropes from popping my vehicles and most Nids have armor saves of 5+ or worse...so the welcoming embrace of the Emperor's Holy Rapid Fire was more than enough. Oh, and I Force Weapon killed a Carnifex (MotA made wounding him a reasonable venture, and I had Lit Claws for some semi-reassuring back up). Also, the LRC is a GUNBOAT; it's like a nigh-invincible Tac squad that's Relentless. Hosed the Raveners and one of the Zoanthropes.

 

...Now, on the topic.

 

My opponent challenged me to a rematch for next week, and he'd like to try the ...My-something Spores? The Tyranid Drop Pods. My questions are...How do these work? Like SM Drop Pods functionally, but do they have to drop half of them on the first turn? Last time I faced a SM force with all drop pods I held *everything* in reserve and I did pretty well. Is that going to work here? I figure if I just leave everybody mounted it'll work out okay for me (I just disembark and rapid fire after his spores touch down?).

 

Am I under-estimating these things?

[SpecialIssue]

No, Mycetic Spores come in via normal Deep Strike, but will move out of the way of difficult terrain or units if they land there, like our good ol' droppods. That means 4+ on turn 2, etc...

 

...UNLESS he takes a Hive Tyrant with the Hive Commander option- he now adds +1 on all his reserve rolls, making it essentially 3+ to come in on turn 1, 2+ on turn 2. Quite nasty, when combined with Lictors (add another +1 on his rolls(!) and no scatter within 6"), essentially can make his entire army (including a winged tyrant if he has one like someone I play with) come in turn 2.

 

On mycetic spores- nice kill points, with a few perks. If you assault, they fight back with 3 S6 attacks and have 3 wounds with 4+ armour save- so instant kill with krak missiles or power fists. Shooting attack isn't too bad either- 6 strength 6 attacks with no AP, but with BS2 and range of 6"-this may also be upgraded. Carry 20 models or one MC, and these units disembark/behave just like our boys in PA do with our DPs.

 

So... mech up. Zoes are especially nasty in DPs as throwaway units, so deny them their fodder by forcing him to waste shots shooting your Rhinos. Hive commander is nasty in DP lists, expect MCs popping in around your line by turn 2. (Trygons, Carnis in DPs, gargoyles, Ravenors, outflanking genies...). Lost my first game with this sorta MC-heavy Deep Srike list. Solution- krak missiles, and typhoon speeders. The cure-all to the nid codex. :P

[Grey Mage]

Note, that Lictors also give a +1 to reserve rolls, potentially giving a tyranid player a 2+ to come in on a turn 2.

 

Note also that a mycetic spore is a monstrous creature... but not a very threatening one. If your going for KPs or its to close to an objective then worry about it, otherwise justuse standard anti-DP tactics. IE keep infantry support near your tanks, and make sure your army is close enough to support its own elements.

 

Lastly, make sure you have a libbie- a Str10 Lance is likely to poke out of one of those spores, perhaps even a special character one... a psychic hood will be a good investment.

[bt2278]

Note, that Lictors also give a +1 to reserve rolls, potentially giving a tyranid player a 2+ to come in on a turn 2.

 

No, Lictors always start the game in reserve but must be on the table to effect the reserve roll. So the +1 from the lictor isn't a factor before turn 3.

[Koremu]

Lictors +1 is barely a factor. If you have the Tyrant with the +1 It's pointless IIRC.

 

Mycetic Spores are Drop Pods without the need to put half your force down before your opponent comes in from reserve. I think it's another example of other codex books getting refinements based on what was leant from mistakes made in Codex: Space Marines.

 

However... if your opponont is playing an entirely spore-pod force, there are limitations on what can go in the spores. The only HQ is the 'nid alpha warrior (you can have 2 of those, and they are cheap for HQs).

 

The Doom of Malanti can arrive in a spore, but it will always be in one solo. Zoanthropes, Venomthropes and (meh) Pyrovores (meh), as well as all the Troops except swarms.

 

Only single Carnifex from Heavy Support. Obviously all the Fast Attack can arrive from the air by itself.

[DarkGuard]

...UNLESS he takes a Hive Tyrant with the Hive Commander option- he now adds +1 on all his reserve rolls, making it essentially 3+ to come in on turn 1, 2+ on turn 2. Quite nasty, when combined with Lictors (add another +1 on his rolls(!) and no scatter within 6"), essentially can make his entire army (including a winged tyrant if he has one like someone I play with) come in turn 2.

 

Hive Commander doesn't mean Mycetic Spores can show up a turn early, it just adds +1 to those reserve rolls, so his Spores will be coming down in Turn 2 on a 3+

 

As for how to combat this list, all the advice that SpecialIssueAmmo and Gray Mage is solid. Beware Zoanthropes coming out to shoot up your Land Raiders and the like, their new Warp Lance is a nasty power and the Spore will get them in range. Try to force your opponent to land into firezones so you can pick them apart, try to force Deep Strike mishaps with your deployment, and like Gray Mage said, remember your Librarian.

[Newtoncain]

he could take a Swarm lord + Tyrant w/ HC to get troops in on a 2+ on T2, 1+ on T3.

 

Pods work just like drop pods except 1/2 don't drop T1 (normal reserve rolls).

At T4 they are quite squishy. Use any STR 8 to ID it, otherwise it has 3 wounds and a range 6 STR 6 attack (WS2/BS2) and is a MC. It can also get a 2nd ranged weapon for some points.

If he is smart he'll put a DoM in one and drop it next too your exposed troops.

[Vel'Cona]

Second that, Newtoncain. Smart Nid players are starting to see the havoc that can be wrought by Spore-Dropped DoM, and there are several lively discussions about whether this dangerous character/monster can hit dudes in transports and suchlike. Since currently they can't, transports are the single best answer to this deadly model. Though if the Nid player can manage to hold him back until you deploy, you may still have some problems.

[thade]

Okay, so a spore could potentially land exactly adjacent to one of my vehicles...then bring it's MC 2d6 armor pen to bear during his assault phase? @_@ That's like a bad dream. It's pretty hard to force a mishap on a DP since they have Guidance, which the spores seem to have, so I guess I need to man up and disembark, forming a little wagon circle with my Rhinos?

 

Can any Tyranid assault the turn after it Deepstrikes?

[wizard12]

Okay, so a spore could potentially land exactly adjacent to one of my vehicles...then bring it's MC 2d6 armor pen to bear during his assault phase? @_@ That's like a bad dream. It's pretty hard to force a mishap on a DP since they have Guidance, which the spores seem to have, so I guess I need to man up and disembark, forming a little wagon circle with my Rhinos?

 

Can any Tyranid assault the turn after it Deepstrikes?

 

Spores can't move so they can't insiciate the assult unless in base contact which won't happen becuase it automaticly moves the minimum distance to avoid a deep stike mishap. So unless you plan on tank shocking one, you don't have to fear assult with it.

[thade]

Okay, so a spore could potentially land exactly adjacent to one of my vehicles...then bring it's MC 2d6 armor pen to bear during his assault phase? @_@ That's like a bad dream. It's pretty hard to force a mishap on a DP since they have Guidance, which the spores seem to have, so I guess I need to man up and disembark, forming a little wagon circle with my Rhinos?

 

Can any Tyranid assault the turn after it Deepstrikes?

 

Spores can't move so they can't insiciate the assult unless in base contact which won't happen becuase it automaticly moves the minimum distance to avoid a deep stike mishap. So unless you plan on tank shocking one, you don't have to fear assult with it.

 

Does the "minimum distance to avoid mishap" put it in BtB? I can see a Nid player asserting it does. =( OOOOOH wait, he can't move any model of his within 1" of any model of mine except during assault phase. Whew.

[The Nephilim]

It irks me to no end that tyranids got drop pods and Chaos doesn't.

[Vel'Cona]

It irks me to no end that tyranids got drop pods and Chaos doesn't.

 

Seconded. Here's hoping for Dreadclaws in the next CSM codex.

 

You know, in 2012 (sigh). :)

[Giga]

Mycetic Spores are Drop Pods without the need to put half your force down before your opponent comes in from reserve. I think it's another example of other codex books getting refinements based on what was leant from mistakes made in Codex: Space Marines.

Naw, drop pod assault rule is working as intended. If they thought it was a mistake, they wouldn't have put it in SW dex.

 

Myceptic spores are supposed to work differently from drop pods - especially since if they were arriving on turn 1 it'd either;

 

1) make it overpowered to have the ability to land the entire close-combat tyranid army on turn 1, making it almost impossible for anyone to kill/run away from that much assault power before it hits them in turn 2

 

2) if those zoanthropes and the like were arriving on turn 1, they'd invariably end cut off from the rest of the force, and hence slaughtered while the remainder of the nid army is still slogging towards the enemy

Here's hoping for Dreadclaws in the next CSM codex.

Haha, it'd be funny if they added dreadclaws to the CSM dex, and then added the fabled dreadclaw flaw that causes them to turn rogue and kill the entire squad they're supporting. Knowing GW, it'd probably be decided on a roll of 1 whether you lose the entire squad or not. :devil:

[waaanial00]

It irks me to no end that tyranids got drop pods and Chaos doesn't.

 

I dunno about that, the Nids are renown for droping wave after wave of creatures via Mycentic Spores (its certainly in every story I have read about their planetary assault tactics). However I have read very few references to dread claws.

 

Still I am sure that Chaos will be stealing some in the new codex. Though be careful what you wish for, in the fluff Orks are known for Teleporting and arriving via Rokks so if we continue to its natural course you might find the big green being drop podded down in the new wave of codexes.

 

On topic

 

One of the better uses for spores has got to be delivering Zoanthropes into shooting range, that and dumping some carnifexes down the enemies throat. Beware ye marines as the new Nid codex is like a Swiss Army Knife when it comes to tactics, which is a brilliant thing to see - every codex should be this flexible and more as it brings more variety and tactical choices to the game.

 

Wan