Check my logic on Hive Fleets - Tactica Stuff

[Alcyon]

For the swarm!

 

I had some downtime today and started chewing my way into BattleScribe, 1d4chan and the Tyranid Codex, and I had some thoughts about how different Hive Fleets promote different playstyles and what units might work for each. It doesn't seem like there's a ton of competitive discussion for Tyranids since the codex (and model line) has been left behind a little, but I mostly focus on getting things slotted into satisfying places rather than what is most optimal if I'm being perfectly honest.

 

In any case, I wanted to see if you guys tended to run all one Hive Fleet or if you split things up between detachments; it doesn't seem like Tyranids have been hit by the nerf bat quite as hard for that particular flavour of soup, and I can imagine a lot of benefits to splitting your shooty bugs into a different detachment and fleet than your spiky bugs. 

 

I also wanted to know if my thinking around the fleets seems right. Kronos is obviously shooty-focused (plus anti-psyker), Hydra just seems kind of weak with how poor hordes are (plus their stratagem is bad in matched play), and Leviathan (bit of a flyer focus) and Gorgon seem quite general though I haven't dug into their other traits much. Kraken seems by far the most popular given the 3d6-pick-the-highest advance, plus their stratagem, and with how good Genestealers have been to date. It remains to be seen how Falling Back is apparently a stratagem in 9th Ed but Kraken should be good with Carnifexes as you can trigger Living Battering Ram consistently. Their Warlord Trait also helps ensure 'fexes get to attack first since they can be squishy on the reply, and they also probably want to run Zoanthropes as a firebase since they can advance into range and still shoot with no penalty.

 

On the other hand Jormungandr appeals to my stealthy side with its automatic cover and Enemy Below strat, and the fact that advancing makes you lose the cover save seems to make it the wrong fleet for Genestealers and Broodlords. You want to be plodding up the board at a normal rate, probably firing since you aren't having to take the malus for advancing, and thus you want more cover (Venomthropes) which synergize further with the core adaptation. I wonder if this combo might not make your bugs more survivable than Leviathan's FNP after all's said and done. My view on this fleet is it wants more Termagaunts, probably Tervigons therefore, plus a firebase and midrange units. Any CC-oriented models probably want to be arriving turn 2 from reserves to be effective and that means going with the Arachnocyte Gland/Hive Instinct combo to get a turn 2 charge out of DS from a Trygon Prime. This combo does work with any fleet but it seems especially relevant for the big J.

 

So, TL;DR: Kraken wants Genestealers, Carnifexes and Zoanthropes, whereas Jormungandr wants Warriors, Termagaunts and deep strikers. Does that sound right? Is that how you normally build your lists?