Favourite Hive Fleet Adaptation combos

[Xenith]

As per tihe title, from Blood of Baal, Tyranids can choose two Hive Fleet Adaptations instead of going with one of the major Hive Fleets.

 

What are you using, and have you found any fun combos?

 

I noticed:

 

Bio-metallic cysts (-1AP to sycthing talons) + Pack Hunters (-1AP to attacks when targeting a unit with fewer models)

 

Really the best for hormagaunts, but also stealers with talons, raveners, scytal warriors, etc. Suddenly your gaunts are attacking at AP-2 when they outnumber an opponent. Combine with the feral instincts stratagem for AP-3. 

 

Metamorphic regrowth (model regains 1W per turn) is probably my favourite, and favours a more bulky army, warrior troops, etc. The opponent has to totally wipe models or they'll keep coming back. Combine with Accelerated Digestion adaptive physiology for added fun and up to 4W/turn regenerated. 

 

Unfortunately the rest seem to fall flat, being either for monsters, FLY, or psychic stuff. There are few that apply to the whole army, or are super situational.

 

My Hive Fleet of choice would probably be Metamorphic regrowth + Bio metallic cysts.

 

Am I missing anything? Any good combos with the new bio-artefacts or the adaptive physiologies?

[WarriorFish]

While this is of course all theory for me currently, I have settled on the following two for now:
 
Adaptive Exoskeleton
Giving gaunts a 6++ (and goyles) doesn't seem like much but always having that chance for a save should help stem losses a bit. This is my "not sure" option though, as while I plan to have plenty of gaunts (not looked at goyles much yet, though I like the models so will surely end up fielding them) I'm not sure how many AP weapons will be aimed their way.
 
Metamorphic Regrowth
This one seems like a nice choice, as I plan to have a fair few Warriors. While it naturally favours units over unit size, having a Warrior in each squad regain a wound will help them out against anything that doesn't kill them outright - and these AT guns are likely to be used on bigger critters. Keeping things like Carnifexes trucking a bit longer too makes it a good pick indeed. If you don't plan on taking a decent number of Warriors I'm not sure it'd be useful enough unless you were leaning towards nidzilla style lists?

 

Having read your bits I think your bio metallic cysts choice might be overall better rather than the exoskeleton as I'd be having a lot of talons. A few extra gaunts (maybe; my rolling isn't that great :P ) making it to combat is likely less useful than AP-1 in most cases? The others don't seem as useful but I'm only looking from an overall army point of view rather than taking into account bio-artefacts etc.

[Xenith]

Regrowth combined with the -1 D on warriors strat is pretty nice, thinking about it. With 3W, people will be firing 2-3D weapons at them - if they shoot a D3 weapon, pop the strat, and each suddenly it takes 2 shots to kill each warrior, halving the number of casualties, which then regen wounds. 

 

the 6++ on gaunts I hadn't figured, but I guess with bolt rifles being the new norm and astartes chainswords all getting AP-1, then having the innate 6++ might be very useful - but about the same as ignoring a wound on a 6+ which is a base hive fleet strat I think?

[WarriorFish]

Yeah, I think Stratagem use is important as ever but best kept as a bonus rather than core strategy. Springing one at the right moment could give your opponent some trouble, so a larger squad of Hormagaunts ready for a charge next turn aren't quite as easy to remove when you give them a 6+++ to go with their 6++? Not that I know the Stratagems very well currently

[TheNewman]

I can see Adaptive Exoskeletons and Metamorphic Regrowth being a particularly good combo if you're planning on taking three Tervigons and throwing Endless Tide (?), but it seems like if you were going to play recursion spam then taking Kraken so ET works on any infantry instead of just 'gaunts and adding at least some Stealers to stack Call the Brood on top of it would be the better play.

[Evil Eye]

I'm going for Metamorphic Regrowth (as discussed above- wound regeneration is always fun) and Senses of the Outer Dark. Now that OW is a stratagem for everyone bar the T'au, getting into CC should be that much easier.

[TheNewman]

I was looking over the adaptions again and Feeding Frenzy might be a hidden gem. 6" Pile-in moves can be really significant.

[Xenith]

Indeed, they can be a great manipulator to tie up other units, gaunts already use this to tie up a hell of a lot of stuff.