Something fantastic has been re released by Forge World for Tyranid armies with new rules that bring the horde back to the competitive level again. This is the Malenthrope which is a T5 multi wound synaptic monstrous creature that provides a Shrouding bubble. This one brood in my mind is what was missing from the new codex and breathes competitive life back into the army again.
There is also an excellent brood in the codex that has been overlooked by the Internet meta—the Devilfex:
Carnifex - adrenal glands - 2x twin linked Devourer
A brood of three is laying down 36 twin linked S6 shots at up to 24" range if Onslaught is cast on them. I have seen what they can do and it's not pretty. If they have Feel No Pain up they and are shrouded they can weather a lot of incoming fire power.
The Myth of the Meta
I was very excited about the new Tyranid codex when it first released... However the Internet meta quickly devolved to the conclusion that Skyblight and fortifications were the only way to go and it seemed like all discussion eventually revolved around these two central tenants... I quickly lost interest. The results from the Bay Area Open (BAO) have shown that this style of army could not make it to a top table on day two beyond the fifth round out of six—this is where the proverbial rubber meets the road.
I know that the Flyrant is really good - one of the best units in the codex - but I personally don't like spamming units and this includes Crones and Harpies. The Tyranid codex has always been one of the most diverse and there are plenty of good units to choose from when designing an army.
On the one hand a lot of armies have problems facing multiple FMCs but on the other Skyblight has problems holding objectives late in the game. The game still strongly revolves around holding objectives to win which simply equates to fielding a solid percentage of reliable objective secured broods... Ripper broods aren't going to get it done all by their lonesome. Fortifications play defensively while Tyranids should be played aggressively based upon my experience.
A New Way
So the door has opened again to adaption and experimenting... I foresee the return of a true horde now with waves of broods flooding the battlefield. I'll post up a sample army list this week to share some thoughts.
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