With the near simultaneous release of the latest round of FAQs and the conclusion of the first major US tournament, it is safe to say that 6th edition has fully arrived, and we can all get down to the business of figuring out our favorite tabletop game. With that in mind, I'm returning to the project I fitfully started over the summer: a complete breakdown of the Tyranid Hive Fleets in all their glory.
Let's begin with the most basic of questions: "Why collect a Tyranid army?"
First, because the Tyranids are unique among 40k armies. Their model range and unit selection are incredibly diverse, and offer opportunity after opportunity to create a unique swarm. This is made even easier by the large number of plastic kits, all of which have surplus parts that can be easily repurposed. Secondly, Tyranids embrace a number of Sci-Fi alien themes. If you're a fan of skittering hordes, stalking predators, unstoppable titans, or inhuman intelligence lurking in the darkness, then the Tyranids are for you. And finally, you should collect Tyranids because they are absolute killing machines on the tabletop.
And that segues nicely into the next, more practical sections: general strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
If it bleeds, the Tyranids can kill it. Messily. Virtually every Tyranid unit is good at killing infantry, either through volume of attacks and shots or by ignoring armor saves. Massed Tyranid shooting can be devastating, while even their weakest units are threats in assault. Their assault specialists are amongst the best in the game. Few models can go one on one with a rampaging Trygon or Hive Tyrant, and fewer still can hope to survive. A model out in the open and near any Tyranid unit is never safe.
Numbers are another Tyranid advantage. While the codex has its share of expensive solo models, it can compensate with multiple cheap Troop choices - some of which can literally be spawned for free on the battlefield. Even worse (for your opponent) many of these models are Fearless in their own right, and all of them can be made so by nearby Synapse creatures. Not only is it possible to outnumber your opponent two or three times over, but each and every one of those models will have to be destroyed.
Tyranids can also deploy psykers to the battlefield en masse. While most are only Mastery 1, their sheer number can ensure that a given power is available. The right combination of powers, particularly those on the Biomancy table, can make Tyranid units exponentially more dangerous. Even basic powers, such as Catalyst and Paroxysm, can change the outcome of the game. As a bonus, proximity to Tyranid Synapse creatures will also make enemy psychic powers much less reliable.
Finally, Tyranids can do multidirectional attack like no other army. Many of their units can Deepstrike, Outflank, Infiltrate or simply appear from nowhere. Even better, they can do so while still maintaining an intimidating presence on the tabletop. If you choose, your opponent will have to worry about the swarm rushing his lines and the units waiting to ambush him.
Weaknesses:
Unfortunately, there are some things the Tyranids do not do well. First and foremost is surviving. Invulnerable saves are almost unheard of in the Tyranid army, and 2+ saves a rarity. You will find nothing with a 4+ save cheaper than 23 points. Toughness maxes out at 6, and while there are numerous models with multiple wounds, they are all vulnerable to Instant Death, focused heavy weapons fire, or both. No other army relies on numbers, exact positioning, and good use of cover so heavily. A Tyranid unit out in the open that your opponent wants to destroy in a given turn will be gone by the end of that turn. Broods that don't get the first shot or that can't take advantage of their high initiative will lose models and hitting power. Beware assaulting large squads in cover, as Overwatch, followed by strikes at Initiative 1 can often be the difference between victory and defeat.
Another weakness is a flip side of a strength. While Tyranids benefit greatly from their psykers, there are armies that can shut them down even at range, leaving the swarms that much more vulnerable and unable to retaliate.
Finally, the Tyranids have real deficiencies in their ranged firepower. While they have great mid and short range anti-personnel shooting, they have little in the way of long range firepower, and struggle to bring down some vehicles. A Tyranid swarm that relies solely on ranged firepower is likely to be outranged, whittled down, and outshot once it reaches its optimal kill zone of 18"-24". Tyranids possess some excellent weapons for destroying vehicles, but they tend to be more specialized, short ranged, and expensive than their counterparts.
Next installment: Terrain Setup, Warlord Traits, and Psychic Powers
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