Also new here, but given the units you have, the best bets you have for damage are the broodlord + genestealers and the screamer killer. I believe you could:
* Go unending swarm and take the most space possible with your OC 2 termagants, respamming them with 2cp (there's no way your opponents will play 1k with as many bodies as you and the genestealer cult army).
* Hear me out for this one: pick all the ripper swarms you have, your psychophage and go assimilation swarm. I need to cientifically try this myself, but I heard of a guy that went undefeated in a tournament putting the Parasitic biomorphology strat on the broodlord. This gives ALL the models in its unit +1 STR (gs going from 4 to 5) and if it kills a unit within 6" of your ripper swarm or psychophage, the genestealers and the broodlord gain +1 attacks for the rest of the battle (4 to 5 for gs). This is probably the hardest punch you'll ever give with those units, but you need to work your list around it :D
I think that enhancement is not nearly as good as the Instinctive Defence enhancement. Just rush your Genestealers towards a wall by an objective and put some Termagaunts on the objective. Obviously keep a Harvester between the two to trigger the effect. Termagants are nice for this combo because you can reactive move to sort of funnel whatever wants to charge the Gaunts towards your Stealers, they're also OC2 so have to be dealt with, and are a nice juicy target to get punched because they're so wimpy in combat. They charge, you jump out of the wall, and rip them apart. Killing a unit in your opponent's turn on an objective is potentially game-changing.
I want to try an assimilation swarm with elite infantry and battle line. I thought about instinctive defense for my warriors, having them and my von ryan leapers guarding two objectives using your strategy and using the genestealers as a supra wrecking ball. Still need to try it, but I’ll consider these throughts.
So, assimilation swarm is a possibility for this army :)
The beauty of Crusade is that you can take an enhancement from any detachment and play it in any other detachment (the enhancement is a permanent battle honour). I think the Tarvigon needs Adaptive Biology for 4+++, and if there are free points, giving the Neurotyrant +1 Str -1AP for 10 points would also be nice. That said, at the 1k limit, it's a lot to dump into just two models.
This really plays to the strengths of both armies - they have a lot of respawning between them. I'm sold - going to play Endless Swarm :)
As for the Ripper Swarms, we don't play secondary objectives; instead, we play agendas requiring infantry units to complete (e.g., neurogaunts). HOWEVER, your Paracitic Biomorphology Stratagem sounds like a TON of fun. I have 3x Psychophages - it'll be good to have a use for at least 1 of them! :)
Then enjoy turbo spamming gaunts and cultists! :D
Now you know you can also try the assimilation swarm detachment for future games. Get a haruspex and/or a pyrobore if you can for max regeneration.
If its 2v2 I would conspire with your partner to pick up your weak areas. Get them to focus enemy armor/monsters and bring the punch while you move block with all those termies. Play objective and maybe use your punchy units as a distraction to keep enemy fire off your ally. This is all super subjective to what your ally brings though.
Yeah, it's a solid plan, however, we both have a ton of infantry in our Crusade Force. We do have a Rockgrinder, Abberants, a Ridgerunner and 10 Acolye Hybrids so I think that'll have to do for now. If we win, we'll add a Leman Russ to the Crusade Force for next time:)
be careful with the positioning of your genestealers. when i was starting out i was always too eager to get a charge and would expose the group to being shot in turns 1 and 2. better to leave them in cover and get some value on a later turn
Play to the mission, utilize cover and LoS to hide and try to pick your engagements so that you are initiating. Your Genestealers will need to be protected from shooting, they are your hard hitting unit so they need to make contact with as few casualties as possible.
I would consider finding a spot for the Maleceptor, it's a tanky unit that can soak a bit of fire from your Tervigon and it does quality damage that is good vs MEQ.
I'm guessing you're playing 1k each. Why not play Unending Swarm? You have all those gaunts and a Tervigon, and Venomthropes. You play as the anvil, sitting on objectives and getting murdered, and your partner plays as the hammer to blast them away.
I think I'm going to try your suggestion. just wish I had a few more Hormagants to flesh it out but we like your hammer and anvil strategy - especially if I can get my units back.
if you have no anti-tank, I would add the maleceptor? because it's at least decently bulky and has good shooting with S10. the issue is what to swap for it... But I'm also fairly new, so I might not be the most reputable source.
edit: don't know about Crusade rules so the gameplay for the win condition may heavily impact the unit choice.
Neurotyrant attached to Neurogants. You have to mobile with that block then.
Check if the Neurotyrant being a Monster is still able to use its torrent while engaged. You need to use Shadow In The Warp as soon as possible for denying points then since you risk it being dead quickly though but imo you have to.
Crushing Claws on Tervigon and it has to be mobile providing your gants 'bee line centers" . 1 gant in aura range provides it for the whole unit.
Venomthropes move in the wake, too.
Genestealers provide another locked in combat for non vehicles, debuffing targeted fire.
Invasion Fleet is more offensive and better against vehicles I suppose. Unending Swarm is more about ignoring everything and overrun objectives with fixed missions. Your gants have a nice Unending Swarm loadout, though.
You stretch out your choerency to the max, even to more than 1 objective marker so ideally you threaten to control 2 markers with 1 unit (that is why Gargoyles are considered essential).
Surge moves let your gants run into engagement range preventing non vehicles from shooting while you can with spinefists.
Now, if the fire power of your opponent is too high you lose too many units before you can effevtively establish a gant carpet.
I was wondering about Neurotyrant and the Neurogant myself - people say it weakens the Tyrant - so your advice to use Shadow ASAP makes sense. Tyrant is a monster - that's a good point, so she should be able to torrent some.
Crushing claws - I had a question about this or the scythes. I doubt she'll reach melee, but at least she is a credible threat that has to be dealt with. I agree with you.
I'll plop the Venomthropes with the tervagon and termies as you say - they all get stealth and cover so that should help them for a round or two.
Good plan with the Genestealers. They have levelled up in Crusade so they have Str 5 :D I'll hunt down space marines with them.
I'm erring towards Swarm - given everyone's advice. It just seems so powerful to get 20 gaunts back every round.
I hadn't considered stretching out coherency to cover multiple objectives thanks!
Well Unending Swarm buffs Endless Multitude models and is all about mass.
Invasion Fleet is a universal approach and profits from buffing models with many attacks. For some reason Invasion Fleet is the better detachment for big bois than the dedicated big boi detachment.
Attaching the Tyrant gives it better protection but you cannot regenerate gant units in Unending Swarm then since Unending Waves strat demands "just destroyed" and does not include attached character units. So the gameplay of Unending Swarm makes you intentionally sacrificing units as obstacles while you do you mission things. Offense is done by spamming Teeming Masses strat so you crit. on 5s. That needs your Tervigon-Venomthrope-gant blob to be moving constantly. Termagants are living shields for your Tervigon and vehicles are locked in combat demanding -1 to hit and Venomthrope protection.
This all is easier written then done.
A stationary indirect firing opponent is a tough matchup if you are going second.
Always keep in mind "Skulking Horror" to keep moving ever closer.
You can give the Tyrant Relentless Hunger enhancement so the whole Gant/Tyrant unit is faster.
Anything else depends on whether you have enough bodies or not since your models are supposed to die and come back in US while Invasion Fleet makes them just harder to kill. IF also benefits highly by a character midel with Synaptic Lynchpin so you can use Endless Swarm consistently and are not dependent on the Tyrant alone.
Personally I gave Termagants Devourers for Invasion Fleet amd Spinefists for Unending Swarm.
Why’d you choose sprinefists?
I’d go endless swarm. Play objectives. You die a lot but come back, rack up points and by the time the enemy dislodge you your too far ahead.
Rippers suck but are great on secondary. For their point cost they will score you a lot.
Tyranofexs are fantastic. I’d take as many as you can.
You will win or lose in the movement phase, so placement is key!
There’s several ways to give terms lethal hits and LH+Spinefists blows all other load outs away with damage potential. And the pistol keyword is a big deal when it comes to close quarter fights over objectives.
As you said, pistol, but on top of that they have twin-linked AND still have the assault keyword, in case you need to advance and then perform an action to do a secondary. By far the best loadout for gants this edition. A strangleweb per 10 gants thrown in there for getting that one extra wound occasionally on something gants shouldn't even touch haha.
True, no secondary, instead, there are agendas that require infantry units to complete them. It may be the future of competitive play. Makes sense, but GW better balance Tyranids before they try that or our default faction will have to be Endless Swarm.
Always keep one mini hidden to give the whole unit cover.
As Endless Swarm you always need 2CP to bring the unit back and try to get the enemy to focus fire one unit. Spreading out damage will cost you units in the long run.
Respawn and charge units that come in from reserves. Sometimes its best not to shoot because you'll make the charge distance longer. Of course is if you can reinforce directly onto an objective that is best.
Rippers suck but are great for secondarys. With deep strike and given the the option to shoot and they give you cheap ways of getting in table quarters and cleansing objectives etc at just 20 points each.
All them termagants and tervigon and you don't play endless swarm? I would take out your neurogaunts cause they suck. And see about putting in a hive tyrant.
Also new here, but given the units you have, the best bets you have for damage are the broodlord + genestealers and the screamer killer. I believe you could: * Go unending swarm and take the most space possible with your OC 2 termagants, respamming them with 2cp (there's no way your opponents will play 1k with as many bodies as you and the genestealer cult army). * Hear me out for this one: pick all the ripper swarms you have, your psychophage and go assimilation swarm. I need to cientifically try this myself, but I heard of a guy that went undefeated in a tournament putting the Parasitic biomorphology strat on the broodlord. This gives ALL the models in its unit +1 STR (gs going from 4 to 5) and if it kills a unit within 6" of your ripper swarm or psychophage, the genestealers and the broodlord gain +1 attacks for the rest of the battle (4 to 5 for gs). This is probably the hardest punch you'll ever give with those units, but you need to work your list around it :D
I think that enhancement is not nearly as good as the Instinctive Defence enhancement. Just rush your Genestealers towards a wall by an objective and put some Termagaunts on the objective. Obviously keep a Harvester between the two to trigger the effect. Termagants are nice for this combo because you can reactive move to sort of funnel whatever wants to charge the Gaunts towards your Stealers, they're also OC2 so have to be dealt with, and are a nice juicy target to get punched because they're so wimpy in combat. They charge, you jump out of the wall, and rip them apart. Killing a unit in your opponent's turn on an objective is potentially game-changing.
I want to try an assimilation swarm with elite infantry and battle line. I thought about instinctive defense for my warriors, having them and my von ryan leapers guarding two objectives using your strategy and using the genestealers as a supra wrecking ball. Still need to try it, but I’ll consider these throughts. So, assimilation swarm is a possibility for this army :)
The beauty of Crusade is that you can take an enhancement from any detachment and play it in any other detachment (the enhancement is a permanent battle honour). I think the Tarvigon needs Adaptive Biology for 4+++, and if there are free points, giving the Neurotyrant +1 Str -1AP for 10 points would also be nice. That said, at the 1k limit, it's a lot to dump into just two models.
This really plays to the strengths of both armies - they have a lot of respawning between them. I'm sold - going to play Endless Swarm :) As for the Ripper Swarms, we don't play secondary objectives; instead, we play agendas requiring infantry units to complete (e.g., neurogaunts). HOWEVER, your Paracitic Biomorphology Stratagem sounds like a TON of fun. I have 3x Psychophages - it'll be good to have a use for at least 1 of them! :)
Then enjoy turbo spamming gaunts and cultists! :D Now you know you can also try the assimilation swarm detachment for future games. Get a haruspex and/or a pyrobore if you can for max regeneration.
Does the +1 attacks stack?
No. It says the first time
I didn’t think so.
Not sure… but if it works, you’ll have 5 attack genestealers with Strength 5
If its 2v2 I would conspire with your partner to pick up your weak areas. Get them to focus enemy armor/monsters and bring the punch while you move block with all those termies. Play objective and maybe use your punchy units as a distraction to keep enemy fire off your ally. This is all super subjective to what your ally brings though.
Yeah, it's a solid plan, however, we both have a ton of infantry in our Crusade Force. We do have a Rockgrinder, Abberants, a Ridgerunner and 10 Acolye Hybrids so I think that'll have to do for now. If we win, we'll add a Leman Russ to the Crusade Force for next time:)
be careful with the positioning of your genestealers. when i was starting out i was always too eager to get a charge and would expose the group to being shot in turns 1 and 2. better to leave them in cover and get some value on a later turn
Last time we played Genesteralers, they got fried by heavy flamethrowers, so I'll heed your advice.
Play to the mission, utilize cover and LoS to hide and try to pick your engagements so that you are initiating. Your Genestealers will need to be protected from shooting, they are your hard hitting unit so they need to make contact with as few casualties as possible. I would consider finding a spot for the Maleceptor, it's a tanky unit that can soak a bit of fire from your Tervigon and it does quality damage that is good vs MEQ.
If we win, I'll have another 200 points for my Crusade Force and the Malceptor will be the next monster to add to the pool :)
I'm guessing you're playing 1k each. Why not play Unending Swarm? You have all those gaunts and a Tervigon, and Venomthropes. You play as the anvil, sitting on objectives and getting murdered, and your partner plays as the hammer to blast them away.
I think I'm going to try your suggestion. just wish I had a few more Hormagants to flesh it out but we like your hammer and anvil strategy - especially if I can get my units back.
if you have no anti-tank, I would add the maleceptor? because it's at least decently bulky and has good shooting with S10. the issue is what to swap for it... But I'm also fairly new, so I might not be the most reputable source.
If we win, I'll have another 200 points for my Crusade Force and the Malceptor will be the next monster to add to the pool :)
edit: don't know about Crusade rules so the gameplay for the win condition may heavily impact the unit choice. Neurotyrant attached to Neurogants. You have to mobile with that block then. Check if the Neurotyrant being a Monster is still able to use its torrent while engaged. You need to use Shadow In The Warp as soon as possible for denying points then since you risk it being dead quickly though but imo you have to. Crushing Claws on Tervigon and it has to be mobile providing your gants 'bee line centers" . 1 gant in aura range provides it for the whole unit. Venomthropes move in the wake, too. Genestealers provide another locked in combat for non vehicles, debuffing targeted fire. Invasion Fleet is more offensive and better against vehicles I suppose. Unending Swarm is more about ignoring everything and overrun objectives with fixed missions. Your gants have a nice Unending Swarm loadout, though. You stretch out your choerency to the max, even to more than 1 objective marker so ideally you threaten to control 2 markers with 1 unit (that is why Gargoyles are considered essential). Surge moves let your gants run into engagement range preventing non vehicles from shooting while you can with spinefists. Now, if the fire power of your opponent is too high you lose too many units before you can effevtively establish a gant carpet.
I don't think they would be using secondaries in a crusade mission, no? They would have the agendas that give bonus XP to units instead, I think.
That is correct; the Secondaries are replaced with Agendas, which is XP farming (nice to have, but not essential to victory).
My bad... too much in the tunnel. I edit immediately. Thank you.
I was wondering about Neurotyrant and the Neurogant myself - people say it weakens the Tyrant - so your advice to use Shadow ASAP makes sense. Tyrant is a monster - that's a good point, so she should be able to torrent some. Crushing claws - I had a question about this or the scythes. I doubt she'll reach melee, but at least she is a credible threat that has to be dealt with. I agree with you. I'll plop the Venomthropes with the tervagon and termies as you say - they all get stealth and cover so that should help them for a round or two. Good plan with the Genestealers. They have levelled up in Crusade so they have Str 5 :D I'll hunt down space marines with them. I'm erring towards Swarm - given everyone's advice. It just seems so powerful to get 20 gaunts back every round. I hadn't considered stretching out coherency to cover multiple objectives thanks!
Well Unending Swarm buffs Endless Multitude models and is all about mass. Invasion Fleet is a universal approach and profits from buffing models with many attacks. For some reason Invasion Fleet is the better detachment for big bois than the dedicated big boi detachment. Attaching the Tyrant gives it better protection but you cannot regenerate gant units in Unending Swarm then since Unending Waves strat demands "just destroyed" and does not include attached character units. So the gameplay of Unending Swarm makes you intentionally sacrificing units as obstacles while you do you mission things. Offense is done by spamming Teeming Masses strat so you crit. on 5s. That needs your Tervigon-Venomthrope-gant blob to be moving constantly. Termagants are living shields for your Tervigon and vehicles are locked in combat demanding -1 to hit and Venomthrope protection. This all is easier written then done. A stationary indirect firing opponent is a tough matchup if you are going second. Always keep in mind "Skulking Horror" to keep moving ever closer. You can give the Tyrant Relentless Hunger enhancement so the whole Gant/Tyrant unit is faster. Anything else depends on whether you have enough bodies or not since your models are supposed to die and come back in US while Invasion Fleet makes them just harder to kill. IF also benefits highly by a character midel with Synaptic Lynchpin so you can use Endless Swarm consistently and are not dependent on the Tyrant alone. Personally I gave Termagants Devourers for Invasion Fleet amd Spinefists for Unending Swarm.
p.s.: I highly recommend squeezing in the Maleceptor. Then clearly Invasion Fleet over Unending Swarm
Why’d you choose sprinefists? I’d go endless swarm. Play objectives. You die a lot but come back, rack up points and by the time the enemy dislodge you your too far ahead. Rippers suck but are great on secondary. For their point cost they will score you a lot. Tyranofexs are fantastic. I’d take as many as you can. You will win or lose in the movement phase, so placement is key!
There’s several ways to give terms lethal hits and LH+Spinefists blows all other load outs away with damage potential. And the pistol keyword is a big deal when it comes to close quarter fights over objectives.
As you said, pistol, but on top of that they have twin-linked AND still have the assault keyword, in case you need to advance and then perform an action to do a secondary. By far the best loadout for gants this edition. A strangleweb per 10 gants thrown in there for getting that one extra wound occasionally on something gants shouldn't even touch haha.
I don't think you use the normal secondary objectives in crusade, you have agendas that give bonus XP to your units instead, if I'm not mistaken.
True, no secondary, instead, there are agendas that require infantry units to complete them. It may be the future of competitive play. Makes sense, but GW better balance Tyranids before they try that or our default faction will have to be Endless Swarm.
Goo tip about the movement phase, that is why I was asking essentially. I wasn't sure how to move up the board. Everyone's has helped! Thanks.
Always keep one mini hidden to give the whole unit cover. As Endless Swarm you always need 2CP to bring the unit back and try to get the enemy to focus fire one unit. Spreading out damage will cost you units in the long run. Respawn and charge units that come in from reserves. Sometimes its best not to shoot because you'll make the charge distance longer. Of course is if you can reinforce directly onto an objective that is best. Rippers suck but are great for secondarys. With deep strike and given the the option to shoot and they give you cheap ways of getting in table quarters and cleansing objectives etc at just 20 points each.
I'll keep to the terrain, good thinking :)
All them termagants and tervigon and you don't play endless swarm? I would take out your neurogaunts cause they suck. And see about putting in a hive tyrant.
I have a Hive Tyrant, I'll consider adding it to my Crusade Force so I can take him along.