Anti Tyranid Tactics by Nite Moogle

Any good commander dreads fighting the bugs, but better commanders know how to win when they must face the Hive Mind. The main things to keep in mind against Tyranids are 1) Avoid Genestealers, 2)The big guys make the little ones stay and fight, 3) Avoid Genestealers, 4) The little ones are lots cheaper than the big ones but wimpier, 5) Lictors are major threats, and 6) Avoid Genestealers. Anyone else see a pattern emerging? If you've really got balls, you can take a lascannon-loaded army and simply blow the crap out of anything big that has more than four appendages and hope the little guys leg it. I, however, reccomend lots of autocannons and heavy bolters- let's face it, a Tyranid player usually sends his Genestealers to do the dirty work and keeps the big dogs back home. If you know you'll be facing the bugs, a Whirlwind set in a fairly remote corner of the battlefield is a big asset. The ordinance blast is great for taking out all those screening Termagants and Hormaguants most players take. Just make sure they stay far away. Rapid Fire really shines through here as well. Now that Hero-hammer is gone, characters can't saturate an area with plasma or rad grenades, so you'll just have to shoot them more. Of course, you field lots more troops now. Well, so does your opponent, actually. Anyway...

On to the big guys. Hive Tyrants aren't quite so nasty shooting, but are much tougher to kill with their high toughness and a 5+ Invulnerable save. Massed bolter fire will take them down almost as easily as a small battery of big guns. Carnifexes are now the ultimate tank-killers (10 + 2D6 penetration) and are still really tough to kill. Just fire away with lotsa big guns, just like always. Ordinance weapons are handy. Lictors? Blast 'em, now. Shooting them is still next to impossible, but they're just too tough to kill in assaults. Actually, upon a bit of reflection, a group of Space Marines could take one down in an assault, but be prepared to take horrendous casualties. I still say shoot 'em. Tyranid players often have trouble against marines, since they have no chance in hell of out-shooting them into oblivion. They must rely on their Genestealers and other close combat troops. Before you set up, take a look at the opposing troops and decide where you will try to create a gap in the lines, then blast anything in the general area. Keep your mission in mind here as well. Zoanthropes are still good at hosing your tanks, but not quite as good as before. Landspeeder squadrons zooming aroung the battlefield shooting up the hordes is always fun (6 to hit! Gotta love it!).

Changes from 2nd Edition: the swarms have lost a lot of speed, comparatively, but are still fully capable of outnumbering any opponent and holding on in prolonged assaults through the hive mind's unshakeable morale. Tactics to defeat them have changed little, however.