If you crank up their defense, they can really add longevity to a model like Swarmy, or a walking Hive Tyrant kitting out for shooting and melee. For me, I prefer running them with Swarmlord as an alternative to the Tyrannocyte you often see him with as they cost roughly the same, and where that shoots pretty well, these gents punch pretty well. Whether that is worth it or not is up to you, but it is an option. Compared to a Tyranid Warrior, they have an extra point of toughness, strength and speed (humorously), for an extra 15pts per model. If with Swarmy and you find yourself facing an army that isn’t going to gun him down, send them off to smash with his Hive Commander ability and he can come in after! If playing Jormungandr you can also bring them on to the table using their Stratagem along with a Trygon, Mawloc or Raveners, which makes them fairly appealing on their own. Or, gear them up for combat with Crushing Claws as at only 47pts that is not bad for what you get. If you want them to strictly be meat shields keep them cheap and have them advance up the field with say, Swarmy. those wounds which helps a ton to keep them going. Obviously, if you give them something like Catalyst or make them Leviathan, they get a save vs. If a friendly Hive Tyrant takes a wound while within 3″ of Hive Guard, on a 2+ they can take a Mortal Wound for him. This is not a bad option as a unit of 3 has 9 strength 10 attacks as a group, or 18 with the Adrenaline Surge stratagem which means you can pack a wallop with just 3 of these guys. They come standard with Rending Claws and Scything Talons, or you can opt to give them a Lash Whip and Bonesword, or Crushing Claws which is a Power Fist for all intents and purposes (similarly costing 12 pts each), being strength x 2, AP-3, D3 damage with a -1 to hit. At only 35pts base, with a 7″ move, Strength and Toughness 5, 3 wounds, 3 attacks and a 3+ they’ve got a solid stat line.

I have always thought these were a very cool concept but never really found a place for them, previously. Tyrant Guard are quite the appealing unit now, IMO. Units that have traditionally been under-performers are solid now and some that were comically bad are very good. The Elites section for bugs has often only had a few units really worth mentioning but that is now not the case. The Great Devourer is upon us, and in part 4 of this review we dive into the Tyranid Elite units to explore what they have to offer! Be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of this review if you missed it.Īs always, check the Tactics Corner for more great articles, reviews and lists.Īnd, if you would like to purchase any of the items shown in this article, you can do so through Frontline Gaming’s web-store at a discount every day and we offer FREE shipping on orders over $99 within the continental USA!

Tyranids 8th edition tactics