Bugeater GT List: Nidzilla Tyranids Return!

On top of graduating from college the last few weeks have been filled with a revolving door of armies all vying to be my army for Bugeater. Chaos Daemons, Blood Angels, Chaos Space Marines, Dark Angels, my Orks hit the table in a serious list for the first time in ages, and I even started an Imperial Guard army out of unbuilt models I had sitting around. The only thing I didn’t dust off was my DE. In the end though, after much pushing by defending Bugeater Champion Matt Root, I was back with the bugs. Nidzilla is back!

Hive Tyrant (Wings/2 Twin-Linked Devourers)

Hive Tyrant (Wings/2 Twin-Linked Devourers)

Doom of Malan'Tai (Mycetic Spore)

10 Termagants

10 Termagants

Tervigon (Catalyst/Onslaught/Toxin Sacs)

Tervigon (Catalyst)

3 Biovores

2 Carnifex (2 Twin-Linked Devourers Each)

Trygon (Toxin Sacs)

The meta has changed a ton in the eight months since this army last saw the table. Back then Flyrants couldn't use skyfire, utilizing blobs was only something you heard about in obscure corners of the internet, and a shocking four armies have had a new codex printed. Heldrakes were not even a thing yet. A lot has changed, and this list represents some of those changes.

The big thing for me is losing the second Trygon. I always, since my first tournament with Tyranids ever, have used two Trygons. Together there is very little they couldn't handle, and 6th only made them better. By dropping him (and my aegis) I gain two things. The first is biovores. The value of barrage sniping can not be overstated. It is really good. Tau will be my worst matchup (Skyrays are really good people), and in that game a squad of biovores will do a lot of heavy lifting. They naturally make a mess of IG too. I also gain the infamous Doom. Long time readers will know that I am not a huge fan of Mr. Malan'tai, but at least right now he fills an awkward amount of spare points and fills in the crucial disruption role.

No Portalglyph for you!

I have gotten in five games since making my mind up about the army. The first was against double blob IG. I went first, and must give MVP to the flyrants. I had not considered how good precision shots are against blob squads. Next I played against a daemon list with the bloodthirster, three units of hounds, and nine chariots. It started out bad with me losing a tervigon and my warlord from him rolling an '11' on the warp storm table rounds one and two. Slowly though, by making choice engagements, I was able to wear him down and eventually secure a tabling in my favor. The other three games were part of an RTT. In the first round I was playing a former Adepticon top eight player who had Grey Knights with Eldar jetbike allies. The event was 1999+1, and so for my extra 150 points I took a big block of poison gargoyles. They were MVP as they help up the middle of the table and killed a dreadknight. In round two I was playing the same Daemon player from round two of this RTT. His current list had Bloodthirst, Fateweaver, and three more princes, plus a big unit of khorne dogs. He had won an RTT the day before, and I got worried when Doom, though he was in range of four princes, only did one wound.  Luckily though, Shadows of the Warp really limited his ability to use his psychic powers and he conceded at his fourth turn. Also really clutch was charging a small portalglyphed horror squad with gants and then using the consolidation to surround the

portal to prevent him from spawning (I spent enough time with Webway DE to utilize this trick myself). In the final round I was playing the same recently converted Tyranid player, and GT winner, who talked me into bringing back my Nids.  I made a huge mistake turn one which gave him my warlord and first blood. On my second turn he did not fail any grounding checks, and passed all but two feel no pains. Then on his second turn he failed all his reserve rolls (protecting his ymgarl squads as I had been filling terrain with gants). In the end I was outplayed and lost. I took 3rd overall, and despite the loss still had the most battlepoints. Not bad for my first tournament back with the bugs.

The big question is...how will they do this weekend at their first GT since the end of summer? (Another big question is if I will get the army painted in time...this starting an army a week before a GT thing is far too much work!)