The Anti-Anti-Tyranid Tactica

Apparently, we're just so cool that the food needs to have tactica on how to beat us when the ink is still drying on our new codex. OK, well let's take the lessons taught in the AntiTyranid Codex [USWD307, pp. 112-117] and turn them on their ear!

Don't Throw Away Your Synapse

So the ATT points out that a HT with TG is rock solid, but any other Synapse is relatively easy to kill...and worth it.

• If a lone Zoanthrope is there for Synapse, keep him out of sight from the enemy. If that is not possible, then keep him in cover.
• Warriors are hardier than they used to be, but don't get sloppy with them. Use cover and concealment until they are ready to be used. If they are a fire support unit, then make darn sure they are in cover and, if possible, out of sight from everything but their target.
• Flying Hive Tyrant - Nothing new here, really, he should be hopping from behind one patch of cover to another, as much as possible. With the 4th edition, you are much less likely to have Warp Blast on him, so staying out of sight until it's feeding time works well. Of course, if you gave him a gun, well...you're crazy, but we'll tell you that you should try your best to give him the best possible cover save.
• Cover your bets, only one model in a brood has to be in Synapse range, try to stay in range of two Synapse creatures.
• Gaunts and Biovores have Ld 5, so be extra mindful of their Synapse needs.

Some Nuts Are Harder to Crack

Keep in mind the armor save of your targets. We have an unfortunate preponderence of weapons with AP5 or worse. It's not a weakness unless you make it one. Let's face it, Tyranids are here for dinner, not target practice.

• When you do shoot, make the shots count - using an AP5 weapon against a unit with Sv 4+ when you have a viable unit with a poorer armor save is just plain bad planning. You trade straight kills for a 50% kill. Unless the Sv 4+ model is twice as expensive/important, you should pick the target you are more likely to kill and/or out.
• When charging units, consider if you have the killing power to hold your own against them. The more armored a unit is, the more suitable they become for RC and MCs.

Chew Your Food!

Realize that killing a unit in a single phase of assault will leave you hanging in the breeze, ripe to be shot and counter-charged.

• [More niddy] Try to engage a second unit so that you are definitely tied up in combat. This is especially useful when it deprives a deadly counter-charge unit of its bonus attack from charging.
• [Less niddy] If necessary, you can advance more dispersed (but not too much) or more slowly to engage the target with less than your full force.

Hold! Hold!

Consider this, if you advance as fast as possible, and that leaves 2 or 3 gaunts up front to get shot by a dozen bolter shots, then you have gained nothing. You might as well give up that extra inch or two and keep the brood strong. You might even inspire your foe to advance! If you are really feeling like Sun Tzu, you can try to approach them in a bow formation, so that the models in your brood are all about the same distance from the target unit. Bottom line, don't throw away your models in a fit of zeal.

Gaunts Bounce Off Tanks

Yes, we have no rending gaunts anymore and 40k is still a beer & pretzels game. So, yes, a lowly AV10 walker can tie up any number of S3 critters.

• Know your enemy; avoid letting a huge brood of gaunts get tied up by a cheap walker model.
• Toxin sacs are more attractive, but there are still plenty of models that even S4 will not help against. So its best to just avoid the walkers with the gaunts.
• Get them before they get you. Lightly armored walker you say? Sounds like a perfect target for a Venom Cannon, RCs, or an MC.

Stupid Imperial Tricks (Title inspired by David Letterman)

The imps have some special guys for which you should watch out:

• Mystics allow a free shot at Deep-Striking units within 4d6", so be wary of them when you Lictor pops up his head.
• We all remember the Culexus Assassin. It's crazy deadly against Psykers, so make sure it fights everything else. Remember, at more than 12" range, he's pretty much harmless to your Hivemind; 6"-12" is ouch; and less than 6" is big time ouch! Feed him to the lesser critters. Note that his Etherium ability requires a Ld test to charge him, so Rippers, Gargoyles, or Genestealers might be better against him than gaunts. Heck, you may never get a chance to attack him, but a nice circle of gaunts will keep him contained if he doesn't want to play tag. Oh, and remember the reduction to Ld 7 applies to all units within 12" of the assassin, friend or foe. NEVER LET HIM NEAR A LARGE BROOD OF WARRIORS!
• Furious Charge can be scary, especially when it pushes a unit (very common) to I 5, which means a whole lot of high speed pain for most of our little ones. Be sure to charge them first and deprive them of this benefit.
• Suffer Not the Alien to Live may sound scary, but hey, it's less points, which means less models to kill. Also it has no effect on basic Troops which were getting hit on 3+ anyway. This is also a place where high initiative is good, as their improved chance to hit counts for squat if they are dead when their initiative point comes around.

Embrace the Flood

The food has guns, it will use them. You have numbers, use them.

• Don't present your units in nice little packets that can be eroded by concentrated fire.
• Send enough models after a target to ensure someone gets a snack.
• Keep the enemy weapons range in mind as you move. Don't slide into their optimum range if you can't survive the coming firestorm.

Asymmetric Threats are Handy

Spore Mines, Lictors, and Broodlords with retinues can wreak havoc with rear lines and sit and shoot units and also complicate "strategic" withdrawals of closer units. Consider taking one or more of them in your list.

Barrage Weapons can Always Reach Out and Touch You

Be mindful of your model spacing as you move. Don't be caught off guard by barrage weapons raining down fiery doom.

Fast Food is Bad For You

Fast-moving transports are often pretty easy to pop, so use your VC to shut them down if they try to flank your lines. You don't want to get spread out and distracted back-tracking and sidestepping to get every last tasty morsel.

Psykers in the Hood

When faced wargear that can cancel Hivemind Powers, remember:

• Psychic Hood (SM) can only be used once per turn by a given marine on a given power.
• Warp Blade (CSM) has a 12" range, so you can mitigate that somewhat.
• It's only going to affect Catalyst and focused Warp Blast, so why are we really worried about it all?
• The Shield of Faith ability of the Sisters of Battle is pretty hefty too. Check out our interpretation of its effects on our Codex Clarifications page.

Chewing on Toasters Can Get You Electrocuted

Some things to consider when facing Necrons:

• If there's any one codex I would recommend you read ahead of time, this is it. It could have been subtitled - "The Big Book of Rules Exceptions". It's no Codex: Eldar, but it comes close.
• Lightning Fields can be nasty to small weak guys that dish out truckloads of attacks, but against a tough critter with a high toughness, it's little more than an effective carapace cleaner.
• A Monolith portal that is clogged with a huge brood of Spinegaunts really isn't all that useful. And that means no second chance at We'll Be Back rolls.
• A Carnifex's VC can be useful against a Monolith; even if you just stop it from moving (which is great if you get the Spinegaunt part going in front of the portal), that can be tactically beneficial.
• If they have their back to wall, be sure to hit a unit with enough models to make it run away and keep running away. Cowards won't be back. ;)
• Pray that he brings the Nightbringer then actively ignore him while you work towards phasing out his army. I mean come on, he gave up 18 Warriors to take that big honking point sink, make him really pay for it!
• Remember - phase out is your friend and C'tan, Pariahs, Scarabs, Monoliths, and Tomb Spyders don't count towards the body count!

It May Take A Lot of Shots, But You Can Die

A break neck run across open ground is not always the best idea. Keep your mission objectives in mind and use cover when it's beneficial. Muck about with their ability to shoot you before you charge and watch them sweat.

We'll Make More

Always remember the golden rule - we'll make more. Don't get stressed. Stay focused and let them freak out. They have to deal with the horde after all. If you lose, that's cool, you're here to play and hang out. Shake your opponents hand and envision your hive fleet churning out the next implacable wave of stabby death.