Hi!
Sorry for the delay in response.
Francois Bruntz wrote:
> Salut � tous,
>
> My regular opponent has just bought a Tyranid army and I've several
> questions about the best way to fight the bugs.
> I've fought them once during the SM/TL era and the result of the
> confrontation was a disaster for my Space Marines.
>
> First problem (the biggest one?) : Dominatrix. Yes, it is expensive but it
> is also very powerful. How do you deal with this monster? Close combat? With
> a close assault value of 10+ and 15 spore cyst it seems difficult. Fire
> power? Armor save of 1+, 4 wounds. In addition the Dominatrix is very
> dangerous with its psychic attacks... Is there someone to tell me about his
> own experience?
The dominatrix like the bio-titans are very hard to kill. In practice my
experience has taught me to ignore them and kill the main tyranid detachment. No
support troops will reduce their chance of victory. The only way of gaining a
good possibility of taking the Dom out is close combat with a duely armed titan
or other high CAF troop. Its the only way to inflict many wounds in a short
period of titan. Firing at it is highly ineffective so dont bother.
> Second problem (not the less important) : Bio Titans. Of course they are
> also expensive but how tough they are! For the Hierophant, armor save of 2+
> and then you must roll a die on the critical damage value without any save
> modifier : to hit the head you must pass the first saving throw, your hit
> must not scatter and you have to roll a 6! That's difficult. Fortunately
> bio-titans don't have a big assault value (+14 for the Hierophant), I gess
> that close combat is the best way to destroy them...
Actually firing at them can yield good results. Remember that although their
critical saves are not modifyable this means any weapon can potentially cause
criticals. It is generally good to fire weapns with many attach dice and low
saves at it. Granted many may not get through but those that do have equal
chance at criticals.
Dont go for really high yield locations like the head at the beginning, go for
the legs, the logic is that these have lower saves and can hinder movement. If
you incapacitate it enough through shooting off its legs then you can casually
pump firepower into it while it can not move.
> What are your general strategies against the bugs?
> Squat version? First Fire orders, deploy artillery and Thunderers...
> Ork version? Waaaagh! Charge orders, destroy these bugs in close combat...
For squats, concentrate on the ground troops, use thunderers to kills tyanid
troops stands. Use artillery to eliminate massed ranks like termagants and
hormagants. Keep these troops on first fire for most of the game. Use your
bikers and assault troops defensively to protect those troops on first fire.
Sacrifice them to keep the tyranids far from the shooting troops the more time
you give them the more casualties you'll do. Big vehicles like the Colosus
should fire at biotitans and heavier tyranid units like their vehicle types.
Orks can be tricky. They are a close combat army, but generally the tyranids are
better at it. I suggest softeneing up opposition with artillery fire from
gargants before assault. make the tyranid player assault you, especially if you
can get to the objective first and get on first fire orders. Those casualties
you can get by first fire will really make the difference in the following close
combat. Make him come to you, if you seize most objectives and sit on them he
must attack you for points. Fire at them as they close.
Use as many transports as possible so as to reach fortified points and then get
on first fire orders. The take a turn or two to reach you, so capitalize by
shooting them as they come in.
> Last question about Hive Mind tests. It is said that such a test must be
> made when a swarm is broken : if the test is a failure, will the swarm stay
> with instinctive orders for the rest of the game or must the Hive Mind test
> be made each turn?
Hive mind test each turn to receive orders so lon as they are in range of
synapse creature.
Peter
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Received on Sat Jul 10 1999 - 10:54:51 UTC