# 600 points Doom of Malan'tai



## Toruk Makto (Dec 6, 2011)

Right, so I'm entering the School League with my Tyranids and I can't decide whether a Doom or 2 Zoanthropes would be more effective in my list, if I dropped 2 termies. The list I won the regional heats with consisted of a Tervigon with Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Catalyst and Onslaught, 2 walking zoanthropes, 20 Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs, 13 Termagants and a Biovore, however my victory isn't really much of an accomplishment, as my opponents we largely all 'inexperienced'. I can't find anything really on the Doom at this points level, and was wondering whether he'd be able to suck my opponent dry in one turn, or whether there weren't enough models for him to reach his full potential. Any response appreciated.

Btw, School League rules are that you aren't allowed more than 1 Elites, and no more than 1 Fast Attack OR Heavy Support. 

I look forward to hearing back.


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## MidnightSun (Feb 10, 2009)

If you can afford and are allowed a Mycetic Spore, take the Doom, but if you can't it's not worth it. There are just too many Missile Launchers, Lascannons, Railguns, Battle Cannons, and Multi Meltas going round for you to risk walking it, and you'll be avoided by the plague by anything not [in] a vehicle. The Doom is just such a massive target, especially so for 'inexperienced' players who are scared by anything hyped on the 'net or at their local FLGS (or, probably more often, anything with a stat of =>10 - Land Raiders and Monoliths for their AV, Bloodthirsters and Avatars for their WS, Carnifexes and Wraithlords for their Strength etc.)

If you take the Doom you need to really buff up your anti-tank though; did the tournament organisers design this to hurt Tyranid players in particular? No Hive Guard or Zoanthropes mean the obvious options are gone, and there aren't really enough points for a Harpy. As it stands you'll have the Tervigon in combat and the Doom if you charge him up to a sufficient level of awesum (Minimum of 8, preferably 10). I doubt you'll face very heavy armour, but I can make Space Marine and Chaos lists with Land Raiders at 600pts (nooby and easy to beat for a good general with a meltagun, but it's do-able). Just a word of warning.

Midnight


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## Toruk Makto (Dec 6, 2011)

I don't think they did it to hurt anyone in particular, it just came across as hurting some armies more than others. Do you have any recommendations as to how I might increase my anti-vehicle capabilities? Would a squad of Warriors with Rending Claws be sufficient, or would you say they were too easily gunned down? The S8+ shots I would think would be focussed on the Tervigon/Doom, so protecting them. What do you think?


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## MidnightSun (Feb 10, 2009)

I think that they lack the offensive capabilities required. They can pen most vehicles rear armour on a rend, which is good, but if they get close then they'll get Tank Shocked or the vehicle will move around them, and then they'll be hitting on sixes and needing sixes to pen AV10 (5s to glance with Adrenal Glands).

I'm not a Tyranid expert by a long shot, but could you use outflanking Genestealers to go for tanks? With Adrenal Glands, and 3 attacks apiece, you can usually get the drop on a tank that hasn't moved and thus hit it enough times to get at least a couple of hits through (you could also use a Broodlord for a slightly more reliable anti-tanker but he costs as much as 3 more Genestealers, and this is a suicide unit).

Is there anything in your list that can take a Heavy Venom Cannon? It's not the greatest anti-tank weapon, but all you really need is to shake and stun tanks until you can get into close combat with, well, everything, and the HVC isn't too bad if you don't neccessarily want to kill the vehicle.

I'd personally run a list like this:

Tyranid Prime (105)
Regen, Lash Whip and Bonesword

2 Hive Guard (100)

13 Termagants (65)

Tervigon (195)
Catalyst, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs

8 Genestealers (112)

That's around 600. It's not perfect (I did it quite hastily, to be honest), but I think it could do ok. It has a T6, 6-wound scoring unit with Termagant screen for objective games, four Strength 8 shots per turn ignoring most cover at BS 4, and although it's only 24" range it can move and fire. The Prime attaches to the Tervigon for counter-attack and to soak up some wounds with it's cheap Regenerate. Finally you have Genestealers for outflanking to deal with units like Devastators that are pouring fire into the Tervigon, for clearing the opposing objective in C&C or disabling backfield tanks.

Best of luck.

Midnight


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## MidnightKid333 (Feb 2, 2011)

Take doom. It is a 600 point game. You'd have to be crazy not to.



MidnightSun said:


> There are just too many Missile Launchers, Lascannons, Railguns, Battle Cannons, and Multi Meltas going round for you to risk walking it


What kind of 600 point games _do you play?_ Sure, there will be some heavy weapons from a marine squad hanging around, but those are just top priority.


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