Showing posts with label HQ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HQ. Show all posts

Friday, 2 September 2011

Tyranid Unit: HQ - Hive Tyrant

Here's the completed Hive Tyrant from my Tyranid swarm.

Although I now field him with a wider variety of options, the original build had it down with a twin-linked Devourer throwing out Assault 6 with re-rolls on missed shots, at S6 with -1 to LD tests caused on the target unit for shooting casualties suffered. A Dessicator Larvae Thorax Swarm which is a Wounds on 2+ template weapon for mopping up an survivors of the Devourer.

Psychic Scream was on there to allow it to attempt to lower the target unit's LD before combat - but this was at the expense of using one of the above shooting weapons. As a Monstrous Creature, it could also choose to use the Paroxysm psychic shooting power to lower a target's WS and BS to 1. If it then charged into combat against this unit with it's own WS of 8, it was guaranteed to hit on a 3+. I have since dropped this option as it's only really useful against targets with a WS of 8 or more, unless used to soften up a target for another unit, which if done prevents the Tyrant from charging anything other that the target of the psychic shooting attack.

Indescribable Horror means that anyone wishing to charge into close combat must pass a LD test first, or be left unable to charge and will then be a sitting duck to be charged by the Tyrant instead. With 4 Attacks, 5 when Charging all at S6 (7 during first round due to Furious Charge from Adrenal Glands) with re-rolls on to hit rolls of a 1 due to a pair of Scything Talons and that ignore Armour Saves; that's not a great prospect.

Any close combat attacks that Wounds on a natural 6 causes Instant Death regardless of target Toughness due to the Implant Attack. Combined with the number of Attacks and re-rolls from Scything Talons this is a killer - literally - to many multi-wound models that lack an Invulnerable Save.

On top of that due to it's Acid Blood, each Wound taken by the Tyrant in Close Combat results in an Initiative test for the enemy unit which if failed results in an automatic Wound to that unit with no Armour Saves or Cover Saves allowed as they are sprayed in virulent acid! Even when they hurt it the enemy gets hurt back. To add insult to injury the Tyrant may then Regenerate any Wounds taken on the roll of a 6, rolled for each wound suffered so far at the start of it's turn.

This rolls in at about 295 points, so I've normally reserved this build for larger point games. Granted it still needs a bit of tweaking, but it performs fine most of the time.


Thursday, 9 September 2010

Tau Units: HQ Choice 2

While technically this is the second HQ choice, it's the first one to get painted as it's a relatively easy model to put together and paint.

This the first model that I've tried a blending technique on, and although it's not exactly 'Eavy Metal standard for my first attempt I'm quite please with it. The majority of the blending work is on the cloth folds on the front and back and on the skin of the hand and face. I left the metal silver and washed it with blue to get a nice clean feel but I'm not sure if I'm 100% happy with it yet.

I intend to place him in among the front lines as any Tau units with line of sight to him can re-roll failed LD checks. I'l probably play around with joining him to one of the Fire Warrior Teams for now. Should he be assaulted he not too shabby in close combat, with three Strength 5 attacks. He's accompanied by a shield drone because he has no Armour Save at all, and a Gun Drone which provides his only shooting ability, and provides another ablative wound. Neither of the drones are pictured, as I was too lazy to get the out of the case for the photo, sorry.




Thursday, 8 July 2010

Random Update - More Painting

Just finished painting the following units:

  • The first Tau Crisis Suit Team, albeit without their Shield Drone.
  • The two test Tyranid Termagaunts by painting the bases up - they now match the Zoanthrope.
  • The Tau Etheral (HQ unit), also without Drones. This features my first real attempt at blending as the folds of the cloth were too tempting not to try it. I think it looks fine for my first attempt.

Pictures and unit descriptions will follow in due course.