Thoughts on New Tyranids Codex?

[starslayer]

There have been a lot of rumors & a huge amount of griping about the New Tyranids Codex. But now it is released & in hand. No Ymargl Genestealers, Scything talons not as powerful, etc,etc. What are your thoughts on the new bugs? They did get many new models.

[3eland]

First off I want to make note I have about 15,000 Tyranids (well maybe less now with the price changes) and have been collecting them for about 2-3 years now.

I love the new book, they make them feel very Alien (especially with the random Instinctive Behaviour tables). Sure they lost a few things, but the army balance is nice. The new bugs look AWESOME, and their rules are pretty sweet. People will always complain about 'Stealers, but point for point they will always be better than Marines and Terminators. Take 200 points of Terminators (usually 5) and 200 points of 'Stealers (11 plus Broodlord). The 'Stealers will win every time, with an average of 2-3 Terminators dead each round of combat vs 1-2 'Stealers. If the Broodlord can get off his power your going to see dead Marines way before you see a dead Genestealer.

People want to run broken, OP lists that are "auto-win". I laughed at the old auto-win lists getting nerfed. I am happy, because it gives 'Nid players a bad name. 6 Tervigons in a list for only 30 'Gants? Come on, really? Talk about spam much, 36 T6 wounds with a 3+ and 2 of them count as troops? I'm happy the tax price on troop Tervies went up and I don't mind the price increase to them.

When you think Tyranids you should think hordes of little bugs taking over a planet with the big bugs for support. So why people think the army has to resolve around the big guys is beyond me. I field at minimum 60 Hormagaunts per battle, I have access to 90 of them at any given time and can produce 120 when I really want to get that cool horde feel. Why? Because I like to play fluffy armies and 'Gaunts getting cheaper makes that feel so much better. It also puts the enemy into a predicament ... do they take care of the 120 'Gaunts or the big guys? Sure the big guys look menacing and dangerous, but 120 'Gaunts at 3 attacks each on the charge = nothing left of any unit. Little bugs provide cover and shooting allocation for the big guys.

Scything Talons getting the "nerf gun" sucked yes, especially when you relied on the rerolls to help increase your damage output. But look at it as an opponent's perspective. My Trygon attacks your unit, 7 attacks on the charge, s6 AP2. I hit you on 4's, so on average 3 hit.. your happy because your Terminator unit would've crapped itself... NOOOOPE, I reroll those misses and oh look at that they all hit! Now your Terminator unit is dead. Another example is 'Gaunts. 3 attacks on the charge in a unit of 30 gives you 90 attacks, hitting you on 4's mean 45 should hit. There is going to be A LOT of 1's rolling that many dice (15 1's on an average roll), increasing your odds of hitting even more if you get to reroll them. By "nerfing" the talons, it creates an equal playing level between armies. Sure it sucks, but people need to get over it.

I am very happy Tyranids have their own Psyker table and do not have access to BRB powers. Why? Because they aren't Psykers! They channel their powers through the Hive Mind, having access to what a normal librarian has access to is against all fluff. Plus, Iron Arm was such an OP tool people used to run that made monster mashes too tough to deal with.

Your always going to get mixed reviews on new books, especially in the first couple of weeks until someone finds that auto-win list. Then the internet will start saying 'Nids are broken and blah blah blah. Give it a month and you'll find everyone's opinion will change. Remember though, Games Workshop designs the rules for friendly, fluffy games, NOT competitive games. People seem to not be able to get that into their heads...

I could go on and on about how I like the new codex and what has changed for the better but really it's just my own bias opinion so just know I like the new codex LOL.

120 'Gaunts... yeah, I think I might need more...

[starslayer]

Im not a Nid player, but I might start. I like the new models and the Tyranid swarm box is a good start. (40 Termagants, 40 Hormagants, 10 Gargoyles, 4 Rippers, 1 Carnifex) Im not sure if the Tyranids have seen a drop in power or only changed, but they did get some really cool models. I like that at least.

[3eland]

Overall the army got cheaper to field, like really cheaper. Some units stayed exactly the same and only a few got more expensive. The synergy in the army is great and the aesthetics of the bugs are really cool. Playing the army will give you that horde bug feel they are supposed to be. You have to remember that the power level relies not on the big bugs but on the huge amount of little bugs, as they are the ones that fuel the armies damage output. If all you have is a small unit of warriors and then huge monsters with a 3+ save.. your opponent is going to unload all their ap2/3 into your big guys and watch them die before they hit combat. You need to force your opponent to have to choose who to kill, the big guys, or the huge amount of little ones that can still put out enough damage to wipe a single squad of Marines.

The new kit is a steal of a deal, definitely a good place to start and since Old One Eye is now an HQ, technically it is a great starter kit for a horde based army list.

[starslayer]

Any advice for a new Tyranid player? Tactics, making an army list, what to buy first?

[3eland]

Well it all depends on how you wish to play the bugs. There are many viable ways to play and any advice I give can only really matter dependant on what sparks your interest in the army. I personally run melee based lists. In the last codex when I lost a game it was very close and could've gone either way (most of the time due to VP, never because I was fielded), but it's how I play them tactically that made the difference (and my huge numbers).

If you like in your face melee bugs I would focus on getting a Hive Tyrant or Tyranid Prime, having a unit of warriors (if you go with prime), or some Tyrant Guard (if you go with tyrant). Tyrant Guard auto pass look out sir rolls now and with the wound allocation you can normally bounce wounds around before they even hit your Tyrant. By simply placing your wounded Guard at the back you have easily 6 wounds before your tyrant starts getting hit which can be taken over a few rounds of shooting. Many people say the new Tyrant sucks because you can no longer take a 2+ save, but with the other bio-morphs and weapons you have access to (including the Ymargl trait that can give you the 2+ every other turn) you don't really need it. Plus, most shooting I find to be AP 2 now any ways that would be sent towards your Hive Tyrant so you wouldn't be getting that save. The Prime is a cheaper Tyrant that boosts your Warriors, having 3-9 Warriors using the Prime's BS is awesome. Give them flesh hooks and they will eat anything in close combat.

The biggest thing to remember about melee armies is you need the little bugs in the front to give your guys cover saves and time to move up the field. Other nasty bugs I like to field in melee lists are Carnifexes (which got cheaper!!), Trygons and Raveners with rending claws. S4 Rending can destroy a rhino in one round of combat with the right numbers.

If you are not too worried about the extra melee Synapse the Prime or Tyrant gives take Old One Eye. Models in 12" can use his LD for Instinctive Behaviour tests and he gains attacks the more he hits. He is also a huge Carnifex of death.

Once you have the basics like little bugs and a good Synapse support you can get any other big guy you want, or, get more little bugs! It's understandable that your going to lose 'Gaunts while you move up the board, but in a game where you have 60-90 of the little guys means your going to get at least 50% of them into combat. And all marine armies know once they get into combat it's over. Even 45 'Gaunts will dish out 135 attacks on the charge! I think the marine units will fail SOME of the potential wounds. It also forces your opponent to choose who to target with shooting, remember a unit of Marines will never equal the same point value as a unit of 'Gaunts... by that I mean, they don't have enough bullets to kill them all in a round of shooting. By taking lots of small bugs the opponent has to decide on either shooting your big guy who has multiple wounds and usually a good save (and a cover save if your behind your 'Gaunts or in terrain) or slowly pick off the little guys. I played a game the other day 'Nids vs a Lord of Skulls, I had 60 'Gaunts on the field and by the time I got into combat I had about 35 left, I was able to lock that guy in and he could only kill a little of them each turn since strength D means squat to a single wound, low cost model. This allowed me to set up a monster rush with my Carnifexes and Trygons.


If you want to go shooty, work the 'Gaunts but instead with Termagants. Grab a Tervigon or shooter based Hive Tyrant or Prime and fill the rest of your army with Gargoyles, shooty Raveners and the other cool monsters that are super shooty. It's really personal taste of what shooter bugs you like but Hive Guard, Biovores, the now super cheaper Tyrannofex... they all work to fill a role differently. I once had a unit of 10 termagants shoot down a Daemon Prince, which ended up crashing to the ground killing itself lol. All the shooting in Tyranid army isn't over the top.. they shouldn't be, they are mostly supportive fire since the race is more based around their melee, but that doesn't mean they don't have some sick guns!

Monster mash armies can be fun but I don't usually run them (unless it's Apoc style!). Everyone will agree it's harder to kill Monstrous Creatures than vehicles (there are threads everywhere of people complaining about it). Taking the bare minimum troops (usually 'Gants because of the cheapness) and filling the rest with flying monsters or the toughest you can get is silly and not very fluffy. However, some people like to play like that and I will admit the look of it is cool. In a monster mash you really want 2 units of 10 'Gants each and then fill the rest with Flying Monsters and t6 6 wound monsters. Having so many wounds at a high toughness really irritates your opponent.

The last list would be the all comers list. A mix of everything, shooting, melee, etc... I find it's not very effective but it depends on your normal opponents. I have tried all comers list and dependant on what you bring it can either do very well or bad LOL. One thing you have to remember is model count, Tyranids are a horde army, they were designed to work well in hordes... If you can get the little Termagants in there taking hits, then your bigger bugs can get more damage off. I find in an all comers list Hive guard, Biovores and then a Trygon or two (or the new Mawloc OMG is it sexy and awesome!!!) are usually a must. Then fill the rest in with Synapse, little bugs and anything else is purely by taste.

If your really wanting to start Tyranids, I would first buy the codex. Read it all, don't buy a bunch of stuff until you read it and learn it. Before I bought a single model I read the codex front to back (fluff and all) and decided how I wanted to play them. If you read the codex and learn about your army your more likely to want to play them, it'll be more fun for you and you won't waste money. Once you read the army and decide the play-style you want with them, then you can seek out tactics. The other thing is stay away from the internet until you read the whole book, having another person's opinion is not good when your reading it yourself. What someone else thinks is weak and worthless you might actually find to be impressive and strong when you play it right or with a combination of other units you like. Stay away from the "broken auto-win flavour of the month list" unless your strictly wanting to play for competition and want to have no fun with your army. Tyranids are random alien creatures of eternal hunger, if you play for the fluff and fun, you'll find it's an awesome army to have and you'll enjoy them so much more.

[starslayer]

Well, I have the new Codex, still going through it. Skimmed it a few times.
Im thinking a combined force to start & then see what works for me. The Tyranid Swarm set to start for my base. (40 Termagants, 40 Hormagants, 10 Gargoyles, 4 Rippers, 1 Carnifex) Maybe another box of Gargoyles and run a bunch of small bugs in units of 20. I need some synapse, so probably a Tyrant & some Zoanthropes. Maybe some Tyrant Guard or Warriors. Then some big bugs as back -up, not sure which. I want to work on a solid 2k force & then go from there.
I do like Raveners & the Mawloc for deep strike. And the Lictors for surprise attacks too.

[Garlicson2]

I also find the book to be great so far. I have a Daemon army, and when I heard the bugs got a new codex, I just couldn't resist but to get my own copy! I agree that this book caters to fluff gamers like me, and the flakk it's getting is mostly from power gamers or unintelligent individuals. Chaos Daemons also recieved this amount of hate, but when I got the book and read it myself, I just couldn't help but strongly disagree. I could go on about Daemons, but this is the Great Devourers we're talking about.

The fluff in the book is really awesome, especially how much detail the author went into with their background story (My favorite is Fall of Shadowbrink, for obvious reasons ). Reading the fluff really got me into the Codex, and reading the new unit's background not only made them cool, but also tempting to field! The price adjustments on units like Lictors, Carnifexes and Tervigon made them either cheaper or balanced. I didn't like the spam list of Tervi and Terms, and quite honestly the 5th edition book really didn't sold me into starting a swarm army, and I'm glad this was fixed with their new book. Just reading about failed attempts to devourer entire planets didn't wasn't entertaining to read. If it was from a different army codex, that would be fine, but just filling majority of the book with uninspiring stories just killed it for me.

I have yet to find how I want to run my Swarm of the Hive Mind, but after I go more into the book and do some play tests, I should find what I want to run no problem. Just like I did with Daemons, I run a Mono Khorne army because they have a lot of sick looking models (Except Flesh Hounds, which I replaced with Dire Wolves) and cool fluff like how they toke on the Necrons when they conquered their planet while they were sleeping. Once they woke up, hell broke loss and the Daemons of Khorne turned them into scrap metal! Running Genestealers as the Core of the bugs looks tempting so far, but again, this may change once I get more into the book.

Overall, they did a fantastic job in the fluff department, and I can't wait to see what crazy list (That isn't broken or on power gaming level, mind you) I can come up with to challenge the Daemons of the Blood God!

Johnny

[starslayer]

Is a "shooty" Tyranid list possible? What would you recommend? Id like to try a list that could stomp forward and still shoot, then combat.
Dakka-fex (two twin linked devourers w/brainleeches), Termagant broods with some devourers mixed in, Tyranid Warriors for synapse & some shooting ?

[3eland]

I am on my tablet so I won't go into great detail tonight. With the point drop of the t-Rex and it having access to some good guns (and a 2+ save) I would recommend adding one in. Zoanthropes, although not really considered shooting has some good powers (and our only bs4 outside hq's). The new bug looks really nice for shooting (the big biovore guy, sorry codex not on hand) and it is fairly cheap for its damage output and stats.

I'll have to read over the dex and see what viable builds could be built for shooting.

[starslayer]

I am on my tablet so I won't go into great detail tonight. With the point drop of the t-Rex and it having access to some good guns (and a 2+ save) I would recommend adding one in. Zoanthropes, although not really considered shooting has some good powers (and our only bs4 outside hq's). The new bug looks really nice for shooting (the big biovore guy, sorry codex not on hand) and it is fairly cheap for its damage output and stats.

I'll have to read over the dex and see what viable builds could be built for shooting.

I have the new Codex, but Im just starting Tyranids, no real experience playing them.
Big bio-plasma gun- Exocrine. (looks like a big Biovore)
Wow, I didn't even notice the Tyrannofex's great 2+ save. I just figured it was 3+ like the other big bugs. It will still run you over 200 points with the big gun.
Exocrines & Tyrannofexs are both Heavies, alsong with the Carnifex, so I'll have to pick carefully.
Thanks again for the tips.

[Garlicson2]

I would recommend you try the Dakka-fex, as he's the cheapest at 150pts without further upgrades. You can also add in more if you wish unlike the other two. The T-Fex would be my second choice, as Assault 20 Bolter shots are really scary to horde units (Dakka-fex are great against TEQs and other Monsterous Creatures). Haven't tried the Exocrine yet, but hopefully I will in my next battle if I can find a day to play again.

Just my two cents.

Johnny

[3eland]

So I have done a few play test games and read over the codex more and have some more opinions based on what is on paper and what I've been able to play test. I'll keep it clean and just focus on each category.

HQ

Hive Tyrants - Being BS4 is awesome, give it double twin-linked devourers and you are going to land 1.08 more hits than last codex (which can potentially mean another dead model) hitting 10.08 shots. Since they have dropped a little and wings have dropped incredibly, your going to see a lot more Flyrants flying around. One thing however is to remember that they are still very viable on the ground. Taking the Tyrant Guard gives them free LoS and wounds. Whether you equip them with devourers or a cannon, the Hive Tyrant has really pulled through for its shooting. Definitely a viable choice in a shooty army as an HQ. I would recommend two Twin-Linked Devourers if chosen as an HQ.

Tyranid Prime - A cheaper Tyrant, that gives its WS and BS to a unit of Warriors? Yes please! The price increase will be seen, especially if you want to field minimum groups of Termagants to get access to the big guys. A Tyranid warrior, in my opinion, is not a shooty model. It needs to be in close combat, and giving up your run to shoot will not get it where it wants to be. Even being BS4 from the Prime, Warriors have access to at best 3 shots that will glance off a marine. If I was to take a Prime HQ for a shooty army I would probably put it into a unit of Carnies, give it a pinning cannon and watch things die while being guarded by the big boys. Slapping on the extra 6" Synapse and you can essentially keep all your models together as they march across the field.


TROOPS

Termagants - These guys are the best meat shields you will field in your shooty army. At such a low point cost, it frees up the rest of your army. I would not take just 10 though, not when a unit of Marines can do 10-20 shots. You want at least 15-20 per unit to use as bait. Give your big guys cover while marching down the fields! Don't forget they still have good close range weapons, being S4 they can still hurt marines with a large amount of fire-power.

Warriors - Like I said under the prime, these guys aren't made for shooting (IMO). Coming stock with a gun is nice for special occasions but giving up a run to shoot almost feels like a waste. Since Warriors haven't changed in the slightest since last book I have a couple years with them to test LOL. Every game that I tried them as shooty they did okay, by okay it was mostly getting them into cover to help with the AP 4 or better weapons while trying to take out squads and pinning things. I would suggest always grab the Barbed Strangler, the pinning large blast in my opinion over-weighs the small blast, larger strength venom cannon. Being able to shoot before an assault is nice, and only in those occasions would I ever shoot, but to give up that run hurts a model that NEEDS to be in melee. I only ever run these guys as melee bugs now, equipping them with swords and whips and now flesh hooks. If you want me to go into detail about how to maximize your Warriors in an all melee army I'm your man (includes Steals too which people say suck but I always get them to perform awesome).


ELITES

Here is where you have some really good options for a shooty army.

Zoanthropes - BS4, Synapse, access to the best anti-tank/anti-marine psyker power, our only invul save (out of CC). These guys have dropped in price.. by a lot... and with the addition special rule of brotherhood of Psykers these guys have risen to being in my army in every single list. Not having to roll LD for each Zoa is awesome, yes the downfall is if you fail they all fail but at LD 10 you should hardly ever fail. A single Deny the Witch can be made true, but it's still that 1/6 chance. Being able to choose what arsenal they want to shoot out AND having another power if they are too far away is awesome. Giving FnP to itself and a unit close by will make marching up the table that much more easy. I would take at minimum 2 of these bad boys, but 3 maximizes the amount of damage that can be done (obviously).

Venomthropes - My god these guys have gotten better. They are almost an auto-include now. I used to anger myself trying to find a way to include them in my army since they are awesome looking models but the 5+ cover with the price tag just wasn't that great. Not when there were other things I could take for Elites. Now, with being 10 points cheaper and the new specal rule giving Shroud rather than a 5+ they have gotten fricken sweet! Grab 3 of these guys, place them in a triangle to maximize unit coherency and you essentially have a 15" bubble of shroud. Stick your big guys so even a piece of their base is in the 6" and they can gain a cover save against those pesky Ap2/3 shots while they travel across the board. Get the big guys into cover and watch that 5+ become a 3+! if you want to maximize your efficiency of shooting, you will want to invest in a Venomthrope Brood, they have gotten very good. Abeit not very shooty themselves lol.

Hive Guard - I am sad, losing 1 BS and getting more expensive hurt. Especially since they were our best anti-tank options. However, getting a Haywire gun that uses a blast template is... not bad.. I feel you won't be seeing very many of these guys any more, not when there are better options out there. They still work well, and are still one of better anti-tank bugs but at the price tag and loss of BS they are not my anti-tank bugs any more. I used to love these guys, and I'll admit, they are still our best chance of anti-tank shooting we have. It just hurts losing 1 BS and a price increase.

Pyrovore - Another model that is confusing. These bugs got a slight decrease in points with literally no other change except a special rule that currently has the interwebz in such a hysteria. It's also personally the worst looking model in terms of... well... anyone can clearly see the resemblance in the model. I have tried this guy before, I actually have a model of him chilling in my basement. His stat line is not bad, essentially a Warrior that is slower, has less attacks and is dumb. People usually label the Pyrovore as the bug that doesn't know what it wants... and it's true. It has the capabilities to be a good melee bug, but lacks the Init or attacks. It has the capability to be a decent shooter.. but lacks any real motivation or range to do so. Not a favourite of mine, however I might not have learnt how to maximize his effectiveness yet.


FAST ATTACK

Shrikes - Same deal as Warriors. The advantage is they have wings... but they have an even worse save that bolters will destroy. Personally not the best effectiveness by giving them shooting weapons.

Raveners - I am kind of bias towards these guys. They have one of the coolest looking models and are beasts! Giving them devourers is a double edged sword. You can move 12" sure, you can shoot 18" sure, but your save and urge to feed (get into melee) out-weighs it all too greatly. I would rather equip them with rending claws and go tank hunting. I have taken Raveners with Devourers before and have done well, one game I shot a unit of marines before assaulting and ended up killing two... and then finding out that my assault roll would've landed if those two marines were still there! personally not a shooty bug, although they do have the potential for shooting in special circumstances and should not be warranted out entirely.

Gargoyles - These guys are the coolest flyers you'll ever have for such a low point cost. They can keep up with Flyrants giving them cover saves and dish out some decent damage. Losing the auto-wound of a to hit roll of a 6 hurt, but at least they have poison 6 (in cc)! I would take these guys if you want some cover for your Flyrant, Harpy or Hive Crone, otherwise leave them out to get more points in the other categories. They are more a close combat unit than a shooty unit however they do still do well for their points. Tell you the truth, they are the perfect side kick to a Harpy.

Harpy - Oh harpy, how thy model makes me smile. This model is probably the biggest want of a Tyranid player and man did GW give us a beaut. HUGE point drop, for pretty much the same bug we have always enjoyed with an additional wound and attack. This bug can lay down barrage mines in the movement phase, pin guys in the shooting phase and then eat them up in the assault phase! It's screech is awesome. This bug has to be one of the best well rounded bugs we have. It's armour save is meh, but at least it has an armour save and a further jinx save if diving. If you have the cash to pick one of these up, you won't be disappointed. Plus, combine it with a Flyrant (both shooting and melee) and anything you target will be gone.

Hive Crone - Ah, our first new bug! At first glance it whispers Harpy brother, then after reading, it screams anti-flyer! Tentaclids are awesome bug missiles that have haywire and the ability to reroll to hit vs Zooming Flyers and Swooping Monstrous Creatures. It's drool cannon is not bad against ground targets and it's special rule allows it to have a high strength vector strike attack. Helldrake bug anyone? It even has a similar appearance. It's price tag is more than a Harpy but it's anti-Flyer payload is definitely hard to pass. If you find yourself facing Flyer lists I would suggest taking a Hive-Crone.


HEAVY

Carnifex - I love these guys. Although I take them melee, they have great potential as shooters. Take two Twin-Linked Devourers and watch things die like they did last edition... but doing so cheaper! They got a HUGE point decrease and I feel they will be seen even more in lists now. Pop in the prime and you have a walking squad of death, add the Venomthrope and they are almost untouchable (unless your stupid tau). Even if they assault into close combat they are going to kill pretty much anything the unit has without needing close combat weapons. I have 5 of these guys, they will be seeing more playtime now due to their price drop and I can only imagine people will be fielding them as Dakka-Fexes like always.

Biovores - These guys got slightly cheaper and give the same as they did before. Barrage shots with 48", sniping models and making your opponent angry (that was a good game ). These guys are good for support fire, but with the point decrease of Carnies, the addition of new bugs and the over all better choices elsewhere I feel my 3 Biovores will stay on the shelf more games than nought. Not saying they suck, because they don't, I just have other options now. Having LD 6 and needing Synapse to keep them shooting is too much when I can march across the field laying waste to my opponent!

Exocrine - One awesome shooty bug that is full of awesomeness. This bug is a Marine killer, heck this bug is a Terminator killer, or even a Monstrous Creature killer! Being able to shoot two different profiles of guns is awesome. Whether you have single targets or a whole squad anything can be done to kill your foe. It has high strength and AP 2, definitely going to see things fall. Stream profile is a monstrous creature killer while the blast is an infantry killer. Either way, this bug is worth the price tag and if your going for a shooty army he/she/whatever you want to call it will fit nicely. It's special rule is kind of worthless if your constantly moving, however once you get into a good position let it sit and gain that bonus! It's statline is impressive, definitely going to make your opponents hate it and will be the target of all their AP2/3 guns so make sure you have that shroud from the Venomthrope or the little bugs.

T-rex - HUGE point drop, same big beast as always. Also our only natural 2+ save bug. This guy I like, especially having an assault 20 bug that can also get Thorax and has a Stinger Salvo. Things are going to die from this guy, and the price tag is, IMO, well worth it. I had this bad boy take out a full squad of Marines once and then had to sit there because there was nothing to assault! If the beast had BS4 this thing would be the most broken, auto-include bug in a Tyranid Army. I am happy the price tag has been lowered, before it was hard to dish out that many points, but now I feel more comfortable. The T-rex also has a really good s10 gun that WILL take out tanks. Not the greatest use of a bug that should be in your face however I have taken out a raider with it before.


Overall, the Tyranid codex has some really good shooting bugs. To recap, the ones I would most likely field in a shooty army would be:

Flyrant with Devourers (dependant on points and opponent)
Prime with Synapse relic and Cannon

2-4 Termagant Broods x15-20 for meat shields, minimum troop and general shooting. If you are playing a objective heavy game I would then advise taking larger units.

1-2 Zoanthrope Broods for Synapse support and anti-tank/infantry
Venomthrope Brood for shroud

Harpy for a mixed bug that can help against those pesky units in the back or to tag-team stubborn units that get too close.
1-2 Hive Crone for Anti-Flyer

1-2 Carnie brood with two Twin-Linked Devourers
Exocrine for the infantry/Terminator/monstrous creature killer
T-rex for the in your face bug



Hope that helps your decisions, like I said I usually play melee lists but those are my own personal findings for the new codex along with some personal bias lol

[starslayer]

Thanks for the advice. If you are feeling generous and want to give some advice on an all out melee list- I will listen!

[hapotte]

Thanks for the advice. If you are feeling generous and want to give some advice on an all out melee list- I will listen!

Same here!