At 1500 points one does have more options, but the situation isn't entirely different. I'm trying to build a list for Adepticon, compare my pre- and post-FAQ lists.
My tentative Pre-FAQ looked like this (I had only playtested it a few times, so there were still a few changes I was considering):
320 - Hiveship
Prow Pyro-Acid
Thorax Pyro-Acid
Port/Starboard Launch Bays X 3
305 - Hiveship
Prow Torpedoes
Thorax Launch Bays
Port/Starboard Launch Bays X 3
300 - Hiveship
Prow Bio-plasma
Thorax Bio-plasma
Port/Starboard Bio-plasma X 2
Port/Starboard Launch Bays X 1
250 - Vanguard Drones X 10
Feeder Tentacles
210 - Kraken X 6
Massive Claws
105 - Escort Drones X 7
Bio-plasma
7 - Fighter Marker
The idea, as you can probably guess, is pretty simple. The two launch bay hiveships are on one side of the table by themselves, the plasma hiveship, kraken, and vanguards are on the other, whilst the escort drones bridge the gap between them. The dual hiveships march up and act as the focal point for the enemy fleet, while the rest of the ships charge across the board to form a net that comes in from the side. It allows a lot of flexibility, as anywhere the enemy chooses to run they will be facing a powerful element, and the other side can move in for backup. At the same time it has its vulnerabilities, the fast element has limited synapse control, and the slow element is vulnerable to being forced to always be braced from concentrated fire. It is interesting to play, and relies on... daring, shall I say?
I was considering either dropping a kraken and a few drones to fit in either a dual claw cruiser or a dual torp cruiser. A dual claw cruiser with the bio-plasma hiveship would provide a credible distraction or even a threat if they chose to let it get close. The dual torp cruiser would solve the problem of one torp marker not being enough. (Although I was against ordnance-light fleets the few games I played, so it didn't make much of a difference.)
Now that list is quite illegal though, so some changes are required.
![Undecided :-\](http://www.specialist-arms.com/forum/Smileys/default/undecided.gif)
This leaves me looking at something like this:
300 - Hiveship
Prow Pyro-Acid
Thorax Pyro-Acid
Port/Starboard Launch Bays X 2
300 - Hiveship
Prow Pyro-Acid
Thorax Pyro-Acid
Port/Starboard Launch Bays X 2
100 - Cruiser
Prow Torpedoes
Thorax Torpedoes
120 - Escort Drones X 8
Bio-plasma
120 - Escort Drones X 6
Pyro-Acid
175 - Vanguard Drones X 7
Feeder Tentacles
175 - Vanguard Drones X7
Feeder Tentacles
210 - Kraken X 6
Massive Claws
The Hiveships sit in the center of the board, with the eight bio-plasma escorts screening them and the topr cruiser sitting behind them. Vanguards and Kraken on one flank, Vanguards and Pyro-Acid Escort Drones on the other. The tactical concept really needs no explanation.
It's a more boring than my first list, but not that bad a list. The only two problems are:
First, it lacks launch bays. Eight LB and two torps for a 1500 point tyranid list is pretty sad. I could swap one hiveship for a carrier hive, but that would mean dropping a LB on the other, so my net LB strength isn't really different, and I lose a lot of shooting. I could drop a drone and make them both carriers, of course, but then I don't have
any shooting.
Second, it only has two hiveships. Before the FAQ this would not have been a problem, as I could make the hiveships durable. But now that they're limited to being slow grand cruisers, going up against a 1500 point fleet with only two hiveships is not an attractive option. Even an IN opponent will have enough long-range firepower so that crushing one hiveship early is
not a difficult proposition. Remember, he only has to cripple it, and with the -5cm for blast markers and the large base, I can't even clear all my blast markers without going AAF. This means I effectively only have three shields, not four.
I'm almost 99% positive that the fleets and point value these changes were considered at was 1500 points so the 1k point value is far more limiting. ... 1500 points has some options as well, but when you hit 1k you have this odd gap.
Which of the above lists would you rather play against? Which do you think would provide a more interesting game?
The issue is that, unless I want to play the most boring list ever, I basically can't take more than two hiveships at anything short of 2000 points.
Sure, I could save a few points by dropping port/starboard weapons on the hiveships, giving me more points, but then I have no launch bays. As Innocent pointed out, without any long-range weapons, LB strength is the Tyranids' only protection at range, and they become increasingly important as the points level rises and long-range weapons become more prevalent. I need a lot of them, but can't have a lot of hiveships (without having no ships that move faster than 15cm
![Roll Eyes ::)](http://www.specialist-arms.com/forum/Smileys/default/rolleyes.gif)
) so I'm a little bit stuck.
yes we play mostly at 1000points, that's the best we can fit in an evening at the club. I've played a few games at 1500 but they are not the norm.
Granted at 1500 points I can add another hiveship. I would still be stuck with a bucket load of Escort drones though which restrict my movements. The whole problem is that the Nids are the only list were this has happened (we HAVE to take something slow and boring) when all the other lists have had increased flexibility and options.
It's also pretty rude in my opinion to force someone to play his list in a certain way.
I'm not trying to criticise or belittle the work that has been done on the FAQ, but show the frustration that this rule has caused in an otherwise great document.
This is exactly my problem.