Tyranids Ravener Build For 40K 6th Edition

Some interesting feedback and comments from the recent posting of my Tyranids ripper themed build had a good friend asking me how I would play a ravener themed army in 40K 6^th edition. The only mandatory rule for the army is that it maxes out the full number of raveners in the list...

Challenge accepted!

Of course we begin the post with a disclaimer that this is far from a “competitive” tournament list for Tyranids, but rather a themed list that makes use of a little seen unit from the codex and looks to leverage what it is good at on the table. It is for fun games, where you would want things to be interesting on the table, or IF you were going to take it to a tournament the plan would be to take your opponent by surprise with it as quickly as possible.  

In terms of building a list around a single unit, raveners aren’t that bad stat wise, and you can take them in groups larger than three which is one of the dumb limitations on unit size in the Tyranids codex.

For 30 points base you get a WS 5, 3 W, I5 bug with rending claws, talons, and move through cover, with the option for some shooty also.

Not bad…for a space bug…

On top of that the critter is a beast unit which means he is super-fast, and breaks the model mold of movement that most players are used to seeing and calculating in their plans on the table- we are going to want to take advantage of that.

Shooty wise we want some bug guns, but need to save the points so devourers work since most of the time we will be facing T4 or less on the table as base troops. No doubt the S5 spitter is better, but we are going to need those points to pull together the rest of the list, which is…

 == HQ ==

Tervigon (1) - Stinger Salvo, Cat = 175 pts.

Tyranid Prime (1) - Devourer, Scything Talons = 80 pts.

== Elites ==

Hive Guard Brood (2) = 100 pts.

Hive Guard Brood (2) = 100 pts.

== Troops ==

Ripper Swarm Brood (9) = 90 pts.

Ripper Swarm Brood (9) = 90 pts.

Tervigon (1) - Stinger Salvo, Cat = 175 pts.

Termagant Brood (22) - Fleshborer = 110 pts.

== Fast Attack ==

Ravener Brood (9) - Rending Claws, Devourer = 360 pts.

Ravener Brood (9) - Rending Claws, Devourer = 360 pts.

Ravener Brood (9) - Rending Claws, Devourer = 360 pts.

Naturally the list is all about getting the raveners into combat but how to do this?

Tactically you are going to deploy like this…

 

The list works by tying up the center of the table mid field with the rippers and any spawned gaunts as the hive guard hold/support one flank for as long as they can, and the raveners attack the other flank. The prime and the big gaunt blob is there as synapse and support, which later shift to assaulting and tying up unit also- ones that would kill or tie down your raveners. Just as in the ripper list from before at some point you are going to want to spawn gaunts to hold objectives on your deployment zone or mid field.

Tie up and bog down the center, and the attack the side of that center or what lies behind it on the flank of your opponent’s army using the speed and ferocity of the raveners…