Burrowing Tyrannids strategies

No Escape is handy, but only works on Infantry (because we're not allowed anything nice). Vehicles and Monsters can just walk/drive/flap away whenever they like.

And it's not 1 roll-off per squad, it's "if you're within 1" of at least 1 model with No Escape, roll-off".

Dang. Everything sucks lol. Well better than no escape is wrapping his base. 10 wyches can easily keep a mawloc from walking because it has a huge base and no fly.

If it falls back it can't do anything except sit there and get re-engaged so fall back isn't an issue.

I have done some more number crunching for attacking the Mawloc:

Option 1: Wyches × 5 with Agoniser, Blast Pistol, Hydra Gauntlets, +1 S combat drugs
Damage done: 2.64 wounds (4.18 wounds per 100 points)
Damage taken: 1.62 wounds

I simplified the Mawloc a little by considering all the attacks with the Scything Talons, the tail and bite attacks will allow less FNP, and for Kabalites the bite removes the armour save, but shouldn't change the numbers too much.

I am assuming the Wyches can get within 6" for their shooting attack, and they are much less effective (dropping to 1.47 wounds done) if they are outside 6" and don't get Blast Pistol or Darklight Grenades.

Option 2: Wracks × 5 with Ossefactor, Electrocorrosive Whip
Damage done: 2.69 wounds (3.58 wounds per 100 points)
Damage taken: 1.73 wounds

Option 3: Khymerae × 10
Damage done: 2.22 wounds (1.85 wounds per 100 points)
Damage taken: 2.07 wounds

Option 4: Mandrakes × 5
Damage done: 3.41 wounds (3.59 wounds per 100 points)
Damage taken: 1.44 wounds

Option 5: Kabalite Warriors × 5 with Blaster, Blast Pistol, Agoniser
Damage done: 3.04 wounds (4.75 wounds per 100 points)
Damage taken: 2.16 wounds

Overall conclusions:
- Wyches do OK, but very dependent on their shooting(!) and need to be within 6" for maximum effectiveness
- Kabalites best damage efficiency, but take most damage in return
- Khymerae least efficient option by a fair margin - better to put them into the Gaunts
- Wracks and Mandrakes both reasonable options, and not depending on getting to 6" shooting range
- Mandrakes become best defensively if you can get the Mawloc to half wounds

What a time to be a Dark Eldar player. We're sitting around thinking up a good way to deal with a 90pt objective harasser

Don't forget that the mawloc will often be Kraken, so will have fall back + assault as well. Tarpit is usually going to be limited to wyches

Wait. 90 points?

Just double checked, they're 104. Point is they're frak cheap and disposable

Jep it's damage is not that good against marines and such because he has no ap and not that many attacks.
Problem is we don't have "cheap" good armour units. For the most part I would say just ignore the mawloc for damage. He will only kill 1-3 models usually, so just make sure there is a unit between him and your nonflying important gunners and do not worry about it. Remember he has only something like 6 attacks, 3 hits, 2.5 wounds, 1-2 damage after saves. Most of our units are melee or fly so we can just move out of combat and shoot (with the only real problem we might have to disembark).
mawlocs are good because they are great at harasment but otherwise they are not that scary.

Mawlocs DONT want to be in CC, they are not good in CC at all, they are literally there as a fake (unless they are Mawloc heavy army with 6+ of them).

Tyranids needs to hit you with multiple threats at once, that is how they play, Mawlocs, Genestealers, DSing Devilgants, Harpies, DSing Hive Tyrants, etc..

These are the more dangerous Tyranid lists, ones that will hit you from every angle. the problem with Tyranids are that they MUST support each other, every unit needs a support unit.


Split the army and focus done 1 part of the army, the more you can do this the easier it is to win.

Many players have already said many good things, but as a HEAVY nids player, dont worry about Mawlocs, just put a unit at them in melee and work on them later, kill the real threats right away, this list is from Most important to least important;
Genestealers, Hive Tyranids, Hive Guard, Exocrines, Devilgants, Hgants, Harpies


IMO Harpies are only not being use atm b.c of CWE. IMO Harpies are insanely deadly but not against DE or CWE (due to high damage weapons and Fly keyword for vehicles, against Imperial they are stupidly good, move 30", Bomb, Shoot Lascannons, Charge, fallback, bomb, shoot, charge, repeat).

Devilgants are normal Termagants with 3 shot bolters that has stratagems to make them stronger
Hive Guard and Exocrines are S7/S8 with 6-12 shots that can shoot twice
Hgants seem very weak, but 6" Pile in and Consolidates will tie up many units and objectives at once

Mawlocs are a faint, they look scary, they "can" do MW's (on average only 4 unless you against Orks, IG or other Hordes that they can hit 3-5 units rather than 1-3) but in reality 1-2 of them are there to act tough. So dont be scared of them.


Finally: Unless they are playing 6 Mawlocs, there is a strategy that playing 700pts of them to DS turn 1 along with 3 Hive Tyrants and then having 12 Single Biovores with many ripper units next to Zoanthropes and Venomthropes, in order to MW you down and kill all movement (they will own your realestate), having 8 ish Spore, 6 Mawlocs and the Hive Tyrants all on you and the potential of 50 MW's along with 72 S6 shots and Smites. Its really strong against sow armies (and DE is slow now).