How to Play Against Tyranids?
Hey everyone, semi-new player here. My friend group recently decided to get into Warhammer 40k and it's been a blast so far.
My biggest gripe is that I can't seem to figure out how to win against the Tyranid player. He managed to find a really good deal on second-hand markets and has over 2k points while the rest of us are building up slowly, so good for him on that. But it feels like no matter what list or detachment he plays, we just get slaughtered in a 1v1. He's only ever lost with a teammate.
Now, this could absolutely be just because he's a better player than us, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it. He has so many units to shoot with that half of my units that start on the table die before the second round. Whatever units survive the first round and the new ones that get brought in usually get slaughtered by the 1000's of melee attacks that feel like are coming my way. Fuck genestealers with their 40 goddamn attacks... Most of our matches end by round 2 because he's tabled me. I've had one damn good match with him where it felt like I actually stood a chance, and that was great! I still lost, but I had so much fun with that match. I wish more matches were like that!
So, how do the fellow daemons players handle tyranids? How do you handle feeling like you're out maneuvered from all sides? I'm starting to get really frustrated going against him, and I don't want to bring the mood down.
Current army:
1x Be'lakor
1x Bloodthirster
2x Bloodletters
1x Bloodcrushers
1x Skulltaker
1x Daemon Prince of Chaos (with or without wings)
1x Nurglings
1x Plagurebearers
1x Beast of Nurgle
1x Pink Horrors
1x Blue Horrs
Sometimes I'll proxy a Bloodmaster if one of the other guys has an appropriate model that isn't in use.
At first, I would take the Pink Horrors every time, but the more I use them, the more I find that they just allow my opponent more points to use than what I get out of them. Either they get shot and don't split, or I get them on a control point, and they get taken out by a bajillion attacks, not giving them the opportunity to split. I've stopped taking them and the blues.
Scouting up 6 with the Beast of Nurgle ends with it dying to the long range attacks that can get within 18" (Be'lakor aura), so I've stopped doing that. Infiltrating with the Blues is a joke.
I've tried Daemonic Incursion, Blood Legion, and Shadow Legion detachments. Blood Legion is the one I was using with the fun close matchup. I don't have enough of the other faction units to try those detachments.
Tyranid Units I can recall (I could be wrong about some of these:
1x Hive Tyrant
1x Winged Hive Tyrant
2x Screamer Killers
1x Maleceptor
1x Zoanthropes
2x Exocrine
1x Haruspex
1x The Swarmlord
1x Tyrannofex
2x Raveners
1x Hyper-adapted Raveners
1x leapers
A bunch of Hormagaunts and Termagants
2x Lictor
2x Genestealers
Any help or tips would be much appreciated!