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Tyranids
Combo Tournament Quality
4 Recent Tournaments: 1st Store Championships 5/3, 3rd Regionals 5/7, and 1st place Regionals in Austin 6/11.
Not sure how (if it's even possible) to just update my older post with the new teaser and info so I've resubmitted it.
Check out the original post with several questions and my replies here: http://www.cardgamedb.com/index.php/wh40kconquest/warhammer-40-000-conquest-decks-section/_/warhammer-40-000-conquest-decks/subject-ω-x62113-51016-r839
I've been playing Omega throughout the course of the latest cycle, and while he was a threat before the last pack, the new cards have put him over the top.
My basic game-plan is to develop a solid command presence while generally avoiding battles at 1st planet until you've developed an overwhelming card/resource advantage. The deck normally starts to threaten on the third turn with a fair amount of planets covered with infest tokens and the resources to swing battles in your favor.
Synapse: Stalking Lictor is my #1 choice for this, I've played with Zoanthrope, SWP and even a few games with the Polluter. You really never have a warlord train so Polluter is rarely utilized, SWP foregoes any command presence for battles, and due to the 'combo' structure of the deck slows you down significantly from digging through the deck fast enough. Zoanthrope runs into a common problem where the 1 hammer won't steal command, and the 1-2 damage will get shielded so again, it has not been as reliable as Lictor in developing board presence. The new synapse that was just spoiled I'll have to play-test with a bit but seems so anti-what I want to do that I doubt I will swap out the Lictor for it.
When deploying command units, always emphasize cards over resources, you need to dig consistently in order to properly develop and the curve is low enough to get by with a lower amount of resources.
When choosing planets for warlord/synapse, take advantage of Omega's 'global' ability by avoiding 1st planet fights to avoid getting bloodied, avoid getting a train and snipe your opponents command units.
Card choices:
The amounts will vary depending on what I expect to face so I'll just talk in general about the cards
Gene Implantation: This card is ridiculously good, Librarians, Warlock Destructors, all can be yours and the swing cannot be underestimated.
Dark Cunning: In addition to Gene Implantation is one of the few combat tricks Tyranids have access to. Obviously best with either of the Ymgarl cards.
No Mercy: Because of the low curve/lack of elites, you won't be dealing excess damage very often, dealing exact damage and guaranteeing a kill is very important.
Predation: Great explosive potential in combat
Spore Burst: mostly used as 2-shield
Sudden Adaptation: Interesting card but skips all the 'deploy' benefits because it puts a card directly into play, found it to be lackluster.
Termagant Sentry: A few people in my meta have been playing Omega with Termagant Sentry included. I don't believe this card earns a slot (at least in the list I use/way I play Omega). He is solely there to help command, as his attack is weaker than every other attacking unit, he's not a genestealer, and his ability will never fire. My command game is already strong enough to consistently win planets, and the other units I've picked just synergize so much more with the overall game-plan of the deck that I wouldn't cut them.
Nesting Chamber vs. Spore Chimney - Spore Chimney all the way. I run 3x because I want one in my opening hand consistently. Nesting Chamber forces so many awkward plays and commits that it's just not worth it. In my experience, Spore Chimney all the way.
3x of all genestealers save Ymgarl which is a 2x. Don't fall into the trap of ambushing every genestealer in your hand, deploy them as normal if it will help solidify your command presence. Invasive to kill a Biel-Tan, or pirate/trader is a good play, you don't always need to save them for combat.
Most games I will pass planets 1-3 while I infest and take command on the later planets. This avoidance on committing early, stalling for late game, and avoiding battles generally forces my opponent to come in with a train into an infested planet. These commits are when you ambush in, your units are weaker in damage and health than most other comparable units so the swarm is necessary to change momentum.
I regularly run this through a gauntlet of Kith/Cato/Worr/Eldorath with startlingly positive results. I firmly believe that Omega is among the Tier 1 decks currently and is poised to continue to place highly in more and more tournaments. I hope more people pick up Omega and he continues to be a dark horse!
I might update this in the future as new cards come out, but since the regionals push is over, I'm more excited about diving in to the Necrons box :)
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9 Comments
Great Job on that Texas Regional!
Attendance?
Very similar deck to one I was running, difference being Spore Chimney vs Nesting Chamber and Regeneration vs Spore Burst. I have strong feelings on the Chamber being better than the Chimney. Glad to see we are on opposite sides
Your list is interesting, but the question is: what is your plan when you just can't win command against your opponent?
I wholeheartedly agree that Omega is scary as soon as it starts picking up the 'struggle' advantage, the main problem is getting started against decks that are as strong, if not stronger, in command.
A Round 1 Palace with a good spread of hammers, for example, looks like something that kills Omega's game dead in its tracks.
Not saying it's easy for other decks to deal with such a - not so uncommon - start, but to be top-tier Omega has to be at least able to cope with it.
@Grimbo - Can't remember all the decks in attendance but I believe we were just 1 or 2 shy of cutting to top 8 (we only had top 4). I think it might've been something like: 3 Eldorath, 2 Mavros, 1 Cato, 1 Zarathur, 1 Ku'gath, 1 Omega, 1 Shadowsun, 1 Salaine Morne, with some others.
I just never felt as comfortable with Nesting Chamber, I like being able to infest a planet with no units just to threaten. Spore Burst's are in there 80% as a 2-shield, 20% they pull back a Virulent Spore Sac before a big fight
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@ Eu8L1ch - Not entirely sure what type of response you are wanting from me here, every deck loses if it doesn't win command (generally). See my prior post for more detailed responses. I play Worr, Kith, Cato, and Eldorath consistently and am able to pull through and win command even through Kith choke with Archon's Palace turn 1.
Without being egotistical or narcissistic, it is important to note that I have basically played Omega solely since he came out. My point in saying that is Omega is a hard deck to pilot correctly and it took me plenty of games before I felt comfortable appropriately judging planet, commit, deploy, and combat evaluation.
There were 11 players at the Austin Regional. My recollection of the breakdown was:
4 Space Marine (2 Mavros, 1 Cato, 1 Ragnar)
2 Chaos (1 Zarathur, 1 Ku'gath)
1 Tau (Shadowsun)
1 Dark Eldar (Salaine)
1 Tyranid (Subject Omega)
2 Eldar (2 Eldorath) [I think, I know there was one Eldar deck, but I can't remember for sure if there were 2]
You say that the game plan is to develop an overwhelming card/resource advantage. But you don't even play Sentries or Promotions, and on paper I'm struggling to see how you can go toe-to-toe with a typical Kith deck, let alone beat it on command.
On the other hand, I do not doubt your success, so am just interested to know how you do it!
I can't speak for Zygart, but the short answer when it comes to Tyranids is usually "Synapse unit makes up for a lot". Consider:
Turn 1, you deploy 2 units with single command icons. Your opponent (having more cards and resources) is likely to tie one and beat the other. They then deploy a command icon un-contested at a third planet. They're clearly winning command. However, then comes the commit phase: Omega brings his golden hammer and snipes at the planet you tied. Lictor beats them on command at another planet. Their warlord takes a fourth planet. You both won two planets, but going into the next turn they're down a command unit, you can tie or beat them anytime you want at their other planets on subsequent turns with either your Synapse or warlord, and thanks to your double command whammy you don't have to spend nearly as many resources setting up and maintaining your command presence while they're constantly fighting a war of attrition thanks to your warlord sniping anything it can get its jaws around.
Even a first turn Palace isn't going to put that much of a crimp in your style, because although you won't be taking home as many spoils, you will still be tying and sniping to your heart's content (so they're unlikely to develop a runaway lead). Plus while they're wasting their Limited plays on Promotions that you can match with a Lictor commit, you're playing Ripper Swarms which are a free 1/1/1 (Ripper + Lictor == 1/1/1 unit + Promotion, except the Lictor contributes attack power and can move elsewhere next turn if that planet turns out not to be worth contesting further), or any number of other Limited cost reducers that further pull your curve down.
Tyranids look kind of crummy at command on paper, but in actuality they're just playing a slightly different game where command is less about card deployments and more about commitments.
Not sure I agree that the above scenario is representative of a Kith deck though - in that thought experiment I would expect the Kith player to win one command with a double-hammer unit, the other with a unit plus Promotion or Superiority, then take a third planet with a third unit and finally drop either an Archon's Palace or a fourth unit. Even if Lictor and Omega swing two planets, Kith is still winning the other three. There is also the possibility of Kith sniping, instead of or as well as counter-capping, and/or catching the Lictor. Plus Kith is probably not just winning command but actively choking cards or resources..
@Zygart
Re: losing game when losing command
That's not true: (almost) every deck loses when being choked, but many can compete even when losing command (if not they're not being steamrolled).
The problem is Omega, in my experience, needs to overwhelm command to win, since its units - resource for resource, card for card - are subpar.
Some time after writing my first comment, I played a game (against Retoxidi) in which he managed to beat me despite me almost choking him (with Eldorath): that happened almost solely because the Harvesters and the Toxic Venomthropes provided him *a lot* of extra income, so that might be something Omega has going for itself.
However he probably managed to take the game back from me also because there was no win condition before round 5 (initial flop had 3 single icon planets or something like that).
I have played my fair share of games with Omega (and prior to that, a lot of games with Tyranids) so I know very well how strong the synapse is, Lictor in particular; however, Omega has always struck me as very susceptible to slow starts, especially combat-wise: not being able to effectively contest P1 puts a huge dent in its game plan, in my experience.
I also think MrWizard makes some very good points in his posts above, especially in the last.
I love this deck. Am able to infect many planets early on. Am retrofitting it with Keening Maleceptor to see how it works.