The Swarmlord

Congratz on the win, and on the extremely coherent Swarmlord deck. Good to see Synaptic Link doing well for you: I can totally see its strong vs choke, though I wonder if it will still be a strong include once the meta shifts away from Kith? (If it ever does, that is)

Either way, aiming to foil Kith is never a bad idea for Tyranid decks, as Kith is one of the few Warlords who has the tools to deal with an endgame regenerating Shrieking Harpy, or to counter a fully powered up Ymgarl Genestealer.

I note you're quite thin on infestation: Did you find you were often getting to use Zoanthrope at full potential?

I note you're quite thin on infestation: Did you find you were often getting to use Zoanthrope at full potential?

Thanks Asklepios!

Nah you don't really need to shoot 2 dmg unless its a huge battle where you need to shoot a Librarian or finish off an important unit. Most of the early game cappers are 1hp anyways. To achieve max damage you always have the Toxic Venomthrope to win command and then shoot for 2 after, which can be no mercy-ed if shielded. Or just hold Scything Hormagaunts to infest when the important battle arises.

Most of the time the Zoanthrope is used to tie up the hammer on a planet ( specially 2 cards planet ) or add 1 more command which will make you auto win. Either way it forces a shield which is good enough for me. Denying and forcing a discard every turn while drawing for command means im getting the mileage out of it already. 

I don't think it'll shift from Kith so soon Asklepios. The link still helps if the planet flops are just gold ( sometimes it happens when the 1st planet in the game is 2 cards and thats it ). In that scenario the Link is amazing in the deck. The only bad part happens when your synapse dies then you've got 3 dead cards haha!

Congratulations on the win.

Palace should be far less of an issue for Swarmlord though due to Corpses. Playing a Palace after turn one can often be a negative exchange for Kith because Corpses is so efficient. Link seems alright when you have card light flops (no Pirate makes this a big issue for Nids) but the biggest problem I have with the card is that it costs two resources and does nothing to contest command. Compared to Ammo Depot, it just seems a lot worse but perhaps I'm wrong.

Thanks Syntax. That is true corpses is so efficient against any deck that relies on locations.

Ammo Depot changes the way the game is played as you're trying to empty your hand to reach that threshold where you can keep maximizing the Depot to its full potential. You can't really compare to Link as its a totally different ball game/race. With Link it becomes more of a gold issue as you have quite a lot of cards but need to pay for a Ymgarl/Harpy or the 3 cost combat units. I find im more gold starved than card starved.

I would say running a 6 card starting hand ( its a real pain as your deploy moves are so limited ) ,sometimes you don't really want to deploy that Virulent Spore Sacs turn 1 as you're going to regret not having to aoe for an important battle. Furthermore, I think i've included all the cheap command units available in the Nids to use barring a Tyranid Warrior. But that is a 3 cost which clogs the opening 6.

Surprised to not see Fall Back, especially with 3x Synaptic Link.

Zoanthrope is not to be played so aggressively though only at the end when its a crucial combat you commit with warlord. Even then,the opponent will be busy handling combat units rather than the 1 dmg synapse.

It's good to see a Swarmlord win. How many people attended? Can you give us a short matchup summary?

Ammo Depot changes the way the game is played as you're trying to empty your hand to reach that threshold where you can keep maximizing the Depot to its full potential.

Yes and no. It affects how your deck is constructed in that you need to have a low average card cost, but most decks want that anyway because of the impact of the command struggle. The closest, commonly-played equivalent to Shrieking Harpy is Gleeful Plaguebeast and it comes with cost reducers that work well with extra cards.

You can't really compare to Link as its a totally different ball game/race. With Link it becomes more of a gold issue as you have quite a lot of cards but need to pay for a Ymgarl/Harpy or the 3 cost combat units. I find im more gold starved than card starved.

The way I look at the command game is to compare the difference between what I and my opponent farm. Rather than just try to maximise my own gains, I also want to minimise my opponent's gains. The command struggles tends to compound in favour of the player who farms more than their opponent.

I would say running a 6 card starting hand ( its a real pain as your deploy moves are so limited ) ,sometimes you don't really want to deploy that Virulent Spore Sacs turn 1 as you're going to regret not having to aoe for an important battle. Furthermore, I think i've included all the cheap command units available in the Nids to use barring a Tyranid Warrior. But that is a 3 cost which clogs the opening 6.

While not ideal, I don't mind playing a turn one Spore Sacs. I usually try to match command with it but if it gets sniped it's not a huge deal. There's still more in the deck and you can potentially recur it with Spore Burst. Tyranid Warrior isn't too bad in the opening hand either. It's not the best 3-cost obviously (but only Syren is better in terms of command), but you still have a Synapse to match and ping opposing cappers. But it's true, Nids are sorely lacking in 2-drops, so Link would seem like the next go-to after all the command units. It just feels like a sub-par card compared to Ammo Depot and not ideal on turn one since it doesn't impact opposing command.

But I've only really tested with SWP (didn't work there) and you have Consumption, so there may be a synergy that I'm missing.

Hi Veetek, sure. There was 12 ppl altogether half Nids, 4 Kith, 2 Ragnars and 1 Zarathur. Top 4 was 1 mono Ragnar( Seth's build )2 Kith (no surprise half the Kith made it ) and 1 Swarmlord.

I only recall the semis and finals after the swiss clearly as it was a long day already. The semis was me vs a Kith and the other Kith vs Ragnar.

I was going against the top seed Kith that beat me in swiss and i had the first initaitve. The planets were Orsus, Yvarn and Barlus for a 3 planet win, 4th was Plannum and 5th was Iridial. My opponent had a Den 1st turn, deployed Wildrider to Yvarn to mobile in case and the sig unit at the 4th planet for +1/+1. I on the other hand deployed a ripper to block the sig, Pyrovore to 1st to hold it and Brood swarm to 3rd planet Barlus to hold it. So here comes 1st commit, my opponent went to Barlus i assume thinking i would deploy on 2nd or 4th to power up the termagant token with 1 command with Brood warr and get 2 more cards. My warlord went to Barlus and synapse to planet 2 in the end after long thought.

This meant i denied 1 gold on Yvarn and 2 cards on Barlus to Kith. On command phase proceeded to Corpse the Den which foiled his dog movements. Zoanthrope shoots a dmg to Wildrider. He actions it into Orsus for combat. Pyrovore attacks, he shields 2 which i no Mercy. Wins the gold and on Barlus a few sheild trade happens but Kith retreats because i still swing 1st at the end and discarded a card.

2nd turn we both commited to Barlus again with my synapse this time as he needs cards desperately. Won 2 command that turn to my opponents 1. I manage to win planet 1 with a  termagant horde and 2 termagants from the horde and swarmlord with a terror against a Warlock Destructor. Triggered Yvarn which forced a Klaivex out. On Barlus i shot the dog with zoanthrope which he shielded. Won that planet with better card economy and discarded the last card in hand which is another Klaivex!

Pretty much game already at this point.

On the other side Ragnar was getting severely beatan by the Den and many dogs, which means finals was me and Tadaaa another Kith. Opponent started first. I mulled a hand of just units hoping for a clog hand. None given. Had 3 ripper swarms! in hand. I kinda knew it was going to be really hard but we were tied 3 cappers each on 1st turn. Forgo-ed 1st planet to get more command and Zoanthrope went winning command by 1 and sniping a pirate. Drew more cards and 2nd turn forgo another planet.

Corpsed a Palace after he passes deploy.

3rd turn he wouldve won the game but the 2nd turn link and superior economy meant i had a foothold on deploys. He commited to 1st to finish the game but failed as he had no answer to a Termagant Horde with Regen. Gold was choked so no Klaivex just terror which was used at 2nd turn previously. Forgot to put i Barlus-ed another Terror 2nd turn hehe.

4th turn was another Termagant Horde at 1st planet with multiple units there. He had not much so he went to 2nd planet to prepare for battle. I went there with the synapse also and with the Toxic Venomthrope infesting for winning command shot another 2 at the dog spawned which he shielded but its just too much in the end with the Termagant Horde spawning and that sealed the Finals.

The Zoanthrope in the end won me a lot of command as i up-ed the command by 1 winning it and shot a capper. Next turn he would need to deploy a 1 command to tie it which i could do the same again. In the long run if they keep shielding the cappers they're going to lose out as not enough shield supplies from card draws. Somewhere in the mid there i got Caius Wroth-ed but came back with the Link and Zoanthrope winning command. Hope this isnt too long of a report.

Edit: The Zoanthrope are not able to shoot tokens, was my mistake in the report. The main function of the Zoanthrope is to hunt cappers and win the command at the committed planet. At the decisive battle, make sure to infest and shoot important combat units for 2 i.e Bloodied Reaver/ Incubus warrior. Hope this clears the above.

The way I look at the command game is to compare the difference between what I and my opponent farm. Rather than just try to maximise my own gains, I also want to minimise my opponent's gains. The command struggles tends to compound in favour of the player who farms more than their opponent.

Exactly that' s how conquest is supposed to be played as the more you gain the more you choke the opponent. It is true the Synaptic Link is inferior to Ammo Depot as it requires the synapse to be alive and 2 gold to cast which is not a 1st turn play definitely unless you have nothing else to play which in a 6 card hand running the generator does happen. 1 gold on 1st turn Depot is definitely amazing no doubt.  

But I've only really tested with SWP (didn't work there) and you have Consumption, so there may be a synergy that I'm missing.

SWP is interesting in Swarmlord as it gives you a combat unit which Swarmlord lacks compared to OOE and covers its main weakness. The only thing is you'd really need the fallback in hand with it as it tends to die often and the Link might be iffy. Facing SM/Chaos is no fun it dies so easily to drop pod/ambush.

The Link also is a deploy stall if need be, to go with a Regen and heal a dmg-ed unit. Thats 3 deploy moves. Some games on 2nd turn opponents will flood every planet with a capper/unit and pass. With enough deploy stalls you can Consumption and decimate the other side while keeping 1 or 2 units on your side ( providing you had spawn 2 termagants with the cappers on each side and they dont die, takes a bit of foreplanning ). This is where the synapse mechanic is gold as you can still commit and itll never die to consumption.

On Barlus i shot the dog with zoanthrope which he shielded.

I went there with the synapse also and with the Toxic Venomthrope infesting for winning command shot another 2 at the dog spawned which he shielded but its just too much in the end with the Termagant Horde spawning and that sealed the Finals.

Zoanthrope can only shoot army units though, not token units

You're right  my apologies i just noticed that last week while playing,so no shooting stray dogs just cappers for Zoanthrope.

Just wanted to note that the signature support is returning a hive mind unit with 3 or less cost back to the planet.

Just wanted to note that the signature support is returning a hive mind unit with 3 or less cost back to the planet.

You're right! Edited. P.s. Never happened before, to save myself from internet shame haha!

I think Scything Hormagaunts can be replaced by other stuff as you are not needing any more infestation.

Also I'm missing Sudden Adaptation and generally would drop some units for events.

The Hormogaunts are there as theres no other units thats two cost for 1 command at the moment. It's not for infest thats for sure. The Genestealer Harvester needs it to be infested and thats out of my books as this deck doesnt need infestation to work. Maybe Spore sacs or drop them all altogether for more 2 sheilds but i quite like the command i have atm.

I find Sudden Adaptation not that useful due to most of the units would already be stuck on the Regeneration/Ymmgarl Factor so don't want to bounce those. Only the elites are worth bouncing but as i said with the attachments on,i really rather not. Probably Dark Cunning i suppose.

Utility wise I would prefer either Spore sacs, or if you want to go command heavy Tyranid Warriors. They are worth their money I think.

Dark Cunning serves also well, altough it profits more from infestation, which is why i would still prefer Adaption. You might not be able ot equip every elite with attachments too soon.

Yeah i probably would try Warrs but the cost would be clunky with six resource as opening. It's not that i don't like Sudden Adaptation,it's just that in my games i find that usually i've already been equipped with attachments and the unit i'm bouncing back is better than the one at hand. Resource wise usually has been dumped to Ymmgarl Factor to crush the opposition. I don't think i've gotten games where i went if i had that Sudden Adapt i'd win moment honestly. But this is all imho of course.

no Loamy Bloodhive? its such a powerfull card with nids elite...

no Loamy Bloodhive? its such a powerfull card with nids elite...

I would but the returns are not that great. For me to benefit i probably would need 9 elites in the deck and 2-3 Bloodhive. I probably will deploy an elite second turn and would need the Bloodhive from first turn itself to pull full benefits. It get's better in more numbers which means it'll take 3 slots which means taking out the Mycetic spores which is much more flexible and also more of the theme of the deck and adding 2 more elites.

Between Swarmlord and Termagant Horde with careful planning its really hard to want more termagant tokens imo