So, having gotten a game in with my test list and having given it a lot of thought of late, I have come to the following conclusions:
-Nids are a really, really fun army to play. They are just so different from Marines. They are just a pleasure to move around on the table, with so many "neat" things to do. Tervigons aren't just "good" - they are fun! Spawning gaunts, throwing around Feel No Pain (kind of a mini-target priority game in itself!), and ya know, being big and mean are just cool.
-Heavy Venom Cannons are staying. They aren't meltaguns, no. They are something else, but they bring a certain utility that is very nice. TL Devourers are also excellent, but against the threats I am MOST concerned with (Razorback spam, Blood Angels Jumpers, Dark Eldar Mech), they have what I need.
-The biggest thing I missed in the army was Preferred Enemy bubbles. I don't want to just add one and make a single Tyrant a priority. I know a lot of people question the double tyrants in general, and that's fine, but for now I'm staying with them.
-Monstrous creatures are quite easy to get cover for when you have Gargoyles and Hive Guard running around.
This leads me to the following thought:
If I drop the Tyrant Guard entirely, I have exactly the points I need to buy Preferred Enemy bubbles for both Tyrants as well as give them both a 2+ armor save.
Pros:
-Much more survivable versus Missiles, Poison Weapon, Autocannon, Multilasers, etc.
-Get Preferred Enemy bubbles.
Cons:
-Less survivable versus AP 2 weapons.
-More difficult to get cover versus AP 2 weapons.
I am forced to think about the threats that I may face. The scariest armies to me (and perhaps I'm missing some) are Space Wolves Razorspam, Marines Razorspam, Dark Eldar Raiderspam and Blood Angels Jumpers. Losing the Tyrant Guard makes me more vulnerable to the AP 2 but less vulnerable to torrents from poison weapons.
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
