Retribution/Venom Brood/Strategy

Stats • Leveling • Weapons • Abilities • Upgrades • Strategy

General anti-vehicle strategy

The Venom Brood serves as Tyranids' de facto vehicle counter. Among the anti-vehicle units in the game, it fills a specific and powerful niche.

The Venom Brood has one of the longest anti-vehicle weapons that does not require set up (the others being Tactical Marine and Sentinel missile launchers, etc.) However, when it comes to damage, it does not do as much as set up squads, and even many of the other anti-vehicle squads out there. Instead, the damage flows at a much more constant rate rather than doing a sudden blast of damage like missile launchers and equivalent. Coupled with their mobility and range (Venom Brood being the longest ranged "constant" vehicle damage dealer) the brood is good at chasing down vehicles.

The only problems are that Venom Broods are often slower than the vehicles they chase (particularly higher tiers), no infiltration (like Storm Troopers), and Tyranids have no vehicle-stopping abilities (like melta bombs), Venom Broods have extreme difficulty finishing off vehicles by themselves, and often suffer large losses attacking vehicles regardless. In this way, Venom Broods more than any other anti-vehicle depend on the rest of the army to fulfill their role. Usually some melee unit is needed to assist the Venom Brood in taking down a vehicle. This squad need not do much damage to the vehicle, but it needs to get in the way of its retreat path (or attack path in the case of a melee walker), which slows down the vehicle considerably. Usually Hormagaunts are the most cost-effective for this purpose, but heroes such as the Hive Tyrant and Lictor Alpha may be able to do the job.

Ranged Synapse and the Tyranid ranged blob

The Venom Brood is able to upgrade itself with the ranged-synapse. This is essential for the Tyranid ranged blob strategy. It gives Termagants a strong range and health boost which, when coupled with a Zoanthrope's health aura and the Crippling Poison upgrade for Termagants, allows them to be quite hardy and deal good damage. In addition, the Crippling Poison upgrade allows the Termagauts to slow down any melee units that come charging. The number of Venom Broods you want in the blob heavily depends on what army type you are facing. If there is only infantry, it would probably be best to hold onto one Venom Brood and push for an extra Termagant brood with the requisition (around 4 is good), or another Zoanthrope if they have only ranged infantry. Whatever the case, if you have two Termagant Broods, it is usually worth a Venom Brood with Ranged Synapse to accompany them (so long as you have the Requisition to spare).