Retribution/Warrior Brood/Strategy

Stats • Leveling • Weapons • Abilities • Upgrades • Strategy

Strategy

The primary function of Warrior Broods is to provide the basic synapse aura to lesser tyrannids. The effects of basic synapse are immense and worth risking the backlash from losing models. Without its effects, lesser tyrannids (especially gaunts) will fare poorly against other race's equivalent units. The adrenal glands upgrade add an additional melee synapse that nearly doubles the (+75%) health of nearby melee tyrannids. Genestealer will benefit particularly from this synape as combined with their life-steal ability, it makes them as tough as they are damaging. It can be difficult to fight effectively in tier 1 without at least one warrior brood if using the RA or LA as neither has a basic synapse. 

Direct combat is strictly a secondary role as can be inferred from their stats. Warriors have high health (+50% with adrenal glands) and heavy infantry armor, but do no more base damage per model in melee than hormogaunts (~20 dps) and the barbed strangler (BS) does minimal damage compared to other suppression weapons (though it does suppress instantly.)  Unupgraded or using the BS, warriors do power-melee and with adrenal glands heavy-melee and also significant knockback on melee special attacks. In summary, they are fairly hardy squads that do low raw dps, but can support other brood in combat with disruption, suppression, and more penetrating damage types. You should not expect them to do the bulk of the killing.

Be wary of enemies that do power-melee, plasma, or high damage to single models. Each brood consists of only 3 Warriors and these threats can easily pick them off and trigger backlash if the brood is unsupported. Beware of those pesky Rangers!