Thoughts on New Tyranids Codex?

[3eland]

Pure awesomeness.

[Adunaphel]

Wow! This thread is insane with all the great information. Thanks 3eland! My wife plays Tyranids and I might even show her this....

Karl

[3eland]

Wow! This thread is insane with all the great information. Thanks 3eland! My wife plays Tyranids and I might even show her this....

Karl

LOL

[Jabbersnatch]

I'd like to throw my two cents in. Firstly, casual games with soft lists can be a lot of fun, but should not be how you judge a unit's game/rules strength. My friends and I don't condone irritating spammy lists like Jetseer Council or Daemon Flying Circus, but we do try to build lists to be strong versus all comers. If a model is too high in cost to be efficient in a reasonably competitive game, that means it is overcosted, no matter how cool or fun it is to play in casual games (Genestealers).

I like the new book. I love that many big bugs and others came down in cost, and the codex promotes variety in units. Melee Carnifexes are viable, the Haruspex is an amazing model with cool rules to go with it, and the new flyers are pretty cool. The scything talons/weapon biomorphs changes are not a huge deal, and just fine in their new versions. The loss of Biomancy hurts (not just Iron Arm, Endurance and Enfeeble were also amazing), but the new Powers of the Hive Mind are fluffy and all at least adequately good. I grudgingly enjoy the more painful Instinctive Behavior rules, as they force you to be more proactive about staying securely in Synapse or risking Instinctive Behavior.

My complaints:
-The options for effectively providing Synapse are limited, and a smart opponent will target your Synapse creatures. They will die, and it will hurt. It's difficult to provide enough Synapse redundancy to combat this, because Synapse creatures tend to be expensive.
-I wish Shadow in the Warp range was tied to Synapse range. It would make Synapse increases much more meaningful, though I understand why they were afraid of it.
-Most of the nerfs to Tervigons were a good thing. However, eliminating the sharing of Biomorph glands and increasing the psychic backlash when it dies means that your Termagants should stay the heck away from their mother. That loss was excessive, in my opinion, but I still take one for Synapse (see #1).
-Genestealers still at the same point cost makes no sense to me. I understand that some people still like them, but they are just too vulnerable to shooting. Broodlords are expensive and The Horror is too unreliable to substitute for the Flesh Hooks (Assault Grenades) that they didn't get, so most of the time you will choose between charging out of cover and hitting last, or standing in the open and getting shot to death.
-Warriors and Shrikes (and Raveners) are much more vulnerable than they seem. 3 Wounds doesn't mean much when Strength 8 splats you with bad armor & no invuln.
-The Tyranid Prime, even after his huge point increase, still can't take wings to keep up with a unit of Shrikes. Lame.
-Hive Guard are BS3? They were literally bred to shoot their bio-guns. They're still good, but... the BS3 is lame.
-No more Mycetic Spores? I wish I believed there was a good reason, but I suspect it's just because GW didn't want to compete with the Chapterhouse model.
-Pyrovores are still Pyrovores, nothing to see there.

Some other thoughts:
-Thank you 3eland for making me re-read the rules for Shrouded and Independent Characters. Venomthropes DO still provide their cover bonus to entire units, and Tyranid Primes CAN join Carnifexes. I will use both.
-Termagants can now choose weapons by model inside a single unit. I run a unit of 30, with 20 Devourers surrounded by 10 Spike Rifles. It packs a punch.
-Adrenal Glands now provide fleet, and are a very good option on melee Carnifexes, Haruspexes, etc.
-Biovores got cheaper and gained a wound, and Spore Mines that miss will now float where you want and can hit at Strength 6 (with 3 of them).
-Old One Eye is expensive and not much tougher than a normal Carnifex. You'd probably be better off taking a normal Carnifex and calling him Old One Eye.

[Jabbersnatch]

Oh, and also there is now a 2nd Dataslate (Invasion) featuring a flying-something-or-other formation that is rather powerful (and pretty cheesy). If I remember correctly, it involves a Flying Hive Tyrant, a Crone or two, a Harpy or two, and a bunch of Gargoyles. The Gargoyles can't be denied objectives they are capturing, and if killed the whole unit reappears from ongoing reserves on a 4+.

There's also another one called Endless Swarm that looks fun, it causes Gaunts to return when killed, but without the objective cheese.