Pyrovore reworked concept

[vampiremonkey]

Hello
On another thread i put forward an idea for a retooled pyrovore
Stats
WS3 BS3 S4 T4 W3 I2 A2 Ld6 Sv4+
same special rules as codex
but Instinctive Behavior ( hunt)
Weapons - Acid maw , acid blood
however a reworked gun with S7 AP2 assult 1 skyfire (remember skyfire can only snapfire at all other targets other than flyers) .
What i would like the hive to give me feedback on is the range and point cost for the model
Range of gun i was thinking would be 24" but 18" also sounds fair also the AP of the gun , do you agree AP2 or should it be AP4 or something .
This rework of the pyrovore "fits" with fluff as the tyranids use pyrovores to eat biomass and other stuff after the swarm has killed enemies. It uses the anti air type gun to defend itself from air attack while it does its job.
Also unlike other races tyranids use a form of 'distributed intelligence' and so would use a form of anti air that matches that way of thinking.
I am going to pitch this idea with my local gaming group but i would like to get a wider input on how others think it should be.
Feel free to poo poo it if you like or support it . Please also feel free to give me your ideas if you think it would work.
The pyrovore is really one of the worst units in 40k im trying to make them useable.

[webebuggin]

I think the pyrovore could have been awesome with the following:

Independent character
royal court style with 5 per court can be split up or joined into one unit. As a single unit gain torrent on their flamers.
Synapse

That's it. Maybe cheaper. If it could join and give synapse to gaunts and act as a flamer with warriors, it would be freaking awesome and open up huge list possibilities as we would not require baby sitters. This would also make it quite good at killing in CC especially with challenges.

[vampiremonkey]

Thats pretty cool
i liked the idea of giving units a flamer gun beast instead of just a different weapon on a normal member of the unit .... it fits ok with the way tyranids are as a race

[ranmafan]

It should have a Melta profile too - but at melta range it's going to be vulnerable. Tradeoffs and such.

[alphamikefox]

I don't think pyrovores would need to give synapse, other things can do that. don't give the rules too much by making the unit do everything for your army, you can take warriors, tyrants, tervigons, etc. to fill synapse roles

I like these two concepts for the pyrovore: on the one hand, flamer gunbeast like GW wanted but sucked at delivering, on the other hand a skyfire platform that nids have none of right now. maybe both, and can switch between the two? or is that too much...

initially, my thought was to just make pyrovores beasts, give them torrent, and call it a day, but I also like the IC idea of joining like a unit of 30 gaunts as a flamer/skyfire/both (wading in and out of the tide of gribblies) because I had a similar idea for venomthropes joining gaunts as ICs so they couldn't be sniped off

come to think of it, I don't see why all of the following couldn't have that kind of specialized IC rule, something called like "tide of bodies" where pyrovores, venomthropes, zoanthropes, and even biovores if taken as single models could all join only gaunt units as ICs. then (if I understood webebuggin's idea right) if they're taken as broods of 2-or-more they get special bonuses, such as zoans getting psychic brotherhood like they have now, biovores get like twin-linked or shred or some special rule like that, pyrovores get torrent (normal flamer if they're an IC in the tide of bodies) or maybe they get skyfire only if they're taken as a brood, and venomthropes broods get permanent nightfighting. something like that, to spice up both our adaptability and synergies, and hopefully make each unit more desirable to take

[vampiremonkey]

These ideas are great
im really liking the add to a unit idea
if you could add it to genestealers you could at least get a round of fire before assult..... still getting there is the problem.

[vampiremonkey]

When i put this thread up i had just finished putting together an exocrine. I was just admiring the look of the model when the image of smaller gun beasts moving around it firing at a hostile flyer jumped into my head .
Now thanks to posts from other hive members i can see the benifit of the pyrovore used like a unit add on / upgrade giving the unit a flamer weapon . Still im leaning toward anti air because alot of us wanted it and players should feel they can have an army and not feel they have to take a crone to compete.
Keep the ideas rolling in hive.