What would you do if you could re-write the tyranids codex?

[heavyturtle]

These are the changes i would make to the Tyranids codex if i could. The purpose of this is not to create the most overpowered leaf-blower list of all time, but to give the nids a fighting chance. not everything is being changed, either because it is okay as it is, or no one will ever use it. (pyrovore, flying rippers)

HQ:
Swarmlord
-eternal warrior
-Sv 2+

Old one eye
-WS 5
-LD 9
-180pts
-synapse creature

Tervigon
-180pts

Tyranid Prime
-90pts

Deathleaper
-synapse creature
-100pts

TROOPS:
Warriors
-25 pts a base

Genestealers
-stealth

Ripper swarm
-Shred
-10pts a base

ELITES:
Hive gaurd
-50 pts

Haruspex
-A6 (the entire idea of this guy is to put out lots of attacks
-S5

FAST ATTACK:
Tyranid shrike
-25pts a base

Ravener
-25pts a base

Harpy
-T6
-Sv 3+
-BS4
-150pts

Hive Crone
-T6
-Sv 3+
-BS4
-175pts

HEAVY SUPPORT:
Carnifex
-WS4

Trygon
-WS6
-175pts

Trygon prime
-WS6
-200pts

Mawlock
-Terror from the deep has armorbane
-WS4

Tyrannofex
-BS4
-Rupture cannon base (also has acid spray)
-200 pts

INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR:
-Rolls of 1 are Survive, Burrow, and Hunger
-Rolls of 2-5 are Seek cover, Prowl, and Devour
-Rolls of 6 are Stalk, Destroy, and kill


WEAPONS AND BIOMORPHS:
-get rid of venom cannon, replace with heavy venom cannon for 15 pts
-Adrenal glands 10 pts
-Reaper of obbliterax is 30pts
-Norn crown is 30pts
-toxin sacs on hormagaunts is 2 pts
-Lashwhip makes single enemy model -2 inititive
-Add extended carapace upgrade for all non-flying MC's for 30 pts, confers +1Sv


Thoughts and ideas? please comment!

[gauntlet]

There are alot of good ways of making T4 Wx mid-sized creatures viable. The best idea would be to use the original Eternal Warrior rule for synapse, but GW has a bee in their bonnet against making tyranid swarms good. So given any additional thematic rules is prohibited then I would reluctantly do to following.

Only single wound on T4 creatures and a MASSIVE point cost reduction.
For points imagine a Space Marine without a 3+ save. 10-15 points for a Tyranid Warrior.

I stress I don't want this, but I don't see GW accepting the better alternatives.

[Jabberwocky]

Letting you imbed warriors into units of gants would be enough to make them incredibly viable even without character status.

Strikes into Gargs.

Raveners into hormies, with a rules tweak would work or let Trygons join Raveners to soak the S8 like a Tyrant in Guard.

Honestly I don't think the op changes would make the codex any better, just stronger.

I'd rather have a more interesting codex like Eldar. Group the weapons into categories and give special rules to those categories. We already have the obvious types: devourers, fleshborers, venom, strangle, acid. Just add special rules to the guns that fall into them.

[Freeman]

I'd like shadows to be a -1 to psychic rolls. Or Denys on a 5+ basic.

Plus I'd like to have a better warlord table.

[neomangas]

mainly I just want Genestealers fixed... with assault grenades... the Broodlord pays a heck load for Biomorphs now!! he used to be a boss! when he was rolling on Biomancy!

Tyranid Warriors are ok I think... though the Prime is way too expensive!

Raveners are something that need to be fixed, one of out best looking models that we are silly for even considering to use... especially now that shrikes cost the same! Raveners need a Prime Ravener character HQ that makes them troops!! if only they made the Red Terror a synapse creature or actually worth a damn... they need assault grenades most of all...

they need to fix the subterranean assault rule for the Trygon, because as it is... it is actually one of the most useless unusable rules in the game! it needs to be stated that you can declare what is in the hole! and that all things arrive at the same time or something! actually if Trygons could go back to being good that would be great! its the type of creature that would really benefit having the thorax biomorphs that oh such few models were given the privilege...

Mawloc needs to scatter 1D6 when deep striking! seriously for a creature that lives under the earth you would think it knew how to catch a meal on the surface better then a Trygons Deep strike!

I am quite happy with Lictors now... just wish they were a tiny bit cheaper and you could run them in broods of 5... but you can in the dataslate so no worries!

I wish the Hive Tyrants upgrades were better... mainly Hive Commander! Outflank is another one of those useless rules that I am unable to fathom, it should be Infiltrate... so I can complete my dream of Infiltrating Malanthropes behind packs of Lictors or genestealers!

The Bio-Artefacts we got are probably some of the worst I have seen thus far...Reapers should be flat out ID and AP2! especially for that point cost! Ygmarl should not be just the assault phase (its funny how it cost about the same as extra armor did in the old codex and yet can only be used in the assault phase... the only way your Hive Tyrant can have a 2+)

The Horror should be something that also effects fearless models as they are so common these days... something like LD test on 3 dice or enemy is caught in a daze and can only snap-fire, moves as if in difficult terrain and when assaulted acts as if grounded (thus allowing Tyranids to attack at Initiative) That would be awesome and fix the problem of Genestealers not having assault grenades...

Psychic Scream is the worst though... can we swap that for psychic shriek?

I really like the Harpies shriek rule, just wish it was a shooting attack or psychic attack, or something it just does while moving that hits everything in a 12 inch radius or something... FMC's especially Tyranid ones are not really meant to charge stuff!

oh yeah and put Hive Guards back to BS4! especially if you went through the effort of making nice new models for the suckers! it would be nice if their haywire weapon was also ignores cover and no need of LOS!

[vectron]

Most of the codex could be fixed, or at least mended sufficiently, with some minor points adjustments here and there, and the reintroduction of Mycetic Spores; but I'd like one addition:

Army wide rule: All Tyranids that arrive through reserve, outflanking, transports, or are infiltrated, may Charge in the same round as they are deployed.

Not having to weather an extra round of shooting should help immensely in increasing the viability of 'nid-like cc tactics.

[Mauler]

Most of it I don't mind too much but what I would change involves reintroducing elements of the 4E book:

Extended Carapace biomorph for +1 to armour save for all models, cost scaling with model type.

Tyrant: Add in an expensive option for a lesser Warp Field 5++ or Enhanced Metabolism for FNP.
Tervigon: Drop the range on Backlash to 8" & see Tyrant options above.
Prime: Lower the cost & provide a Wings option.

'Stealers: Flesh Hooks & Feeder Tendril options.
Broodlord: 'Stealer options & Dominion also adds SITW.

Lictors: May add +1 to reserves rolls.
Pyrovore: Torrent & Acid Maw halves attacks instead of a single.

Raveners: Flesh Hook option.
Harpy: Spine Banks option, see Biovore changes.
Crone: optional Torrent upgrade.
Spore Mines: Choose Frag, Bio-acid or Toxin for the whole unit before the game; one type per unit, make take two additional units of Mines in the same slot.

Biovore: Choose Frag, Bio-acid or Toxin mines for the whole unit when firing.
Trygon & Prime: D3 infantry units may use the tunnel when successfully entering from reserves, any additional units left over may deploy as normal or enter on-going reserves to automatically enter play via the tunnel on their following turn. No more than three units may use the tunnel to enter play per turn.

Dimachaeron: optional Spine Banks.

Shadow In The Warp: All enemy units and models with the Psyker, Psychic Pilot or Brotherhood of Psykers special rules suffer a -2 penalty to both their Leadership characteristic and rolls to harness warp charge points when taking a psychic test whilst they are within 12” of one or more models with the Shadow in the Warp special rule. Units containing a model with the Adamantium Will USR suffer a -1 penalty instead.

[WestRider]

I'd pretty much rebuild from the ground up, going back to something more like the 4th Ed Dex in terms of flexibility, but simplified and streamlined somewhat. Three "tiers" of weapon profiles, for Gaunts, Warrior-types, and MCs, rather than just two. Some mutability, allowing things like Fexen and Tyrants to pick up 2+ Svs, maybe some other statline changes.

Army-wide special Rule: Scuttlers: Tyranid Creatures are blindingly fast, capable of covering ground at shocking rates. Tyranid Units may increase their move by an additional d6" in the Movement Phase. This distance is not reduced by Difficult Terrain. It does not count as Running, and does not restrict their choices in the Shooting or Assault Phases in any way. Units with Fleet may re-roll this d6 in the same manner as for Running. Additionally, Units with this Rule and Move Through Cover ignore the Initiative penalty for Charging through Cover if their Charge Distance exceeds the needed amount by 3" or more.

[malebranche]

I think a lot of us would go for rebuilding the whole codex.

I'd include a new special rule allowing certain units (Lictors, Deathleaper and Genestealers mainly) to assault from reserves (perhaps requiring an initiative roll-off to see if the target unit can overwatch at full bs or something to minimize the rage of shooty players).

Everything with move through cover would get assault grenades.

IB would be tweaked - it's meant to be a bad thing, but losing control of them is bad enough, the army shouldn't eat itself.

Rerolls back on scything talons.

Dual Boneswords would count as AP2.

Lash whips reduce enemy initiative in base contact to 1 again.

OOE would get his old number of attacks back and 3+ fnp and regen - he's meant to be insanely hard to kill. He wouldn't suffer from IB.

Deathleapers warlord trait would be fixed so that ANY challenges he wins gives the extra VP. This and assaulting from reserves would fix him imo.

Warp Blast cost 1 warp charge or become twin linked with better range.

Haruspex would get a decent amount of attacks and its special rules would work whether it charged or not. Either that or it would become a transport beast - I can imagine it vomiting a brood of hormies or stealers into the middle of a fight.

Stealers and Broodlords stay around the same cost but have a -1 penalty to enemy saves. Broodlords get Scything Talons (with 5 attacks) for free and other biomorphs cheaper.

Warriors and rippers get a slight point reduction.

Hormagaunts can run and charge.

Raveners get +1 strength, and access to biomorphs.

Trygon Prime as HQ. Trygon tunnel fixed to allow units to be allocated to it and able to use it on the turn the prime arrives. Initiative 5, 6 attacks.

And there's a lot more but couldn't be bothered writing any more lol.

[biomassbob]

Aug 17, 2014 3:17:52 GMT malebranche said:

I think a lot of us would go for rebuilding the whole codex.

I'd include a new special rule allowing certain units (Lictors, Deathleaper and Genestealers mainly) to assault from reserves (perhaps requiring an initiative roll-off to see if the target unit can overwatch at full bs or something to minimize the rage of shooty players).

Everything with move through cover would get assault grenades.

IB would be tweaked - it's meant to be a bad thing, but losing control of them is bad enough, the army shouldn't eat itself.

Rerolls back on scything talons.

Dual Boneswords would count as AP2.

Lash whips reduce enemy initiative in base contact to 1 again.

OOE would get his old number of attacks back and 3+ fnp and regen - he's meant to be insanely hard to kill. He wouldn't suffer from IB.

Deathleapers warlord trait would be fixed so that ANY challenges he wins gives the extra VP. This and assaulting from reserves would fix him imo.

Warp Blast cost 1 warp charge or become twin linked with better range.

Haruspex would get a decent amount of attacks and its special rules would work whether it charged or not. Either that or it would become a transport beast - I can imagine it vomiting a brood of hormies or stealers into the middle of a fight.

Stealers and Broodlords stay around the same cost but have a -1 penalty to enemy saves. Broodlords get Scything Talons (with 5 attacks) for free and other biomorphs cheaper.

Warriors and rippers get a slight point reduction.

Hormagaunts can run and charge.

Raveners get +1 strength, and access to biomorphs.

Trygon Prime as HQ. Trygon tunnel fixed to allow units to be allocated to it and able to use it on the turn the prime arrives. Initiative 5, 6 attacks.

And there's a lot more but couldn't be bothered writing any more lol.

I like your thinking! The dex needs a lot of reworking to fix many of the issues and add some flavour back into the army.

[javaman21011]

My 2 cents is bring back spore pods, allow assault from reserve and make any model that's on 4 legs or slithers into Beasts

[Mauler]

Aug 17, 2014 3:17:52 GMT malebranche said:

Everything with move through cover would get assault grenades.

Rerolls back on scything talons.

Dual Boneswords would count as AP2.

Lash whips reduce enemy initiative in base contact to 1 again.

OOE would get his old number of attacks back and 3+ fnp and regen - he's meant to be insanely hard to kill. He wouldn't suffer from IB.

I should've included these! Nice work.

[vandalex]

Categorise Tyranids into two categories: Shooty and Assualty
Shooter beasts: Living Ammunition(4th ed)

Assualt beasts: Predatory reflexes: A unit that contains at least one model with this special rule can declare a charge in the assault has even if the unit has run during the shooting phase. Furthermore, a unit with this special rule counts as having assault grenades during their assualt phase. Any unit with this special rule can charge the turn they arrive from reserve.

[roxaskatsuragi]

You guys should take a look at the Fandex from 1d4chan.

1d4chan.org/wiki/Codex_-_Tyranids:_/tg/_edition

[malebranche]

I forgot all about living ammunition. That and strength x/assault x weapons never should have been removed