How to fix: Synapse, Shadow, and IB

[Halollet]

With people looking over all of the units, I thought it might be a good idea to look at the overall rules.

Synapse: What it is now, but I think adding in "if a friendly tyranid model would suffer ID it instead only takes 1d3 wounds". Saves a lot of nids from dying and doesn't make a warrior tougher then a GC.

Shadow in the warp:  When the hive fleet comes, there's a disconnect from psykers to the warp itself, this should show up in the rules
- If the primary detachment is faction Tyranids, then after your opponent rolls 1d6 for his warp charges, the Nid player rolls 1d6 and their opponent removes that many warp charges from his pool.  So your opponent would get total MLs + 1d6 - 1d6 when facing Nids.  Meaning your opponent could get no warp dice at all for a turn if the dice don't go their way.
- Creatures with SITW count as having psychic hoods.

IB: I'm not opposed to the whole table thing, but it has to be nicer.
1 - the unit is confused and moves 1d6 in a random direction (scatter die). If its a flyer it flies straight for 12". Can do nothing else this turn.
2-5 - Feed, Lurk, Hunt (see below)
6 - The hive fleet above is still able to impose its will, the unit acts normally this turn.

Feed - The unit falls back towards the nearest enemy unit, gains rage and can still assault, may not run or shoot, and must declare an assault against the nearest enemy unit regardless of range.  Models overwatching against this unit fire at +1 bs (usually BS 2).
Lurk - The unit falls back towards the nearest piece of terrain and gains stealth.  May not move again this turn.  If the entire unit is not in cover, it may only snap shot this turn.
Hunt - Same as 1, but also must shoot at the closest enemy model that it can see.

[nikh]

I like those. I feel like 1D3 on ID will still fry a Warrior, tho. Love the Shadow in the Warp stuff, that's what it SHOULD be. Hopefully our next book makes SitW do SOMETHING.

[Halollet]

May 9, 2015 16:14:07 GMT nikh said:

I like those. I feel like 1D3 on ID will still fry a Warrior, tho. Love the Shadow in the Warp stuff, that's what it SHOULD be. Hopefully our next book makes SitW do SOMETHING.

Warrior gets hit with a Tau Hammerhead Rail Gun that was ignoring cover with marker lights, yeah, there should be a chance that its ash.  But there's a chance it just takes 1 wound which would infuriate a Tau player after all that.

(I know no smart tau player would do that, just giving an extreme example! )

[phayze]

synapse: grants stuff it does now, can still be extended, also grants EW.

SitW: range is synapse range. grants fear, all enemy models MUST take fear tests, ignoring zealot, atsknf, fearless, etc. special rules (no auto-passing for fearless). -3 ld to all psykers in range, successful psychic tests of less than 6 must be re-rolled.

IB: heck, im not sure what to do with this mess... ok 2 options: no more table. straight result if failed. lurk: fall back. feed: must assault nearest enemy unit, gains rage. hunt: go to ground.

option 2: tables stay about the same: but results are inverted. results coincide by how much you failed your Ld test BY. 1- good effect, 2-5 medium effect, 6 or more: bad effect. this way, bigger bugs still have better odds for rolls than little bugs.

[nikh]

May 9, 2015 16:30:25 GMT Halollet said:

May 9, 2015 16:14:07 GMT nikh said:

I like those. I feel like 1D3 on ID will still fry a Warrior, tho. Love the Shadow in the Warp stuff, that's what it SHOULD be. Hopefully our next book makes SitW do SOMETHING.

Warrior gets hit with a Tau Hammerhead Rail Gun that was ignoring cover with marker lights, yeah, there should be a chance that its ash.  But there's a chance it just takes 1 wound which would infuriate a Tau player after all that.

(I know no smart tau player would do that, just giving an extreme example! )

Ohh I think I misunderstood...I interpreted 1D3 as 1+D3, my goof. 

[vombatti]

How about Psykers in Shadow won't generate their warp charges?

so if opponent has only 1 psyker in his army and he is in shadow he only gets d6 dice

[phayze]

May 9, 2015 23:35:44 GMT vombatti said:

How about Psykers in Shadow won't generate their warp charges?

so if opponent has only 1 psyker in his army and he is in shadow he only gets d6 dice

kind of like the culexus assassin's rule? fluff wise it makes sense, psykers being drowned out by chittering voices and scratching at their minds.

[Kark]

SiNtW could make enemy psychic tests more difficult to pass either by adding +1 die warp charge cost (if psychic power requires 2 successes, it now requires 3) or by subtracting -1 for harness the warp factor (so You harness the warp on 5+).

Synapse may grant fearless and adamantium will.

Remember that future codex will most likely include decurion detachment so some rules may come from formation special rules or command benefits.

[Anggul]

May 10, 2015 6:48:59 GMT Kark said:

SiNtW could make enemy psychic tests more difficult to pass either by adding +1 die warp charge cost (if psychic power requires 2 successes, it now requires 3) or by subtracting -1 for harness the warp factor (so You harness the warp on 5+).

Synapse may grant fearless and adamantium will.

Remember that future codex will most likely include decurion detachment so some rules may come from formation special rules or command benefits.

This sounds more reasonable.

There's no reason synapse would stop a warrior from being blown to bits by a krak missile, that rule in the 4th edition codex made no sense. Just fix warriors rather than changing synapse.

As for instinctive behaviour:

Replace current tables with just the 4-5 results. Lurkers must move towards nearest cover, Feeders must run directly towards nearest enemy unit at end of shooting phase if no enemy unit is in charge range.

[krakentendrilswarm]

May 10, 2015 11:34:28 GMT Anggul said:

May 10, 2015 6:48:59 GMT Kark said:

SiNtW could make enemy psychic tests more difficult to pass either by adding +1 die warp charge cost (if psychic power requires 2 successes, it now requires 3) or by subtracting -1 for harness the warp factor (so You harness the warp on 5+).

Synapse may grant fearless and adamantium will.

Remember that future codex will most likely include decurion detachment so some rules may come from formation special rules or command benefits.

This sounds more reasonable.

There's no reason synapse would stop a warrior from being blown to bits by a krak missile, that rule in the 4th edition codex made no sense. Just fix warriors rather than changing synapse.

As for instinctive behaviour:

Replace current tables with just the 4-5 results. Lurkers must move towards nearest cover, Feeders must run directly towards nearest enemy unit at end of shooting phase if no enemy unit is in charge range.

I think that removing the rolling on the tables is a good move. Pre-programmed behavior if a test is failed would work fine.

Lurkers fall back towards cover, when they reach it they Go To Ground and must shoot the nearest target.

Hunters move towards the nearest enemy unit as fast as possible, cannot Run, must shoot at it (even if they cannot harm it) and cannot assault

Feeders move the nearest enemy unit as fast as possible, cannot Run, cannot shoot and must assault (even if they cannot harm it)

[glitchrr36]

synaptic resonator- found on warriors and shrikes. If within synapse range of another (non warrior genus) model with synapse from the same detachment, then both units gain +6" on synapse range.

[Kark]

As for IB I would slightly modify the IB table:

Feed:
1 Cannibalistic Hunger
2-5 Devour
6 Kill

Hunt:
1 Burrow and Hide
2-5 Prowl
6 Destroy

Lurk:
1 Survive
2-5 Seek Cover
6 Stalk

In this case all bad things happen on rolls of 1 only.

[nurglitch]

Synapse: Allows a unit within 12" of another unit with the Synapse rule (a 'Synapse unit') to use that Synapse unit's leadership. If a Synapse unit is within 12" of another Synapse unit ('in Synapse'), then it can pass the latter Synapse unit's leadership onto units within 12", so a Synapse unit with Ld8 within 12" of a Synapse unit with Ld10" would be Ld10 and then pass that onto other units.

Shadow in the Warp: All friendly units within 12" of a Synapse unit with the Shadow in the Warp rule (a 'Shadow unit'), including that Synapse unit, cause the Shadow in the Warp to affect enemy units within 12". Enemy units manifesting psychic powers within the Shadow in the Warp suffer the Perils of the Warp on any doubles rolled.

Instinctive Behaviour: Units with the Instinctive Behaviour rule (an 'Instinctive unit') on the table prior to reserves arriving, or that aren't falling back, take a leadership test. Units that pass the test, or arrive from reserves, or regroup, or are already locked in combat, or that have already gone to ground, may act normally. Units that fail the test act according to their instincts:
Lurkers: Fall Back.
Hunters: Go to Ground.
Feeders: Must move towards, and either run towards or charge the nearest enemy unit.

Psychic Powers:

Primaris: Dominion (Blessing): All friendly units in Synapse gain the Fearless rule until the player's next Psychic phase. Casters without the Synapse rule (e.g. The Broodlord) gain the Synapse and Shadow in the Warp rules until the player's next Psychic phase.
1. Catalyst (Blessing): All friendly units in Synapse gain +1 Feel No Pain, or Feel No Pain (6), until the player's next Psychic phase.
2. Onslaught (Blessing): All friendly units in Synapse gain Preferred Enemy until the player's next Psychic phase.
3. The Horror (Nova): All enemy units under the Shadow in the Warp must take a Pinning test.
4. Paroxysm (Nova): All enemy units under the Shadow in the Warp suffer a -1 to WS and BS.
5. Psychic Scream (Nova): All enemy units under the Shadow in the Warp take a leadership test. If they fail then they take that many wounds ignoring cover and armour saving throws.
6. Warp Lance (Witchfire): The unit manifesting this power uses the following profile where X is the number of models in the unit (as before).

The basic notion here is to take Synapse and Shadow in the Warp, and to leverage them as board control mechanics, so that players The leadership values of various Tyranid gribblies would need to be jiggled, like Primes, Warriors and Shrikes moving to something like Ld9/8 respectively. In general Hunters tend to be shooting based, and Lurkers tend to be objective holders (Termagants) and specialists (Lictors, Venomthropes) that need to be in position, and then Feeders tend to be close combat stuff that needs to be selective about its target. Basically the notion is to make Tyranid players treat their army holistically, and to benefit from getting that board coverage:

Take the Horror, for example. It's a Pinning check. Yay? However, thanks to the way Synapse and the Shadow in the Warp is intended to chain, the actual area of effect from a single casting might result in every enemy unit suffering a test. Likewise, Catalyst only gives FNP (+1/6) but cast multiple times successfully and you could see FNP2+ on the whole army if you line everything up correctly. Warriors and Shrikes, for example, will allow nearby cruft to exert the Shadow in the Warp on enemy units, and allow buffs to more friendly units through the Synaptic network.

Essentially Synapse and the Shadow in the Warp are two sides to the same effect of Tyranid mass-telepathy, Synapse benefiting the Tyranids, and the Shadow penalizing the enemy. Instinctive Behaviour is the flip-side to getting board effects like this, in that units may not work together like a well-oiled machine. Dominion is the Primaris, and so always lets you try to move from exerting Ld10 on your IB to straight-up Fearless (automatically regrouping Lurkers and standing up Hunters). Remember that units like Warriors are supposed to be intelligent, and only fearless or zealous when the Hive Mind needs them to be.

[Kark]

May 13, 2015 16:26:43 GMT nurglitch said:

Synapse: Allows a unit within 12" of another unit with the Synapse rule (a 'Synapse unit') to use that Synapse unit's leadership. If a Synapse unit is within 12" of another Synapse unit ('in Synapse'), then it can pass the latter Synapse unit's leadership onto units within 12", so a Synapse unit with Ld8 within 12" of a Synapse unit with Ld10" would be Ld10 and then pass that onto other units.

Shadow in the Warp: All friendly units within 12" of a Synapse unit with the Shadow in the Warp rule (a 'Shadow unit'), including that Synapse unit, cause the Shadow in the Warp to affect enemy units within 12". Enemy units manifesting psychic powers within the Shadow in the Warp suffer the Perils of the Warp on any doubles rolled.

Instinctive Behaviour: Units with the Instinctive Behaviour rule (an 'Instinctive unit') on the table prior to reserves arriving, or that aren't falling back, take a leadership test. Units that pass the test, or arrive from reserves, or regroup, or are already locked in combat, or that have already gone to ground, may act normally. Units that fail the test act according to their instincts:
Lurkers: Fall Back.
Hunters: Go to Ground.
Feeders: Must move towards, and either run towards or charge the nearest enemy unit.

Psychic Powers:

Primaris: Dominion (Blessing): All friendly units in Synapse gain the Fearless rule until the player's next Psychic phase. Casters without the Synapse rule (e.g. The Broodlord) gain the Synapse and Shadow in the Warp rules until the player's next Psychic phase.
1. Catalyst (Blessing): All friendly units in Synapse gain +1 Feel No Pain, or Feel No Pain (6), until the player's next Psychic phase.
2. Onslaught (Blessing): All friendly units in Synapse gain Preferred Enemy until the player's next Psychic phase.
3. The Horror (Nova): All enemy units under the Shadow in the Warp must take a Pinning test.
4. Paroxysm (Nova): All enemy units under the Shadow in the Warp suffer a -1 to WS and BS.
5. Psychic Scream (Nova): All enemy units under the Shadow in the Warp take a leadership test. If they fail then they take that many wounds ignoring cover and armour saving throws.
6. Warp Lance (Witchfire): The unit manifesting this power uses the following profile where X is the number of models in the unit (as before).

The basic notion here is to take Synapse and Shadow in the Warp, and to leverage them as board control mechanics, so that players The leadership values of various Tyranid gribblies would need to be jiggled, like Primes, Warriors and Shrikes moving to something like Ld9/8 respectively. In general Hunters tend to be shooting based, and Lurkers tend to be objective holders (Termagants) and specialists (Lictors, Venomthropes) that need to be in position, and then Feeders tend to be close combat stuff that needs to be selective about its target. Basically the notion is to make Tyranid players treat their army holistically, and to benefit from getting that board coverage:

Take the Horror, for example. It's a Pinning check. Yay? However, thanks to the way Synapse and the Shadow in the Warp is intended to chain, the actual area of effect from a single casting might result in every enemy unit suffering a test. Likewise, Catalyst only gives FNP (+1/6) but cast multiple times successfully and you could see FNP2+ on the whole army if you line everything up correctly. Warriors and Shrikes, for example, will allow nearby cruft to exert the Shadow in the Warp on enemy units, and allow buffs to more friendly units through the Synaptic network.

Essentially Synapse and the Shadow in the Warp are two sides to the same effect of Tyranid mass-telepathy, Synapse benefiting the Tyranids, and the Shadow penalizing the enemy. Instinctive Behaviour is the flip-side to getting board effects like this, in that units may not work together like a well-oiled machine. Dominion is the Primaris, and so always lets you try to move from exerting Ld10 on your IB to straight-up Fearless (automatically regrouping Lurkers and standing up Hunters). Remember that units like Warriors are supposed to be intelligent, and only fearless or zealous when the Hive Mind needs them to be.

just remember that nova is treated as witchfire, so You cannot cast it while locked in CC. I would stick with paroxysm and horror as malediction.

[nurglitch]

That would probably work better.