My $.02 worth...

[undeadfilth]

For about the week before 6th actually came out(after the White Dwarf officially announced it) I started looking into all the excitement and dread surrounding 6th edition in relations to my 3 armies(mainly Tyranids, since they needed a boon the most). Now that 6th edition is out and I've had some toilet time with it(best time to read, no joke) I've come to the conclusion that Tyranids, as a whole, have actually improved and become balanced. Now hear me out, this doesn't mean that I think their amazing or that there aren't things in our codex that have limited use. What I am saying, is that with improvements to the Monstrous Creatures rules, the 5th edition Tyranids codex is feeling more like the 4th(my favorite. Amazing book.). Our swarms still seem just as nasty as ever and still require some of the great synergy that we have in abundance in our codex. It seems like I'll be able to enter battles with my 5th edition codex without feeling like I'm fighting an uphill battle from the start and instead am on a more level playing field. Thoughts?

[Davor]

I agree it's great Toilet time reading. . I do agree with what you have said, BUT, no alliences, and not being able to use the BS on Bastions leave a sour taste in my mouth that makes the Nids Nerfed.

I am sorry, why do SW and GK need to be able to ally up with each other AND be able to use their BS while Tyranids can't? Please, nobody give me this fluff CRUD, because alot of the alliences shouldn't be able to happen.

Nobody should be ally up to GK unless Deamons are involved (and I bet 99% of the time, it doesn't happen), BT allying up with Eldar (witches? Same for SoB), I can go on about how Allies is SO UNFLUFFY.

It wouldn't be so bad if the Tyranids got some kind of compensation, but we don't. This is why I think we will have a codex within then next 2 years. 2 years of (please do not swear) o 5th editon, 2 years of mediocre of 6th edition, and then will see. Savings grace is Cruddence will not be writting it again.

But all in all, I think I will have fun with this edition. CC became a bit more harder, but that means WE will have to think of a way to make it work for us.

Stealers got nerfed with Outflank, but WHO CARES? I mean lets adept and not use it. We don't use it, we don't get nerfed with it. So now it's time to come up with some new tactics.

Funny how alot of SM players are crying and complaining about how thier army got nerfed or can't play the same anymore, but have it easier to play. So they will be adapting, so should we. What are we? 4th edition, DA, Eldar, CSM players that will all do is complain all the time? We already lost members because of the Cruddex. We have lost our will to have fun.

I think it's time to get past the nerfs, and just deal with it. In other words, SIUBC (suck it up butter cup).

So now that the sour taste in my mouth is gone, hopefully my last complaint, lets start adapting.

[undeadfilth]

I agree with you completely as well, though I have no problem with just taking a second FOC of nids:P But honestly, adapting is what we do, we're bloody tyranids! 5th ed came out and everyone thought we'd suck because you couldn't consolidate into close combats anymore. No that fixed a very unbalanced aspect of the game that we abused. Now we have all kinds of cool options(honestly, pyrovores are looking interesting, at least to me. As well as lictors) opening up to us and we just have to be willing to change how we use what we have and prepare to expand our hordes for what we don't. Overcome and consume!

[Davor]

How do you think Pyrovores and Lictors can be used now? I am willing to hear anyones opnion on the matter. I might even try them out with "counts as" before buying the minis.

[Lanesend]

Haven't looked into it yet, but in what way have lictors become more viable? I would love to know, because I see them going from Cv 3+ (in terrain) to Cv 4+.

Am I missing something?

[undeadfilth]

I wish I had my codex on me. If I remember correctly, the main problem I had with pyrovores was that they didn't have much survivability. I'm thinking that with vehicles becoming more fragile, we will see more long range squads hiding in cover in the backfield(like SM Devastators). What better way to help neutralize that threat than a drop pod full of flames?
With lictors, I see them as having some interesting rolls. Either popping out and hitting rear armor, or surprising elite squads in, inconvenient, places. Even if the lictor ends up getting toast, he's still popped out, done some damage, then attracted fire away from the rest of your forces. Like I said though, I'll have to take another look at my codex when I get home, but I think both of these units may end up seeing battle for me in 6th ed.

[Davor]

Problem is, with Tyranids, FLUFF WISE, we have units that suit to fluff, but when making an ALL COMERS army, trying to play Fluff Wise, is really hard and then you are gimping yourself on what may or may not happen.

[undeadfilth]

Yeah, I don't think I've ever played Tyranids fluffy:P Nidzilla with the 4th ed codex, and then flying doomy death in 5th. My philosophy with Tyranids now is exactly the same one i have for my Blood Angels: If my entire army is not on your side of the field by turn two, something has gone terribly, horribly wrong:P

[arbitershade]

Playing last night I tried Lictors out for fun, here is what is great about them. Shooting now takes form the closest? Their HQ is hiding in the back of a squad? A special weapons guy on the flank or the rear? Pop a group of lictors out and have them barb them to death.

It is a rather limited ability but it helped me kill a necron lord and a cryptec that game.

[undeadfilth]

Mmmmmmm, can you imagine sniping a commissar that way for imps:)

[gloomfang]

Jul 4, 2012 15:16:30 GMT Davor said:

How do you think Pyrovores and Lictors can be used now? I am willing to hear anyones opnion on the matter. I might even try them out with "counts as" before buying the minis.

Pyrovores have a pretty good use. They are used to burn units out of bastions and fortifications. It is the only "cheap" way to burn them out that we have.

Spore them in next to the bastion and burn out the heavy weapons team that is bound to be in it.

[Davor]

Never thought of that Gloomfang? Thanks for pointing that out?

[WestRider]

Lictors also got a boost in terms of taking on Vehicles. AP- on the Flesh Hooks no longer means anything, and Glances strip Hull Points, so a Brood of 3 dropping in behind something has a good chance of stripping a couple of Hull Points and doing some annoyance damage as well.

The fact that nothing can Assault after coming in from Reserves is a boost for them relative to other Alternative Deployment Disruption Units.

As far as I can tell, DeathLeaper now has both Stealth and Shrouding, and those stack. Unless I'm missing something (which at this point is entirely possible), he's got 2+ cover most of the time.

The ability to snipe dudes out of the back of Squads is good, too.

I think the biggest boost to the usability of Lictors, tho, is the double FOC at 2K and above. They've always been worth their Points Cost, but the opportunity cost of an Elites Slot was too high.

Overall: I've been cruising a lot of the 40K Blogosphere over the last week or so, and for pretty much every Army, I've seen about equal numbers of posts complaining that they were nerfed into uselessness and buffed into brokenness. This suggests to me that GW actually managed to get the balance within spitting distance of correct.

[undeadfilth]

I agree WestRider, I frequent a Necron and a Blood Angels forum as well and I'm seeing alot of balancing going on out there. Though, Necrons are looking a little stupid at the moment with their gauss and other toys...

[halos]

Necrons are incredibly good now, but they are Mr. Ward's primary army so what do you expect

Sniping Characters with Lictors is trickier than you make out on account of the 2+/4+ Look Out, Sir roll. You can still try and take out Special/heavy weapons though which is pretty neat. But at the same time I'd rather just pod down 20 devilgaunts and achieve the same level of sniping potential with the added bonus of a ludicrous number of shots.