Fortifications and Tyranids

[retnab]

Hey Hive,
I was looking through the rules and kind of began ogling the fortifications page. Specifically the Skyshield Landing Pad's 4++ save for squads on it. Plus for some of those guns, even though we can't have a gaunt go up and man them, they still do have that auto-fire mode.

So I guess my question is, do you folks see any time when Nids would bring fortifications and if so, what would you bring?

[Jabberwocky]

I've used ADL for 4+ cover/2+ cover gone to ground.

Pretty nifty.

I wouldn't mind trying a landing pad for my FMCs to abuse.

[dwez]

I took, my Aegis Defence Line to Throne of Skulls did it save lives? Some, but never enough to recoup the cost. Did it change the game? Definitely, and enough to win me games I believe. Before I went I wanted a definitive answer on the Quad Gun issue [the FAQ hadn't come out] and I got this response from the Warhammer World team -

"Hey Dave - I have spoken to Simon and Jervis from Games Development (note - this isn't something we normally do, but given the pressing time limit, I went and did it!) and the answer is this - "Only emplaced weapons (such as those found on a Bastion or Fortress of Redemption) have the option to be fired either manually or automatically. Weapons attached to an Aegis defence line are gun emplacements, which cannot be fired automatically. The Tyranids FAQ document states that Tyranids cannot fire weapons manually, therefore as much as they are free to use Aegis defence lines, they will not benefit from any attached gun emplacements. We are, however, aware that this is a problem and will be reviewing the situation when we begin writing the next batch of FAQs in a few weeks." I hope that answers your question Nick"

Heres the pointless Tyranid Quad Gun



Last WIP for the walls, just the final deal now.

[mordhel]

Hey dwez any chance you could give us a run down on how you created the quad gun and the defence line, they both look amazing.

[retnab]

Yeah that's some gorgeous terrain there. So ADL guns are no good for us, but if we take or steal a bastion there's those weapons still. I guess the question is whether having a 4+ cover for 50 points or a 4++ for 75 is worth it. Or put another way, is the ADL going to save the 10 gaunts it'd cost?

[dwez]

Nov 17, 2012 15:58:50 GMT mordhel said:

Hey dwez any chance you could give us a run down on how you created the quad gun and the defence line, they both look amazing.

The complete process is detailed on my blog, you can find all the pages easiest on the Turorials page 40kaddict.blogspot.co.uk/p/tutorials.html

Alternatively Mr Pink's efforts was the inspiration I followed and if you have better modelling skills than I check his out at modernsynthesist.blogspot.co.uk

Nov 18, 2012 2:44:16 GMT retnab said:

Yeah that's some gorgeous terrain there. So ADL guns are no good for us, but if we take or steal a bastion there's those weapons still. I guess the question is whether having a 4+ cover for 50 points or a 4++ for 75 is worth it. Or put another way, is the ADL going to save the 10 gaunts it'd cost?

Bear in mind you can only fire the Heavy Bolters on a Bastion and even then it'll be on auto fire. And the Fortress of Redemtion it's only the emplaced weapons, again on auto-fire.

As to saving 10 gaunts, I don't think it ever did that in my recent games but it certainly allows you to dictate how you play. By spreading a line across the board and having your objectives behind it forms both a physical and psychological barrier your opponent has to pass, even if they do get a save when they're on the other side!

[blindmage]

The bastion seems like a great opportunity of modelling. Possibly some kind of cavern at the base with rope tendrils wrapping around the stone, growing gunlike things for defence, if you model a small Bastion, it could work well, I don;t think the stone pillar would work.

[Deleted]

Eh, very anti-fluff for me. The thought of a wave of millions of Tyranids propping up buildings as they go just makes me /facepalm. As much as I would like to have had some kind of fun battlefield options added with 6e like eveyone got with forts, I wouldn't want forts. Surging waves of Tyranids hiding behind barricades makes no sense.

[Psychichobo]

It's not a barricade, you just gotta find a use for the Hive Guard who got his legs shot off. Simples!

[dwez]

Nov 18, 2012 20:21:11 GMT @60mm said:

Eh, very anti-fluff for me. The thought of a wave of millions of Tyranids propping up buildings as they go just makes me /facepalm. As much as I would like to have had some kind of fun battlefield options added with 6e like eveyone got with forts, I wouldn't want forts. Surging waves of Tyranids hiding behind barricades makes no sense.

Absolutely and it goes against how I wish to play but given how 6e punishes most every opportunity to play that way you can perhaps shift your perception to Tyranids defending their territories like army ants or termites and their mounds. I've had considerably more success beign counter offensive and looking to secure objectives at the most opportune moment. Not that I care whether I win or not but securing a win through tactics is quite a surprise. It's certainly more dimensional than just bundle forwards.

[commandersasha]

Well surely both the Bastion and the Fortress could be developmental stages of the capillary towers? I don't know how these towers are formed in the proper Tyranid fluff, but I assume there must be Excretigons, or Weavergaunts or something, and that the towers grow, surrounded by Hiveguard, hanging off the scaffolding and wolf-whistling at the Tervigon walking past in a short skirt..?

The Bastion would be the first stage of the base growing; the Fortress, being effectively infinitely high (ie higher than Fliers/FMC's bases, and too tall for a difficult terrain move) would be a completed tower.

[fragile]

Nov 18, 2012 20:21:11 GMT @60mm said:

Eh, very anti-fluff for me. The thought of a wave of millions of Tyranids propping up buildings as they go just makes me /facepalm. As much as I would like to have had some kind of fun battlefield options added with 6e like eveyone got with forts, I wouldn't want forts. Surging waves of Tyranids hiding behind barricades makes no sense.

Just look at those as being the first stages of the capillary towers growing from the ground to feed the bioships in orbit.

[Deleted]

And that's what really annoys me about 6e. For stuff like this to remotely fit with Tyranids we have to imagine all kind of stretches on our own. Tyranids were very much an afterthought for 6e.

[fragile]

Nov 19, 2012 21:39:00 GMT @60mm said:

And that's what really annoys me about 6e. For stuff like this to remotely fit with Tyranids we have to imagine all kind of stretches on our own. Tyranids were very much an afterthought for 6e.

I really dont think so. Alot of thought was put into them. No allies, no fortifications. There is either alot of Tyranid hate at GW (or a really good nid player Beta testing) or they plan to do something with Tyranids to balance those issues. Not that I really believe those issues need balancing, as Nids are very powerful atm.

[retnab]

It's true that it seems very anti-fluff for Nids to be propping buildings up, but the way I'm looking at it is the nids just happened to have very good luck and there's an ADL or a landing platform that happens to be in a great spot for them, although the capillary tower idea sounds pretty good too!