Tyranid play testing, from DakkaDakka

[Davor]

I saw this on DakkaDakka. Most likely not true, but it's a Rumour (meaning it could or could not be true so lets not argue about it please) so take lots of salt with it.

www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/512801.page#5369023

Natfka wrote:Tyranids Evolve: Playtesting Still Going On

Tyranids are currently being playtested, which means that the rules and ideas being thrown out will change, be altered, dropped completely, and in most cases not look like they do now. Still we have not seen anything specific, and I would imagine that we will not for a while.

There are no specific playtest rules here, which is fine, because its more important at this stage to see the direction that the codex is headed rather than specific rules. (although specifics are always fun and exciting to see).

Please remember that these are ideas that are being tested currently, and that it is still early as we do not expect tyranids until next year sometime. However this set does answer some questions that we still have, like dedicated transports, FoC changes or not, and some very cool ideas like Evolving your bugs for specific battlefield roles.



anonymous source wrote:Tyranids are still being playtested.

Some royal court type stuff with warrior primes.

Point reduction on the little bugs.

Some interesting FoC rearranges.

Several new bugs (not all will make it).

The ability to tailor make your bugs and "evolve them" into being very specific, or keep them cheap and generalized.

Better ways to help close with the enemy.

Feels very "overwhelming" to play against them.

No new transport options, but a couple new deployment options.

So let's discuss and have some fun. Remember lots of salt but gives us something to disucuss about. Lets show GW that we are ready to buy new minis if we have fun with the new rules espically if we can convert and "EVOLVE" them.

[rpricew]

Nice find Davor, sounds fun and interesting.

[vecuu]

New bugs are always exciting. I'd love to see some more durable Warriors, especially if they get a more psychic choir feel to them.

[swarm492]

I found this bit on Faeit 212 when I came home from work. Enjoy

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here is a wonderful sound to this set of rumors. I am speaking of the terms used in this set, "Every Unit Viable. Every Unit Desirable". Phrases like this being used as a design parameter (figurative of course) are always some of the best things to hear from close sources. Grab some morning coffee, and sit down and enjoy this set, as its a great start to the day.


Please remember that these are rumors, and are more specifically playtesting bits.

via a strong anonymous source
Some more specifics on tyranid playtest.

Carnifexes are in the elite and heavy support sections (but have different options)

While broods are the same base cost as the current dex, additional gaunts are dirt cheap. So if you want to horde it up, you can.

Rippers are cheaper.

Ability to build around "free" units coming in from reserve throughout the game (from different sources, but it's the same special rule), but they do not score.

Can go the other route and bugzilla it up and have all (including scoring) monstrous creatures.

The goal is to go mass or massive or anything in between.

The big text on the design board (figuratively speaking) is "Every Unit Viable. Every unit desirable."

And on the topic of evolutions - these are just upgrades and options that can make a bug very finite in it's role, but awesome at it. Not mid game changes. Only one special creature can do that.

[Jabberwocky]

Sounds good but I expect these are at least 2014 if not 2015/16.

Still, encouraging they might be thinking of it.

[predator666x]

Yea i like the sound of it but after so many false rumours i can not keep my hopes very high

[Davor]

Thanks Swarm for sharing. Hopefully we will get some our 4th edition back. But seeing how Chaos SM didn't get their 3.5 back but something like it back, I am thinking we will be as well, so if we can "customize" we will be buying more gaunts again and everything else maybe.

[DukeMantis]

It would be a dream come true to be able to field a truly intimidating, competetive warrior heavy army that can handle tournaments and such... hope they made them awesome again...

[voncrown]

Yeah, one of the things I hear is being playtested are special rules to protect synapse creatures from ID. Not eternal warrior all around though, they were saying something like rolling for either 1 wound, 2 wounds, or instant death. Still, if they're at least thinking about that as a problem, it's a sign warriors will be hopefully a bit more viable next time around.

[DukeMantis]

I would not expect widespread eternal warrior... perhaps even increased toughness would cause some nerdrage... an invulnerable save/fnp might be nice...

[Squire]

A genuinely balanced codex would be phenomenal. Something that puts hormagaunts on an equal pegging with termagants, makes warriors (and shrikes and raveners) viable in their own right without having to have a lot of MC's to draw away heavy shooting, a cheaper carnifex, maybe an extra attack and the ability to fleet for the mawloc, a slightly nerfed tervigon etc.

For models, some shrikes and a mycetic spore would be nice. A warrior prime would be good but not absolutely essential

I love the idea of a basic unit of gaunts being as they are now, but further gaunts being cheaper. That should hopefully prevent so many lists having two units of 10 termagants and two tervigons as their troops

[infornography]

All of this sounds great. Makes me think none of it is true though.

[swarm492]

An additional bit over at Faeit 212, thought I should share again. Personally I know we are so far off that everything we hear is pretty much not going to stay in its current form if at all by the time it reaches us. However if just the general approach is kept the same by the dev team I look forward to it.
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It seems that playtest rules are coming out of the woodwork, and these ones are really starting to give us some idea to what a new Tyranid codex might look like. Its just too bad that we are not closer to the codex release.


Please remember that these are playtest rumors, and that while playtesting rules give us some insight as to the direction of the codex, most get altered, changed, or dropped in the final product.

via an anonymous source (anonymous for obvious reasons)
FoC manipulation and "new" deployment options are based on the various stages and methods of a Tyranid invasion. The design goal is to be able to represent in a viable manner things like stealthy vanguard forces, huge waves of little gribblies, the sheer brute force of monstrous creatures in the final stages of invasions, surprise forces coming from underground and the sky, and so on. Pretty exciting to know that someone in charge acknowledges that Tyranids are multi-faceted.

Further details that the others did not mention:
- A lot of flexibility in the form of army composition. As opposed to the very mutable stats of units and weapons of the old codex, which caused a lot of headaches for opponents.
- Hive Tyrants are the main source of FOC manipulation. The idea is that they can specialize the scoring elements of the army.... but you have to pay for it.
- Reserve manipulation is a very strong theme in the codex. These options are more numerous and reliable than in the current codex. And that's because...
- Mycetic Spores have expanded rules for ease of use. This includes MC broods.
- Trygon tunnels are also greatly expanded. Raveners have additional synergy with the tunnels. Even Monstrous Creatures can use them but with a penalty.
- More outflanking options. Various ideas are being thrown around on the topic of protecting Genestealers and especially Lictors from being shot to pieces when they appear.

And the most important rule that is being tested...
Synapse offering protection from Instant Death in a brand new way. Right now this is being tested only on creatures that have the Synapse rule (not within the aura): Wounds that trigger ID can instead be rolled to either cause 1 Wound, 2 Wounds, or ID. The designers have mentioned that multi wound models are problematic in the ruleset and doubly for for Tyranids who have many such units, yet because of the abundance of S8 and above weapons they cannot rely on them.

[infornography]

If these rumors are to be believed, at least it is clear that the dev team is aware that S8 instant death is a serious problem for us and are attempting to fix it. I would love to be able to field my warriors and expect them to be both a menace and able to do their job. As it is now, I am afraid to take any more than a minimal brood with no boneswords and a long range weapon to act as backfield synapse. Anything more and they would attract enough attention to be wiped out fast.

[ranmafan]

Yes, yesss! All these actually sound like common sense changes!

I would LOVE to have one of each stage invasion: Genestealer/Lictor infestation for early stages, Balanced gribbly/heavy swarms for mid-stage and a Nidzilla list for end-stage invasions! Pleaaaaaaaaaaase make it happen GW!