Metawatch/future balance updates thoughts?

[gman25639]

So out of 26 armies in the game, Tyranids are tied for 7th place with a 51% win rate. Just shy of the top 1/4. We're doing alright this edition. What do y'all think we should expect going forward/ what balance tweaks would you want to see. Currently there doesn't seem to be much reason to run our big Flyers but we have decent hordes and some pretty strong ground-based monsters. GW said they don't want any "auto not take" units so if we return any tweaks I'd really hope for just points reductions on our underused units.

[goodbrood]

I would, like many others, like some weapon options for units that include some higher strength attacks and/or higher AP. I would like the hormagaunts to have a leader attachable or be able to be affected by the tervigon's respawn ability.

[Iryan]

We have a bunch of units that are pretty strong without being OP, so those results make sense. More of the currently underpowered units being brought up a bit so there's more legitimate options would be nice. 

Though I am wondering in general: if they are going to decide what to nerf or buff mainly by army winrate, that would not really show any aspects of internal balance. An overpowered faction can still have underpowered units and vice versa (and not just relative to the rest of the same faction, but in general). So if an army is fine or even OP, would GW still look at that army's globally underpowered units and throw them a bone, or no? I certainly hope so, but will have to see.

In any case, I do not expect much change to nids from the metawatch update because the codex is just around the corner anyways. GSC, on the other hand, will get kicked in the shins. The only question is whether the nerfs will be fair, not enough, or too much.

[dkng]

Try to guess by how much will the winrate drop after the inevitable nerf to spore mines scoring secondaries.

[hivefleetkerrigan]

Warriors need a rework or significant points drops. They're in a bad spot as they get obliterated by anti tank weapons, take significant damage by anti elite weapons, and can still take a lor of damage by anti horde weapons (due to volume of fire). They either need some way to make them tougher (better save, damage reduction, fnp, etc) or a significant points drop. Same for the prime.

Von Ryan's leapers are in a similar spot of they get shot but are ok in melee due to fights first.

Carnifex and screamer killers course a points drop.

I'd like to see the tervigon gain lone operative if in x" of termagants.

[yoritomo]

Nothing is going to happen in this balance dataslate. Tyranids are right where GW wants them. If GW is being proactive they may (and this is a doubtful may) increase the points on our severely under cost units like zoanthropes and biovores while dropping the points on rarely taken units like the screamer killer.

I wouldn’t worry about changes to spore mines. Between our faction being right where GW wants and our codex just around the corner I don’t think GW will make any major changes to tyranids.

[gauntlet]

TLDR: Developement staff showed awareness of the task's subtleties.

I thought GW Metawatch did a good job of showing that the development staff are aware of the subtleties of balancing factions internally and externally and that strong armies are disruptively influencing the way all other armies' lists are built and played.

It's another matter whether the development team are capable of taking the right actions against the pressure from their management overlords. And nobody is expecting GW to admit that leak paranoia led to lack of consultation from external stake holders in the game, resulting in an inadequately tested product. But I would hope they are self aware enough to realize they need help from outside the company, even if that means loss of some control on information release.

[trashcan01]

To be honest I have no idea what to wish and what to expect. New detachments sound interesting.

I wouldn't hold my breath about getting Warriors and Carnifexes to the point of being considered competitive.
They dominated last edition and I have a feeling that they sold enough of those models. Numerous models that were not-so-competitive in the 9th edition are kind of okay now.
"Rarely used" models are getting a rework, and the new line of toys need to shine (and sell) - hopefully new models become viable.
How many new (Leviathan) models are considered competitive? Under-costed Barbgaunts?

Seriously, look at Tyranids last edition. Look at Eldar now. Balance team? Metawatch? Oh you sweet summer child.
It is nothing short of laughable that this state of the game is "GW at its finest ever" in terms of communication with the fanbase and balance interventions.
And this is coming from a beer and pretzels player.

[N.I.B.]

Aug 10, 2023 17:45:16 GMT gman25639 said:

So out of 26 armies in the game, Tyranids are tied for 7th place with a 51% win rate.

According to 40Kstats, Tyranids sit at a 49% win rate post balance 40kstats.goonhammer.com/#GbF . And other factions differ up to 10% from GW data, which I suspect draws only from GW events that use loads of terrain. I hope GW realizes that Tyranids win rates are buffed by the Biovore spore mines.

[draaen]

I am just waiting for the codex. We are one of the first so I expect the design team will just ignore us until the codex comes out. The codex will shake things up a lot so why focus on anything prior.

Anything that affects us I think would be more a ripple effect like the towering points increases that happened then anything that specifically targets us. Or just rulings on some things people were confused about. Anything more then that and I will be surprised.

[gauntlet]

Aug 14, 2023 15:00:26 GMT draaen said:

I am just waiting for the codex. We are one of the first so I expect the design team will just ignore us until the codex comes out. The codex will shake things up a lot so why focus on anything prior.

Anything that affects us I think would be more a ripple effect like the towering points increases that happened then anything that specifically targets us. Or just rulings on some things people were confused about. Anything more then that and I will be surprised.

Being the first Codex I would expect the physical book was printed even before the first round of congratulatory back patting at achieving a flawless Leviathan launch. So they are going to be very reluctant to invalidate/errata the Tyranid book prior to customer purchase. Expect no surprises.