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post all of your 'nid related comments here

Well, still waiting on my Codex to arrive (dammit GW, this is the whole reason I Advance Ordered ¬_¬). Last time I Advance Order anything from them. However, the baseline stats are up for almost every unit on GW's site (just look at the store pages for them).

I must say one thing that's surprising me is the number of units that DON'T have high Leadership. Carnifex, Mawloc, Trygon all have pretty decent Ld, but I was expecting Ld10!

Deathleaper's statline looks awesome, looking forward to using him.

I'm stunned at all the ranged weapon badness you can dump on the Hive Tyrant. I'm tempted to make a tag-team, one for shooting and one for close combat to guard him, since the Tyrant Guard seem sort of worthless. Also, it seems that the Pyrovores do indeed suck, hard. Also, the Tyrannofexes are awesome, pure gun-beasts that kill everything.

Well, I've yet to play against them, but a couple of my friends have bug armies, so my Orks are likely to see them when I get home.

On the whole though, things look neat and the new list is definitely getting away from there only being a couple of good builds.

I'm liking the fact that we should start to see some of the units that nobody has generally bothered to make. Things like Gargoyle broods and the like.

Definitely lots of interesting bugs out there. From most of the reviews, it looks like the Lictor and Bio/Pyrovores are sort of the odd unit out again, but my suspicion is that they're rather like Flash Gitz in the Ork book; a descent unit among exceptional units.

That's my two cents. Some neat ideas. Some much needed plastics for bug players.

This should be in 40k discussions. Considering there's a capslock sticky that says to stop posting 40k threads in here and everything...

Scolding mode off: I'm going to check out the 'nid codex on Monday. My buddy's planning a big purchase for that day so I'll have some time to sit around and read the army book.

hive tyrants are so expense. i have to read more but we have amazing elite options

shrike wrote:post all of your 'nid related comments here

Standard issue Wizz bang bugs.

They are as over the top as ever, and you can't just eat one.

You remember what those marines were going through in the middle to near end of Aliens?

I saw that same scene today. "They're comming out of the G!#@$#%^!@^ walls!!!" followed by an rush of about four squads of bugs rolling up a flank, and that flank disappearing under a push of bug bodies.

Insanity at its best.

I've only read a little bit so far (none of the rules) but my God... Arby changed the fluff! And he actually wrote Tyranid Special Characters into the fluff.

It... makes me feel ill.

I don't know. I liked the writing of the Swarm Lord into the fluff. I like the idea of a super big baddy that's only broken out when the Hive Fleet might actually lose. As for the rest of the characters I don't really care but I liked that addition.

I don't mind the idea of very rare mutations or near-unique creatures that the Hive Mind created to deal with a specific problem (like how the original Red Terror fluff made it clear that the Red Terror was a unique adaptation to the heavy mining tunnel-filled world it first showed up on ie. the Hive Mind had a specific problem and designed a specific solution to that problem). And I don't mind the idea of unique creatures being used again if they prove to have a general use (ie. how the Trygon no doubt came about after the Hive Mind found the Red Terror archetype was useful in other places).

What I really dislike is the idea that there's this unique creature that gets back aboard the Tyranid ship and flies around acting as the 'leader' of the brood. Tyranids don't have any individuality. They don't work that way.


And then in this Codex we have Calgar getting pimp-slapped by a Swarmlord, yet in his own Codex is defeats the Avatar. Sure, he got lucky against the Avatar, but an Avatar the Swarmlord is not...

I think its pretty good. I'm dissapointed by deathleaper though, turns out it reduces LD by D3 points rather than straight up -3.

Also, a large portion of the established fluff from the previous editions codex is curiously absent or changed. For example, the stuff about zoanthropes and catachan devils being tyranids is entirely gone. The only reference to potential precursor species are genestealers and ymgarl stealers (which are more fleshed out and have a very interesting description that raises questions).

Also some of the stuff is inconsistent (saying that the Hive Mind is sentient and made up of the minds of every tyranid organism, but then giving examples of things that it lacks which are required to be sentient).

It does go into a great bit of detail about space travel and some of the hiveships and stuff like that, which is fairly interesting.

It also seems to make a fluffwise victory over the nids possible in some respect. Whereas in previous incarnations they were described as an endless horde, this codex describes their attacks occuring in waves, with breaks in the fighting etc. rather than a continuous non-stop attack. On the other hand, it seems hive fleets that are "defeated" can be reactivated...

One thing that I found really interesting, is that it doesnt seem as though the codex was written in an imperial-centric point of view. In fact, it "breaks the fourth wall" and states at one point that "little does the Imperium know that it is the astronomican which is guiding them" or something to that effect. As far as I can recall, almost all codex fluff is written from the point of view of the Imperium/ someone in-universe, whereas this one seems to be written from the perspective of an outside observer.

I think the Venomthrope is part of the Pan Fo. He moves about thanks to gas chambers in his body.

H.B.M.C. wrote:but an Avatar the Swarmlord is not...

The swarmlord used tactical genius and outflanked a dozen carnifex to take care of that pesky avatar problem.

I smiled soooooooo much reading that. Mostly because I very much enjoy the story behind Iyanden in the first place. The whole "It ain't worth my time" followed by hurling carnifex at it until it died was amazing.

One of the funniest things I read is in the timeline of the Tyranid assault on the Tau.

"075902.M41
Dozens of Hive Ships seperate from the main body of Hive Fleet Gorgon and descend upon the Tau colony of Ka'mais. Bitter fighting erupts as a fleet of Necron starships unexpectedly emerges from Ka'mais' dead moon. The outnumbered Tyranid ships are destroyed.

078902.M41
A day of celebration on Ka'mais. The Necrons land on the colony world to be greeted in great ceremony by the honoured Ethereal Aun'taniel.

079902.M41Aun'taniel is slain by the Necron invaders. The Harvest of Ka'mais begins."

Stupid Tau.

Well, it provided an end to my groups "Are tyrants/warriors psykers?" debates.

And I'm finding the Hive commander power for Tyrants amusing:

"They...they got a unit of 30 Hormagaunts to emerge right behind us. That must have taken some kind of tactical geniu.....TYRANTTTT!!!!!!!"

However, the Swarmlord is silly: "ZOMG HE's DA BESTEST TYRANID AND HAS THE BESTEST POWERS SO HE BEATS UP THE GIRLY ULTRA'S!!!111!!!"

I'm pretty miffed about the Carnifex, no more head options. I liked 'acid maw' and 'tusked', but they are no more.

The hobby section leaves me wanting more. There's a few odds and ends that I don't care for, odd rules that just seem wonky (not to mention, universal special rules that work differently just because they're Tyranids), but overall I think it's a pretty solid codex.

Venomthropes are a lot better than what I thought they'd be. Tervigons are riding that fine edge between 'broken' and just 'over powered'. IMO, Hive Guard are stupid. I really like what was done with Genestealers and Broodlords. One thing that I'm on the fence about are the Mycetic Spores. I like the 'drop-pod' aspect, but not the 'it's a living creature with a full stat line' part. It'll be interesting to see people model it that's for sure.

warpcrafter wrote:since the Tyrant Guard seem sort of worthless.

Worthless? I don't think they're worthless. The best save that the Tyrant can have is a 2+, no invulnerable (unless you screen him with Venomthropes) and only 4 wounds. That's one round of good shooting from a unit of Long Fangs. I'd much rather pay 180 pts. and get 6 more ablative wounds so that I can push my Tyrant/Swarmlord up the field a bit. And, if you use the Swarmlord, you can kit out your Tyrant Guard to have lash whips. Swarmlord uses Paroxysm, drops your WS to 1, you get in base with lash-whip-armed Tyrant guard and bam, you're initiative 1. Suddenly, you're fighting a close combat god at WS 1 Initiative 1.

That's why Khorne invented guns.

Nurglitch wrote:That's why Khorne invented guns.

Paroxysm drops the unit's BS to 1 as well. However, it is only one unit it affects, so in a typical battle, the HT and Guard will still be taking a lot of fire.

Excellent job on the new Tyranids on both the Codex and the new models. I was thinking of selling my Tyranid army up until a couple weeks ago. Instead I bought the Codex, a Trygon and a box of Gargoyles already and painted the Trygon this weekend for the in-store painting contest hosted by GW.

I quit 40k when 5th came out. Every codex release I've had an inkling of 'It might be cool to try this...' before I remember the reasons I quit.

No such inkling with the new 'nid codex. Especially since half my Carnifexes are now illegal.

I really saw this codex as a very blatant 'Make the good stuff bad, the bad stuff good and some of the new stuff even better to make people buy more models'.

The only bright side is that (Unless I'm wrong) Rippers are scoring now.

skyth wrote:I quit 40k when 5th came out. Every codex release I've had an inkling of 'It might be cool to try this...' before I remember the reasons I quit.

No such inkling with the new 'nid codex. Especially since half my Carnifexes are now illegal.

I really saw this codex as a very blatant 'Make the good stuff bad, the bad stuff good and some of the new stuff even better to make people buy more models'.

The only bright side is that (Unless I'm wrong) Rippers are scoring now.

I disagree. Carnifex are good you just have to find the right combination. A simple screamer killer seems to be the best setup. Yes, they have been weakened. But i think the point of that was to show that a Carnifex isn't the most badass bitch around, but he is definitely strong.

Sneezypanda wrote:

skyth wrote:I quit 40k when 5th came out. Every codex release I've had an inkling of 'It might be cool to try this...' before I remember the reasons I quit.

No such inkling with the new 'nid codex. Especially since half my Carnifexes are now illegal.

I really saw this codex as a very blatant 'Make the good stuff bad, the bad stuff good and some of the new stuff even better to make people buy more models'.

The only bright side is that (Unless I'm wrong) Rippers are scoring now.

I disagree. Carnifex are good you just have to find the right combination. A simple screamer killer seems to be the best setup. Yes, they have been weakened. But i think the point of that was to show that a Carnifex isn't the most badass bitch around, but he is definitely strong.

I don't see what exactly you are disagreeing with. Before a screamer-killer was one of the worst options. Now it's the 'best'? Isn't that actually agreeing with my point?

skyth wrote:

Sneezypanda wrote:

skyth wrote:I quit 40k when 5th came out. Every codex release I've had an inkling of 'It might be cool to try this...' before I remember the reasons I quit.

No such inkling with the new 'nid codex. Especially since half my Carnifexes are now illegal.

I really saw this codex as a very blatant 'Make the good stuff bad, the bad stuff good and some of the new stuff even better to make people buy more models'.

The only bright side is that (Unless I'm wrong) Rippers are scoring now.

I disagree. Carnifex are good you just have to find the right combination. A simple screamer killer seems to be the best setup. Yes, they have been weakened. But i think the point of that was to show that a Carnifex isn't the most badass bitch around, but he is definitely strong.

I don't see what exactly you are disagreeing with. Before a screamer-killer was one of the worst options. Now it's the 'best'? Isn't that actually agreeing with my point?

gak........

I was talking about the general use of the Carnifex, as opposed to the actual setup.

I'm miffed that the nid transport is an actual monstrous creature with 3 wounds. If it weren't immobile it would be the best transport in the game hands down. MC's > Tanks!

And Nids having special characters is odd. Once the first swarmlord did his job he jumped in a digestion pool and died. Because that's how nids operate.


I'm glad to hear that the Nids sound more beatable now. Invincible enemies are not interesting.

That's how nids operated.

The Hive Mind evolves. Tsssssss!

NOEZ! SC's bad! customizable HQ's good! BAD SWARMLORD!!!1111

Noisy_Marine wrote:

And Nids having special characters is odd. Once the first swarmlord did his job he jumped in a digestion pool and died.

Not the first time GW has released a special character that has "died" in lore and you can still field.

puma713 wrote:

Noisy_Marine wrote:

And Nids having special characters is odd. Once the first swarmlord did his job he jumped in a digestion pool and died.

Not the first time GW has released a special character that has "died" in lore and you can still field.

It says somwhere in the codex that the Swarmlord's consciousness is absorbed by the Hive Mind when it dies. So yes, although a Swarm Tyrant's body can be destroyed, it's essence lives on, not unlike daemons and such.

EDIT: Even if a character is supposedly deceased, no one is telling you that your game has to take place in year 40999.

HBMC - the Swarmlord will absolutely rock the Avatar with the current rules though!

Skyth - Rippers are still Swarms, and thus not scoring.