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Also we could get our Flyers into Flyers slot. It is weird that Crone that is basically an interceptor for air and space is in a Fast Attack slot.

It was pointed out to me that Hive Tyrants, uniquely, can choose between monstrous scything talons and monstrous rending claws. Carnifexi similarly use monstrous weapons but are only given the option to exchange scything talons for crushing claws. Do people think that it is intentional that you can save 62 points on a Tyrant this way? I guess it does come at the cost of 2 attacks. Or would it not be kosher to make this substitution to take cheap Tyrants?

if it is an option then it's an option.

The Trygon prime has the option to downgrade his Biostatic Rattle for a tail weapon with less points in exchange for being forced to use one of his attacks on the tail weapon.

EDIT: also it wouldn't be 62 points, just 41 points. The Index at the back has an entry for two pairs of scything talons for the Hive Tyrant, so if you have two sets of talons, you only pay the combined price, not individually.

Dionysodorus wrote:
It was pointed out to me that Hive Tyrants, uniquely, can choose between monstrous scything talons and monstrous rending claws. Carnifexi similarly use monstrous weapons but are only given the option to exchange scything talons for crushing claws. Do people think that it is intentional that you can save 62 points on a Tyrant this way? I guess it does come at the cost of 2 attacks. Or would it not be kosher to make this substitution to take cheap Tyrants?

The Hive Tyrant has had the option to take Rending Claws in 6th and 7th, nobody really acknowledged it.
The save on points has probably been looked over like many other things in the index.
Would be nice to see a new arm set for the actual model though.

Why do Spore Mines have a 7+ save?

xmbk wrote:
Why do Spore Mines have a 7+ save?

If not a typo, likely meant to give it no armor save while allowing them to benefit from cover.

 Shadow Walker wrote:
Hopefully in the full codex we will get the Lord of War that is not resin model from FW. Maybe the rumours about plastic Dominatrix will come true?

Well they have done the Warlord Titan.. So Dominatrix isn't too far of a Stretch


But I am keen to see the rules for the Hierodules

I expect Hierodules to be in the 400-500 points to match Imperial Knights and Wraithknights, and Hierophants to be in the 900-1000 points to match Stompas.
Harridans probably will be somewhere around 700.

Hopefully they release a plastic version of the Hierodule. That model has not aged well with the rest of the line, and the current plastic biotitans can easily recreate him for a fraction of the cost.

Also the fw nid models have super odd faces that dont match the rest of the nid asthetic at all. I would never buy a heirodule just because of that. Rather kit bash something together.

Only the malanthrope escapes this and thats because its face is just a bunch of tenticles.

 60mm wrote:

xmbk wrote:
Why do Spore Mines have a 7+ save?

If not a typo, likely meant to give it no armor save while allowing them to benefit from cover.

A whole bunch of Dark Eldar things are like this too. Yeah, presumably it's about taking advantage of cover.

Interestingly, some things still have a "-" save. Or at least one of the Tau Ethereals does.

Dionysodorus wrote:

 60mm wrote:

xmbk wrote:
Why do Spore Mines have a 7+ save?

If not a typo, likely meant to give it no armor save while allowing them to benefit from cover.

A whole bunch of Dark Eldar things are like this too. Yeah, presumably it's about taking advantage of cover.

Interestingly, some things still have a "-" save. Or at least one of the Tau Ethereals does.

Cover would give a 6+ save. Anything with a save of "-" can never get an armor save. Any modifiers, such as cover, don't work either.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
Hopefully they release a plastic version of the Hierodule. That model has not aged well with the rest of the line, and the current plastic biotitans can easily recreate him for a fraction of the cost.

Yeah, they could easly make a double kit for Scythe/Barbed. Although I would still prefer Hierophant to be first, yet I think until there is a plastic Warhound then we can only dream.

 Lance845 wrote:
Also the fw nid models have super odd faces that dont match the rest of the nid asthetic at all. I would never buy a heirodule just because of that. Rather kit bash something together.

Only the malanthrope escapes this and thats because its face is just a bunch of tenticles.

The FW nid's faces made more sense when you remember that most of them were made for 3rd edition, where everyone had gooky faces (the "Alien Queen" hive tyrant, Grinfex, Orky Biovore, etc). I think only the Dimachereon-orwhatever and the Malathrope were made based on post-3rd aesthetics.

As a person who owns both heriodules, and a harradin - I just want them to be strong, but balanced.

Too many times in the past the tyranid superheavies have just been dismal for the points (especially in the era of the knight titan and the Leviathan dred).

Also, just a note on our "flyers" - we have none.

Our previous flyers (harpy, crone, flyrant) none have the usual keywords with flyers (supersonic, hard to hit, airborne, etc.) but instead are more like big long range jump units.

This is kind of bummer considered they still have poor armor saves (harpy crone) at least they have more wounds.

davethepak wrote:


Also, just a note on our "flyers" - we have none.

Our previous flyers (harpy, crone, flyrant) none have the usual keywords with flyers (supersonic, hard to hit, airborne, etc.) but instead are more like big long range jump units.

This is kind of bummer considered they still have poor armor saves (harpy crone) at least they have more wounds.

Something that I hadn't thought of until it was pointed out to me is that both the Harpy and Crone have a minimum movement but can still be charged. So any turn they are in close combat and they didn't charge they must disengage. They have fly so they can still shoot but if they were to stay in close combat they will fail to move the minimum and then die.

A friend of mine sent me this picture earlier as kind of a joke. I then realised that this is 100% Battleforged and legal in matched play. Tyranid Detatchment + GSC detatchment. Not terribly efficient, and they dont synergize at all. But think of all the tactical genius happeing.

wizerdree wrote:

davethepak wrote:


Also, just a note on our "flyers" - we have none.

Our previous flyers (harpy, crone, flyrant) none have the usual keywords with flyers (supersonic, hard to hit, airborne, etc.) but instead are more like big long range jump units.

This is kind of bummer considered they still have poor armor saves (harpy crone) at least they have more wounds.

Something that I hadn't thought of until it was pointed out to me is that both the Harpy and Crone have a minimum movement but can still be charged. So any turn they are in close combat and they didn't charge they must disengage. They have fly so they can still shoot but if they were to stay in close combat they will fail to move the minimum and then die.

This is an excellent point. I suspect this was an oversight - and hopefully we will either lose the minimum move, or gain actual flyer keywords.

The reaction does fit the lore though; Harpies and Crones apparently can't land unless they die so if they're stuck in combat for more than one turn, it could be that their attackers pulled them down to the ground.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
The reaction does fit the lore though; Harpies and Crones apparently can't land unless they die so if they're stuck in combat for more than one turn, it could be that their attackers pulled them down to the ground.

I thought this was true of everything with wings except the Hive Tyrant (due to multipurpose use for the Hive Mind on a battlefield)

The only fluff I'm aware of that says a flying tyranid can't land is for the Harridan. It does make sense for the same thing to apply to Hive Crones and Harpies though, as they also don't have legs.

(The same bit of fluff for the Harridan also says there is a theory among some xeno-biologists that it can slither around on the ground like a snake.)

So far im really happy of the new codex. Indeed, flyrant seems to be good but other units are now appealing ! IMO exocrine is now an auto-take and playing a swarm isnt useless anymore. Looking forward for this new edition !

The new index is awesome. So many units that seem good, very few that appear to be lame (maybe we just have to figure something out).

However, I am trying to figure out the role of the new biovores.

Not saying they are good or bad, just ....very different.

Any thoughts?

davethepak wrote:
The new index is awesome. So many units that seem good, very few that appear to be lame (maybe we just have to figure something out).

However, I am trying to figure out the role of the new biovores.

Not saying they are good or bad, just ....very different.

Any thoughts?

Biovores? They are great. They dish out mortal wounds on a very cost effective platform and when they miss you place area denial models (They help bog down enemy movement) without scatter that if the enemy doesn't stop and shoot will start handing out more mortal wounds.

Given they inflict 1 mortal wound on average per hit I would use them like heavy weapon squads; used to inflict mortal wounds on exceptionally hard to wound enemies. A squad of 3 can probably take out a independent character in about two turns, which can help cripple enemy units when they lose their buffs.

Alternatively, their BS of 4+ means they will miss half the time. You could use that as a way of saturating the area with spore mines to make manouvering tough.

Basically it can be used to mess up enemy movement or harass otherwise tough, low-wound opponents.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
Given they inflict 1 mortal wound on average per hit I would use them like heavy weapon squads; used to inflict mortal wounds on exceptionally hard to wound enemies. A squad of 3 can probably take out a independent character in about two turns, which can help cripple enemy units when they lose their buffs.

Alternatively, their BS of 4+ means they will miss half the time. You could use that as a way of saturating the area with spore mines to make manouvering tough.

Basically it can be used to mess up enemy movement or harass otherwise tough, low-wound opponents.

I have found that a single mortal wound is not that much on a tough unit - of course, if this is repeatable.....

With a 4 bs, it feels more luck driven. Also, before, spore mines were good because the other player had to dedicate an entire unit to shooting one spore mine - with the new rules for split fire - I found them much easier to deal with (besides being a nid player, I play against them often).

Also, they can't target characters ....unless of course, that character is the closest unit.

In the past they were good for forcing saves on infantry - now they are good for just plinking a few mortal wounds here and there?

I am not complaining - I am just asking if that is what they seem to be - or is there something else. I mean, that might be enough; they are fairly cheap.

Call me crazy...but I'd like to figure out a way for Pyrovores to work...right now I'm thinking Trygon Tunnels

You have to be a Troop unit for that don't you?

Likely so... Put'em in a Pod? Use swarmy?

StarHunter25 wrote:

Spoiler:

I cannot exalt this enough.