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Just played another 2 games with the fandex. I used my venomthrope/T6 spam list against necrons and DoA BA. I pulled a close win against the necrons and ended up tabling the BA by turn 4, after losing 2 killpoints in total.

Ill keep posting feedback as I play around with different units but so far so good.

Ok, I'll post a battle report when I get my game in... and chances are that it'll be either against shooty Marines, gunline/artillery Guard or TWC Space Wolves. :S

Good luck

@OP:

I've read through the Codex and the changes seem inline with alot of things I was looking at myself to make Tyranids more viable with the other codex's that have and are coming out.

But one thing I don't see and that I really liked from the previous edition was the ability for Zoanthropes to split up. As in you take 1 brood of 3 but they don't have to maintain the unit cohesion that is typical of other units. That fits that idea that I read on the first couple pages about the Hive Node idea, while at the same time giving them a little something special that no other unit can do.

Just an idea that I liked from the previous edition that they took out in the current.

Cheers on the good fandex~

That actually is in there, see the Zoanthrope army list entry - it says that Zoanthropes may be deployed separately if the player wishes, but they can only take 1 Spore Pod per brood.

Interesting. I don't own any Zoeys so I just breezed past their rules... cool beans.

Yeah it's one of the 5th Ed Codex things that bugged me, I used to use them for Synapse coverage, back when I only had Warriors and Zoanthropes for that sort of thing.


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Has anyone else read the Tyranid entries in Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition? The Harridan is amazing now, nigh unkillable unless your opponent is running a ton of AA-Guns or if you're a reckless general. Malanthropes are cool too, not as overpowered as their previous incarnations, and have a nice little "Warhammer 40,000" stamp next to them which (I believe) means they're 40k legal! And Scythed Hierodules actually have a statline now, and it's in line with the Barbed Hierodule. All-in-all, these units are great now - in fact, I'm considering dropping the fandex alternatives and just writing "see Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition". And I'm almost certainly getting a Harridan now.

Now I want to get a harridan for my apoc collection.....to go with my 2 bio-titans and a conversion for my dominatrix.

BTW, did you notice that the harridan got an upgrade to 8W now?

Yup, as if it wouldn't be hard enough to kill being hit on a 6+

The way I see it, the best way to run a new Harridan is to keep it as a Flier/Gargoyle transport, making strafing runs with its biocannons and delivering Gargoyles into the enemy's lines. Putting it into hover mode just doesn't make sense - it's much more vulnerable, and it's rather mediocre in assault. The only reason I can see it is if you really, really need to take out a super-heavy, and 12 Biocannon shots just aren't cutting it.

IIRC Flyers are still hit on 6+ if they use Hover Mode.

Perhaps, I'll have to read the Flier rules again.

I saw a thread on using Malanthropes as an alternate HQ somewhere... it looks interesting. Awesome model, but I don't think I can bring myself to give up my Primes and Tervigons.

Yeah no I don't think it'll replace them, but it's an interesting new addition. Needs to have a list built around it though.

Was never keen on the Malanthrope myself. AS AG said, it would take some work to get a viable list around him.

jy2 wrote:
BTW, did you notice that the harridan got an upgrade to 8W now?

Huh, imagine that. I guess its because things like hydras are so cheap now

Love the harridan, I wish I could use it in normal gameplay

Interesting though that they did but "40k" stamps on stuff that can be used in normal 40k games

How about changing the profil of the venom cannon and heavy venom cannon? No template but some shots with high strength(and get rid of the special rules). There are a lot of different template weapons in the dex! This way anti tank options spread a bit more(not only close combat and the elite section + tyrannofex) and carnifex/hive tyrant/warriors can help in the heavy mech meta. This makes hive guard a less mandatory choice.

I would also give the tyrant the option for warp lance and warp blast.

in the dex version 1.4 there are two different warp shields? One for the tyrant witch gives him a 5+ ward save and the normal one(3++) for the zoantroph or are both ruled to be 5++ ?

I have the impression that some of the big beasts are still overcosted (for example: everbody uses primes but tyrants are very rare on the field). Against Dark Eldar, Space Wolfes, Grey Knights, Imperial guard,... they die very, very fast.

Just my thoughts .

Venom cannons are fine. Tyranids shooting isn't supposed to kill tanks, its just supposed to stun them until we get into CC.

The costs I think are very fair. Dropping them more would just be superfluous.


Tyrants are fine, they're just better in more niche builds, while the prime is a lot more versatile and only slightly worse in combat.

odorofdeath wrote:Venom cannons are fine. Tyranids shooting isn't supposed to kill tanks, its just supposed to stun them until we get into CC.

The costs I think are very fair. Dropping them more would just be superfluous.

Tyrants are fine, they're just better in more niche builds, while the prime is a lot more versatile and only slightly worse in combat.

Honestly I think Venom Cannons are kind of crap, but I don't take them myself and I don't think they necessarily need to be can-openers. And I take Tyrants over Primes personally, people just like Primes because they're cheaper.

Sninsch wrote:I would also give the tyrant the option for warp lance and warp blast.

in the dex version 1.4 there are two different warp shields? One for the tyrant witch gives him a 5+ ward save and the normal one(3++) for the zoantroph or are both ruled to be 5++ ?

I have the impression that some of the big beasts are still overcosted (for example: everbody uses primes but tyrants are very rare on the field). Against Dark Eldar, Space Wolfes, Grey Knights, Imperial guard,... they die very, very fast.

It's probably best to limit Warp Blast/Lance to Zoanthropes, otherwise there's no real reason to take them. Plus the Tyrants are already swimming in some awesome powers (like Hive Will, Paroxysm, Leech Essence, etc), so you'd be kind of foolish to take it.

There are 2 different warp defense powers - Warp Shield gives a 5++ and Warp Field gives a 3++. Tyrants get the Shield, whereas Zoanthropes get the Field.

Most of the big beasts have gotten a small points reduction of some sort, or been given something else to compensate, so I imagine they'll do better against the top tier (although there isn't really a sensible way to counter DE poison-spam).

jup I also think that venom cannons are crap and thats sad because its the iconic tyranid weapon. Why not make it worth taking? We have en masse weapons against infantry, thats boring. I would prefer some choices: against medium and heavy infantry, transports(not allways hive guard and zoans). It's ok to leave the heavy tanks for the close combat critters but the rest should also be dealed/(soften up) by shooting.

Oh sorry I didn't realize the differents in warp field and shield .

How about making regeneration a bit more expensive and lower the effect of poison against those creatures? So poison weapons which normaly would wound on 4+ need 5+. Explained by a enhanced metabolism?

Very good work so far with the dex!
Thanks

Hmm the Enhanced Metabolism idea is very interesting, the Monstrous Creatures would stand a better chance versus poison-spam armies, although it'd probably only have a place in tailored lists.

That would completely nerf DE armies, and Nurgle Daemons to an extent.

I dunno if it would nerf them, but it would make it harder for them to kill Monstrous Creatures. It'd be only available on the big ones anyway, so that they don't die so easily vs the rank and file troops. I don't think I'm gonna implement it, but it's an interesting suggestion.

Completely nerf DE? Have you ever played against them with tyranids? Even normal warrior squads shoot with St 6 against the big bugs and kill them extrem fast. Now I refuse to play against them, because their is no fun in such one-sided games.

some ideals:

- why not make the hive tyrant 30 points less and make the warp shield a upgrade which cost 30 points?

- change the venom cannon to St 7 DS 4 assault 3 and the heavy venom cannon to St 9 DS 4 assault 2 ( so it makes sense to upgrade the big bugs and warriors with the iconic venom cannon , at the moment nobody seems to use them)

The Enhanced metabolism idea is interesting, but I think the Poisoned reduction is a bit too specifically tailored against Dark Eldar. I think Venom Cannons could stand a small upgrade as well, but I was thinking of removing the -1 on the damage table against non-open-topped vehicles; that would make it a fine suppression weapon.

As for the Hive Tyrant, I think the point cost is a little much... I would like to see him with 5 Wounds, personally, but even that could be too easily exploited with Tyrant Guard. Currently, there is no reason to use him over a Prime save for Hive Will, which is a pretty niche power at best, or in Reserve-based lists.

I'm gonna try to do some playtesting in the next couple weeks, and we'll tinker with the Fandex after seeing what works and what doesn't, and if anything's broken.

Right now I'm not getting enough games in consistently to even ask if they mind me using the fandex =x

I've gotten a few games in with it: 1 against Necrons, 1 against BA, 1 against DE, and 1 against Witch Hunters... I believe that's all.

Dark Eldar: I played a full Reserve list, and I managed to pull out a narrow win 21-19 KPs. Not sure about this matchup yet.

Blood Angels: Played full DoA jumper list, and he conceided bottom of 4. Venomthropes are very nasty against foot lists.

Necrons: The Reserve list kicked ass and handily won 2-0 objective. Not too worried here.

Witch Hunters: Got beaten solidly. Mech is nasty.

Haven't had the misfortune of playing GKs yet (my buddy plays them and BA, and is concentrating on BA at the moment) but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

In regards to the balance, I don't even consider the Cruddace codex the legitimate one... by all rights, this fandex *is* our codex. Well balanced, lots of options, but not too wishlist-y.

odorofdeath wrote:In regards to the balance, I don't even consider the Cruddace codex the legitimate one... by all rights, this fandex *is* our codex. Well balanced, lots of options, but not too wishlist-y.

If we get more endorsements, I'm gonna put this in the fandex

Well then, if the new 6th Ed Rulebook/Codex FAQ is legit, then Nids are going to be a serious force on the tabletop again. It seems to me like 6th Ed is going to be more balanced than 5th in regards to army composition.