New tyranid codex / BRB rules that may not be immediately apparent.

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**Filthy Sanchez**

I wanted to point out some rules and changes with tyranids and their new codex that may be getting overlooked by new and old players alike.

All monstrous creatures can fire 2 seperate weapons per turn, disallow armor saves from any close combat attacks, roll 2D6+str when resolving hits against vehicles and have the USRs "relentless" and "move through cover".

All jump infantry can move 12" in the movement phase and have the ability to deep strike.

All beasts have the "fleet" USR, can make 12" assault moves and when assaulting through difficult terrain can double the result of their highest die.

The psychic powers The Horror, Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Psychic Scream and Onslaught are all psychic shooting attacks. Hive tyrants and Tervigons have the ability to fire 2 regular ranged weapons or 1 regular ranged weapon and 1 psychic shooting attack. The swarmlord can use 2 psychic shooting attacks each turn. You cannot fire the same psychic shooting attack twice in 1 round.

Unit specific information:
=HQ=

Hive Tyrant & Swarmlord - May join a unit of tyrant guard but will lose the "move through cover" USR. While joined to a unit of tyrant guard, may not be singled out for shooting. Opponents may argue that he can because he's a monstrous creature however there is nothing in the BRB backing this up. Thorax Swarm can be fired in addition to 2 other weapons.

Tyrant guard - see above.

Tervigon - On average, a tervigon will spawn 23 termigants before it's spawn ability is exhausted.

Tyranid prime - As an independent character, has the "move through cover" USR.

Parasite of Mortrex - As an independent character, has the "move through cover" USR. Wings allow deployment via deepstrike.

=Elites=

Hive Guard - Cover from shots fired by this unit only count if the unit is inside or touching the cover and the cover lies between the unit being fired at and hive guard.

Lictor and Deathleaper - Lictors no longer deploy seperately but in a normal unit now.

Venomthropes - Venomthrope poison is 2+ not 4+.

Zoanthrope - Zoanthropes no longer deploy seperately but in a normal unit now. Focused blast is now a lance effect: AV higher than 12 is considered 12.

Doom of Malan'tai - The spirit leech effect goes off EVERY shooting phase, not just yours. Wounds from cataclysm count towards absorb life, not just those from spirit leech.

Pyrovores - Nothing.

Ymgarl Genestealers - Nothing.

=Troops=

Warriors - 3 wounds now. Can still abuse wound allocation but to a lesser degree.

Genestealers - Having the "infiltrate" special rule allows deployment via outflanking. Broodlords now have infiltrate.

Hormagaunts - No longer beasts.

Termagaunts - Gain benefits from a Tervigon's toxin sacs, adrenal glands and leadership and also gain the "Counter-attack" USR if within 6" of the tervigon.

Ripper Swarms - As swarms they have the "stealth" and "vulnerable to blast/templates" USRs.

Mycetic Spores - Mycetic Spores are monstrous creatures and as such disallow armor saves from any close combat attacks and can make 2 ranged weapon attacks each turn assuming you buy one of the weapon upgrades. All shots must be at the closest enemy unit.

=Fast Attack=

Tyranid Shrike - As jump infantry, can deploy via deep strike.

Raveners - Are beasts and as such have "fleet" USR, make 12" assault moves and double the highest die rolled when assaulting through terrain.

Sky Slasher Swarm - As jump infantry, can deploy via deep strike. As swarms they have the "stealth" and "vulnerable to blast/templates" USRs.

Gargoyles - As jump infantry, can deploy via deep strike.

Harpy - Wings allow deployment via deep strike. Spore Mine Cycsts are used in the movement phase and don't count towards the 2 weapons a monstrous creature can fire each turn.

Spore Mine Cluster - Spore Mines are now large blasts. No longer count towards mission objectives in any way. Spore mine clusters are deployed, before ANY other models from either side, via deepstrike.

=Heavy Support=
Carnifex Brood - Nothing.

Old One Eye - Regen is 5+, not 6+.

Biovore Brood - Spore mines are now large blasts.

Trygon - The hole made by a trygon may be used in subsequent turns by any infantry unit, excluding those with wings, that was held in reserve. The arriving unit may not move or assault but may shoot and fire normally. One unit per hole per turn.

Mawloc - Cannot reburrow and emerge in the same turn. Any models that cannot be moved by the mawlocs emergence are destroyed.

Tyrannofex - The thorax swarm is fired in addition to all other shooting attacks.

**warpcrafter**

Filthy Sanchez wrote:I wanted to point out some rules and changes with tyranids and their new codex that may be getting overlooked by new and old players alike.

All monstrous creatures can fire 2 seperate weapons per turn, disallow armor saves from any close combat attacks, roll 2D6+str when resolving hits against vehicles and have the USRs "relentless" and "move through cover".

Which should silence anyone who claims that Hive Tyrants are overcosted.

All jump infantry can move 12" in the movement phase and have the ability to deep strike.

All beasts have the "fleet" USR, can make 12" assault moves and when assaulting through difficult terrain can double the result of their highest die.

I personally believe that more Tyranids should count as Beasts, but perhaps that's asking too much.

The psychic powers The Horror, Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Psychic Scream and Onslaught are all psychic shooting attacks. Hive tyrants and Tervigons have the ability to fire 2 regular ranged weapons, 1 regular ranged weapon and 1 psychic shooting attack or 2 psychic shooting attacks each turn. The swarmlord can use 2 psychic shooting attacks each turn. You cannot fire the same psychic shooting attack twice in 1 round.

Unit specific information:
=HQ=

Hive Tyrant & Swarmlord - May join a unit of tyrant guard but will lose the "move through cover" USR. While joined to a unit of tyrant guard, may not be singled out for shooting. Opponents may argue that he can because he's a monstrous creature however there is nothing in the BRB backing this up. Thorax Swarm can be fired in addition to 2 other weapons.

Tyrant guard - see above.

Tervigon - As onslaught is a psychic shooting attack, a tervigon with this upgrade can always use either dominion or catalyst, fire the stinger salvo and use onslaught all in the same round. On average, a tervigon will spawn 23 termigants before it's spawn ability is exhausted.

Time to test my kitbashing skills to the limit!

Tyranid prime - As an independent character, has the "move through cover" USR.

Parasite of Mortrex - As an independent character, has the "move through cover" USR. Wings allow deployment via deepstrike.

=Elites=

Hive Guard - Cover from shots fired by this unit only count if the unit is inside or touching the cover and the cover lies between the unit being fired at and hive guard.

Lictor and Deathleaper - Lictors no longer deploy seperately but in a normal unit now.

Venomthropes - Venomthrope poison is 2+ not 4+.

Zoanthrope - Zoanthropes no longer deploy seperately but in a normal unit now. Focused blast is now a lance effect: AV higher than 12 is considered 12.

Doom of Malan'tai - The spirit leech effect goes off EVERY shooting phase, not just yours. Wounds from cataclysm count towards absorb life, not just those from spirit leech.

Are you sure of that? Because if that's the way it is, I've got a massive bug brain to build. Looks like my (Limited) sculpting abilities are going to be tested also.

Pyrovores - Nothing.

Ymgarl Genestealers - Nothing.

=Troops=

Warriors - 3 wounds now. Can still abuse wound allocation but to a lesser degree.

Genestealers - Having the "infiltrate" special rule allows deployment via outflanking. Broodlords now have infiltrate.

Hormagaunts - No longer beasts.

Termagaunts - Gain benefits from a Tervigon's toxin sacs, adrenal glands and leadership and also gain the "Counter-attack" USR if within 6" of the tervigon.

Ripper Swarms - Are now scoring troops. As swarms they have the "stealth" and "vulnerable to blast/templates" USRs.

Mycetic Spores - Mycetic Spores are monstrous creatures and as such disallow armor saves from any close combat attacks and can make 2 ranged weapon attacks each turn assuming you buy one of the weapon upgrades. All shots must be at the closest enemy unit.

They're very nearly an instant bastion!

=Fast Attack=

Tyranid Shrike - As jump infantry, can deploy via deep strike.

Raveners - Are beasts and as such have "fleet" USR, make 12" assault moves and double the highest die rolled when assaulting through terrain.

Let us slither rapidly to their doom!

Sky Slasher Swarm - As jump infantry, can deploy via deep strike. As swarms they have the "stealth" and "vulnerable to blast/templates" USRs.

Gargoyles - As jump infantry, can deploy via deep strike.

Harpy - Wings allow deployment via deep strike. Spore Mine Cycsts are used in the movement phase and don't count towards the 2 weapons a monstrous creature can fire each turn.

Spore Mine Cluster - Spore Mines are now large blasts. No longer count towards mission objectives in any way. Spore mine clusters are deployed, before ANY other models from either side, via deepstrike.

=Heavy Support=
Carnifex Brood - Nothing.

Old One Eye - Regen is 5+, not 6+.

Biovore Brood - Spore mines are now large blasts.

Trygon - The hole made by a trygon may be used in subsequent turns by any infantry unit, excluding those with wings, that was held in reserve. The arriving unit may not move or assault but may shoot and fire normally. One unit per hole per turn.

Mawloc - Cannot reburrow and emerge in the same turn. Any models that cannot be moved by the mawlocs emergence are destroyed.

Tyrannofex - The thorax swarm is fired in addition to all other shooting attacks.

Not to mention that it has the only other S 10 shooting attack in the codex.

**puma713**

Filthy Sanchez wrote:

The psychic powers The Horror, Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Psychic Scream and Onslaught are all psychic shooting attacks. Hive tyrants and Tervigons have the ability to fire 2 regular ranged weapons, 1 regular ranged weapon and 1 psychic shooting attack or 2 psychic shooting attacks each turn. The swarmlord can use 2 psychic shooting attacks each turn. You cannot fire the same psychic shooting attack twice in 1 round.

This is not correct. The Hive Tyrant and the Tervigons -cannot- fire 2 psychic attacks each turn. Why? Not because they're shooting attacks, but because they're psychic abilities. Page 50, BRB: "Psykers can use one psychic power per player turn." Their powers are not shooting powers that are also psychic, but psychic powers that are also shooting. You have to have the ability to use two powers before you have the ability to shoot two weapons. Otherwise, why would the Swarmlord's ability be so great that it needed to be printed out?

**whitedragon**

Filthy Sanchez wrote:All monstrous creatures can fire 2 seperate weapons per turn, disallow armor saves from any close combat attacks, roll 2D6+str when resolving hits against vehicles and have the USRs "relentless" and "move through cover".

All jump infantry can move 12" in the movement phase and have the ability to deep strike.

All beasts have the "fleet" USR, can make 12" assault moves and when assaulting through difficult terrain can double the result of their highest die.

How are these things...new, per se?

**Filthy Sanchez**

Puma - Hmmm... yeah, I agre with that. Will edit.

**chunky04**

Hmm, question on the Hive Tyrant with Guard - what unit type do they count as? Infantry (as per the Guard) or MC? Can they make use of the Trygon's tunnel?

**puma713**

chunky04 wrote:Hmm, question on the Hive Tyrant with Guard - what unit type do they count as? Infantry (as per the Guard) or MC? Can they make use of the Trygon's tunnel?

I would say that they're mixed units. The Tyrant does not become infantry and the guard do not become monstrous. Take a jump infantry example: if a jump infantry commander joined a unit that isn't jump infantry, he doesn't cease to be jump infantry (ie., he can't embark in a transport), but he has to follow the movement rules of the unit. I would say that, since the tyrant is a part of the unit, you can't utilize the tunnel because it is strictly for infantry.

**Arschbombe**

puma713 wrote:
This is not correct. The Hive Tyrant and the Tervigons -cannot- fire 2 psychic attacks each turn. Why? Not because they're shooting attacks, but because they're psychic abilities. Page 50, BRB: "Psykers can use one psychic power per player turn." Their powers are not shooting powers that are also psychic, but psychic powers that are also shooting. You have to have the ability to use two powers before you have the ability to shoot two weapons.

It also says on page 50 that psykers that have the ability to shoot two weapons can use two (different) psychic shooting powers.

Otherwise, why would the Swarmlord's ability be so great that it needed to be printed out?

I am thinking that this could be because a swarmlord has no ranged attacks to replace with psychic shooting. This would then mean that a hive tyrant would need at least one ranged attack in order to use his psychic attacks, but this is not specified anwywhere.

**Lukus83**

Slight mistake...rippers still can't score since they are swarms.

**Filthy Sanchez**

Lukus I disagree. There is nothing under the "swarms" USR that prevents scoring. The 4th ed codex "mindless" special rule prevented them from scoring but the wording of the rule has been changed in the new codex and says nothing about not being able to score.

Is there some other reason they can't score or is the information in a different section?

**Budzerker**

Filthy Sanchez wrote:Lukus I disagree. There is nothing under the "swarms" USR that prevents scoring. The 4th ed codex "mindless" special rule prevented them from scoring but the wording of the rule has been changed in the new codex and says nothing about not being able to score.

Is there some other reason they can't score or is the information in a different section?

Swarms can never score. BRB page 90, under "Scoring Units".

**Keldon_Uk**

The Tyrant CAN use two psychic shooting powers, on page 52 it says MC can ue two ranged weapons and on page 51 it says if a model can use two ranged weapons it can use 2 psychic shooting powers, so simple and you dont even need to hunt for it!

**Myth**

Keldon_Uk wrote:The Tyrant CAN use two psychic shooting powers, on page 52 it says MC can ue two ranged weapons and on page 51 it says if a model can use two ranged weapons it can use 2 psychic shooting powers, so simple and you dont even need to hunt for it!

Here's the full context, though: "Even if a psyker has a special rule allowing him to use more than one psychic power per turn, he can only use one psychic shooting attack (as models can only fire one ranged weapon per turn.) However, if he is allowed to fire more than one ranged weapon per turn, he can replace the firing of any of the weapons he is allowed to fire with a psychic shooting attack (but still cannot use the same power twice in a turn)."

That seems to make it clear that to use two psychic shooting powers, you need to both be able to use two Psychic Powers per turn, and fire two weapons per turn. So only the Swarmlord can do so - the regular Hive Tyrant can fire two weapons per turn, but is still limited to only one psychic power.

**Demogerg**

Interesting note, Raveners, while in fluff burrow and follow Trygons/Mawlocs into combat, the are however beasts, and the Trygon hole created can only be utilized by Infantry Units.

**Filthy Sanchez**

Budzerker wrote:
Filthy Sanchez wrote:Lukus I disagree. There is nothing under the "swarms" USR that prevents scoring. The 4th ed codex "mindless" special rule prevented them from scoring but the wording of the rule has been changed in the new codex and says nothing about not being able to score.

Is there some other reason they can't score or is the information in a different section?

Swarms can never score. BRB page 90, under "Scoring Units".

Thanks for the catch Bud. Altered the post.

**puma713**

Myth wrote:
Keldon_Uk wrote:The Tyrant CAN use two psychic shooting powers, on page 52 it says MC can ue two ranged weapons and on page 51 it says if a model can use two ranged weapons it can use 2 psychic shooting powers, so simple and you dont even need to hunt for it!

Here's the full context, though: "Even if a psyker has a special rule allowing him to use more than one psychic power per turn, he can only use one psychic shooting attack (as models can only fire one ranged weapon per turn.) However, if he is allowed to fire more than one ranged weapon per turn, he can replace the firing of any of the weapons he is allowed to fire with a psychic shooting attack (but still cannot use the same power twice in a turn)."

That seems to make it clear that to use two psychic shooting powers, you need to both be able to use two Psychic Powers per turn, and fire two weapons per turn. So only the Swarmlord can do so - the regular Hive Tyrant can fire two weapons per turn, but is still limited to only one psychic power.

Right. The last part of the sentence doesn't preclude the fact that you can use two psychic powers a turn, just that you can replace any of your shooting with a psychic power.

**airmang**

That's correct the "However, if he is allowed..." sentence is refering tot he sentence right before that, about having a special rule allowing them to use 2 powers. So you need to be able to use 2 powers, and 2 ranged weapons (like the Swarmlord) to be able to use 2 psychic shooting attacks.

**Icehawk18**

Good things to know versus my tyranid buddy.

**Lorek**

Let's keep the Rules Discussions in YMDC, please.

**Falconlance**

Filthy Sanchez wrote:
Hive Tyrant & Swarmlord - May join a unit of tyrant guard but will lose the "move through cover" USR. While joined to a unit of tyrant guard, may not be singled out for shooting. Opponents may argue that he can because he's a monstrous creature however there is nothing in the BRB backing this up

page 49, second paragraph says otherwise, but other than that, good job.

I'd like to add something that may not be immediately obvious.. carefully consider outflanking your gaunts with a unit of genestealers and their synapse-granting broodlord. If you can't pull it off, the instinctive behavior will allow your opponent to feed the gaunts a vehicle they cant hurt, and until you can get some synapse in there, theyll be effectively stuck.

**Aduro**

You can only single out a Monstrous Creature if it is also an Independent Character, which a Hive Tyrant is not, so he's safe hiding amongst his Guard.

**Kroot Loops**

Demogerg wrote:Interesting note, Raveners, while in fluff burrow and follow Trygons/Mawlocs into combat, the are however beasts, and the Trygon hole created can only be utilized by Infantry Units.

Which is why Raveners can burrow and deep strike on their own, without needing to use the Trygons tunnel