Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Here is a preference question for people. Should the Tyranids have special characters? Then how should they be done? Do you think the the swarmlord works?

I think they have a place - one off mutations of specific bioforms for certain situations is something that the hive mind absolutely does.

Giving them a personality, like the Swarmlord, is a mistake though. But the Swarmlord suffers from something all Hive Tyrants suffer from in the 5th edition codex - having their memory transferred to a new body Cylon style, rather than just being powerful leaderbeasts with a strong connection to the hive mind.

The Parasite could fit far better if it was specified that it was a mutation of a Shrike. It's alluded to, I believe, but that's it. I'm pretty sure the Doom of Malan'tai is mentioned to be a type of Zoanthrope, which is good. The Swarmlord could be written in to be a 'psychic abomination', a very, very powerful psychic Hive Tyrant, rather than being a one off 'awesome mcawesome Tyranid hero'.

Basically, they can work, but much like the rest of the 5th edition Tyranid codex, need to be written properly.

 -Loki- wrote:
The Swarmlord could be written in to be a 'psychic abomination', a very, very powerful psychic Hive Tyrant, rather than being a one off 'awesome mcawesome Tyranid hero'.

Isn't that largely what it is?

What sort of personality does it have beyond "Makes the swarm omnomnom better"?

 Void__Dragon wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
The Swarmlord could be written in to be a 'psychic abomination', a very, very powerful psychic Hive Tyrant, rather than being a one off 'awesome mcawesome Tyranid hero'.

Isn't that largely what it is?

What sort of personality does it have beyond "Makes the swarm omnomnom better"?

IIRC there's a paragraph within the Swarmlord's entry in the 5E codex that states that when it's not in combat, it likes to watch the latest episode of Breaking Bad and America's Got Talent.

BlaxicanX wrote:
IIRC there's a paragraph within the Swarmlord's entry in the 5E codex that states that when it's not in combat, it likes to watch the latest episode of Breaking Bad and America's Got Talent.

Oh right, and how the Doom of Malanthai is a devout brony and likes to brush his Twilight Sparkle doll's hair when not eating Eldar souls.

 Void__Dragon wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
The Swarmlord could be written in to be a 'psychic abomination', a very, very powerful psychic Hive Tyrant, rather than being a one off 'awesome mcawesome Tyranid hero'.

Isn't that largely what it is?

What sort of personality does it have beyond "Makes the swarm omnomnom better"?

Except for the part where it's given even a sliver of free will. That's not what Tyranids are about. It doesn't need free will to think strategically, that was written in as an attempt to be a face for the Tyranids. A personality to rally around.

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: No, special characters are a scourge anyway, and it dilutes the distinctiveness of the Tyranids.

 -Loki- wrote:
Except for the part where it's given even a sliver of free will.

It's given a measure of autonomy, not free will.

 Void__Dragon wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
Except for the part where it's given even a sliver of free will.

It's given a measure of autonomy, not free will.

Okay - it's a leaderbeast granted the ability to operate outside of the Hive Minds influence, even if not completely. Basically, unprecedented in modern Tyranid fluff. Not to mention something that shows a misunderstanding of the Hive Mind.

A commander giving localised supreme strategic actions to a race that engages in war on a planetary scale, not to mention knows what's going on where any Tyranid is and can give orders through any number of synaptics hubs, is completely redundant.

It's quite simply an example of a Tyranid 'special mutation' done completely wrong.

I have to say 'yes'. There should be Tyranid special characters. because there is no evolution without a forward data point. To my mind the Hive Mind is constantly trying new things to see if they work. The Carnifex wasn't just rolled out one day, it was tried on the battlefield before the model went into large-scale production.

So any special character should be seen as something that is a possibility for being rolled out in mass production across the galaxy if it appears to be particularly effective in a situation.

The thing is, special characters have been done well in the past. Old One Eye was an experiment with regenerating Carnifexes. The next codex had regenerating Carnifexes. The Red Terror was an experiment with Mawlocs. Two codices later had Mawlocs.It's like seeing Tyranid evolution experiments succeeding.

Special characters like this are Tyranid special character done right, because they're just one off experiments with a intended for a new role.