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.

Ok, so just having fun here since it seems likely we will be getting a new codex for tyranids in November or January. So, in what ways can we improve the lictor, make it more in line with the fluff and its role, without making it overpowered or greatly increasing the point costs. So here is my suggestion for a redesign of the LICTOR!

Stat line. Frankly I would keep most everything the way it is. I think we are going to see a toughness of 5 in the next codex, for this guy and quite a few of the other fairly big models that aren't MC. The model is much larger then a SM, so it would make sense, but we are trying to keep the points the same, or nearly so, and increasing its toughness would likely be a decent increase in cost, or maybe follow the suggestion for tyranid warriors, T5 but W2.

Slot - First change, move out of Elite to Fast Attack. Removes them from the heavily overpopulated Elite, which is good.

Composition - 1 to 3 Lictors

Unit Type - Infantry

Weapons and Biomorphs - As is plus an option that lets purchase Scout as an upgrade per model.
Chamleonic Skin - This skill heavily needs updating. With the inability to assault out of deep strike, GW's desire to keep it that way (which I actually agree with) this ability actually does far more harm then good. Change it so they can infiltrate 6 inches closer then normal and any model shooting at them suffers a -1 BS modifier.

Special Rules - as they are plus
Infiltrate
Choose one of the two follow when the unit is purchased - Pack Hunters, Lone Hunters
Pack Hunter - Lictors are purchased as a unit and use the normal unit rules. Due to their skill in fighting together they are treated as Sv4+ vs melee attacks.
Lone Hunter - Purchased as brood but each model is deployed as and treated as a separate unit. IC cannot join a Lictor with Lone Hunter.

It seems far more in keeping with the fluff on lictors that they are hidden in the battlefield, awaiting the chance to pounce on opponents, then that they keep appearing and disappearing, that is a Mawloc's stitch.

I like the *Surprise* rule thats been rumoured. Snapshots only against the Lictor in the turn it appears.

Would be fantastic to have Surprise across the board for special deployment assault dudes...

This Surprise rule is the only thing needed, to make them dect, and allowing assualt from reserve would make them usable