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I am not the kind of guy that will ask to just have our old stuff back to make the book truly competitive again, neither do I think that we should just slap some extra stats or abilities for free on half the codex for it to be good, I think that Games-Workshop did pretty good with the codex but fell a bit short on a few ideas (over-pointed or missing something to be worthwhile), Mostly I want the potential to stack upgrades on my bugs to make them stronger that will actually be worthwhile without being "must have".

Ok so Here are some of the issue categories that need to be fixed.

Lack of Allies - This means that we dont get to spam the way other armies can.
Touch up Instinctive Behavior, Im ok with it being worst then before (Taking care of having synapse to control your beasties has always been a thing with Nids) but I find they went a bit too far.
Minor upgrade of troops - they arent bad but could use a light tweak.
I love the idea of the Bio-Artefacts and Biomorphs but most are too expensive or just not though out properly.
Allow a 5++ on a Hive Tyrant if you pay for it
Bring back a reason to use the walking Hive Tyrant.
Lack of a worthwhile close combat build for the Hive tyrant - even though we can do a close combat build, in no way does it mesure up to the dakka Flyrant.
Get a few units back up to par, Tervigon, Swarmlord, Tyranid Prime, Hive Guards, Haruspex, Trygon, Rupture Cannon Tyranofex.
Something to help with the loss of Mycetic Spore.

So to fix the lack of Allies issue the Vanguard Dataslate is already helping alot, at this point the only area it fell short to help was the most important and that was the Heavy Support slot.
so I figured this could be good.
- 2 Tyranid Prime can be in a single HQ FoC at the cost 110pts each. Also can get wings (jump pack) for 15pts
- Hive Tyrants or Swarmlord option: Lord of Monstrosities: 30pts -Must be on the Warlord, cannot be taken if Hive Tyrant has Wings - 2+ArSv and have access to a fourth Heavy Support Slot.
This will give us back a Walkrant and with this we dont really need allies anymore, The Swarmlord also has access since I want to believe that if they have the power to make a Hive Tyrant have a 2+ ArSv then they would without a doubt consider it as an option to protect their Best Leader, for a price.

The real weakness of the Flyrant is his lack of invulnerable save so how about if he can get a lower powered version of the Warp Field the Zoanthropes have as an upgrade option.
- 20pts: Hive Tyrants gets a 5+ Invulnerable Save
5++ are 15pts in most codexs but it is better on a hive tyrant than on a 2-3Wound Champion so its normal its a bit more expensive.

The Swarmlord was bred to out-think his opponents and his characteristics don't really represent this.
- Swarmlord gives +1 to Steal the Initiative Roll and also gets back the re-roll outflanking roll if you want.
This would make you feel like he is out-thinking his opponent, (If Imhotek and Asdrubael Vect both get +2 to that roll, the Swarmlord can get + 1 to it on top of his + 1 to reserve roll)
Its really important for the Nids to get the first turn due to their relatively poor shooting and the Swarmlord should be the one to help you get it.

- Tervigons can take an additionnal Psyker level for 25pts
- Doesnt lose the ability to spawn troops if he rolls a double "1" or "2" and also can get the 5++ Warpfield for 20pts
- Crushing claws gives +1Ws and +1Att but loses Armour Bane
Tervigon needed a nerf, they went a bit too far, but these options should bring it back to being competitive

Here are a few general changes

- The Instinctive behavior is split 12-345-6, as in bad consequence on "1" and "2" , but not on "3"

- Shadow in the Warp augments in range as Synapse does too.

- Catalyst gives Eternal warrior if target is within Synapse range as well as the normal Feel no pain.
This is a huge fix to the codex (the complete lack of eternal warrior)

- Scything Talons lose the ap6 but give back the re-rolls to hit (single pair is only "1"s but double Pair is all to hit.)

- for 20pts: Old Adversary once again allows a 12" bubble (range increases with synapse) that allows any units with a model within range to re rolls to hits rolls of "1", both shooting and close combats
- Hive Commander cost 30pts but allows two units of troops to flank each
This is the first patch for loss of mycetic spore

- Flesh Hooks are Twin linked and rending
- Venom Cannons are Assault2 Blast for 20pts and Heavy Venom Cannon are Heavy2 Blast for 25pts
- Prehencible Pincer and Bone mace tail biomorph each have ap3
- Boneswords "Lifestealer" makes you gain a previously lost wound on the "6" to wound if it kills his target. Also when taken as a pair (not with a Lash Whip) makes them Ap2
- Lash Whip "Swiftstrike" gives +2 Ini and +1 Ws instead of +3 Ini
This gives the Hive Tyrant a good reason to try to go Close combat style instead of Dakka Beast, bringing him to the almighty 9 Ws and the Tyranid prime the still very good 7Ws!!!
Also generaly helps the Reaper of Obliterax[/color][/b]

Biomorphs
- Regeneration goes down to 20pts
- Adrenal Glands go down to 10pts

The Bio Artefacts are cool but made too Expensive.
- Norn crown goes down to 20pts
- Miasma Cannon turn to 24" Large Blast instead of 36" Blast
- Ymgarl Factor can stay expensive at 40pts but last till next turn instead of just a phase (works against shooting). Also exchanges the +1 Strength option to +2 Toughness
- Reaper of Obliterax gives +1 to Attack instead of +1Strength (plus the upgrade to Swiftstrike and Life Drain)[/b]

Troops
- Hormagaunts Adrenal Glands cost 1 pts/model and Toxin Sacs cost 2 pts/model
- Termagaunts Spike Rifle: Poisoned 6+
- Rippers get 4W
Warriors need a light (I do mean light) point decrease, some people are saying stuff like 10pts reduction but that is ridiculous.
- Tyranid Warriors have a 2pts reduction per model, 28pts per models
Genestealers dont need much to become worthwhile, just allow the Broodlord the option to have a worthwhile spell every game.
-A Broodlord is able to choose in the beginning of the game whether he wants to have "The Horror" or "Paroxysm"

Elite
- Hive Guards have "Symbiotic Targeting" (Bs4 when not moving)
- Zoanthrope Know 1 Spell over Warp Blast for every Zoan in the Team (when one of them dies roll to see what spell you lost)

Fast Attack
- Raveners have Ld 8 and have a 2pts reduction per model, 28pts per models
- Shrikes have a 2pts reduction per model, 28pts per models
- Gargoyles Blinding Venom is poisoned 5+
- Sky slashers get 4W
- Harpys upgrade for Heavy Venom Cannon goes up to 15pts
- Hive Crones get torrent on his drool Cannon and Tentaclids get TL when targeting vehicules of all types but not FMC

Heavy Support
- Units going tunneling with a Trygon (any non-MC units) cannot start rolling on the reserve roll to come out of the hole till the Trygon came out for a turn.Trygon Primes containment spines allow for a cleaner tunnel, they cost 10pts more so 240pts, but a single team can come out of the hole he makes on the same turn he came in through Deepstrike.
Second patch to the loss of mycetic spore
- Mawlocs, Trygon and Trygon Primes can get a thorax biomorph if they want
- Mawlocs can get two pairs of scything talons for 25pts
Exocrines deserve to get a 48"range gun
- 20pts: additionnal profile on Bioplasmic Cannon : Range 48" Str 6 Ap- Heavy2, Large blast, Rending, Pinning.
Note he still only has one gun so can only fire once per turn with the cannon.
- Tyranofex has "Symbiotic Targeting" (Bs4 when not moving)
- Acid Spray has Str5 Ap3 instead of Str6 Ap4
- Rupture Cannon has Ap2

These changes mostly make all of our dudes more expensive, if you take the upgrades, or will allow us to play almost the same way the codex is right now, just a bit better.
This rulechange proposal is mostly just asking to allows us the option to give upgrades on our bugs that are actually worthwhile (did I underpointed any of the upgrades?).
What do you think?

Is this in the right forum?
I don't honestly know, it is about the Rules but it isn't directly related to a Rule debate....

Ideas for new rules or modifications go in the Proposed Rules forum. Moving...

Also wouldnt mind being able to use my Doom of Malantai, I realize the last one was broken but how about this?

Regular Zoanthropes stats with 1 extra Ws, Str, Wound and 2 extra Att.
He is a Lvl 3 Psyker, is a one man unit and has Regeneration and a re-roll on his Invulnerable save, one of his 3 spells has to be psychic scream, so rolls 2 dices for spell selection.
In the Elite slot for ....115pts?

Thought:

Scything Talons count as assault grenades for assaults. (IE, you attack on initiative if your target is in cover). That would fix, like, several problems in one go.

(Obviously they couldn't be thrown.)

the flesh hooks are good enough to fix our lack of assault grenades and I would highly prefer having re-rolls on hits (only "1" for single pair and all failed hits for double pairs)

Flesh hooks aren't on most models (Only three, I think, have the option?) while *everybody* has scythes. Give Hormies a chance.

Do you feel that almost every model in the codex should have assault grenades? Im personally fine with only the specialized units getting it (Warriors, Shrikes, Lictors and Carnifex), either way, Hormagaunts have low Ini so even with assault grenades will oftentimes still be attacking last.

I find that there are much higher priority issues to deal with in this codex than hormagaunts getting assault grenades, also doesnt really makes sense to me that scything talons would help you bypass the obstacles in your way any more than a sword would, at least flesh hooks are meant to avoid terrain and climb walls as well as being able to be shot out to give cover fire as your closing the distance.

hormagaunts got a chance by lowering the points for the upgrade and reducing the odds of them killing themselves through instinctive behaviors.