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Instead of coming up with a long list of "fixes" that will sound too complicated for your gaming group to ever consider, how about a simple fix:

drop synapse altogether.

Boom. Tyranids are competitive again and this time, genuinely scary.

 Sir Arun wrote:
Instead of coming up with a long list of "fixes" that will sound too complicated for your gaming group to ever consider, how about a simple fix:

drop synapse altogether.

Boom. Tyranids are competitive again and this time, genuinely scary.

Would you grant everything Fearless in it's place?
'

 Sir Arun wrote:
Instead of coming up with a long list of "fixes" that will sound too complicated for your gaming group to ever consider, how about a simple fix:

drop synapse altogether.

Boom. Tyranids are competitive again and this time, genuinely scary.

It is not that easy, specially with 7th edition that buffed Tyranid Flying Circus and nerfed even more any other possibility.

I don't think giving the nids eternal warrior within synapse is appropriate. Each rule mechanic needs to have room to be of value, and weapons that have instant death (not via double strength) are sort of designed against independent characters and MCs. To give MCs protection from this via synapse would be to make the instant death rule too limited to be worth including in the game imo. Against non-nid-mcs the only time where I can imagine instant death having any sway is with a huskblade challenge.

Consequently my proposal to this would be to find a way to give it to warriors without MCs grabbing it, consequently I'd say it should be a rule for the Tyranid Prime and any unit he gets attached to. Also generally I think swarms (not just rippers, but scarabs etc) should get the eternal warrior rule by default. I find it completely bizarre how a lascannon can instantly fry a whole blob of creatures - sure it should smack a few things on its way through, but this doesn't feel like its being represented properly when a closest model is fully removed because of it. I get it with blast and template weapons but not with lance weapons, las cannons and auto-cannons.

I think most of jy2's original comments though seem reasonable. Although the tervigon is kind of simpler now, even if he's way less tough.

I'd also love to see some way of making lictors better, without just screwing with their stat-lines; perhaps by making deathleaper a character with lictors or something, so that the other lictors can benefit from his snap-only rule. I don't mind a bad codex, just so long as the choice between the units becomes a real toss up. Currently the dex has too many auto-disclude units. I mean, has anyone ever cared or included pyrovores in an army? Same goes for the new trygon (non-prime version).

I'd also move shrikes back to 4+ armour save and increase their point cost slightly.

 xandermacleod wrote:
I don't think giving the nids eternal warrior within synapse is appropriate. Each rule mechanic needs to have room to be of value, and weapons that have instant death (not via double strength) are sort of designed against independent characters and MCs. To give MCs protection from this via synapse would be to make the instant death rule too limited to be worth including in the game imo. Against non-nid-mcs the only time where I can imagine instant death having any sway is with a huskblade challenge.

Consequently my proposal to this would be to find a way to give it to warriors without MCs grabbing it, consequently I'd say it should be a rule for the Tyranid Prime and any unit he gets attached to. Also generally I think swarms (not just rippers, but scarabs etc) should get the eternal warrior rule by default. I find it completely bizarre how a lascannon can instantly fry a whole blob of creatures - sure it should smack a few things on its way through, but this doesn't feel like its being represented properly when a closest model is fully removed because of it. I get it with blast and template weapons but not with lance weapons, las cannons and auto-cannons.

I think most of jy2's original comments though seem reasonable. Although the tervigon is kind of simpler now, even if he's way less tough.

I'd also love to see some way of making lictors better, without just screwing with their stat-lines; perhaps by making deathleaper a character with lictors or something, so that the other lictors can benefit from his snap-only rule. I don't mind a bad codex, just so long as the choice between the units becomes a real toss up. Currently the dex has too many auto-disclude units. I mean, has anyone ever cared or included pyrovores in an army? Same goes for the new trygon (non-prime version).

I'd also move shrikes back to 4+ armour save and increase their point cost slightly.

A better option is not Eternal Warrior, but rather protection against ID caused by strength doubling toughness.
Or simply make warriors or similar cheaper.

 jy2 wrote:
Currently, my opinion of the new Tyranids codex is that they are playable. They can even give many armies a scare, but they aren't top-tier. Any matchup against the top-tier armies, while winnable, will almost always be a uphill battle where the bugs will have to play an almost flawless game. That is because their codex is lacking in many of the tools that the previous edition of Tyranids had.

So if you got to "redo" the NEW Tyranid codex, what changes would you make?

The following are some of the things that I would like to see:


1. The return of book powers - Biomancy, Telepathy and Telekinesis.

2. The return of Ymgarls.

3. The return of Mycetic Spores.

4. The return of the Doom, though at a price hike (I'd say 130-pts instead of the original 90-pts).

5. Revert the tervigon back to its old rules with the following exceptions: 1) new cost in the new codex is fair, 2) cannot buy the psychic powers Catalyst or Dominion (can only get psychic powers by rolling), 3) need to pay for Cluster Spines as in the new codex and 4) option to upgrade to a Level 2 Psyker at +25-pts.

6. Old Adversary = Prefered Enemy 6" (just like in the old rules).

7. Options for Genestealers: Fleshhooks - +1-pt, 4+ Armor - +3-pts

8. Drop the price of Tyranid Primes down to 100-pts. Allow up to 2 Primes per HQ slot (a la Daemon Heralds). Give him an option for Wings at +25-pts.


Ok, that's all I can think of for now.

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Codex_-_Tyranids:_/tg/_edition

One of many /tg/ edition books meant to fix every army in the game and introduce new ones.

I'll be playtesting the /tg/nids against the /tg/ squats soon.

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Codex_-_Squats

With Angry marine allies

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Codex_-_Angry_Marines

Here's my proposed change. I think it would make a huge difference because it would make Nids the de facto anti-psyker army.

Shadows in the Warp
If any unit with this ability is within 12" of an enemy psyker, the player controlling this unit gains +2 to Deny the Witch rolls against powers manifested by the affected enemy psyker. This ability is cumulative with any other modifier to the Deny the Witch roll (but does not stack if there are multiple units with this ability within 12").

Alternatively, Shadows could confer only a +1 to the DtW roll, but would be cumulative and thus multiple SitW units could "focus down" enemy Psyker units.

The only downside to this change is it would make Flyrants even better than they are now, and they really don't need the help as much as other units in the codex.

Another option:

What Do You Meant They Cut the Power? They're animals, man!
Universal rule for all Tyranid models, like Battle Focus for Eldar.

Any model with this ability has assault grenades.

I mean, the xenomorphs from Aliens never had to worry about assaulting into cover, right? Hiding behind barricades didn't do those guys much good!

Shadows=synapse range

cheaper warriors

cheaper alpha warrior

doom brought back points increase and ability warp charge reliant

bring back re rolls of 1s on scything talons and complete re rolls on 2 sets.

make haruspex a beast and give him more attacks

ally with ourselves

Tervigons-take away the spawn penalty (daemons have no penalty why should we) for an increase in points cost

pyrovore needs torrent

crone needs torrent and the ability to purchase more vector strikes +25 points?

spore pods

feed needs to be less punishing (no tyranid eats themselves they just become animalistic and hide or attack the nearest enemy unit)

shadows gives +1 to deny rolls

gargoyles need to be a troops option via the hive tyrant taking wings

Trygon prime needs an invul save or needs a points reduction


These are the only things I could think of at the moment. I am sure there is more that isn't unrealistic and would greatly improve the state of our Tyranid forces.

For SitW, I think an elegant solution would be that it increases the warp charge cost of any psychic power manifested by an enemy unit within the Shadow's range by one.

Ergo a 1WC power would therefore cost 2WC's, so on and so fourth.

Only a single WC increase may seem underwhelming, but consider that this drastically feths up the probabilities for successfully casting a power with X warp dice. Casting a WC1 power with three dice normally has a 90% chance of succeeding. With this rule, that drops down to a 50% chance. With the power now being WC2, you would need to toss six dice at the power in order to get that 90% chance back. 6 dice to get off a WC1 power. That's pretty brutal, and it also increases the unit's chance of perilsing by 400%.

 BlaxicanX wrote:
For SitW, I think an elegant solution would be that it increases the warp charge cost of any psychic power manifested by an enemy unit within the Shadow's range by one.

Ergo a 1WC power would therefore cost 2WC's, so on and so fourth.

Only a single WC increase may seem underwhelming, but consider that this drastically feths up the probabilities for successfully casting a power with X warp dice. Casting a WC1 power with three dice normally has a 90% chance of succeeding. With this rule, that drops down to a 50% chance. With the power now being WC2, you would need to toss six dice at the power in order to get that 90% chance back. 6 dice to get off a WC1 power. That's pretty brutal, and it also increases the unit's chance of perilsing by 400%.

Perfect idea, fits the background lore regarding Shadow in the Warp without being OP. I also think that shadow range should be tied into Synapse range, makes anything that boost synapse range a lot better.

I think that adding a WC to any cast in Shadows range would be too over powered. A +1 to Deny roll would be much better in most cases as it would fit. Shadows doesn't deny the most experienced psyche and this would demonstrated this in the game.

The only thing that would truely balance the tyranids is to give the warriors +1 toughness. It just seems so right on the prime, like... it matches the looks and the feel of the unit. Other than that too much insta death on them. Also, they should be exempt from fearless creatures not being able to go to ground. If tyranids could go to ground, they should be exempt from synapse punishment, and fall back and take morale checks as normal. I'd love to leave a group of cheapos at a point and run my synapse from it. I'd also give the pyrovore the ability to take 4 in a brood.

I think the best change to SITW is to reduce the number of warp charges a psyker contributes to their pool by 1 if within SITW range.

1 is too little. I'd say D3 should do it.

D3 could possibly work, or D3+1? Either way something really needs to be done with Shadows; also, bring back re rolls on dual scything talons.

1. Shadows range = synapse range, WC in range succeed on a 5+ not a 4+

2. General points decrease on most TMCs. Trygons are the worst.

3. All Synapse units may purchase ML 1
Or +1 ML for 20 points.

4. Onslaught the Primaris, allows units to shoot OR charge after they run.

5. Mycetic Spores

I think that nids suffer from the same problem terminators do. They have lots of great things about them. But because of the way the brb constricts and punishes them they can't stack up.

So here is a list of things I'd change for nids to fix them:

1) 1st turn assaults, if assaulted on turn 1 no overwatch

2) if deepstruck a unit my cc the turn they arrive (however they can only charge a maximum of 10 inches).

3) instinctive behavior only occurs on a roll vs base initiative on a d6 for the whole army (vs your lowest initiative at the time). You fail your IB roll your hurting. Give them a wargear specific to a brood Lord that grants a re-roll vs IB.

4) reduce the points costs on warriors and ravenors

5) increase the toughness of hive guard with a wargear option.

Those would change a lot of what is wrong with the nids right there. Really the nids problem is that they are decent once their in position but against armies loaded full of dakka getting there is nigh impossible without serious shenanigans abuse.

I was going to do a big list, but I thought I'd not bother and just put my top three unit changes out there instead.

1) Hive Tyrants without wings can take armoured Shell, Heavy Venom Cannons become Assault 2 and Monstrous Deathspitters become S8/AP4/Assault 3 (also affects long-ranged Carnifexes).

2) Tyrannofexes gain the Exocrine's Symbiotic Targeting rule, Rupture Cannons that hit with both shots cause a third automatic S10/AP1 hit to represent the cataclysmic reaction of the shells, Fleshborer Hive gains Rending.

3) Trygon/Trygon Prime electric attack can fire half the number of gaks but gain the Haywire rule, and both the Trygon/Trygon Prime gain "constrict" in melee (when they Smash, if the Smash hits then another Smash can be made, and so on until one misses).

Fixing nids would so simple IMO:

Instinctive behavior: Feed

-While in synapse range, units with this rule have the Rage special rule

Instinctive behavior: lurk

-While in synapse range, units with this rule have +1 to any cover saves. If they are out in the open, they have a 6+ cover save.

Instinctive behavior: hunt

-While in synapse range, units with this rule have +1 Ballistic Skill.

Synapse Creature:

To represent the incalculable intelligence of the Hive Mind, units and characters with the Synapse Creature rule can choose to automatically pass or fail any morale or leadership tests (with the exception of psychic tests).