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So, here is the new Tyranids codex. And considering the player's reaction, it’s really great. We’ve gathered here top-5 changes that Tyranid players liked.

1- There are changes in many units which were already good in the Index. We can see the invuln increase – to 4++ for the Tyrants and to 3++ for Swarmlord in close combat. Quite effective. When Indexes were released, it seemed that GW was afraid to give units 3++ or the chance to get it. But now we can see how it gradually returns into the game. Let’s hope that 1000 Sons will get back their 4++…

2- The tail attack used to substitute one attack with the usual weapon which was quite disturbing – why should Hive Tyrant who has 6/-3/3 attacks spend one of them to hit 6/0/D3? Now the tail attack goes in addition to the others, everything as it should be – nice bonus without any inconvenience.

3- If two new species of carnifexes aren’t enough, the standard one has become more versatile. You can adjust it to any playing style and make any weapon more effective using biomorphs. BS 3+ and 24 shots with devourers? Easy. Lots of attacks in close combat with charge bonuses and mortal wounds in base contact? Done. So, now Carnifex isn’t a burden anymore – with the increased durability and all these abilities it is a real danger for any enemy.

4- A great upgrade for Tyrannofex – Rupture cannon used to have only 2 shots with an unintelligible 10/-1/2 profile, which got better only if both shots hit. Now it has 3 shots and 10/-3/D6 from the outset – a significant difference. The weapon, which is supposed to rip the tanks apart, according to its background, now can really do it.

5 - Neurotrophe has moved to the HQ slot which made him even better. A psyker able to cast 2 psychic powers with re-roll of 1-s, healing itself and sharing these bonuses with Zoantrophes – isn’t that a reason to take a Supreme Command Detachment for a bunch of these guys?

Sure, there are some black ships. For example – Deathleaper can no longer be set up 1 inch from the enemy characters. This significantly decreases the ability to fight characters with <10 wounds. Also, Old One Eye who used to get bonus attacks for every successful hit, now gets them only on 6+.

There’s also many good things about the army special rules. Hive fleet adaptations let you choose any gaming style you want – Kronos gunline, Hydra mass gaunts, or Behemoth alfa-strike. No matter what is your favorite tactics you will find a solution in Tyranids army. Sure, there are themed artefacts, stratagems, traits and all this stuff. In 6 edition Tyranids used to be a useless army with lots of weird special rules. Now they can be a sharp instrument able to adjust to any combat mission.

Find more in our blog: https://warzone40k.com/tyranid-codex-review

It looks really good overall. Seems to follow the pattern of DG, Guard, and Eldar codices, which is nice.

The one thing i don't get is why Genestealers have an Invul save. Did they ever in the past? I'm coming back after last playing 5th, so maybe I'm missing something. Just seems odd.

 Drudge Dreadnought wrote:
It looks really good overall. Seems to follow the pattern of DG, Guard, and Eldar codices, which is nice.

The one thing i don't get is why Genestealers have an Invul save. Did they ever in the past? I'm coming back after last playing 5th, so maybe I'm missing something. Just seems odd.

They never had one before, but the invun is much needed to give them any chance of making melee

 AaronWilson wrote:

 Drudge Dreadnought wrote:
It looks really good overall. Seems to follow the pattern of DG, Guard, and Eldar codices, which is nice.

The one thing i don't get is why Genestealers have an Invul save. Did they ever in the past? I'm coming back after last playing 5th, so maybe I'm missing something. Just seems odd.

They never had one before, but the invun is much needed to give them any chance of making melee

Seems like it negates the use of carapace then? I certainly see that they will have trouble getting into melee (like every melee unit), just seems like an out of character way to solve it. *shrug*

It's explained as being a hyper fast reaction speed. The genestealers seem to boarder on precognitive in how fast they move around and dodge.

GSC purestrains got it at the end of 7th. Now all GS have it in 8th.

The HQ-section is much better now. Index tyranids had great troops-choices, but most of the HQ-selections were kind of awkward. The Newrothrope is a great psyker, but not a smite-spammer, which is nice. The hive Tyrant is also much more usable.

Carnifexes has received some much needed love.

Genestealers are still a glasscannon, but slightly less so. I don't see them running into combat if you bring less than 80 though.

Warriors are better with cheaper bone-swords and deathspitters. I doubt that anyone will be using talons now, which is a shame because they look so awesome.

about old one eye:

Remember its extra attacks on a 6+ so when he charges any 4, 5, or 6 he rolls gives him an extra attack since he buffs himself with +1 and gets +1 on the charge.

Overall its not that bad of a nerf and makes him more consistant with the Scythe of Teran bio artefact which is what he is supposed to be using.

Im sure they had a 5++ before? 3rd Ed maybe?

 Eihnlazer wrote:
about old one eye:

Remember its extra attacks on a 6+ so when he charges any 4, 5, or 6 he rolls gives him an extra attack since he buffs himself with +1 and gets +1 on the charge.

Overall its not that bad of a nerf and makes him more consistant with the Scythe of Teran bio artefact which is what he is supposed to be using.

Except named characters can't take Bio-artifacts.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Drudge Dreadnought wrote:

 AaronWilson wrote:

 Drudge Dreadnought wrote:
It looks really good overall. Seems to follow the pattern of DG, Guard, and Eldar codices, which is nice.

The one thing i don't get is why Genestealers have an Invul save. Did they ever in the past? I'm coming back after last playing 5th, so maybe I'm missing something. Just seems odd.

They never had one before, but the invun is much needed to give them any chance of making melee

Seems like it negates the use of carapace then? I certainly see that they will have trouble getting into melee (like every melee unit), just seems like an out of character way to solve it. *shrug*

Carapace with Jormangandr gives them a 3+, given how fragile they are with a 5++ it sounds like a good way to get them into combat.

Imateria he isn't taking a bio artefact, he has it natively in his profile.

 Imateria wrote:

 Eihnlazer wrote:
about old one eye:

Remember its extra attacks on a 6+ so when he charges any 4, 5, or 6 he rolls gives him an extra attack since he buffs himself with +1 and gets +1 on the charge.

Overall its not that bad of a nerf and makes him more consistant with the Scythe of Teran bio artefact which is what he is supposed to be using.

Except named characters can't take Bio-artifacts.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Drudge Dreadnought wrote:

 AaronWilson wrote:

 Drudge Dreadnought wrote:
It looks really good overall. Seems to follow the pattern of DG, Guard, and Eldar codices, which is nice.

The one thing i don't get is why Genestealers have an Invul save. Did they ever in the past? I'm coming back after last playing 5th, so maybe I'm missing something. Just seems odd.

They never had one before, but the invun is much needed to give them any chance of making melee

Seems like it negates the use of carapace then? I certainly see that they will have trouble getting into melee (like every melee unit), just seems like an out of character way to solve it. *shrug*

Carapace with Jormangandr gives them a 3+, given how fragile they are with a 5++ it sounds like a good way to get them into combat.

That has only some niche applications though, since it bumps up the cost and slows them down.

My take on this, from a single game...

1. "Shadows in the Warp" actually doing something, not something mahoosive, but something useful

2. things moving around, e.g. Broodlord is now a HQ choice, allows a bit more flexibility in putting a themed list together

3. Talons being "re-roll to hit rolls of 1"

4. Hive traits allowing you to pick a theme and get a bonus for sticking with it and thus doing it well

5. "leader" type models making models near them better, e.g. the Broodlord boosting Genestealers - flips the traditional 40k method of the hero doing the heavy lifting while having a meat shield on its head.


All in all the codex feels like it was written by someone who had done more than read the previous one and look at the models, some though appears to have gone into how the army should be able to work, then how to allow you to actually do it.

Not seeing anything overly broken, but not seeing anything thats "why bother? will never use that" either

Honestly, I LOVE the special characters are considered specialist strains, so you get 0-1 of them in ANY Hive Fleet.

On top of internal balance looking pretty good so far and that the codex isn't broken without an FAQ needed like with Guard, and I think it's a successful project.

Tervigon. Why bother?

Hi again Teena!

Unless Smite gets the predicted nerf, Neurothropes are among the best HQs in the game.

Really love how mobile nids have become. My fave part about the book is you actually have a hard time picking Warlord traits or hive fleeets because the choices are all good and useful.

 DarknessEternal wrote:
Unless Smite gets the predicted nerf, Neurothropes are among the best HQs in the game.

Neurothrope is a fine unit, but at 70 points it is not exactly a smite machine.

I must say I'm impressed with the 'Nid codex as well. It's actually become a serious option for me to start an army with, but I'm waiting for other codexes until I make a final decision.

 Teena Hancock wrote:
2- The tail attack used to substitute one attack with the usual weapon which was quite disturbing – why should Hive Tyrant who has 6/-3/3 attacks spend one of them to hit 6/0/D3? Now the tail attack goes in addition to the others, everything as it should be – nice bonus without any inconvenience.

There was nothing wrong with this in the first place. If people didn't panic and go all juvenile GW wouldn't have to word it differently. Nothing has change here in the index release. The Hive Tyrant lost one attack in the codex compared to the index so it's still the same amount of attacks.

People got upset over nothing, thinking the Hive Tyrant gained an extra attack in the index when it didn't. That extra attack went to the tail. So nothing was gained or lost here. Just wording that got people upset for some reason.