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 rabid1903 wrote:

Waaaghpower wrote:
Synapse as a more vital piece of Synergy. Certain creatures are more powerful at Synapse, and depending on how Synapsey you are you get more buffs. Maybe... most Synapse creatures are level 1 synapse, a couple are level 2, maybe the swarmlord is level 3? (Or even level 4 and you make hive tyrants level three...)
For every Synapse point nearby, add one and consult the chart. (So if you have two Zoanthropes (level 1) and a Tervigon (level 2) within 12" then you have four points.)
0 - Instinctive behavior
1 - No benefits or penalties
2 - Use the highest leadership in Synapse range
3 - Fearless
4 - All above, Preferred Enemy (Any target within 12" of a Synapse creature buffing the current squad)
5 - All above, Feel no Pain
6 - All above, Eternal Warrior
7+ - All above, may substitute any In-range Synapse creature's BS or WS

These are just stand-ins, but you get the point. The more synaptic you are, the tougher you are. (With some exceptions, of course. Genestealers might always count as level 4 regardless of how many synapse creatures would be nearby, etc.)
.

Also, make Warriors a character upgrade to lead guants and gants.

I'm actually a big fan of this system and think it is the way GW should go forward.

Do you mind if I adopt something like this for the custom Tyranid codex that I'm working on for a new rulebook?

Maybe apply that to how many different synapses the unit is in range of, and lower the range to have Fearless and the lower ones start at 1, instead of the multiple levels of synapse. That way its a bit less recordkeeping and basic synapse still keeps the critters pushing forward. But I like it a lot.

Lots of interesting ideas bouncing around here. I want to talk about Synapse specially though. Let's think about what Synapse is supposed to be, flavour-wise.

A controlling intelligence. A network of minds, stronger than they could be individually because they all work as one. A powerful psychic presence, able to block out other psychic powers and communications. A mental lash, suppressing the natural instincts of creatures and driving them on through otherwise crippling injuries and incredible danger. An alien cunning, with leader-beasts able to dominate the will of lesser beasts to dominate combat.

Currently, Synapse and Shadow in the Warp capture the mental dominion and psychic interference pretty well. What we don't see at all is the controlling intelligence making Termagants more fearsome, or turning a Hormagaunts' berserker charge into a tactically fearsome flanking attack striking at the enemy's weakest points.

So, let's see.

Synapse
- Tyranid units within 12" of a model with Synapse are Fearless and ignore Instinctive Behaviour
- Tyranid units that start their move within 12" of a model with Synapse automatically regroup
- Shadow in the Warp, good as it is
- Tyranid units containing at least one model with the Synapse special rule also have Adamantium Will

Add to that, something like the following

Dominate brood: A Tyranid unit with the Synapse rule may use its Synaptic power to grant a friendly Tyranid unit within it's own Synapse range one of the following special rules:
- Furious Charge
- Rampage
- Move Through Cover
- Preferred Enemy
- Feel No Pain
- Skyfire
- Eternal Warrior
These rules are granted at the start of the Tyranid turn, and last until the start of the next Tyranid turn.

Basically, it shows the overmind controlling it's minions directly, would encourage the use of Synapse creatures (even Warriors I would bet) and could lead to a lot of interesting situations and decisions for the Tyranid player.

It would also make collapsing the Synaptic network a top priority for opponents, as it should be (even affecting the Tyranid player's choices to the point where he may start to stop using Synapse offensively and instead start using it to weather incoming fire, which thematically represents those Tyranid Warriors being too busy fighting for their own lives to bother truly overseeing the Termagants).



Aside from that, seventeen thumbs up for Loki's idea on Hormagaunt Brood Nests.