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Here is my custom rules for the Malefactor. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks.
Malefactor
The Malefactor is a large Tyranid assault organism that is able to transport a brood of other Tyranid creatures into battle under its thick carapace. They are covered from head to tail in thick chitinous armour plating that protects them from incoming enemy fire. The Malefactor drags itself along the ground propelling itself with it’s large, powerful forearms and tail. Its forearms are studded with explosive bio-frag spines that it sprays as it rushes forward. It can also squirt forth a jet of highly toxic acid that eats through both flesh and metal alike as though they were paper. Finally, it is surprisingly fast and may propel itself through relatively long distances for brief periods of time.
Bio-Frag Spines:The forearms of the Malefactor are studded with explosive bio-frag spines that it sprays as it rushes forward.
The Malefactor and any unit that has just disembarked from it counts as having frag grenades when they charge into combat. The passengers need to charge on the same turn as when they disembark to benefit from the Malefactor's Frag Spines.
Battering Forearms:The over-sized and very powerful forearms of the Malefactor are used also as seige weapons, bulldozing fortifications and smashing anything that gets in its way.
The Hammer of Wrath attack of the Malefactor is treated as S:10 AP:2 and may re-roll any failed Armour Penetration rolls.
Burst Speed:Despite its massive size and heavy armor, the Malefactor is surprisingly fast. It can move very quickly for short amounts of time.
Every other turn, the Malefactor may move 12".
Transport:Underneath the thick carapace of the Malefactor are cavities which can house an entire brood of Tyranid organisms.
The Malefactor can hold 1 brood of up to 15 models. The models may not be of the type Monstrous Creature, Beast or Jump Infantry. The Malefactor is otherwise treated as an Open-topped Transport.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2014/10/11 16:41:42
I would drop him to a 3+ save. I feel like the 2+ makes him too strong for the points, especially I'm melee. You could raise the points I guess, but then it wouldn't be a very efficient choice
Abadabadoobaddon wrote:
Phoenix wrote:Well I don't think the battle company would do much to bolster the ranks of my eldar army so no.
Nonsense. The Battle Company box is perfect for filling out your ranks of aspect warriors with a large contingent from the Screaming Baldies shrine.
While I like the idea quite a bit, the hypothetical Malefactor as it stands now does look like it would overlap and outshine some of the existing Tyranid units, particularly the Tyrannofex and Carnifex (specifically the stonecrusher) as some of the prior posters have said.
I suppose for tweaking, I'd probably start by downgrading it to a 3+ and use the following for wargear.
- Stinger Salvo
- Frag Spines
The main concern really is just keeping the creature from overlapping with the Tyrannofex. As it stands now, it is arguably a better melee fighter (higher I, grenades) and has a ranged weapon that combines both anti-armor and anti-toughness properties, diminishing the utility of the Tyrannofex's more specialized template weapons. Giving it a salvo and frag spines keeps it more focused on delivering units to the front while providing a bit of covering fire as it goes.
For special rules, the transport function should probably just state that it can carry "x" quantity of models rather than wounds. All the larger infantry creatures in our codex gained the Very Bulky rule (count as 3 models for transport - almost all of said models have 3 wounds), so they have the rules for transport functionality without any added special rules required. I'd probably also put the shared frag spines as a special effect from the transport rule rather than the Frag Spines, since the latter are an actual biomorph already in our codex so a rule modifying how they work is better for consistency.
I'd also probably drop the battering forearms rule. While thematically appropriate for a linebreaking creature, it does overlap with the Stonecrusher fex rather badly and the hypothetical Malefactor brings other utility functions that would already make it desirable. The last thing we want is a scenario like the Wave Serpent vs Falcon, wherein the Dedicated Transport option is better at a Heavy Support unit's job than said unit.
I suppose in short, here's what I would probably have for a revised version:
FAST ATTACK (purely to keep with the other dedicated transports in 7th)
Options * May take options from the Biomorphs list.
* May replace its Stinger Salvo with Cluster Spines for 5 points.
* May take a Thresher Scythe for 10 points. (just in keeping with the chassis)
--------
Lumbering Stride: The Malefactor can move up to 12'' a turn rather than 6'', though it must still test for difficult terrain as normal.
Brood Host: The Malefactor is treated as an assault transport with a transport capacity of 15 models. Any unit charging into close combat on the same turn it disembarks from a Malefactor is treated as having Frag Spines for that assault phase.
Edit: Bah! Hit "quote" rather than "edit"...
This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2014/10/11 16:07:57
Ashiraya wrote: That is very strong. Tough as a Riptide (Minus invuln), fast, fearless, and hits really hard in melee.
Isn't it basically a Carnifex but better?
It serves a much different purpose than the carnifex. If you want to compare it, you can compare it to that of the Haruspex or Exocrine. But I will make some changes to it to tone it down somewhat.
Silverthorne wrote: I would drop him to a 3+ save. I feel like the 2+ makes him too strong for the points, especially I'm melee. You could raise the points I guess, but then it wouldn't be a very efficient choice
kryczek wrote: Too cheap with the 2+. Make it 3+ and your good.
Done!
Strat_N8 wrote: While I like the idea quite a bit, the hypothetical Malefactor as it stands now does look like it would overlap and outshine some of the existing Tyranid units, particularly the Tyrannofex and Carnifex (specifically the stonecrusher) as some of the prior posters have said.
I suppose for tweaking, I'd probably start by downgrading it to a 3+ and use the following for wargear.
Spoiler:
- Stinger Salvo
- Frag Spines
The main concern really is just keeping the creature from overlapping with the Tyrannofex. As it stands now, it is arguably a better melee fighter (higher I, grenades) and has a ranged weapon that combines both anti-armor and anti-toughness properties, diminishing the utility of the Tyrannofex's more specialized template weapons. Giving it a salvo and frag spines keeps it more focused on delivering units to the front while providing a bit of covering fire as it goes.
For special rules, the transport function should probably just state that it can carry "x" quantity of models rather than wounds. All the larger infantry creatures in our codex gained the Very Bulky rule (count as 3 models for transport - almost all of said models have 3 wounds), so they have the rules for transport functionality without any added special rules required. I'd probably also put the shared frag spines as a special effect from the transport rule rather than the Frag Spines, since the latter are an actual biomorph already in our codex so a rule modifying how they work is better for consistency.
I'd also probably drop the battering forearms rule. While thematically appropriate for a linebreaking creature, it does overlap with the Stonecrusher fex rather badly and the hypothetical Malefactor brings other utility functions that would already make it desirable. The last thing we want is a scenario like the Wave Serpent vs Falcon, wherein the Dedicated Transport option is better at a Heavy Support unit's job than said unit.
I suppose in short, here's what I would probably have for a revised version:
FAST ATTACK (purely to keep with the other dedicated transports in 7th)
Options * May take options from the Biomorphs list.
* May replace its Stinger Salvo with Cluster Spines for 5 points.
* May take a Thresher Scythe for 10 points. (just in keeping with the chassis)
--------
Lumbering Stride: The Malefactor can move up to 12'' a turn rather than 6'', though it must still test for difficult terrain as normal.
Brood Host: The Malefactor is treated as an assault transport with a transport capacity of 15 models. Any unit charging into close combat on the same turn it disembarks from a Malefactor is treated as having Frag Spines for that assault phase.
Edit: Bah! Hit "quote" rather than "edit"...
Some very good points. Thanks for the input, Strat.
Here are some of the changes I have made due to some of your suggestions:
I took out Fleshbane from his Acid Jet. Personally, I prefer this weapon and feel that now there is enough to differentiate his gun to the T-fex's gun. Whereas Acid Jet is S5 and Armourbane, the T-fex's Acid Spray is S6 and Torrent. I also reduce its Armour Save to 3+ to keep it more inline with the Haruspex/Exocrine.
I have re-worded its Transport rules and will rename its Frag Spines to Bio-Frag Spines to differentiate that from the book.
As for the Stonecrusherfex, I feel that there is enough to differentiate the 2. The Malefactof has only 1 HoW attack on the charge. The Stonecrusher has D3 HoW attacks (and Armourbane/Monsterbane). Moreover, the Stonecrusher is much more effective against armour in melee with S10 attacks in CC as well as its Sunder rule. Finally, the Malefactor is more expensive than the Stonecrusher so I really don't see it upstaging the Stonecrusher insofar as its armour-destroying role.
I didn't give it the Thresher Scythe tail option because the main purpose for its tail is to help propel it forwards in the Movement phase and not as an auxiliary combat weapon.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/10/11 16:40:51
I really don't like the idea of a transport for my nids, just doesn't excite me but that said, this could be useful - particularly with a Warrior brood with boneswords.
thanks for sharing!
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/10/12 10:31:05
.....Bay Area Open GT 2013 - Best Tyranids 
.....LVO GT 2014 Team Tournament - Best Generals
so no.
