The Swarm Reborn

A while back, hearing of the impending Tyranid 9th ed Codex, I engaged in a bit of speculation. Now that the codex has actually dropped, I thought I'd go back and see if I was on the money with any of my guesses, and if I was, get in touch with GW and ask for royalties on my ideas. 

And you know what, if that was even remotely a possibility, I'd have scored a few bonuses, I reckon! Here are the guesses I got more or less right:

• Gargoyles are now troops
• Monsters generally got their +1 WS
• Command Phase synaptic abilities became a canon (and slightly complicated) thing
• Better traits and relic
• No more 3+ for Zooanthropes (although the Neurothrope manages to keep hold of one, the sly bastard)
• Troop replacement shenanigans are a thing
• They did change Synapse and Shadow in the Warp a bit, just so they could say they had
• Jesus Christ Tervigons and Lictors whoa momma

And if that was that, I reckon as a Tyranid player, I'd have been utterly delighted and licking my feeder tendrils hungrily in anticipation of my next meal/game.

But! I am also a grumpy old man, one who plays Warhammer to boot, so just leaving it there is really not an option. No, I have to complain a bit as well. This is the internet, after all, you have to maintain a certain standard. 

Bugs Not Features

Codex creep is pretty much what you expect from a GW release these days. Tyranids get some of the most buffy buffs I've seen in a while, T'au weaponry aside, and although some of it is lovely as said, some of it has me scratching my head. 

It's hard to put a finger on any one thing, really, and doubly so because I haven't actually played a game with the new rules! So this is all instinctive reactions (and all the more Tyranid for that). It does feel rather like everything got improved, with more AP, damage or armour, and in several cases all of the above. Your humble Termagant is tougher with a better basic weapon, Carnifexes will draw and survive more fire whilst providing more terror for their points, all the monsters are proper combat beasts, and so on. 

Great! What am I whining about? 

Well, partly that there are so many shifts in what goes where and how it does when it gets there, I'm reeling to take it all in. Trying it out is obviously key here, and that's going to give me the chance to provide proper feedback. But there's also an underlying point about 9th ed here, that when everything has to get bigger, better and bloodier, it actually feels like nothing really is. 

Buddy gets it

That's a bit of a grump about 9th in general, though, that the game has once again fallen prey to its own complexities, and is currently sinking into a swamp of revised rules, rules updates, optional rule sideboards and whiney players (like me). I strongly suspect the newer Crusher Stampede rules are flat out broken when mixed with this codex, I'd expect FAQs on that, for example. And don't even get me started on Armour of Contempt - if you hadn't made all the guns shootier, you wouldn't need to fix the armour! 

Bring on 10th? No thanks, bring back 8th, is my luddite opinion, but I can cross that Rubicon when it's injected into my spine by a grabby pack of servitors. 

Back to Bugsics

Grognarding aside, I do think it's a greatly improved codex that has some fun stuff to play with. It leans heavily on the swarming troops, which is what it ought to be, and a lot of the staples you'd expect from previous netlists and tourney winners are sidelined heavily in favour of other options, whereas underperforming niche options are now up to par, so you can play with more varied lists. A few quick reactions to those:

• Swarmlord now feels much more like a hefty character rather than an attack catapult, and is a vast improvement that I'd consider using without feeling like a cheeselord
• Hive Guard are not the be-all and end-all of the shooting phase any more, and in fact are more likely to see use with their Shockcannons, I'd reckon
• Genestealers! What happened? Can't take more than 10, they can't run and charge any more, but are now a slightly tankier forward deployment option. And although they're elite, they aren't as elite as GSC ones (I suppose that makes sense, mind, GSC ones are like an ultimate evolution of an established cult, the children of 4th generation hybrids in the fluff. Tyranid ones are just another biomass hoover, part of the overall swarm). That hurts my collection a bit, so obviously I'm a little salty, but I reckon they copped a unexpected nerf overall and I'm not sure what they did to deserve it. All the same, forward striking with a pack supported by a Broodlord is still going to be a nasty surprise for someone!
• Termagant weapon tweaks leave the humble Fleshborer as the easy winner. I can see the rationale behind twin pistols or the increased firing rate on a Devourer, but their low strength and AP just isn't a comparison, and I don't understand why the Devourer in particular costs more points rather than being a flat side-grade
• Spore Mines (and their pals) don't block movement any more, which is a friendly concession to enemies. They are slightly more explody but explode on a per model basis (rather than the whole lot at once as before). Their rules are more complicated and a bit slower as a result, but probably fairer, making them more of a movement hazard rather than a surprise kamikaze attack. I still wouldn't pay points for them, though, but free ones from Biovores definitely appeal
• One Tyrant per detachment is fair, I would reluctantly concede
• The Parasite of Mortrex is a nice model, makes for a decent character to accompany Gargoyles and has amusing rules, but doesn't somehow win me over enough to invest. Unlike bloody Harpies! Luckily the internet has bought all of those already, so I'll have to wait until they get nerfed again

Whether my poor old brain can cope with all the new strategems, synaptic command abilities and so on, I'll have to see. I do like the new Hive Fleet traits, they all seem roughly on a par and lead to interesting theory crafting, although Leviathan is a clear stand-out for me (especially if all their newest stuff is still on offer, see above remarks on Crusher Stampedes). Bring able to switch a trait to react to your opponent is a lovely touch, and although I could see this could be a occasionally obnoxious (suddenly no Overwatch for you, T'au player!), most of the options seem like situational sidegrades that won't be a total sticking plaster for a weakness or able to take too much advantage of an opponent's strength. 

Anyway, that's enough gut reaction - I clearly need to go and eat this bio-pudding rather than contemplating it from afar. Anyone for a game?