Post by Jack Shrapnel on Jan 10, 2014 21:41:41 GMT -5
Okay, well the new book is in hand and I'm going to go through my initial impressions. Nice hardcover with lots of very cool artwork and overall a very cool looking book with lots of fluff. Okay time to delve into this now...
So synapse is pretty much the same although there are a few ways of boosting the range. The failure of synapse is actually not horrendous with the exception of one result on the table of creatures that have the "feed" IB - this includes: tyrant guard, old one eye, hormagants, ripper swarms, raveners, trygons, mawlocs and carnifex. yikes!
One option makes you charge something (no big deal you wanted to anyways), one gives you that plus rage (still good) and the last option makes you attack yourself... this is bad, so be careful with the hungry ones!
Warlord traits are all fairly "meh" but they're not terrible I guess... about on par with the base rulebook version, which you can take instead if you like. So we gained here because we at least have the option of taking the new list if we want. The one result of boosting synapse to 18" is pretty nice.
Shadows of the warp is a straight -3 penalty to psykers within 12" of synapse... so pretty similar math wise to what it was before, slight boost against lower level psykers.
Random nerf: scything talons don't give rerolls and 90% of the nids are WS3. sigh.
No book powers anymore. That is gone unfortunately. This sucks because out of the powers, really only 2 are okay and one is really good (catalyst). This will dramatically reduce the survivability of the MC's with no access to iron arm/endurance. Oh well, have to move on...
HQ:
Parasite of Mortrex is indeed gone.
Hive Tyrants: I'd give him a rating of "much improved".
the good = went up to BS4 (about friggin time!) and ML2 (nice!). Hive commander, old adversary and indescribable horror all got cheaper (nice!). You can now take tail biomorphs (kinda meh but cheap) and wings are nearly 50% cheaper upgrade!!!! this is huge. Base price went down 5 points but it's the savings on upgrades that really make this guy alot cheaper.
the bad = lash whip bonesword is no longer a free upgrade (boo) making the previous standard loadout actually more expensive. No more ability to get a 2+ save on a walking tyrant.
The Swarmlord: I'd give him a rating of "still solid"
the good: he's still got the same base stats and is a ML3 psyker and keeps MOST of his abilities.
the bad: went up in points slightly, but not enough to really matter
Tyrant Guard - can now take crushing claws - nuff said - "improved"!
Old one eye: "better, but still not exactly stellar for the points"
the good: regeneration improved, has the potential for one more attack, Initiative went up to 2, and can get FNP after the first wound suffered. Also dropped 40 points so nice!
the bad: HQ with no synapse! only L8... has feed... so yeah...
Tervigon: "nerf batted"
the good: can be still made troops, still spawns termagants, gives termagants counter attack for some weird reason
the bad: spawned gaunts can't move, synaptic backlash now 12"!, no biomancy, only knows one power now as ML1, increased in points (expected but still). Now requires a brood of 30 termagants to have ONE tervigon as troops, further increasing the cost.
Tyranid prime: "huh?"
exactly the same except went up in points by almost 50%. can't figure out why.
Deathleaper: "kinda cool"
the good: dropped a few points, can only be snap shot against which is fluffy and cool, infiltrate and stealth, reduces a character's leadership.
the bad: your HQ choice has a 5+ save, no synapse, and isn't an independent character. Cannot take any biomorphs to increase it's survivability and it's T4. yikes this thing is fragile!
Troops: "same story as last time"
warriors - exactly the same, but can take expensive flesh hooks for assault grenades and lash whip and bonesword got more expensive although now are only AP3. Sigh.
genestealers - exactly the same cost abilities etc. except adrenals are a point cheaper
termagants - a point cheaper but otherwise the same other than devourers dropped a point too! (I'd say improved overall just from these two things, even with adrenals/toxin sacs now costing more)
Hormagants - gained the slaanesh movement addition to their run (+3") and got a point cheaper, but toxins increased a point, so basic toxin hormies are the same exact price.
ripper swarms - increased in price by 3 points a base but otherwise exactly as sucky as they used to be. WTF GW?
Elite:
Doom is gone, and so are pods. sigh.
Hive guard: more expensive slightly and can pay even more for a haywire blast weapon which is kinda cool. now just ignore cover - so I'd say "buffed"
Lictor: dropped in points (yay!) can infiltrate (so can start on the board) but is still rocking a 5+ save - so they're buffed slightly but I'm not sure if it's enough to be useful, but it's enough that I'll try them
Zoanthropes: brotherhood of psykers rule. You get warp blast, just like before, but have a fancy rule of just adding shots to the original shot for every zoan you have. Still sweat the DTW roll but at least they dropped in points as a bonus - I think they're still pretty good.
Venomthropes: give shrouded within 6". this is nice. dropped 10 points - also nice. They're definitely better than they were and cheaper to boot. I think this counts as buffed.
Haruspex - it's 3 attacks seem pretty sucky but it gets more attacks and gains wounds when it hits so that's pretty cool. It's also a kick ass model and fairly cheap.
Pyrovore - well it's still in the book and dropped 5 points so now it only costs as much as a terminator. Also gained a wound, initiative and attack. it still blows up in your own lines when it dies, is T4 and is a slow walking flamer who now can't even take a pod. Verdict - still garbage.
Fast: mostly the same but the new models are pretty sweet
Shrikes - same thing
Raveners - same thing, but can take an expensive upgrade of the red terror which is basically like having a prime in the unit who doesn't have synapse, but if it hits with all it's attacks might swallow something whole. so "meh"?
sky slashers - still in the book for some reason
gargoyles - still the same but blinding venom causes blind.
Harpy - fairly significant point drop, and gained a wound and an attack. still has a weapon that cannot shoot other fliers (why?). otherwise pretty much the same - I think this counts as buffed but I'm not sure it compares to the crone.
Hive Crone - cheaper than the old harpy with the increased stats of the new harpy. Has a S8 vector strike and can shoot these one shot haywire missiles that reroll to hit vs. fliers and it has four of them! Also has a S6 heavy flamer which isn't torrent so will be tricky to get good placement. This unit is pretty nice. Priced decently with nice weaponry. I'm just not sure that a 4+ armor and T5 is going to last very long at all... at least it can dive!
spore mines - still here! they don't move randomly, just at half speed. went up in points inexplicably for the same thing no one took before... ummm okay
Heavy:
Carnifex: can buy tail weapons again (don't bother) can buy assault grenades (you're I2 who cares!)... dropped FOURTY POINTS!!! sweet baby Jesus... gained D3 hammer of wrath attacks and a point of initiative so you strike before power fists. they kind of lost an attack if and when you take devourers... if you keep them with the double scything talons you keep your four attacks. I'd call these babies buffed.
biovore - dropped five points but otherwise the same
Trygon - dropped ten points but otherwise the same. other than no rerolls from scything talons anymore which is balls. Trygon primes can take bio-artefacts. I have to think more on this to determine if it's worth it. The bio-artefacts are prohibitively expensive, but this may be a decent platform. nerf to scything talons hurts this beast badly.
Mawloc - dropped THIRTY points. basically the same other than when it burrows up if it doesn't clear what's there it hits again, and if this still doesn't kill what's there (clearing the area) it mishaps. even at that price I'm not sold, but that much of a point reduction is definitely a buff.
Exocrine - new beast is the old mawloc price which is decent for a W5 MC. Big gun is a large blast or a six shot and it can go up to BS4 if it stays still. short range of 24" if it's not moving though, but has some precious AP2 shooting, which I think is well worth it. Verdict - hey it's a new kit, of course it's good!
Tyrannofex - rupture cannon loadout (the only one you'd ever choose) is SIXTY points cheaper. wow. It's actually appropriately costed now. BS3 is sucky, but it's cheap enough I may give it a try again. Improved regen may actually be worth it on this beast. Too bad grav exists.
So synapse is pretty much the same although there are a few ways of boosting the range. The failure of synapse is actually not horrendous with the exception of one result on the table of creatures that have the "feed" IB - this includes: tyrant guard, old one eye, hormagants, ripper swarms, raveners, trygons, mawlocs and carnifex. yikes!
One option makes you charge something (no big deal you wanted to anyways), one gives you that plus rage (still good) and the last option makes you attack yourself... this is bad, so be careful with the hungry ones!
Warlord traits are all fairly "meh" but they're not terrible I guess... about on par with the base rulebook version, which you can take instead if you like. So we gained here because we at least have the option of taking the new list if we want. The one result of boosting synapse to 18" is pretty nice.
Shadows of the warp is a straight -3 penalty to psykers within 12" of synapse... so pretty similar math wise to what it was before, slight boost against lower level psykers.
Random nerf: scything talons don't give rerolls and 90% of the nids are WS3. sigh.
No book powers anymore. That is gone unfortunately. This sucks because out of the powers, really only 2 are okay and one is really good (catalyst). This will dramatically reduce the survivability of the MC's with no access to iron arm/endurance. Oh well, have to move on...
HQ:
Parasite of Mortrex is indeed gone.
Hive Tyrants: I'd give him a rating of "much improved".
the good = went up to BS4 (about friggin time!) and ML2 (nice!). Hive commander, old adversary and indescribable horror all got cheaper (nice!). You can now take tail biomorphs (kinda meh but cheap) and wings are nearly 50% cheaper upgrade!!!! this is huge. Base price went down 5 points but it's the savings on upgrades that really make this guy alot cheaper.
the bad = lash whip bonesword is no longer a free upgrade (boo) making the previous standard loadout actually more expensive. No more ability to get a 2+ save on a walking tyrant.
The Swarmlord: I'd give him a rating of "still solid"
the good: he's still got the same base stats and is a ML3 psyker and keeps MOST of his abilities.
the bad: went up in points slightly, but not enough to really matter
Tyrant Guard - can now take crushing claws - nuff said - "improved"!
Old one eye: "better, but still not exactly stellar for the points"
the good: regeneration improved, has the potential for one more attack, Initiative went up to 2, and can get FNP after the first wound suffered. Also dropped 40 points so nice!
the bad: HQ with no synapse! only L8... has feed... so yeah...
Tervigon: "nerf batted"
the good: can be still made troops, still spawns termagants, gives termagants counter attack for some weird reason
the bad: spawned gaunts can't move, synaptic backlash now 12"!, no biomancy, only knows one power now as ML1, increased in points (expected but still). Now requires a brood of 30 termagants to have ONE tervigon as troops, further increasing the cost.
Tyranid prime: "huh?"
exactly the same except went up in points by almost 50%. can't figure out why.
Deathleaper: "kinda cool"
the good: dropped a few points, can only be snap shot against which is fluffy and cool, infiltrate and stealth, reduces a character's leadership.
the bad: your HQ choice has a 5+ save, no synapse, and isn't an independent character. Cannot take any biomorphs to increase it's survivability and it's T4. yikes this thing is fragile!
Troops: "same story as last time"
warriors - exactly the same, but can take expensive flesh hooks for assault grenades and lash whip and bonesword got more expensive although now are only AP3. Sigh.
genestealers - exactly the same cost abilities etc. except adrenals are a point cheaper
termagants - a point cheaper but otherwise the same other than devourers dropped a point too! (I'd say improved overall just from these two things, even with adrenals/toxin sacs now costing more)
Hormagants - gained the slaanesh movement addition to their run (+3") and got a point cheaper, but toxins increased a point, so basic toxin hormies are the same exact price.
ripper swarms - increased in price by 3 points a base but otherwise exactly as sucky as they used to be. WTF GW?
Elite:
Doom is gone, and so are pods. sigh.
Hive guard: more expensive slightly and can pay even more for a haywire blast weapon which is kinda cool. now just ignore cover - so I'd say "buffed"
Lictor: dropped in points (yay!) can infiltrate (so can start on the board) but is still rocking a 5+ save - so they're buffed slightly but I'm not sure if it's enough to be useful, but it's enough that I'll try them
Zoanthropes: brotherhood of psykers rule. You get warp blast, just like before, but have a fancy rule of just adding shots to the original shot for every zoan you have. Still sweat the DTW roll but at least they dropped in points as a bonus - I think they're still pretty good.
Venomthropes: give shrouded within 6". this is nice. dropped 10 points - also nice. They're definitely better than they were and cheaper to boot. I think this counts as buffed.
Haruspex - it's 3 attacks seem pretty sucky but it gets more attacks and gains wounds when it hits so that's pretty cool. It's also a kick ass model and fairly cheap.
Pyrovore - well it's still in the book and dropped 5 points so now it only costs as much as a terminator. Also gained a wound, initiative and attack. it still blows up in your own lines when it dies, is T4 and is a slow walking flamer who now can't even take a pod. Verdict - still garbage.
Fast: mostly the same but the new models are pretty sweet
Shrikes - same thing
Raveners - same thing, but can take an expensive upgrade of the red terror which is basically like having a prime in the unit who doesn't have synapse, but if it hits with all it's attacks might swallow something whole. so "meh"?
sky slashers - still in the book for some reason
gargoyles - still the same but blinding venom causes blind.
Harpy - fairly significant point drop, and gained a wound and an attack. still has a weapon that cannot shoot other fliers (why?). otherwise pretty much the same - I think this counts as buffed but I'm not sure it compares to the crone.
Hive Crone - cheaper than the old harpy with the increased stats of the new harpy. Has a S8 vector strike and can shoot these one shot haywire missiles that reroll to hit vs. fliers and it has four of them! Also has a S6 heavy flamer which isn't torrent so will be tricky to get good placement. This unit is pretty nice. Priced decently with nice weaponry. I'm just not sure that a 4+ armor and T5 is going to last very long at all... at least it can dive!
spore mines - still here! they don't move randomly, just at half speed. went up in points inexplicably for the same thing no one took before... ummm okay
Heavy:
Carnifex: can buy tail weapons again (don't bother) can buy assault grenades (you're I2 who cares!)... dropped FOURTY POINTS!!! sweet baby Jesus... gained D3 hammer of wrath attacks and a point of initiative so you strike before power fists. they kind of lost an attack if and when you take devourers... if you keep them with the double scything talons you keep your four attacks. I'd call these babies buffed.
biovore - dropped five points but otherwise the same
Trygon - dropped ten points but otherwise the same. other than no rerolls from scything talons anymore which is balls. Trygon primes can take bio-artefacts. I have to think more on this to determine if it's worth it. The bio-artefacts are prohibitively expensive, but this may be a decent platform. nerf to scything talons hurts this beast badly.
Mawloc - dropped THIRTY points. basically the same other than when it burrows up if it doesn't clear what's there it hits again, and if this still doesn't kill what's there (clearing the area) it mishaps. even at that price I'm not sold, but that much of a point reduction is definitely a buff.
Exocrine - new beast is the old mawloc price which is decent for a W5 MC. Big gun is a large blast or a six shot and it can go up to BS4 if it stays still. short range of 24" if it's not moving though, but has some precious AP2 shooting, which I think is well worth it. Verdict - hey it's a new kit, of course it's good!
Tyrannofex - rupture cannon loadout (the only one you'd ever choose) is SIXTY points cheaper. wow. It's actually appropriately costed now. BS3 is sucky, but it's cheap enough I may give it a try again. Improved regen may actually be worth it on this beast. Too bad grav exists.
it still does what it does - be hard to kill and sit on an objective in cover and make extra troops... so yeah, it's still decent!
