Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Codex First Impressions
We got our hands on the new Tyranid Codex and it’s looking like a contender. Here are some first impressions.
It’s part of the last batch of 9th edition codexes to come out but has it been worth the wait? We’ve spent some time with the codex and, so far, the answer is a resounding “yes, absolutely.”
Tyranid Codex First Impressions
Let’s just cut right to it — just about everything is better in this book compared to the old version. Of the regular units you might see in a Tyranid force two got nerfed slightly while everything else is just plain better. The two units that got knocked down a peg are the Swarmlord and Hive Guard. But even those are still strong enough to hang with the rest of the book. That’s a pretty good sign moving forward.
You’ve probably seen a bunch of the previews and stats from the book already. If you thought the previews were looking good we can verify there’s even more to love in the book. There lots of tweaks and changes all over the place that make Tyranids better across the board.
One of the big things we notices was that a bunch of the shooting attacks went from a random damage stat to a flat damage stat. In many cases they became slightly better than their previous average die roll. For example a D3 weapon might be a flat 2 damage now or a D6 damage weapon will be 4 damage. Personally, I really like these changes as it makes things faster. It’s one less die to roll per attack and it also makes the damage more consistent. It also removes the frustration of rolling that 1 damage on a D6 damage hit.
And in some cases, the D6 damage weapons got even BETTER than a flat stat bump — like the Rupture Cannon.
Pick Your Playstyle
The new Tyranid Codex also supports the type of Tyranid army that YOU want to play. Like Big Bug lists? You can do that. Want the Endless Swarm horde-style list? That also works. Want to pack a bunch of psychic punch? Check! Want to run a medium bug list? That’s a thing, too. The only thing it can’t do is run a plastic Lord of War like an Imperial Knight-sized kit. Maybe next time…
Sorry – still not in the codex.
How About The Meta?
Will the Tyranids be a Meta Army to watch out for? Uh…have you heard to the Crusher Stampede because that’s currently a thing. This codex only makes it better. So yes, Tyranids are going to be an army that continues to show up in the meta. It’s absolutely going to be one to watch out for. The new codex might even allow it to do some unexpected things as well.
The new Hyper-Adaptations are also going to be a thing for Tyranids. We’ve seen other armies get to change their army-wide rules over the course of the game. However, Tyranids are getting the option to swap things out at the start of the game — after they get a look at the army they are facing! This extra level of customization can and will mess with the meta. If you though Tyranids were tough before then they are going to be an even bigger problem very soon.
Just The Beginning
The Tyranids are getting some major updates with the new codex and it’s just plain better than it was from the previous edition. For veteran Tyranid players they are going to have to re-learn a few things and adapt to the new toys. But once they do…look out! The Apex Predators that are the Tyranids are coming to devour all your biomass. The dinner bell has been rung — you might want to get out of the way.
NOMNOMNOMNOM
Promotional material provided by Games Workshop, LLC
