Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K Hot Mess – Tyranid Broodlord
Do you remember the Broodlord being kind of scary in Tyranids. What happened to that scary little bad ass? Let’s get to work.
Once upon a time, the Broodlord was a little psyker that could come and rip your head off while leading a bunch of crazy Genestealers. Why did he just – stop being good?
First Let’s Make the Broodlord Unique
I always think a way to make these guys cool is to really push hard on the different “genes” that could make up this monster. Give him a bunch of very cool biomorphs that only he can take due to the beings in his genetic makeup. This way you could start to create weird little mutant monsters that are just cool to have leading your little armies. Any cool abilities you give it you could stack onto his special “stealer” friends too and let you build up this horrifying monster that is lurching in the shadows and waiting to steal your Levis.
Spice Up Their Rules!
I talked about making their unique traits cool but we should also update their rules. They need a lot of attacks, explosive damage, and other fun things. The stacks of options on top could just let them be little crazy whirlwinds of death. Have one of the branches of rules be some kind of psychic option too that just can be pushed to be better based on these guys eating a ton of Aeldari. Or heck just make them tougher due to eating some Death Guard. Lots of fun little things can be used to build upon how they help consume their enemy and get stronger.
Cool Deployment Options
Broodlords need to show up all over the place as little infestations. Do not make them like GSC but something a bit more unique as they can show up closer to the enemy. Use the fear aspects and leadership options as simple methods to let him and his buddies get closer. Or have them be set up as traps if enemy units get nearby. There are lot of weird little things that are just not them popping up and going boo. Instead utilize the board and its terrain traps laid throughout it.
Give the Broodlord a Growth Rule as They Kill Stuff
How about a tally of them going murder hobo on your friends Space Marines. Have him and his unit of bros get better as they continue their rampage thru the enemy. Let the fear of this unit hitting your army help drive it to greater heights of damage as they continue to move forward thru your lines
Just Make Broodlords Scary Again
The Tyranid army always felt like it needed another push into the idea that waves of gribblies can murder you. Having these elite smashers be a part of the wave would be a cool thing. They need to hide around, pop out, and just go to town into your lines and be scary again. Let them have options to be psyker monsters, beat down machines, or just pain in the butt to remove off the battlefield.
The general Tyranid idea of genetic manipulation due to consuming your enemies is a cool mechanic. I think it could be something to push in new editions of this army that isn’t just – crush you with psychic might and efficient dataslate we see now. It needs to feel like a wave a despair as they hit and consume a world and the Broodlord and his kin could be the perfect place to start and reset how the army should work.
