Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K – 10th Edition Tyranids – Good, Bad, and Ugly
Goatboy here and we finally get access to some sweet new Tyranid army rules for 40K 10th edition. Today it is all about the always hungry bugs of the grimdark.
I wonder if the Tyranids even taste what they are consuming? Like do certain types of matter? Do they even care about sweet or savory? These are questions that sadly aren’t answered in these rules – and there are plenty of big changes in 10th edition – so will just go ahead and jump into the normal – Good, Bad, and Ugly discussion.
10th Edition Tyranids – The Good
First of all – it is a full index of awesome new stuff and a bunch of new models. That is a pretty huge thing as a lot of the other things don’t have new models to add. That’s pretty awesome and a good thing as a few of the new models are actually pretty good. I am guessing when their new codex comes out we get even more new stuff as it appears they design philosophy for the new Nids is updated and I am sure they want players to grab a whole slew of new plastic goodness.
I really do like the Hyper Adaption the army has. A rule that lets you update how you army works is great – especially with things like gaining Lethal hits versus Monsters and Vehicles. Currently it is feeling like Vehicles will be a big part of this edition and having an out that isn’t just roll 6’s to wound is a good thing. It combos well with having a ton of attacks and while AP will be an issue we do know if you force your opponent to roll dice they will eventually fail something.
All of their stratagems seem good with a few gems in the mix of 6. The ability to activate FNP on a unit is pretty bonkers – especially when within Synapse range. This is a huge boon just due to how many of the good armies are going to be able to throw a crap ton of Devastating wounds into you. I also really like how they have a Fight on Death option as well as the ability to activate better “critical” hits to allow for more options when crushing into the enemy.
On the units themselves a lot of things got tweaked with a ton of AP going away (For the best especially on those tiny baby units) and then a few things got much better. The Haruspex is just insane with so many attacks, an ability to cause battle shock, and a tough body. Be Prepared to face a ton of these as they are just insanely good for their cost.
10th Edition Tyranids – The Bad
A ton of Characters got dropped or just added as unit upgrades. The Neurothrope was one of the “readied” ones that are now part of the Zoanthropes. The same with how the old Tyranid Prime is no longer an option unless you want to go with the new flying one from them starter set. It feels like some of that character unique flavor got left on the ground. We’ll see if something comes back with some newly updated kits or other fun things as they show up.
The army also doesn’t have a ton of options at the shooting step to deal with tough vehicles. Yes they can amp up their Lethal hits but that isn’t always the best – especially when mixed with Low AP versus good saves on tough options. A Land Raider isn’t going to fear a ton as it delivers its pile of jerks into the Tyranid lines.
There isn’t a ton of rerolls in the book and while that isn’t a bad thing – there are a few armies that feel like they got to many chances to get that hit. The only one I really saw was Old One Eye and his group of Carnifex friends so it feels a bit rough for the poor Nids. We’ll see if things change a bit with their updated book in a few months.
10th Edition Tyranids – The Ugly
Man there are some interactions that if left alone are going to be bad for the game. The new Barbguants with their “movement” hurting gun is probably an issue. Most of the other movement degrading units can only pick one unit they shoot – but as these guys can have 5 models in a unit they could easily wreck 5 units per unit a turn. This could be huge and really degrading for the game to watch all your guys go slow. I couldn’t imagine this hitting Death Guard and see them moving 2 inches a turn on some of their guys.
Also the sheer push for tanks to be good might be an issue for Nids to deal with. Will have to see what the perfect level of Lethal hits will help circumvent that but it is always an issue when the only way you pop them boxes is getting super close and punching above your weight.
Hive Fleet’s greatest fear!
Are you excited about the new rules? I know I didn’t go over everything but dear lord it is a ton of stuff. It’s going to be a rough few months as every gets situated with their armies and models. I feel it will be faster when we get used to things and understand what has Lethal, Devastating, and other Critical hits options.1
Al Hail the Great Devourer
