GAMES WORKSHOP 99120106042" Tyranid Hive Tyrant/The Swarmlord Plastic Kit

Product Information

These rules apply to any detachment that only include HIVE TENDRIL models ( excluding UNALIGNED if fortifications are your thing). This section mostly covers some of the housekeeping normal codex stuff. Rare Organisms Synaptic Goading – At the start of the first battle round, ENDLESS MULTITUDE units may make a 6″ move. Good for horde lists, a pre-game move is a way to put early pressure on your opponent or get to better hiding spots if you’re going second. B Blinding Venom (1CP) – Use this Stratagem in the Fight phase, select one enemy unit in Engagement Range of any GARGOYLES unit. Until the end of the phase, that enemy unit subtracts 1 from its hit rolls and hit rolls cannot be re-rolled. In a pinch this is nice survivability bump but at the end of the day your T3 Sv6 models are probably going to die. B- Warlord Trait: Lethal Miasma – The Warlord can inflict mortal wounds to nearby enemy units within 3″, 1 mortal wound on a roll of 2-5 and d3 mortal wounds on a 6. Considering the many sources of mortal wounds the Tyranids are capable of, this isn’t going to be super useful. Depending on the matchup, your Warlord is likely going to end what its targeting and if you’re charging it into multiple units to inflict chip damage they’re likely not long for this world. C-

Warlord Trait: Monstrous Hunger – An unmodified roll of 6 to wound inflicts a mortal wound in addition to normal damage. It’s not terrible, but the potential damage output from this is minimal compared to the survivability/utility you can get from the other options. CWith Psychic Awakening: Blood of Baal looming large on the horizon, we flagged down a few Tyranids fans to ask them what adaptations their fleets have devised because of this book. Not surprisingly, they were all really excited about the new options. Take a look! Eddie

Voracious Appetite (1CP) – A MONSTER unit can re-roll wound rolls in melee. A golden classic. Critical for pushing wounds on tougher targets and offsetting applications of Transhuman Physiology or its equivalent. ASubterranean Assault (1CP) – During the Movement phase when a TRYGON or TRYGON PRIME model is set up on the battlefield, select a Troops unit in Strategic Reserves. That unit may be placed anywhere wholly within 9″ of the TRYGON or TRYGON PRIME and not within 9″ of enemy models. This strat requires heavy investment and the payoff is pretty underwhelming. Deep striking a Troops unit is a nice idea, but when you have to pay the points to place the Troop unit in Strategic Reserves in the first place. D Another unit that got a huge glow-up from its previous iterations, the Lictor is now an actual threat to models in close combat. With its speed, deployment options, and defensive buffs there’s actually a good chance it’s actually going to make it into combat. The trouble being that aside from a distraction or potential assassin for minor characters it’s a touch overcosted and competes with a huge number of good Elite choices. If Cranial Feasting sounds like a good secondary to pursue they’re not necessarily a terrible idea, but players aware of their threat are going to wrap choice targets when possible. Competitively this role is likely played by Deathleaper, who’s slightly tougher and as CHARACTER can host WLTs and Relics. Hive Predator (1CP) – Give a Warlord Trait to a CHARACTER. Same deal here, there are great traits and its probably worth a spend here. A Strategic Ploy Stratagems If all models in a detachment ( excluding HIVE TENDRIL LIVING ARTILLERY and UNALIGNED ) share the same HIVE FLEET keyword, the units in the detachment gain the Hive Fleet adaptation associated with that Hive Fleet ( custom Hive Fleets being an obvious exception). Hyper-Adaptations The terrifying psychic presence of the Hive Mind radiates from the synapse creature, flooding the minds of the Tyranids’ enemies and causing them to quail and panic.

Tyranid Warrior ( Shrike) • Ravener • Genestealer • Gaunt ( Termagant • Hormagaunt • Barbgaunt • Neurogaunt) • Ripper ( Sky-Slasher)

Overrun (1CP) – Select one unit at the end of the Fight phase that made a charge this turn. If that unit is no longer in Engagement Range with enemy units that unit can make a Normal Move instead of a consolidation move. Great for potentially escaping danger or snagging cover/an objective. This stratagem is key to one of the most powerful units in the codex, allowing you to constantly deliver and redeliver a Winged Hive Tyrant in and out without risking it, and proper management of this stratagem will win you more games than any other. S Use this Stratagem in any phase, when a < HIVE FLEET> BEHEMOTH GORGON HYDRA JORMUNGANDR KRAKEN KRONOS LEVIATHAN HIVE TYRANT model from your army is destroyed by an enemy unit. Until the end of the battle:

Now no longer mandatory in a competitive match, the Swarmlord offers increased tactical flexibility including a “commander” full re-roll and the ability to make one CORE unit Objective Secured or count as double models if it already is. Swarmie also gets an extra deny, because its brain is so smart. As always this model is most comfortable in melee, preferably with mid-sized elite models where its D3 swords are going to do the most good. This model is much tougher than its previous version ( like the normal Hive Tyrant ), but lost its incredible melee 3++ for a “normal” 4++ and the ability to ignore the damage from the first failed save of the turn. This is still not terrible, but the weight of failed saves is going to come down on it harder than it used to and wise opponents are going to try to force small damage first to push through the bigger hits once it can no longer ignore them. HIVE FLEET units within 6″ of a model with this ability automatically pass Morale tests. This is a classic Tyranid rule, though its range has been reduced a bit this edition. Something to note, Synapse was updated post-codex publication to officially be an Aura. This is not in the printed book, but is reflected in the app as well as the FAQ where the change was made . This typically won’t matter, but it does mean that certain abilities that shut down Auras can spell big trouble. Shadow In The Warp (Aura) Behemoth offers a powerful punch for those players that prefer close combat and competitively the fleet sits at the third most popular. Kraken Synaptic Lynchpin – The WARLORD increases any Aura ranges and Command phase abilities that specify range by 3″. Very minor improvement and not worth your time. DThis control can be disrupted, however, with the death of the Hive Mind's synapse creatures through which it transmits and augments its psychic commands, such as when a Hive Tyrant's death leaves the lesser Tyranid bioforms to act completely on basic animal instinct. There are five ‘chunks’ of Tyranids rules in the book, to wit: new Bio-artefacts, Stratagems and Hive Fleet-specific Psychic Powers and two new additions – Adaptive Physiology and Hive Fleet Adaptations. Here’s what I’m using from the book to properly establish my own Hive Fleet, Eumenides…