Tyranid Rumours

[Ghoulio]

The single biggest thing I want to see for a new Tyranid codex is to massively cut down on the redundancies of the current codex. I would love to see everything have a place without doubling up. Examples:

Tyrannofex -> Carnifex: The Tyrannofex is a Sniper Fex from last edition (Sniper Fex was T7, W5, 2+ save with a Venom cannon and barbed strangler when the venom cannon had the 100% exact same stats as a rupture cannon). I want to see the Tyrannofex fill a different roll as right now they are both kind of ghetto gun beasts that are obscenely expensive.

Ymgarls -> Lictors: So...a unit that picks a piece of terrain, comes in reserve by popping out of terrain and can assault? Sounds a heck of a lot like Lictors from the 3rd and 4th ed codex. I mean, Ymgarls are just mini lictors. I would love to see Ymgarls removed and Lictors beefed up a small bit and given Ymgarls deployment.

I just want every unit to feel like they have a place instead of being made totally redundant by something that is just OBVIOUSLY better. The range section also totally fits in this as you could lose half the weapons and nobody would notice. FOCUS PEOPLE!! FOCUS! lol. Regardless I hope for great things with the new book!

[Tynskel]

I don't think the Lictor is exactly the same as the Ymgarls. The lictor's placement rules are better than before. The issue is that Pheromone Trails does not work until the turn after the Lictor arrives. Which essentially makes the Lictor's ability worthless.

1) the +1 reserves should be 'while the lictor is alive'. The lictor is already on the board, technically!
2) the beacon should work the instant the Lictor appears, because, again, the Lictor is already on the board!

The lictor has been always an assassin unit, too, so it should have '(ch)' listed next to its profile. They should be able to use precision shots/attacks and issue challenges.

I mean, it is perfect for Hit and Run. Assault a squad, issue a challenge (hahah chaos), assassinate the character, then Hit and Run bug out! Note, also, that if a challenge is refused, your Lictors would then be able to use precision strikes to hit the character (the opponent cannot strike, but the rule doesn't state that it cannot be wounded).

[Anakzar]

In the fluff the lictor is waiting in ambush to jump out kill and then go back into hiding. Its supposed to be on the board and since they had rules with the Ymgarls that allow assault on the same turn they appear from reserves why not lictors as well? The rules almost make it useful but then fall flat... And yes (ch) would help as would giving regular lictors the same rule as the deathleaper ie “where’d it go” to put them back into reserves.

As it is the lictor jumps out shoots twice and then stands about and gets shot at... or it jumps out and runs... either option really don't work with the fluff. It either should be allowed to assault on the turn it pops up... or the fleshhooks should do what they did before, pull any survivors into CC.

Oh and the stealth is not really enough of a save bonus when they are supposed to be almost invisible even when right next to the enemy due to the “chameleonic skin”. I would like to see shrouded at least and possibly both shrouded and stealth... Plus what happened to the dodge 5++ in CC?

[Learn2Eel]

If they made Lictors viable I would be one happy chimp, that's for sure. They are such awesome models, and their background is killer. Ever since learning about Tyranids and playing them in Dawn of War 2, Lictors have been one of my favourite units in 40K. Making them a lot cheaper, giving them better stats (i.e. more durability, better shooting attacks, etc), applying their reserve benefits as long as they are alive, and letting them charge off of reserves would make them really useful for a change.

[Tynskel]

I don't particularly care if they can charge off of reserves. The real key would be their ability to effect reserves and deep strikers. That would be worth their points alone if they could do that.

[Learn2Eel]

I do agree, but still, I would like them to at least have a way of minimizing damage to themselves. Whilst you can pop up in terrain far away from enemy units, you then aren't using it as an assassin/disruption unit either. I think it should fit both roles, otherwise "hunt the lictor" just becomes a one or two turn game to get rid of your reserves bonuses. Hopefully it gets both kinds of buffs, I would even love this idea; come in before reserves rolls, boost reserves and reduce scatter for deep-strikes and the like that turn it is on the board, charge into an enemy unit - maybe have a way of avoiding overwatch (maybe through Flesh Hooks?) or at least make it more durable - challenge and assassinate the squad sergeant, hit and run out of combat then drop off the board like Deathleaper except at the end of the turn. That would be awesome, maybe OP, but if they kept the current price-tag they have then I think it would be fair enough.

[Anakzar]

That would be a little OP. The enemy should get over watch... they got to have at least some hope of taking it out before it snatches away their leader And they already have hit and run, a way to leave combat at the end of the turn if they leave during the enemy turn then at the start of the lictor's turn they could either shoot and charge in again or go back into stealth mode(reserves).

The reserve bonus should be if it is still alive due to its being on the board all the times, just hidden.

humm here is another thought maybe only snap shots could be taken against them? Think of it like the Predator movies that thing was almost invisible and when it was shot at they basically were shooting snap shots at barely seen movement in the bushes. Though a flamer should be able to hit it, in 2nd ed flamer/blast could only hit on a 4+ to simulate the troops not really aiming but instead firing for effect and hoping to get lucky.

[Learn2Eel]

Lictors are just too fragile, either they need a big boost to their durability-based stats or they should get a special rule; that one where you can only snap-fire at them would be good.
The idea of a 70 or so points character sniper that provides reserves bonuses sounds fair to me, obviously it shouldn't be able to beat out Space Marine Captains and the like (unless it is really lucky with rending and stuff) but it would be cool to take out sergeants and the like. In general, making it a character would be great, or at least giving it Precision Strikes. Maybe they are just limited to one per unit? Would fit well with the background I think. I dunno. I just know they need to be changed lol. Even looking at them now, making them T5 (or an extra wound), 4+ armour, making them characters, letting their reserves bonus apply when they become available, and giving them the ability to charge out of reserves and disappear like Deathleaper would make them a competitive choice.

[Tynskel]

They are not fragile.
A Brood of lictors in terrain is quite durable.

They should be characters so they can use precision strike.
It would also be nice if they can take things like 'poison' or 'implant attack'.

[Ghoulio]

I don't think the Lictor is exactly the same as the Ymgarls. The lictor's placement rules are better than before. The issue is that Pheromone Trails does not work until the turn after the Lictor arrives. Which essentially makes the Lictor's ability worthless.

1) the +1 reserves should be 'while the lictor is alive'. The lictor is already on the board, technically!
2) the beacon should work the instant the Lictor appears, because, again, the Lictor is already on the board!

The lictor has been always an assassin unit, too, so it should have '(ch)' listed next to its profile. They should be able to use precision shots/attacks and issue challenges.

I mean, it is perfect for Hit and Run. Assault a squad, issue a challenge (hahah chaos), assassinate the character, then Hit and Run bug out! Note, also, that if a challenge is refused, your Lictors would then be able to use precision strikes to hit the character (the opponent cannot strike, but the rule doesn't state that it cannot be wounded).

I think you are missing the point of what I am saying. In their basic roles from a rules standpoint they do virtually the exact same thing. They both start in reserve, they both appear (one assaults, the other gets shot). What I am saying is you could easily just remove Ymgarls and combine their rules or change the rules for Lictors so they actually fill a niche instead of looking over at Ymgarls in envy as they preform the same roll a million times better. I personally would love to see Lictors be something like 2nd ed where people were terrified of them.

Like I would be happy to see Ymgarls and Deathleapers removed (so 3 units doing the SAME THING) and just have Lictors using th Deathleapers rules combined with the Ymgarls deployment costing around 120pts each at a 0-1 choice, make them 1-3 for that choice, all deployed independantly and change phermone trail to what it was in 4th ed (just a re-roll for one failed reserve other then the lictors per turn whiles its alive). THAT for me is an interesting unit (also a CH as you mentioned) and makes lictors useful again. (just spitballing, not saying that is how they should be just an example of something interesting).

Point is, unique units preforming unique roles within the army because the Hive Mind would design them that way. I want to make choices based on playstyle not "Well, Lictors are horrible and Ymgarls do the same thing but a million times better so obviously I will do Ymgarls".