Has the new Tyranid Vanguard dataslate changed your opinion on Tyranid viability?

[Captain Bubonicus]

Well, I just downloaded my copy this morning, and I'm overall quite happy with it - mainly because it makes some units I particularly love a bit more viable. Here are some highlights:

Lictor Forest Broods: 5 lictors instead of 3 - get Shrouded instead of Stealth in forests and can Infiltrate w/in 6" of an enemy model in forests.

Manufactorum Genestealer Formation: 5 minimum-sized broods of Genestealers (5 apiece), gain Hit & Run and may be deployed w/in 6" of an enemy model if infiltrating into a building or ruins.

Deathleaper's Assassin Brood: Deathleaper and 5 individual Lictor Broods - gain Preferred Enemy for characters, and any enemy unit within 12" of at least 1 model from the formation suffers -1 to their Leadership (so no, not "stackable")

Broodlord Hunting Pack: 3 broods and a Broodlord - only 1 Broodlord per formation. Can arrive from Reserve in an unoccupied Building or Ruins (at least 6" away from enemy if in Ruins). Select an enemy unit when the Broodlord is deployed - all models from the formation get Preferred Enemy against the nominated enemy unit.

Gargoyle Bio-Bombs: Fomation of 3 spore mine clusters & 3 Gargoyle broods - spore mines get better movement if they start w/in 6" of a Gargoyle unit from this formation (move 6" in the Movement phase and does not halve distance for running or charging).

So what does this mean? Personally, I love Genestealers - and I think the two formations above make them a LOT more viable to use on the table-top. Most tables have buildings or ruins as scenery, so they'll have plenty of choices of where to "pop up."

I can't see me using the Assassin Brood, but the Forest Broods might be tasty. I dunno...

Before, I thought Spore Mines were pretty much unusable - now, they might be worth another look.

So do these new formations change your opinion on 'Nid viability in 6th? I think if nothing else, we might be seeing a lot more Genestealers doing the "Ymgarl" trick and popping out of scenery - that's the way I'm intending to use 'em, anyway!

[jifel]

Note that the Genestealer broods have no limit on adding models to each brood, they simply have to have 3 or 5 broods. Size is up to you.

I think the Lictor Forest Brood is very nice. Also, the Broodlord pack is great. Infiltrate, go to ground duting your opponent's first turn, then Dominion then up and assault with fury!

[Captain Bubonicus]

Are you sure? The formation restriction for Manufactorum Genestealers says "Manufactorum Genestealer Broods may not include additional Genestealers" - I took that to mean that they had to be the standard brood size of 5 Genestealers.

[jifel]

hmm... You may be right then. i'll have to go double-check my copy.

[Captain Bubonicus]

Even at minimum size, 5 troops choices popping up in buildings is one helluva distraction. While it's still a major expenditure, it still comes in at under 400 pts. and has GREAT "distraction" potential. With "hit-and-run," you can keep spreading the action further and further afield...at least, as long as the min. sized broods can hold out!

[Nefarius Drapesh]

guess the have a rule preventing them from running after their special deployment. coming out and taking or contesting a mission objective with 5 seperate squads could be fun though...

[Anggul]

They're nice as long as you can guarantee there will be forests and ruins on ever board. Ruins are exceedingly commonplace, but forests not so much, and not always on the same board. It seems good for campaign games but not so much for pick up games. I'm fine with that, playing out a story of a Tyranid invasion is the intent of these dataslates. If they wanted to make Genestealers (not including Broodlords) viable in any game they needed to be cheaper.

[Gleipnir]

They're nice as long as you can guarantee there will be forests and ruins on ever board. Ruins are exceedingly commonplace, but forests not so much, and not always on the same board. It seems good for campaign games but not so much for pick up games. I'm fine with that, playing out a story of a Tyranid invasion is the intent of these dataslates. If they wanted to make Genestealers (not including Broodlords) viable in any game they needed to be cheaper.

Players are already in the habit of carrying around Aegis Defense Lines, what's a forest or two or some ruins for setup during the terrain placement phase, particularly f you know having it will be a key factor to your army's success. I understand the issue is most players don't enjoy transporting larger terrain and fortifications to their FLGS and tend to use what's on hand and available to them there.

[Nefarius Drapesh]

well, vanguard swarm is part one... didn't tyranids change the ecosystem already in part 2 of an invasion?
maybe in dataslate #2 for the tyranids there'll be an option to place additional forests and the like. maybe like cheap fortifications,too.
gw could really sell some forests doing this

at my local hobby store there's only one single piece of forest. in the league we run right now the organizer ruled that this forest always has to be taken in every game. but ruins and buildings are plenty...well...

[Theik]

The Deathstalker squad is interesting in that it isn't actually a squad at all, they are all seperate units. Deep striking them all over the place could very well put the entire enemy army at -1 leadership. Does that make the codex any good? No, I don't think so, but it is at least a funny gimmick.