The Advancement of Psychic powers in 40k

[papa smurf]

Hey everybody, papa smurf here.

With the new tyranid codex out, the great devourer is now more psychic than it ever was. The Doom of Maln'tai is on everyone's nerves for rules, the shadow of the warp is smothering the powers of enemy psykers (as it should), and tyranids can do stuff like grant feel no pain, run and shoot, reduce weapon skills and ballistic skills, and even regain lost wounds by killing enemies. not to mention that strength 10 lance...

tyranids aren't the only ones to get on the psychic bandwagon though. Space Wolves have some pretty nasty powers for being space vikings, Jaws of the World Wolf being the one with arguably the most notoriety, Imperial guard have the potent psychic battle squad, and space marines have the option of using two powers a turn, epistolaries being pretty powerful beasts.

and with the new blood angels coming out with supposed librarian dreadnaughts and the monster that is mephiston, the it looks to me like there's more psychic smackdown to come.

What do you guys think? do you think GW is upping the psychic anty every time they release a new codex, or maybe it's just a phase? is it a good thing or a bad thing that psykers seem to be on the rise? I want to know what you all think and don't get consumed by the warp by thinking too hard

[Absolutionis]

Only Space Eolves were a shock. I still don't think it fits their fluff.

Either way, some armies such as Imperial Guard and Orks have psyhics, but they're not amazing. The codex reflects this. Space Marines and Tyranids are supposed to have some good psykers and the codex reflects this.
When Codex Tau and Codex Necrons and Codex Black Templar and Codex World Eaters comes out, I don't expect any of their psykers to be powerful (or exist at all).
When Codex Eldar and Codex Thousand Sons comes out, I expect them to have amazing psykers.

The psychic abilities reflect the army rather well. Psychics are just game mechanics with another name. Those without heavy access to psykers have different avenues.

Imperial Guard orders are akin to psychics. They pass a leadership check and something happens. The 4thEd Eldar basically do the same thing only they have a different flavor.

[sirrouga]

I think GW realized that psychic powers need to be more worthwhile if they are going to be used. Look at the Space Marine Librarian, most people will tell you that only half of their powers are ever worth taking at all. Why risk perils of the warp if the benefit you get is hardly worth it after all. Making them more direct and/or more powerful increases their usefulness and means they are bought more often.

The Tyranids were always psychic monsters. Blood Angels were also high on the psychic crazy scale, I just hope they are "balanced" around what the vanilla Space Marine codex powers are and not the Space wolves powers. Space Wolves having some of the best psychic powers when they are supposed to be against them annoys me more than it really should. :P

[Melissia]

Either way, some armies such as Imperial Guard and Orks have psyhics, but they're not amazing.

I would actually argue that Imperial Guard battle psykers would be, on average, more offensively powerful (as far as psychic powers go, at any rate) than most librarians.

Psykers attached to the Imperial Guard typically are very assigned there for a specific reason, and any offensively specializing Imperial Guard Psyker would be very capable in that aspect. In comparison, a Librarian's primary functions do not lie on the battlefield. Not all psykers attached to the Guard are battle psykers mind you, as not all psykers are capable of that-- some are telepaths that are used to do loyalty tests or interrogate prisoners, for example, while others are powerful seers attempting to enhance the intelligence data that the army has with their own powers.

Also, Ork Weirdboyz are some of the most powerful and dangerous psykers in the galaxy, and a talented Weirdboy at the head of a huge WAAAGH! and supplied with enough WAAAGH! energies can wipe out entire armies with a single psychic power. The Ork psychology only enhances their dangerous nature.

[papa smurf]

On the topic of imperial psykers, what do you guys think of primaris psykers? I'm not a guard player, so i know very little about these guys.

[Melissia]

Primaris Psykers are, fluff-wise, actually quite accurate AFAIK. Some Psykers are indeed given command positions, and these are usually quite powerful and skilled psykers (after all, they would not want to give an unskilled psyker a command position...). As for in-game, 2d6 s6 shots is nothing to sneeze at, and he has a force weapon. A pity he doesn't have a retinue though, which really makes his force weapon kinda meh-ish, as he can be specifically targeted in close combat and he isn't exactly durable there.

[Kahoolin]

On the topic of imperial psykers, what do you guys think of primaris psykers? I'm not a guard player, so i know very little about these guys.

I've only used one once (as my HQ in a 500 pt game) and he was cut down by bolter fire before he could use his force weapon. For the two turns he was alive though he used nightshroud to successfully protect his unit from fire, and then killed some marines with his lightning arc thingy. IMO he's pretty cheap points wise for what you get. I like the idea of them, fluffwise they are cool and I'd try him out again for sure.

On topic, I think it's a good thing that psychic powers are having an impact on the game again. I'm one of those people who used sanctioned psykers and wierdboyz last edition even though they sucked, because nothing really says 40k to me more than psykers. Without the warp it's just boring old regular space ships and little (or big) green men.

[RocketRollRebel]

I agree that the Space Marine chapter that is the most suspicious of psykers having some of the best psychic powers is a little weird but I do like this trend. When I started the game around the middle part of 4th ed, I felt that psychic powers were a cool element but way under used and under powered.

I'm very curious to see what the new Eldar (especially Eldrad) and a revised CSM (especially tzeentch) look like. Thats should be appropriately nasty.

So yeah I think its a great thing.

[Force21]

I'm very curious to see what the new Eldar (especially Eldrad) and a revised CSM (especially tzeentch) look like. Thats should be appropriately nasty.

Yeah if anything they should make Eldrad & Ahriman the most powerful Psykers in the game.


but I have never used Psykers at all...

as IG Battle Psykers & Primaris Psykers are the only thing I can use... for the longest time I had no models for em...

but I made 2 Santioned Psykers with just extra bits that I had.

I have not used them yet though...

[Hairy Piggy]

Psykers are pretty cool all in all- guys (and gals) who can shoot lighning blots, read peoples minds etc. with nothing but a thought are, by definition, awesome. The only thing that would be bad was if psykers became overbearingly powerful, the must have unit in every army.

And the Tau must feel a bit left out, having no psykers OR psyker defence could render them weak against heavily psychic armies.