hyv3mynd vs the New Tyranid Codex

So here we are, a week after the newest tyranid codex release.  If you read this blog, chances are you read many blogs and discussion forums all dedicated to wh40k.  If this is the case, you've been exposed to hundreds of opinions, analysts, winging, praising, and soapboxing about the new book.  I've been silent about the topic on this blog and I don't want certain emotions and arguments to dominate the atmosphere, so this will be my one and only post on this topic.



By now, we've heard the whole spectrum of responses from "it's worse than the last book" to "it's perfectly balanced for 6th, despite being weaker than tau/eldar".  Everyone seems to be a tyranid expert all of a sudden, even those who don't own a single gant or never had to move over 100 models a turn.  I'm going to try and keep this a reflection from my perspective as undoubtedly others will challenge any blanket claims and statements from high atop their white horses.

If you're not familiar with my hobby MO, I am a competitive player by definition.  Due to the work schedules my wife and I keep to provide for our 2 year old son, I play one tournament a month and about one casual game every 3 months.  So taking that approach to the new book, I already see that the new book will cause me problems.  As it is and has been, I typically finish one out of three tournament games with tyranids.  The new book will allow us to use about 20% more models, which actually makes the army more difficult to play in a timed setting.  Looking at the nerf to IB, psychic powers, and lack of new rules and mechanics, I would be playing 20% more models that are actually less fun to play.

Took my bugs out for one last run at our monthly tournament.  Game #1 relic vs SM was a big win.

Looking over the rules changes in the new book leaves me only with a bad taste in my mouth.  1/2 of each instinctive behavior failure results for feed and lurk can cause damage to the unit or the unit to flee right off the table.  They've taken away biomancy and with it, any chance to have eternal warrior on anything in the book.  While the new powers aren't the worst out there, flyrants and tervigons without t7-9 and/or eternal warrior are a joke in today's shooting meta.

Game #2 was a 4 objective crusade vs serpent spam.  Joke of a game, the only thing I killed was a wraithknight which my opponent graciously fed me.  If he hadn't, I wouldn't have killed a single model.

Next is the removal of mycetic spores (and other units), which makes us the only army in the game without transports.  They didn't fix trygon tunnels, removed the only unit that can assault from reserves, and didn't add any new deployment options.  This means we're also now the slowest army in the game as our only non-FMC units that can move 12" are pretty bad.  Now consider our most popular toughness value is 3 with 6+ armor, toughness 4 with 5+ armor, or t6 with 3+ armor and no invuln, and (IMO) we are the most fragile army in the game.  People will say "... yeah but MC's...".  If you've been playing at all since tau and eldar came out, you know exactly how long a t6 3+ MC will last.  This month's tournament was 1,000pts and I brought 2 tervigons and 2 trygons, even getting Iron Arm 3/4 games I lost 1 tervigon game 1, all 4 MC's game 2, 3 MC's game 3, and 3 MC's game 4. 

Game #3 was purge vs tau.  I actually managed to lose several assaults against the riptide, commander, and vespids (!) and get creamed 6-3 by the bottom of turn 5 when I conceded.

The new rules, units, and relics are uninspiring at best.  Anyone championing a 40pt crown that gives +6" synapse and no additional combat or shooting ability needs to get their head checked.  For about the same points a tau commander can take 3-4 signature systems each of which trumps a basic rule of the shooting phase?  For the same points an eldar character can get stealth, shrouded, rerolled cover saves, and hit-and-run.  For the same points, a space marine can get 3++ and eternal warrior. 

Game #4 I conceded on turn 3 when dual dreadknights had already nearly tabled me getting off every force weapon activation despite SiTW.  Two heavy incinerators and two gatling psilencers made short work of my gants.

What it comes down to for me is GW didn't give me any incentive to update my tyranids.  I couldn't finish timed tournament games with the old book so I definitely won't be able to now.  Less deployment options, no transports, everything worth playing still moves 6".  Psykers got worse with the removal of biomancy, they didn't fix the units that needed fixing, and 3/4 new units just won't hold water.  A single quad gun has a reasonable chance of taking out a harpy/crone.  A single skyray can drop a flyrant without breaking a sweat.  The haruspex... if you've ever played tyranids I don't need to go over a t6 3+ MC that moves 6" a turn and only has ws3 and 3 attacks.  The exocrine really appeals to me, but not so much as to inspire me to actually play the army. 

Here's my prediction based on playing tyranids since 2010.  Barring some epic supplement or dataslate, the army becomes the worst in the entire game, underperforming sisters, orks, and whoever else.  While other armies are getting new transports and rules such as battle focus, supporting fire, and chapter tactics, tyranids will stand there eating themselves or running off the table.  Some hardcore competitive types may make a build or two work, but when meta lists and playstyles evolve, the army will become easier to beat than before.  No more drop pods means every 35pt rhino or sacrificial unit delays tyranids for assaulting the important stuff one turn earlier.  Roadblock tactics and focusing down the synapse units will turn tyranids into a competitive laughing stock.

Honestly, I'm crushed.  They were my first fully painted army.  The first army I ever won a tournament with.  I didn't need another eldar-esque army, just one that excites me.  GW has failed in a truly stunning form.  I'm happy that some people remain determined to make the army work, I just hope they find enjoyment along the way and don't look back after months or years at the time and money invested being a waste.

I'm not looking for a huge debate here.  People have already formed their opinions and very few people at this point will be influenced by anything but actual results.  I apologize to fans and followers who had hoped for more tyranid content, but from where I sit, there's no incentive to actually give them a shot.  At this point in my hobby journey, I've collected grey knights, dark eldar, eldar, CSM, daemons, some necrons, and some tau.  Every one of those armies is more fun and rewarding for me to play.

I hate to be such a downer, especially on my own blog.  That's why I said this will be my one and only post on this topic.  Here's a pretty pic of my chaos spawn conversions I've been repainting so we don't finish on a sour note.  My intent is to finish up the project I started last year utilizing Typhus, zombies, and spawn but re-balanced with tau allies.