A few months back, I acquired a can of Quickshade (product link here).  The store owner was raving about how good a product it was and how much better it was than poly stain for dipping miniatures.  I'd done a dipped army before and was comfortable with it's use, so I dropped 30 bucks on a can and decided to give it a try.

A squad of my marines volunteered.  I had painted these guys up in 1999 for the Chicago GT, and they were an all-drybrush job, so they seemed like good candidates to try a varnish wash treatment on.  Here they are before the treatment.

 

Using the medium strength color, I brushed the entire miniature and dabbed off the excess.  I let the varnish dry for 36 hours and then sprayed the minis with dullcoat to remove the gloss effect of the varnish.  The result was a noticable yet subtle shade-and-ink of the miniatures.  It doesn't subtract from the look of the miniatures and darkens the colors only slightly, but it does fill in the joints nicely, giving them the depth they were missing in my haste to get them done for the GT years ago.

The Quickshade product is indeed superior to poly stain varnishes.  It is quite brushable (unlike the poly stain), does not bubble, flows like an ink, and is thick enough to stick in all the places it needs to go in a single coat. 

Unlike an ink, however, the quickshade requires a dullcoat afterward if any additional work is to be done to the miniature.  that breaks up the paint surface and makes blending look funny.  the quickshade also sticks to flat surfaces unlike inks, resulting in certain surfaces having a pool of darkness that really needs to be retouched.  (only because of the dullcoat requirement, that's kind of difficult)  The 30 dollar price tag is a bit of a bummer too.

In summation, Quickshade is a great product to do an entire army quickly and have a force that looks great from 3 feet away.  It's up close you'll notice the shortcomings of the shortcut, so you won't be winning any painting awards by relying on this product.  For that, stick to regular inks.

Number 10 -- Psychic Meltdown:  In the past a Tyranid could use its psychic powers without fear of a Peril of the Warp.  No longer -- the bugs can now turn their brains into cottage cheese with the best of them.  That wouldn't be so bad (although I always thought of Tyranid mastery of psychic energy as one of their advantages), but the powers they can use are not overall any better than before.  Likewise, while there are more individual powers you are more restrained as to what can take which.  This roll also reduces the Zoanthrope to not much better in terms of mental zapping than before -- yes, it now has a better Ballistic Skill, but that is neatly negated by the chance it can blow itself up.

Number 9 -- What's Up with the Pyrovore?  This is my vote for the most lazily designed unit of the year from GW, maybe the decade.  The fluff says that it is suppose to be a deadly mixing of creatures and a terror on the battlefield.  However, in reality it's just a Space Marine scout with a heavy flamer and power weapon.  That's not particularly clever or effective.  In fact, such a slapdash design is a sign of little effort or originality.  A better design would make the creature beefier with more attacks, but make them Rending rather than Powered.  As it is the Pyrovore is a cool model with embarrassing rules.

Number 8 -- The Tyrannofex:  When More is Less:  As impressive as it may seem of the surface the Tyrannofex is really just a bloated, unfocused unit design that costs lots of points.  It's big and hard to kill -- yet slow.  It has plenty of shooty -- but only one is really impressive while having good range.  It has armor ignoring attacks -- yet not enough to warrant its huge cost.  The Rupture Cannon is the obvious choice for the unit, but doesn't need to be mounted on a huge monster.  Much better would have been a Bug Basilisk sporting the Cannon that isn't as beefy, but also 100 points less.

Number 7 -- Why Pay Normal Price When You Can Get it for Twice as Much?  I am still trying to understand why precisely the Hive Tyrant and Carnifex were doubled in cost.  Where they really that broken?  In some ways I suppose this isn't a big deal as ultimately what matters is the overall effectiveness of the army.  Still, these extreme price hikes nevertheless leave a bag taste in your mouth, especially if you are a long time player of Tyranids.  It's almost as if GW wanted to punish the army's most fervent enthusiasts.

Number 6 -- The (Bumbling) Attack of the One-Hit-Wonders:  Synapse bestowing immunity from Instant Death is gone and in the process the new codex creates a mix of bugs vulnerable to one-shot kills.  Something with a Toughness of 5 is not too bad as Strength 10 weapons aren't common, but those with a measly 4 Toughness are so much Krak Missile bait.  This includes the Parasite of Mortrex, Pyrovore, Venomthrope, Lictor, Zoanthrope, most types of Tyranid Warriors, Raveners, Shrikes, and Biovore.  All have multiple wounds, but only the Parasite and Zoanthrope have good enough armor to compensate for the chance of Instant Death.  The effectiveness of the others is therefore necessarily iffy and random -- come up against an army with a lot of Missile Launchers or the equivalent and suddenly you've brought the wrong units.  On a more subtle level it makes all those extra wounds less meaningful than they seem.  It would have been better to keep the immunity and just altered the points accordingly.

Number 5 -- Change for the Sake of Change:  This is more annoying than anything, but the new codex takes an almost perverse delight in using old names to describe new powers.  In turn they tend to be more complex without really adding anything overall.  It stinks of a designer who just wanted to "brand" the new codex as his own by fixing what wasn't broke.

Number 4 -- Why Take Termagants without Tervigons (and Vice Versa)?  To my mind a classic sign of a bad design is when you would be insane not to use the unit in question.  In this case it is Tervigons with Termagants -- why would you ever take one without the other?  It wouldn't be so bad if the other staples of Troop selections -- Hormagaunts and Genestealers -- weren't such obviously inferior choices.  Mind you, Termagants would be as well without the Tervigon, but that is the point.  So, we are left with a situation where the good old "horde army" design for Tyranids has turned into the "Tervigon + Termagants" design.  I'd better do up a few more of the former...

Number 3 -- Where are the New Army Designs?  Maybe this is just personal taste, but another attribute I look for in a codex is a wide range of different basic force designs.  For instance, the new Blood Angels codex offers the chance to play a competitive all flying army.  By comparison, the Tyranid book doesn't even though it is primed to do so.  Where is the character that would allow you to take gargoyles as Troops?  Likewise, there really aren't any 'new' designs available in the new codex while old designs have been, if anything, more marginalized.  An all Genestealer force is now not viable while a generic horde army becomes a not-so-generic Tervigon and Termagant army.  Likewise, a 'Nidzilla force is no more elegant than it ever was.

 

Number 2 -- The Genestealer Has Been Nerfed (Biovores too):  I hate to use the term most because it tends to be overused, but in this case I think it applies.  The one-two punch of Rending being partially de-clawed and the 'Stealers losing the ability to have 4+ armor completely changes their battlefield role (and to something less meaningful).  Remember that Space Marines -- you know, those guys that go around with loads of AP5 Bolters -- outsell all other armies by a wide margin.  Thus, they'll be the most common army you fight and now they can make genestealers melt like sugar cubes in the rain.  Playing a 'Stealer cult is therefore no longer viable.  Heck, Stealers as common Troop choices are questionable.  Their only real remaining role is as an ambusher that sticks to cover and tries to jump unsuspecting targets.
Oh, and with the advent of only one type of Spore Mine Biovores go from marginal to meaningless.

And, the Number One Reason Problem with the New Tyranid Codex -- We Will Likely Have to Wait the Better Part of a Decade to Get a New Codex:  'Nuff Said.

*          *          *

P.S.  Before people start thinking otherwise this list does not mean I believe the new book is worthless or non-competitive.  There is definitely stuff to like -- Trygons most of all -- and army designs that can challenge anyone.  I just expected something more inspirational and clever.  What we got instead was a mediocre codex that isn't likely to increase the popularity of the force (e.g. we might gain players, but will are also going to lose just as many).

I bought a copy of the new Honored Imperium terrain box.  It's pretty good -- and surprising.  The pieces are larger than I thought.  The statue is a good five times taller than a regular Space Marine.  I just wish I could buy the statue separately.  Oh, well.

 

I want to spend time away from talking about that somewhat depressing, (relatively) new Tyranids codex to instead discuss its newest successor -- the Blood Angels book that came out last week.  I've only been able to spend a modest amount of time reading it, but I am already pretty impressed.  I am not sure how powerful the army itself may be (although I strongly suspect that it will be more so than less so) and I don't really care when it comes to liking it.  Rather, what interests me is how cool it seems, how much it stirs the imagination, and most of all make me actually want to play the force.  On all three I think this codex does a significantly better job than the new bug book.

Now on to specific observations:

1)  Why Take Dark Angels or Ultramarines?  Okay, I gripe about DA being under-powered all the time, but with this new book I am also wondering why you would even want to take vanilla Marines -- even with their still fairly new codex -- over Blood Angels.  BA can take almost everything that Ultramarines can.  The only things missing -- such as techmarine lords or the Thunderfire Cannon -- aren't high on the popularity list anyway.  Losing Combat Tactics is more serious, but hardly compares to what you get back in return -- a plethora of new units, hordes of fast tanks, nifty characters and new wargear, and abilities like Decent of Angels.  Even the Red Thirst is not a disadvantage -- I am hardly going to cry over having to trade in ATSKNF for Fearless and Furious Charge!

2)  Solid Troop Choices:  Unlike the Tyranids where there are really just two good types of troops -- Warriors and Termagants with Tervigons -- every option in the Blood Angel codex looks good.  You can take all the usual Marine picks plus Assault Marines, Death Company (though you are usually limited to one platoon of up to 30), and Death Company Dreadnoughts (also limited).  Even better, take the right special characters and suddenly Death Company becomes unlimited (and thus DC Dreadnoughts as well) or Sanguinary Guard (a sort of super assault marines) turn into troops.  Good choices make for more possible army designs, something I value highly.

3)  The New Stormraven Gunship:  A "mini" thunderhawk flyer that is as shooty as a Land Raider and can carry 12 models (or 6 Jump Pack Marines or 6 Terminators) and a Dreadnought at the same time! The only bad thing about it is that the model isn't out yet (and I'm not sure what it even looks like).  I'm sorry, but there has been nothing as cool as this out since the Valkyrie.

4)  Special Special Characters:  The Blood Angels get 7 new special characters (the eighth is from the Flesh Tearers, a successor chapter).  There is not a loser in the bunch and two of them even give you more Troop options.  What's more none make you groan over silly or lazy rules.  The fluff behind each fits what you expect from BA and at times is downright compelling.

5)  Flying the Unfriendly Skies:  Finally we get with Space Marines what I had hoped to get from bugs -- an all flying army.  And, it even seems effective!  You get HQ, Elite, and Troop choices that can all take Jump Packs.  Then the new Stormraven provides heavy support and can bring along Dreadnoughts to help out.  Add in some Land Speeders and you have all you need for a fast moving, hard hitting force.  It at least makes for an interesting alternative to Ravenwings and Wild Rider Hosts.

6)  Other Cool Units:  I like the idea behind Sanguinary Priests (units of Apothecaries that can go their separate ways!), Sanguinary Guard, the various Dreadnoughts (save maybe the Librarian version -- seems a bit over-the-top), and, of course, the Death Company which is nasty, if pricey.  I can't really find a true dud unit in the list, although this is partially due to it drawing so much from the tried-and-true Space Marine codex.  The only iffy unit I see is the Honor Guard, but not because it wouldn't be effective or has dumb rules.  It just seems a bit redundant what with all the other similar choices you have.

7)  Fast, Fast, Fast:  The ability of the Blood Angels to take so many Fast tanks -- pretty much every tank they have save Land Raiders count as Fast -- is nice and may be quite powerful.  It basically allows you to move an extra 6" while firing as much as other Space Marines that don't go that extra half foot.  It speeds up the BA in general and that in turn makes for more tactical flexibility and efficiency.

That's it for now.  Expect a more in depth look in the not so distant future.

It's (finally) time to take a look at the last type of Tyranid unit -- the heavy lifting and fire-support of the bug horde.

If I have one general criticism of bug Heavy Support it is that it is almost all super-expensive -- the one exception being the still-mediocre biovore.  Whether or not the cost is worth the return doesn't get around the problem that most games do not have an open-ended army point total.  So, if you want as much Heavy Support firepower as before you need to somehow come up with an extra hundred points or more.  Good luck.

Carnifex

Rundown:  The most obvious change here -- and one I've pointed out more than once already -- is the near doubling of the base price of a Carnifex.  Yikes!  Was it really that badly underpriced?  Personally, while I usually took two per horde, I preferred Gunfexes as I saw the Close-combat versions as too slow to be effective. 

Well, that really hasn't changed -- Carnifexes are just as plodding as ever, but with the exception of a Mycetic Spore.  That is indeed nice and certainly helps get the carny up close and personal with the enemy before turn five, but it does mean that your Screamer Killer is going to stand there for a round getting shot.  At least with the same old toughness of 6 you don't have to worry about a one-shot kill.

As for my Gunfexes their price went up a massive ~70 points for no real improvement.  Likewise, similar load-outs face similar bouts of sticker shock.  You can take pretty much the same guns as before (which is nice as that means lower risk of having models with outdated weapons that need to be switched), but there are less overall options.  For instance, that tail on your Carnifex is now purely for show.

Opinion:  Let me add my voice to the chorus of those going "bwah?" over this latest price increase.  Some increase could be reasonable, but twice the old base price (even with better stats)?  My two ubiquitous gunfexes now go for the low, low price of three.  Where am I going to find those extras points?  Probably by stealing them from Troops -- not the best solution fluff-wise, but what I expect to be the popular choice.

This price change really represents a fundamental alteration to the Carnifex as it forces you to not just reassess how you use them or how many you can afford, but even if you will want to take them at all.  Consider the classic "Screamer-Killer" design -- that is, a cheap-as-I-can-manage version meant to get the most out of the basic abilities of the 'Fex.  The price for one has practically doubled and thus the whole rationale for buying it in the first place is gone! 

In light of this the ability to take up to three Carnifexes in one group is frankly a joke.  Except for high point Apocalypse games who in their right mind is going to spend a minimum of 480 points for a single squad?  Well, I guess a Nidzilla player might, but even there being a brood is still a bad thing as it basically makes for an extremely expensive infantry platoon that must all move together and attack the same target.  That's insane for gunfexes and only marginally less so for their close-combat brethren.  Do you really want to be sending a third of your force to destroy just one enemy unit a turn?  Given that 'Fexes can't move any faster than before an enemy is probably best served by just sacrificing a few bits of cannon fodder while everyone else gets out of the way.

Another new problem is that with just a 7 leadership falling into Instinctive Behavior is much more likely now unless you go to the trouble (and accept the resulting tactical limitation) of keeping Synapse nearby.  For gunfexes going Instinctive is a disaster since it negates the reason you took those guns in the first place, but even for up-close-and-personal 'Fexes it can be a problem.  A savvy opponent will use this to draw off your Carnifex against low-worth targets.  Even if you catch and destroy them your pet MC may find he has to hike a long way (that is, spend multiple turns running) to find any new playmates.

This is not to say that Carnifexes are now useless.  They are still very tough and have effective attacks.  The can also Deep Strike in a Mycetic Spore, something that makes hand-to-hand 'Fexes more viable than before.  Nevertheless, I don't see any veteran player somehow feeling better about using his Carnifexes than last edition -- and the newbies are going to hear from the Vets just how things were in the good old days.  If nothing else it's a matter of psychology -- no one likes being charged more for nothing extra.

Old One Eye

Rundown:  An excuse to pull out that old model returns!  Of course, that old model doesn't quite fit with the new style Carnifexes visually speaking, but that's why it's called Old One Eye -- an old edition monster brought back for another go.

In game terms he is just a bigger 'Fex with some better stats, some bio-morphs thrown in by default, and some of those improved -- most notably Regeneration on a 5 or 6.  He can also use his leadership of 8 at range (yippee) and get extra attacks when he hits in combat (much better). Beyond that he is bug monstrous pit bull looking for a fight (since he can't shoot anything) that costs an eye-popping 260 points.

Opinion:  This bug Cyclops is the option for those who want the best possible hand-to-hand Carnifex and are willing to spend an extra 90 points to get it.  Overall, I think you get your points worth -- a potential nine attacks combined with a 10 strength will scare anyone and with his super-regeneration and the 'Fex's usual 6 toughness he ain't going off to bug heaven anytime soon. 

However, you can't load him into a Mycetic Spore and he has no special movement abilities.  That means you have to march him across the board to accomplish anything -- and even with a one-point better leadership going Instinctive is a real danger unless you send along a Synapse Creature as a chaperone. 

I've never been a big fan of close-combat specific Carnifexes and fielding one that cannot take a Spore seems an iffy proposition.  If you can get him into combat he could be quite useful, but it is unlikely you'll be able to go after the juiciest enemy targets (if they are smart they'll go somewhere else) and just slaughtering cannon fodder is an inefficient way to earn back his points.  Personally, I would reserve One Eye for Apocalypse games.

Biovore

Rundown:  These theoretically Ork derived (I know green skins grow from spores, but sitting back and lobbing exploding basketballs doesn't sound very orky to me) spore launchers are pretty much what they have always been.  They effectively cost 5 points less than before, but then again you only have one available type of spore mine to use.  But, by far the biggest change is that they have lost their Brood Telepathy -- which makes for a big limitation.

Opinion:  Why is that?  Because it means they have to test for Instinctive Behavior and given that they have both an amazing 6 leadership and that their design encourages you to leave them outside Synapse range they will fail their test more often than not.  The result is that they'll be forced to fire at the closest enemy unit, one that could easily be an inappropriate target for a modest S4 AP4 attack -- even if it is a large template.  Even if it is a good choice the biovore attack is just too meager to scare anyone.  Likewise, leaving floating bombs to wander aimlessly across the field is more weird than effective.

I've never liked biovores and felt they were in dire need of improvement, but if anything this new version is a step backwards.  The biovore does have the one "advantage" of being a Heavy Support choice actually less than 160 points, but in this case who cares?  It's more distraction or curiosity than threat.

Trygon

Rundown:  Admit it -- if there was one model that excited you about the new Tyranid codex it had to be the new Trygon.  Sure, there was a Forge World version already available, but like everything they make it was pricey (as of this publishing date two-and-a-half times the cost of the new kit) and made of resin which tends to be harder to work with than plastic.  With the ability to not just buy what thematically passes as the bug Baneblade for just $50, but play it as part of your regular 40K games how can you not like that?

Even better, the Trygon rules look pretty good.  For 200 points you get a Monstrous Creature with 6 wounds, 6 Toughness, 6 Strength, and 6 attacks. That adds up to a creature that can slice and dice pretty much any and all infantry.  The only thing it has a potential issue destroying are vehicles since the final result can vary so much, but on average it can harm Armor 11 and will penetrate even a Land Raider with a roll of 9+ on two dice (or an 11% chance).  Yet, even the possibility of destroying anything forces your opponent to react and thus opens up tactical options.

Beyond this the big ability of the Trygon is "Subterranean Assault".  It not only allows you to Deep Strike (sadly, only if Deep Strike is available), but in subsequent turns you can bring in one additional unit in reserve from the same location that the Trygon entered play.  Again, this is nice for its tactical possibilities -- now the enemy has to worry about killer bugs popping up from an additional location.  Too bad that the power only allows one unit to come in this way per turn.

Add to all this the creature's Bio-Electric Pulse -- an Assault 6 Strength 5 attack -- and the fact it can Fleet and you get something that is nasty no matter how you slice it.  You can also upgrade the normal Trygon into a "Prime" which makes it a Synapse Creature, gives it Shadow in the Warp, and upgrades its ranged attack to Assault 12 while adding 6" to the range.

Opinion:  A Trygon is basically a super-sized Ravener -- fast with many attacks and the ability to Deep Strike.  The important difference is that its attacks ignore armor saves thus making it about to kill just about anything.  With its ability to Fleet and Deep Strike it can get places fairly quickly (especially for a Monstrous Creature), so unlike the Carnifex which might spend four turns meandering toward a target the Trygon can perhaps get to grips in the second and at least third turn.  Plus, of course, it's an awesome model.

Given all that it can do and the greatness of the figure I predict we will see a lot of them around, especially as it is thematically an Apocalypse monster at half the $$ price of what other players pay for things like Stompas.  It is cool enough to even have a simple psychological factor as your opponent may tend to obsess over it just because it's on the table.  You can use that to guide the direction of the battle.

I also think that the "Prime" option is worth the points as it gives you an additional Synapse Creature and an Assault 12 weapon good to 18".  Fortunately, the differences between building the Trygon in its regular and unleaded forms is minor meaning you should be able to get away with using one as the other.

Mawloc

Rundown:  Think of the Mawloc as a Trygon with a big mouth -- literally as that is the most obvious difference between it and its brother who otherwise use the same model.  The Mawloc does also use smaller arms, a reference to the fact that it comes with only half the attacks as the Trygon.  It also has a lower skill, but the same toughness, strength, and armor.  Yet, the biggest differences between the two types are that the Mawloc costs 30 points less and comes with what you might call a Deep Strike Bomb.

The actual term for the ability is Terror from the Deep, but what it adds up to is the ability to Deep Strike on top of enemy units and cause them to eat a strength 6 AP2 Large Template.  Plus, you still get to land safely nearby ready to attack.  That sort of attack is certainly impressive and deadly -- it can nuke an entire squad of terminators in one blow!  That sounds awfully nasty...

Opinion: ...but turns out to sound better than it really is.  This is because of the limitations on the ability.  For one thing it requires that you Deep Strike and while the Mawloc can do so it can't do it automatically at the start of the game unless it allows Deep Strike.  That's not a killer as the beast has the ability to go into reserves any turn it likes and automatically Deep Strike next turn no matter the scenario rules, but it means it won't necessarily start off board. 

Then there is the fact that it can't Deep Strike and then go back into reserves in the same turn.  Therefore, it must Deep Strike, sit there doing nothing -- it can't do anything else after it bursts out of the ground as it has no ranged weapon and can't move just like most any unit Deep Striking -- until next turn when it disappears at the start of the Movement Phase only to Deep Strike the turn after.  As a result it can't use its super-template attack more than every other turn and only at the cost of otherwise not doing anything else.

So, is 170 points worth dropping 3 big templates of death?  I personally don't think so, but you might.  The alternative is to rush into battle, but in this the Mawloc is definitely second best compared to the Trygon.  It only has half the base attacks, no ranged attack, only a WS of 3 (compared to its sibling's 5), and no Fleet or similar move fast ability.  You will certainly want to use its automatic ability to go into reserve and then Deep Strike next time at least once to get it into position, but in the worst case that means:  Turn One, do nothing but go into Reserves; Turn Two, drop pie plate and otherwise sit there being shot, and; Turn Three, charge into battle with only 4 attacks.  While that's not terrible the Trygon is better, able to move effectively no matter how you want to use it (although it cannot automatically go into reserve), shoot up the enemy as it comes in, and then charge with 7 attacks.

It's not that the Mawloc can't be effective -- after all, if you can get lucky with the template bomb you could destroy one unit outright and then next turn start to chew up another.  However, the Trygon overall is more consistent and dependable.  When in doubt I'd go with it over the Mawloc.

Tyrannofex

Rundown:  This brute with a big gun is the biggest thing you can take that is not unique -- and the biggest price at a base of 250 points.  Its stat line is the same as the Mawloc except for an Initiative of 1 and a 2+ Armor Save. 

What sets it apart are the guns it brings to the fight.  The basic version packs an Acid Spray that is a regular flamer template you can set up to 12" away.  It is also flamer like in its stats except that it is strength 6.  If you don't care for spitting in the eyes of your enemy the Tyrannofex can instead bring along a Fleshborer Hive -- an Assault 20 bolter with a range of 12" -- for an extra 10.  An extra 15 will get you the biggest possible gun (both for the T-Fex and your army in general), namely the Strength 10, AP4, Assault 2, 48" ranged Rupture Cannon.  Ouch!

Beyond this the monster comes with a Stinger Salvo (think an Assault 4 Heavy Bolter with just a 18" range) and Thorax Swarm (a regular template with 3 possible effects depending on what you choose to take at the start of the game).  You can trade out the former for Cluster Spines which turns the Assault 4 into a large template, although one with no AP value.

The end result is a gigantic Tyranid monster bristling with guns while having the general heft in close combat of a Mawloc.  Pretty cool, eh?

Opinion:  Sure, it sounds pretty cool, but again this is yet another new unit that I think was designed for "cool" without much thought as to the actual rules.

The basic problem here is that the Tyrannofex is an ungainly mixture of big brute and big gun that in the end does both inefficiently.  Frankly, the only gun that really stands out is the Rupture Cannon.  Your other two choices require you to get fairly close and take on a close-combat role, yet without any way to move faster than base speed and with a meager 3 base attacks. 

Alternatively, taking the Cannon gives you a truly potent threat -- and with the range to hit most anything.  Yet, for a big gun it comes with a far over-priced chassis to ride in.  Do you really need a 6 strength plus attacks that ignore armor if you just want to sit back and blow things up at range?  And, if you do try to get in close to take advantage of these bug muscles why are you packing a gigantic gun with a four foot reach?

Remember, the base price is 250 -- and that turns into 265 with the Rupture Cannon.  That's a huge part of your force for something that isn't properly optimized for close-combat while also being needlessly beefy for fulfilling the niche of bug basilisk.  It's not that the Tyrannofex wouldn't be lethal -- pile on enough weapons and eventually anything would be.  The problem is that it is badly inefficient in doing so.  The Trygon is a better choice for a close-combat horror while a Carnifex with a Heavy Venom Cannon would be almost as nasty and almost as hard to kill, but for 65-80 points less.

The last straw for me is that it lurks when it goes Instinctive.  That's crippling if you try to use it as a hand-to-hand threat.  One gets the feeling that the designer assumed that the Rupture Cannon would therefore be standard issue, yet in that case he should have toned down its abilities and then its cost by 100 points.  That would be a worthwhile mobile bug gun.  As it is the Tyrannofex may be "cool", but is a badly designed high-priced monstrosity that does nothing in particular as well as it should if it was properly optimized for a specific role.

For those who might have been getting a bit depressed over the generally unenthusiastic reviews of Tyranid units so far take heart -- I feel far more positive about the Fast Attack choices.  They are also easier to review as two are just other units with wings and when it comes to Spore Mines how much can you really say about floating gas bags?

If I have any general criticism of these Fast Attack units is that you can't take them as part of a unique flying army.  It's another of those -- to my mind -- "obvious" rules that the codex does not have.

Tyranid Shrike Brood

Rundown:  Tyranid Warriors but with wings their stats are the same as their Earth bound brethren save that they have just 5+ saves and cost a base of 5 additional points.  You can also take them with Boneswords and Lash Whips, but in this case it does require dumping the ranged attack.

Opinion:  What can I say -- speedy, potentially power weapon wielding units (say that ten times fast) are definitely impressive.  They are the sort of units that will give opposing generals fits.  At 45 points for Shrike and paired boneswords they aren't cheap and are still subject to krak missile instant death, but since you probably won't be taking more than a single group anyway you should be able to protect them long enough to get into battle.

The one "weakness" of the unit is that it's hard to come up with a reason to use them any other way.  Leaving them with just regular attacks won't frighten anyone and Rending is a poor substitute for a power attack.  Likewise, don't bother with the upgrade to a heavy weapon -- you aren't picking flying Warriors to take potshots from afar.

Ravener Brood

Rundown:  This is a much improved unit from before.  Not only has the base cost gone from (effectively) 38 to 30, but you even get an extra Wound and Attack in the deal.  They are still Beasts and you can take as many as 9, three better than previously.  Otherwise, they have much the same options -- Rending and/or a built in infantry gun.  Finally, they are now made in (admittedly pricey) plastic, definitely a good thing compared to the old top heavy models.

Opinion:  In the old codex Raveners looked better than they were.  At usually 40 points (for Talons and Claws), a mere 5+ save, and just 2 Wounds they tended to be too fragile to be worth the points.  The new unit is definitely a step in the right direction even if the old weaknesses are basically intact.  With a 4 Toughness they are yet again prime targets for instant kills, but that was often true in the past anyway when you used Deep Strike to bring them in -- and away from Synapse.

Still, you will need to use them carefully.  A smart opponent will pick them out from a horde so just mixing them in with the other bugs isn't likely to prove good protection.  A better choice is to run them through terrain.  They have Move Through Cover and as Beasts are Fleet while having a 12" charge.  You should be able to move through the brush and trees without a problem, popping out when within range of a juicy target.    Since they will make their living slicing and dice in close-combat getting them Rending Claws (just 5 points) is a no-brainer.

In general I wouldn't bother with buying a ranged weapon, although something cheap like a Spine Fist isn't bad if you have a few extra points looking for something to do.  Just understand you'll only be using them right before charging in for the kill.

Sky-Slasher Swarm Brood

Rundown:  Rippers with little bat wings.  Oh, how cute!

Opinion:  For an extra 5 points Rippers become jump infantry.  Nifty I suppose, but I still don't care much about them.  They are otherwise exactly the same as regular Rippers with all the limitations that implies.  They can get into combat faster, but won't be any more effective when they do.

The one role I can see for Sky-Slasher Swarms is as speedy attackers who tie down an enemy unit for a turn or two until your heavy hitters arrive.  Unless going after cannon fodder they won't kill much.  You use them for tactical reasons, not to improve your body count.

Gargoyle Brood

Rundown:  Effectively Termigants with wings, Gargoyles are a good deal cheaper than before.  They aren't quite as effective -- Fleshborers are now wimpy and their Bio-Plasma is gone.  However, they do now automatically wound on hit rolls of 6.  You can buy them in groups as large as 30.  Their only two options are the ubiquitous Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacks.

The major change is their Leadership.  It dropped from 10 to just 6.  Given that they are Fast Attack and (if you aren't careful) prone to being out by themselves the chance that they will just stop and take in the sights is substantial.

The major bonus is that they are now in plastic.  From a point of price and practicality that's huge.  They were expensive metal monstrosities that were notoriously top-heavy.  Now you can actually afford to get a lot while not having them topple over the moment anyone within ten feet takes a breath.

Opinion:  I find it hard not to like these new Gargoyles if only for the new models.  They are tremendous improvement over before and make the unit actually affordable in terms of $$.

In practice I suspect they will act as fast Termigants meant to tie down enemy troops or grab objectives -- they aren't likely to survive to do both.  At Toughness 3 and a pathetic 6+ save they will die early and often, but at least their speed gives you some hope for getting them into cover between moves.  You certainly don't want to rely on them for firepower.

That there is the Gargoyles main weakness -- their low leadership and therefore tendency to just lurk if Synapse isn't around.  With the new Fleshborers which are as short ranged as before, but without Living Ammunition you don't want Gargoyles shooting any more often than necessary.  If this reason you'll want to be as clever as possible when it comes to keeping them within range of a Synapse Creature.  Since their advantage is being fast that may not always be possible, but don't run them off alone without good reason.

Normally I tend toward not giving schmuck units any bio-morphs to keep costs down and numbers up, but since Gargoyles will tend to be single purchases and you want them to be effective in close-combat getting Adrenal Glands and/or Toxin Sacks is a good option.  It will at least give your opponent a reason to not casual dismiss them.

Likewise, I suggest taking full sized units (top size is 30) whenever possible to give them lasting power and some resistance to moral checks from shooting.  While they may be numerous and cheap Gargoyles are also fragile and can fall apart faster than you think.

Harpy

Rundown:  Imagine a Trygon with wings and that's more or less a Harpy.  It's a flying monstrous creature with a bunch of special abilities and the power to once a game drop a d3 barrage of Spore Mines as it passes overhead.  It otherwise carries a twin-linked Stranglethorn Cannon, some Stinger Spines, and counts as having grenades when charging.  It has 4 Wounds and a 5 Toughness, but oddly only has 2 Attacks.

Opinion:  This is yet another unit that sounds better than it is, although not as badly as some previous examples.  If I had to make a single criticism it is that the Harpy doesn't do anything particularly well, yet costs 160 points.

With just a 5 Toughness it is susceptible to one-shot kills, although strength 10 weapons are far less common than strength 8 or 9.  Still, when facing some armies such as Tau (who tend to bring along big guns like Broadsides) a Harpy could easily be an embarrassing disappointment. 

I have a winged Hive Tyrant in my collection and even with T6 and Warp Field (which is no longer available for a Tyrant) I've learned the hard way that you can't just run it up the middle of the board.  Since a Harpy has only a 5 Toughness and a 4+ save it faces the same situation only worse.  You'll need to be moving it from cover to cover to keep it alive long enough to be successful.

Twin-Linked Stranglethorn Cannons are respectable, but actually a bit wimpy if you ask me when mounted on a Monstrous Creature.  You can upgrade these to dual Heavy Venom Cannons for anti-vehicle firepower, an option that I find appealing.  With the ability to move fast and gain good firing positions using it as an anti-tank sniper is a natural choice, better than having the Harpy pick off infantry.  For that you have your Spore Mines.  While you could end up dropping a lot of the exploding gas bags the limitation is that you actually have to fly over your target, a requirement that is apt to open the Harpy to a lot of fire.  Even if your opponent has no strength 10 cannons just a single turn of fire from a few heavy weapons is likely enough to ruin the Harpy's day.

In close combat it has the obvious advantage of being a Monstrous Creature, but its surprisingly low dual attacks mean it won't be able to use its ability to squish heads all that much.  Thus, you'll need to go after high value targets or objectives to make the charge worth the risk.  For these reasons giving it Adrenal Glands (it will almost always get the charge rather than be charged) is probably a good idea even if it does cost 10 points.  Anything to raise the kill total.

I wish the Harpy had 4 Attacks or was a Synapse Creature -- in that case I could enthusiastically recommend the unit.  As it is I find the monster a tad disappointing.  Cool idea and certainly with the potential to be effective in combat, I fear the Harpy will too often be a letdown, falling, say, to a strength 10 cannon or accomplishing little in close combat (it only takes a few bad rolls). 

Still, it does make for a great model (take a Trygon, just add wings and sculpt some egg sacks on the bottle side) so I plan on constructing at least one regardless.

Spore Mine

Rundown:  It is a floating bag of gas that meanders around and goes boom when a non-bug gets close.  'Nuff said.

Opinion:  Not that they were game winning units to begin with, but the new rules actually reduce their effectiveness even more.  You can now only take what amount to frag spores which in turn cost 2 points extra.  Otherwise, they are pretty much the same as the old codex.

Spore Mines strike me as too random to be particularly interesting.  If they don't hit the target the first time they float around in random directions while being easy targets to shoot.  I suppose you could use them for area denial -- drop them in front of an enemy in an attempt to close choke points or generally slow them down -- but I am not optimistic about their chances of doing so effectively. 

It's worth noting that the rules for Spore Mines (as a Fast Attack unit, not shot out by Biovores) say nothing about them being exceptions to the rules for Deep Strike (except for the worse).  That means you can't just drop them directly on to a target enemy unit without rolling on the Mishap table!  Instead, you have to place them by themselves and hope they end up within 2" of the enemy sometime during the game.

One Last Pet Peeve:  What are the rules for the Red Terror?  All the other old unique Tyranids have their own listing except for Red -- and of course that's the model I own.  Grumble.

Next Time:  Heavy Support

It's time to take a look at the real meat of any codex:  Troops.  They often serve as the backbone of any force, especially nowadays given that you need them to capture objectives.  So, how do the bug troops do?

Tyranid Warriors

Rundown:  Now suddenly finding themselves counting as Troops, Tyranid Warriors have changed in many other ways as well.  Compared to before they have +1 WS, Attacks, +1 Wounds, and a base 4+ save!  They also get access to nifty new toys, none better than the ability for the entire squad to take power weapons (e.g. boneswords)!  Squad sizes are the same as previously and they are no faster than they were, but at least they can crash into battle in a Mycetic Spore.  The downside is, of course, that their prices have skyrocketed to a base of 30 points as compared to just 14 in the last codex.

They come with Devourers now, but if you want to stay shooty you can switch them out for Spine Fists or Deathspitters.  You can even give one per squad a Barbed Strangler or (lesser) Venom Cannon.  For those more hand-to-hand inclined you can give them Rending Claws, a pair of boneswords, or bonesword and lash whip.  Finally, they can receive Adrenal Glands and/or Toxin Sacks.  As always they are Synapse Creatures and have Shadow of the Warp.

Opinion:  With all these heightened abilities it's hard not to say things have improved for Warriors.  Likewise, being Troops is handy.  I always took at least 10 with my usual armies so that's a lot more points allocated to Troops. 

Of course, it is also a lot more points in general.  Here I am of two minds.  On the one hand Warriors are beefier to be sure, but at a substantial higher price.  I modeled my own Warriors with Scything Talons and Rending Claws plus Extended Carapace.  Keeping that in mind (and taking nothing else) my usual group of 5 warriors went from costing 23 each to 30 -- or a raise of ~23%.  For those extra 7 points I get one extra Wound and Weapon Skill.  At first that sounds reasonable, but in practice I suspect the change is not quite worth it.  After all, previously I knew that my Warriors had to be hit at least twice before going down.  Now even with that extra Wound they can be one-shot kills.  The WS bonus is nice as it will allow them to hit elite troops like Space Marines more often, but is that worth taking one less Warrior for the same points?  Maybe, but the improvement is debatable.

More subtly, for a force that is stereotypically a "horde" higher points totals for Warriors and having them as Troops will encourage people to take small(er) 'Nid armies.  On the positive side players of 'Nidzilla armies might encourage such players to avoid the tacky and common tactic of just taking a few token minimum size gaunt troop choices in order to load up on monstrous creatures.  It would make such forces more colorful and authentic, but given that Warriors still cost a fair bit I tend to suspect things won't change in that regard.

The big thing with Warriors is that you can now take them with power weapons.  That is potentially huge -- troops that can ignore armor!  Doing so means having a base 40 point cost and giving up an attack unless you dispense with any ranged attack.  Still, that sounds pretty nasty and no doubt can be in many cases.  However, Warriors still suffer from being one of the slowest units in the bug army and can't typically get across the field in less than 4 turns.  Taking Mycetic Spores is the obvious solution for this, but not only does that mean having them sit there for a turn as a target, but it also means possibly having your best source of Synapse across the board from the rest of your army.

Still, it's a possibility that makes Warriors truly scary and thus has to be respected.  In fact, I wonder if anyone will even take shooty Warriors from now on (not that they were so popular before) -- when you choice is between a few shots unlikely to kill anything serious or the power to slice and dice through power armor which would you choose?

Genestealers

Rundown:  On the surface not much has changed for 'Stealers except something good, namely that they are 2 points cheaper than before -- and that is with all the same base stats.  However, when you take a look at accessories things are quite different.

One is that the Broodlord has been demoted to just a leader figure for any and all Genestealer broods.  He loses his power attack, but gains some psychic abilities and retains his otherwise superior characteristics.  He does still cost almost as much as he did as a HQ choice, however.

The other big change is that you can no longer take Extended Carapace for your Genestealers.  That is huge. 

Opinion:  How huge is huge?  Let's put it this way -- against AP5 weapons without that 4+ save you take twice the amount of wounds. That's 50% more!  Thus, for example, a squad of double-firing Space Marines that used to kill an average of ~3 'Stealers now can count on killing ~7 (I rounded off).  Even if the remaining 3 of 10 then charge into combat they will only slice up 2 Marines as opposed to 4 the surviving 7 would kill.  Again, a drop of 50%.

The simple conclusion is that Genestealer armies are no longer viable.  The forces that were as-many-Stealers-as-I-can-take can't possibly hope to hide everyone in cover going in.  As a result when facing the ubiquitous AP5 infantry weapon your exposed Genestealers will melt like the Wicked Witch of the West in the rain.

So, at a stroke Genestealers have been reduced to support or commando roles, but even these are now more iffy than before.  A smart opponent knows that close-up 'Stealers are deadly and will go after them unless there is something else even worse like a Monstrous Creature nearby.  Thus, hiding your genestealers behind waves of gaunts just isn't going to work.  The alternative is to only use them as commando units that start off in cover and can leap out at vulnerable targets.

Things are even worse when you consider that the Broodlord has traded in his power attacks for a couple of mediocre psychic powers that can make his head explode.  Why-oh-why did GW think it made sense to not allow a premiere Tyranid unit to upgrade to a leader model who can ignore armor?  That's an obvious ability, especially given that Rending has been reduced already.  And, the Broodlord costs a base of 60 points!

I hate to say it, but Genestealers as they used to be (in 4th edition) have indeed been nerfed.  Yes, they do still have a role as commando units, but how you use them has changed greatly and at the same time been reduced to only a single worthwhile niche.  Two less points cost does not give you enough extra 'Stealers to make up for their vulnerability to bolter fire.

Termagants

Rundown:  Did you know that 'termagant' is Tyranid for 'cannon fodder'?  In this they haven't changed.  They are still Imperial Guardsmen with even worse armor and compressed air guns that can fire maybe as far as a toddler can throw a baseball.  Points totals have changed slightly and you can give them one extra sort-of special weapon now.  And, of course, you can team them up with Tervigons.

Opinion:  Believe it or not but on average the cost of Termigants has actually gone up.  Not if you loaded them out with Fleshborers -- they are now 1 point less, but at the cost of losing Living Ammunition.  However, if you equipped your models with Spine Fists (like I did) you are now spending 1 extra point a model and if you used Devourers it is now 3 points more.  Apparently, my disposable Spine Gaunts were over-priced.  Imagine my surprise.  For that extra point I get nothing extra.  Likewise, the new Devourers are perhaps slightly better, but hardly worth 3 extra base points.

This is important -- the only useful ability to gaunts was that they were cheap as dirt.  Now for many of us they are a little less cheap, enough so that now I get 16 where I used to have 20.  If I had used Devourers I would only get 14 for my previous 20.  That means my horde is no longer as big for the same points while my gaunts are otherwise as pathetic as before.

Take it from someone who regular plays 'Nids with 60+ gaunts -- they die in droves and often without doing much on their own.  That's okay as they were usually soaking up fire that might take down my real killer units, but with Genestealers now bolter fodder and much of my force vulnerable to one-shot kills it is harder to believe that role will still work.  Yet, on top of all that I now get less for my points.  Wonderful.

This might be okay if Termigants could take a leader unit with a power attack or some truly nasty weapon, but all they have is the Strangleweb which is just a poor bug's flamer.  Or, they could have benefited from a larger possible brood size so that you could take large amounts at a single time (and have them all benefit from powers from other bugs that affect whole units), but in fact the top size is 2 less than before.

There is one cure for all these problems -- the Tervigon.  Given that it is big, hard to kill, and bestows enough abilities on nearby Termigants to actually make them a threat you'd be insane not to combine Tervigons with your horde. 

Which is the problem -- any time you can say to yourself "you'd be insane not to take X" you are looking at something broken or just badly written, perhaps both.  By themselves Termigants are actually a bit less effective than before and can certainly not take over the role of hard-hitting troops from Genestealers.  With Tervigons they are respectable which is why I prophesize the two units types will now always go together.

Hormagaunts

Rundown:  Let's face it -- in the old codex the most worthless unit was Hormagaunts.  They were just faster Termigants with an extra attack that died just as quickly and cost a base of 10 points each!  Thankfully, their base cost is now down to just 6, although they lose being Beasts and a point of WS.  This at least makes them an option to fill out your horde quota as opposed to merely being expensive cannon fodder that can't kill anything meaningful.

Opinion:  However, they are nevertheless stuck with the fact they still won't be killing anything meaningful.  Faster Imperial Guardsmen with an extra attack aren't going to frighten anyone when all they can do is run across the field being shot up.  If they had retained being Beasts I'd be far more enthusiastic about them -- they might be fragile, but at least they could get into hand-to-hand as soon as the second turn and pin down the enemy.  But, they are only a bit faster than Termigants and they don't get to benefit from nearby Tervigons.  They also don't even get a leader figure at all, let alone one with a power attack.

So, Hormagaunts have gone from a never-take unit to a merely mediocre unit.  I guess that is an improvement, but there is nothing about them that excites me.  Then again, maybe Genestealers were nerfed in order to encourage you to take more Hormagaunts.  Yippee.

Rippers

Rundown:  Living garbage disposals, Rippers are much like they were before -- swarms with lots of teeth.  They cost as much as they used to and have much the same stats, although they can now fall apart when out of Synapse range.  You can give them the Deep Strike ability, but that only matters if you can use it in your scenario.

Opinion:  I've never been big on Rippers, in part because they couldn't take objectives and as swarms were vulnerable to templates.  At least they now count as Troops for scoring purposes, but are otherwise no better (or worse) than before.

As for recommendations I really have none.  If you played with them in the past or just want to have something for those extra bits you get with your gaunts to do then go right ahead, but I don't foresee a sudden increase in their frequency on the battlefield (in no small part thanks to the inability to buy them separately).  I don't see them as replacements for any other Troop choice, that's for sure.

Mycetic Spores

Yes, technically they aren't Troop choices, but now is as good a time as any to talk about them.

Rundown:  Bugs finally have real vehicles -- living drop pods!  They can carry as many as 20 infantry or one Monstrous Creature (although the only MC that can use them are Carnifexes) while being able to mount a wide range of guns.  They even count as Monstrous Creatures themselves and thus ignore armor in close-combat.  That's just cool!  And, at a base of 40 points they are nicely affordable.

Opinion:  At last I reach a unit in this article that actually excites me.  A bug vehicle was on my list of wanted changes and this one is even pretty good.  It comes with a triple 6 attack -- 6" range, 6 Strength, and Assault 6 -- and the ability to ignore armor in hand-to-hand.  Both are limited thanks to the fact that Spores can't actually run after prey, but you can buy them bigger (mostly anti-infantry) guns with greater range that vary in price from 10 to 20 points.  Their one limitation is a meager 4 Toughness thus making them yet again -- sing along if you like -- potential krak missile bait.  Still, all-in-all it's pretty damn good.

Of course, the primary allure of Mycetic Spores is having a drop pod bug army.  Unfortunately, you get no special rules for doing so ala Space Marines, but if you take certain units you can at least improve the odds of arrival.    Unless you are going to have an entire army use Spores I see them as best used to allow choice -- and slow -- units like Carnifexes get at the enemy more quickly than normal.  It gives the bug player more tactical options, always a good thing.

I would tend to pass on the larger gun options given it only has a 2 skill and even with 3 Wounds is unlikely to be around long enough to use it much. On-the-other-hand, one nice tactic would be to drop the Spore near your opponent's close-combat specialists and see if you can't goad them into attacking.  Being a Monstrous Creature with Lash Whips, 3 attacks, and a 6 strength it has the power to take on anything.  The trick is actually getting it into combat, not the easiest goal given Spores can't move.  At least make sure to use them as cover for your arriving units and then hope your enemy feels lucky and decides to do the tango with your living drop pods.

Next Time:  Fast Attack

We move on to the Elites in the new book and right off I want to offer one obvious criticism -- there are too many of them.  Likewise, while most are at least "pretty good" none really stand out.  In one sense that is a good thing as there might be more reason to take any particular one compared to another, but on the other hand you could easily end up just ignoring them for other things.

There are two clear changes that should have been made to the Elites -- One, offer Hive Guard as a variation of Tyrant Guard, and; two, keep Zoanthropes as Heavy Support.  More information on both below.

Hive Guard

Rundown:  Basically Tyrand Guard with guns Hive Guard seem to be a compromise between various ideas.  One, make them T-Guard like in appearance and Toughness.  Two, give them a big gun, but don't make it too big in order to retain the Tyranid inability to defeat Power Armor (or better) at range.  Finally, don't give them any particular close-combat heft save for pretty good stats.  The end result of all these compromises is a unit that is overall competent without really excelling at anything.

Opinion:  I really like the models, but overall I find it hard to come up with a compelling reason to take Hive Guard.  They do have a strength 8 ranged attack, but it is still only range 24" and, more importantly, merely AP4.  That means that against power armor it is really no better than strength 6 as 2/3 of your shots will just bounce off anyway.  Likewise, while they do have a strength of 5 they have no other hand-to-hand pluses.  That makes them more a nuisance than threat against any opponent of note.  They are sort of like miniature shooty Carnifexes, but without the Monstrous Creature ability of the later to make them scary in close-combat even without close-and-personal bio-morphs.

So, they really don't fulfill any role all that well.  They can be deadly to light vehicles, but useless against anything heavy.  They can wound anything at range, but with only AP4 that often won't mean much.  And, they only have a 4+ save themselves and thus are fodder for things like Heavy Bolters and Autocannons.

What should have been done is to make Hive Guard just another choice for Tyranid Guard.  Why not be able to mix and match the two as part of a Tyrant's entourage?  It would allow them to protect the Tyrant while providing some ranged punch.  Or, make the cannons AP3 and you suddenly have a unit that will summon the horror of the swarm in most any opponent.  As it is many armies can practically ignore them while those that cannot are likely better dealt with using more numerous and less expensive alternatives.

Lictors

Rundown:  Just like the old Lictors, but noticeably better GW has at least made an honest attempt to make them more appealing than before.  In the past they were just one-shot-wonders that would pop out of some trees, maybe kill a few models, and then get shot down.  This basic role hasn't changed, but now they clearly do it better.

They can now appear pretty much anywhere thus allowing you to get around the common enemy tactic of just avoiding deep brush.  With a new ranged attack while keeping Rending they can be expected to do more damage, although they still lack the punch to go up against anything substantial without quickly dying.  Hit and Run is nice as are the abilities to get through cover and use it to their advantage.  The most interesting new power, however, has to be the Pheromone Trail.  It not only adds one to your reserve rolls (only a single +1 is allowed), but a bug unit can Deep Strike without error within 6".  This finally makes the Lictor a true advance reconnaissance unit.

Opinion:  For Deep Striking or Flank Marching 'Nid armies Lictors become a must have.  They just make concentration of force easier than otherwise in such cases. 

That said, don't expect Lictors to accomplish much more than before on their own.  Yes, they aren't quite the pushovers of before, but they still suffer from 5+ armor and a mere 4 toughness.  They do have an extra wound, but on-the-other-hand will attract swarms of krak missiles that balance that out.  I suggest using them with finesse and resisting the temptation to just leap out at the first yummy target, at least until there is nothing else you need to bring in from reserve.

Deathleaper

Rundown:  It's baaaaack.  The Deathleaper is like he always was, a pumped up regular Lictor.  He is more than twice the cost of a regular one, but for that you get better stats and a number of extra abilities that if nothing else are big on drama.  He is a unique, but you wouldn't want to take more than one anyway.

Opinion:  I have no doubt that the Deathleaper would be fun to play, but he is definitely a unit to be used with great care.  That's because he is still as vulnerable to damage as his more average brethren.  Being that he is so many points you definitely can't afford to lose him casually.  That means having good cover becomes even more important -- and more of a problem if you are playing on a board without much (or which doesn't block line-of-sight).

In the end I think taking the Deathleaper is a judgment call.  If he works with your army design then go for it, but otherwise he is more fun than effective.

Venomthropes

Rundown:  This is yet another interesting unit with vulnerabilities that can seriously reduce its effectiveness. 

The good is that not only does it have poisoned attacks, but just getting near the thing can cause damage.  The even better is that it can grant any nearby unit an automatic 5+ cover save and defensive grenades.  It even forces the enemy to make a dangerous terrain test to charge any of your units benefiting from this power.

The bad is that it is another bug with a glass jaw.  With just a 4 toughness, 2 wounds, and 5+ save it will take damage fairly easily.  And, of course, it is meat for missile launchers.  For example, a single krak missile from a Space Marine has a 37% chance to one-shot the Venomthrope while an Imperial Guardsman has a 29% chance.  That's pretty high when we are talking about a base 55 point model.

Opinion:  So, just keep them under cover then, right?  Problem is that to get the most of their Spore Cloud ability you'll want them within 6" of as many of your units as possible.  It's hard to do that and always remain under cover.  Likewise, they are half decent in close-combat and you aren't going to find that while cowering behind a rock.  Finally, you can only join them with up to two more of their brethren, yet at 55 points that sounds less like a viable strategy to keep at least one Venomthrope alive and more like one to hand over extra victory points to your opponent.

Therefore, the problem is how to get the most out of their Spore Cloud ability while keeping them alive.  I see this as being possible, but tricky with things like the layout of terrain on your play board going a long way toward determining the effectiveness of your V-thropes.  The more you try to take advantage of the Cloud the more Krak missiles they attract, but the less they do so the more waste of points they become.

So, it's another judgment call.  If you think you can make it work give it a try, but don't be surprised if it fails more often than you'd think.

On a more positive note it turns out that the model itself is better balanced than I originally feared.  If you make sure to place its weight properly on the base it is surprisingly resistant to being tipped over.  The metal tentacles are still prone to popping off, but then again that's why god created super-glue.

Zoanthropes

Rundown:  The old floaty heads are back and more or less the same except that they now have fixed 3+ saves -- and, more importantly, they have fixed abilities also.  Unlike before when you have a choice of abilities to pick from you now get Synapse Creature, Warp Field/Blast, and Shadow in the Warp -- period.  It's all for 60 points.

Opinion:  The basic point to Zoanthropes has not changed.  Their job is to blast things and now that they can use a full 4 BS to do so they are better at htting the target.  On the flip side they now have to take Psychic Tests so they end up being about as effective in this regard as before.  Sure, you will hit more often during regular combat, but you also have to worry about them occasionally exploding.

The fact they come hardcoded with a certain load of psychic powers is disappointing, but not killer.  You were always going to take Warp Blast anyway and Synapse is not a bad choice for a second power.  It is also cheaper than before if you were going to take those two anyway.  Still, I am going to miss having a trio of Z-Thropes with Psychic Scream.

There are two downsides to this new floating brain which echo what I've said elsewhere:  One, with a Toughness of a mere 4 they are vulnerable to one-shot kills, but their 3+ invulnerable save gives them enough protection to balance things out -- at least they aren't Plasma Gun fodder any longer. 

Two, they are Elites.  This is unfortunate as there are already a bunch of Elite choices and there are not any good yet cheap Heavy Support choices (Biovores are no better than before -- which is to say bad).  A unit that would be a regular choice as Heavy Support is going to get less use now as Elite (or, more likely, other Elites will never appear since Zoanthropes are more tempting).  Again, I see this as a sign of a codex that wasn't really thought through properly. 

Nevertheless, Zoanthropes are still effective and I expect them to be a popular choice for Elites.

Doom of Malan'Tai

Rundown:  A monster version of a Zoanthrope, the Doom has one of the nastiest boom powers you'll ever see -- Cataclysm.  At its worst it is a 24" ranged large template attack at S10 AP1.  Yowza!  It does cause d3 automatic wounds to the Doom, but fortunately it has the Life Leach power which can suck wounds from anything within 6" and give it to itself -- up to a maximum of 10.  At first glance this seems rather damn nasty!

Opinion:  However, at second glance the Doom becomes far less appealing.  For one thing it might have a bigger bug brain and a base 4 wounds, but it is still Toughness 4.  Thus, whether it has 4, 10, or a thousand wounds it can still be a one-shot kill to anything as good as a krak missile or better.  Likewise, the Life Leach power only has a range of 6".  That means you have to open it up to fire to be most effective, but any opponent with two brain cells to rub together is going to put the Doom high on his hit list if he is facing having a couple of units potentially devastated.

As a result I don't see the Doom being all that effective in practice.  Yes, it could theoretically be and I am sure that if you use it you'll have the occasional game where it is truly amazing, but most of the time it will either be hiding behind a rock not doing much or making a short, if glorious Deep Strike attack where it does damage and is then immediately vaporized.  Either way that's more of a gimmick than a real unit if you ask me.

Pyrovores

Rundown:  A unit that looks nastier than it really is, you can think of the Pyrovore as a Space Marine scout with an extra wound, heavy flamer, and power weapon.  But, even this is not as good as it sounds as the creature has a whopping 1 attack and its flamespurt can potentially blow up when it dies.  It has no special movement abilities and can only be taken in groups of 1-3.

Opinion:  The Pyrovore is my hands-down choice for unit with the dumbest rules.  Honestly, if the designers spent more than five seconds thinking through this concept I'd be amazed.  In a codex where power attacks are rare why do you give one to a unit with a measly single attack?  Aren't there better and more consistent ways to have a Tyranid close-combat threat than a rule so painfully clunky?

The flamespurt isn't really any different from a heavy flamer besides that it can explode -- and it requires the Pyrovore to get close and personal with his targets.  You can use it even if the creature falls into instinctual behavior, which is good as his leadership is just 6.  Still, a 4 toughness, 2 wounds, and 4+ save does not usually make for an obvious hand-to-hand monster, yet to be effective at all the Pyrovore is going to need to be within a foot of the enemy at all times.  Then there is the fact that its two means of attack are an odd pairing.  One is clearly meant to kill a lot of little things while the other is meant to go after guys in good armor.

Bwah?  I just don't get this unit.  How could anyone have thought this was a good design?  Too bad as I do like the model, but at 45 points each I won't be fielding any.

Ymgarl Genestealers

Rundown:  The unit with the unpronounceable name (Isn't "Ymgarl" the sound you make when coughing up mucus?), these Genestealers are the only ones you can find nowadays with 4+ armor.  They can also pop up in terrain pieces in a convoluted sort of Deep Strike that carries a bigger risk of losing models on arrival.  They do get a +1 to their toughness, strength, or attacks that you have to rotate around from turn-to-turn.

Opinion:  These fellows are a mediocre substitute for not being able to take regular Genestealers with 4+ armor.  Yes, they get it naturally, but cost 23 points each, three more than having it cost before.  The do get that rotating +1 for those extra points, but I'm not sure if that makes the overall high price worth it.  Another limitation is that you can only take 10 per unit (but, at least they aren't unique).  If they were another Troop choice I could see taking them on a regular basis, but as yet another Elite option I don't see them making frequent appearances. 

If they do show up you'll of course want to use them as a sort of commando bug unit that pops up in the enemy backfield to pounce on a juicy target.  Not sure how well this will work.  These Genestealers are going to be hit-or-miss depending on the force you are facing and the scenario. 

Next time:  Troops