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I'd best try to be inoffensive this time around.
I'm working on a variant Nid list for personal use only...okay, I'll be honest, I'm looking to harvest 99% of the great work present in the V9 Nid lists produced here, with the deserved acknowledgements, reverance and head bowing of course, mix it with my own personal spin and play it.
When it boils down to the tabletop, with each gaming group it is you and the guy across from you that are there- and aim to enjoy the game, so house rules, and indeed, house lists will eventually worm in.
So where am I going with this? Well, Tactical Command is a great resource of knowledgeable Epic Nid players, as much as the v9.2 Light Vehicle nerf grates, it has a lot of other new and good ideas- like giving Zoanthropes a purpose, adding the Tunneler dimension, and so on. I'll always come back for ideas and inspirations, and when the Nid list is formalised I'm likely to field it at tournaments, etc.
I'm basically looking for fresh set's of eyes, opinions, critique and interest on items I'll propose below. You don't have to like them, you don't have to use them in your own games- even a simple "Well, your rule X will cause loophole Y" will be very helpful.
So, first of all the core changes I've made, my most memorised version is v9.1, but hopefully I've remembered v9.2 well enough. So if I regurgitate an idea already mentioned in v9.2 without citing it as the source, it's not plagiarism, it's the worst kind of memory (remembering enough to use it, but not to credit it).
Hmm.
Special Rules
Synapse- I've tried to make the wording easier on the eye, but it's very difficult, the effect is the same.
Relentless- I've stuck with +1 for now, +2 means guaranteed actions even when Blast markered and I'm not a fan of that. Orks get +2, but then their initiative 3+, so...
Spawning- I've worded it a bit differently, to the effect that you pick a formation, roll to remove Blast markers, roll for Spawning, move onto next formation, roll to remove..etc. Not sure why, I just wanted to word the rule in a shorter way and this is how it came out. In-game effect, well, it forces the Nid player to decide what Spawning units he wants to add to formation X before he moves onto formation Y, is this good or bad?
I also reversed the spawn modifier for being within 30cm of the enemy, so you get +D3 for being within 30, not -D3. I just found the idea that the Nid player would try to keep out of 30 to improve his spawning, whilst the opponent tried to chase the Nid player into range a little counter-intuitive of the fluff.
Finally I've added that you can respawn Damage Capacity wounds on a living war engine in the synapse swarm.
Without Number- Basically the Gaunt special rule for 1/2 Assault casualty modifier included in v9.2. Clarified that the number is rounded up (i.e. in the opponent's benefit). Just so I could put 'Without Number' in the Termagant and Hormagaunt unit entry instead of repeating the full special rule. I've tried to cluster all the Special Rules in the Nid Special rule section, so it can be added to new units if the list is added to, updated, etc, but also so they're all in one place.
Stampede- Again, just the Mobility rule, but with a -5cm move penalty for terrain. I felt there should be some penalty for moving through terrain, just not as severe or as time-consuming as Dangerous Terrain tests. So I can imagine a Carnifex battering it's way through a forest, being slowed by the tree stomping but not accidentally tipped like a Battle Tank.
Tyranid Units
Tyranid Warriors- Infantry. Best if we don't go into it.
Lictors- Infantry. I really like the non-scoring rule from v9.2, so I've given them that. I think being non-scoring removes a lot of the power of Lictors to just pop-up on the enemy Blitz and laugh. And that was needed, I agree, they where too good before.
Heirophant- I haven't given them Inspiring yet, I feel these are the best units in the Nid list, 9.1 and 2. I felt so strongly I even gave them a pts hike to 300pts. They have the resilience, the firepower, the combat brutality and the ability to capture objectives that a lot of the Nid army list lacks- alongside a Reaver in a Guard army they'd be pants, but within the Nid list, they fill a desperately needed niche.
Hydraphant- Can't see what to do with these TBH. Packing decent ranged weapons, the Heirophant does the job better. I've upped the Hydraphant to 10wounds, I figured it's supposed to be the Warlord equivalent, and since a Warlord has 14 hits to chew through it seemed fair. A small pts hike to compensate.
Meiotic Spore Sacs- Well I let them March, and gave them Scout. I can't see why anyone would take them before. For the same price and spot as 3 Lictors. They just couldn't cover enough area to be useful as AA, and if anyone was relying on Aircraft, it's ridiculously easy to bring down 6 LVs.
Scout let them spread out over a large area, March let's them move and amazingly fast 30cm a turn (and for this they lose AA cover).
Worst abuses I can see are Spore Mines somehow moving close enough to a static firepower unit to force it to move out of their Scout z of c. Also denying large areas to the enemy.
Well, shucks, it's almost as if their a floating minefield of acid bombs. Considering the competition for space they have against Lictors and Heirophants, I think giving them a viable use as area denial weapons is well worth it.
I haven't got around to fiddling with much of the units, I know a fair few monsters got faster, which I think is a good idea as I'm struggling to find roles for them all (more on that later).
Goes without saying I applaud the Termie/Hormie 1/2 Assault casualty modifier rule.
I also wholeheartedly adopted the Hormie 2 5+ cc attacks. Very Hormgaunty to have a handful of slighly inaccurate cc dice, leave highly accurate fewer first strike dice to the Genies where they belong.
So it's very much a work-in-progress, and still 99% Tactical Command grown.
If, and I'd be amazed, anyone has kept interest to read this far, I want to delve into the roles of some of the Armoured Vehicles- namely the Carnifex, Haruspex, Malefactor.
Haruspex and Malefactor- competing for the same spot, same cost. The Haruspex is superior in nearly every way, I don't get why the Malefactor is expensive.
The Malefactor gets an incredibly short-range infantry gun, for this the Haruspex gets much better armour, 2 MW CC attacks in 3+. I can possibly see a Malefactor being used in Supporting Fire, but it's just better to take the Haruspex and better repel incoming damage in it's main job, bullet shield.
The Malefactor was a transport once upon a time right? Can it not be given a better role, or at least not be pt for pt competing with a Haruspex?
Haruspex and Carnifex- clearly, the Haru is the Carni's big brother, perhaps this is the intention. The Carni can garrison, and is cheaper, so I can't really argue this one. The Carnie being less resilient than a Hive Tyrant is a bit counter-intuitive though, 4+ re-roll better than 3+.
I really should cut this rant at some point, so thanks for reading and I look forward to your replies.
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