The Planetfall rules are already pretty uncertain (since you have to plot your drops before formations are deployed), but if extra uncertainty for the Tyranid player is required for a drop-type rule, how about something simple like:

"Tyranid units that use the Planetfall ability triple their scatter distance on arrival".


That being one short line that puts in a bit of uncertainty for the Tyranid player, which seems to be the end-goal that these various proposed Drop rules are trying to achieve.

Note that the Chaos Black Legion Drop Pods already use a modified version of the Planetfall rule (they do not scatter) so this is not without precedent.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

What happens to scattering off the table? It seems the probability is going to be much higher for that unfortunate circumstance. If I were I Nid player I would end up plotting everything to a single point in the center of the board and end up with a deployment that looks like a concert mosh pit. But at least I'd have all my formations.

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author of Syncing Forward and other stories...

It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I've got my Milkbone underwear on.

By the rules if you scatter off your gone.

The same thing that happens to any formation that scatters off the table, they die.

The probability of a formation placed 25cm or more from a board edge scattering off is very low, and by the time you reach 36cm you're completely safe, so no need to place only at the centre of the board.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

I think the idea is okay and would work.

However, it is going to be subject to the delays of any drop army, which is not insignificant. And even if it is a modified rule, it is also a special rule nonetheless. I point these out only to show that they are the same concerns you bring up on the other proposals.

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author of Syncing Forward and other stories...

It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I've got my Milkbone underwear on.

My personal preference would be not to use a new special rule at all and just use Planetfall, costed appropriately (it was not in the Phase III list).

However, if a special rule is required, I'm proposing one that has a minimal impact on the speed of the game, the basic gameplay experience, and the length of time it takes to explain to my opponent how the army works in the 5 minute warm-up***.


***If you can't explain how your army works in your half of the 5 minute warm up, your army has too many special rules.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Then Necrons are doomed.

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author of Syncing Forward and other stories...

It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I've got my Milkbone underwear on.

Correct. Too bad noone else is listening.

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Frogbear is responsible for...
Previous World Eaters
Previous Emperor's Children
Previous Death Guard
Previous Imperial Fists
Previous Chaos Squats

*shrug*
A poll might be illuminating.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter