Have you actually played the nid list with these forces?

If so, were you not effected by the excessive blast markers and the like that these things attract?

With a 3+ initiative, acting with these things first when you need them are not always viable

Yes. And they perform a lot better than my guard equivalents who have less stats and a lower strategy 2+ for some reason And of course rarely don't have a blast marker.

Hena

There is no extra rolling.

All that is being put forward that instead of gaining the +2 to the dice when removing blast markers, you do it on the normal initiative (no +2 modifier). The +2 modifier is only for broken formations.

Are we on the 'same page'?

So comparison here is Genestealers vs Rough Riders, I assume.

Both are 150 for 6. Same speed, same save, same CC.
Genestealers pro: First Strike on both attacks, no Mounted
Rough Rider pro: FF ability

Now you could say that RR is getting short end of the stick here directly. But the difference is that IG has all the gear for shooting and not a lot for CC. Rough Riders fill that niche along with Stormtroopers. Tyranids on the other hand have all their stuff in CC capable forces. So Genestealer doesn't make that much difference there. There is of course Commissars, which Genestealers can balance once by taking Broodlord. However Broodlords are restricted to once per army unlike Commissars. Then again you can counter with +2 to engage and rally for Genestealers.

That's one of the reasons that Dactylis, Harridan and Hierophant are liked. They give at least some firepower to Tyranids.

Oh they are one per army? I thought from the list it was one per formation.

Oh, ok.

So apart from the fact that there is another roll involved, does it assist to help balance the list to people's main concern when facing the list?

If one extra roll of the dice would get this one step closer to a status of TESTED, then I am all for that.

Feasible or is it back to the 'drawing board' for me?

In the past it has been 0-1 per army, as it was thought they were the new "Patriarch", but they're not, they're just "more evolved" Genestealers.

And even without the limit, I don't think I've seen many in play.  *laugh*