It could also be units that have been severely injured (killed for Epic purposes) that have healed at a rapid rate and returned to the fight - this happened a lot in the fictional accounts. One description actually has a commander watching as the flesh of a Tyranid starts knitting itself together before his very eyes after a supposed 'kill shot' took it down.

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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.

Not at the timescale of an epic battle.

It's supposed to be a much more extreme version of reinforcements. In Phase IV, Tyranids have infested the entire planet. There are bugs literally crawling out of the woodwork. Spawning is a way to represent that there are far more bugs present than are seen at any given time. The Hive Mind is just scooping up resources as it passes to throw them at the enemy. So in that respect, no, it's not something that is in every army. It's not like Terminators waiting in orbit to teleport into the heat of battle.

The main intent is to create the "endless horde" feel without just throwing a pile of models on the board, because the pile of models has unattractive side effects. A huge wave of Nids would inherently create a cohesive battle line just through sheer volume, and that's not particularly Nid-like. Also, no matter how good your shooting is, there's a limit to the number of models that can be killed in 3-4 turns. The limited abilities of the smaller bugs are at a level where, correctly pointed for their abilities, they would be close to impossible to balance.

Spawning bypasses those issues (at least in theory). The front line wave is more chaotic in terms of organization and the ebb and flow of units. The enemy has to kill lots of bugs, but it's not impossible because the hordes can be disrupted if you get sufficient firepower on them - kill enough to hinder their spawning and you not only kill the units present, but stop the unseen ones from appearing. The effective point cost of the units is increased because buying one unit means not just that one unit, but all the re-spawns as well.

Obviously, there have been debates over how well Spawning accomplishes any or all of those goals. But that's the idea.

Ok, still don't agree though.
The main things I hated about the rule seem to have already been addressed. Spawning WEs and being able to bring them onto the board whereever you wanted. No matter how you explain it, these 2 things never seemed fair.
If I'm correct that these 2 items are being changed, wouldn't some form of the necron rule be something to look into. Its already had a lot play testing.

For clarification to anyone who is not familiar with the Necrons, it is the same mechanic used for Void Shields.

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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.

Yeah, it represents literal ressurection very well. Not so much Tyranid "spawning", IMO. :-/

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Not really. All other lists have off-table *reserves*, but their number and composition is known in detail :- you can see them.

As Neal says, Nids are distinctly different in that their number and composition are not known exactly; units 'spawned' (I really hate the word ) represent additional units joining in the battle. Exactly where they have come from is not specified, hence the differring answers from various people.

(IMHO it would probably help the development of the rule if this concept of their origin were a bit more detailed)

Ginger, that requires a deep and intrinsic knowledge of 40K background which doesn't exist - the authors keep it cryptic and mysterious on purpose so that they can have creative latitude.

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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.

calling the actual rule " without numbers" or something along those lines and adding some text explaining what its meant to represent should help immensely. With players who actually read the list at least.

Hehe, what a wonderfully rich language is English; so full of double meanings.

I actually meant "where on the battlefield (or immediate vicinity) have these additional bugs arrived from" - were they 'hiding', underground, too few or too small to register on the opponents monitors etc? A brief explanation of this concept would help frame the rule,

I really like "without number" as a title, it goes a long way towards providing this explanation.

'Innumerable Horde', 'Unstoppable Wave', 'Swarm'

That's why I used it in Leviathan, but it is awkward to talk about "Without Number points" or "the Without Number pool" etc.

"Swarming" might work.

+1

Herd, Horde, Flood, ...

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We are returned!
http://www.epic-wargaming.de/

Thirty Days to have the basic rules set ironed out, or in other words the rules that will stay and which ones will go, or be replaced.

Thirty to sixty days after that to have those rules pretty much fleshed out, IE in working condition with the majority satisfied with the results obtained. Note this isn't play balanced, but working properly as we want it to.

By that time I am hoping that the unit data will be ironed out and ready for comment. Onachus and Leviathin will retain the way in which these seperate lists puts their armies together. Unlike the rest of the 40k Universe the Nids DO evolve so having a different way to put an army together DOES fit. 9.2.1 will also have its way of putting an army together revamped by me by this time.

Altogether I would like to have full working special rules, mutually acceptable unit data across all three lists, and a basic way of putting all three armies togther locked up and in the bag in four months, five tops. From their play balance and tweeking can begin.

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I know a dead parrot when I see one and I'm looking at one right now.
Tyranid AC