Emergence is by definition not intelligent or directed. Intelligence is in fact a an emergent behavior itself, and emergent behaviors can have apparent direction, but neither is compatible with true emergence. That is what makes emergence so fascinating. It needs no intelligence or direction to have complex and unpredictable results.

In "reality", the 'nids probably need no directing intelligence, but then what would be the point of the player?

Ok, a quick reassessment of issues that I'd like a response from Jaldon on:

Expendable

Should probably apply to gargoyles too. Also, can we use the standardised NetEA Expendable wording as used in other lists?

Wasn't the addition of the 1/2 Gaunt rule for combat resolution included because Expendable was too over the top for Tyranids in Engagements?

Or do you just mean use the same wording template, with the appropriate changes?

Morgan Vening

Those are interesting ideas, but have little to do with the Tyranid background. Synapse and Spawning ARE two sides of the same thing for nids; spawning mostly represents errant nids coming under the synapse umbrella. In some cases it's even more literal than that; both the Dominatrix and Tervigon literally give birth to new nids and have a Hive Mind link.

Equally, GW background says that most "independant" formations don't have a link to the Hive Mind, they either have a brood telepathy (genestealers) or sophisticated instincts and intelligence (lictors), which allow them to act effectively outside synapse control. They are NOT directly controlled by the Hive Mind, instead working more like a real-life termite-style hive-mind, where the indepentant instinctive acts of creatures cause emergent directed intelligent effects without need for a psychic controlling intelligence.



That situation is represented by killing the synapses, and watching the nids fail to activate from then on, and fail to rally.

Like I said, Having Nid formations zooming all over the place seems a bit odd personally, as does killing a 'mind link' bug to break the spell over the swarm.

I love the bit about "the indepentant instinctive acts of creatures cause emergent directed intelligent effects without need for a psychic controlling intelligence"; it really describes the roles of the player perfectly (GW notwithstanding). So my question is why can't we dispense with mimicing the Hive Mind altogether? It would simplify things further, and still produces the desired effects.

1+ Initiative: Ignoring my abysmal rolls for the Dactylis and Carnifexes, I pretty much had little trouble activating or rallying my formations. The Dactylis had been hit in turn one by the IG Arty and never could rid themselves of the ONE stinking BM they had on themselves, and the Carnifexes failed a critical activation roll due to BMs. In all other cases activations rolls were made.