Hey guys
my name is Steven and I've lurked about these forums for some time, having recently gotten back into Epic.
By chance I picked up a good deal on a Tyranid army set and used that today (using the version 10 list found here
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=21743) and will do so again tomorrow at the Victorian tournament.
My first observation is the Genestealers need work - that or please change the name to Generobbers or Evil Clawed things or what you like....these are NOT the 'stealers that infest space hulks and the imperium has to deploy Terminators to cleanse them. These are grade B infantrymen from a Tyranid cult dressed in 'Stealer costumes!
As a suggestion 2x 2+CC First Strike Lance attacks per stand would be a better reflection of what a GS unit should do. At 300pt they're not cheap, let's remember, and limited as well, but they are not scary at all and that's what genestealers should be..
Infiltration - superb (they need it to get to attack)
Scout - I don't really think they need this, but that's just me. Swapping that for lance and giving them twice the attacks at a higher (the same would be the best, but I understand the need for balance) base would be a start.
Regeneration - I don't know how much playtesting has gone thus far and I'll really only have a more balanced view in coming months but as it stands the way this works doesn't really allow the unit to take advantage of it because unlike void shields it occurs at the end of the turn only and the creature in point (with only 3 or 4 DC) will be dead before it can have a go at regenerating. It feels "gamey".
A suggestion may be to have one regeneration instance per creature per turn, wherein the creature can "spontaneously" regenerate 2d3 DC as part of a Hold action or 1d3 at the end of the turn. That would force the player to make a call as to whether or not the creature will make it to the end of the turn or not (if it probably won't move it to a more defensible position, maybe out of LOS, where it will regenerate at the end of the turn, or if regeneration is top priority because it's almost dead then go the Hold option and stall the formation to give the creature a fighting chance)
If it's a point debacle make both more expensive, I for one wouldn't have a problem with that. But the GS in the list aren't worthy of the name, while regeneration can do with some tweaking.
Now the "bad" is out of the way (LOL!) thanks to the Champion and Assistant for putting this together in the first place (especially the pdf with the descriptions) and of course a developmental list is going to take some work, no questions there. Let's bear in mind, too, that Tyranids are a very hard army to track down if not through here or ebay so footslitherers aside I think MOST players would be ok with paying more for units (having smaller pools of miniatures to draw on) so long as these work the way they should - ie GS are scary motha#$%&@s and regenerating creatures are a real thorn in the side to kill. As is that's simply not the case. But the rest of the list looks great, I'll know more after tomorrow when I'll have run another three games with them.
Regards and thank you
S.