Tyranid questions

[PumpkinHead]

I have started back into list building and will hopefully get a game in soon, but I have a few questions about the tyranid codex.

1. Where are the points for the bio-artifacts? What do I pay for a norm crown, or a ymargl factor?

2. What is the point of the Dimachaeron's grasping talons wound roll of 6+ doubling the strength against infantry?

3. Does anyone use pyrovores? They still seem like a waste.

 

thanks!

[pretre]

The first one is easy. Relics are different in 8th and don't have points costs. At the top of the relic section, it tells you how to get one.

The second two are more opinion-oriented and not really my purview. :)

[WestRider]

2) Forge World doesn't understand the Rules Sets they're writing for. Probably a copy/paste from 7th Ed, when it would have mattered.

3) They're the cheapest Elite slot fillers for a Brigade, and they're one of the very few Units that have both Auto-Hit Weapons with a range greater than 9" and access to alternate Deployment. Since I'm mostly looking at Jormungandr, I'm thinking of bringing a Brood of them along with a Trygon or something.

[PumpkinHead]

Yeah, the other weapons have a replace XYZ to get the artifact, but the ymargl and norn crown say nothing. So they seem like auto include since there is nothing to pay for.

 

[PumpkinHead]

Lol... just looked up the faq, like I should have done before posting. The faq changes the dimacheron ability to the hit roll.

[VonVilkee]

34 minutes ago, PumpkinHead said:

Yeah, the other weapons have a replace XYZ to get the artifact, but the ymargl and norn crown say nothing. So they seem like auto include since there is nothing to pay for.

 

You only get a single relic unless you take a strategem so while they are free in points they are not auto include as they compete with each other... technically you pick relics at the table and could spend CP or not during pregame prep so it is far more complicated than previous write  the list and play it... you could plan multiple relic contingencies!

[Guest]

3 hours ago, PumpkinHead said:

3. Does anyone use pyrovores? They still seem like a waste.

 3. Pyrovores have really expensive models. I don't know if you can make them in-game viable just because they really aren't viable in cash per model. And they are Finecast... So while I've never seen them fielded, I question if it's a matter of in-game viability or if it's just that people aren't willing to pay for the numbers they'd need ($37.25 each on the GW site...).

In terms of rules as per index 2 (I still don't have the bug codex for this edition), GW did fix the more obvious problems with their old rules. They no longer explode and kill your own models, just enemy models. They have solid 10" heavy flamers. And their melee attack is basically an S5 power sword. That said, they still suffer from the CSM multilator's problem as they did in prior editions, in that you can't field them in large enough units. If you could put 10 in a spore pod, you could make them vicious, but only being able to take 3 makes them iffy. 

[PumpkinHead]

7 hours ago, VonVilkee said:

You only get a single relic unless you take a strategem so while they are free in points they are not auto include as they compete with each other... technically you pick relics at the table and could spend CP or not during pregame prep so it is far more complicated than previous write  the list and play it... you could plan multiple relic contingencies!

Really? I missed that in the rule book. Where about would I find that rule?

[Guest]

4 hours ago, PumpkinHead said:

Really? I missed that in the rule book. Where about would I find that rule?

I lack the tyranid book, so I can't give a page number, but I own two codex and they have it both in the same spot. So For the relics/artefacts, there should be two pages in between the psychic powers and the warlord traits sections of the codex. In the top left hand side of the first page, there's a section that looks like flavor text, but is actually spelling out the rules for relic access. For CSM, it reads:

 

"If your army is lead by a Chaos Space Marine Warlord, you may give one of the following Artefacts of Chaos to a Chaos Space Marine CHARACTER in your army. Named characters such as Lucius the Eternal already have one or more artefacts, and cannot be given any of the following artefacts.

Note that some weapons replace one of the character's existing weapons. Where this is the case, you must, if your are playing a matched play game or are otherwise using points values, still pay the cost of the weapon that is being replaced. Write down any Artefacts of Chaos your characters may have on your army roster."

 

Most artefacts replace something, like a power axe or power sword which is paid for normally. Ones that don't replace anything, don't have any point cost. And if playing without points (like just using power levels), there is no cost at all. The catch is that you can only have the one relic, and only if the Warlord is of the faction that your relic bearing character is. That said, there is also a Statagem in most, if no all, of the codex:

 

"Gifts of Chaos 1 CP/ 3 CP

Use this stratagem before the battle. Your army can include one extra Artefact of Chaos for 1 CP, or two extra Artefacts of chaos for 3 CPs. All of the Artefacts of Chaos that you include must be different and be given to different Chaos Space Marine CHARACTERS."

 

I know, this is the one for chaos, but I also have the AM codex and they are worded the same, except for the factions. So, your army get's one relic free (plus points for replaced weapon, if any), and can have up to 3 for your faction. 

[VonVilkee]

Looks like I wasn't reading fully though... the first one has to be on the list. I was doing this out of habit but the spend CP for them still stands for the more situational relics. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, VonVilkee said:

Looks like I wasn't reading fully though... the first one has to be on the list. I was doing this out of habit but the spend CP for them still stands for the more situational relics. 

The interesting bit is that the Warlord doesn't need to have the relic or even be part of the same detachment as the relic holder, the relic just needs to be selected by a CHARACTER from the Warlord's faction.

Played against an opponent that fielded Robert Girlyman for his Warlord in a super heavy detachment (with two imperial knights), then had an Ultramarines Librarian in another detachment as the Relic bearer. Sounds off, but as the opponent pointed out, this is how it is worded. And you can even select a non-CHARACTER warlord in this edition, and not lose out on the relic (though a non-CHARACTER warlord does lose out on a warlord trait).

[PumpkinHead]

Thanks. I will have to put more thought into the artifact now.

[Guest]

The best thing is that there's really no need to model relics any different than the weapons they replace. So I can make WYSIWYG models without fear of them having illegal weapon combinations In the next codex, and I don't have any models that can't be used if I select other relics.