Making Amends

I finally caved in and bought the Tyranid codex.  The rational human being in me wants to continue playing Space Marines.  I dropped a fair amount of cash on that new army and it probably suits my playstyle better.  But I appear to have fallen within Synapse range of Hive Fleet Monkeychuka and there's nothing I can do except grit my teeth and make small, mewling noises.

I'm trying to find a unit in the book which is bloody useless but I can't do it.  Pyrovores are viable.  (FFS?!)  Ok, they're not auto-take but, at the very least, I could use them as the cheapest unit in the elites slot to fill out a Brigade detachment.  And I'm going to need plenty of CPs because the Stratagems are a thing to behold and can turn lowly Gargoyles or Termagants into tidy killing machines.  Coupled with the Hive Fleet adaptations, the options are endless.  Massive hordes, close combat specialists, static gunlines, reserve bomb,  Nidzilla,  flyer lists, ground pounders, psyker heavy, anti-psyker.  Its all there.  I don't think there are any sniper units but you can deliberately miss with Biovores and do all sorts of weird shit.

Its all quite fluffy as well.  Slain units explode in a shower of acidic blood.  Lictors act as sort of forward observers/silent assassins.**  Skittering Hormagaunts overrun enemy lines. Trygons burst up out of the ground with legions of critters in their wake. The Haruspex gobbles up infantry and is as tough as a battle tank.  Exocrines are fearsome, static artillery.  Hive Tyrants are mutated into exotic genera in order to fulfil specific roles.  Also, I kept all of my Infestation Nodes and Genestealers can actually use them!

Malanthropes increased in cost which means Venomthropes have a role to play (annoyingly I only own two and they come in broods of 3 now.  Well played GW, well played!).  I can't really complain about Shrikes even though they were completely dropped from the codex.  I can still use the Index dataslate for them, except now they can be designated 'Hive Fleet Kraken' allowing them to fall back, shoot and charge.  This might be the best they've ever been and they aren't even in the book!  Even my Ymgarls are useful because they have different heads, allowing me to identify the stealers with acid maws in a brood (Yeah I know they aren't actually acid maws.  Screw you, hippy!)

The Hive Mind has compelled me to start building/painting Nids again.  As an added incentive, my colour scheme is my own and I can be Hive Fleet Whatever-I-like!  So, apart from procrastinating, I've been literally dusting off old models and taking inventory.

For some reason, I dismantled all my Exocrines and threw them in a box.  This is not entirely rational behaviour.  I have a vague memory of wanting to see what a Haruspex looked like with its mouth closed.  Its all very hazy.  Anyway, I don't think Haruspexes are half-bad nowadays so I'm going to rebuild him.  Better.  Stronger.  Faster.  We have the technology.  When in doubt, get your tentacles out.

** - nerfed!  Lictors are basically useless again in matched play.  Welcome to the Tyranid FAQ baby!