Hmm, Fast Attack has some serious problems nowadays. Here they are:
Raveners: They're awesome looking, but can easily be outperformed by a Warrior for about 2/3 of the cost. The only thing the Warrior can't get is fleet or deep strike. As far as deep strike goes, they're just too vulnerable. Two wounds and a 5+ save means a moderate breeze can destroy them before they can even do anything.
What Raveners need is either to be tougher, or to be a lot cheaper. That's really the only thing they need to be fixed. Also, I'd like to see the build-a-bug system applied to them so I can upgrade them if I wish (same with Lictors).
Gargoyles: I have never used them. I am a man who actually owns a full unit of 10 Wraithguard, and I can't bring myself to invest in a unit of Gargs. They're supposed to be a swarm unit, but at $8.50 a head that's their biggest problem. What they need to do is make them plastic, cheaper (points and $$) and make their bioplasma a shooting attack, not a close combat attack. Give 'em a flamer template (perhaps every 4 Gargoyles give one flamer attack at S4 or something).
My prediction is that taking a winged Hive Tyrant will unlock Gargoyles and winged rippers as a troops choice.
Spore Mines: Man I love spore mines. Even if you miss you still get something. Alas, they suffer from several problems. The first is their blast size. While 5th breathed new life into the small blast template, I think the frag mine needs to have a large blast.
Another problem, the obvious one, is kill points. In my local group, we do not count them for KP at all (nor can they run), but it would be nice to make it official. After all, the entire point of a spore mine is to blow up.
In other news, I finished my Malanthrope and am almost done with the Blastscape. Pictures coming soon.
I hear you on Gargs having a price issue. They could probably drop a couple points, but if Bio-plasma stays CC, give them some grenades or some such.
ReplyDeleteGargs ARE bloody fast, though.
Raveners could be cheaper. Fiends of Slaanesh fill a similar roll (rend-o-matic high-speed self-guided beast missile) but are cheaper and more durable. If I can get a beast of Slaanesh for 30, no way a Ravener should be more.
Spore mines? Need not to count as KP. Pure and simple. With them as KP, there's no point in taking them. I would imagine that allowing them to 'run' would be a bit off, since their movement is random. Again, something not covered in the rules. I mean, the Grey Knights can take an artillery strike that's just points, but they're also way the hell out of date.
Maybe the Biovore in general could turn into some nastier artillery; firing heaps of small blast templates isn't THAT useful.
On your 'unlocks' thing, I'm not so sure. On one hand, I can see it with the whole trend. Then again, the codex with the most sweeping 'unlock' changes is the Deathwing Codex, where you really have a chapter with three distinct ways of fighting.
I'd expect something closer to the Orks. "Take HQ X, and get a unit of B as troops." On the other hand, Marines have the 'take a dude on a bike, get a biker army.' It makes it possible, but I think marines can pull it off better because of their speed, durability, and ability to kill tanks on bikes AND have melee support.
Though, the 'nids already have some units that can live in multiple force-org spots in the Warrior (HQ, Elite, Fast Attack...), with minor runners-up in the 'fex (Elite, HS) and ripper (troop, Fast Attack). So, anyone's guess.
But, if something like Genestealers turns into elites? They need some serious help.
Warriors _can_ DS, you know, just give them wings. They can't get 12" charge and DS together, though, and they can't get Fleet, which are the only real upsides of the Ravs. Maybe give Ravs DS -> Assault? It would be nasty, but they're far from unbeatable in CC and go down like a sack of kittens when shot. Otherwise, just making them cheaper would be the answer, yeah. The gun options are horribly overpriced for a BS2 melee unit.
ReplyDeleteI suspect they will move away from the BuildaBug(TM) system of Tyranids, even though I do like it; recent codices have been removing the armory-style universal upgrades and just giving specific lists, and I expect 'Nids to do the same. You'll probably see something like "Carnifex comes w/2 Scything Talons, replaces them with XXXXX for +XX points"-style options instead.
There isn't a lot to mess with on Gargs; make them cheaper is about all. Bio-Plasma has been a number of things over the years, but the fluff around it makes it seem like some sort of grenade to me- the double-initiative represents getting the shot in before the opponent reaches you, which is also how cover (and negating it) are supposed to be rationalized.
Independant Spore Mines will also probably be a casualty of the new 'dex; that sort of thing isn't really done anymore, since it blurs the line of what a "unit" is.
Lictors could easily get moved into the FA slot as well, under the same rationale as Tau Pathfinders (their "speed" is setting up weeks or months ahead of time and lurking in wait).