CARNIFEX BROOD..... 130pts per model
4 3 9 6 4 2 4 7 3+
1-3 Carnifexes
Monstrous Creature
Bonded Exoskeleton
Scything Talons (two sets)
Instinctive Behavior- Feed
Fearless
Living Battering Ram
All Carnifexes in a brood must select the same options.
Replace one set of Scything Talons with:
- Crushing Claws..... 20pts per model
Replace any set of Scything Talons with:
- Twin-linked Devourer with Brainleech Worms..... 15pts per model
- Twin-linked Pyro-Acid Deathspitter..... 20pts per model
- Stranglethorn Cannon..... 10pts per model
- Heavy Venom Cannon..... 20pts model
Take any of the following:
- Frag Spines..... 5pts per model
- Adrenal Glands..... 10pts per model
- Toxin Sacs..... free
- Bio-Plasma..... 10pts per model
- Regeneration..... 20pts per model
- Synaptic Network..... 20pts per model
If the brood consists of only a single Carnifex, it may take a Mycetic Spore as a dedicated transport.
Comments: I considered making Old One Eye an upgrade to the brood, but decided against it- he's a lone killer, not part of a pack. Some statline upgrades (WS4, I2) help give them some basic functionality in combat, along with a price drop- given that Spyders are 50pts, going almost three times that is probably a pretty safe bet, even considering the very different styles of army. Sniperfexes are usable again, for those who haven't torn their model apart, and prices on various options were changed around a bit. All in all, though, it remained essentially the same beast, as Cruddace's version of it was mostly okay, just too expensive. Note that you can technically get two HVCs if you really want to.
OLD ONE-EYE..... 230pts
4 3 10 6 4 2 4 8 2+
1 Old One-Eye (Unique)
Monstrous Creature
Armored Shell
Crushing Claws
Scything Talons
Instinctive Behavior- Feed
Alpha Leader
Berzerk Rampage
Living Battering Ram
Rapid Regeneration
Alpha Leader
All Tyranid units within 12" of Old One Eye are Fearless.
Berzerk Rampage
For each successful wound (or penetrating hit) Old One-Eye inflicts, it may immediately make one additional attack against the same target. These attacks may, in turn, grant additional attacks of their own, etc.
Rapid Regeneration
Old One-Eye has the Regeneration biomorph, but will regain a lost wound on a 5+ rather than just a six.
Comments: This guy was tricky, and I'm still not sure I got him quite right. So Berzerk Rampage is now the same as the Furioso's Claws, but with no reroll on the wound and the benefit of S10 (which is not insignificant, mind you.) The "penetrating hit" clause may need to be removed, as currently he will basically destroy any vehicle he touches automatically, since he rerolls misses, auto-pens, and follows up non-destroyed results with another swing. In fact.... yeah, let's just go ahead and get rid of that.
Alpha Leader was another thing that needed to be changed, as it was just not an interesting or useful ability before. I could see what the intent was- like a baby version of Synapse, OOE helped keep your nearby critters under control (albeit not completely), but with him only being Ld8, it simply wasn't reliable enough. I think I like this version better- it mimics part of the Synapse ability, obviating morale and pinning tests that can be the bane of creatures on Instinctive Behavior, but your horde is still bound by its gut responses, so you don't really have control over them. It could alternately be changed to the old text and OOE bumped up to Ld9, but I don't know if I like that as much. Input on this would be welcome.
BIOVORE BROOD..... 45pts per model
3 3 4 4 2 1 1 6 4+
1-3 Biovores
Infantry
Hardened Carapace
Claws and Teeth
Spore Mine Launcher
Instinctive Behavior- Lurk
Spore Mine Launcher
A Spore Mine Launcher is a weapon with the following profile
48" S4 AP4 Assault 1, Barrage, Large Blast, Mine*
*Mine: If, after the final position of the blast is determined, no models are touched (even partially) by the template, ignore that shot and place a Spore Mine model underneath the location of the central hole once the brood's shooting is fully resolved. The Spore Mine model(s) will then act as normal as per the Spore Mine Cluster entry.
Comments: The only real difference here is that shots that completely miss their target will spawn a Mine, rather than having to be 6" away from every possible enemy. Biovores are actually a perfectly fine unit, their role is just not always needed by the codex.
TRYGON..... 220pts
5 3 6 6 6 4 6 8 3+
1 Trygon
Monstrous Creature
Bio-Electric Pulse
Bonded Exoskeleton
Scything Talons (two sets)
Instinctive Behavior- Feed
Deep Strike
Fearless
Fleet
Subterranean Assault
Subterranean Assault
If a Trygon deploys via Deep Strike and scatters on top of impassible terrain or a model (friend or foe), reduce the scatter distance by the minimum required to avoid the obstacle. When you place a Trygon in reserve, you may designate one other unit left in reserve (that is not a Monstrous Creature nor has Wings) to be following behind it in the tunnel- do not roll for this unit to arrive; instead, it will automatically arrive the turn after the Trygon does, appearing from the same point as though it had Deep Struck in, but without scattering. If the unit cannot be deployed in this manner due to friendly or enemy models, treat it as a Deep Strike mishap as normal.
Take any of the following:
- Adrenal Glands..... 10pts
- Toxin Sacs..... free
- Regeneration..... 25pts
- Synaptic Network..... 30pts
Comments: The big thing here was to fix the Trygon hole, which was reverted to the older Imperial Armor version instead. I really don't know why Mr. Cruddace didn't use that version, as it w as quite functional and flavorful. The "followup" unit can't assault the turn it arrives (or move, etc), but I think that's a fair limitation given its reliability in other ways. Thematically the "mishap" on the following unit represents the enemy caving in the entrance and/or slaughtering those who emerge, forcing them to find (or dig) another exit elsewhere. Note that the Trygon Prime was split to its own entry for simplicity's sake.
He got a little bit more expensive because of the hole being more useful and because increasing the power of many of the other critters in the book meant that he could potentially have gotten a bit overwhelming; I wanted to emphasize that the Carnifex was the "standard fighty beast," with the Trygon being a little trickier and intended for different kinds of armies. This is also why his guns didn't improve any, while many others did.
TRYGON PRIME...... 260pts
5 3 6 6 6 4 6 10 3+
1 Trygon Prime
Monstrous Creature
Bio-Electric Pulse
Bonded Exoskeleton
Containment Spines
Scything Talons (two sets)
Deep Strike
Fleet
Shadow in the Warp
Subterranean Assault
Synapse Creature (Furious Roar)
Synapse Creature (Furious Roar)
A Trygon Prime is a Synapse Creature. In addition, all Tyranid units within 6" gain the benefits of Adrenal Glands.
Take any of the following:
- Toxin Sacs..... free
- Regeneration..... 25pts
- Synaptic Network..... 30pts
Comments: Not a lot to say here. Adrenal was picked as the Prime's aura ability because of its ubiquity when equipping Trygons; there wasn't much rationale beyond that.
MAWLOC..... 180pts
4 0 6 6 6 4 4 8 3+
1 Mawloc
Monstrous Creature
Bonded Exoskeleton
Claws and Teeth
Instinctive Behavior- Feed
Burrow
Deep Strike
Fearless
Fleet
Hit and Run
Terror from the Deep
Terror from the Deep
If a Mawloc Deep Strikes onto impassible terrain, reduce the scatter by enough to avoid the obstacle. If it lands on a point occupied by other models, do not roll on the Mishap table but instead do as follows. Place the large blast template over the point the Mawloc is emerging from; every unit partially or wholly under the template suffers a S6 AP2 hit for each model beneath it. Vehicles are struck on their rear (i.e. bottom) armor, and no cover saves may be taken against the attack. Once the attack is resolved, move all models so that they are 1" away from the Mawloc's position, maintaining squad coherency and avoiding impassible terrain. Units that were locked in combat will remain so, and vehicles retain their original facing. Any models that cannot be moved are destroyed.
Take any of the following:
- Adrenal Glands..... 10pts
- Toxin Sacs..... free
- Regeneration..... 25pts
- Synaptic Network..... 30pts
Comments: +1WS and +1A helped make him a little more threatening in a fight, though obviously not as much as his brother. Prohibiting cover saves against his burrow attack goes a long ways towards making it more effective- and a Mawloc appearing in the middle of a castle formation, the usual defense against Deep Strike armies, can wreak absolute havoc. Fleet was also added to him because having a creature with Hit and Run but not Fleet (especially when the Trygon did) just struck me as very strange.
TYRANNOFEX..... 210pts
3 4 6 6 6 1 3 8 2+
1 Tyrannofex
Monstrous Creature
Armored Shell
Acid Spray
Claws and Teeth
Stinger Salvo
Thorax Swarm (Electroshock Grubs)
Instinctive Behavior- Lurk
Fearless
Acid Spray
Acid Spray is a ranged weapon with the following profile:
template* S6 AP3 Assault 1
*To fire the Acid Spray, place the small end of the template anywhere within 12" of the Tyrannofex and place the large end so that it is no closer than the small end, then resolve it as you would a normal template weapon.
Fleshborer Hive
A Fleshborer Hive is a ranged weapon with the following profile:
24" S5 AP5 Assault 20
Rupture Cannon
A Rupture Cannon is a ranged weapon with the following profile:
48" S10 AP4 Assault 2 Rupture*
*Rupture: If both shots hit a target with an armor value and are not negated by cover, treat the hits as AP1.
Replace Acid Spray with:
- Fleshborer Hive..... free
- Rupture Cannon..... 15pts
Replace Stinger Salvo with:
- Cluster Spines..... free
Replace Electroshock Grubs with:
- Desiccator Larvae..... free
- Shreddershard Beetles..... free
Take any of the following:
- Adrenal Glands..... 10pts
- Toxin Sacs..... free
- Regeneration..... 30pts
- Synaptic Network..... 30pts
Comments: Biiiiiig price drop here. No melee upgrades, making one of the few I1 models in the codex or, indeed, in any codex, but his guns got better and he picked up BS4 because why the fuck doesn't a shooting unit have BS4? Acid Spray is a pretty brutal tool against Marines on foot, wounding on 2s and ignoring armor and cover, but for the 80pts you pay over a Hellhound/Banewolf, it's good that you get something out of it. I think that gun is worth watching as maybe a bit too dangerous to disembarked units, but we'll try this as the preliminary version. Fleshborer Hive... well, it's still not good, but at least now it has a reasonable range and Strength. And sometimes you just wanna throw a fistful of dice at a problem, which the Hive does quite effectively. The Rupture Cannon gets a lot better with the potential for AP1 and the BS upgrade, but at the end of the day it's still basically the same gun.
Welp, that's the whole of it, folks. As I said, I won't be able to reply to any of you until sometime Monday morning probably (U.S. Pacific time), but feel free to leave comments and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
