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GW Tyranids Stratagem Preview & 20 More Rumors

By Rob Baer | November 3rd, 2017 | Categories: Warhammer 40k, Warhammer 40k Rumors

Tyranids Codex

We got a new rules preview yesterday from Games Workshop, with a look at six of the Hive Fleet Stratagems for the upcoming Tyranids Codex.
Games Workshop is previewing the Tyranids all week, and from the looks of it there’s some big, big changes incoming. Let’s take a look at the new Hive Fleet stratagems and compare them to the codex rumors we saw earlier this week.

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GW’s preview showcased the Crème de la crème of the Great Devourer’s cunning:

One of the most grisly (and useful!) Stratagems from the new codex is Feeder Tendrils. For the cost of a Command Point, you’ll be able to recycle a dead enemy character into more precious Command Points for yourself! Suddenly, every enemy character becomes a potential liability.

Rumored Rule: 1cp feeder tendrils when gene lictor toxi venom kills a chara in fight phase, gain d3 cp

Psychic Barrage allows Zoanthropes to pool their powers and unleash a devastating psychic bombardment, punishing foes who group multiple small units together.

Rumored Rule: Warp blast is the same except at a unit of 6 it deals d3+3 instead of d3

Pathogenic Slime is a brutal ability that’ll make your ranged monsters even deadlier. A Carnifex with four devourers with brainleech worms using this ability will be pumping out 24 Strength 6 shots, each dealing 2 damage – perfect for overwhelming Terminators, Primaris Space Marines and other tough targets.

Rumored Rule: 2cp pathogenic slime shooting phase. select nid mon. increase dmg of its attack by for this phase. lol 2dmg dakka flyrant/exo/tyrannofex

Hyper-toxicity is a hive fleet-specific Stratagem that works fantastically with Genestealers or Hormagaunts, allowing them to stack up damage on even the toughest of targets.

Rumored Rule: 1cp Hypertoxicity (Gorgon) fight phase. choose gorgon wiht toxin sac, the biomorph do 1 additional dmg on wounds roll of 5+ instead of 6

The Deepest Shadow is a particularly insidious Stratagem for Hive Fleet Kronos. With it, you’ll be able to disrupt enemy Psychic tests at a key moment. Combine this with the Soul Hunger Warlord Trait (previewed yesterday) and The Shadow in the Warp (previewed Monday) and psykers will think twice about trying to Smite you!

Rumored Rule: 1cp Against Shadow (Kronos) enemy psyker attempts to cast a spell within 24 inch of kronos unit. that psyker can only use 1 dice for his psyk test.

 

Finally, Caustic Blood is a great way to give a swarm of Termagants a devastating send-off, making a 30-strong block of these lesser bio-organisms an even less appealing prospect to fight.

Rumored Rule: 1cp caustic blood start of fight phase.select nid unit, roll d6 when a model dies, on 6 enemy suffer mw

So there you have it, seems like the majority of these match up so far with the official ones from GW’s Preview. Checkout the 20 other rumored stratagems below from the book that goes on advanced order Saturday.

20 Other Rumored Tyranid Stratagems:

1cp the enemy below (jormungandr)
use strat when jor inf set up, put it undergorund. whenever u set up raveners mawloc trygon or trygon prime. any no of its unit can be set up within the tunnels, 3 inch from burrowing unit ,9 inch away enemy.

1cp brute force (behemoth)
use when benemoth unit complete charge . roll d6 for each behemoth charging model within 1inch of enemy. each roll of 6, 1 MW on enemy unit. 2+ for a behemoth monster charging
(30 man gant charge in, roll d6 for all, on a 6 chuck a mw)

1cp war on all fronts (leviathan)
fight phase. select enemy within 1inch of 1 flying and 1 nonflying leviathan unit. can reroll hits & wound rolls of 1 for levi attacks against the enemy unit

2cp Endless Swarm
Select a destroyed unit of gants, horms, garg or any hydra inf unit that has been completely destroyted. Add an identical unit to your army and set it up as reinforcement wholly 6inch of any board edge , more than 9 inch from enemy

1cp Opportunistic Advance
Use in move phase for advancing Kraken unit (noFly units), can double number you roll for advance and add to the move characteristic

3cp Call the Brood
end of move. add a new unit of up to 5 genestealers, wholly within 6 of a brood or infestation node but more than 9 from enemy

3Cp adrenaline surge
end of fight phase. select a nid unit from army, can immediately fight again

2cp Digestive Denial
After deployment but before turn start. choose a piece of terrain othre than fortifciation.
Units fullywithin or on this piece of terrain do not gain any bonus to their saving throws for being in cover…..

Cpt Ventris tyranids

2cp single minded annihilation
end of shoot phase, choose inf unit, shoot again lol (devil gants/hiveguard lol)

1cp grisly feast
morale phase. select ripper or haru. enenemy within 6 inch must add 1 to morale test

3cp sporefield
after both armies deploy, add up 2 unit of spore mines as reinf, more than 12 inch from enemy

1cp invisible hunter
move phase. lictor within 1 inhc of enemy. that model can fall back shoot and charge.

1cp power of the hive mind
end of psyk phase, choose a nid spyker that casted earlier, can cast 1 additional power

1cp pheromone trail
choose when nid inf set up as reinf/reserve. if got lictor on battlefield, you can set up wholly within 6 inch of lictor and more than 9 from enemy

2cp death frenzy
use when nid char die, it can shoot again as if it were shooting phase, or fight again as if fight phase before its removal

1cp overrun
use when nid unit destroys an unit in fight, and not within 3 inch of enemy. that you unit can forgo consolidation, but move and advance as if movement phase but cannot move within 1inch of enemy model

1cp voracious appetite
fight phase, nid mon or character is chosen to fight.can reroll all failed wounds for that model til end of phase

2cp rapid regen
end of mov, heal d3

1cp scorch bugs
shoot phase
seelect nid, +1 to wound for all feshborer or fleshborer hive attacks

1cp implant attack
use aft nid unit fight in fight phase. roll d6 for each wounded enemy model and not slain. 2+ suffer , model suffers a mw

1/3cp bounty of hive fleet
artefact thing

1cp metabolic movement 
use in move , after a nid unit as movemed. you can move that unit again includ advance. however roll a d6 for every model, on a 1 , unit gets a MW. cannot shoot or charge that turn.

 

kronos tyrnaids

Overall it seems like Kronos may be a competitive favorite rules wise that can unlock some serious anti-psyker power in just a small patrol detachment. Now with seeing their fluff, we can see why.

Games Workshop also let is slip that a Battalion detachment of just minimum squad sizes is only 699 points. So expect LOTS of play for stratagems from the Tyranids going forward!

Kronos

  • Hive Fleet Attribute: If a unit does not Move, it may re-roll 1’s To-Hit when shooting.
  • Warlord Trait: If an enemy Psyker within 18” of your Warlord fails a Psychic Test they suffer D3 Mortal Wounds.
  • Stratagem: Against Shadows (1CP)  Use when an enemy psyker attempts to cast a spell within 24” of a Kronos unit. That psyker can only use one dice for their psychic test.

 

So in conclusion rumors we saw for the preview rules look to almost be spot on for the most part. Sure there were a couple things that weren’t in the rumor that were in the actual wording of the rules, but not enough to discredit the source,

Make sure you’re checking back in for more rules teasers, we’ll be putting them out as soon as we get them, What do you think about the latest rules rumors for the Tyranids? Let us know in the comments below.

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About the Author: Rob Baer

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Rob Baer

Job Title: Managing Editor

Founded Spikey Bits in 2009

Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X

About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.

Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls. 

Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.

Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.

With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.

While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.