Psychic Powers 101

[DarkGuard]

Well I think I've been adding pointers on what powers to look out for with Nids, and some handy ways to shut down powers. However, the way to shut down powers is very limited with Space Marines. Use psychic hood or runic weapon, or kill the psyker. And this is regardless of any psyker, and each psyker can do different things etc which can be confusing. I can see your point JamesI but the 101 is going to have more discussion on what to look out for and what you can expect from enemy psykers as there are very limited ways to combat them. Of course, there won't just be xenos psykers but also Space Marine psykers will get a look in.

 

As for rules, I'll try and be as careful as I can, if it appears I'm giving too much information please let me know and I'll curb back :cuss.

 

As for the Eldar, I think a proper paperback copy will help you Grim :D. That being said, Warlock powers are: Conceal, Destructor, Embolden and Enhance (I think a Seer Council can take Augment but not sure), and Farseers have Mind War, Eldritch Storm, Fortune, Guide and Doom.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Augment was removed from the Eldar repertoire for the 4rd Edition Codex and is no longer available. Sad to say, I loved that power.

[DarkGuard]

Right then, here's the last instalment of Tyranid psychic powers. Now I have no experience in using Hive Tyrants or Swarmlords in this edition, preferring the Tyranid Prime myself, so bear with me, there may be some holes in my thinking here. I hope this is satisfactory, and while it should probably be placed first in the Tyranid list, (then Tervigon, then Zoanthrope, then Broodlord) I hope this is good conclusion to Nid psychic powers.

 

As for what I'll do next, whatever needs doing. Dark Angels and Space Marines are done, as are Eldar, but I do have the Chaos Space Marine and Grey Knights Codices so probably one of them next. As for Grey Knights, what's happening with them? Any ideas Shadowstalker Grim?

 

Hive Tyrant

The Hive Tyrant is the commander of a Tyranid swarm. They are potent synaptic nodes for exerting the influence of the Hive Mind, controlling the Tyranid swarm and directing them as seen fit. They highly intelligent and brilliant strategists, but first and foremost they are mighty and powerful warriors in combat. Their mortal and physical abilities are augmented by their psychic prowess. Their psychic prowess is not manifested in destructive bolts of psychic energy, but rather plays with the minds and shred their nerves and will. On the battlefield, the Hive Tyrant is not only an amazing combatant, but also an excellent support unit, able to increase the abilities of the swarm.

 

Common Builds:

The Hive Tyrant is a complex and versatile creature, and there are many different builds for it. However, here are some of the more common:

 

Walking Tyrant: Lash whip & bonesword, Old Adversary, Paroxysm, Leech Essence, scything talons/ranged weapon, armoured shell = Usually run with Tyrant Guard, this unit is a fantastic support unit for a midfield army. With its abilities it makes those units nearby fight all the harder, which can also make it harder to kill it.

 

Reserve Tyrant: dual scything talons, Hive Commander, Paraoxysm, Leech Essence, armoured shell: similar to first, but less of a support character for midfield, instead fitting in with a reserve army better. Also runs well with wings.

 

Flyrant: 2x TL-devourers, Old Adversary, Wings, Paraoxysm, Leech Essence = usually run alongside Gargoyles, this model is fast and can pump out a lot of shots. Thanks to Paraoxysm and Old Adversary it’s still very good in combat, and makes Gargoyles even better too. Beware this formation hitting hard in assault and crippling a flank.

 

There are many, many more.

 

Powers:

The Horror: A less potent Fear of Darkness ability, this is a shooting attack that auto-hits a non-vehicle enemy unit within 12”. The unit takes a morale check or falls back. Of course, without the -2 modifier of Fear, this power isn’t that good, and you won’t see it much. With Marines having Ld9 near enough across the board don’t worry too much about it if it does turn up.

 

Leech Essence: This is an interesting psychic attack. Again, it’s a shooting attack that auto-hits an enemy unit within 12”, with the target unit suffering D3, strength 3, AP2 hits. For every wound inflicted the Tyrant recovers a lost wound, but can’t exceed its starting wounds. As its AP2 it does prove a threat to our Marines, but thanks to S3 it is unlikely to wound, and with only a maximum of 3 hits it is unlikely to devastate any squad that isn’t a Terminator. Do be aware that this will help put a Tyrant back up to wounds, and is more reliable than regeneration.

 

Paraoxysm: Another 12” auto-hit psychic shooting attack. However, this reduces the units WS and BS to 1 until the Hive Tyrant’s next turn. This is a deadly ability if used correctly, and one that can destroy whole units. Obviously the unit is not going to be a danger in the shooting phase, but its best application is in combat. The unit in question will be hit by even Termagants in combat on 3s, and hitting back on 5s! This combined with Old Adversary means that the said unit is more or less going to be taken apart in combat with little to no reply. Expect this every time you face a Hive Tyrant, and I hope you have a psychic hood ready because you’ll need it. Either that, or stay in your Rhinos and try and avoid assault until you can take it down.

 

Psychic Scream: And another auto-hit psychic shooting attack. Kind of a pattern here. Well, different thing here is that it hits every enemy unit within 2D6. These units take a Leadership test and lose a model with no armour saves allowed for every point they fail by. So the best thing to do here is to stay in vehicles, because then it has no effect. Also being in cover or having an invulnerable save can help. However, like the Horror because you have pretty high leadership anyway you’ll be fine, only losing one or two at most. This may turn up, certainly more than the Horror, probably less than Leech Essence, but it won’t be too much of a problem.

 

Old Adversary and Hive Commander: not psychic powers, but special abilities that can be given to the Hive Tyrant. Each Tyrant can only take one or the other. Old Adversary gives it and all friendly units within 6” Preferred Enemy, while Hive Commander allows the Tyranid player to add 1 to their reserve rolls and Outflank one Troop unit. Old Adversary Tyrants will give the Tyranid player’s midfield units a fantastic boost in close combat, especially alongside Paraoxysm. In this instance be careful when approaching the swarm in combat.

 

Hive Commanders instead control Tyranid reserves, meaning that Outflanking units and Mycetic Spores, plus Deep Striking Trygons and Mawlocs are more likely to turn up when needed. There’s also the additional Troop unit that comes in through Outflank, so in addition to Genestealers, expect to see toxin Hormagaunts or even bonesword Warriors turning up the Tyranid swarm’s exposed flanks and isolated backfield units.

 

Synapse Creature: It is worth mentioning that these guys are synapse creatures. While not a psychic power, it was in the past and so I still relate it as such. Basically, this means that nearby creatures can actually be controlled. You knock synapse creatures out, you knock out your opponent’s control of the horde.

 

Shadow in the Warp: Also worth mentioning that this Tyranid psyker comes with its own psychic defence, any enemy psyker within 12” has to take their psychic tests on 3D6, taking Perils of the Warp on any double 1 or double 6! And now thanks to the current Tyranid FAQ it works while you're embarked in transports, so if you can try and get your powers off when further away, and don't attempt them up close, 3D6 at Ld10 is failing about 50% of the time!

 

Special variants:

 

The Swarmlord

This is a special character Hive Tyrant, still able to take Tyrant Guard. This model is a monster in combat and in the use of it psychic powers. More powerful in assault with enhanced stats, and able to use more powers, it also has an invulnerable save in close combat, as well as many different abilities, such as its Bone Sabres always causing instant death and forcing successful invulnerable saves to be re-rolled. However, with great power comes a great points cost, and with only a 3+ save, unless it has Tyrant Guard it will die quickly to krak missile fire.

 

Powers:

The Swarmlord has the same powers as the Hive Tyrant. In addition, its synapse range is larger by 6”. It can also use two powers a turn.

 

Swarm Leader: Instead of Old Adversary, the Swarmlord has this. At the beginning of the shooting phase one Tyranid unit within 18” gains Acute Senses, Preferred Enemy or Furious Charge. I wouldn’t expect to see Acute Senses, and most close combat units will either already have Furious Charge, or won’t need it. Therefore, expect to see units being given Preferred Enemy. These last until the end of the turn. So while the quantity of units with Preferred Enemy is less, be prepared to see that far flung Ravener unit gain it, and prepare accordingly.

 

Alien Cunning: Instead of Hive Commander the Swarmlord has this. Reserve rolls get +1, while outflanking units can have the dice roll for table edge re-rolled. However, don’t worry about seeing bonesword Warriors outflank as Alien Cunning doesn’t allow additional outflanking Troops. However, be more worried about seeing precise Genestealer outflanks, as it’s highly likely they’ll turn up where they’re needed most, so plan ahead and protect your units!

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Thanks for doing that section DarkGuard! Its a really big chunk done ;)

 

Very informative and interesting too!

 

Deus Ex, I can see why you liked Augment, the ability to boost the range of powers sounds very useful and powerful....

 

 

 

Ok so far we've covered C:SM, Tyranids, Dark Angels (though I might beef that section up a little, though it is still good, thanks to 11th Company Dark Master for doing it!) Blood Angels and Eldar.

 

I think that we've got Grey Knights, Space Wolves, Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Daemons and Orks to go....am I missing any?

[DarkGuard]

No worries Grim. And I really enjoyed writing it. Nids are my second army and the first I collected, so it was nice to go back and look over them a bit.

 

I think you're spot on about the ones that are left. I can help out with Grey Knights and Chaos Space Marines, but not really with the others. Any particular format for Grey Knights? I was thinking that we mention the Aegis, the fact that everyone has a NFW and then tackle the powers, with a list of units that have them and units that may have them after. Would be the best way IMO.

[Koremu]

Ok so far we've covered C:SM, Tyranids, Dark Angels (though I might beef that section up a little, though it is still good, thanks to 11th Company Dark Master for doing it!) Blood Angels and Eldar.

 

I think that we've got Grey Knights, Space Wolves, Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Daemons and Orks to go....am I missing any?

IG

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Ah yes, Imperial Guard! I thought we were missing something! Thanks for the pointer Koremu! :)

 

 

I think mentioning NFW etc is important as its sort of psychic wargear...though I think it should be mentioned rather than elaborated on (much like how you did with some Tyranid powers) just so we keep it on track nicely! ^_^

[DarkGuard]

Right you are Grim. If you want you can trim some of the excess off the non-psychic powers.

 

While I like the format of explaining all aspects of the psyker and his powers, so people truly know how to understand him, I feel that if this template is carried over the Grey Knights it'll quickly become a Grey Knight 101 in itself, so I think just keeping it to the power, plus mentioning the entire squad can count as armed with force weapons will keep it as a psychic power 101. Maybe mention the Brotherhood Banner with the NFWs because it allows their automatic activation.

[Tigrinus]

I have some experience fighting IG psykers, so here it is. Understand, however, that with so many other powerful (and plentiful) options in the codex, IG psykers are very rarely employed. From my personal encounters they didn't even make much of a mark on the course of the game, besides eliminating the odd squad and frustrating the heck out of me. It is humorous when they get shot by Commissars or Overseers, as per the "Its For Your Own Good" or "Ultimate Sanction" rules.

 

Astropath

Think of this guy as the Warlock of the IG. Except that his statline is puny, he only has one passive power, no wargear options, and he's purchased as an upgrade to an existing Company Command Squad, for the ridiculous price of 5 pts less than a Rhino! So not very much like a Warlock at all, I guess. :tu:

 

Technically speaking, this guy is a psyker only in name as far as his actual use in game is concerned. I included him in this post for the sake of completeness.

 

Despite being overpriced, "Telepathic Relay" is useful a power. If the army uses Reserves or Ouflank, then this advisor is the guy to have. Having a unit of lascannon armed Sentinels show up next to your Whirlwind battery is nothing to laugh at. The +1 is cumulative, so two Astropaths are even better. But they're only available to Company Command Squads, so you would have to buy a second H.Q. just to get an additional one.

 

Astropaths are not by themselves a priority target. I shoot at Command Squads to kill the officer, not the advisors.

 

Primaris Psyker

These guys are the Guard equivalent of Librarians. They have a Force Weapon, which can boost the CC ability of any squad they're attached to and threaten MCs, ICs, and MEQ. They have a 5+ Inv save, which in theory allows them to go toe to toe with whatever we send at them (I sent a Dread, however).

 

Their primary purpose is boosting the ability of the squad they're with. "Nightshroud," making them difficult to shoot at with low Ld units (not a problem for us), is useful for protecting units from ranged fire. And if your firing squad fails that Ld test, then they are prevented from shooting at anything for the remainder of the turn!

 

"Lightning Arc" can put some hurt on us, though, by the sheer volume of attacks and being S6. I learned this the hard way, unfortunately. Used to thin my Tac squad before the psyker and ogryns charged, the result was the loss of the entire 10 man squad. Devastating, when you consider that this is Guard that charged me!

 

There are so many different units that you could put a Primaris Psyker with, I might have to do an entry on him alone. The danger level that his powers present varies greatly. With Ogryns you'll face a tough assault unit that's difficult to stop with shooting. For Psyker Battle Squads you'll have to pour more firepower into them at the expense of ignoring the many other targets present. For Storm Troopers and Veterans the danger level and target priority goes up because of the different wargear available to those units, and again the unreliable nature of shooting versus Nightshroud.

 

Psyker Battle Squad

The effectiveness of a battle squad's powers depend entirely on how many psykers it contains, up to a maximum of 9. For "Weaken Resolve," that many will reduce Ld by 9 for the remainder of the turn! Let me say that again. A Marine unit can be reduced to a pack of babbling, cowardly idiots for an entire turn!

 

If your IG opponent has brought a Psyker Battle Squad, what he really intends to use it for is to unleash Soulstorm. This truly nasty power is AP D6, which alone is troubling enough because it has the potential to best a Terminator's 2+ save. The Strength of the attack is equal to the number of pyskers in the squad. So, for 110 pts the IG foe can drop a large blast marker up to 36" away, with S9, AP 1 potential. Our small squads of Marines can get torn to pieces pretty quickly by such a power. And because the squad can use a Chimera, they can go almost anywhere on the battlefield in support of other units.

 

Luckily, against a 10 man Marine squad on equal terms they are vastly inferior. In assault they are going to get killed en masse by anything besides maybe Gretchin. And bolters alone will down them like 9 pins. They are also disadvantaged by the fact that Perils of the Warp will remove D3 pyskers, executed by their Overseer. If the Overseer is dead, then each and every psyker in the squad suffers a Perils of the Warp attack! As you can see, Brothers, psyker battle squads can be very dangerous indeed, even to themselves. As the number of psykers in the unit drops, so too does the potency of their powers.

 

Now you might be wondering: "Why don't I just blast these guys from long range until they're wiped out to a man?" A valid question! I have yet to see a Psyker Battle Squad deployed without a Primaris Psyker attached to it. Ah ha! Remember Nightshroud, and its pesky ability to prevent ranged attacks against the whole squad? A difficult situation becomes worse when you have to test for Ld every time you want to shoot!

 

General Tips

Imperial Guard psykers range in usefulness from being a tactical asset (Astropath), to the dangerous (Battle Squad), and the just plain pesky (Primaris).

 

All suffer from the same puny statline as the basic Guardsman, with a few exceptions. This means that they can be killed relatively easily by marine weaponry. However, do not underestimate their powers! If left alone, or more likely, lost somewhere in the IG horde where Nightshroud and target overload will protect them, Battle Squads especially can wreak havoc on our numerically inferior forces. Complicating this is that you'll probably have a number of high priority targets to choose from.

 

Unless you have a Vindicare Assassin (and therefore the ability to pick which model you kill), Astropaths are best ignored, but not unplanned for. A Primaris is always a target. A Battle Squad is amongst the highest priority targets you come up against. Remember that bolters kill them all the same, so fire away every chance you get, and despite whatever Ld tests you are required to make!

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Thanks incredibly Tigrinus, I've been meaning to get back onto this thread and update it with Imperial Guard (which I know nothing about in terms of powers) so you have saved me a big job! And it is much appreciated! ;)