Backporting post-4E Tyranids to 4E

[Evil Eye]

As a big fan of middlehammer- the 3.5th to 4th era is probably my favourite era of 40K, especially rules-wise- I've been collecting a lot of relevant rules material with the intent of eventually finding like-minded individuals to play 4E with, should I ever actually paint an army to playable state. Ahem. Anyway, for my first love- Tyranids- I'm intending on using the 4E book rather than the 3E one as, as much as I adore the 3E book and it works just fine with 4E core rules, I think the 4E one is a touch more refined, and more to the point has a ridiculous array of options for basically everything that makes the already customizable 3E book look decidedly barren! However, whilst I do love my battered old 4E Codex, I am thinking it could be fun to "backport" some newer Tyranid critters into the rules. Some of this is very easy to do indeed and can be accomplished with alternate builds for existing units, whilst others can be accomplished using the Tyranid Monstrosity Creation Rules from Chapter Approved, and a few might need a bit of homebrew.

To that end, I thought I'd compile my deranged ramblings thoughts and plans on how to represent such monsters using the older book, both to help and inspire similarly-minded hobbyists and also to seek feedback on how best to do this. Note that I won't be posting the full rules and profiles for everything as I'm still in the drafting stage for a lot of these.

One thing I will note is that, following consultation with some online friends on how to handle Chapter Approved critters (which were written for the 3E book), any TMCR critters will be using the weapon profiles etc from the 4E book, but with the strength caps ignored; this seemed like a fair compromise to avoid confusion with the same base weapon using the standard profile from two different books, whilst also preserving the intention of the original monster creator rules; the profiles are mostly the same anyway, and as the rules are intended to be able to create artillery beasts and bio-titans, keeping the strength caps would be rather counterproductive. Also note that with a few noted exceptions, most of the bigger Monstrous Creatures will be represented as Gargantuans, both due to the smaller scale/scope of 4E (where a model as big as a Tyrannofex would be formidable indeed) and also due to existing precedence- the Trygon is IIRC a Gargantuan in 4E (I must get Apocalypse some day...) and as most of them are similar mass and on the same oval base, it would make sense to me, at least. I won't list the exact builds for the CDR creatures, as doing so would take an age, but any homebrewed rules will be noted.

 

Anyway, here's what I have in mind so far, in no particular order.

 

Tervigon: Creature design rules. Either a simple transport organism, or possibly adding the following rule for +30 points. Brood Mother: If a gaunt brood with the Without Number rule is destroyed, it can re-enter play from the Tervigon's incubation sac rather than from the Tyranid table edge. Place the first five gaunts in base contact with the Tervigon, then place the rest of the brood in unit coherency. Any that cannot be placed count as slain, either stillborn or killed by enemy fire upon emerging from the hideous sac. The normal rules for Without Number otherwise apply.

Tyrannofex: Creature design rules. Also opens up a lot of opportunities for more guns (it's possible, if a little evil, to use Devourers with the Spasm rule to give the big ugly bug a possible 36 shots a turn!).

Exocrine: Creature design rules, using the example build in Chapter Approved (so a regular Monstrous Creature rather than a Gargantuan- I think this is justified as it's effectively a giant cannon grown into a slaved "gun carriage").

Haruspex: See above.

Toxicrene: CDR, with the Toxic Miasma biomorph (priced per Carnifex entry).

Maleceptor: CDR. May select up to 3 hive mind powers (priced per Hive Tyrant entry).

Mawloc: CDR (sensing a theme emerging?), with the Tunneller upgrade and the following special rules.

Sensory Spines: If a Mawloc enters play via Deep Strike and scatters onto impassable terrain, reduce the scatter distance by the minimum required distance to avoid contact.

Terror from the Deep: If a Mawloc enters play via Deep Strike, if it lands on top of an enemy unit, place the large blast marker centred over one enemy model. Every model fully under the template suffers an S6 hit with no armour saves allowed; models partially under the template are hit on a 4+. Once the effects are resolved, place the Mawloc as fully under the template as possible, and move any surviving models such that they are in coherency and in base contact with the Mawloc. They may not shoot that turn (having been rather badly shaken up by the enormous creature that suddenly appeared from beneath them), and will initiate close combat with the Mawloc in that assault phase. The Mawloc counts as having charged that turn.

Psychophage: CDR (probably just a Monstrous Creature as it's really not very big).

Norn Emmissary/Assimilator: CDR.

Screamer Killer: Either simply counts-as a very heavily upgraded Carnifex, or CDR. Possibly the latter as it is quite large and comes as standard on a big base.

Von Ryan's Leapers: Tyranid Warriors with the leaping upgrade and two sets of scything talons (or talons and rending claws).

Barbgaunts: Termagants with deathspitters, price taken from the Warrior entry.

Termagant special weapons: All 3 are max one per brood and an exception to the usual rule of identical equipment. The shardlauncher counts as a deathspitter (see above). The spike rifle and strangleweb, assuming they don't already have official profiles in supplements (if so, please do show me and ignore the following) have the following profile:

Spike rifle: +10 points. Range: 18" Strength: S AP: 5 Type: Assault 1, Rending.

Strangleweb: +5 points. Range: Template Strength: S -1 AP: - Type: Assault 1. Any unit hit by a Strangleweb must take an initiative test; if failed, it is pinned.

Neurogaunts: 6 points a model. Use the Termagant entry, but with no weapons or biomorphs, and with the following rule.

Synaptic Nodes: When in Synapse range, Neurogaunts count as Synapse creatures themselves, albeit with a Synapse range of only 6". For +10 points one model may be upgrade to a Nodebeast; whilst alive, the brood has the full 12" Synapse range instead. When not in Synapse range they follow Instinctive Behaviour rules as usual.

Pyrovores: Biovore profile and cost. Loses brood telepathy and spore mine launcher, changes unit type to Beast (the thing's a living flamethrower, it should be speedy!) and has the following options.

Flamespurt: Free. Range: Template Strength: S+1 AP: 4 Type: Assault 1.

Pyro-acid jet: +15 points. Range: Template Strength: S AP: 3 Type: Assault 1. Rolls 2D6 for armour penetration against vehicles.

Toxic spray: +10 points. Range: Template Strength: S -2 AP: - Type: Assault 1, Poisoned (4+).

Venomthropes: Zoanthrope profile (but with 2 attacks instead of 1 and a 5+ save instead of 2+) and cost. Loses psyker rule, including warp field, gains lash whips and the following rules:

Spore cloud: Tyranid units wholely within 12" of a Venomthrope gain a 5+ cover save.

Deathly touch: This unit's close combat attacks are Poisoned (2+).

Hive Guard: As Tyrant Guard. Can be taken as a separate unit rather than a retinue for a Hive Tyrant, in which case they are Heavy Support and restricted to 0-1 (but as with Lictors, Zoanthropes and Biovores do not need to be placed together and operate independently during the game). Replace scything talons with one of the following.

Impaler cannon: +20 points. Range: 24". Strength: S+3 AP: 4 Type: Assault 1. Does not need line of sight to target an enemy, but is at -1BS if fired as such.

Shockcannon: +15 points. Range: 12". Strength: S+1 AP: 5 Type: Assault 1, blast. Against vehicles, do not roll for armor penetration as usual- instead roll a D6. 1 has no effect, 2-5 scores a glancing hit and 6 scores a penetrating hit. (The observant among you will notice this is the rules for haywire grenades...)

Barbed Strangler: +15 points.

Venom Cannon: +20 points.

Neurolictor: Simply give the Lictor access to "the horror" and "psychic scream" powers, priced as per Zoanthrope. If done so, counts as a psyker.

Neurotyrant: Counts as a Hive Tyrant that may not select any bio-weapons (those tentacles are too feeble to count as lash whips) and only has 3 wounds and a 4+ save, but may select any number of hive mind powers as per the entry cost.

Harpy/Hive Crone: CDR (with flyer rules).

 

(The following are unique organisms and are treated as per named characters; you can't take more than one of any of them and must be equipped as described, with only explicitly listed optional choices permissable. For example, the Swarmlord may select two hive mind powers but must otherwise be used exactly as described.)

 

Parasite of Mortrex: Costs 65 points. Counts as a Tyranid Warrior with wings, scything talons, lash whips, symbiote rippers and implant attack (not usually allowed for Warriors I know). Must be taken as an HQ choice as part of a brood of winged Warriors (as per the Leader-beasts rule) which can be bought and equipped as per the usual rules, though all models must have symbiote rippers and, of course, wings. The Parasite of Mortrex gets the following rule:

Ripper Implantation: If an enemy unit is wiped out in close combat by the Parasite of Mortrex and its brood, either as a result of a sweeping advance or simply by killing all enemy models, if the Parasite itself scored any hits then in the next Tyranid movement phase you may place D6 Ripper swarm bases as a single new unit within 3" of the Parasite's unit. Any that cannot be placed are slain. This unit has no additional biomorphs or weapon-symbiotes, and counts as a new unit for victory points purposes.

Swarmlord: Counts as a Hive Tyrant with the following upgrades: reinforced chitin, bonded exoskeleton, extended carapace, toxin sacs, adrenal glands (both kinds), 2 sets of scything talons, and also counts as being equipped with a bonesword. The bonesword adds +10 to the points cost of the Swarmlord, and any biomorphs not normally useable by a Hive Tyrant are priced as per the Carnifex. Otherwise costed as per the Hive Tyrant entry with relevant biomorphs and weapons.  In addition, the Swarmlord may select up to two hive mind powers instead of the usual one. 

The Doom of Malan'Tai: See Neurotyrant, but costs 25 points more and has the following special rule.

Leech Essence: In a turn that the Doom of Malan'Tai inflicted any wounds or destroyed any vehicles (by any means), roll a D6 for each wound the Doom has lost. On a 4+ the wound is regenerated (as per the Regenerate biomorph).

 

Anyway, thoughts? Obviously I'm no Andy Chambers, and this is very much intended as a means to allow people to use newer models with the old Codex for friendly/narrative games, rather than being razor-balanced.