So, the FAQ update has arrived. I’ve gone through it, which I haven't done since ages ago when I was learning the basics, so it also means that I'm coming to grips with some of the older FAQs. I’m going to mainly complain talk about the old and the new stuff.
Some of the changes are clarifications that are just interesting to see made. Until reading the FAQ, for instance, it had never crossed my mind that I could deep strike my Tyranid Prime with the lictor brood. Which, I’ve just realised, would’ve been cool as it increases the likelihood of the lictors survival, and on the turn after DS a prime loaded with lash whip and bonesword could do a damn fine assault; shame we can’t do that anymore. Personally, I think that such a move is so cool that they should’ve let it stay. (And you’d have found a two prime, 6 Lictor list heading your way sometime soon.)
There’s a lot to whinge about. The FAQ clearly conflicts with rules in the book, such as the prohibition on the Prime spodding it with a brood (what’s *that* about?); the absurd ruling that assaulting a venomthrope doesn’t reduce you to I 1 in obvious contradiction to the rules about terrain tests during assaults forcing you to do exactly that; gratuitous constraints on multiple Hive Commanders not being able to Outflank multiple units; an acceptable, but still whinge worthy, ruling that lash whipped units can go on to boost their initiative using their other powers; the unacceptable, and most whinge worthy, ruling that the lash whipped individual’s initiative shoots back up on the Sweeping Advance in obvious contradiction to what the rules say (as they explicitly say that the I remains at 1 until the end of the assault phase.) Minor stuff, I suppose, but it just feels like they’re really pissing on the bloodied, broken termagant shaped body that is the Tyranid codex. It’s not like the list is over-powered in the first place, and I don’t think keeping these rulings the other way around breaks the game or anything. I don’t know: maybe the guy who plays Nids in GW is just a gawd so they keep laying the pain on him via FAQs in the hopes of scoring a win against the scuttling horde.
I think I have to take a moment though to really screw up my eyes and mewl about one of the (older) FAQ rulings that a Spore can’t come down without the unit in it even though it’s listed as a dedicated transport. What’s galling about this is that, in the Space Marine Codex FAQ, it’s explicitly stated that the drop pod for the genetically engineered Frankenstein freaks can come down with no-one in them. MADNESS! So not only are their pods cheaper, and get to choose to what to shoot at, and have a far superior BS, and are a harder to kill vehicle, but they're also being screwed on simple rulings. Not only is this disparity painful rules wise, but it makes no sense: how is it that the unmanned drop pod can fall from the sky, but the living creature that is a Spore somehow can’t manage this feat unless its body is filled up with troops? Is it like an obese MacDonald's addict which refuses to do anything until you've stuffed its body full of meat? It’s not like the termagant or hormogaunt brood is *piloting* the damn thing, so I don’t see how their absence makes a blind bit of difference. This means my decision to Spod the Zoanthropes now seems to be a slightly poorer one. If I spod them then they have to sit in reserve when I might desperately need them from the get go. I think that, rather than spodding them, I’ll just buy an extra one instead and have them walk on in. That extra 3+ inv. save and 2W should, hopefully, give them at least some longevity so they can get into position. It also kiboshes my plans for Spod Spam (a list of 6 troop units with spods, that all deploy on foot and them the spods DS in to make it really difficult to have an objective uncontested and/or provide a wall of LOS blocking terrain; but why are you reading this bit? I can't do it anymore, unlike the Space Marines. So I might design a drop pod spam list...)
But there are upsides. Some minor upsides include making the Tyrant Guard a single kill point when combined with the Hive Tyrant. I’ve also noted that my Zoanthropes can each use different powers even when in the same brood (for no discernible reason.) That is conceivably going to prove useful. Also, should my Prime ever be alongside the termies and the Tervigon he’ll get the benefits of the adrenal glands and toxin sacs. But this is chump change; nothing here allows me to really monopolise on the list or bring anything to bear that I don’t think I could’ve brought before hand.
That is except for the Hive Guard. Now nothing provides cover saves except terrain you’re in and terrain you’re touching. Goodbye Fast Skimmer saves for Eldar! Oh yeah baby! That’s right, my chances of taking down those tanks have just doubled. Ork bikers, as well, take the pain. This will be a bugger to Harry and Mark, both of whom have been playing orks. (And, last game, I gave Harry their smokey save on the grounds that I *thought* that would’ve been the correct ruling; now I’ve been FAQed to a better position.) Harry has already tried to stick his bid in for them counting as being 'in terrain', but alas I think it’s pretty clear that this is not the case. This is doubly so as the semi-nerfing of the venomthrope says that the venomthrope’s spore cloud, which gives the ‘thrope a cover save, doesn’t count as a piece of terrain. Presumably the same applies to the ork bikes: they aren’t in terrain and my impaler cannons will be shooting orky exhaust tubes sometime soon.
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