Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Tyranids (section)

===Elites===
*[[Image:Genestealer Brood.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Genestealer|Genestealer Brood]]''': Moved to the Elites slot, they're still 8" T4 A4 with a 5++/4++ in melee, but now play more like Lictors than super-fast scalpels  since they can no longer innately advance and charge, but can infiltrate and recover models.
**In the deployment phase, you can deploy them anywhere on the field thats 9" away from enemies. If you purchased an infestation node, they can deploy that next to them.
**What's an infestation node? For 20 pts, it basically acts like a reinforcment point for the Genestealers. In the Command Phase, you can either deploy one via action (it ends at the end of the movement phase,) or use an existing one/the one you deployed with to recover d3 destroyed models. 
**The genestealers weapons were also rolled into a single statline, being 4A at S4 AP3 D1. the extended Carapace isnt such a bad deal now, either, since the 4+ costs only 1" less movement, and you can't advance and charge innately anymore anyway.
**For those interested in taking both Tyranids and Genestealer Cults: Purestrains from the GSC codex are pretty much always better than Hive Tendrils Genestealers. From WS2+, to 4++ against ''both'' melee and range, and even retaining advance and charge (I guess when 'Stears know that they'll be alive for more than a few hours, they spend their free time practicing hitting, dodging and running), these guys provide a better performance over the default genestealers. Also, as of writing this, purestrains are actually cheaper than normal genestealers (How did this happen? Who decided this?). Even the pre-game move that Hive Fleet genestealers have to set them apart from other options in the Tyranid Codex can be done by (albeit, only one) purestrain unit via the Proficient Planning: They came from below. '''TL;DR''' if you're taking both Tyranids and Genestealer Cult, you should never take the codex Tyranid version of genestealers; take purestrains instead.


[[Image:HaruspexGW.jpeg|125px|right|]]
*'''[[Haruspex]]''': The Haruspex's primary function is infantry chewing and almost everything in its arsenal is meant to help with that. It can even chew transports very easily to get to the juicy little people inside if need be and those bothering close combat walker should give it a thought before trying to intervene. It's a tough monster with 15 wounds 2+ saves and T8. It even regenerates wounds as it kills enemy models to a max of three per turn all the while reducing the moral of enemies around it. With its combination of horned chitine and acid blood keywords, it gains access to great stratagems to inflict a couple of mortal wounds on its prey. This all sound pretty great, but here comes the bad news. It doesn't have a native invulnerable save meaning all those lascannon and meltagun will have field day against it unless you drop I more points into it for an adaptive physiology to get one, doesn't have a "real gun", no a single anti-infantry attack at 12 doesn't count. It's rather slow at movement 8 and finally, while it starts with very respectable 3+ on its WS and BS, it degrades as does its already meh speed. In a casual game, the Haruspex can be fun and perfectly usable, though in any hardball games you would be better in almost all circumstances to buy a Carnifex or better, a Screamer-Killer instead since they basically hold the same niche, but the Screamer-Killer does it a bit faster and significantly cheaper.    


*[[Image:Lictor.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Lictor]]''': A single Lictor isn't particularly scary. It has a scary profile, but a full unit of anything won't be too impressed. Though it can totally play assassin against cheap backline holding units and mid-tier characters and with its enhanced abilities, clever hiding inside terrains will make it invulnerable to units outside of 12". Their key advantages come from their cheap cost, popping in midfield to potentially score some secondary objective, and being able to give a +2" charge for your units with the Pheromone Trail Stratagem. Make sure to watch out for Heroic Interventions, they aren't that hard to kill and enemy melee characters can make mincemeat of them.
**9th Edition's secondary objectives finally give Lictors a use: as non-{{WH40Kkeyword|CHARACTER}} {{WH40Kkeyword|INFANTRY}} units, Lictors can perform the full range of Shadow Ops actions with +2 to saves when in cover and deep strike to boot! Typically you'll want to combo Linebreaker/Engage on all Fronts with either Deploy Scramblers or Repair Teleport Homer to get the most bang for your lil' buckaroo.
**Seriously, it cannot be overstated just how useful these guys are. So long as your army doesn't bleed secondaries and you have some staying power on objectives, Lictors are game-winners. Take two and [[Anal circumference|call your opponent in the morning]].


*[[Image:Malecepter.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Maleceptor]]''': A giant Zoanthrope stuffed in an oversized Carnifex that doesn't quite fit either role. They were kinda garbage in 8e, but have now been fleshed out to be a bit more useful as a support unit; their synaptic imperative gives all your units within SYNAPSE range more flexibility with their actions, including the Maleceptor's own Psychic Action. They no longer have an inherent +1 to Psychic Tests, but you can get that from the Neurothrope Synaptic Imperative; instead, whenever they successfully perform a psychic action or manifest a power on a 7+, the closest enemy unit within 12" takes 3-1 MW (degrading statline).  
**They are now M 8-6" '''S7 T8 W15''' 3+/4++, and have a degrading 3+ WS/BS; they only have 3A, but have two profiles: Sweep (S:U AP-3 D2, 2 Hit Rolls per Attack), or Strike (S10 AP-4 D 2D3).
**Each Maleceptor can now know 2 Spells + Smite, but ''on top of that,'' whenever they successfully cast a Psychic Power or perform a Psychic Action on a roll of 7+, ''the closest enemy model within 12"'' receives 3-1 MW, the MW output being based on their degrading statline, rather than a D3 roll. This can add a few more MWs on a smite and make super-smites a lot less swingy.
**Their Diffusion ability is now a Psychic Action; when successfully performed, friendly HIVE FLEET units within 6" reduce the STR of incoming ranged attacks by 1. Pretty good now that a majority of your units are now tougher, and that you don't have to pay CP to do so. And you can still cast after performing this action if you use the Maleceptor's own Synaptic Imperative.
**'''Synaptic Imperative: Psychic Oversight:''' While this Synaptic Imperative is active, friendly {{W40Kkeyword|hive tendril}} units within {{W40Kkeyword|synapse}} range gain:
***If that unit is performing an action, it can make ranged attacks without that action failing.
***That unit can start to perform an action, even if it Advanced or Fell Back this turn.
***If that unit has the {{W40Kkeyword|PSYKER}} keyword, performing a psychic action does not prevent it from manifesting psychic powers.
****Synaptic Imperatives are active for all SYNAPSE creatures the round they are active, so this ability can be really helpful once you're within range of objectives, or when your army is castled up around Maleceptors so that you can apply Encephalic Diffusion while still being able to smite.


*[[Image:PyrovoreGW.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Pyrovore]]''': The formerly worst unit in the whole game, Pryovores have had a nice glow-up. Their flamer now has two modes, an 18" 2D6 heavy flamer or a 12" D6 flamer that does D2. They may be slow but since the Tyrannocyte can hold multiple units, you can hold a maximum of 6 inside one, and ''that's a lot of damage''. You may also deepstrike them with the Jormungandr stratagem if you don't want to spend the 100 points for the pod. As long as you don't make these footslog, they'll surprise you. Do be cautious that they have an explosion rule that can damage '''everyone around you''', unlike the typical Death Throes abilities. 


*[[Image:Tyrant Guard.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Tyrant Guard]]''': Dedicated bodyguards for your Hive Tyrant. These guys can shield your Hive Tyrant even if it has more than 9 wounds and even if only one of them remains, which is great as it keeps your big boss safe that much longer and as long as they have a Tyrant within 3", they gain 1 extra attack. With crushing claws they become scary, hitting on 3+ with 3 S8 AP-3 D2 attacks each, giving them tank-wrecking power and making them a veritable threat against elites that don't have good invulnerable saves. This loadout is costly however before even considering adrenal glands/toxin sacs. Now they are tankier than before, with 4 wounds at T6 and 2+Sv but without an invulnerable save they will still die against dedicated fire. Good if you need to protect a backline Tyrant but otherwise don't bother.


*[[Image:VenomthropeGW.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Venomthrope]]''': These are mainly used to keep the rest of your swarm safe. Enemy units take a -1 To Hit penalty when shooting at units that hug Venomthropes, so keep them in the middle of your swarm, preferably behind some Monsters, since the Venomthropes aren't characters and so if the opponent can draw line of sight to these rather tall models, he can hit them. Just remember that to hit penalties cap at -1 now, so don't build lists combo'ing them. They can also be useful in monster mashes.
**Malanthropes also offer a debuff to the enemy, and the choice between Venomthropes and Malanthropes depends on your taste. Malanthropes can survive longer, give re-rolls when they wipe out a unit, and are Synapse but don't have access to the Spore Clouds stratagem, Venomthropes can be easily shot at, but have higher damage output and are Core.


*[[File:ZoanthropesGW.png|125px|right]]'''[[Zoanthrope]]''': A great workhorse of the Swarm in 9th Edition. Got bumped up to 50ppm, so a bit less than an auto-take but if you run a list of mostly monsters, you'll want them for their Imperative. They now get a bonus +1 to cast Smite and Witchfire powers for each model in the unit (without cap) and a +1 to the mortal wounds of Smite also for each model (although this capped at +3), so they'll melt the enemies they have in front of them with such psychic might. Unfortunately, they now can only cast one power regardless of unit size so they are best for using offensive powers rather than for buffing. They also lost their 3++ and got a 4++ which is not a big deal but it makes them slightly less resistant so keep that in mind.
**Warp Shielding (Synaptic Imperative): Monsters within 6" gain a 4++, everyone else gets a 5++, when near SYNAPSE models.
***This aura projects from all your Synapse models when active, giving you army-wide invulns in clutch situations, and with a strat, '''you can use it even if they're dead'''


====Special Characters====
*[[Image:Deathleaper.jpeg|125px|right|]]'''[[Deathleaper]]''': For 25 points more than a Lictor you get +2W, +1A, a 4++ instead of 5++, and two nice abilities, one of which makes a unit unable to start an action if they are within 6" of him, and the other makes the units in engagement range with him unable to be affected by enemy stratagems. The second one is very powerful as it can nullify any trick the enemy has in its sleeve and also disables command re-rolls which can be great if the enemy has some bad luck. Not exactly an auto-take, but if used correctly it can really return the investment.