Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Tyranids (section)

==Bio-Artefacts==
Yes, they're really called [[Derp|Bio-Artefacts.]] ''Really.''  As you might expect from the rest of the Codex, most of these are of situational use at best. 

*'''Maaaaaw-Claaaaaws (of Thyrax):''' They're Rending Claws with Assimilate, so the model using them gets to say "resistance is futile". Jokes aside it gives the bug Preferred Enemy against an entire Codex the first time it kills a model from that Codex in close combat. So pretty much a not so good Malanthrope...  It sounds neat and it's fairly cheap; however, it suffers the same issue as the Dimensional Key in Chaos Marines and Porta-Rack in Dark Angels: by the time you unlock Preferred Enemy (which isn't exactly super-amazing on a single unit anyway) the game will already be mostly over. Still, if you were planning to take Rending Claws anyway, this is a decent choice. You might want to consider giving them to a Trygon Prime: while some of the bonuses are lost on a Monstrous Creature, Preferred Enemy might very well prove the difference between wiping a unit/vehicle or being stuck in another round of combat. A flying Hive Tyrant makes the best use as he can get to combat very quickly and makes him strike at S7 with Smash. It's also cheaper than Old Adversary, plus it's a CCW, so for a Close combat or a mixed Flying Hive Tyrant, you can't go wrong.
**'''Alternative Opinion''':Snap the Maw Claws on a Tyranid Prime in a unit of 20-30 gants/gaunts of your choice and make him your Warlord. Not only does this give the entire unit Preferred Enemy if the Prime kills a model in CC but it also means your opponent has to chew through 20-30 wounds to kill your Warlord
*'''Miasma Cannon:''' It's an Assault 1, Poisoned (2+) shot with AP 4 and a choice of 36" Blast or Template. It's... alright, but AP 4 is a pretty big handicap against everyone that isn't 'Nids, Orks, Imperial Guard, Dark Eldar or Tau, although some Eldar lists will hate it too. Also you occasionally get Marines spamming scouts trying to be a wannabe ranger army, but still. . . You do get Ignores Cover on the Template. Still, it's 25 points, which is usually better spent [[Termagaunt|elsewhere]].  That said, adding it to a Trygon/Trygon Prime gives it '''two''' shooting attacks when it deep strikes.. adding it to a Tervigon gives it a ranged attack at 36".. there are applications, but they all involve consolidating your points in your MCs, it's up to you how much you want to do that.
**<b>Alternative Take</b>:  Equip this bad boy to a Trygon Prime, pop it up right next to those irritating scouts/eldar/guard or anything with a low armor save and flamer template them into oblivion!  Anything that survives can eat the rest of the shooting from the Trygon Prime. Alternatively slap it on a Tyranid Prime, and stick him with Dakkafexes and you have a good ranged unit. It's only 5 pts more than the Venom Cannon and it's the only one the Prime can equip, so why not?
**<b>A Second Alternative Take</b>: Put this on a troop tervigon have it sit on a backfield objective (with bivores and an exocrine if you like and provide synapse) if anything comes to close suddenly their being attacked and shot at by termagants for a round.
*'''The Norn Crown:''' The Norn Crown isn't actually an item that you can take. If you actually take it in an army list, you will automatically be sent a letter to join the Games Workshop Design Studio, because clearly you're bad enough at determining balance that you'll fit right in! It adds 6" to the user's Synapse range. ''For 40 points.'' You know, [[Derp|that same thing that a Warlord Trait and the Primaris power do]]. Okay, so, sure, you can extend Synapse to a really far range if you combine the three (for a synapse range of 30 inches), and you might not have a choice if your army list consists of one Synapse creature and two hundred Gaunts or something. But, seriously. '''40 points.'''Situational at absolute best. 
**'''Alternative Opinion''': While this upgrade is laughable, remember that both the Tyranid and Trygon Prime isn't a Psyker, and the Tervigon can only cast one power. This is when the Norn Crown comes in. While it's '''expensive''' (An appropriate word I would give this Artefact), Synapse is very important in this edition. The Primes can definitely find use, either coming in via deep strike and act as a back up Synapses Creature, be able to  footslog with a lot of Gaunts and can cast one of the powers from the PotHM, or stay in the backfield babysitting Biovores and Gaunts on an objective. Again, while expensive, some will still pay for it on those that needs it without wasting their power, or can't use the power, -Dominion.
*'''The Ymgarl Factor''': So, Ymgarl Genestealers were removed (guess they rejoined a hive fleet like they wanted), but they get a cameo of sorts in this Bio-Artefact. Each turn, a model with this Bio-Artefact gets to pick one of three upgrades (similar to [[Obliterator]]s, albeit with upgrades instead of weapons), of which the most important is +1 to armour save. Now, this is pretty nice, but there are some pretty big caveats. First, you can only change it at the beginning of the Assault phase. Second, you ''must'' change each turn. Finally, it's ''40 points.'' A permanent +1 to armour save ''might'' have been worth it, but you're going to have to switch every other turn even after you do get into combat so it's not exactly consistent and with its effectiveness only extending to the assault phase it's only worth it on a fast monster you don't want to get rocket sniped to death as it crosses the board in one or two turns. (These boosts only last for the Assault phase and not the turn)
*'''Reaper of Obliterax''': The Reaper tries (and mostly fails) to be a bonesword & lashwhip + 1, which is to say it's a bonesword/lashwhip combo that also has a +1 S bonus and Shred. For 25 points more than a normal Lash Whip and Bonesword, though only 15 points more than a Lashbone and Toxin Sacs, if you don't mind wounding T8 a little less often. Excepting of course the fact that you can put it on a Trygon Prime. A [[Fulgrim|Mother Fucking Multi Armed Sword Wielding Snake Monster.]] Model one up with tits and you can run Shiva all over the place eating everything. The basic here is that the Lashbone is only available to a few units and the artifact makes it available to a few more albeit at higher points. If you want a Tervigon to actually be threatening in close combat, you can add this to it too, making it swing at initiative 5 so it's actually a problem for power sword-wielding Marines. Also worth mentioning that re-rolling wounds makes getting that 6 for ID even more likely, which could come up if you didn't take toxin sacs or the re-roll from toxin sacs doesn't apply.
**'''Alternative Opinion''': A Hive Tyrant with the Reaper of Obliterax can strike at the same time as a Daemon Prince, hit's harder than he does, ignores his power armor at AP2, and can instant death him on a 6 (With a Shred reroll don't forget)This is one of the few ways in which a Tyranid can best a Prince in close combat (another way being the SWARMLORD). *WARNING*: DO NOT Send this Hive Tyrant after any Greater Daemons other than the Lord of Change and perhaps the Unclean one. You will die horribly if you think the Reaper of Obliterax can help you solo a Bloodthirster (the Swarmlord can)
*** But a Hive Tyrant with an ordinary Lashbone and Toxin Sacs does the exact same thing for less points.
**** Not against things like wraithlords, where they are tougher. If a wraithknight runs at you, or you try to get a stormsurge, poison means jackshit, so there is that.