u/Critt3rB0t

Everyone has suggested adding shrikes (winged warriors), or that juiced up epic hero zoanthrope to the Tyranids army range before, but what brand new thing would you like to see added that we've not seen or heard about before?

A recent post got me really liking the idea of a Gaunt Prime. Just a really cheap support character that powers up Termagaunts/Hormagaunts/Barbguants. Maybe 45 points for a 3W gaunt model that gives lethal hits or -1 AP or something. Easy way to give buffs/enhancements without investing much.

Another thing I feel like we miss is just a good source of medium strength, high-ish AP shooting. Maybe another twist on Barbgaunts, but with big spike-rifles. Something akin to Space Marine hellblasters. This probably overlaps a bunch with what ranged Warriors, and Hive Guard should be, but Barbgaunts are just such a cool concept I'd love to see it expanded.

The last idea I've got is something like a dedicated gun Carnifex, or a mini-Exocrine. A Carnifex with a suped up Venom cannon for punching vehicles, or barbed strangler for decimating infantry. The stats could effectively be like giving a Carnifex 2-3 of those guns on cheaper frame than you'd get for a proper monster unit.

Basically, when you take a deeper dive into the different gun options, a lot of options end up being functionally similar, with changes only being to the number of shots.

For example, the Boyz datasheet has effectively 3 "outputs" across it's 8 different weapons.

1. The shootas, big shoota, Rokkit Launcher Blasta shots, and shoota parts of the Kombi-weapons can be rolled together. And after rolling to hit, you can add the burna shots to finish rolling all the 4 Strength guns together.
2. The Rokkit Launcher Busta shots and Kombi-weapon Busta rokkits can be rolled together.
3. The Kombi-weapon Scorcha is the only weapon that rolls separately.

Nobz are in a similar spot, with all the shootas roll-able together, and Rokkits and Scorcha separate.

Compared to some killteam-style units rolling 4-5 different profiles because they get to bring 3+ special weapons, their base weapons, and a sergeant with all different profiles, it's going to feel really smooth to get through a shooting phase with the previewed datasheets.

It also feels better than just calling all the weapons in the unit something "Boyz Gunz" and giving everything the exact same profile.

I'm prepping for a 1K local tournament (super small non-competitive scene, 1K makes it more approachable). After about 8 games, and crunching some numbers, it feels like some disposition match-ups swing pretty heavily compared to what you would expect for 2k games.

The main example I saw was Disruption vs Purge:

• Purge has a really easy 9VP primary each turn, only needing to kill one unit per turn, and if the disruption player ever goes for the center objective, they have a perfect target. Getting the 14VP primary is fairly common, especially once they start clearing out units towards the later rounds.
• Disruption feels like it's average turn is only 6VP, killing one unit per turn. At 1k, there's just a lack of targets to actually kill more than that, especially if the Purge player builds into dense, high point bricks. Taking the center objective bumps up the disruption player to 9VP, but as mentioned, that opens you up for the Purge player to easily get their Condemned target, and sets them up for their 14VP turns afterwards.

In 2k games the disruption player has the flexibility to push hard for additional kills to boost their score to 11-13, but in 1K it feels like they just don't have that option. The best game plan I've seen is to play incredibly passive, denying condemned unit choices, and only pushing out if the Purge player takes the center objective. It's an incredibly tight match-up, with the disruption player entirely reactive, and all the autonomy in the Purge player's hands.

Overall, it feels like any disposition uses an additive VP setup (VP for each destroyed unit, VP for each objective held, etc.) is disadvantaged in 1K games, just because there's less stuff on the table to actually do the missions.

I know 1K has it's own balance issues (beyond just the dispositions), but has anyone else encountering similar things at 1K? Any advice you've got to tackle uphill match-ups?

TL:DR; Keywords are lost as models are destroyed. Double check if your unit has a model with a specific keyword when targeting that unit, or when you get a special benefit for having the keyword. I provide rules citations and examples throughout

This is gonna be a long one. I'm writing this all out because it's been a real sticking point for a number of 11th edition questions, and a lot of it is spread out through comments in several different posts. The rules haven't changed all that much from 10th, but people are encountering them more often due to a specific change to how attached units work.

The base Keyword Rules

Most of the Keyword Rules don't appear in the core rules at all. They appear in the digital-only appendix rules in the app. Specifically 02.05.01 - Using Keywords & Mixed Keyword in Units.

https://preview.redd.it/ahqpnmlg7g9h1.png?width=841&format=png&auto=webp&s=d91c3e209b7742ff22245e6baf7e610bbf8e4c11

The most important rule appears in this section is the first bullet of 02.05.01:

• "A unit has all the keywords of all models in that unit. A model only has it's own keywords."

The part that trips people up is when models containing keywords are destroyed. When models are destroyed, they are removed from the unit and that removes the keyword from the unit as well.

I am of the opinion that this bullet needs an FAQ, because it's a little unclear whether a destroyed model is still a "model in that unit" during gameplay. However, precedence is that models being destroyed removes any specific things that model was the "bearer" of from the unit as well, like war gear or enhancements.

There are more bullets in the Keywords section of the rules, but to save space in this post I've only screenshotted the relevant rules.

Keywords In Attached Units

These are the rules most frequently cite when talking about how keywords work, because they appear in the printed core rules, while the advanced keyword rules only appear in the app.

The purpose of these rules is not to overwrite how the base keyword rules work, but to get the point across that when you create an attached unit in the list building stage, you should look at the keywords present on both datasheets and apply them to the unit.

Once gameplay begins, and models start being destroyed, attached units lose keywords in the same way as non-attached units.

https://preview.redd.it/7gnblla38g9h1.png?width=758&format=png&auto=webp&s=43afd9729265cffe81e210149d0a554177aff8ff

In the example provided, a leader with the Psyker keyword means the unit triggers the [ANTI-PSYKER] rule, because the unit gained the keyword. However, if the leader model with the Psyker keyword is destroyed, the unit no longer triggers [ANTI-PSYKER] the next time the unit is attacked.

Example #1 - Hyperadapted Raveners (Unattached Unit)

When looking at the datasheet for Hyperadapted Raveners, the keywords section specifies that the Ravener Prime has additional keywords that the rest of the models don't. It is effectively the "bearer" of those keywords for the unit.

https://preview.redd.it/72gwnklb9g9h1.png?width=1108&format=png&auto=webp&s=f7bf191d36a26de6b3fa62eccb5b3b8947068aa1

If the Ravener Prime were to be destroyed (from something like [PRECISION] attacks), the unit would lose the synapse and character keyword. The unit would no longer provide synapse to itself or nearby units, and would no longer trigger [ANTI-CHARACTER] attacks if it were attacked again.

Example #2 - Tyranid Prime & Hormagaunts (Attached Unit)

When looking at an attached unit, the rules are basically the same, except you combine the units at the list building stage. This is where the rule stating "An Attached Unit has all the keywords of it's component units" comes into effect.

After combining the units, you are left with a keywords section that looks something like this:

https://preview.redd.it/8fn5eq4keg9h1.png?width=1021&format=png&auto=webp&s=35f86efedc15ce1e9f2f1b562941bf2dddc471cf

This effectively creates a unit like the Hyperadapted Raveners with different models that have their own keywords, and once gameplay starts, they would function identically. If the Tyranid Prime is destroyed, the unit would lose the Character and Synapse Keyword. Likewise, if the Hormagaunts are destroyed, the unit loses the Endless Multitude keywords.

Reviving Models

The way attached units work in 11th edition, it does not count as a unit being destroyed if all the bodyguard models are destroyed. Both the bodyguard and the leader models need to be destroyed. This is a big change from 10th edition.

If all the bodyguard models are destroyed, they can still be revived by future effects that heal the entire unit, or that return a number of models to the unit.

However, keywords are still determined by which models in that unit are not destroyed at any given time, and you still need to follow the restrictions of those keywords.

Example #1 - Assimilation Swarm (Keywords giving restrictions or bonuses)

The Assimilation Swarm detachment rule has multiple notable keyword checks:

https://preview.redd.it/ttoeq8mtgg9h1.png?width=884&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab2d7f3898f34066552a9110348ed2f78f3ebad3

1. You can select any tyranids unit within range of a harvester. There is no special check of the unit's keywords for the purpose of targeting.
2. You can select either mode for restoring wounds.
   • The first mode heals one model, and does not check keywords. This also does not overflow and return additional models in any way, because it is not healing the entire unit, only one model in the unit.
   • The second mode returns one INFANTRY model to the unit. There is then a keyword check to exclude CHARACTER models from being returned. And finally there is a keyword check to give an additional effect if the unit has the ENDLESS MULTITUDE keyword. It is important to note that this check occurs before any models are returned to the unit. If the unit does not have the ENDLESS MULTITUDE keyword before returning models, it only returns a single model, even if that model has the keyword itself.

Example #2 - Invasion Fleet (Targeting based on keywords)

A lot of stratagems have keyword checks as well, but it's important to determine whether you're being restricted by the effect, or by targeting the unit in the first place.

https://preview.redd.it/92vuiwvvig9h1.png?width=755&format=png&auto=webp&s=175b66d4cda8017e7323ceb6065e9247ded5793a

This stratagem checks keywords at the moment of targeting. If your target does not have the ENDLESS MULTITUDE keyword, you can't target it in the first place, even though the effect of the stratagem would otherwise be able to return models to the unit.

For an attached Tyranid Prime + Hormagaunts, if all the gaunts are destroyed, the unit no longer has the keyword, and cannot be targeted. If even a single gaunt is not destroyed, you could target the unit with the stratagem as normal.

Because the effect of the stratagem does not check the keywords of the models in any way, you could return a destroyed CHARACTER model to the unit (in fact the rules for reviving models [01.02.03] specify that you must return a destroyed leader to the unit if possible).

This is super powerful, and in theory you could even revive a Neurotyrant or Tyranid Prime with this, but in real games it's also really unlikely to happen.

Abilities are not Keywords

This also comes up a lot when discussing keywords. There is a table in the core rules about when abilities are removed from attached units as models die. That table basically states:

• Models from the leader unit are "bearers" of their datasheet abilities. If the bodyguard unit dies, any "while this model is leading" ability on that leader datasheet continues to function. If all the leader models are destroyed, it's datasheet ability stops affecting the unit until a leader model is revived.
• Models from the bodyguard unit are "bearers" of their datasheet ability. If all the bodyguard models are destroyed, it's datasheet ability stops affecting the unit until a bodyguard model is revived.
• If the bearer model of a piece of war gear or an enhancement is destroyed, that war gear or enhancement stops affecting the unit until the bearer is revived.

All of these are separate from Keywords. The only reason I bring it up is because it is on the same page as the Keyword rules for attached characters, and it is a good example of precedence that when individual models are destroyed, that their effects stop functioning for their unit.

Conclusion

There's not much more to say on this one. It's possible to contrive corner cases, but this post is long enough already. I'm confident that a detailed look at the rules will actually be pretty clear at solving most questions, but am happy to revise anything that is explicitly incorrect, with citation.

I will also reiterate that there is some ambiguity on whether destroyed models are still part of a unit. I think there is a much stronger case that any model that is destroyed is no longer part of the unit. That is how similar effects work in 11th, and was the prevailing way it was played in 10th, but it is ambiguous enough that I think it needs an FAQ for certainty.

Writing this out to see if I'm understanding this rules interaction correctly:

It's common to have a Tyranid Prime lead a unit of Hormagaunts. The gaunts have the [ENDLESS MULTITUDE] keyword. When the gaunts die, the unit loses the keyword.

I'm inferring this from Section 19.03 (Page 67) of the core rules, although the example is about a leader bringing keywords to the unit, rather than the bodyguard.

https://preview.redd.it/yd2w0qiqh68h1.png?width=396&format=png&auto=webp&s=fa05a5c9e7492632894e5d0f43fa2bbd54e58399

This means if all the bodyguard models have been destroyed:

• In the Invasion Fleet detachment you can't revive the gaunts with the Endless Swarm stratagem, since the unit no longer has the required [ENDLESS MULTITUDE] keyword.
• In the Assimilation Swarm detachment, you can revive the gaunts using the Feed The Swarm detachment rule, because the rule doesn't care about the unit's keywords (EDIT: although you could only return one model the first time you regenerate, because it does check the keywords for which regeneration option you select).

This feels like it massively increases the value of keyword-unconditional healing abilities, because the new fast rolling will mean characters more often survive combat solo.

I'm not going to predict a new meta or anything drastic, but the combat math on returning bodyguard units looks really strong. Enough to push me away from Invasion Fleet and towards Assimilation Swarm. Tyrants with Guard, or Primes with the double revive enhancement leading gaunts look like a real pain to kill with reviving bodyguards, and fantastic for swinging objectives unexpectedly.

Okay, quick rundown. I was playing a practice game as Tyranids vs my opponent playing Imperial Guard. I forgot about the 12" "Vect aura" on the Swarmlord during my opponent's turn, but then remembered it during my turn for a big advantage:

1. My opponent's used a stratagem for 1 CP nearby the Swarmlord on their turn, bringing them down to 0 CP. If I had remembered the aura, they would not have been able to use the stratagem.
2. On my turn, I remember the aura, and position the Swarmlord near a bunch of overwarch threats, allowing me to move a unit of 10 Hormagaunts + Tyranid Prime past a Hellhound, Rogal Dorn, and 10 Catachan.
3. My opponent can't Overwatch because they only have 1 CP in the bank. Had we remembered the Swarmlord's aura on the previous turn, my opponent would have had 2 CP and been able to overwatch the Gaunt+Prime unit.

The game swung really hard that turn because I was able to get that Gaunt+Prime unit into combat with the Dorn and Catachan units. The Catachan unit was destroyed, the Dorn took 10 damage with help from the Swarmlord, an objective swung in my favour for a turn, and everyone was stuck in for a round.

The initial stratagem that happened because I forgot the aura boosted one of his units in combat and killed a few extra gaunts nearby. It was an unrelated fight to the rest of the story, but in the overall game it was too much to reasonably "walk back" in the following turn.

How bad would you consider this as a gotcha moment? It was thankfully only in a practice game with a friend, and genuinely an accident (I don't play with the Swarmlord often, so it's not habit to think about a Vect aura).