Codex Tyranids Fluffy and Balanced

Disclaimer: Warhammer 40,000, Tyranids and all related terms are copyrighted by Games

Workshop Ltd. and are used without permission. This document is fan work, does not contain

official rules and is in no way endorsed by Games Workshop.

The following are changes to be applied to the 5th Edition Codex Tyranids with the goal to

change the army’s rules to closer resemble its background and the way Tyranids are portrayed

therein. Changes to unit and weapon profiles are only mentioned once but are applicable to all

following listings of each respective profile.

FORCES OF THE TYRANIDS (pages 33-61)

SPECIAL RULES (page 33)

Shadow in the Warp: Add the following: The presence of the hive mind isolates the

connection between warp and real space even psykers embarked in vehicles are subject to the

effects of Shadow in the Warp.

HIVE TYRANT

Change the profile as follows: WS: 7

Weapons and Biomorphs: Replace Scything Talons, Lashwhip and Bonesword with: two

sets of Scything Talons.

TYRANT GUARD

Change the profile as follows: WS: 4, I: 2, Ld: 6

TYRANID WARRIORS

Change the Tyranid Warrior and Tyranid Shrike profiles as follows: T: 5, W: 2

Weapons and Biomorphs: In all cases replace Scything Talons and devourer with: two pairs

of scything talons.

Alpha Warrior: Add the following: A Tyranid Prime may join a unit of Tyranid Warriors

that has taken a Mycetic Spore before deployment and enter play carried in the same Mycetic

Spore as the unit of Tyranid Warriors.

RAVENERS

Change the profile as follows: T: 5, W: 2

TERMAGANTS

Spike Rifle: Add the Rending special rule.

Strangleweb: Change the weapon’s Strength and AP to 4 each.

LICTORS

Change the profile as follows: T: 5

Weapons and Biomorphs: Replace Flesh Hooks with: Reinforced Flesh Hooks

Flesh Hooks: rename to Reinforced Flesh Hooks.

Pheromone Trail: Replace the first sentence with: If at least one Lictor is included in a

Tyranid army, the tyranid player adds +1 to any of his reserve rolls.

Replace the Instinctive Behaviour – Lurk special rule with the following:

Sentient: Lictors are highly intelligent creatures superior even to some humans. Lictors are

not subject to the instinctive behaviour special rules.

HARPY

Spore Mine Cyst: Add the following sentence: Harpy cannot be wounded by the barrage of

its own Spore Mine Cyst.

CARNIFEX

Change the profile as follows: WS: 4, I: 2

Add the following Special rule:

Thundering Behemoth: A charging Carnifex often uses its powerful forelimbs to propel

itself forward at a greater speed. As long as none of the Carnifex’s scything talons have been

replaced with anything other than close combat weapons, the Carnifex has the Fleet universal

special rule.

HIVE GUARD


Impaler Cannon:

Replace the first sentence of the last paragraph with the following: *As long as the Hive Guard unit is in synapse range the Impaler Cannon can shoot any target in range

which is in line of sight of at least one other tyranid creature in synapse range or a synapse creature,

regardless wether the target is in the Hive Guard’s actual line of sight.

PYROVORES

Change the profile as follows: WS: 4, I: 4, A: 2, Ld 7

Volatile: Replace the entire text with the following:

If a Pyrovore dies it instinctively tries to ignite the volatile chemicals inside the many fuel

sacs on its body to trigger an explosion and take down many enemies as it can.

If a Pyrovore is slain it must take a Leadership check against its unmodified Ld. If the check

succeeds, the Pyrovore explodes and all models except for other Pyrovores within D6” of the

slain Pyrovore suffer a Strength 3, AP -. If the Pyrovore is within synapse range while it is

slain, the tyranid player may choose wether the Pyrovore explodes or not without needing to

make any leadership check.

TERVIGON

The entire unit entry is removed. Tervigons are no longer an existing Tyranid unit.

TYRANNOFEX

Change the profile as follows: BS: 4

Acid Spray: Change the weapon’s AP to 3.

Fleshborer Hive: Change the weapon’s range to 24” and type to Assault 30

MYCETIC SPORES

Transport Spore: In the second paragraph add the following sentences after the first: A unit

using a Mycetic Spore must always enter play carried inside the Spore. Independent

Characters may not join units with Mycetic Spores before deployment unless otherwise

specified.

RIPPER SWARMS

Mindless: Remove the entire special rule.

THE SWARM LORD

Change the profile as follows: WS: 8

OLD ONE EYE


Add the following Special rule:

Thundering Behemoth: See Carnifex.

DEATH LEAPER

Change the profile as follows: T: 5


Replace the Instinctive Behaviour – Lurk special rule with the Sentient special rule (see

Lictors)

PARASITE OF MORTREX

Change the profile as follows: T: 5, W: 2

TYRANID PSYCHIC POWERS

HIVE TYRANT PSYCHIC POWERS

Catalyst, Dominion, Onslaught: Move Catalyst, Onslaught and Dominion from Tervigon

Psychic Powers to Hive Tyrant Psychic Powers.

ZOANTHROPE PSYCHIC POWERS

Warp Blast: Replace the second paragraph with the following: This is a psychic shooting

attack that does not require a psychic test and has the following profile:

WEAPONS AND BIOMORPHS (pages 81-84)

RANGED WEAPONS

Deathspitter (page 81): Add the following subpoint:

Pyroacid Pods: The largest tyranid creatures carry deathspitters that fire bloated

larvae filled with a volatile and much more aggressive acid than regular deathspitter

projectiles. These use the following profile

Range Strength AP Type

24” 7 4 Assault 3

Flesh Hooks (page 82): replace with Reinforced Flesh Hooks: See page 41.

Heavy Venom Cannon (page 82): Change the weapon’s profile to the following:


36” 9 4 Assault 3*

Thorax Swarm (page 82)

Shreddershard beetles: Change the weapon’s Strength to 4.

Venom cannon (page 82): Change the weapon’s profile to the following:


36” 7 4 Assault 2*

CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS

Crushing Claws (page 83): A tyranid with Crushing Claws attacks according to normal

initiative rules.

BIOMORPH UPGRADES

(page 84): Add the follwing Biomorph Upgrade:

Flesh Hooks: A model with flesh hooks strikes at normal initiative when attacking through

difficult or dangerous terrain.

Toxin Sacs (page 84): Change the last paragraph as follows: If a Tyranid has the toxin sacs

biomorph all of its close combat attacks become Poisoned (4+) or, if it is a Monstrous

Creature, Poisoned (3+)

Wings (page 84): Change the last sentence as follows: A tyranid equipped with wings counts

as jump infantry. Monstrous creatures equipped with wings instead only move and may deep

strike the same way as jump infantry but still count as monstrous creatures in all other

regards.

THE TYRANID ARMY LIST

HQ

HIVE TYRANT

Change points cost to 150 points.

Weapons and Biomorphs: Replace Scything Talons, Lashwhip and Bonesword with:

Scything Talons (two sets)

Psychic Powers: add the follwojng to the list of Psychic powers:

• Dominion

Additionally add the following:

In addition the hive tyrant may choose any of the following powers:

• Catalyst 30 points

• Onslaught 20 points

Options:

Replace first point with the following:

Take one of the follwing, replacing one set of scything talons

- Lash whip and bonesword 10 Points

- Pair of boneswords 10 points

For second point replace Twin-linked deathspitter with:

- Twin-linked deathspitter w. pyroacid pods 15 points

SWARMLORD


TYRANT GUARD BROOD

Change points cost to 50 points per model.

TERVIGON

Remove entry.

TYRANID PRIME


Weapons and Biomorphs: Replace Scything Talons and Devourer with: Scything Talons

(two sets)

Options:

Replace the first sentence of the first point with:

Replace one set of scything talons with:

Replace second point with:

Replace one set of scything talons with:

- Rending claws 5 Points

- Spinefists free

- Deathspitter 10 points

- Devourer 5 points

ELITES

LICTOR BROOD


Composition: Replace with the following:

Between 1 and 3 Lictors may be taken as a single Elites choice. They are deployed

independently and each counts as a unit on its own.


Special Rules: Replace Instinctive Behaviour – Lurk with Sentient.

DEATH LEAPER


Special Rules: Replace Instinctive Behaviour – Lurk with Sentient.

THE DOOM OF MALAN’TAI


TROOPS

TYRANID WARRIOR BROOD



(two sets)

Options:

Replace the first sentence of the first point with:

The entire brood may exchange their first set of scything talons for:

- Rending claws 5 points per model

- Pair of boneswords 10 points per model

- Lash-whip and bonesword 10 points per model


For every four Tyranid Warriors the brood contains, one may exchange its second set scything

talons for:

- Barbed Strangler 15 points per model

- Venom Cannon 20 points per model

Replace third point with:

The entire brood may exchange their second set of scything talons for:

- Rending claws 5 Points per model

- Spinefists free

- Death spitter 10 points per model

- Devourer 5 points per model

Add the following to fourth point:

- Flesh hooks 3 points per model

GENESTEALER BROOD

Options: Add the following to fourth point:


TERMAGANT BROOD Change points cost to 4 points per model.

Options:

For second point change the points costs as follows:

- Spinefists free

- Spike rifle 2 points per model

HORMAGAUNT BROOD


Options: Add the following to first point:

- Flesh hooks 1 point per model

RIPPER SWARM BROOD

Change points cost to 9 points per base.

Special rules: Remove Mindless special rule.

Options: For first point change the points costs as follows:

- Spinefists 4 points per base

- Adrenal glands 3 points per base

- Toxin sacs 3 points per base

Add caption box with the following:

Expendable: Rippers flood the battlefield wherever tyranids go. They almost always

accompany an attacking tyranid swarm more for the purpose of absorbing the biomass of

fallen fighters, both of the tyranids and their enemy. Up to two broods of ripper swarms may

be taken without counting against the maximum of available Troops slots on the Force

organization chart. However Ripper swarms can also never fill the compulsory Troops

choices. Any brood of ripper swarms beyond the first two counts against the Troops

maximum as normal.

FAST ATTACK

TYRANID SHRIKE BROOD



(two sets)

Options:

Replace first point with:

For every four Tyranid Shrikes the brood contains, one may exchange its first set scything

talons for:

- Barbed Strangler 15 points per model

- Venom Cannon 20 points per model


The entire brood may exchange their second set of scything talons for:

- Rending claws 5 points per model

- Pair of boneswords 10 points per model

- Lash-whip and bonesword 10 points per model

Replace third point with:

The entire brood may exchange their first set of scything talons for:

- Rending claws 5 Points per model

- Spinefists free

- Death spitter 10 points per model

- Devourer 5 points per model

Add the following to fourth point:


RAVENER BROOD


SKY-SLASHER SWARM BROOD

Change points cost to 13 points per base.

Special rules: Remove Mindless special rule.

Options: For first point change the points costs as follows:

- Spinefists 4 points per base

- Adrenal glands 3 points per base

- Toxin sacs 3 points per base

HARPY


SPORE MINE CLUSTER


HEAVY SUPPORT

CARNIFEX


Special rules:

Add the following:

• Thundering Behemoth

Options:

For first point change the points costs as follows:

- Crushing claws 20 points per model

For fourth point change the points costs as follows:

- Bio-plasma 15 points per model

- Regeneration 20 points per model

OLD ONE EYE


Special rules:

Add the following:

• Thundering Behemoth

TYRANNOFEX


Options

For first point change the points costs as follows:

- Fleshborer hive 10 points

- Rupture cannon 20 points

Written by Tobias Beis (aka Threeshades)

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Codex Tyranids Fluffy and Balanced