The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[OSHIROmodels]

But that wasn't the original idea behind tyranids though 

Wasn't it supposed to be spores that infest a planet or some such?

cheers

James

[Westfalia Chris]

But that wasn't the original idea behind tyranids though 

Wasn't it supposed to be spores that infest a planet or some such?

cheers

James

They've changed it so much over the years. The last version I can remember is having Genestealers do some 5th column work for some generations before the invasion, then shower the planet with creatures until all defenders are dead and all flesh may be eaten (and all biomass, for that matter).

[OSHIROmodels]

They've changed it so much over the years. The last version I can remember is having Genestealers do some 5th column work for some generations before the invasion, then shower the planet with creatures until all defenders are dead and all flesh may be eaten (and all biomass, for that matter).

  I thought that was one of the original ideas with the genestealer covens.

Never mind GW, never mind 

cheers

James

[YPU]

I can appreciate the creativity here. You can have a large floating armored blob with dangly tentacles. OR you can have a ground bound armored blob and a small blob with dangly tentacles.  

Worst part is the product description mentions Hive ships. Which reminds me of how I was too late to really get into BFG before they stopped producing those.  

[Momotaro]

Looks a bit too regular for me, like the designer digitally sculpted a fifth and then just mirrored it  

Well, that's pentameral symmetry for you    You don't hear sea urchins complaining...

it looks like a gynaecological nightmare.  Whether it's the designer who needs a shrink or me, I'll leave for you to decide 

Could probably go to town and make an interesting bio-structure city or alien landscape out of one or two of these.  Or build up the base around each segment to make multiple "crash-landed" drop pods.

[beefcake]

I think it is a kind of organic drop-pod. If so, by the rules, these things usually are placed on the table, deploy their payload (usually troops or a stompy robot thing, for Space Marines) and then take weak pot-shots at enemy units that move too close and block line of sight for the rest of the game.

That's what I thought from the description. But the one that embeds in the ground is still floating, surely if it hits the ground straight away it should be sculpted in the ground. (Actually after looking at the pic again it could possibly be starting to burrow)
The other slams into the ground forcing it to split, and this one isn't sculpted split open, smashed or anything like that.
The whole drop pod thing should be instantaneous. Saying all this though I don't know the rules for them, and haven't read any in depth background so it is all just conjecture.

[Tactalvanic]

Joking aside, I remember the old build up style of hive/hive world infiltration by genestealer cults etc.

Which was to my mind at the time, quite interesting. but clearly an adaptation of the then era, eg swap communists for genestealers etc  for the infiltrating filthy dirty enemy scum..

Still although that makes nice for squad based skirmish style gaming its not that good for mass combat.

Though changing it to spores, like their orks come from? Would not surprise me either, but I missed period they had that one for it seems.

I would  suspect the main intention is to introduce another layer of purchases. eg if you have already a Tyranid army you need the delivery mechanism - introducing dangler drop pods..

if you get the danglies first, oh but then you need an army to drop off..

So its normal situation of another attempt at getting the dedicated to get their parents to buy more product?

I think it is a kind of organic drop-pod. If so, by the rules, these things usually are placed on the table, deploy their payload (usually troops or a stompy robot thing, for Space Marines) and then take weak pot-shots at enemy units that move too close and block line of sight for the rest of the game.

How much load capacity per dangler, and how quickly can they deploy it I wonder?

As their new deal army pack thing has 5 of them in it, and 29 other minis, is that the total load of five or can they produce/build more to deploy - they are supposedly living organisms after all?

[Mason]

Regardless of their use, viability or intentions, they are just damn hideous and lame models.
 

[YPU]

How much load capacity per dangler, and how quickly can they deploy it I wonder?

 

That being said, ever larger vehicles appears to be theme in 40k for a while now. One could say GW has "dropped the ball" on these tough. 

[Cubs]

I think GW kind of painted themselves into a corner with Tyranids. Granted they stole the idea from Aliens/Starship Troopers/AN Other and thus were already running along half-constructed lines, but surely the whole point of them is that they are divergent and thus evolve differently with each swarm? Thus, surely it is nonsensical to be introducing specific identical devices and systems with the models ... or is that just me?

[Streetline]

Worst part is the product description mentions Hive ships. Which reminds me of how I was too late to really get into BFG before they stopped producing those

The rules aren't too hard to get of, and a Tyranid fleet using tyranid bits is always doable - see here from a mate at the local club.

http://www.exmouthwargames.org.uk/index.php/forum/future-wars/181-tyranid-fleet.html

JDE

[Tactalvanic]

I think GW kind of painted themselves into a corner with Tyranids. Granted they stole the idea from Aliens/Starship Troopers/AN Other and thus were already running along half-constructed lines, but surely the whole point of them is that they are divergent and thus evolve differently with each swarm? Thus, surely it is nonsensical to be introducing specific identical devices and systems with the models ... or is that just me?

True. similar to them standardizing ork stuff when they are supposedly knocking up their vehicles etc from whatever can be scavanged - hence the old rules allowing for scratch built vehicles. do they still exist?

Standardizing the alien, the same as chao as well, is a bit pointless, but I guess it does narrow your choice of proxies to required standard GW number of none?

And lets face it they probably don't want the the tender target market substituting their own danglers as proxies on the battlefield?
 
Especially in the case of the ground penetrating model.

[Cubs]

Standardizing the alien, the same as chao as well, is a bit pointless, but I guess it does narrow your choice of proxies to required standard GW number of none?

The only real reason I can fathom. Didn't some old Army Book (however many editions ago) have a section on using dried flowers and seed pods to model your own drop-pods?

[Tactalvanic]

Didn't some old Army Book (however many editions ago) have a section on using dried flowers and seed pods to model your own drop-pods?

I think so -  but I also that was primarily because they had no model kit in production to match whatever it was you were fielding - with also no planned models for it coming into production, that was in more than just the Tyranid stuff of course. Simply they allowed gamers more usage of their own resources and imagination.

But that reflects the older gamer oriented approach from many many years ago - it just took time for them to move away from it.

Similar to rules about space marine camouflage usage..

 I think it reflects the GW business evolution, namely to limiting the range and the rules to their  product as much as possible, so official rules - matched by official model to be used accordingly.

Still I don't have any interest in their tournament gaming, and really would be inclined to choose the rules according to what I have eg - earlier editions than the current !!!MASSIVE STUFF APOCALYPSE!!! thats the current iteration.

Have epic scale for that 

Especially if it avoids situations of questionable games rulings, e.g. "You boy - put those proxies back in your pants and use GW branded official danglies for your dropped pods."

[3 fingers]

That being said, ever larger vehicles appears to be theme in 40k for a while now. One could say GW has "dropped the ball" on these tough.