All My Mistakes Were Made For You

I said in the comments here that GW had only made one big mistake since I came back to the game, namely the partial nerfing of the Tyranid Codex via the FAQ. Of course GW did make one mistake before that - the Pyrovore. 45 points gets you a Heavy Flamer and a Power Weapon on a A1 W2 S4 T4 model with a 4+ save. Now, I know that it's wrong to compare units in a vacuum but just for a price comparison I can get a Wolf Guard Terminator with a Heavy Flamer and a Power Weapon for 38 points. Now, nobody takes the WGT because there are better Heavy Weapon options in that squad (Cyclone Missile Launcher!!) and nobody takes the Pyrovore because there are much better choices in the Elites section of the Tyranid Codex.

So, how do we make the Pyrovore more appealing?

Before I go into that, let's examine whether the Pyrovore fills a hole in the Tyranid Codex. Normally, Flamers are seen as an anti-horde weapon but the Tyranids are already good against basic infantry. However, as Burna Boyz have taught us lots of Flamers can start hurting more elite infantry. Back that up with a Power Weapon charge and most units in the game are going to be slightly concerned. So, the ability to take 3 Pyrovores in one Elite slot makes a potentially scary unit.

All we need to do now is to make that potentially scary unit into an actually scary unit. So, three 'vores in a Spore (all future posts will now be in iambic pentameter) can cause a lot of wounds. However, after they get out they are swinging in the wind and will probably be taken out with 3 Krak Missiles. How about we make it T5? That means that your opponent has a proper choice now when it comes to shooting - shoot the Pyrovores before they charge or fire your Kraks at some of the other T4 choices. He also needs A2 so that he is a proper threat in combat. That's 9 Power Weapon attacks on the charge for a full unit of three.

There should also be a change in the Volatile rule. This says that if the Pyrovore is killed via Instant Death then all models within D6" take a S3 AP- on a 4+. This is supposed to represent the chemicals inside the 'vore bursting forth is the creature explodes. I'd alter this to every model in base to base takes a S5 AP4 hit if the Pyrovore is killed in combat. I feel this fits the fluff better as it makes it more like the Aliens in Alien (everyone loves acid blood) plus since you're getting hit by the chemicals in the Pyrovore it makes it different to the Acid Blood Biomorph.

175 points will get you three Pyrovores in a Mycetic Spore which, with the above tweaks, I think could hold its own against a Tactical Squad which comes in at a similar price. What does everyone think? Have I done the old GW trick of taking a unit that was rubbish in the last codex overpower in the next in order to sell models?