Tyrant Guard, Shieldwall, and cover saves

[Hugz4Genestealers]

So here's a question: can a unit of tyrant guard, who count as infantry, who have been joined by a Hive Tyrant, who, per the shieldwall special rule, "may join a unit of tyrant guard exactly as if it were a special character"(pg.35, tyranid codex) take advantage of the cover rules pertaining to normal infantry units, i.e. in area terrain, behind barricades, all that good stuff, or do they have to follow the rules for cover pertaining to vehicles and monstrous creatures, i.e. more than half of the unit/model is behind cover? Reasons?

[mathhammer]

the part of the unit that is not a MC get to take cover saves as normal.

If 50% of the unit is in cover and gets a cover save the entire unit gets the cover save. [RAW]

The Tyrant does not have or get Independet Character USR.

So the Hive tyrant in a hive tyrant guard unit gets a cover save.

[Nabterayl]

Yeah, despite appearances, this is not actually a special case. Remember that a model in cover does not necessarily receive a cover save. The rule for all cases - be it units of infantry, units of artillery, units of MCs, units of vehicles, or even mixed units - is this:


The entire unit is entitled to receive a cover save if 50% or more of its models are in cover.

So you determine whether the tyrant guard are in cover based on the rules for determining whether infantry are in cover (i.e., is any part of the model obscured?). Then you determine whether the hive tyrant is in cover based on the rules for determining whether MCs are in cover (i.e., is 50% or more of the model obscured?). Then you count up the models of all types that are in cover, and if that's 50% of the unit or more, everybody gets a cover save. Otherwise, nobody gets a cover save.

[Hugz4Genestealers]

Amusing

[synack]

Yep, cool eh :) Run a tervigon behind for generating mobile cover saves for the tyrant squad :D

[Hugz4Genestealers]

Could even combine that w/ Tervigon's Catalyst power and give your mobile cover units FNP... I smell a nice combo here

[ashnaile]

An even better use of this rule is with 2 tyranid primes attached to a brood of 2 carnifexes ;) much nastier imho.

[synack]

An even better use of this rule is with 2 tyranid primes attached to a brood of 2 carnifexes ;) much nastier imho.

Yeah, its really not. I've tried it. Way more expensive and easier to kill, since the primes can be targeted in Close combat, unlike the tyrant + guard. Giving all the guard lash whips also really puts alot of people off assaulting the unit. Plus the in CC, the tyrant + guard unit is all T6.

Having said that, attaching a prime to the tyrant + guard squad is fun :D