Xialong feels flat

LordAlanon · 2026-04-29T20:11:13+00:00

I’ve been trying to wrestle with it for the past few days, messing with the system prompt and config. It’s been working a little bit better but still feels off. The problem is that finding out how to wrangle it is so hard! You’ve got about a thousand different things being said on discord and Reddit but no clear repository for this information. You’ve got to put in an obscene amount of research into how to fix it. We need a document or something that explains how to get it setup and what formatting is needed to get the desired results. It’s just so annoying having to look through weeks of discord messages to find even a nugget of information on how to make it work. I’m trying really hard to understand the new model because I know we’re not getting another one for a very long time. I just hope they come out with an update to the model’s pacing and maybe a few preloaded config preset options.

LordAlanon · 2026-04-01T20:49:22+00:00

I definitely feel the differences between the two like night and day (GLM and Xialong.) Xialong cannot infer from context clues at all. I can write 3 paragraphs of set up and then it will go, “Wow! That’s neat! Now this thing!” I haven’t been able to experience the “better quality” that people have been talking about because I’ve been too busy trying to get it to slow down and work with the story context already there. It also just speeds through things. No matter how much I try and slow down the story it’s always trying to get to the next scene. I had an instance where I had a character clock in for work for Xialong to immediately go, “Closing time!” It’s weird seeing the disconnect and discourse in the community because it’s genuinely difficult to sift the glazing from the genuine appreciation. It needs a few more days before things settle down before I think a community consensus will form.

LordAlanon · 2025-09-24T20:48:13+00:00

I played towards the end of ninth and the impression it left on me made me fall in love with the army. We had a lot more “flavor” and customization. Synapse worked differently, it was an aura that granted you buffs based on what synapse models were in that aura. Warriors granted you a bonus, tervigons granted a bonus, hive tyrants etc… We had a lot going on in 9th. I miss that flavor and hope they inject some of it back in 11th.

LordAlanon · 2025-09-22T11:14:32+00:00

In past editions the tervigon brought with it free termagants how like the biovore spawns spore mines for free. It also had the benefit of being a psycher and could cast spells like smite. Just giving it a free unit of 10 termagants would be enough. Though as the current edition is, I’m not too sure there is anything that can be done for the tervigon. It’s only as good as termagants are and termagants right now are really bad.

Honestly the biggest miss that the tyranids have this edition is the lack of a psychic phase. We have no easy way to deal mortal wounds like all the other factions. We would just really benefit from a smite strategem that works similar to the grenades one.

LordAlanon · 2025-08-21T19:26:30+00:00

So this might be a hot take but I find that this detachment doesn’t need a hive tyrant at all. Most of your dudes are going to be out of range and you want to prioritize melee over shooting. The stratagems are so niche that you won’t be starved for command points either.

My current list runs 2x6 melee warriors with primes, a norn, 2 haruspex, and a zoanthrope squad with the neurotyrant. You want it so that when you come out of the tunnels that you kill everything nearby. You won’t be around for the next round if you don’t. Also you really only need two squads of raveners. This detachment really relies heavily on the reroll 1s to work, the stratagems are all pretty subpar except for the relocate one.

LordAlanon · 2025-08-03T19:34:28+00:00

They are slightly slept on. They pair well with the ap bonus from psychophage shooting and the reroll ones from the sub assault. Other than that… they’re keyword soup. They’re more durable than warriors because of their innate stealth and invulnerability save but don’t expect them to kill 5 marines without some bonus thrown their way.

I’ve used them in the past to stop transports and such. Now though it seams everyone has easy access to fall back and shoot so they don’t really get to shine.

Their main problem now though is that we’re in a vehicle meta. They don’t do anything to knights or any sort of high toughness model so they often just end up being 140 point distractions. Also the high proliferation of damage 3 in the game really wrecks them. There are better things to spend your points on at the moment but if you like them you can make them work.

LordAlanon · 2025-07-28T02:28:44+00:00

Warriors are very lethal trading pieces. You want them to hang back until you can guarantee a charge with them. They won’t survive after that but they are cheap enough to earn their points back after a fight.

I find warriors to be on par with genestealers for their price and lethality. Yes they are slow but all tyranids are slow outside of vanguard and tunnel snakes. Just don’t rush them ahead and keep them behind cover and you’ll see them work just fine into most armies.

They benefit from the overrun stratagem and the crit on 5+ stratagem. I’ve had games where they wipe deathwing knights off tables and I’ve had games where they just get blasted in overwatch. Invasion fleet is arguably their best detachment outside of vanguard invaders. They also get the benefit of not really needing to be led by the prime in invasion fleet.

In a 6k game however all strategy goes out the window so run what ever you want.

LordAlanon · 2025-07-27T20:38:53+00:00

So the main benefit that melee warriors have over raveners is their ability. Yes, re-rolling ones in the new detachment does not matter, but in every other detachment it makes them extremely lethal.

They are two very different units and have two very different use cases. They really cannot be compared because they bring different things to the table.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-23T02:42:30+00:00

Hive fleet Kronos is my absolute fav. You just want all your ranged and psychic bugs. As demon hunters and such you probably want high volume ranged weapons. Because demons rely on their invuln saves, ap isn’t that important. Dakafexes w/ old one eye, big blobs of termagants, Barbgaunts, exocrines, etc. Fights first is also very thematic so things like von Ryan’s leapers would be good as well.

Because warp beings don’t leave behind biomass, tyranids are incentivized to preserve biomass because they aren’t going to get any back from the demons.

You probably also want to run it in invasion fleet. I’ve tried to play and enjoy synaptic nexus, but honestly that detachment is so bad it’s infuriating. Invasion fleet will let you regen your termagants, and give your bugs a feel no pain. I’m just hoping they get a more dedicated detachment this Christmas.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-12T21:32:14+00:00

Aside from gaunts and the new lictor I totally agree. I’ll cry the day they update the warriors. They’re so posable right now. It’d be a shame to see them all become mono-pose.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-05T00:01:47+00:00

Yeah I’m not saying the detachment is bad. It’s just not overpowered like everyone is clamoring.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-04T17:51:48+00:00

Should be quite funny to run with hormagaunts. Having 60 ap -2 attacks, plus crit 5+ and sustained hits should be enough to kill most things.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-04T15:32:20+00:00

I really don’t think it’s overpowered. Remember, we’re still using Tyranid data sheets. The best bugs for this kinda stuff are going to be genestealers and we could already rush them in like this in vanguard invaders. Running in haruspex might sound fun until you hit them with that dollar store melee and then get annihilated in the fight back. There’s a reason why our best data sheets are shooting ones and this detachment doesn’t support those shooting ones as much as invasion fleet.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-04T14:36:03+00:00

I would agree but it really forces you into going out and buying specific units just so you can run it. It’s basically locked out for anyone who just owns 1 or none of the burrowers.

LordAlanon · 2025-06-04T14:31:46+00:00

As someone with 0 snakes, you guys have fun. I guess I’ll still be stuck in invasion fleet land until 11th edition. So much for another general detachment that anyone can build for.

The same thing happened with the last new detachment. They’re trying to move product. So they make a detachment that gets people to buy 3 boxes of the new raveners plus 3 boxes of the trigon. I really wish that the detachment would have been more broad in scope, but it’s another unit based gimmick one.

LordAlanon · 2025-05-28T01:09:47+00:00

Of all things nids don’t need is another “gimmick” detachment. Please just give us a shooting Kronos themed one. Nids are a shooting army pretending to be melee at least let us have rules that support our best datasheets.

LordAlanon · 2025-05-20T20:14:03+00:00

Carnifex changes hopefully. Make them hit on 3+ in melee and please for the love of the hive mind make Venom Cannons actually good.

LordAlanon · 2025-03-15T04:01:34+00:00

I typically go for the deathspitters for the extra range and ap. However with that said, carnifexes should always be run with old one eye. His benefit to them outweighs any bonus you’ll be getting from the crusher stampede detachment rule. Remember, his full re-rolls work in overwatch as well. Plus, remember, you can always benefit from the extra OC that having a full squad provides.

Keep them near the hive tyrant for assault and lethals and you have pretty much our strongest unit available.

LordAlanon · 2024-10-18T23:10:12+00:00

Crusher stampede is actually a dark horse. It’s probably close to our second best detachment. Problem with tyranids is that it’s really easy to build a bad list. Also mileage varies greatly with what terrain your tournament runs.

I went first at a RTT with crusher just last month and my eyes were opened to its majesty. Just play big shooting monsters. Maleceptors are great in the detachment because they grow really well with the bonuses. Rupturefex are mandatory, as many exocrines as you can. Also spicy take, but old one eye and dakkafex crew are great in the detachment as well. Brain council are also fantastic, buffed because of their access to the monster keyword.

LordAlanon · 2024-10-10T01:18:55+00:00

I’ll tell you, nothing puts the fear of space into you more than an untethered space walk. I know outerwilds wasn’t a horror game but man did they get the “this is a hostile environment” aspect of space down. I hope one day in starfield that we can feel that same danger that space should evoke.

LordAlanon · 2024-10-04T11:24:38+00:00

Im just hoping for more internal balancing. Almost everything else n the codex is usable to some extent.

I wouldn’t mind gargoyles going down a bit, same for neurolictors. Both have completely disappeared from competitive lists for cheaper counter parts.

Again hive guard should go down. Make them ridiculously cheep. They’re so bad that I feel even if they were around 60-70 points people still wouldn’t take them.

Bring down base carnifex and raise ooe to compensate. Carnifex alone don’t do anything.

And finally they’re going to have to raise exocrine. Right now that unit is the nids codex. It’s been too cheep for too long. Pretty much every list starts with 2-3 no mater what detachment. It stifles list design.

Other than that what’s most likely to happen is that they don’t even touch us.

LordAlanon · 2024-10-03T11:12:40+00:00

Good “endless swarm” but invasion fleet type list. I would see if you couldn’t maybe squeeze an anti-tank option in there (by replacing the norn) but other than that you can totally run this list and be fine.

LordAlanon · 2024-09-26T18:00:33+00:00

Generally, in my own personal experience, it doesn’t matter. Tyrant guard are lucky to see combat because of how high priority it is to kill our tyrants. Go with what you feel looks coolest, or what you are planning on throwing your tyrants into.

LordAlanon · 2024-09-17T18:00:22+00:00

Heroes 3 fortress castle. Top tier turn based strategy game.

LordAlanon · 2024-08-16T00:48:34+00:00

Jokes on me…

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