This could work in OOE with Termagant Horde + Clogged with Corpses. It serves as a way to circumvent the big hp values of elites by bringing their hp down to more reasonable levels whilst adding a body to the mix. I agree, however, that I think it is somewhat overpriced. Maybe tyranids will get an attachment reducing effect in the future similar to Ambush Platform (probably at infested planets ?) that will make this and that 1 cost "damaged units can't retreat" attachment more worthwhile

I'm yet surprised how players undervalue such an awesome card. Not playable 100% of the times, but yet I'd say I play it 80% of the times I draw it (and I run x3 of them). It's fantastic for last planet cappers like Brutes or Sanctioned Psykers. It kills them slowly while creating a horde for late game. Also nice for immunized low hp army units like Honored librarian o the Buggy. Mixed up with Hive mind units, the card matches it's cost. If it had costed 1, it'd have been broken.

I once neutralized an enemy Dreadnought with a couple of these.

An Ultramarines Dreadnought? Really? You spent 4R2C on a 6R1C unit to get it down from 8/8 to 8/6 and generate 2 termagants?  That sounds deeply inefficient to me. I suppose across four turns you could just kill it outright, and generate termagants wherever it turns up, but its certainly still no Klaivex.

I do like the Sanctioned Psyker play though, though it takes 4 turns to do the job, and those 2R1C you just spent aren't competing the command position.

I'd like to have seen this card cost 2, but trigger at the start of every phase rather than just the combat phase.

If this had been two shields I'd bump it really high up my auto-include list. I really, really like the mechanic but it feels like it's just a little bit off balance. I might give it a go though - against something like Sanctioned Psyker is about the perfect play. I think the possible problem is you want some longevity for your 2 resource investment - put it on a 1-HP unit and you get a single use out of it, a 2-HP unit is likely to die from the first attack, so 3HP is roughly where you'd want to target it.

Having said that it is a nice shield soak, forcing your opponent to save key units with good abilities from the little damage pings.

Looking forward to the time someone tries to play this against an Unstoppable Black Templars deck though...

Try to include x3 in your deck and you may see the beauty on this card. I hardly ever use it as a double shield, even if it were double I'd still keep it in hand as much as possible. Once again, it only shines when accompanied by some hive mind, ideally a Biovore. The target suffers a single damage and gets softened for the Area Effect.

The idea behind parasiting a Psyker relies on sniping everything around him. The opponent has no need to go to that planet because the command is his, but then he's letting get you a nice horde. The swarmlord can further increase the horde by sniping adjacent planets. The opponent will be forced to commit to that planet just to face those termagants before they're unstoppable.

Tyranids lack control. This card is long-term unit control and given the options for nids right now on control, this is pretty good. It's more powerful in the recent hivemind decks coming around. There are turns where you have a solid command position and can't contest planet 1. Whip these bad boy on those p1 combatants and let it stick for two to 3 turns. Undervalued Tyranid card indeed, it deserves 3 or 4/5 stars at most.