Post by Joelercoaster on Nov 18, 2014 12:59:07 GMT -6
So, what with the newfangled interesting return of Niddy drop pods (and have you seen those things? They're massive... pretty much the size of a drop pod on top of tentacles), we've actually opened up a fair number of options inside of our codex.
Many of us (myself probably leading the charge) have bemoaned the lack of making Nids "actually scary" in combat. I mean, sure, a blob of 30 gaunts is going to threaten things just by nature of rolling 60 dice on the charge (or more, if hormagaunts)... but that could be said about nearly any model in the game. And MC's vs basic things are a tough nut to crack, while sporting at least a few AP2 attacks.
Fair. But.
When's the last time you saw someone pull out combat-spec'd Warriors? What about using Lictors as an actual combat threat, instead of fancy teleport homers in an all-mawloc, all-day list? WTF, Raveners? Lulz. Etc.
Now, the biggest issues with these units is, typically, the relative inability to get from point A to point B without dieing first. Barring Hormagaunts, which I've, at least, had some success with, they lack either the cheap-ness or durability to get there... at least with enough oomph to actually matter.
Obvsies, dropping right into the enemy's face, safely, is a pretty solid way of mitigating that. Sure, our stuff still isn't super fast, but the idea is to surround and consume... running away from one threat means running toward another. That's what we have to create.
So, focus of the idea - big emphasis on units dropping in spores, with (as much as feasible) a focus on making units combat-oriented. Due to the not insubstantial cost of the pods themselves, broods will tend to be smaller, yet falling in the 200-250 point range. Remember though that you are, actually, buying two separate units, as the spore can still move around (to a degree) and score for you. Also it's far more durable... it's easy enough to take one combat-squad with a melta and fry the old spore pods, but having to dedicate enough power to drop a T5 W6 critter? That's an actual task, my friends, and that leads to threat saturation.
Anyway. A lot of this is going to be throwing around unit ideas, and then jumbling a list together after the fact.
Step one, we need a solid ground-force to hold down the fort til turn 2. I'm thinking a decked Tervigon, a pair of venomthropes, and a brood of (20) gants to play bubblewrap and/or area denial. Let's throw in a pair of Biovores, too, so we have at least a small threat from T1. That's 470 on the ground, so for 2k that leaves... plenty.
Drop Brood Ideas...
3 Zoanthropes (1 Neuro), Pod - 250 : pretty standard here... synapse, varied psy-support, and with 3 warp blast is actually cost-effective (gasp, decent ranged anti-armor!)
3 Warriors, talons/claws, Adrenals, Hooks, Pod - 210 : I'd never again take them on foot, but safely DS'ing (with a further 6" readjustment) means you can shoot with the hooks after you land, and then you have a small, easy-to-hide assault threat.
20 Termagants, 10 Devourers, Pod - 195 : If you don't take this, you're a fool. I personally have found about 10 devourers to be sufficient, without getting crazy on points. YMMV. Solid shooting on the drop, and then 20 bodies to throw at things.
Carnifex, EITHER BL-Devs, or classic Screamer Killer, Pod - 240/230, respectively : Some manner of shooting on the drop (seeing a trend?), and then a fleet carnifex. Nom noms.
Burrowing Rippers (7) - 105 : Cheap ObSec with built-in fearless (that is not mutilated by Feed). Kids, that's 35 attacks on the charge if you're so inclined. Or go babysit something important.
Trygon Prime - 230 : More DS, more Synapse, more lots of things. The tunnel is still useless, though.
Tyrannofex, all the templates, pod - 260
3 Hive Guard, Pod - 240 : could conceivably make use of the Shock Cannon if you wanted, but I'm still a fan of the Impaler
As to the actual list...
Tervigon 220
Venomthropes 90
Zoanthropes (pod) 225
Warriors (pod) 210
Warriors (pod) 210
Gants (pod) 195
Gants (pod) 195
Gants 80
Rippers 105
Screamer Killer (pod) 230
Trygon Prime 230
That's 1990, so points to trade the SK to the more common Devilfex build if you like. Else give it spine banks. That's 8 DS'ing broods, with fully half of them being Synaptic. The gaunts and Trygon offer a slew of S4/5 shooting to soften up infantry or even light vehicle plinking. The warriors, I think, will be surprisingly decent with a handful of S6 shots on the drop. The 'thropes and Fex can handle more heavily armored infantry, and then the Neuro's power is... questionably really good. Really just depends on available targets, but it's only 25 points for the option.
Barring the 6 (!!) required 'cysts, I own all of the aforementioned models, so could make this list work. It doesn't really have anything to deal with Knights, or even a single one very well, nor any dedicated AA (but lots of mass shots, still). As is, I'd want to put it in the "potentially dangerous friendly list" category. Let's not forget the 90 shots a turn from all the pods, once they're down, too... goodness.
Anyway. Thoughts?
Many of us (myself probably leading the charge) have bemoaned the lack of making Nids "actually scary" in combat. I mean, sure, a blob of 30 gaunts is going to threaten things just by nature of rolling 60 dice on the charge (or more, if hormagaunts)... but that could be said about nearly any model in the game. And MC's vs basic things are a tough nut to crack, while sporting at least a few AP2 attacks.
Fair. But.
When's the last time you saw someone pull out combat-spec'd Warriors? What about using Lictors as an actual combat threat, instead of fancy teleport homers in an all-mawloc, all-day list? WTF, Raveners? Lulz. Etc.
Now, the biggest issues with these units is, typically, the relative inability to get from point A to point B without dieing first. Barring Hormagaunts, which I've, at least, had some success with, they lack either the cheap-ness or durability to get there... at least with enough oomph to actually matter.
Obvsies, dropping right into the enemy's face, safely, is a pretty solid way of mitigating that. Sure, our stuff still isn't super fast, but the idea is to surround and consume... running away from one threat means running toward another. That's what we have to create.
So, focus of the idea - big emphasis on units dropping in spores, with (as much as feasible) a focus on making units combat-oriented. Due to the not insubstantial cost of the pods themselves, broods will tend to be smaller, yet falling in the 200-250 point range. Remember though that you are, actually, buying two separate units, as the spore can still move around (to a degree) and score for you. Also it's far more durable... it's easy enough to take one combat-squad with a melta and fry the old spore pods, but having to dedicate enough power to drop a T5 W6 critter? That's an actual task, my friends, and that leads to threat saturation.
Anyway. A lot of this is going to be throwing around unit ideas, and then jumbling a list together after the fact.
Step one, we need a solid ground-force to hold down the fort til turn 2. I'm thinking a decked Tervigon, a pair of venomthropes, and a brood of (20) gants to play bubblewrap and/or area denial. Let's throw in a pair of Biovores, too, so we have at least a small threat from T1. That's 470 on the ground, so for 2k that leaves... plenty.
Drop Brood Ideas...
3 Zoanthropes (1 Neuro), Pod - 250 : pretty standard here... synapse, varied psy-support, and with 3 warp blast is actually cost-effective (gasp, decent ranged anti-armor!)
3 Warriors, talons/claws, Adrenals, Hooks, Pod - 210 : I'd never again take them on foot, but safely DS'ing (with a further 6" readjustment) means you can shoot with the hooks after you land, and then you have a small, easy-to-hide assault threat.
20 Termagants, 10 Devourers, Pod - 195 : If you don't take this, you're a fool. I personally have found about 10 devourers to be sufficient, without getting crazy on points. YMMV. Solid shooting on the drop, and then 20 bodies to throw at things.
Carnifex, EITHER BL-Devs, or classic Screamer Killer, Pod - 240/230, respectively : Some manner of shooting on the drop (seeing a trend?), and then a fleet carnifex. Nom noms.
Burrowing Rippers (7) - 105 : Cheap ObSec with built-in fearless (that is not mutilated by Feed). Kids, that's 35 attacks on the charge if you're so inclined. Or go babysit something important.
Trygon Prime - 230 : More DS, more Synapse, more lots of things. The tunnel is still useless, though.
Tyrannofex, all the templates, pod - 260
3 Hive Guard, Pod - 240 : could conceivably make use of the Shock Cannon if you wanted, but I'm still a fan of the Impaler
As to the actual list...
Tervigon 220
Venomthropes 90
Zoanthropes (pod) 225
Warriors (pod) 210
Warriors (pod) 210
Gants (pod) 195
Gants (pod) 195
Gants 80
Rippers 105
Screamer Killer (pod) 230
Trygon Prime 230
That's 1990, so points to trade the SK to the more common Devilfex build if you like. Else give it spine banks. That's 8 DS'ing broods, with fully half of them being Synaptic. The gaunts and Trygon offer a slew of S4/5 shooting to soften up infantry or even light vehicle plinking. The warriors, I think, will be surprisingly decent with a handful of S6 shots on the drop. The 'thropes and Fex can handle more heavily armored infantry, and then the Neuro's power is... questionably really good. Really just depends on available targets, but it's only 25 points for the option.
Barring the 6 (!!) required 'cysts, I own all of the aforementioned models, so could make this list work. It doesn't really have anything to deal with Knights, or even a single one very well, nor any dedicated AA (but lots of mass shots, still). As is, I'd want to put it in the "potentially dangerous friendly list" category. Let's not forget the 90 shots a turn from all the pods, once they're down, too... goodness.
Anyway. Thoughts?
