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While I love the new rules for both the Biovore and Spore Mines, I'm a bit disappointed in how the Orbital Deployment mechanic plays out. Spore Mine Clusters arrive before your opponent deploys his/her army. I think the intent here is to be able to shape your opponents deployment by creating danger zones within his/her deployment area. The problem is that the way a spore mine cluster is deployed just doesn't lend itself to this.

Original Rule:
Orbital Deployment - Spore Mine Clusters are always deployed in the following manner. After both sides have selected their deployment zones, but before any units are deployed, all of your Spore Mine Clusters must deep strike onto the board. If any scatter off of the board or into impassible terrain, they are immediately removed from play. After they have landed they are treated as individual Spore Mines per the Living Bomb rules.

Problem:
A spore mine cluster consists of 3-6 mines for about the price of two base Termagants. Because you deep strike the entire cluster you end up with one central mine and the remaining in base to base. As soon as the Tyranid player begins his/her movement phase the mines drift. If any of these mines drift into the rest of the cluster, there is a very high probability of destroying the entire cluster (Living Bomb rule - mines that drift into friendly models are immediately removed).

Fix:
Allow the Spore Mine Clusters to still be bought as a single unit of 3-6 mines, but when using the Orbital Deployment rule, they are not deployed together as described above. Instead each mine may deep strike separately from the rest. A pretty simple change that I think preserves the intent of the Orbital Deployment rule and makes the Spore Mine Cluster a good FA pick for the points required.

Thoughts?

-Yad

I'd support that, but as it is you can just move the outer ones first...
however, it is my opinion that Spore mines should also have the option to move D6" towards the nearest enemy unit, which they must assault. This represents them homing in on specific enemies.

Sure you'd definitely move the outer ones first, but depending upon the unit size you would need either a 'hit' or the perfect scatter direction to avoid any one of the remaining Mines.

I'm not sure about providing them a D6'' move. As the rules stand now, mines can Assault. I feel that you may need a small points bump to give them voluntary movement.

-Yad

Are you shure the removal because of getting into friendly units means they explode?

I think they are just removed, even if it´s not necesserily logic.

If this is how it's done, they should be a lot more expensive for the AP2 spores if those are to be used.

I remember them in 4th edition, very overpowered if used correctly...

For a few points you're making entire squads of space marines disappear.

There are no more different kinds of spores (except the Mieotic Spore for Apocalypse).

Spore Mines now explode with a large blast and the profile of the Angelus Boltgun.

grayspark wrote:If this is how it's done, they should be a lot more expensive for the AP2 spores if those are to be used.

I remember them in 4th edition, very overpowered if used correctly...

For a few points you're making entire squads of space marines disappear.

The Tyranids have a new codex, welcome to the future, where you been?

wait, you want them to deploy induvidually? as separate units? so I can only hit one at a time with an ENTIRE squad and hope the others are close enough to catch the blast?

So if I understand the rule correctly, they Deepstrike like any normal Unit. If you have a cluster of Ten, they all deploy under that template?

I was wondering how they handled this. We have been playing it that One Deepstrikes, and then we treat it as a barrage weapon. Roll the scatter dice and flip the plate over in that direction, the center point being where it lands, or somewhere within there.

Making them fit entirely under that template, well. If you dont go first, congrats, you wasted x amount of points.

Templates arn't used for deep-striking anymore, and havn't been used for a long time.

But isnt that how you Shoot Biovores? if you have a brood of three, they are a Template Barrage.

That was our thinking on the matter. anyway.

For the orbital deployment, you deepstrike them like any other unit with a few exceptions, you just do it before anyone deploys their forces. For firing them from a Biovore you resolve it like a Large Blast Barrage, but after you determine the positioning of the first marker you check to see if any enemy units are within 6" of the central hole. If so, continue resolving like a typical barrage, but if not you just place a number of mines = to the number of Biovores in the firing unit down in base to base where the central hole was.

And on the OP, the cost of 3-6 spore mines is more equal to 6-12 base termagants, not 2. I don't mind so much placing them as a single unit, I just wish they ignored each other for the purposes of "coming in contact with a friendly model".

I agree that it can be frustrating, but in the case of a 3 mine cluster, you will always have one mine left in the worse case.

Example:
You deepstrike your mine, it scatters as per usual, then you place the other two mines on opposite sides. Start with one of the outer mines and hope it doesn't point right at the middle. In the somewhat unlikely event that it does, then drat, two mines are gone. Third mine moves as per usual and you've still got a fancy explosive scarin the crap outta people.

I find one or two 3 mine clusters are great for controlling where the enemy deploys. Even the enemy shoots it, thats still one round wasted shooting at a mine instead of something more important. Personally, I'd like it if they did ignore each other for coming in contact with friendly models... At least on their first move phase.

The mine has a 50% chance of avoiding it's neighbour (if deepstriking against a single mine) with an arrow and a hit will also leave it safe (unless you want it dead). Not terrible odds.

Still, just another example of lazy rules development with Nids imho.

Leonus wrote:Start with one of the outer mines and hope it doesn't point right at the middle. In the somewhat unlikely event that it does, then drat, two mines are gone.

Hang on- The mine is only removed if it drifts into a friendly unit. The mine drifted into isn't removed. That said, the mine is removed (presuming it started in btb) if the arrow is pointing anywhere in the 180 degrees towards the other model. Any arrow in this direction will force the bases to move through each other and the mine is removed. Still, the odds of getting an arrow in the 'safe' 180 degrees or a 'hit' result are not too bad.

Hmm... I hadn't noticed that. I suppose, RAW, you're right! I wish they had clarified this in the errata...

The chances of losing the first mine you move in a 3 mine cluster are about 57% if I did my math correctly (which it's entirely possible I didn't). You only have about a 120 degree safe zone of scatter, not 180 degrees due to how the mines touch.