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Hello All,

Thanks for checking this out. This proposed rule was inspired by Battle for Macragge fluff. All feedback appreciated.

Fluff States:
4th edition dex - page 9 "...they overran the walls by using the steaming piles of their own dead for cover."

5th edition dex - page 13 "Not all of the Hormagaunts on the left flank had been slain as previously thought - many hundreds were lying dormant amongst the corpses of their kin..."

Proposed Hormagaunt cover rule:
Version 1. A unit of hormagaunts may take a cover save from shooting attacks for each hormagaunt slain during the previous enemy turn.

More Ideas:
1. Link this rule to Hive Commander ONLY.
2. Link this rule to the Swarmlord and/or a Hive Tyrant ONLY.
3. Link this rule naturally to the Hormagaunt.

What do you guys think?

Cheers

vwjetta1997 wrote:Hello All,

Thanks for checking this out. This proposed rule was inspired by Battle for Macragge fluff. All feedback appreciated.

Fluff States:
4th edition dex - page 9 "...they overran the walls by using the steaming piles of their own dead for cover."

5th edition dex - page 13 "Not all of the Hormagaunts on the left flank had been slain as previously thought - many hundreds were lying dormant amongst the corpses of their kin..."

Proposed Hormagaunt cover rule:
Version 1. A unit of hormagaunts may take a cover save from shooting attacks for each hormagaunt slain during the previous enemy turn.

More Ideas:
1. Link this rule to Hive Commander ONLY.
2. Link this rule to the Swarmlord and/or a Hive Tyrant ONLY.
3. Link this rule naturally to the Hormagaunt.

What do you guys think?

Cheers

What if just when Hormagaunts go to ground, they get +1 Cover save if any Hormagaunts were killed.

My vision is that the Hormaguant unit gains this cover save as they advance across the battlefield and "overrun" the enemy.

Going to ground would negate any movement and slow the Hormagant unit's attack. Also, if they use the bodies of their dead, it can be assumed that they would be 50% covered and then gain a 4+ cover save.

Quick clarification please. Did your wording mean, "for each Gaunt killed, one gaunt may take a cover save" or, "for each Gaunt killed, all gaunts may take one save, they stack" The first one makes sense, the second reeks of overpowered. I'd say that the 1 (ONE) cover save for each gaunt could only apply to any IC's or equivalent joining the squad. You know, dying for their leader, a very squishy bulletproof vest, but only apply to models within 3 inches of the IC itself, so you can't say, "Oh hey this model 12 inches away in my Conga line took a bullet for my Swarmlord or whatev all the way back here."
Heh, sorry, but now that I read over your post more carefully, you talk about applying it to the whole unit, right? The gaunts using themselves as cover...I still say that it should only apply to the IC. I know Nids' are underpowered, but letting a whole unit right in the open be allowed to get cover saves because a few died could be exploited so badly.

I meant for each Hormagaunt killed, the remaining unit of Hormagaunts get an amount of cover saves equal to the amount slain in the enemies previous turn. My idea was to be for Hormagaunts only, not for an IC that joined the unit. That should be added as a condition. The cover save would ONLY be allowed from shooting attacks.

Example.

Round 1
Unit of 30 Hormgaunts march up field.
Enemy shoots Hormagaunt unit, killing 10. No cover saves allowed because no Hormagaunts have died.

Round 2
Unit of 20 remaining Hormagaunts march up field.
Enemy shoots Hormagaunt unit, scoring 13 wounds. Due to 10 Hormagaunts being slain in the previous enemy turn, the unit of Hormagaunts take 10 4+ cover saves and 3 normal armor saves.

vwjetta1997 wrote:I meant for each Hormagaunt killed, the remaining unit of Hormagaunts get an amount of cover saves equal to the amount slain in the enemies previous turn. My idea was to be for Hormagaunts only, not for an IC that joined the unit. That should be added as a condition. The cover save would ONLY be allowed from shooting attacks.

Example.

Round 1
Unit of 30 Hormgaunts march up field.
Enemy shoots Hormagaunt unit, killing 10. No cover saves allowed because no Hormagaunts have died.

Round 2
Unit of 20 remaining Hormagaunts march up field.
Enemy shoots Hormagaunt unit, scoring 13 wounds. Due to 10 Hormagaunts being slain in the previous enemy turn, the unit of Hormagaunts take 10 4+ cover saves and 3 normal armor saves.

So, in addition to there (Admittedly piss poor armor save that they almost never get to use anyway) they'd get a cover save? It seems reasonable. At a what, 4+?

Yep, 4+


Automatically Appended Next Post:
To continue the example:
Round 2
Unit of Hormigaunts save 5 / 10 cover saves and fail 3 normal saves. Enemy player kills 8.

Round 3
Unit of Hormigaunts march up the field (yes, the hive mind wills them to keep on trucking up the battle field)
Enemy shoots Hormagaunt unit, scoring 12 wounds. Due to 8 Hormagaunts being slain in the previous enemy turn, the unit of Hormagaunts take 8 4+ cover saves and 4 normal armor saves.

This seems like a pretty reasonable request. However, a 4+ is a bit much. I would say a +5 cover and a 1 point increase would make this all balanced.

mrwittwer wrote:This seems like a pretty reasonable request. However, a 4+ is a bit much. I would say a +5 cover and a 1 point increase would make this all balanced.

+1

This is a pretty good idea, and making use of the fluff always makes variant rules more interesting. Good stuff! Now, balance wise, it'd need to be playtested, and it would take a ton of keeping track of. Maybe just 5+ cover saves if the unit lost models to shooting last round would be easier? Think about it.