Spore Mines-Do they have limits?

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**DrownedRat117**

So I was flicking through my new Tyranid codex today, and decided to read up on spore mines, and their "Hosts" biovores. And I stumbled across something awesome. Nowhere (That I can find) does it say you can only have a certain amount of spore mines per biovore, or that they even cost anything? I have to be wrong, otherwise I am going to go and buy 100 spore mines and let the games play itself!

**Maelstrom808**

Eh, you might want to reread how they work. They only get placed if the hole in the initial blast marker scatters more than 6" from an enemy model. If the hole is within 6" of an enemy model, it explodes, leaving no spore mine.

**MechaEmperor7000**

The average game has 6 turns. You can have 9 Biovores max (this is not counting the separate Spore mines you can purchase for Fast attack). This means that (assuming you outright missed with every single shot and no biovores got killed) in an average game, you can have a max of 54 spore mines. Longer games will produce more, shorter games will produce less.

Given the nature of spore mines though, it's not that big of a deal. They're powerful ranged weapons against the right target (mostly anything that's a GEQ) and provide something along the lines of area denial if they miss, but Tervigons are much better (they can do the same with gaunts, however they risk loosing their entire clutch of eggs doing so). Chenkov in the Imperial Guard army can be just as good too.

**DrownedRat117**

But it also says you can deep strike them onto the board..?

**MechaEmperor7000**

that's only if you purchased them separately as a Fast Attack Choice, in which case there is a limit (3 per Fast Attack Slot) and a cost (forgot the actual cost of them, check the codex).

**SumYungGui**

10 points per model and complete uselessness is the cost. Str 4 shot, so as long as there is a minimum AV 11 vehicle anywhere in the opponent's army all they have to do is deploy it more than one inch away to remain legal, less than two inches away to trigger the explosion, let every single mine in that cluster blow up at once (they have to be deep struck in a nice tight group) and laugh as you wasted points.

**Nurglitch**

Spores Mines deployed via Fast Attack slots can help you control your opponent's deployment.

**Aduro**

They're really nice if you go first in a Dawn of War, due to the requirement that the enemy must be more than 18" away from all of your models.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Shell out another 15 points for a Biovore. They're much more useful for denying your opponent stuff and causing general havoc. Works great against Eldar Armies running Dire Avengers and Wraith Guard (which I encounter ALOT) where MCs tend to falter due to ID.

**PraetorDave**

I would say a single group of 3 Biovores could put a good amount of spore mines down range. That way you aren't stealing HS slots from Trygons or the like. While not a game changer, it could definitely foil, or at least delay your opponents plans.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Biovores are by no means a catch-all answer. They're very cheap Whirlwinds at best. Against MEQs a Trygon can do four times the damage for about 1.5th the cost. Just that if you must take sporemines, shell out the points for a Biovore.

**SumYungGui**

The overall problem with spore mines and Biovores is that they are good at large area, anti-light infantry. This is not exactly a glaring weakness in the 'nid codex. It's sort of the opposite of a weakness actually. Once you get into assault light infantry just pretty much evaporates in the face of gaunts/gants alone much less any of the bigger, nastier stuff you have. Further, shooting large blast barrage templates that scatter onto a field with a horde army that is built around assaulting the opponent is a bad idea because after turn two you really should be right on top of your opponent. At that point the templates are as much if not more of a danger to yourself as they are to the opponent, and when they hit you they're going to be hitting large areas of light infantry, specifically your own light infantry. So you get a weapon that is just as dangerous to yourself, while covering something that is not a weakness of your codex.

Just not worth it.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Since I use Biovores alot, I do have to argue that they do fill an important niche. GEQ armies other than other Nids tend to bring alot of firepower to bear (even Eldar with their Bladestorm and whatnot). Three Biovores firing in unison counts as a Multiple barrage, so it lets you manipulate the templates to a degree (they have to be placed touching eachother deepstrike style, so even with a bad scatter you can still potentially hit some or all of your target) and can seriously cripple gunlines. While most definately against Mech Armies you would want a Trygon or two, agianst gunlines (which my friend runs alot) Biovores are invaluable in turning them into a sloppy goo.

**SumYungGui**

Suppose that one just comes down to personal philosophy. Against an IG gunline type army I feel one more almost full brood of Termagants to choke up the field with more bodies is more effective than three Biovores. Chalk it up to play style differences.

**MechaEmperor7000**

While the tyranid mentality is to have very little regard for your troop's well being, I still prefer biovores doing that job, since they can potentially wipe out an entire guard squad in one go while still being safely hidden from enemy fire, whereas an equal amount of gaunts would more than likely loose half it's squad to casualties before closing the distance.

**Warmastersolon**

Those large blast templates are killer.
I play IG and Nids, and I have used the LRBT's BC to deadly effect on Fire warriors

**SumYungGui**

That's half the problem, those templates ARE killer. Against numerous light infantry. Tyranids tend to have a lot of light infantry. They also tend to have those light infantry on the other guy's side of the board as fast as possible. Once you're over there it's just as dangerous, if not more depending on your opponent's army, to you as it is to the opponent. With an IG gunline you want to throw large templates 'over there' where your guys typically are not. The same cannot be said for Tyranids.

**MechaEmperor7000**

that's sort of the perk of the Multiple Barrage rule, you can manipulate the templates to a degree to avoid such mishaps. being backed by Tervigons means that outside of kill points, you can always replace the units you lost.

**SumYungGui**

Barrage template rules are not enough insurance against killing your own guys in the few times that I've tried these models. Plus if you happen to be playing the [WARNING INCOMING SARCASM] one guy in your state that has a SPESS MUHREEN army [/WARNING INCOMING SARCASM] he'll get an armor save on top of it while all your guys just fold up and die. A lot. Also anything armored anywhere at any place in any army will require a 6 to glance if you're really, really lucky and hit just the right angle at the right spot or ninety plus percent of the time flat out completely ignore it.

When it comes down to it I'd much rather have one more almost-completely-full unit of Termagants on the field than three of these guys. More bodies always helps, this might not always help and can be dangerous to boot.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Hence why I only use Biovores against specific targets and consider their role a niche one. Against an MEQ target a Trygon is a much better solution. However against gunline guard and footslogger eldar (which I face alot), Biovores are an invaluable asset to my army. I've stated they're not a catch all answer, but compared to buying 3 sporemines, I'd rather shell out the extra 15 points for a full on Biovore. Against gunlines, I'd prefer my Biovores outside of rapid fire (or indeed the range of IG and Eldar Infantry altogether) range rather than get chewed up by a volley of Bladestorm or FRFSRF.