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Reading through the Rulebook and the going to ground rule (Which GW likes to talk about as being a big improvment) it doesn't seem very useful, at least to me as a Tyranid player. So does anyone here like to use the Go to Ground rule? Or does everyone hate it?

Objective campers, large tarpit units, last survivors of a squad in a KP mission...

GtG is actually very nice to have as an option. I don't use it every game, but having it available means that unit that I wasn't planning on moving is now pretty safe as well. And IG can grow to love GtG.

The problems Tyranids face is that (usually) they move their whole army as one cohesive force, so having one that can't move next turn can slow things down. Also, the ones who will typically be shot with things that you'd want to GtG for would be Hive Guard (who you need to shoot) or MCs (who can't GtG).

If I know a squad is going to be assaulted by that turn. They are getting shot at during the turn they are going to be assaulted. I want to keep as many of them alive as possible to tie up the assaulter. In that case I go to ground to get the extra save.

If a squad is caught out of cover, and I know they are going to be destroyed, I will go to ground for luck. Lets say that you have 10 genestealers caught out in the open due to bad luck. A marine player comes up and rapid fires 10 wounds into the stealer squad. At that point, you might as well go to ground. If you roll a few 6s, then you did not lose the squad.

I'd say its situational but can be a big asset. Depending on the army you play it could work out really well. For Guard Incoming! can make a squad less tempting to be shot at even if it is high priority and GBitF can many times turn the situation of the unit doing nothing into pain for the enemy.
For Vanilla Marines who are in danger of taking a lot of casualties you can go to ground and in you take 20% choose to fail the ensuing morale test and fall back to regroup.

Cheers,
~Volkan

Calgar lists;

Get shot up----go to ground
Auto fail morale if you take 25% casualties
Fall back
Next turn auto rally consolidate 3", move another 6" wherever you want

Swiftblade wrote:Reading through the Rulebook and the going to ground rule (Which GW likes to talk about as being a big improvment) it doesn't seem very useful, at least to me as a Tyranid player. So does anyone here like to use the Go to Ground rule? Or does everyone hate it?

It is like many things in the game is situational and not always obvious.

In the right circumstance it can be essential.

For example, if you can, put your objectives in cover, part troops on them; when they get shot at, go to ground.
That improved cover save can do wonders for Nid troops who otherwise have terrible saves.

Have a bunch of guys for area denial who are getting shot at? Go to ground for at least a 6+, its better than nothing.

Volkan wrote:For Vanilla Marines who are in danger of taking a lot of casualties you can go to ground and in you take 20% choose to fail the ensuing morale test and fall back to regroup.

Very clever!
Do you remember in the rules where it talks about if a unit falls back they are no longer under the effects of 'go to ground'? I remember reading that, but want to be able to point it out when I use that and piss someone off this week

It states that a pinned unit that falls back 'reverts to normal'

Its the bottom of the blurb on Going to Ground on pg. 24 labmouse.

Right, as others have been saying, I don't use it very often, but I'm glad I have it when I do.

There are definitely occasions where something surviving is more important than them moving or shooting.

Volkan wrote:Its the bottom of the blurb on Going to Ground on pg. 24 labmouse.

Perfect, thanks!

Going to ground is *very* useful in killpoint missions. When I have a unit of 4 guys sitting in cover and they take more than 1-2 wounds in fire, absolutely going to go to ground and try saving them for another turn.

Also, a lot of folks see there unit is going to be wiped out and kind of resign themselves to picking up the models.

Go to ground!

Whenever the unit is going to die anyways, even if they're in the open. 6+ is better than nothing.

In killpoint games with my daemons, I only run two bare squads of nurglings for less than a hundred points as my core, focusing on the big nasties in the book instead. I throw my nurglings into cover, have them go to ground, and as a swarm unit they have a 2+ cover save at this point with three wounds per base. If you aren't playing a heavy assault army that can cover the whole board, good luck taking those 2 points. So yes, going to ground is very good, situationally and if you use it correctly.

I use it a lott of your genestealer unit will absolutly die, that +3 cober instead of the +4 cover really help. You can also try this with your ripper/sky ripper swarms when they get hit by big shells.

I have found it quite useful too, and once it was even the deciding factor between me winning and losing a game. With high armor save armies like Marines, it's not as effective, but when you're trying to keep a horde of Guardsmen on an objective just one turn longer? 6+ save is better than a no up save.

Also, to mention a specific tactic: guardsmen with orders.

A 51-man guard blob sitting in cover on an objective with "incoming!" is 51 guys with a 2+ cover save.

Said again, that's basically 50 terminators sitting on your objective, as far as ranged firepower is concerned. They're not going anywhere unless you assault them, which, if they're a power blob, doesn't lead to an easy path either.

Ailaros wrote:Also, to mention a specific tactic: guardsmen with orders.

A 51-man guard blob sitting in cover on an objective with "incoming!" is 51 guys with a 2+ cover save.

Said again, that's basically 50 terminators sitting on your objective, as far as ranged firepower is concerned. They're not going anywhere unless you assault them, which, if they're a power blob, doesn't lead to an easy path either.

Plus, they can still shoot/run/assault next turn with Get back in the fight.

I was playing on a tournament me on Ultramarines and my opponent got Black Legion Chaos space marines, on the last turn i had 2 objectives occupied and on one of those two i had only left my sergeant of the tactical squad to occupy it. He fired at me with a lascannon. I had no cover, so i went to ground i rolled a 6 and the objective kept. Then the opponent was like "what the hell is going on?" and a friend of mine playing Dark Angels himself close to me... "Emperor Protects you Heretic!"
Hehe.

Grots. Gone to Ground. In cover. On objective. Sweet.

It can be very useful when a unit will have its armor saved denied. So if your marines are getting hit by AP3 weapons, you can send them to ground, and at least get a +6. Scouts with camo cloaks will get a 5+, and if they are already in cover, say hello to a 2+ save.

In summary 6+>denied armor save.

I was playing a scenario with Tyranid army where the mission was decided on KPs given up by killing Troops. Wiped out units were to br brought back on from reserves.

This made my Tervigon and Termagants a liability rather than an asset.

The rest of my army was unable to withstand the hail of long range anti-tank put out by the IG's two Vendettas and two Leman Russes.

Therefore I retreated all my Troops units into cover out of range, Went To Ground, and waited for the enemy to advance into range of my Hive Guard and Zoanthropes.

This enabled me to pull out a draw.

Tervigons are Monstrous Creatures and hence never Go to Ground. Tyranid Warriors going to ground within 6"of a Venomthrope, on the other hand, is golden when faced with Missile Launchers.