Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

As the title asks, How many Termagants should I buy for spawning models from a Tervigon?

I've been wondering this for a few days now, and as I'm planning having two Tervigon's in my army list, I'm curious to know how many models I'd need... Sure I could base it on the fact of averages. but then my brain hurts... as I need to take into account the average on three dice, but also any doubles stops the big momma from breeding more of the little gits.




Answers on a postcard please (Or in the box below lols)!

Basically comes to two options, do you take the potential maximum, or do you take less, and if you have a great rolling session in a game one day you acccept that you won't get all the termagaunts you could have had on the table.

Taking factors into account that aren't really possible to work out, like how much fire they take in a battl, how many die before you need more etc. I'd probably say taking the potential average seems like a good idea.

With two tervigons being available, I'd probably want between 50 and 80 Gaunts, just ear marked for spawning. If you run any other termagaunts as troops, I'd also make sure they aren't included in the total.


As good as they are, its probably why I won't be grabbing a Tervigon for the younger lads army quite yet, want to build up a group of forty-ish Gaunts first.

50-80 doesnt seem so bad...

So glad I didn't go with the army list that had five Tervigon's in it :/

A tervigon will spawn an average of about 21.5 gants per game assuming it never dies. However, it can spawn a maximum of 108 per game. You'll never hit that maximum, but it might factor into your plans. Also remember that it's unlikely that all your gants will survive the entire game, so you'll be able to recycle some in games where you get particularly good spawn rolls.

Aye, I'd aim for the higher number myself mind, 80ish. Btw the potential maximum that could be on the table for a six turn game (if they took no fire, died etc etc) is 134 from two Tervigons.

If the game lasts longer, it goes up again.

I'd probably say with rate of casualties you expect from a game of 40k, eighty would generally be fine.

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Aye, I'd aim for the higher number myself mind, 80ish. Btw the potential maximum that could be on the table for a six turn game (if they took no fire, died etc etc) is 134 from two Tervigons.

How do you figure? Best you can roll is 4,5,6 each turn, until the last turn when you roll 6,6,6.

4+5+6 = 15 * 5 (turns) = 75
75 + 18 = 93 * 2 (tervigons) = 186 for a 6 turn game. Then you can spawn an extra 30 if you go the seventh turn.

All of them. All of the Termagants.

Three dice? Heh, played against a tervigon in a torunie where they only rolled two dice. Not actually read its entry, assumed folks using one in a torunie would know its rules, if its three, I'd want 80 - 120.

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Three dice? Heh, played against a tervigon in a torunie where they only rolled two dice. Not actually read its entry, assumed folks using one in a torunie would know its rules, if its three, I'd want 80 - 120.

Just double checked, and it's three dice.


In other news, I just cried at how much it's going to cost me in Termagants alone...

Two boxes per Tervigon... This way you can mark them different for brood separation. And your not breaking the bank too bad.

You can save a little money by buying the 5-man gant packs. They are monopose, worse detail, and no options besides the standard fleshborer, but I use those for about two-thirds of my gants. Intermingled with normal gants, you never notice the difference, and as an added bonus, the assembly time is lower.

rpricew wrote:Two boxes per Tervigon... This way you can mark them different for brood separation. And your not breaking the bank too bad.

You need at least three 12 man boxes per Terv if you are using them as a troop selection. That covers your initial buy-in of 10 gants and the average spawn for two turns, with a few left over in case you get a little lucky on your rolls. I'm aiming at 35 per Tervigon, and a side unit of 20 with Devs...just so I have the option.

At work at the mo so can't check, but does it stop producing termagaunts on any double?

As if its three dice, and they stop on any double, you'll be lucky if you get more than three rounds of them.

In which case I'd consider 55-90 being fine.

If its triple to stop, then the 80-120 is still accurate in my book, but double and three dice, not sure what all the fuss is about. On my luck and two Tervigons I'd be surprised if one is still producing termagaunts after turn two.

I've played games with 2 tervigons, and I have a bit under 60 termagant models. That includes the 20 I start with to field the tervigons as troops. I've never run out of termagants.

It's possible, but it gets more and more unlikely to need higher number of termagants. 80 is going to be more than you need the vast majority of the time.

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:At work at the mo so can't check, but does it stop producing termagaunts on any double?

As if its three dice, and they stop on any double, you'll be lucky if you get more than three rounds of them.

In which case I'd consider 55-90 being fine.

If its triple to stop, then the 80-120 is still accurate in my book, but double and three dice, not sure what all the fuss is about. On my luck and two Tervigons I'd be surprised if one is still producing termagaunts after turn two.

It's any double, but still produces the batch you had just rolled for.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Posit wrote:I've played games with 2 tervigons, and I have a bit under 60 termagant models. That includes the 20 I start with to field the tervigons as troops. I've never run out of termagants.

It's possible, but it gets more and more unlikely to need higher number of termagants. 80 is going to be more than you need the vast majority of the time.

Well I have two units of ten that start on the board, so probably looking at 60 + the starting 20. so 80ish should cover it.

Yeah, with those odds, rate of casulaties and so forth, that number should be fine.

Thank you everyone for the input!!!

Get the 5 packs. Sure they are Monopose and Fleshborer, but for a Tervigon, they are perfect. 3 packs of 5 gives you 15 for £16.50 while a normal.pack of 12 costs £18. Cheaper overall.

Deadshot wrote:Get the 5 packs. Sure they are Monopose and Fleshborer, but for a Tervigon, they are perfect. 3 packs of 5 gives you 15 for £16.50 while a normal.pack of 12 costs £18. Cheaper overall.

Yeah, I hadn't really though about using the boxes of 5 before... and considering I shop with Wayland Games, it's even cheaper. Figuring I need 80 Termagants (including the starting 20) it's going to cost me about £70.40

Still cheaper than the.normal gants with devourers and spinefists you won't use.

Very true. Thanks for the advice ^_^

The push together Termagants are pretty good, mostly because Termagants rarely end up looking very different anyway. The most you manage to get out of the Termagant box is turned heads and two different torsos.

If all you're doing is getting Tervigon spawn, and don't want all those spare Spinefists and Devourers (not to mention gaunt sized toxin sacs and adrenal glands for Hornagaunts), there's no reason to not get the push together 5 packs.

buy ALL the Termagaunts!!!

80 would like suffice, given their high mortality rates.

I'd try and get about 75 Termagants if I were you.