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I need to ask. Who has actually tried them?

My problem with them has always been that they are to vulnerably to blast templates and high S weapons. However, it appears to me that there are more then enough targets for S6+ weapons to shoot at except the swarms. S8 vs Zoanthropes, Raveners, Warriors and T6 MC's along with Venomthropes and the deadly Tyrant Guard.

So what I actually wanne know is if anybody has tryed the ripper swarms in a list that saturate the big guns.

No because even with all that they don't score. So.... Useless.

Well I often run with the Tervigons so there are often plenty of scooring units.

I have tried them when I ran a PoM list for a few games.

The good:
Fearless makes them pretty good tarpit troops.
Pt for point they are the cheapest wounds and attacks in the Nid codex.
Small point costs mean they are great for sucking up overwatch fire. 30pts for 3 stands.
They ignore terrain and that means that they are fast enough to keep up with most CC troops. They also give cover saves to gaunts coming in behind them.


The bad:
Non-scoring.
Congested slot. While you have 6 troop slots there are things that are just so much better. Stealers, tervigons, gaunts... you get the idea.

The things people say are bad, but are non-issues:
ID is not a huge deal as a stand is comperable to a single double upgraded hormagaunt. Still losing the same number of models and pts with one S8 shot, but people still take horms.
Template vuln is not a big deal as they can choose to kill 20pts of rippers or 20pts of gaunts with the same template.

All in all I take about 10 stands if I am playing 2k double FoC. They only cost 100 points and takes 1 or 2 slots that probably would go empty.
So good screens, good overwatch sponges, decent tarpits against units without high strength weapons. But don't expect much more from them.

 Niiai wrote:
I need to ask. Who has actually tried them?

My problem with them has always been that they are to vulnerably to blast templates and high S weapons. However, it appears to me that there are more then enough targets for S6+ weapons to shoot at except the swarms. S8 vs Zoanthropes, Raveners, Warriors and T6 MC's along with Venomthropes and the deadly Tyrant Guard.

So what I actually wanne know is if anybody has tryed the ripper swarms in a list that saturate the big guns.

Only really find them fun in PoM lists. And you can need a bunch for PoM lists. You really really need his extra synapse range for rippers. They buggers die with out it. Losing two bases to a single S8 krack missile is a pain, but nothing like the pain of losing bases just becuase you are suddenly out side of the 12 in synapse bubble.

barnowl wrote:

 Niiai wrote:
I need to ask. Who has actually tried them?

My problem with them has always been that they are to vulnerably to blast templates and high S weapons. However, it appears to me that there are more then enough targets for S6+ weapons to shoot at except the swarms. S8 vs Zoanthropes, Raveners, Warriors and T6 MC's along with Venomthropes and the deadly Tyrant Guard.

So what I actually wanne know is if anybody has tryed the ripper swarms in a list that saturate the big guns.

Only really find them fun in PoM lists. And you can need a bunch for PoM lists. You really really need his extra synapse range for rippers. They buggers die with out it. Losing two bases to a single S8 krack missile is a pain, but nothing like the pain of losing bases just becuase you are suddenly out side of the 12 in synapse bubble.

How are 2 bases lost to a single krak? It's ID for 1 base but krak isn't a template or pie.

The parasite is a pretty amazing unit. Rippers are only really good as a tarpit, and that they are good at.

 schadenfreude wrote:
How are 2 bases lost to a single krak? It's ID for 1 base but krak isn't a template or pie.

The parasite is a pretty amazing unit. Rippers are only really good as a tarpit, and that they are good at.

I was going to ask that about the missle too.

There is an odd boost to rippers that I have found in 6th, template weapons are now much less effective against them.

Before you would hit a unit of rippers with a flamer and hit 3 stands. Roll to wound and lets say all of them wound. You would then have to take 6 wounds off of the unit, so remove 2 bases (assuming no ID). With the new rules each model takes a hit, not the unit. Assuming again all of them wound you now have 3 stands with 1 wound each.

Now for WoD it gets really fun.
Roll D3 for template. Lets say 2 flamers (non-ID) being charged by 5 stands of rippers. Lets say average roll so 4 hit, and worse case all wound. So now we have 4 wounds to place. Place the first wound on the closest model. Then double it becasue it is a template wound. 1 Wound left so you allocate the next wound to the same model and then double it, so that second wound just disapers as the wound that was doubled was already allocated. So those 4 flamer wounds will kill off 2 stands of rippers, not the 2.6 stands that people think that it will casue.

Its fun to play with a unit that people never play as it helps you learn the rules and your army better.

Im considering using them, but the fast attack option, so as not to use y troops choices.

Normally Id say use gargoyles, but the swarm is the cheapest you can get.

Id use them for screening Genestealers, soaking up snap fire and tar pitting. All of these uses can be given to the Gargoyle, but the swarm does it cheaper and (because theyre fearless), better.

I would NEVER use rippers lol, they are probably the worst entry in the entire codex... there is ALWAYS a better option

Gargs are fearless in synapse as well, and rippers out of synapse eat themselves... So there's no real difference there.

Think about this... gargoyles can move faster, have guns, (still dont score), provide a wider screen, but I wouldnt take less than 20... maybe 15

I do agree Gargoyles are better. But think about this. In a lit where I want to swamp you with durable units, if I spend 120 point for 20 base model Gargoyles vs 120 points for 8 bases of Flying Rippers, Im getting 4 more wounds (6 really because of the multi-wound nature of the swarm). When I consider that Gargoyles and Rippers would be screening for other scoring units, having more wounds means better screener (especially fearless ones).

But with gargoyles you get getting 20 models vs 8 models with the rippers, the gargoyles will be able to screen much more than the ripper will be able to, and with more models you can better take advantage of rules regarding terrain. Another thing is with 20 gargoyles I am also getting a much larger shooting base which will allow them to do something besides screen if the need arises.

Gargoyles are also a good unit to put the parasites in. Hit soft units with the garg & parasite, then tarpit tougher units with free ripper swarms.

Is the parasite a IC, and is it a flying monstrous creature or jump infantry? I can not find it in the rule book.

IC and Jump Infantry. It's in the codex.

Wow idk how I missed the IC in the rules my bad.

 Gloomfang wrote:

 schadenfreude wrote:
How are 2 bases lost to a single krak? It's ID for 1 base but krak isn't a template or pie.

The parasite is a pretty amazing unit. Rippers are only really good as a tarpit, and that they are good at.

I was going to ask that about the missle too.

There is an odd boost to rippers that I have found in 6th, template weapons are now much less effective against them.

Before you would hit a unit of rippers with a flamer and hit 3 stands. Roll to wound and lets say all of them wound. You would then have to take 6 wounds off of the unit, so remove 2 bases (assuming no ID). With the new rules each model takes a hit, not the unit. Assuming again all of them wound you now have 3 stands with 1 wound each.

Now for WoD it gets really fun.
Roll D3 for template. Lets say 2 flamers (non-ID) being charged by 5 stands of rippers. Lets say average roll so 4 hit, and worse case all wound. So now we have 4 wounds to place. Place the first wound on the closest model. Then double it becasue it is a template wound. 1 Wound left so you allocate the next wound to the same model and then double it, so that second wound just disapers as the wound that was doubled was already allocated. So those 4 flamer wounds will kill off 2 stands of rippers, not the 2.6 stands that people think that it will casue.

Its fun to play with a unit that people never play as it helps you learn the rules and your army better.

I typed Krak thinking about Warriors. I may need to revisit the the 6e swarm rules again. I was thinking swarms still ended up getting double IDs off template and blast hit ID wounds.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mogarth321 wrote:
I would NEVER use rippers lol, they are probably the worst entry in the entire codex... there is ALWAYS a better option

I think the Pyrovore still beats them for worst entry. You have a way to atleast get rippers for free.

barnowl wrote:

I typed Krak thinking about Warriors. I may need to revisit the the 6e swarm rules again. I was thinking swarms still ended up getting double IDs off template and blast hit ID wounds.

See my post above about how wounds are allocated to swarms. 1 wound is allocated at a time. It then doubles and becomes ID at the same time, so at worse you are losing 1 stand.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mogarth321 wrote:
I would NEVER use rippers lol, they are probably the worst entry in the entire codex... there is ALWAYS a better option

barnowl wrote:


I think the Pyrovore still beats them for worst entry. You have a way to atleast get rippers for free.

I always play at least 3 games with each unit type in the codex (I proxy them most of the time). It forces you to learn how the units actully perform rather than just looking at a stat line. I was supprised how well pyrovores perform in certain situations in 6th. They are good at burning units out of bastions. They are also good for clearing out units that are in cover. WoD also makes them really good lane blockers.

As for the rippers, if you want cheap units to screen your troops and you are low on points and have a spare troops slot open, they are a good choice. Or give them wings and stick them in the almost always open FA slot for a few points more. I think I might have to try the flying rippers in with PoM as it is a combo I haven't played yet.

I've used them and they were surprisingly decent in the game but I'm pretty sure this was a fluke. They're too expensive imho, and only really perform decently when you buy up large squads of them.

I heard about this and tried it once. Worked okay.

Regular rippers with tunneling (allow DS), take 4-5 bases, (48-60pts) and use them to take out Dev squads and the like.

The can DS near the target, move into cover (stealth from Swarm) then charge next turn.