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I'm just wondering, it seems like the cheapest Monstrous Creature in game currently is a very popular choice for competitive games... I'm not sure if I've been living under a rock but what are the solid reasons behind Spyders being very popular?

Crons only anti psyker, is our tervigon to termagant as spyder to scarab, is cheap, can be taken in squads, etc.

They're not very popular are they? They're not a bad unit though, I like them a lot, it's just they take a heavy slot which has a lot of competition from the very points efficient Annihilation Barge and the powerful if highly costed Doom Scythe and Doomsday Ark.

They can spawn scarabs and repair vehicles, but they're not that great in combat. Ok for their points though I guess, but 3 T6 wounds for 50 points isn't bad.

 A GumyBear wrote:
Crons only anti psyker, is our tervigon to termagant as spyder to scarab, is cheap, can be taken in squads, etc.

But the psychic defense is only 3 inches. The way I see it, the only way its gonna be useful is if someone wants to insta-kill the Spyders with forceweapons. I mean Spyders aren't very mobile so its not like they can run up to Ahriman or Eldrad to make them stop casting spells.

 Zaki66 wrote:

 A GumyBear wrote:
Crons only anti psyker, is our tervigon to termagant as spyder to scarab, is cheap, can be taken in squads, etc.

But the psychic defense is only 3 inches. The way I see it, the only way its gonna be useful is if someone wants to insta-kill the Spyders with forceweapons. I mean Spyders aren't very mobile so its not like they can run up to Ahriman or Eldrad to make them stop casting spells.

From what you've written, I believe you misunderstand how the Gloom Prism operates. The enemy caster doesn't need to be within 3" of the Gloom Prism Spyder, the TARGET of the enemy psycher needs to be within 3" of the Gloom Prism Spyder.

Other than that, unless you're running scarabs, the Spyders aren't all that great. Anni Barges are better overall.

 Voidwraith wrote:

 Zaki66 wrote:

 A GumyBear wrote:
Crons only anti psyker, is our tervigon to termagant as spyder to scarab, is cheap, can be taken in squads, etc.

But the psychic defense is only 3 inches. The way I see it, the only way its gonna be useful is if someone wants to insta-kill the Spyders with forceweapons. I mean Spyders aren't very mobile so its not like they can run up to Ahriman or Eldrad to make them stop casting spells.

From what you've written, I believe you misunderstand how the Gloom Prism operates. The enemy caster doesn't need to be within 3" of the Gloom Prism Spyder, the TARGET of the enemy psycher needs to be within 3" of the Gloom Prism Spyder.

Other than that, unless you're running scarabs, the Spyders aren't all that great. Anni Barges are better overall.

ohh.... I see, I see.... I have just re-consulted my Codex. I guess its good to plop one down in the middle of your army then?

Does anyone have any thoughts on the twin-linked particle beamer it can take? Seems awfully expensive and somewhat excessive.

I know that it was popular to throw obyron into a 3 man spyder unit and deep strike them about the battlefield as needed. That always seemed like a fun idea to me, never tried it. Hard to not take 3 Annihilation Barges every game.

 Gangrel767 wrote:
I know that it was popular to throw obyron into a 3 man spyder unit and deep strike them about the battlefield as needed. That always seemed like a fun idea to me, never tried it. Hard to not take 3 Annihilation Barges every game.

It isn't hard when you run a scarab farm

good point. I have 4 spyders, and hopes and dreams of running a good scarab farm, but I haven't touched the crons in months. Maybe the next time I get a Necron urge I'll try my mini farm.

I just bought three and plan to have a mini farm. Ideally they should help distract my opponents from my warrior brick/GA combo and wraiths. I think that is there biggest plus-being a cheap threat factor (when pooping scarabs) that your opponent will have to target. Also, you get a smash attack and the hammer thingy for each one of them. Not bad at 50pts. Besides...Necrons need some MC love. Let's face it, MCs are fun and some of us can't use forge world models like the stalker.

 Gangrel767 wrote:
I know that it was popular to throw obyron into a 3 man spyder unit and deep strike them about the battlefield as needed. That always seemed like a fun idea to me, never tried it. Hard to not take 3 Annihilation Barges every game.

I'm trying this strategy out the last couple of games. 2 ABs with a 3 Spyder farm. Turn 3 or 4 I use Obyron to deep strike them in and go to town. Since they boost Obyron's Toughness to 6 (majority toughness FTW) it can be pretty nasty. They work well on focusing on smaller units or gunlines. Let the scarabs move up the board to take overwatch away or to just tarpit a unit and then take out other units with Spyders. I've also found that Spyders w/ Obyron are very effective at taking out TEQ.

I dont see a ton of them being used BUT...

http://www.40kunorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2013/10/necrons-horrors-from-deep.html

And also an earlier article:
http://www.40kunorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2011/11/necrons-of-doominess.html

Super cheap multi-wound units with smash, move through cover, hammer of wrath, fear and upgradeable psychic protection that spawn units and repair vehicles. And they can group up which means you can run ICs with them.

MCs get 2 shooting attacks, so nothing stops them from repairing a vehicle and shooting in the same phase. Though buying both upgrades gets pretty expensive.

In any other codex they'd be amazing. It's just that in the Necron codex they're competing with equally amazing stuff.

Yup. But you can still take them and win convincingly so really... Do they compete? or are they just another underused way to win? I'd say the latter.

 Zaki66 wrote:
I'm just wondering, it seems like the cheapest Monstrous Creature in game currently is a very popular choice for competitive games... I'm not sure if I've been living under a rock but what are the solid reasons behind Spyders being very popular?

Are they really so popular. I guess not. They are too slow and with a 3+ armor save can be easily taken down (plasma).

if someone is close enough to try and plasma them out, that m,eans they somehow are passed all those scarabs i have on the blog.

Otherwise its single shots and likely through cover. they are safer than they might seem.

I think they are fantastic. the smash attacks are very helpful, and with T6, the 3+ does a pretty good job of protecting them.

I'd take three spyders and a group of scarabs over a Doomscythe/DA any day. Also, I'd have them over an AB tbh.

I wouldn't say spiders were popular. They were used when the scarab farm bandwagon was around, but once that got FAQ-ed, the WAAC bastards moved to the next thing.

That said, spiders are still great if for just one thing, melee. Nercons don't like melee, spiders do and they win in it. They are also cheap and a force multiplier. Go nercon horde, play the way you were meant to, tons of warriors, some immortals with spiders helping lead the way.

The silly deployment shinanigans were fun before being FAQ'd but the shinanigans aren't why it was good and thats what the WAAC bastards were missing. Just because they couldn't cheese as hard doesn't mean it isn't tasty like cheddar.

I think the bandwagon died before it started because the cost of that many scarabs on the checkbook was pretty ridiculous. But if you know where to go, you can find yerself in posession of those scarabs and what fun you can have then!

This brings up a good point: where DOES one go to get scarabs, not including eBay? That can be pretty hit or miss on value especially considering I want to paint them my own theme. I have three spiders and only five bases (7 if I stretch them out to three models a base), so this is something I'd like to find out. I guess I need more warriors but even so 10 bases won't help 3 spiders for long.

On topic: I've been reading about their repair abilities really helping out GAs and further the synergy between them and GAs combined with BOTH units pumping out scarabs and warriors seems like an awesome fun list. I'm trying to find a good batrep of this on YouTube but am not having much luck thus far. I would definitely love to see it in action.

I got mine off ebay, but you also get 5 bases in a battleforce (which also has warriors and a ghost ark!)

I like them because when the terminators land (insert other hard unit from other codex in place of terminators). The spyders wander over and get a ton of AP2 attacks before the terminators (insert.....) get to strike back. They terminators (....) can not instant splat them meaning 3 spyders can really cause problems for people.

The AB argument is a little moot. Their short range counts against them, and dropping one AB get your 3 monsterous creatures - no brainer even if you like the AB (unless you rushed out and got 3 of them!)

 Jasper wrote:
I like them because when the terminators land (insert other hard unit from other codex in place of terminators). The spyders wander over and get a ton of AP2 attacks before the terminators (insert.....) get to strike back. They terminators (....) can not instant splat them meaning 3 spyders can really cause problems for people.

The AB argument is a little moot. Their short range counts against them, and dropping one AB get your 3 monsterous creatures - no brainer even if you like the AB (unless you rushed out and got 3 of them!)

Are you saying this because it's happened for you a bunch of times, or because it CAN happen and therefor you believe DOES happen all the time? I gotta tell ya, my experiences with Spyders, apart from repairing ghost arks and spawning scarab bases, have been lackluster at best.

Sure, they're cheap MCs, but the fact that they're WS3 and have very few attacks is a real bummer. For example, just one of the terrible, though math-friendly examples of a beatdown my Spyders took was against a typical grey hunters squad (a power fist and 2 meltas...mark of the wolfen and a wolf standard as well). I charged in, don't really recall if I took any wounds from Overwatch or not, though I think the Spyders squad already had a wound or two on one of the 3 spyders. Regardless, I think I only had 2 of the 3 spyders by the time I got to attack, and I believe I only killed 2 of the marines. Math on that is totally typical....6 attacks at WS3 turns to 3 hits, and failing to wound 1 of out 3 dice, even on a 2+, isn't craziness. Now it's shaping up to be a long battle, if I'm lucky and hold out, but his power fist and mark of the wolfen rolls tip the balance and he takes me out in I believe 2 more assault phases.

Now, I know Grey Hunters aren't the easiest marines to deal with, but what good are 3 MCs if they can't kill a squad of 10 marines? I'm pretty sure that was the last time I looked at my Spyders as anything other than support units. Offense they are not...

Also...AB (Annihilation Barges I'm assuming) are much cheaper than the cost of 3 spyders. AB are one of the best and most efficient units in the Necron Codex...

MarkCron wrote:
I got mine off ebay, but you also get 5 bases in a battleforce (which also has warriors and a ghost ark!)

I suppose I would be a bit if a hypocrit if I wasn't excited about that deal seeing as I just propped GAs and spyders together in the very last post lol! Good call, MarkCron!

Best use I've seen was Ben M. who had 3 spyders with Obyron attached. They added scarabs from the backfield and once the scarabs assaulted and consolidated up, he used the ghost walk mantle to jump across the table back into spawning range.

Let's be honest: Scarabs may literally be one of the easiest things to make a mold for. And given the hundreds of dollars it would be on wasted models to get them properly, I am unfortunately forced to advocate that people use alternate models for their scarabs....

http://bitspudlo.com/products/trinity-tomb-scarabs

There are other places who can sell this stuff if you don't want to mold produce them.