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Hey Dakka,

I wanted to put this together to show something I'm experimenting with in 9th. I'm digging all of the "bad" stuff out and playing in in TTS.

The first up is the Sporefield strategem.

For reference, after deployment but before the first turn begins you can pay 3CP to deploy up to 2 units of spore mines anywhere on the field more than 12" away from an enemy. You do have to pay reserve points for this so it's expensive CP wise and you have to build a smaller list to fit it in.

According to the Tyranids FAQ, this strategem and Call the Brood creates units that have a hive fleet trait that matches at least one model in your list.

You could have a battalion of Leviathan and a fortification detachment with one Kraken sporocyst. This allows Sporefield to create Kraken spore mines.


Imagine a situation where a knight is deployed as follows. It could be any big, scary unit. I'm just using a knight as an example.



In this situation, I've placed my sporemines here:



What's important is that if I get first turn, I'm prepared to pounce. If I get second turn, I've actually blocked the knight in and prevented it from reaching an objective:



As Kraken, you can roll 3d6 and choose the highest when advancing. The unique strategem, opportunistic advance, allows you to double the distance rolled on advances for one unit (1CP). Metabolic overdrive allows a unit to move twice at the cost of 1CP and mortal wounds on rolls of a 1 for each model in the unit.

On average, both units move 13" but this is a timelapse showing the models move and what dice were rolled. The unit on the left opportunistic advanced and the unit on the right used overdrive.



What's unique is that they detonate if a unit is within 3" at the end of the charge phase. You don't actually have to charge to detonate! Each mine roughly results in 1 MW (rolls of 1 do nothing, rolls of 6 do d3, everthing else is 1 MW)

I rolled it through 3 times and it resulted in 15, 17, and 20 mortal wounds. A unit of hiveguard or even enough fleshborers may be able to pick off the last few wounds on the knight.

Do you think this is worth it in 9th? The board control and aggression has made an impact in my test games. Even diverting fire into models that yield no victory points makes an impact.

What do you think?

Yeah that strat was a sleeper in 8th too. Arguably the best Tyranid player around, Eric Lathorus had it as a staple in his list (and if he didn't use it, he used GSC summoning or Endless Swarm). I think though you are using it in a less subtle way. Consider just the smaller board and ability to zone out key areas of the map.

Also you get similar capability from the meiotic spores (FW) as they get during deployment infiltration. Combo together for max effect by ensuring you have a place to drop when facing against other infiltrators

As Kraken, you can roll 3d6 and choose the highest when advancing. The unique strategem, opportunistic advance, allows you to double the distance rolled on advances for one unit (1CP).

Should be aware that isn't legal. Spores have FLY and that strat doesn't work on units with FLY.

Good call winterman

Not to rain on the parade but the kraken does not work with fly.

KRAKEN - Opportunistic Advance (1 CP): Use in the Movement Phase. Choose a KRAKEN unit that does not have the Fly keyword. When Advancing you can double the number you roll when determining how much to add to the unit's Movement characteristic, "rather than following the normal rules for Advancing" (whatever the last part means, read the third point).

Sporefield seems really great. Preventing your opponent from getting in place to score objectives on Turn 1 is a devastating set-back. On the other hand though, trying to block off an objective with spore mines could actually help your opponent reach the objective because they can charge.

 rollawaythestone wrote:
Sporefield seems really great. Preventing your opponent from getting in place to score objectives on Turn 1 is a devastating set-back. On the other hand though, trying to block off an objective with spore mines could actually help your opponent reach the objective because they can charge.

Yeah I don't know. 4 CP and ~180pts for a strategy that can blow up in your face (50% chance you go second, spore mines can be thinned down and remaining mines used as charge speed buff for enemy units to block you in). As noted the Kraken trick doesn't work on FLY, but you can use one unit with Metabolic Overdrive. I probably wouldn't bother with trying to inflict a few wounds, 9th ed games is won by controlling movement it seems. If I had first turn I'd just park them in front of important units that want to move out.

Fortification detachment also set you back 1CP if it's not the same as your warlords Hive Fleet, so that would be yet another CP for a Kraken Sporo. Plus Sporocyst lost the ability to hold objectives.
If you can come up with a plan B (i.e. you go second) good enough to justify the cost of Sporefield, I'm all ears. Depending on terrain there could be some play in it, but the moving parts are adding up.

How did Biovores fare in the Rando points change? The move,
fire, miss and move block seems more useful than ever.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Eldarain wrote:
How did Biovores fare in the Rando points change? The move,
fire, miss and move block seems more useful than ever.

They are now a hefty 50 PPM, I don't think I'll be using them honestly

Fortification detachment also set you back 1CP if it's not the same as your warlords Hive Fleet, so that would be yet another CP for a Kraken Sporo. Plus Sporocyst lost the ability to hold objectives.*

Lost the quote link.

Doesn't it just have to be the same faction as your warlord aka Tyranids?