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So I'm honing a 1750 point list and debating whether on dropping a dakkafex (230 points with spore) for a unit of 20 devilgants (240 points with spore). I've never played with that many devilgants before, but I heard that it can be very nasty.

Anyways, just want some opinion on which one to take, based on the fact they have roughly equivalent costs.

Well, what is the flavor of your list? Nidzilla? Horde? Flying Circus?

I'd say its a bit of everything. Two flyrants to get my swoop on, two tervigons to get my swarm on, and two carnifexes for some solid nidzilla smashing. However, with 6 total MCs, I guess that makes it a Nidzilla list overall.

They are very different units.

A Dakkafex is a great anti-light/medium vehicle unit, a reasonable AA turret and of course brings the normal tank-smashing power of a Carnifex in melee.

A unit of 20 Devilgaunts in a Spore is a brutal anti-infantry unit, able to lay waste to incredible numbers of light infantry (from Imperial Guard to Ork Boyz) with little effort and able to really threaten MEQ and TEQ as well.

Both are good; the question becomes "what else is in your list"? We need to see what you have covered, and what you don;t to properly evaluate these options.

*edit, based on your last response, a unit of Devilgaunts could work very well to bring in some surprise support for your Winged Tyrants, and if said Tyrants have Old Adversary then this really ups the Devilgaunts' killing power.

Bring both

I think i'd take the Devilguants then if you have 6 Mc's already, they'll be taking most of the dangerous fire anyway i think

My list as currently stands is:

flyrant w/ devourers, hive commander, old adversary
flyrant w/ devourers, old adversary

Doom in spore

tervigon w/ TS, Catalyst
tervigon w/ TS, Catalyst
10 gants
10 gants

biovore x2
carnifex w/ devourers in spore
carnifex w/ devourers in spore

= 1745


What im trying to figure out is how to add some more variety (i.e. ymgarls, zoeys in a spore, devilgants) without losing overall effectiveness. I really like playing a Deepstrike/Reserve-based army and don't want to lose Turn 2 potency. I played this list once before and had pretty good success, but I am open to shaving off points/units.

Something else you might want to take note of is that a Carnifex has 4 wounds, 20 gants have 20 wounds. And while both may be vulnerable to massed fire, gants have lower toughness and are more vulnerable to blasts and templates but things like vendettas aren't going to wreck them as easily as it would a Carnifex.

Also, unless the Carnifex buffs the number of shots, more bodies equals more dakka.

 iGuy91 wrote:
I think i'd take the Devilguants then if you have 6 Mc's already, they'll be taking most of the dangerous fire anyway i think

I agree with this, since you have 6 MC, take the swarm. Personally I'd drop the dakkafexes in favor of something else myself, but to each his/her own. I mean your two dakkafexes are running in at 450+points, and thats just to shoot. Thats a lot of points you could sink somewhere else and buy multiple swarms. Yargamrls Genestealers for instance. OR the much famed Hive guard who don't need LoS to fire at the enemy. Just my two cents.

So, my not-so-relevant question, as I'm a bit inexperienced with 'Nids, but what makes a Devilgaunt a Devilgaunt? Lol is it a Hormagaunt or Termagant with upgrades?

Id like to help, just need the clarification haha

T-

It is a termagant armed with an 18" S4 Assault 3 Devourer instead of its usual pee-shooter, the 12" S4 AP 5 Assault 1 Fleshborer


Automatically Appended Next Post:

So what is a good number of gants to put in a spore and what tactics are useful with them? Hive Commander lets you outflank, is this a useful tactic with devilgants, or is it better to deepstrike them in a spore?

Outflanking is often countered by keeping away from the table edges, but sometimes really static armies like to park their Lootas or Broadsides on a ruin in the corner of the table.

Does the Mycetic Spore have any rule that prevents mishap from landing on impassible terrain or models like the Drop Pod does?

Yes; basically, the same rule.

That might be better then since you can put them almost anywhere that they need to be.

I would always go for the Spore if you can. The tactical flexibility of being able to deploy anywhere reasonably safely is extremely useful, and the Spore itself can be used as make-shift cover as well.

If you're really creative, you can even use the Spore as a weapon itself, reaching out with Ripper Tentacles to start lashing at vehicles etc.

Incidentally, if you're going to go with a Spore and Devilgaunts, you might also want to consider a Spore with Zoanthropes. Three Warp Lances can crack open just about anything in the game with an armour value, and leave the contents open for the Devilgaunts to kill. You can also swap out your Zoanthropes' powers for Biomancy or Telekinesis if you don't need the anti-armour power (being able to get Endurance on the Devilgaunts, and/or Enfeeble on their prey, is incredible).

I dunno, would it maybe be better to switch the biovores for Hive guards?

str8 ap4 ignore cover and LOS VS a str4 ap6 large blast that replace misses with a mine?

There's no correct answer here - Biovores kill big blocks of infantry, hive guard kill MC and light armor. Dakkafexes kill a variety of things, but don't do well against big infantry blocks, which is where Termagants with devourers shine. The question I would ask back is, what do you most often find yourself wishing you had been able to take out? Then rebalance accordingly. TL; DR all are good choices, what do you want to kill?

Also note that devilgants are scoring, put out more shots, and the spore gets ripper tentacle attacks. I would keep the biovores- you can have a tervigon babysit them on an objective in the backfield. Zoanthropes are very versatile, and you can choose options depending on your opponent. But really, it all comes down to what you like to play, and how you play it. Devilfexes in pods are great distraction units, and still put the hurt on.

Devilgaunts all the way. My friend experimented with the two before and the gaunts proved to be so much better. He runs 3 squads of 20 devilgaunts in pods and has a flyrant to get up close for synapse. as well as a tervigon and hive guard that slowly move up.

The gaunts put out enough shots to effectively kill almost any infantry in the game just with weight of fire. They can even glance certain vehicles to death against rear armor.

Hmmm... Well you all have persuaded me. I will definitely try out a list incorporating devilgants in pods instead of dakkafexes. Look for it on the 40k list page if you're interested in giving me feedback. Thanks!

and the icing on the cake, its such a cheap squad, you seriously afford multiples.

Id give the devilgants a go. You already seem to have the MC department covered well enough, and you can't go wrong with flooding more bodies on the table. It becomes a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation for your opponent. Take care of the lots of little gribblies filling them full of holes or the big scaries that are capable of wrecking squads..

Anyways, my take.

T-

I think the spore is what really turns the tide. The FAQ allowing you to put the entire unit wholly within the 6" PLUS the spore Limited Sentience makes DS safe and very effective. If you used a Large Blast template as the size of the spore 5" diameter and add 6" all around you get 75 square inches to place 20 1" based models. Considering the range of 18" you'll have an easy time of getting all 20 within range with their assault weapons but not too bunched up for any retaliation.

Wish my Shootas had Roks to DS with. Now only if they'd release a damned spore model, we could all sleep safer at night.

I hear you about the mini-roks, I. Would love a few haha

They designs smaller transport/projectiles that the Orks used in some levels of the Space Marine video game, so, its really not that difficult to imagine....

Anyways, didn't mean to side track with Orky-lament....lol

T-