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The other day at the shop we were discussing units you virtually never see anyone use.
It could be for any # of reasons - co$t, scarcity/rarity, ugly model, poor rules.....
One of the units brought up (probably because I was building one during the conversation) was Nurgles favorite houseplant - the Feculent Gnarlmaw.

Nobody at the table (including me) has ever seen a Gnarlmaw used. Not in Aos nor in 40k.
One guy commented that I'm actually the only other person he even knows who owns one. (His is built into his tourney army display board as scenery) I at least have AoS plans for mine....
Another didn't even realize it had 40k stats.

So, 2 questions:

1) Have any of you ever seen a Gnarlmaw used* in 40k?
And if so do you think it was used effectively?

2) What unit have you never seen used*?

*And by used I mean used as the actual unit.

I've seen only one in person...ONCE @ our local GW store early in 8th(or whenever mini was released).

It's an interesting mini. Out of the 4 DG guys local to me, not a single one has it.

I don’t think I’ve seen any of the faction specific terrain bits on the table. Back in 6th-7th, things like ADL w/ quadguns were all over the place, and I even saw a fortress of redemption. But these days? I just don’t see fortifications at all.

I thought it was an endless spell... I had no idea that it was an actual unit.

I think the Gnarlmaw is actually more used by players because of its OP rules back in 8th while that DG terrain piece that I don’t even recall the name of despite DG being my main faction is probably even more rare than the tree. I own a Gnarlmaw but I haven't gotten around to paint it .

GW never/ very rarely puts faction terrain into Startersets or army sets of 40K, so outside of Kill Team you hardly get these for cheap. And they usually have terrible/ hardly playable rules. So the Gnarlmaw, Boss bunker, Marine bunker, DG oven, Mekboy workshop and others are probably your best bet for rarely seen models. And even if you see them chances are they're just used as terrain pieces without their actual rules (I know once I have painted the tree he'll be on every table I play a nurgle army, but whether I use its rules is improbable (not the least because it doesn't even have rules in OPR)).

I'd forgotten the Gnarlmaw existed until you mentioned it. Can't say I remember ever seeing one on a table.

I think a lot of the "buildings" are quite unpopular - but I've seen a lot of them only once or twice.

Trying to think of examples of models I've never seen. Those anti-air Space Marine tanks with very forgettable names. I think they might be Legends now. Don't remember ever seeing one in real life, or even hearing about them in any tournament reports, videos etc.

I personally have used a webway gate, but I've never seen anyone else use them. (And I'm not sure they've ever been anything but a liability. Poor things.)

I've also never faced a Noctilith Crown or that now-extinct GSC drill thing.

I don't think I ever saw anyone use blood brides back when they existed (wyches have pretty much always been more cost-effective.)

I've never seen someone other than myself field spore mines as a unit; only as things that a biovore spawns. (Which is saying something because I personally own dozens of the things and desperately *want* to field them but can never justify it in a list.)

I never saw skyslashers or shrikes back when they existed.

I don't think I've every seen non-bullgryn ogryn on the table.

I’ve fielded the SM Hunter AA tank. It wasn’t bad, just not the most efficient tool for the job

I’ve also fielded loose spore mines. In 9th under crusade rules. They were 1 PL and could be used as filler to take op the last odd point. And maybe explode at something.

You wouldn't see a lot of fortifications in competitive play, but I want a lot of stuff for narrative- a Noctolith Crown is actually a pretty important part of the story for chaos in the campaign I'm trying to get through.

On the competitive table, another unit is always a better use of points.

I used spore mines nearly every game I played.

Yet to see a Harridan, Tau Manta, Thunderhawk, or man other Forgeworld Superheavies

I've seen the Gnarlclaw used on someone else's table, but I have no idea if it was useful or not.

I've used the Space Marine Hunter in Epic But not 40k.

I don't think I've ever seen the Tau Stormsurge used iirc. Only Riptides and Ghostkeels.

Sgt. Cortez wrote:
I think the Gnarlmaw is actually more used by players because of its OP rules back in 8th while that DG terrain piece that I don’t even recall the name of despite DG being my main faction is probably even more rare than the tree. I own a Gnarlmaw but I haven't gotten around to paint it

You're thinking of the Miasmic Malignifier, which I painted back in 2022 (along with the secondary building) - unfortunately, I haven't painted the Death Guard army to go with it, aside from 40 Poxwalkers.

I own a Feculant Gnarlmaw, but it is still in box. At least when I get that one painted there are some Nurgle Daemons for it to be fielded with...

 Insectum7 wrote:
I've seen the Gnarlclaw used on someone else's table, but I have no idea if it was useful or not.

I've seen them used in Age of Sigmar to slingshot Plaugebearers across the table, but that's about it.

 BorderCountess wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
I've seen the Gnarlclaw used on someone else's table, but I have no idea if it was useful or not.

I've seen them used in Age of Sigmar to slingshot Plaugebearers across the table, but that's about it.

I remember seeing them used in AoS to make slow armies super-sonic. I didn't realize they were considered bad in 40k, but I don't face anything Nurgle-y very often.

They were amazing in 8th.
Then they got bad. They’re not atrocious these days-but they’re definitely a last pick.