Malanthrope - Singles or Broods

[Jabberwocky]

So guys I'm strongly considering building one or more of these (I have 2 metal Ymgarl heads I never used that might look quite cool) from the Flyrant kit.

My question is, would I be better running them as singles to cover a bigger area, or running them as a pair to leap frog for wound allocation, since they are so resilient?

I can easily free up the elite spots through multiple cad, so that's not an issue for me.

As a further question, is one enough anyway and should I save my money? Where would you draw the line?

[gigasnail]

i'm running a single venom and a single malanthrope at 1750. haven't got to play any of the four lists i'm looking at yet.

yes, i am teh fail.

[coredump]

Totally depends on your list and how you are going to use them. (and a little on the enemy list)

I am currently assuming that they will be 'hard enough' to kill that my enemy may skip them to go after the actual threats. (unlike venoms, which are easy targets) I expect them to be fairly low target priority....

[cyaneye]

It's a tough call, to be honest. If you take at least two, you can take advantage of their free regeneration by alternating which malanthrope is in front. It doesn't cover as much area, but it creates a durable, redundant support unit for only 20 points more than a dakkafex.

Then again, you also dont want to sink too many points into the unit as well, or else every demolisher cannon within a 3 table radius will be aimed at those 'thropes

[jaysic]

I think in a 1850 list you want two bubbles. I haven't ran 2 yet myself, but my buddy did at gencon. These things are really hard to kill, and I'd rather have them spread to avoid wound allocation bleeding through overwhelming fire power / ID / S10 weapons.

Of course, you could run multiple broods...but the points start to get nuts.

Now to wish my malanthropes would ship faster....

[nameless]

How did you use them before?

When I took two Venoms, they were always in separate units. Once may stay in the backfield and one up with the main force moving forward. For me, I'd only need to add in one and leave the other a venomthrope.

The one moving up would be more than double the toughness of a single venomthrope and the single venom often worked 'well enough'.

[Jabberwocky]

I usually run 2 venomthropes as a unit to have one out of sight and the other stretching out toward units, though I took 2 seperate ones today and they worked fine.

I guess I'll start with 1, see how well it survives, then add a second either to the same brood or separately depending how survivable they turn out to be.

[nameless]

Yeah, that's what I'd do.

By the time that frontline one dies (lets say T3-ish assuming a 2+ cover for T1 and T2), the shrouding bubble will probably be less useful as your army starts to scatter to go after units or objectives.

[Yautja]

Surely you'd want the Malanthropes separate? CAD allowing. More Synapse/Shrouded satellites the better.

[Jabberwocky]

I'm just paranoid about first blood if they don't turn out to be that survivable. They're not exactly easily hidden and my opponents will be pretty quick to spot their support value.

[Yautja]

Should take a fair bit of firepower to finish one off, so if it's dead, your other nasties should be (comparatively) fine.

[Hive Bahamut]

You are playing Tyranids. First blood doesn't usually happen, and as soon as I started accepting this all the better my Thropes were. Having 4-6 Single Thropes is really a lot of overkill for most units shooting.

I would split up any day, and accept the versatility gained as an offset to a secondary objective I might have got 2 times since the release of sixth.

First blood is stupid, and just further promotes shooting since you can't assault anything the first turn. If playing an assault oriented or even based list it removes your ability to get it. Now Grey Knights have even more turn 1 deep strike. Sigh..

[Jabberwocky]

I get first blood in most of my games to be honest. Shrouded in cover and potentially night fighting stealth for 2+ cover almost everywhere.

I don't run many small units other than those that deepstrike. I try and hide a Venomthrope out of sight to keep the unit alive.

Now I've started messing with the heirodule things are even easier.

[daboarder]

Throw down another vote for 2 singles

[Freeman]

I've only tried one single one and he has survived just fine.

On this basis I'd go two seperate to give the option to split forces a bit.