Sporocyst Impressions?

[hiveminded]

I'm intrigued by the Sporocyst as a unit.  I'm interested to hear if anyone has gotten in a few games with the sporocyst and whether you came away with any strong impressions? How did you use it (backfield synapse booster, forward infiltrating unit, etc.)? Was it effective?

[Yautja]

Can't say I've seen much commentary on this unit at all. Appears to have been greatly overshadowed by the pod.

I see it being useful infiltrated right on top of a midfield objective. It's so big enemy models won't be able to get close enough to contest. I'd give it VCs so it's firing away from turn 1.

[eskimo]

As above are my thoughts. I really like the idea of it in non comp games. Though it's heavy support right? Which hinders it a lot. It seems fun and by turn 3 it'll have 9 spore mines too. What's the stats on the Mucolid? I know it's S8 ap3. It just seems a fun unit to use.

I suppose you could use it on the opposite flank of your army for annoyance and minor board control. It is technically fairly cheap at 100 points, with swarm killing potential. Though it's $$$ cost is still a large factor here

[phayze]

infiltrating onto an objective and letting loose swarms of spores? perfect. not many people are going to be walking near that tower to assault it if there are bombs everywhere.

place objectives in ruins a few inches from a corner with no LoS, infiltrate your sporocyst onto that objective, then T1 spawn a mucoloid. in ruins for 2+ save, troops choice holding the objective with objective secured, no room to assault it, have to munch through a 2+ cover tower spewing mines on the other side of it to GET TO the objective.

i thing i will rework my lists into having 345 points open: 3 sporocysts, 3 mucoloids, adding in one of my flyrants and then taking a second detachment.

[sockhands]

Mucolids have the Living Bomb rule and therefore don't score or get Objective Secured.

Still though, I plan on running one of these. I usually run LAN, so I don't end up maxing out HS anyway. 100 pts seems like a steal.

[phayze]

AAAH I missed that... darnit... still the tower has the objective and theres a nasty surprise on the other side of it!

[hiveminded]

The one problem I see with sticking the sporocyte in a corner of the board is that you'd likely be wasting the psychic resonator ability. My thought would be to infiltrate it right out into the middle of the board on an objective.

Its five guns would then all have targets, also the spores would have targets. Your opponent would be forced to deal with it while you move your other forces up the board. While it's alive, it would be giving nice LOS blocking terrain for your other troops and adding 6" range to all your midfield synapse units.

I want to build one and play it, but I'm not sure I want to forego building a Tyrannocyte in order to build a Sporocyte....I only have one box and likely won't be funding more until after Christmas =(.

[luke1705]

Nov 16, 2014 16:27:28 GMT hiveminded said:

The one problem I see with sticking the sporocyte in a corner of the board is that you'd likely be wasting the psychic resonator ability. My thought would be to infiltrate it right out into the middle of the board on an objective.

Its five guns would then all have targets, also the spores would have targets. Your opponent would be forced to deal with it while you move your other forces up the board. While it's alive, it would be giving nice LOS blocking terrain for your other troops and adding 6" range to all your midfield synapse units.

I want to build one and play it, but I'm not sure I want to forego building a Tyrannocyte in order to build a Sporocyte....I only have one box and likely won't be funding more until after Christmas =(.

As someone who has done it once and will do it again, I'd like to correct your statement. You definitely do want to forego BUILDING a Tyrannocyte. The Sporocyst literally is half as complicated. The question at hand is whether you can afford to forego FIELDING the Tyrannocyte

[akalice]

I was fond of taking three Sporos and infiltrating them into the closest cover along with a couple units of 'stealers. Granted it was against a somewhat newer Orks player, but those three with Venom Cannons plus producing mines in blockade lines kept him from even wanting to leave his deployment zone. Not likely competitive, but it was interesting to be able to do it.

[hiveminded]

Wall o' Sporocysts....interesting concept.

[phayze]

when we set up our boards i almost always have midfield objectives in ruins. its usually never a problem for me. if its off to the side of the board i dont mind either. if its THAT far out of the way from the action, it's almost a free objective for me then.

[hiveminded]

Interesting discussion. I think I am going to go against the grain and build my kit as a Sporocyst. The Tyrannocyte can get stuck in reserves for a couple turns, which I hate. Whereas, the Sporocyst will infiltrate during deployment.

I like the idea of putting additional midfield pressure on my opponent in turn 1 and adding range to my synapse network. Also, spore mines are fun and I want a muculoid spore model, damn it!

[free]

Am I missing something or isnt the landed pod (Sporocyst) and flying (Tyrannocyte) the same with the only difference being the top? Has anyone thought about just magnatizing the top and using both "poses"? (I like the landed one for pods so I can make Mucoloids). Would also make sense forr offloading the guys inside...

[hiveminded]

Well, I think the Tyrannocyte is supposed to be on a pedestal of tentacles, even when "landed". I'm just opening the box now, but I think those same pedestal tentacles are used to make the muculoid spore as part of the Sporocyst option. Of course, if you're OK not using the pedestal tentacles for the Tyrannocyte and having it rest on the ground, I see no reason why what you're suggesting won't work.

[javaman21011]

You'd run into problems if people complain that mounting the Tyrannocyte on the ground is modeling for your benefit, since doing that greatly reduces it's profile.