Need Spore Mine/Biovore advice

[Nightgaunt]

I'm just starting Tyranids and I love spore mines and biovores, but I'm not really sure how to use them. For biovores, when I miss and place a spore mine, is it just a matter of dropping it somewhere least convenient for my enemy, and try to force them to move into it or waste a move shooting it?

For Spore Mines as a unit, I'm just clueless how to use them, where to float them down, etc.

[autoxidation]

Use them to restrict enemy movement. Don't charge with them because then your opponent gets to overwatch and a single shot will likely kill them.

Just use their 3" move plus a D6" advance to get them within 3" of an enemy model. Then it explodes at the end of the charge phase.

[gigasnail]

^this.

[killercroc]

Short of waiting to get them into explode range as posted above, putting them somewhere to block enemy movement is really important. You do not have to place all 3 together so you can set them up in different spots which is nice. More than once I've put them blocking a unit from moving forward and other units from getting into flamer distance from my genestealers as they still have to stay 1" away from them. Try in your next game just putting them where your opponent has to deal with them, sure they may be easy to kill but blocking movement before they can be shot down is key.

[rroach]

I am pro Spore Mines.

Float them down to block movement for assault units or fast moving units.

Assaulting with them is fine, just wait for the unit to get tied up first. Their explosion doesn't affect you at all.

[kazetanade]

What movement are you blocking with a 12" minimum distance away from the enemy? Anything that moves more than 12 has Fly and completely ignores them.

[rroach]

> What movement are you blocking with a 12" minimum distance away from the enemy?

Bikes. Any of the units that can use the new CP spend of Move+Advance+Charge mechanics. Transports that are carrying assault units or heavy duty weapon units. With their 3" Movement and 3" explosion range, those units have to stay 6" away to force a charge from the Spore Mines.

Units that move 12" or less can't use their full movement, or risk taking Mortal Wounds.

There are basically 3 outcomes. 1: They ignore the mines and move their full movement. Spore Mines deal 5/6th a Mortal Wound for 10 points each. 2: They shoot at the Spore Mines, trying to eliminate the unit, diverting shots from your other more expensive units. 3: They try to go around and get in their own way.

>Anything that moves more than 12 has Fly and completely ignores them.

True. But again, they have to be able to move 18" at a minimum to get past the SP and force the SP to Charge, and 24" away to be absolutely safe if the SP Advance, 30" to be absolutely safe if they don't Advance but do Charge. By this time, they're so close that even Fleshborers are in range. And SP have Fly, so they can threaten everything.

All of that for 60 points for a max squad. SIXTY POINTS. Does not require Synapse or take Morale Checks. I can't think of anything else that we have that will cause that much chaos for so little. If Spore Mines were expensive, they'd be (please do not swear) on toast. If they didn't deal Mortal Wounds, they'd be (please do not swear) on toast. If they didn't DS, they'd be (please do not swear) on toast.

I have wounded Knights, whittled down Berzerkers, killed HQs, prevented Deep Striking units from landing where they needed to be, given my opponent headaches when their first round of shooting at them didn't do anything, diverted Lascannon shots, etc, all with Spore Mines. They are tiny models and easily forgotten. Have them Charge first, then Genestealers. If they die to Overwatch, who cares? If they get into Combat, the Genestealers don't risk Overwatch. Send them in second, deal more Mortal Wounds.

New players ignore them, cautious players avoid them, good players will account for them when deploying. All of those options work in your favor.

[gigasnail]

Bikes and transports would be the big ones, yeah. Big models like maulerfiends, defilers, knights. Sure they're easy to punch holes in but as shooting is after movement, it's a bigger deal than it might seem. Easily deleted but you still have to put the shots in to do it.

[rpricew]

Meiotoc Spores from FW are awesome for messing with your opponent's that have 1st turn shenanigans or deep striking alpha armies. They get placed anywhere more than 12" away from enemy models after all units have been setup, but before first turn and can block a huge amount of space for deep strikers.

[killercroc]

That might be the best way to use the Meiotocs, instead of trying to hit anything with them use them as a buffer. I do not know their points but if they can be set up anywhere on the battlefield more than 12" away from opponents put them in the midfield making it impossible for your opponent to place anything within 9" of your main army. That alone should be worth the points as it makes things like terminators and drop pods massively less effective for first turn shock and awe.

[rroach]

And just to re-emphasize:

Sixty. Points.

[kazetanade]

I dont see it for bikes. Only White Scars can move + advance + charge, and the chaos equivalent; who else can? Its not difficult to move off the side by an inch. There is absolutely no fear of spore mines exploding in their face on their turn because every weapon in the game splitfires and it only takes a single twinned bolter from a bike to kill it.

Granted you can stop a charge by making them move around the unit, maybe because that extra 1" or so is enough to make them fail the charge. I dont think it will be a big deal most of the time.

Granted they can deny deepstrikers a lot of ground. Thats their biggest benefit in my opinion. But if you go 2nd? Well the alphastrike isnt going to care about your spore mines coming down after they wreck face.

They're also 20 points per model now. For reference, a genestealer is 12. A warrior is 20.

[rroach]

Mucolids are 20, Spore Mines are 10.

[blackrainbow]

These are why I love biovores so much. Hit, meh. But miss! Oh my. Also good at shooting giant blobs. Hit and wound, sure sure. But a miss and I'm putting them that 3" behind that blob near that character your protecting.

[gigasnail]

Aug 14, 2017 1:45:22 GMT kazetanade said:

I dont see it for bikes. Only White Scars can move + advance + charge, and the chaos equivalent; who else can? Its not difficult to move off the side by an inch. There is absolutely no fear of spore mines exploding in their face on their turn because every weapon in the game splitfires and it only takes a single twinned bolter from a bike to kill it.

Granted you can stop a charge by making them move around the unit, maybe because that extra 1" or so is enough to make them fail the charge. I dont think it will be a big deal most of the time.

Granted they can deny deepstrikers a lot of ground. Thats their biggest benefit in my opinion. But if you go 2nd? Well the alphastrike isnt going to care about your spore mines coming down after they wreck face.

They're also 20 points per model now. For reference, a genestealer is 12. A warrior is 20.

it doesn't *stop* them, it makes them waste a turn assaulting or shooting (please do not swear) and just generally getting in the way.