Are Hormagaunts still usable?

[squidy]

The thing hormagaunts do well is getting a lot of attacks in. I give mine toxin sacs and try to cripple the enemy (with paroxysm, enfeeble or whatever) in order for the hormagaunts to slaughter the foe and not take much in return. I also find venomthropes very useful for them. That way, they don't get slowed by difficult terrain when moving at the enemy. Also, the swarmlord does well because he can give them ferious charge and enfeeble the target.

[gloomfang]

I run my hormigaunts naked and in a block of 20. I tend to use them as a screen moving forward to give cover saves and to take overwatch for my SL. I used to give them AG, but now I just use the SL to give them FC. Keep them cheap and disposable and don't count on them really killing anything is the best way to use them. Make good tarpits and light transport killers if you can give them FC though. They can be really tough to kill if there is a venomthrope behind them.

[notanoob]

Oct 16, 2012 4:37:08 GMT spawnling said:

...I slammed into a squad of thousand sons 30 strong because my opponet didn't realize they could travel 20 inches (14"-24")...

Isn't their assault range 6"+2D6" like everyone else, for a maximum movement of 18"?

[wolvesoffenris]

yes, their maximum charge distance is 18 inches, they cannot assault 20 inches in a single turn. Gargoyles can assault that far, so maybe the poster was referring to a Gargoyle unit.

[N.I.B.]

12" move + 2D6" charge = 24" maximum distance.

[wolvesoffenris]

Hormagaunts only move 6" since they are not beasts, bikes, cavalry, or jump infantry. Gargoyles can move 12" as they are jump infantry. So the max charge range for a Hormagaunt is 18" and the max charge range for a Gargoyle is 24".

[biomassbob]

Yeah I'd like to see hormagaunts return to the 12" move (modify bounding leap for the reason) and not be beasts so they can go up ruins. Even with the fleet rerolls I find my nid army seems slow and sluggish on the tabletop. I played a game a few days ago vs BT and my run rolls for everyone (with rerolls) was 1 or 2 inches except the hormaguants which got a 5 on the turn. That was turn 2 - the first turn was not much better with lots of 1s and 2s along with a couple 3s/4s (hormagaunts). I find my trygons have a tendency to run poorly. I know its just some bad luck, but on top of other nid issues the army just does not move quickly towards the enemy. I would like to see dedicated, fearless CC units that do nothing but run wildly towards the enemy get some kind of bonus on the run roll. Maybe D3+3" so that they always run 4-6" to show that they are running headlong towards the enemy, pushed by the will of the Hive Mind, with no concern but to get their claws and teeth into the enemy regardless of the enemy fire. Just seems more fluffy to me for what should be fast CC units (hormagaunts, raveners, trygons).

[bugpunk]

As I love my bugs, that would be way overpowered dude. :/

[biomassbob]

But would it be? Right now many nid players will state that many of our bugs are overpriced, such as hormagaunts (especially with upgrades), trygons, etc. Fleet currently allows rerolls of run rolls so it is likely that, for example, a ravener, trygon or hormagaunt (all with fleet) would get a decent run number anyway, barring bad rolls. Allowing these units, what I am terming fast CC units, to have D3 + 3 for run just ensures they are moving fast (I guess hormies wouldn't need bounding leap - forgot about that), but not faster then they probably will anyways.

So how is this OP in any way? A trygon rolls for run and gets a 4,5 or 6 - great. Or gets a low number and re-rolls and maybe has a 4,5 or 6 on reroll. With D3 +3 the trygon always runs 4-6" which it may anyways. Not OP and still on overpriced units that should be adjusted by GW (overpriced for what they provide or with their upgrades/weaknesses) - hormagaunt upgrades are pricey, ravener very vulnerable to all shooting and particularly str8+ shooting and no access to adrenal glands/toxin sacs, trygon just overpriced and tunnel but paid for and needs adjusting.

Forgot about bounding leap. I guess with that hormies don't need any help running. I just wish hormagaunts got the 12" move back that they had (with ability to go up ruins).

[Illithid]

Oct 20, 2012 15:48:52 GMT biomassbob said:

Yeah I'd like to see hormagaunts return to the 12" move (modify bounding leap for the reason) and not be beasts so they can go up ruins.

Beasts can go up ruins in 6th Ed.

[pom611]

I agree with this. hormagaunts should go back to being beasts to get them moving faster this would make them worth there current points. at least as they wouldn't be slowed by terrain. I also think the trygon should have beast added as a sub category there giant raveners that move slower than there smaller counterparts...

[DukeMantis]

Getting away from hormies now but it would be cool if Trygon/Trygon Prime could join units of raveners and they all move at similar speed, or even be able to deepstrike together via tunnel *dreamland*

I love hormies, but they do get shot to pieces if your not crafty or good with target saturation, in my last game 26 got wiped out in one volley of burna boyz shooting. Truth be told that was my own mistake, but still

In my next game im going to try outflanking 30 of them as part of a synchronized backfield strike with ymgarls, trygons etc

[N.I.B.]

Oct 19, 2012 14:24:02 GMT wolvesoffenris said:

Hormagaunts only move 6" since they are not beasts, bikes, cavalry, or jump infantry. Gargoyles can move 12" as they are jump infantry. So the max charge range for a Hormagaunt is 18" and the max charge range for a Gargoyle is 24".

Ah, correct. I forget as I don't use them.

[groundpounder]

My $0.02 would be that in my first 6th ed game last night (1500 pts) I ran 16 hormies with toxin sacs (128 pts). Moved up a flank and when my dakka flyrant popped a truck, the gaunts were there to jump on the mega nob squad that got out. Killed 3 and tied them up. Next turn killed 1 before last couple got squashed by power claws (160 points damage) plus they tied them up until the spawned tervigants could then start piling in. Three rolls of spawning 4+5+6, 3+4+5, 4+6+6. :-) Those nobs were stuck for good. And it as an objective game.