Gargolyes Numbers?

[tylertt]

In everyones experience with Gargolyes, what size unit(s) work best to make them worth fielding? In regards to screening, or any other techniques they may be used for?

I am debating on getting them, or buying some more zoans, hive guard, or saving for another terv.

[Jabberwocky]

I used to run 20. Less doesn't last long but more is hard to play with.

[halos]

20 seems the sweet spot for me, they're as fragile as gants so small broods are obviously out. But the wings and flying stands take up more space than gants, not to mention they're a pain to move around, so max broods take up too much space.

Plus with 20 you can invest in upgrades for a reasonable cost. 20-40pts is often easy to throw in at the end of a list to turn a screen into a viable threat to your opponent.

[roxor08]

I agree with 20. However, 20 rarely makes it to combat so I don't upgrade them. If you run 30 you could easily justify upgrades because they WILL make it to combat.

Ultimately, I find 20 gargs doesn't negatively affect my list while giving me a simple screening unit. If it makes it to combat thats just a plus....but you'll want to supplement their combat power otherwise it's just a speed bump

[rpricew]

Two ways to think about it: What is their primary purpose?

Are they your dedicated CC unit designed to strike quick and hard and have the numbers to sustain combat through multiple turns? 30 Strong with full upgrades = 240

or..

Are they a cheap threatening unit that provides cover saves to more killy units? 10 strong is only 80 points

I have a friend that runs dual Tervigons with Catalyst and (2) 30 man Broods of Gargoyles with TS/AG. They are his primary CC weapon to take out infantry and any vehicle that's RA10. He backs them up with Devilgants & Hive Guard and he recently took 4th in a local 1750 Tournament against some good players.

Another friend runs (2) 10 man broods with TS/AG screening big (20-25) broods of Hormagaunts. The Gargoyles are a distraction, but because they are poisoned/Furious Charged, they are a threat that can't be ignored...therefore they draw fire from other units. The Hormagaunts are the real workers of this list, but without the Gargoyles, they would never reach combat and do their job.

For those of you who run 20... I haven't figured out their magic at that number and it just doesn't work for me or anyone in my area...

[thatnidguy]

Look at it this way , they cut the range of fire to the rest of your troops . They are shock troops . I run 60 if they make it yay ! If not my 60 hormaguants did

[tylertt]

Yeah I play DE very often and I find my MCs get taken down so fast I never ever get to use them lol.

I heard gargoyles make excellent screening units, and I think I may start off with a brood of at least 20 and see what happens!

[coredump]

As a screen: 10ish vanilla

As a combat unit: About 120 to 150 points worth.

One problem with very large units is trying to get them all into engagement.

[gigasnail]

yeah the wings are maddening to coordinate when they're in a swarm/murder/flock/whatever you call a group of gargoyles

[t⊗theark]

One thing to be said for enormous units of jump infantry is that they'll get a quite a bit of attention which is a very useful tool, especially if you ahve other winged units zooming arouns such as Hive Tyrants and Shrikes.

[Deadlink]

With the whole getting units to combat thing. A long long long time ago when I was but a wee little boy... A guy showed me his Gargoyle brood which he had cut the flying bases off to about half length. That way he could transport them eaiser and they could fit into a nice unit all snug without so much of a gap.

_ _ _
[ - [- [


The Hyphen is teh gargoyle that is cut in half So they fit inbetween meainging more units get into combat.

But this might make screening harder... Maybe.
This was about a week ago so I might be able to catch him in the store ask him if ithas affected his Screening.

Deadlink97~

[WestRider]

Another point about using Gargoyles as Combat Units. If you don't try to use them as a Screen at the same time, a lot more of them will make it across the table. Run them up one side of the board or something, and they draw much less fire.

Or take a Brood of 10-15 Vanilla as a Screen and a Brood of 20 or so tooled up behind them to do the actual damage. Or something like that.

They just don't often work very well trying to be both a Screen and a Combat Unit in the same Game.

[Squire]

I'm going to use 10 as a screen for a carnifex. I don't expect them to do anything offensively worthwhile on their own. They can screen then soak up overwatch later

[bigpig]

Depending on opponents I've gone down as low as 13 to 15. I typically use gargoyles as a screening unit to get my MCs some cover on the first turn. Any smaller and they are fodder for First Blood. I'm not sure what it is about gargs but people shoot at them first every time. They are an incredibly effective Wild Weasel and you should go into it with that in mind.

As mentioned, more than 20 and the footprint is way too big depending on what else you have on the table. If you run decent sized units of other things that take up board space you'll find yourself clogging up yiour movement lanes very quickly.

[DukeMantis]

Ive tried gargs both as a combat unit and a screen, they can work nicely as others have said. I like 1 - 2 units of 15 with upgrades for combat, or 1 - 2 units of 10 vanilla for screening.

Totally agree with bigpig though - in certain scenario's your cheap screen of gargs is an easy way to give up first blood and a killpoint. You can make that back easy but just be aware it can happen quick with a few blasts. The only game of 6th ive lost was when this happened because the game had to stop at turn 2 and i was behind on KP due to this

bigpig whats a Wild Weasel i like the sound of that