Carnifex Loadout

[cynicus]

Hey everyone, I recently bought a boatload of new models (finally getting started on building a proper 'Nid army), among them two carnifex kits.
Now, I want to put one of them together with 2x twin-linked devourers for obvious reasons, but this leaves the second kit.
Originally I intended to put him together with Crushing Claws and Scything Talons and give him the one-eyed regen head so he can double as Old One Eye, but I'm having doubts as I'm afraid my opponents will just turn him into so much mince from a distance once they realize he's a big point sink that only has a chance of earning his place once he's shuffled into combat.
What would be a good alternative? Obviously I can't give the second fex devourers too, since both sets are going to the first.

[ranmafan]

All is not lost - you can magnetize and convert your Carnifexes. Check out the Painting/Conversion forums (or just check my Hive Fleet link in my sig) for some great ideas - there's one that uses extra crushing claws to form double devourers.

Also - There is nothing stopping you from using a fex as OOE or a normal fex unless your local scene/tourney scene raises a stink over it, in which case... magnetize!

And if magnets don't work, Blue-tack!

Also - I'm hoping your local scene lets you actually proxy - build the fex sans arms, bluetack them in, and playtest. Nothing beats forming your own (informed) opinion of what you like and want to use.

Enjoy!

[Raven]

it's actually really easy to convert the deathspitters into devourers, but if you don't want to do that I'd say make it a screamer killer (double Scything Talons, Bioplasma) or a boomfex (Stranglethorn Cannon). I'd highly recommend magnetising them both, as it's a safe bet that we're getting a new codex next year and we have no idea what's gonna be the best loadouts when it comes around (I frankly wouldn't be surprised if they nerfed devourers to the point of uselessness now that I've gone through the trouble of converting them)

[nurglitch]

Being able to suck up firepower is a useful role in an army. Particularly with a 5+ Regenerate combined with Cover and Feel No Pain.

[warfrogger]

I am picking up a carnifex soon and I plan to magnetize both sets of scything talons and the crushing claws to switch between the two builds until the next codex is here.

[gman25639]

I use crushing claws an stranglethorn cannon. He works pretty well backing up my gaunts.

[cynicus]

I have no experience magnetizing, or any of the tools for that matter, and I just kind of like having a model be one solid piece where the arms don't don't fall off if it move it too quickly. Maybe that's silly, but it's just what i prefer for some reason.
The screamer-killer sounds cool, would that need frag spines to work? I'm inclined to think that a Fex doesn't really need the (rather expensive!) crushing claws to be effective in close combat. As for the boomfex, what would that have for the second set of arms? Scything Talons?
I suppose another possibility is to build both my fexes with stranglethorn cannons and devourers.

[gigasnail]

...you use rare-earth magnets. trust me, the arms don't fall off if you move it too quickly.

[nurglitch]

Use a washer inside the body, and then mount two small rare-earth magnets in the arm. That will provide sufficient points of contact so that the arms won't swing out of position.

Incidentally, all of my Carnifexen have Scything Talons and some other weapon. In 5th edition I just made them all to have Heavy Venom Cannons (after Barbed Stranglers in 4th), and keeping the Scything Talons and adding Adrenal glands and Frag Spines made them good enough in combat. The Adrenal Glands give them S10 on the charge for Instant Death on T5 and other applications, and Frag Spines meant that they usually kill Power Fists, Daemon Hammers, and other threatening weapon-wielding models first. These days I like to use one brood of two with Brainworm Devourers, and one with Heavy Venom Cannons. Originally, in 4th edition, the Scything Talons were an aesthetic choice, for the quadraped look, but in 5th they were really useful in making sure the Carnifexen actually hit when they charged. In 6th it still works out.

[gman25639]

Same here, never magnetized before either.

[infornography]

Magnetization works well, but restricts your options of poses. It is used to save money yet retain WYSIWYG versatility.

If you don't have much in the way of financial restriction, by all means, glue those arms in place, you can make much more dynamic and interesting models that way. But if you can't afford to buy another carnifex when the next edition comes along and wrecks your current build, then magnets are your friend.

[Raven]

Yeah, I magnetise because magnets + drill bit + green stuff costs much less than buying a brand new Carnifex/Hive Tyrant every time I want to use a different loadout.

[DukeMantis]

I started magnetizing when i began with my Tyranids. I cannot believe i made so many armies in the past without magnetizing. I wasted models and money, and also limited the range of loadouts i tried due to not being wysiwig.

I think the reason i didnt magnetize, or rebuked people who suggested it was that i was intimidated by the task, i was shy about asking someone to show me how to do it properly... maybe even i was just too lazy to try when i was younger. Now that i have started magnetizing i am alot happier with my models.

With a big expensive kit like a carnifex i cant imagine not magnetizing.

[Davor]

Apr 24, 2013 17:41:38 GMT cynicus said:

but I'm having doubts as I'm afraid my opponents will just turn him into so much mince from a distance once they realize he's a big point sink that only has a chance of earning his place once he's shuffled into combat.

Ahhhhhh, you are forgetting about the mind games. Is he really earning his place once he's shuffled into combat?

If they are shooting at the Carnifex, they ARE NOT SHOOTING at your HQ, or your troops or anyone else.

Remember who cares if the Carnifex doesn't "earn his points back". He can be a distraction unit. While a very expensive distraction unit, play him differently than trying to get him into CC. Or play to get him into CC. While he is getting into CC, he will be fired apon, while your other units are getting to their objectives.

[gigasnail]

a 200 point unit that dies in a turn of shooting isn't much of a distraction or mind game.