Units of 16 Genestealers?

[hivefleetbombus]

I'm seeing a lot of lists featuring units of 16 Genestealers instead of the full 20. I recognize that 16 is the threshold for a 4th Acid Maw, but I'm wondering why not just take the full 20 at that point? I feel like I'm missing an important strategic reason in the mission pack or something.

[infornography]

Not enough points to get to 20, so 16 is the next best thing?
Gives roughly enough bodies to reach combat with 10 or more intact without much overkill?

[yoritomo]

It could be points. It could also be that stealers come 8 to a box, so 16 would be two boxes of stealers.

[purestrain]

Combo of hiding 16 is easier than 20 and enough survive to keep Flurry of Claws.

[No One]

A unit of 16 does basically as well as a 20 man at what you want it to (i.e. not die to random chip and explode a unit, then you either overrun or die horribly): adding 4 stealers just increases the price and the footprint.

[kazetanade]

20 is overkill on almost everything you want to hit. With new buffs, 15-16 sit at a very nice spot. You can work with only 13, for a smaller threat that isn't overkill on more targets, but expends as much resources.

10 or less is just a big no.

[conquest]

Pretty much what the last two said; 20 is overkill for what your gonna be throwing them into anyway. 16 was just the number people come to if anything because its an even 208pts; when adding those big units into your list, most people tend to whittle down the genestealer squads first. At 13points per model it makes a lot of space just removing four models from your list. Thats 52pts to play with.

Sidenote: I have found success of two 7x man squads for scoring ROD. That was before leviathan supplement though. Im running a single 16x man now.

[No One]

16 specifically is because of acid maws. Raveners just do on board RoD better, as do horms really.

[kazetanade]

16 is for acid maws - I use 15 for a clean 60A consideration.

Ref hormagants - Genestealers have the same rough durability but nearly x2 the damage. Hormagants utility is mostly in its pile in or conso, otherwise just use genestealera.

[jesper77]

Nov 16, 2021 8:43:14 GMT kazetanade said:

20 is overkill on almost everything you want to hit. With new buffs, 15-16 sit at a very nice spot. You can work with only 13, for a smaller threat that isn't overkill on more targets, but expends as much resources.

10 or less is just a big no.

Perfectly summed up