Using Crusher Stampede

[killercroc]

So the game group I'm in started up a 12 week narrative campaign for which I've decided to mix things up and run Crusher, in part because I like big bugs and big bugs are good... and less models to carry around and paint once winter ends (yes it's still winter here). So far I've found it to be very good, but that could be in part the lists I'm playing against don't have as much firepower to bring them down and is skewing my perspective of them. I've played two games so far, first against Black Templars and second against Eldar. Managed a win both games but that game against Eldar was rough! Won that due to objective cards in my favor and some close call armor saves for my big bugs. The Black Templar player only had two big gun units; Repulsor and a Gladiator, The Eldar player didn't have any big tanks but had 5 Bright Lances and 2 Missile launchers spread out in his army with plenty of other big guns and ways to buff his units so he still dropped my monsters fast. But in the end my monsters have still been working very well for me and I was looking to get some more however wasn't sure what really to add into the list or use for substitutions. At 1500 points I have a Hive Tyrant, Maleceptor, 2 Exocrine & 2 Screamer killers. I'm working on adding a few more Carnifex in but to be honest their datasheet does seem a little dull compared to our other monsters (Could just be to push sales for other units since everyone already has plenty of fex)... but I have a Old One Eye, 2 Screamers, 2 Magnetized, 2 Dakkafex, 3 Venom/Deathspitter gunfex and another 3 more to build... so I'd still like to actually get a chance to use all my Fex!

What has everyone elses results been with Crusher Stampede? Have you found any really nice combos and certain big bugs are best for it? I'd like to see how other have been faring and what I can do to modify my list and give a few better options for if and when I step from narrative to more competitive games.

[mattblowers]

I tried, but I just can't make it work. If they focus down one bug at a time they completely work around your ability. I wanted it to be good. It just isn't but some of the strats are OK. Even if you want to play nidzilla you are better off going other routes.

[killercroc]

That is the big issue I see with it as well it's a very strong yet situational ability. Luckily in my games they didn't focus fire enough or I made some saves to actually get the ability to kick off. It all depends how much heavy firepower they have, in my first game he just had enough to damage not kill, in the second he was able to focus fire an Exocrine and Screamer killer both and kill them in one phase, but not enough of them in each phase! Lost a big bug a turn for turns 1-3, after that I killed off enough he lost the ability to finish them off. A screamer killer with 2 wounds left is a dangerous thing! So I think it may be I'm having a lot of luck with my games so far making it so I use the ability, so I do see how maybe the same army in another detachment style may work out a bit better.

The stratagems in it I think are all very nice but usually situational, I pretty much just end up using the Salvo, Rampage and Scream strats every turn. The issue here is in essence every stratagem are pretty much offensive, I feel one defensive one or a heavy regen strat would make a lot more sense here.

[trashcan01]

Thanks for writing this. I'm about to play Stampede and I'm mentally preparing for a loss.
I won't go down without a fight, tho.

[killercroc]

Mar 26, 2024 19:46:48 GMT trashcan01 said:

Thanks for writing this. I'm about to play Stampede and I'm mentally preparing for a loss.
I won't go down without a fight, tho.

It's not the strongest option we have that's for sure, but I figured for a narrative campaign it's a better environment for the weaker options. It can also do fairly well in lower point games, more points have to be used on leaders, their squad, stuff to hold objectives too. So the overall potential for mass amounts of heavy weapons is much lower. For Tyranids its a very nice looking thematic army, you may end up taking a loss but you're sure to have a very interesting game!

Always best to go down swinging! If you lose but butcher an opponents army it's still pretty fun.

[princeyg]

What points are you playing?

My experience with crusher stampede is that is actually pretty good at 1000pts (and pretty darn great in crusade games), but pretty bad at anything over 1500.I suspect this is due to smaller games having less anti-tank available so 3 single fex and 2 screamer killers are an actual threat whereas approaching 2000pts it becomes really difficult to keep your big bugs alive.

I'm generally fine with this one being more of a narrative game detachment though, most of the others are decent enough for matched play.

As a quick aside? Does anyone else on this forum play crusade a lot? or just me

[killercroc]

I'm currently running my list at 1500, With the codex changes and everything what I use to bring at 2k doesn't really work anymore so have to buy/build a few more things before I pick the list up.

I figure as much as well, low points levels is great for Crusher, not much anti-monster and in general not too many tough units either. Tyranid heavy anti-tank is fairly weak I fell, there are some heavy hitters but they are very expensive and don't put out near the damage similar costing units in other codexes do. Narrative does seem best for it really.

The campaign I'm in now is pseudo crusade, similar rules but toned back upgrades so units don't get terribly powerful.

[creatureboi]

I can’t really comment on how well crusher stampede works as I’ve never actually used it but to me it doesn’t look great. The enhancements are mostly junk and the stratagems are situational. They’re mostly aimed at improving damage output but don’t help with our real issues which are survivability and actually getting into combat/shooting range in the first place. It looks like a fun concept but every time I’ve tried to put a monster mash list together I get the feeling that it would just be better in an invasion fleet or synaptic nexus detachment

[killercroc]

I have noticed the the issue with it having situational Strats and lack of defensive ones. It's pretty much an "everything looks like a nail" and Carnifex are hammers, sort of army. However, we have plenty long range bugs so getting shots isn't an issue I'd say. No mans land is only 24" across, no matter the deployment style. The worst range one is short table edges so your opponent can deploy units further back since they have a 24" deep deployment zone, but that's the only one that makes getting shots challenging. Some big bugs have shorter range weapons true, but they all move at least 8" so it's not a massive handicap. Big thing is to not over extend yourself to try and get in range T1 and leave yourself out of cover and within retaliation range of your opponents list. Getting into combat is a little trickery, but I swear every game I've had so far the opponent comes to me, so T2/3 charges are so common. The list and stratagems makes you want to have a mix of combat and shooting, but shift more to the melee side if you can. If you want pure shooting bugs then yeah the other detachments are better, but Crusher does sort of give an all round sort of build to it. With proper terrain set up so LoS isn't all over and a bit of lucky dice it should be able to handle itself no issue!

[purestrain]

Never bring carnifex, they're a trap.

[killercroc]

Apr 5, 2024 22:01:53 GMT purestrain said:

Never bring carnifex, they're a trap.

I've kind of realized that after a few games, for their points they just don't swing nearly hard enough to actually do much good. I'm still bringing them but that's just because I have so many Carnifex I want to field them all darn it! I'd like to try out the Haruspex if I can get my hands on any of them, they don't swing as hard but they get so many more attacks, higher T and more W for the same number of points as a basic fex. There is the Psychophage too but... idk about anyone else but I look at its stats and think it's just a horribly bad unit. Even a FnP aura isn't worth it on that thing, it can't hardly do any damage against most targets.

[mattblowers]

Apr 5, 2024 22:01:53 GMT purestrain said:

Never bring carnifex, they're a trap.

I've had them be OK. I run them up the table pretending to be a threat and they take the heat. Distraction carnifex at it's finest. I feel that the haruspex do the same job but better. In the end, something has to score you some points and having too many distractions just means you lose.

[purestrain]

Not only that, but they can never gain the benefit of the detachement for two reasons.

1. They are an even numbered unit so you can never go under half strength.

2. Even with OOE, if he dies or they do they go back to being their original number so they can never be below half.

Exocrine output and augment ranged damage way better than they can make it into melee double talloned, even with their extra movement.

[killercroc]

Apr 11, 2024 2:03:49 GMT purestrain said:

Not only that, but they can never gain the benefit of the detachement for two reasons.

1. They are an even numbered unit so you can never go under half strength.

2. Even with OOE, if he dies or they do they go back to being their original number so they can never be below half.

Exocrine output and augment ranged damage way better than they can make it into melee double talloned, even with their extra movement.

I noticed as well, which is why taking single screamer killers is way better than dual scythe fex. Not to mention that just base stats and ability wise the SK is a far better fex variant (Assume designed as such to push sales, I just use my old SK models for it)

I was thinking possibly taking some Dakkafex to see how they do, pump out enough shots to be a threat to smaller infantry. And once damaged they become even better. I've seen some people mention taking them Deathspitter, less shots but more AP so might be worth a try!

OOE looks nice but yeah he doesn't work for crusher unless he's on his own, or his bodyguard fex die and he takes some wounds. I'm not sure about running him solo, seems to easy to kill.

And yeah, Exocrine out-damage melee fex just by the factor that they're pumping out shots T1 from the back line. I was looking at it more like "3 Exocrine are really good damage, but bringing 3 seems a bit cheesey" But really seeing how most other players field their lists I should even care at this point. GK player with 6 Nemisis, Eldar player spamming jet bikes and fire prisms, Guard player spamming tanks (and I mean like, list is 80% tanks with only 2 infantry squads), DG player spamming blight haulers and taking Morty even as low as 1k points so... maybe I should!

[purestrain]

Apr 11, 2024 14:26:34 GMT killercroc said:

Apr 11, 2024 2:03:49 GMT purestrain said:

Not only that, but they can never gain the benefit of the detachement for two reasons.

1. They are an even numbered unit so you can never go under half strength.

2. Even with OOE, if he dies or they do they go back to being their original number so they can never be below half.

Exocrine output and augment ranged damage way better than they can make it into melee double talloned, even with their extra movement.

I noticed as well, which is why taking single screamer killers is way better than dual scythe fex. Not to mention that just base stats and ability wise the SK is a far better fex variant (Assume designed as such to push sales, I just use my old SK models for it)

I was thinking possibly taking some Dakkafex to see how they do, pump out enough shots to be a threat to smaller infantry. And once damaged they become even better. I've seen some people mention taking them Deathspitter, less shots but more AP so might be worth a try!

OOE looks nice but yeah he doesn't work for crusher unless he's on his own, or his bodyguard fex die and he takes some wounds. I'm not sure about running him solo, seems to easy to kill.

And yeah, Exocrine out-damage melee fex just by the factor that they're pumping out shots T1 from the back line. I was looking at it more like "3 Exocrine are really good damage, but bringing 3 seems a bit cheesey" But really seeing how most other players field their lists I should even care at this point. GK player with 6 Nemisis, Eldar player spamming jet bikes and fire prisms, Guard player spamming tanks (and I mean like, list is 80% tanks with only 2 infantry squads), DG player spamming blight haulers and taking Morty even as low as 1k points so... maybe I should!

I always bring at least two, then when tfex points fell off the map I bring two of them as my main backfield firing deck, although I'm still torn between acid spray and fbh, the Hive actually gains things and doesn't need the Detachment to function, but does extremely well when injured.