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spinegaunts cost half as much AND start in escalation. If you want them to be fats you can always give them scuttlers which can work well in numbers as the opp has very little time to react.
SPinegaunts vs hormgaunts U DECIDE
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You don't take one or the other, you know. Spinegaunts are cannon fodder, while hormagaunts are essentially the line infantry of your army. Spinegaunts can be used to hold an enemy in place while your hormagaunt tide charges. The best Tyranid armies I've fought are ones that find a good balance between different kinds of gaunts, including Gargoyles, which are mean little bastards.
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mmm on base points spineguants win over, they have will get 2 shots and an extra attack over the hormagaunt. But making them S4 will cost you more than a S4 HG. Also they lack that all important 12" charge. Been able to charge at least 19" across the board in a single turn is far better than 2 spineguants IMO. You wanna get into CC quick yeah.
So they don't start on the board in escalation, niether does a lot of your more juicey CC units (by this i mean tyrants and raveners). Been a turn or so late is no biggie as they move so quick. Having scuttling spineguants means they are goning to be so far ahead of the 2nd, and better CC wave in escalation Hthat they are gonna get broken down before they do anything.
Anyway if you really wanna go with guant horde then your spinegaunts should read Termaguants. Pts for Pts spinegaunts are only marginally (talking 0.something) better than termaguants vs MEQ. But they are worse vs anything that has a lower/higher save and cannot get cheeky AV10 glances.
Also while on this subject - Gargoyles. By far the best guant option in the codex. Cost as much as an S4 Hormagaunt BUT: they move quicker than anyother guants (12" base move plus fleet), have a fleshborer (see above), get 2 S3 attacks in CC (so as good as any spine/termgaunt) but also have bioplasma for a I8 S4 attack. So in all in a single turn they can effectively dish out 2 S4 and 2 S3 attacks. Not bad for 12pts.
Ohh yeah and they are Ld10 so don't need to worry as much about lack of syanpse.
So they don't start on the board in escalation, niether does a lot of your more juicey CC units (by this i mean tyrants and raveners). Been a turn or so late is no biggie as they move so quick. Having scuttling spineguants means they are goning to be so far ahead of the 2nd, and better CC wave in escalation Hthat they are gonna get broken down before they do anything.
Anyway if you really wanna go with guant horde then your spinegaunts should read Termaguants. Pts for Pts spinegaunts are only marginally (talking 0.something) better than termaguants vs MEQ. But they are worse vs anything that has a lower/higher save and cannot get cheeky AV10 glances.
Also while on this subject - Gargoyles. By far the best guant option in the codex. Cost as much as an S4 Hormagaunt BUT: they move quicker than anyother guants (12" base move plus fleet), have a fleshborer (see above), get 2 S3 attacks in CC (so as good as any spine/termgaunt) but also have bioplasma for a I8 S4 attack. So in all in a single turn they can effectively dish out 2 S4 and 2 S3 attacks. Not bad for 12pts.
Ohh yeah and they are Ld10 so don't need to worry as much about lack of syanpse.
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137 Posts
Yeah Gargolyes are awesome - shame the models are just pants. Dont they also have the option of deepstriking?
I think the debate of hormagaunts vs spinegaunt really depends on what army you play. If you want a big swarm then both probably but if you go large on the TMCs (like me), then spinegaunts are probably the better buy due to the cheapness and thier lack of speed enables them to stay in synapse longer (unless you take lots of synapse which most ppl dont due to carnies being Ld10 and not really needing the cover.
I think the debate of hormagaunts vs spinegaunt really depends on what army you play. If you want a big swarm then both probably but if you go large on the TMCs (like me), then spinegaunts are probably the better buy due to the cheapness and thier lack of speed enables them to stay in synapse longer (unless you take lots of synapse which most ppl dont due to carnies being Ld10 and not really needing the cover.
When given scuttlers, your spinegaunts will often start around 18-19 inches away. if you go first U then get your normal 6" move + your fleet move. this means most of your units will be around 10" away in range for a charge on the second turn. If you go first then your opp has the decision to shoot your spinegaunts or be charged. This can often mean that things like stealers, warriors etc are less likely to come under fire.
umm gargoyles get 1 fleshborer shot not 2 and i rather take termagaunts str 4 shots than spinegaunts str 3 shots wow termagaunts are one more point but they can kill light vehicles and mow down light infantry such as gaurdians or IG
above all i prefer hormagaunts they are a key point to my army combined with 6 leaping warriors and 5 leaping rippers with spinefits thats some wopping damage and een if they get in cc with some terminators or something they have a chance of killin em with
60 hormagaunts attacks on charge
15 spinefist shots from the rippers+ 20 attacks on charge
warioirs get 20 attacks + 6 bioplasma attacks and one guy with 3 rending on the charge
im sure they will deal some damage oh and cnt forget the warriors deathspitters and they will at least te em in CC until the others can arrive
above all i prefer hormagaunts they are a key point to my army combined with 6 leaping warriors and 5 leaping rippers with spinefits thats some wopping damage and een if they get in cc with some terminators or something they have a chance of killin em with
60 hormagaunts attacks on charge
15 spinefist shots from the rippers+ 20 attacks on charge
warioirs get 20 attacks + 6 bioplasma attacks and one guy with 3 rending on the charge
im sure they will deal some damage oh and cnt forget the warriors deathspitters and they will at least te em in CC until the others can arrive
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Don't double click the submit button 
One of my friends is a huge Tyranid player and his army consists of several large swarms of Hormaguants along with the usual 'fex/tyrant/stealers/etc. Not entirely sure of the reasoning but he has no use for Spineguants or Gargoyles at all.
One of my friends is a huge Tyranid player and his army consists of several large swarms of Hormaguants along with the usual 'fex/tyrant/stealers/etc. Not entirely sure of the reasoning but he has no use for Spineguants or Gargoyles at all.
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If I were to play Tyranids, I'd be sure to include Gargoyles. Players with assault armies tend to be primarily concerned with the raw power of their models, rather than the tactical finesse it requires to deliver them. If you have a unit of gargoyles, which are quite fast and are relatively cheap for what you get with them, you can use them to pin down an enemy unit for a turn while your hormagaunts and warriors charge across the table. It's the same concept as using a Lictor, except you're using at least ten models (and more is always better) instead of just one to three.
I actually think I'd make a good Tyranid player... I just don't want to deal with storing a Tyranid army... friggin' 150-model armies, man...
I actually think I'd make a good Tyranid player... I just don't want to deal with storing a Tyranid army... friggin' 150-model armies, man...
Gaunts Examination Article from Astronomican
Well the only reason I am adding this link here:
Gaunt Article
Is because the article is big, and rewriting it is too much as there are some neat pics in it too. I wrote it recently for Astronomican, and have just emailed Jez to invite him to use it in the articles section.
It may be useful to this thread.
Indra
Well the only reason I am adding this link here:
Gaunt Article
Is because the article is big, and rewriting it is too much as there are some neat pics in it too. I wrote it recently for Astronomican, and have just emailed Jez to invite him to use it in the articles section.
It may be useful to this thread.
Indra
Spine gaunts and hormogaunts are on a different plane.
I don't play tyranids, but when against a nid army.
spine gaunts come in numbers, but most cases become no threat to me at all anymore. Hormogaunts do because they move fast, then comes the genestealer and monst. creatures. Because you field a big mass, well the average player will be terrified by that sight, though not everyone will take it.
I mean once I've killed the big bugs and all that hurt. Can your mass really kill my tanks? Hardly not so.
But they have their place to add in numbers. I would never ever rely on one or the other. Combination of both sounds best.
I don't play tyranids, but when against a nid army.
spine gaunts come in numbers, but most cases become no threat to me at all anymore. Hormogaunts do because they move fast, then comes the genestealer and monst. creatures. Because you field a big mass, well the average player will be terrified by that sight, though not everyone will take it.
I mean once I've killed the big bugs and all that hurt. Can your mass really kill my tanks? Hardly not so.
But they have their place to add in numbers. I would never ever rely on one or the other. Combination of both sounds best.
I don't overly rate hormies though, Upgraded they cost near enough the cost of a marine, and are no where near on par with them in cc. in fact it should take about 4 with toxinsacs to take down 1 marine on the charge. 4 marines would then probably kill 2 back.
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It is the ability to field them in huge numbers that makes them worthwhile I would think.
but at the same cost as a marine its kinda moot, as even if you reach there line entirely intact they are better one on one than you are. Off course its a case of bringing all those attacks to bare in one place that makes them formidable, taking out one manageable squad at a time. They are never going to hold there own against CC marines though. Spinegaunts aren't much slower than hormies and start in escalation. When i use them i almost always give them scuttlers. 2/1 on your hormies, now those you can get in weight of numbers. how about 60 spinegaunts. not easy to stop reaching you....and if you do then what was shooting at the stealers/warriors moving up behind?
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