Your thoughts on the Biophagus

[shanewatts]

Anyone have much experience with running a Biophagus? Running a slew of Aberrants and wondering what others experience is like.

[Exilyth]

While a biophagus is just a small points investment even with the familiar, the buff is random and you risk loosing one model.

The biophagus has the stats of a support character (read: rather squishy) and as such should tag along just behind the aberrants (unlike all the pictures in the codex show).

If the aberrants manage to fail to kill an enemy character, the biophagus' prod can add some damage (and if you're lucky, up to d3 mortal wounds).

Thankfully, after buffing all aberrant units, the survival of the biophagus is not required, so prod away.

 

 

Since a unit of aberrants can only be targeted by the buff once per game, using multiple units of aberrants makes the biophagus more usefull.

The larger the unit(s) of aberrants, the more use you get from each buff (since more models are affacted).

• The strength buff moves aberrants either from S5 to S6 (picks) or S10 to S12 (hammers). Can be usefull against the right targets, but is very conditional, e.g. S10 is enough against most enemy units. Also, the <twisted helix> creed is a much more reliable way to get +1S. I'd have to mathhammer whether fishing for S7 picks would be worth it.
• The toughness buff moves aberrants from T4 to T5 - usefull against e.g. heavy bolters and other S5 shooting (due to having to roll higher for to wound rolls), but useless against e.g. assault cannons and other S6 shooting (to wound roll doesn't change).
• The attack buff is the most usefull imho: Handfull of extra dice for picks or another chance for each hammer to deal damage is pretty good.

The familiar gives 2 rolls on the buff table once per game, slightly increasing the chance to get a specific buff.

 

 

I've run the biopgagus, abominant and a single unit of 10 aberrants (<twisted helix>, mixed loadout due to limited models available) in an army of mostly neophytes w/some acolyte and vehicle support. I'd definately recommend running aberrants as all picks (for mass of attacks) or all hammers (for antitank) - both w/improvised weapons aka. stopsigns as desired.

 

In my (limited so far) experience, aberrants tend to either get shot up when walked across the table before the buff can be put to use, or they ambush (or manage to walk up to and charge) an enemy unit and completely destroy it, even without the buff. Or get destroyed even with the buff.

When ambushing, getting the biophagus into a position to buff can be hard, especially when stratagems are used to place aberrants closer than 9" to enemy units.

 

 

So far, I'd rate the biophagus fluff/10 - while usefull, for a few more points, you could add another aberrant or a different character model (e.g. locus, sanctus, clamavus, kelermorph) to your army instead. (If you're not <twisted helix>, the clamavus can be especially usefull for the +1" to charges.)

[ThePenitentOne]

I have been planning a Twisted Helix vanguard consisting of an Abominant, a Biophagus and 3 squads of 5 aberrants. They are a detachment who left their cult in order to escape reabsorption by the hive fleet.

 

They are monitorind a nascent cult on the surface of the planet from an orbital laboratory. Once the Aberrant Mutation emerges in the young cult, the Twisted Helix will make planetfall to assist the revolution.

 

Obviously, I haven't played them yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

[RandyB]

I have been planning a Twisted Helix vanguard consisting of an Abominant, a Biophagus and 3 squads of 5 aberrants. They are a detachment who left their cult in order to escape reabsorption by the hive fleet.

 

They are monitorind a nascent cult on the surface of the planet from an orbital laboratory. Once the Aberrant Mutation emerges in the young cult, the Twisted Helix will make planetfall to assist the revolution.

 

Obviously, I haven't played them yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

This is what I like most about this game. The sheer range of scope for narrative creativity.

[Soulhunter1995]

Quick Question if I may folks, are you able to put aberrants in transports or do they take up two spaces? :)

[Exilyth]

The goliath truck and rockgrinder can transport up to 10 and up to 6 <cult>-infantry models.

Cult chimeras on the other hand can only transport brood brothers.

Aberrants are infantry and <cult> btw.

 

Also: Patriarchs count as 5 models.

 

 

But back to the biophagus:

The model is quite nice and it's a shame the unit isn't more usefull. If only the buff could be applied before the start of the game or the range at which the buff can be appplied was slightly larger. *sigh*

[Fajita Fan]

The goliath truck and rockgrinder can transport up to 10 and up to 6 <cult>-infantry models.

Cult chimeras on the other hand can only transport brood brothers.

Aberrants are infantry and <cult> btw.

 

Also: Patriarchs count as 5 models.

 

 

But back to the biophagus:

The model is quite nice and it's a shame the unit isn't more usefull. If only the buff could be applied before the start of the game or the range at which the buff can be appplied was slightly larger. *sigh*

Bolded part really annoyed me in the new codex.  I'm struggling to fit the biophagus because he takes up an elite spot and I don't think Aberrants will survive long anyway.

[shanewatts]

Thanks for the input.

​I have found Aberrants to be quite hard to kill. If the Biophagus buff wasn't random I would consider it more, but being random just feels bad.

[ThePenitentOne]

Thanks for the input.

 

​I have found Aberrants to be quite hard to kill. If the Biophagus buff wasn't random I would consider it more, but being random just feels bad.

 

That's why I stack so hard. It's mad overkill, but in this scenario, the biophagus buff is just the gravy because:

 

They'll be twisted helix, so the already get +1 strength and +2 advance, even if they aren't in range of the buff

If in range of the abominant, they also get 2 hits for every 6 they roll in hand to hand.

Then if they're in range of the biophagus, they get his random buff; with the familiar you can double the odds of getting the one you want

 

As soon as you get a big aberrant unit that's in range of both auras, use the familiar for the best chance of getting +1 attack [best synergy with the abominant's 2 hit per 6 rule].

 

So then you hit with all 3 buffs. And then you burn 3cp on the helix strat and attack again, with all the same buffs.

In this scenario, even if you don't get the biophagus bonus you want, it's still going to stack with everything else in the package.

 

This detachment is not just fluffy, it also packs the crunch.

[Lord Marshal]

I hate random rules. He's cheap, but unless you're spamming Aberrants I just think it's too much of a risk to lose one of your heavy hitters to a roll than might not give you the desired buff anyway.

[Jukkiz]

cool model, situational sometimes. Now though, itseems that abberants have vanished from online GWs side

[Master Antaeus]

Poop. There is no reason a support character like this should exist except to do actions once he has given his buff. Hopefully, he will be a generic medic in the upcoming codex and a better one than a painboy.

[brother_b]

Yeah I’m hoping they tune this guy up he’s cool.

[dracpanzer]

Cool model, bad rules on a buffer for an overcosted unit if you are playing competitive.

 

If you aren't. Spam Aberrants, bring an Abominant and a familiar for the Biophagus and have fun.

[brother_b]

I like the idea of some sort of apothecary roll for the biophagus or a stat buff aura.