Unit of the Week: Pyrovores

[Xenith]

++Pyrovores++

 

 

We have a new unit of the week! This week it's the Pyrovore, the closer ranged, flamey version of the Biovore. What are you thoughts, and how best would you use these?

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the beta rules affect your list(s)?
• What size unit? Will you be running multiple units?
• What Hive Fleet Traits, Adaptations and Stratagems do you prefer and how much does it depend on the above choices?
• Are you buffing this unit? If so, how?

Over to you.

 

[Arson Fire]

At 28 points per model, they're not terribly costed.  They're nowhere near as bad as they were in their previous iterations. However that doesn't mean they're great either.

With a small maximum squad size of 3, and rather underwhelming weaponry, they just don't do very much. You can't take them in high enough numbers to accomplish a lot. Not to mention the models are expensive finecast, so most people simply don't own more than a couple (if even that).

 

I get the impression that what GW was going for was a punching bag suicide unit, that punishes the enemy for fighting them in melee with acid blood and volatile death explosions. It's a bit of a niche unit design, and isn't really a role that needs filling. There's already the Caustic Blood stratagem which you can put on big gaunt units if you really want to punish someone in this manner.

 

They're short ranged so need a deployment mechanism to get up the field. Strategic Reserves is a good option, as since they are 1PL per model you can reserve a full 3x3 squads for 1CP.

 

Taken as cheap single model infantry units, they could potentially take the place of lictors as scrambler deployers, as they cost a bit less. Except for the strategic reserve CP cost, and lack of any of the other useful roles that lictors occasionally perform (namely overwatch removal and pheromone trail).

 

Their 10" range flamer means they have gone from being one of the few units in the game that had a flamer range long enough to fire from deepstrike, to having a below average range flamer. Due to most other flamers in the game getting a range increase from 8" to 12". Which is slightly disappointing, but not really a big deal.

[Kristoff]

I've felt that some of those models shouldn't be kept in their own broods, and the pyrovore is one of them.  Small brood in a Role that is already crowded with other desirable, if not necessary, broods, it is in a self-defeating position.

 

If I had any say, Pyrovores would either be added in to Hormagaunt Broods similar to Weapon Attachments in Warmachine, or another unit that is purchased as part of a Hormagaunt Brood, akin to the Dedicated Transport mechanic if yester-year.  Biovores would also be purchased in a similar manner, but with the Termagants.  This would probably be the only way most people would consider fielding them, once they get past the resin cost.

[TheNewman]

The Biovore is a different proposition, they make excellent back-field objective campers since they're cheap and they actively want to spend the whole game keeping their distance and hiding from enemy LoS anyway.

 

Pyrovore as a 'gaunt weapon-attachment makes a certain amount of sense though.