tyranids unit of the week Tyranid Unit of the Week: Barbguants

[Brother Nathan]

++ Barbgaunts++

 

 

We have a new unit of the week! Another new unit, the barbgaunts. love it hate it? does it fill any gaps in your army? let us know, 

 

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

Edited July 23, 2023 by Brother nathan

[mel_danes]

They are a cheap disruption unit. Three current trend of split firing into multiple squads is not going to last, or they will change it to be units that take damage from these shots will be effected.

Either way I'm running 2 x 5 gaunt units.

This helps control overkill, if my opponent dies 25 wounds he still only kills one unit, not both.

It also future proofs when the unit gets nerfed.

I like the kit, the unusual stance, size of the model, and the symbiosis between organisms is pretty cool.

[Brother Nathan]

Iv not got any and initially was very sceptical of these... big guns on a gaunt chassis... and for stats like they have i was expecting near 30 points. Mostly because of that ability... mad powerful. Sporemines cost more... rippers cost more... and neither has the output of these guys. I can see their ability reduced to affecting 1 unit or only 1 unit using it as it ruins certain armys like world eaters votan deathguard where you either need that fast move to hit cc or have low movement to start with.  They are on my list.

A+ rating

[Xenith]

A possible contender or replacement for termegants, depending on what you use the gants for.

 

60pts = 10 termegants, 10 wounds at T3, 5+ Sv

50pts = 10 5 barbgaunts, 10 wounds, T4, 4+ Sv.

 

The terms have better OC, however the barbs have arguably better shooting - 5 will get 18 shots on average, so 8 more than the same number of fleshborers, and only 2 less than devourers would. If they stay still they get +1 to hit so will be getting more hits than devourers, at the S5 of fleshborers, so clearly far superior to either weapon. You can have them move 6" and still hit harder than the same points worth of terms, at a greater range. 

 

Both take up the same board space, just about, however terms interact better with the Tervigon. 

 

Barbgaunts are a really, really, good choice right now, I think, mainly for what the points get you. They can fit really easily into any army, and would be worth it just for the gun and profile alone, but the disruption is the icing on the cake making these amazing. I fully expect them to go up to 75pts, and I'd maybe still pay that. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Xenith
unit size mistake

[tychobi]

Models are nice, rules are powerful, and very efficient for the points, what's not to like? For me the slowing of enemy units is better at annoying and frustrating my opponent rather than actually winning me the game (melee focus armies are suddenly rare in my parts). In the interest of fun for everyone I am dropping them from my lists. 

[danodan123]

3 hours ago, Xenith said:

A possible contender or replacement for termegants, depending on what you use the gants for.

 

60pts = 10 termegants, 10 wounds at T3, 5+ Sv

50pts = 10 barbgaunts, 10 wounds, T4, 4+ Sv.

 

The terms have better OC, however the barbs have arguably better shooting - 5 will get 18 shots on average, so 8 more than the same number of fleshborers, and only 2 less than devourers would. If they stay still they get +1 to hit so will be getting more hits than devourers, at the S5 of fleshborers, so clearly far superior to either weapon. You can have them move 6" and still hit harder than the same points worth of terms, at a greater range. 

 

Both take up the same board space, just about, however terms interact better with the Tervigon. 

 

Barbgaunts are a really, really, good choice right now, I think, mainly for what the points get you. They can fit really easily into any army, and would be worth it just for the gun and profile alone, but the disruption is the icing on the cake making these amazing. I fully expect them to go up to 75pts, and I'd maybe still pay that. 

 

Sorry, just to say, its 5 barbgaunts for 50 pts, although they do have 2 wounds each so 10 wounds is right :)

[Xenith]

Good catch, thanks - I rearranged the order in which I wrote those things, and must have missed that!  As you said, the main thing is the number of wounds, you get the same number of much tougher wounds, for fewer points! OC is the only thing you sacrifice, and might not mean that much if they're in the backfield. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Xenith

[ZeroWolf]

I personally love these guys, and will be adding to the 5 I have. I can see nerfs incoming however but I suspect it'll be a point increase rather than actual rule changes. Though I suspect its not GWs priority right now, so may happen months down the line.

[ZeroWolf]

So the latest errata to land for the index cards, Barbagaunts ability has been nerfed. Now you have to choose one opponents unit that has been hit by an attack from this unit, to suffer the effect. No more splitting fire to affect multiple units at once. Though, obviously, you can take multiple units of Barbagaunts to slow down multiples units.

[Brother Nathan]

Yup. Does level them off significantly. Much needed tbf and you still get to choose and split fire but less reason to. More reason for more smaller units. Not a bad fix. Just fix sporemines and points costs and we should be good

[ZeroWolf]

I was planning on taking 2x units of 5 anyway for better deployment prospects so this works for me.

[Xenith]

So just 2x5 rather than 1x 10 and we're all good! More board control anyway, we just get to hamper 2 units rather than....10. 

[Xenith]

They've gone up 10pts to 60pts per 5, but I think they're still worth it! Harder to fit into an army now though, 50pts was a sweet spot. 

[Brother Nathan]

That and rippers being 20 each means its near impossile to fit anything in that 15 point gap... swapping units to get optimum fill isnt great

[Xenith]

1x babrs and 2x rippers for 100?

[Brother Nathan]

does not seem a bargain does it. for 2 swarms you could near have a unit of neurogaunts... ive seen lots go on about rippers for secondary scoring but i just cant bring myself to the idea of it. ive plenty of speed ad such for scoring as is to get around id rather not do gimmick play. still trying to get me some barbgaunts though... they still hve play at 60... not much above though

[Xenith]

60 for 5 is still superior to 60 for 10 termegants, I feel, if you discount OC. 5 will get ~22 shots against a unit of 10 models, netting 14 hits if you stay still (17 with sustained) while 60pts gets you 10 fleshborer shots at 18". 

 

As a backfield scorer, I rate barbs as better than gants, gants are maybe better as mid area table hogs. Gants could do with coming down to 50pts though, they're easily outclassed by barb and hormagaunts IMO.