Tyranids unit of the week Tyranid Unit of the Week: Neurogaunts (and nodebeasts)

[Brother Nathan]

++ Neurogaunts and Nodebeasts++

 

 

We have a new unit of the week! the new little gaunts does they fill any gaps in your army?  are they fodder or useful? 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?

[TheNicronomicon]

As far as I can tell this unit is primarily there to provide a bodyguard to the Neurotyrant? They’re cheap but don’t seem to do anything well, and while I am pretty new to the game I don’t see anything in their stats or abilities that makes me think they’ll be anything more than protection for the boss. 
 

what am I missing with these guys?

[Brother Nathan]

Not a unit im a fan of. I think theres just something missing on their current datacards. That the node beasts have nothing listed at all seems wrong. Was thinking a stealer like profile could have made them interesting... butnope. They are the cheapest models we have though and do add to a synaptic web... but elsewise i dont see huge areas for their use. They will struggle to do any form of damage but have cheap numbers. May be able to choke up units and delay. A squad cost similar to a terminator. But they arnt battleline... 

Also they are one of the worst bodyguard units for the neurotyrant that ive heard of. All that said... am gonna pick up a squad and use it to points fill...

[TheNicronomicon]

Right; maybe you could have them scuttle behind a neurophage or venomthropes to take advantage of the auras and squat on an objective or something. Might be worth it as a screen in a monster mash sorta list?

 

and I agree that something seems off—gotta hope something cool happens for them with the codex I guess

[Dread]

I believe when the book is released that all the little goodies will be revealed.  About the only explanation that makes sense to me.

[Brother Nathan]

Apparently they had anti phsy in some of the leviathan guides... 

As for with the neurotyrant... see that article but terrible bodyguards. Whilst part of them it counts as their toughness so they make it considerably weaker especially when more attacks than gaunts are left or precision are applied...

As a seperate forward push synapse out point i could see as the neuroloid giving them synapse that they then share... fair but they in themselves cant really do much cept sit block and die... perhaps action monkeys... require secondary combos... if they had battle line and you could flood the board... 

480 points for 132 models and they purely got in the way and the rest of you list was monsters... maby... 

I just cant support them. Plus they look heavily armoured with extra brainy bits and claws... surely they could have done more rules wise... made them explode on death or rend or have 4+ save... just... something. 

 

[Xenith]

45pts/10 or 90pts/20 models, what's not to like? They're an awkward point cost but I'll probably try and get them into my lists.

 

Actually as I write that, the 50pts for barbgaunts gets you 10W also with better T and Sv, so maybe not worth it so much? They're a bunch of small critters that can spread synapse around, so maybe useful in the back lines near some warriors to give some good coverage? 

[ZeroWolf]

I just sadly can't see the point in these (at the moment), they need just that little something to make them worth while. They are fun to paint though.

[Brother Nathan]

If the node beast actually did something or indeed did fight like a stealer or they exploded... anything. If not they kinda need to be cheaper... like rippers are possibly more feasable... i need to math that out though...

 

Rippers

35 points for 3 rippers...70 for 6...

M6 t2 6+ 4w 6a ws5 str2 sustained 1

Neurogaunts

45 for 11. 90 for 22

M6 t3 6+ 1w 1a ws4 str3

 

Ergo... rippers are approx 12 points each... so 3 neurogaunts v a ripper... 3 wounds vs 4 though t2 vs t3 and multidamage does more against rippers. Same sv. 6 attacks vs 3. More hits and sustained1 so likely 3 hits vs 1.5 but then str 2usually will need 6s... 50%chance to wound (marine) v neuros 50%... so the same likely... 

 

So yeah neuros are on the same crappy level as rippers... awsome... 

[Zoatibix]

Rippers can Deep Strike, have pistols and amusingly halve enemy OC*. Now, these things are of questionable value but they at least have some abilities.

 

Neurogaunts pros - test paint schemes without ‘wasting’ other models. Occupy table space to screen Deep Strike a bit?
 

*I know they have OC 0, but this amuses me no end.

[Brother Nathan]

Tbf the other thing thats good is that we are questioning their use. If they confuse us then ill bet most of my opponents would too... to the point of paying them way too much attention...