How to Equip Tyranids in 5th Ed - Troops

[WestRider]

I figured I might as well keep this moving along. Akaiyu or anyone else, feel free to toss in your take as well, the more the merrier!

Genestealers: I don't actually use Stealers in my Nid Army, so this is mostly TheoryHammer and what I've learned from others.

- Acid Maw: Nice effect, but it's expensive and it only works on the first Round of Combat. Also keeps you from taking Feeder Tendrils or Flesh Hooks. Not recommended
- Extended Carapace: One of the more variable upgrades. If you frequently find your Stealers getting hit with AP5 fire while out in the open, +Sv is your friend. That said, Cover Saves are rather more prevalent and generally better in 5th Ed than they have been in the past, and this is pretty expensive. Useful, but think carefully before you take it.
- Feeder Tendrils: With the change in Preferred Enemy in 5th Ed, this has become the single most popular upgrade for Stealers. Ridiculously cheap, and, unlike Acid Maw, it works on every round of Combat. The only reason not to take this is if you want to take...
- Flesh Hooks: Again very cheap, and they let you keep that lovely, lovely I6 when charging into Cover. If you play with a lot of Terrain, they may in fact be substantially better than Feeder Tendrils. Depends on what your local Tables look like, though.
- Implant Attack: Still pretty expensive, and there aren't all that many Units it works on. It has become more useful recently with the increased prevalence of Ork Nobz, Daemons, and (soon) Ogryns. Situationally useful. I wouldn't take it all the time, but if your metagame calls for it, it can literally double your effectiveness.
- Scything Talons: Another upgrade tied for most expensive. Since it substantially increases the hitting power of the Brood, it also increases their perceived threat level. For the cost of adding ScyTals to an 8-strong Brood, you could also simply up them to 10-strong, which doesn't add as much hitting power, but does increase resilience, with a much lower increase in perceived threat level. ScyTals also tend to lead to problems with overkill, where you wipe the target Unit out on the charge, and are then left sitting in the open in front of his Gunline. Not Recommended.
- Scuttlers: Fairly expensive, but it was good before and it got a very nice boost from the introduction of the Outflank Rule. I'm not sure if it's worth taking on every Brood, but having a couple that are capable of with racing forwards or coming on from the sides is definitely very nice. Recommended on at least some of your Stealers.
Toxin Sacs: Fairly expensive, and since it does nothing to increase the number of Rends you get, not terribly useful against most Opponents. Becomes more useful against relatively high Toughness, poor Armour Save Opponents like Orks, but still not Recommended.

Recommended Build: 8 Stealers with Feeder Tendrils, possibly with Scuttlers if the rest of your Army calls for it.

Gaunts: The bulk Troops of the classic, fluffy Nid List. Many of their options seriously suffer from Points Deflation, having gotten to the point where one Point per Model is still too expensive.
Biomorphs
- Adrenal Gland(+I): Frankly, the only Opponents that Gaunts are going to do much to in CC have an Init worse than 4 already anyhow. Not recommended.
- Adrenal Gland(+WS): Mostly useful as a defense against opposing WS4 Enemies, but even there, the increased cost goes a long way to offsetting the benefit.
- Extended Carapace: Going from a 6+ Sv to a 5+ Sv might be worthwhile if there wasn't so much AP5 out there, especially with the changes in No Retreat, but again, it's just not really worth the Point.
- Flesh Hooks: With their mediocre Init and relatively poor individual performance in CC, they just aren't worth it.
- Scuttlers: Funny thing, the more expensive Biomorphs can actually be useful. Although not as good as it is for Stealers, an Outflanking Brood of Gaunts can still be a nasty surprise for an Opponent if it works out right. The basic Scout Move can also sometimes be nice, either to launch up a Tarpit of SpineGaunts or get some DevilGaunts into position to open up first Turn. It does get expensive, though, so think carefully before you take it.
- Toxin Sacs: Usefulness depends on the Weapons you take. I'll discuss it under those. It does make your Gaunts substantially more dangerous in CC, though. General conclusion: Useful, but expensive. Think carefully before taking it.
Bio-Weapons
- Devourers: The most expensive option, and the hardest to get much use from. The increased range and cost on Devourers means that they have to be used much differently from Gaunts armed with the other options. Because of the Strength Reduction, Toxin Sacs are pretty much mandatory here, too, which just exacerbates the problem. They can work well, but you really have to know what you're doing with them. Steep Learning Curve.
- Fleshborers: The classic option. Nice Strength, Re-Rolls failed Wounds, in-between cost. Because of the already relatively high Strength and the Re-rolls, Toxin Sacs are not terribly useful here, although they can be a fun shock if you've got an Opponent who gets careless with AV10 Vehicles ;D If you just want a swarm of Gaunts to overwhelm your foes, I highly recommend FleshBorers.
- SpineFists: The bargain basement option. If all you care about is numbers, and particularly if you don't plan on shooting with them, these are your boys. Toxin Sacs can help to offset the mediocre Strength, but then you've lost the main advantage: The low cost. Fleshborers are honestly a better choice, even factoring in the greater cost.

- Without Number: Mostly useful on very small Broods that can be relied upon to get killed off quickly and then respawn to claim Objectives close to your own Board Edge. For larger Broods it gets very expensive, and they tend to take so long to die that you don't have much time to do anything with them once they come back. Remember that you may bring them back after they die, so you don't have to just let your Opponent keep harvesting Kill Points from them in Annihilation Games.

Recommended Builds, from most to least recommended
- 16-20 Gaunts, FleshBorers: The basic Termagant, in sufficient quantities to do some damage, but not so many that they're getting in each others' way. Learn how to use these guys and you can master any Horde-type army.
- 16-20 Gaunts, SpineFists: The basic SpineGaunt. Pretty much the same as above, just slightly less effective, Point-for-Point.
- 8 Gaunts, Spinefists, Without Number. Go with the cheapest Weapon possible, since these guys really are just put out there to die and then hide. Use 'em for Cover Saves, as a Charge Screen, or as a Tarpit in the first couple of Turns and then bring 'em back onto an Objective and try not to get killed the second time 'round.
- 16-20 Gaunts, Devourers, Toxin Sacs: Despite the fact that this is the main build that I use for my own Nids, I can't recommend them too highly to others. They are very difficult to use correctly, and when you screw it up, their high cost means that it hurts. They rely very heavily on their extended range and synergy with the Assault Elements of your Army. That said, if you're looking for a challenge, they can throw out a very fun number of Dice, and once you do get the hang of them, they can be brutal.

Hormagaunts: The basic Gaunt's faster, choppier cousin. They pay a lot of Points for their speed, so unless you're going to be taking advantage of that, you're probably better off with Stealers or regular Gaunts.
- Adrenal Glands (+I): Since they bump Hormies up to I5 instead of 4, and they've got more Attacks to take advantage of this, these are much better here than for Gaunts. Recommended, but not too highly.
- Adrenal Glands (+WS): Again, since you're starting out from a higher baseline than a regular Gaunt and have more Attacks to take advantage of it, these are much better than on Gaunts. Recommended.
- Extended Carapace: This one, on the other hand, still suffers from pretty much all the downsides mentioned for Gaunts. Not Recommmended.
- Flesh Hooks: With the changes in 5th Ed, these just got better and more often useful! Recommended, particularly if you're also taking +I.
- Toxin Sacs: Yes, they're the most expensive upgrade, but they also provide the most benefit. You can do all right without them, especially against weaker foes, but this is pretty much my Don't Leave Home Without It Biomorph for Hormies. Highly Recommended.

Recommended Builds, in no particular order. All Broods are 16-20 Strong.
- Toxin Sacs, Flesh Hooks: These are your basic All-rounders, capable of taking on pretty much any basic Troops on any Terrain when used right.
Just Flesh Hooks: The stripped down Version. Best against Imperial Guard and footslogging Eldar lists.
- +I, +WS, Flesh Hooks: The so-called HyperGaunt. Even without Toxin Sacs, WS and I5 means that these guys do a pretty good job against Marines. I believe this is Point-for-Point, the most efficient Build, but they need a few more numbers to make it up. Go for 20 or so.
- +WS, +S, Flesh Hooks: The Ork Hunter Build. They've got the Range to deny the Boyz their Furious Charge and the hitting power to do some damage once they get there. Still not capable of taking on a full Mob by themselves, though, they'll need some support from a Flyrant, Raveners, Stealers, or Assault Warriors.
- SuperGaunts: +I, +WS, Flesh Hooks, Toxin Sacs: Just for fun. These guys are mostly useful if your Opponents have gotten used to your Hormies bouncing off their Units and now pretty much ignore them. Used once every 5-6 Games or so to keep your Opponents on their toes, they can be a valuable Psychological Weapon.

Ripper Swarms: Rippers got hurt badly by the changeover to 5th Ed. In particular, the changes to No Retreat mean that they tend to melt away too fast to be an effective Tarpit any more, especially if there's a PowerFist or other S6+ Attack in the Unit you're trying to hold up.
Biomorphs
- Adrenal Glands (+I): Useful against Orks and Necrons, but that's about it. Everybody else is either still faster than you afterward, or won't do enough damage on their Attack to make the speed boost worthwhile. Not Recommended.
- Adrenal Glands (+WS): Definitely helpful if you still want to use them as a Tarpit. Cuts down noticeably on the number of Incoming hits, particularly from the PowerFists and such that do a lot of damage. Recommended for Combat Rippers.
Enhanced Senses: Mandatory if you're using Spinefists, useless otherwise. 'Nuff said.
- Extended Carapace: Might actually be worthwhile here, since it's much cheaper on a per-Wound basis, and Rippers tend to take a lot of No Retreat Wounds, which this helps against. Possible.
- Flesh Hooks: Only if you've also taken +I, to preserve your investment there. Otherwise not recommended.
- Leaping: Gets you into CC a Turn earlier, and lets you avoid the deadly Rapid Fire zone. Highly Recommended for CC Rippers.
- Toxin Sacs: Maybe. They're kind of expensive, but they do substantially increase the amount of damage you're going to do, which will, in turn, cut down on how many No Retreat Saves you have to make.
- Winged: Only if you've got a specific plan for them. Ridiculously expensive, but it does make them very fast. And since they don't rely on their Armour Save as much as some of the other Units that have Wings as an option, fragility is less of a concern. Still, though, you're doubling the base cost of the Unit here. Make sure you know exactly what you're doing first.

Possible Builds. I can't honestly say that I recommend any of these, but they seem like they might be a few ways to make the best out of a bad thing. I'm not sure what's best for Brood sizes, but I'd guess 6-7. Somewhere in the middle of the possible range works well for most Nids.
- Tarpit: +WS, +Sv, Leaping. Maybe Toxin Sacs if you've got Points to spare.
- Ork Eaters: +WS, +Sv, +S, +I, Leaping, Flesh Hooks. Expensive, but they can dish it out reasonably well. If you can throw something else in there to draw off a few Attacks, particularly if you can tie up the PowerKlaw with Gaunts or something, they might work pretty well, especially against Shoota Boyz or StormBoyz.
- Flying SpineRippers: +BS, +S, Wings. Might actually be the best option. Fearless is a lot better for Shooting Units than it is for Combat Units, and even at BS2, 18-21 Twin-Linked S4 shots will do some damage. Plus, they can operate outside of Synapse, so they can more easily pick around the edges of the enemy Army, away from the main body of your own.

Well, go ahead and rip it all apart, let's see what y'all think of this!

[akaiyou]

didn't i already post one for troops??

[WestRider]

I don't see any here for anything except HQ and Elites. Have you been posting these on a couple of different Forums? You might have forgotten to copy some of them over to this one.

[akaiyou]

GAUNTS
My analysis
BIOMORPHS
Adrenal Glands (I) - NO - Unnecessary upgrade. Gaunts should be kept as cheap as possible to make them worth taking.
Adrenal Glands (W) - NO - same as above
Extended Carapace - NO - This is a 'decent' upgrade if you are going to fight an army with horrible AP guns. Will improve your gaunts survivable rate in both the field and CC. However it is VERY unlikely that you'll encounter this scenario.
Flesh Hooks - MAYBE - On the same boat as EC. This upgrade is useful in engaging units hiding in cover. However most of the time your guants will be a meat shield aimed at tangling enemy units, not necessarily aimed at trying to fight to win, rather fight to stall in which case the upgrade is not really necessary. However of all Gaunt upgrades flesh hooks is the most useful.
Scuttlers - MAYBE - One more on the maybe boat. Will help get your gaunts across to enemy lines faster but costs quite a bit. You are literally paying for every inch and the costs gets very high very fast for a very very vulnerable unit. Best used on smaller broods.
Toxin Sacs - NO - As great as having higher strength sounds, because of the ridiculous vulnerability of a 6+ save, this upgrade is quite possibly the worst you could give on almost every case. It has the added bonus of making your guns even more expensive as well to boot! Yay! Your cost effectiveness will take a very steep drop, and the 'benefits' are minimal in most situations.

WEAPON SYMBIOTES
Ranged
=========
Spinefist - YES - Best balance! Is the cheapest and most cost effective in keeping balance between shooting and CC ability.
Fleshborer - MAYBE - The best all around ranged weapon for gaunts. Useful against nearly any target lucky rolls can glance AV 10 vehicles. However your cost effectiveness takes a blow in CC as you are no better than spinegaunts and cost more.
Devourer - MAYBE - Powerful but the least cost effective of the 3. This weapon is what you'd get if you combined a spinefist and fleshborer having the abilities of both in 1. (the spinefist is TL but the devourer gets 2x shots so it's pretty much the same thing) the added range makes shooting more viable as an option for gaunts.

SPECIAL RULES
Without Number - MAYBE - This special rule is a bit pricey but can be ridiculously useful depending on how you use it. The most common tactic is to slap it on and rush ahead with your gaunts soaking enemy fire and letting the other units behind these gaunts move up, get cover saves and avoid being shot alltogether. Then when the fighting up ahead gets messy these guys will re-spawn and be able to take objectives or rush forward as reinforcements. A pretty fun trick is to keep your synapse up ahead, this will cause the gaunts to go into IB and the rules indicate that they will need to FALL BACK towards the nearest synapse creature thus they'll come running FORWARD to wherever your synapse is located, this is a double-edged sword tho so play with caution. Think of this upgrade the same as having extra units in RESERVES, except that you need them to die first before you can get the reserves on the table. Kamikaze is the way to go.


Recommended Configurations To Use
GENERAL RECOMMENDATION
First understand that prior to selecting a ranged weapon the minimum squad of 8 gaunts costs 32 points total. This means that without adding anything gaunts are just as good if not BETTER in combat than Hormagaunts. ANY ranged weapon you choose will make your brood less point cost effective in CC thus making spinefist the best balanced all-round in terms of cost and results.

24 Gaunt Brood @ 120 Pts
Spinefists

- The best choice all-round in cost effectiveness. Very cheap so you can toss them around without worrying about giving the opponents a lot of victory points. Works very well against IG, Tau and Orks. Will suffer against T4 enemies with a save better than 5+. Smaller broods are good in order to cover up more troop choices and reduce the damage of mass fire or blast weapons. However do not be shy about taking more numbers these guys are really cheap and work just as good in larger numbers even when getting pummeled by enemy fire. I recommend a squad of 8 - 24. 24 Spinegaunts can take out 2 MEQs per turn in shooting and 1.33 MEQs in CC, but their real usefulness comes from tying up enemy troops and CC which is what they end up doing most of the time. Rating 10/10

16 Gaunt Brood @ 96 Pts
Fleshborer

- The best all-round shooting choice. Will be able to damage the widest range of enemies with the most effectiveness. It is the absolute best gun for gaunts to use against IG, Orks and MEQs. Given that MEQs are the most common type in the 40k Universe this means that Fleshborers will always give you a fighting chance against most opponents. However the downside is that you are no more effective than a spinegaunt in combat and cost more and the sad truth is that as good as your shooting is you only have 12" range at which you are more likely to engage in combat. So that most of the time you end up throwing those extra points away for a better gun that you might never even use. Take in small to midsized broods 8 to - 16 models, this will be more point effective as taking larger numbers means half your guys wont even be in range to shoot their guns which is another big waste of points. A brood of 16 fleshborers will kill 2 MEQs per turn in shooting, the same as a large brood of 24 spinegaunts and for 24 points less! However be warned that once you enter CC your well spent points go to waste in terms of cost effectiveness. Rating 8/10

14 Gaunt Brood @ 98 Pts
Devourer

- Powerful! Strongest of the 3 ranged weapons for gaunts. Weapon of choice against TauEQ and models with T5 or T6, against other models it keeps a steady 2nd place being either as good as the spinefist or better. What you lose in strength of the gun you more than make up for with the re-rolls so do not be discouraged, plus the 18" range means that this is hands down THE gun to use if you actually want to SHOOT with your gaunts and avoid CC. In CC this is the least cost effective being just as good as a spinefist gaunt, also this does not just apply to CC this set up as a whole has a major cost efficiency flaw because the gaunts are so vulnerable to anything. But you CAN make up for it by slapping them in cover, avoiding CC and shooting anything in range. Remember these guys are NOT for CC they should be used strictly for shooting otherwise you are wasting a ridiculous amount of points. Take in small broods of 8 - 14 to make sure that the opponent doesnt put too much focus on shooting them and that they can get enough shots to damage whatever they shoot. A 14 strong brood will kill 2 MEQs per turn in shooting and costs about the same as the 16 strong group of termagaunts, thanks to the extra 6" range however these guys are more capable of making their shooting count the way it should. Rating 6/10



HORMAGAUNTS
My analysis
BIOMORPHS
Adrenal Glands (I) - MAYBE - This is a useful upgrade defensively as are most of the Hormagaunt's upgrades. Use it as a means of punishing your opponent before allowing him to attack you at full force. Just remember this upgrade is loses value against enemy units with initiative 3 as you already go first.
Adrenal Glands (W) - MAYBE - The truth is that a hormagaunt with this upgrade is in fact WORST overall than a Hormagaunt with NO upgrades. There is no reason to take this upgrade UNLESS you pair it with Toxin Sacs which makes for the deadliest combination against most enemy units. However is it worth the points? Probably not.
Extended Carapace - MAYBE - Same as with Gaunts. This is only good if you are being shot at by weak AP guns. However it's a bit better for Hormagaunts since they MUST be in combat to actually do anything worth while so you get more mileage with EC from Hormagaunts than normal Gaunts.
Flesh Hooks - YES - Useful and cheap. Take it whenever possible, Hormagaunts are not like Gaunts that you can simply throw in there and not worry
Toxin Sacs - YES - Toxin sacs make your Hormagaunts more cost effective! Yes they become more expensive per model but they will receive and incredible boost to productivity in CC compared to the cost of adding toxin sacs. Hormagaunts are usually very capable of reaching combat early so if you want meat shields use spinegaunts thats what they are for. Hormagaunst are meant to actually fight so always take this biomorph with them.


Recommended Configurations To Use
GENERAL RECOMMENDATION
Think of it this way, Hormagaunts are what you'd get if you paid 5 points for a combination of the Leaping biomorph + 1 Scything Talon, on your base Gaunt. So first and foremost ask yourself, are these 2 upgrades worth 5 points? If the answer is YES then you are in business, if NO then look elsewhere. NOTE: There's 1 missing point, which I already totaled in due to the Hormagaunt profile already having WS 4 meaning it already used up the Adrenal Glands (WS) from a basic gaunt's biomorph options. Hormagaunts NEED to be kept safe no matter how 'cheap' or 'expensive' they get you need to do your best to protect them until they reach combat. In most cases they can hit combat on the 1st turn with a roll of 6 on RUN, otherwise expect them to hit combat by turn 2.

12 Hormagaunts @ 144 Pts
Toxin Sacs +1 St

- The 2nd most cost effective set up for Hormagaunts. The strength bonus really comes in handy. Takes 12 of these guys to equal the CC power of the previous set-up. Statistically kills 2 MEQs. The pro to this set up is less points per individual model thus every individual wound in the squad will hurt the effectiveness less. But being a larger brood means easier for enemies to target you or drop a template on you. Also one of the best things bout this particular set up is that it gains an enormous bonus from Feeder Tendril benefits! The benefit puts it ahead of the previous mention in CC power by far, so if you are taking this make sure to keep another unit with feeder tendrils near it and you will chew through many enemies. Flesh Hooks again should be a must have for the most part, you know the drill, add at your discretion. Rating 10/10

9 Hormagaunts @ 117 Pts
Adrenal Glands +1 WS; Toxin Sacs +1 St

- Has the same CC power of 18 un-upgraded Hormagaunts against the majority of enemy units you'll face and more CC power than any brood of 32 Gaunts!! This is the strongest set up able to take on damn near anything the enemy throws at you. The unit should start at 9 Hormagaunts to really be effective in CC they statistically kill 2 MEQs per turn without counting the charging +1 attack of the 1st turn. This is THE MOST cost effective squad of hormagaunts in CC with high cost but big rewards. Be warned they are still VERY VULNERABLE like a normal gaunt so if you are gonna use this set-up give them cover until you can get them into combat and let them work their magic. Flesh Hooks should always be a must for Hormagaunts but you could always not take it if you want to save points. Rating 9/10

18 Hormagaunts @ 180 Pts

- This is standard. 18 is the magic number to be able to kill 2 MEQs per turn like all the other set ups. Obviously this set up is really weak per model but as a group they do good, the draw back is that it costs the most at a total of 180 points for the same killing ability you get from the 117 point and 144 point squads. Large Blasts hurt this one the most because of their heavy reliance on numbers to do damage. It still performs just as good if it manages to make it into combat intact and you'll get all your attacks in due to the 3" CC zone of Leaping. Note that this unit can become ridiculously powerful within the range of Feeder Tendrils so it is highly worth taking if you are packing Feeder Tendrils in your army list. Flesh hooks is all the same story. Rating 6/10

GENESTEALER
My analysis
BIOMORPHS
Acid Maw - MAYBE - Taking this means you can't take feeder tendrils or flesh hooks. So why take it? This biomorph becomes deadly when you have a support unit with feeder tendrils nearby. It allows your stealers to re-roll everything during the first round of combat. On the smallest brood of 6 this will boost your average 2 rends on the charge, to 3 or 4 rends. Very useful against terminators and the like. However the upgrade costs as much as EC making it VERY pricey. Only take this if u plan on using other units with Feeder Tendrils. EDIT: Acid Maw also becomes much more effective vs. high toughness models
Extended Carapace - MAYBE - This is arguably one the best upgrade for genestealers, helps a lot in CC and can help them survive small weapons fire. However it is high on the price tag per model it could be argued that it's best to take 1 or 2 more stealers than to give a brood this upgrade.
Feeder Tendrils - YES - Potentially the best ugprade to give your genestealers. A must-have except for when you already have a bunch of units with this skill in which case you can go with something else as you get to spread this ability around across your army even with just one brood. The ability to re-roll your missed attacks makes up greatly for the change to the rending rules. The more hits you get the more chances to rend you'll have.
Flesh Hooks - YES - This upgrade is ever so useful and dirt cheap however it prevents you from taking acid maw and/or feeder tendrils. This is a mandatory upgrade that you just NEED to have if you arent taking tendrils. Genestealers going at I1 is horrible if you plan on assaulting through difficult terrain, and with the abundance of cover and terrain this is definetly a must have.
Implant Attack - NO - While it's a powerful upgrade this is really only useful against specific targets and let's face it the high point cost per model makes this very inneffective. You'd be better off aiming a Tyrant or Carnifex at those targets.
Scuttlers - MAYBE - I personally LOVE this biomorph. It gives you the chance to assault in the 1st turn (only if your opponent deploys at the line and you happen to roll a 6 on RUN). This will also allow you to come in from the flanks which can be a very good strategy against any opponent. The upgrade is a bit expensive however so should be used with moderation and only on really cost effective units to make it worth the points.
Toxin Sacs - Maybe - Genestealers are there to try and rend things. This upgrade is now more useful due to the loss of effectiveness in rending, however it costs quite a bit and talons are better at making their points back. Taking this along with tendrils makes a pretty good unit capable of making their points back fast but there are better options and this doesnt help much for rending purposes which is it's biggest drawback.

WEAPON SYMBIOTES
Close Combat
=========
Scything Talons - YES - This upgrade will give you +1 attacks which is really really good with the nerf on rending. However it costs as much as adding EC it's a very expensive upgrade per model to add on. However of all offensive upgrades this is the best one next to feeder tendrils, and will allow you to make your points back quickly.

Recommended Configurations To Use
GENERAL RECOMMENDATION
I personally do NOT like taking large broods, i rather take 2 broods of 6 than 1 brood of 12. I find them just as effective. I also do NOT like taking EC, I rather hide them behind other units, as I see it genestealers are our army's pride and joy even other armies are forced to speak highly of them so we usually take great care in protecting them from enemy fire, so the real bonus of EC is for survivability IN combat. But the point cost just turns me off as I rather take extra stealers or use all those points somewhere else in my force. EC is still a good upgrade tho make no mistake but i leave that up to your own discreation. Same with ST it's very pricey same as EC so i tend to lean towards saving the points and just getting an extra stealer if i want more attacks, plus i get the bonus of having an extra wound in the unit.

8 Genestealers @ 168 Pts
Feeder Tendrils; Rending Claws; Scything Talons

- Extra attacks and re-rolling missed hits. This is the most cost effective set up for genestealers, able to make their points back the fastest. However they are also the most expensive set up so beware of the high cost as long as you can make it into combat they'll perform greatly. Rating 10/10

8 Genestealers @ 160 Pts
Feeder Tendrils; Toxin Sacs +1 St; Rending Claws

- Nearly as good as taking talons but not quite. This is the 2nd most cost effective takes only slightly longer than the talons+tendrils variation at making their points back and is a bit cheaper to field. A great option very highly recommended Rating 9/10


6 Genestealers @ 102 Pts
Feeder Tendrils;

- My new personal favorite due to the ridiculously cheap cost of adding tendrils and it's many usefulness. All the same benefits of having small easy to hide units and low point cost. Plus i only need to have 1 or 2 of these units to provide enough support for everyone in the army if played correctly. Rating 8/10

6 Genestealers @ 120 Pts
Rending Claws; Scything Talons

- Lots of attacks and but somewhat expensive. This works REALLY well if you have a brood with feeder tendrils in the vicinity so take this only if you have something else that's going to be close offering preferred enemy benefits. Rating 6/10

6 Genestealers @ 114 Pts
Toxin Sacs +1 St; Rending Claws

- Decent set up but again take it only when you have other units giving preferred enemy benefits within range to make the most out of this. Rating 6/10

6 Genestealers @ 126 Pts
Extended Carapace +1 Save; Feeder Tendrils; Rending Claws


- This is more effective than taking basic stealers, all though more expensive you can make your points back easier than taking them plain and your stealers will last longer due to the EC. This is a very good way of supporting the rest of the army or having one of these units to offer preferred enemy to other genestealer squads. Rating 6/10

6 Genestealers @ 96 Pts

- My old personal favorite, the standard genestealers, in the smallest possible brood. Low point cost, easy to hide and deadly in combat. The benefit of taking small groups is that you can field more of everything else including other small un-upgraded groups to present a bigger threat to the enemy. However as mentioned earlier taking upgrades makes genestealers more cost effective. Rating 5/10

RIPPER SWARM
My analysis
BIOMORPHS
Adrenal Glands (I) - NO - There's no reason to take this for Rippers since you don't get a big improvement to what you already have.
Adrenal Glands (W) - NO - Same as above. Doesn't help you much, can be somewhat nice defensively but by all means it's not worth the points.
Enhanced Senses - YES - You NEED these if you want to take spinefists! Otherwise your shooting will suffer tremendously.
Extended Carapace - MAYBE - somewhat useful, you can increase durability in CC but overall not really worth it, however it's optional if you have points to spare.
Flesh Hooks - NO - Big No No. You aren't going to hit many enemies first in the first place so why bother with these?
Leaping - MAYBE - Very useful since many opponents don't expect this biomorph of ripper swarms and may get too close. and Overall it's useful in getting rippers into combat. However it's not really mandatory.
Toxin Sacs - YES - Yes! Take this if you are taking rippers, it will boost your effectiveness greatly and you'll make back the points quickly. This is also necessary if you take spinefists, the overall cost is ridiculously low and gives a large increase in killing power. You'll make back the points through shooting and CC quickly.
Winged - MAYBE - If you want to get into combat faster and don't want to take leaping then this is your best choice. it's a bit expensive but not a bad choice for rippers. Beware however that taking this makes rippers fast attack choices. Wings combo very well with the shooty set up of ripper swarms.

BIO-WEAPONS
Spinefists - YES - This weapon is great for Ripper Swarms when paired with toxin sacs and enhanced senses. Much more bang for the buck than when used by gaunts. I strongly recommend.


Recommended Configurations To Use
GENERAL RECOMMENDATION
Rippers are VULNERABLE TO BLASTS so keep that in mind at all times when using them. You don't want them getting wiped off the board too easily. Try to keep them in smaller broods of 4 - 6 to avoid making them a large bullseye target.

4 Ripper Swarm @ 64 Pts
Enhanced Senses +1 BS; Toxin Sacs +1 St; Spinefists

- The most effective set up all-round. May seem expensive at first but it's not costing any more than a Genestealer per Ripper base. However for the same price these suckers are MUCH more effective. A group of 4 shoots pretty good, causing 1.5 MEQ deaths with shoots and 1 MEQ killed per turn in CC. Rating 10/10

4 Ripper Swarm @ 52 Pts
Toxin Sacs +1 St

- If you want to just focus on CC them slap toxin sacs on them and cut them loose. They can still kill 1 MEQ per turn and cost 13 points per base. It's a good CC unit and more cost effective than taking base rippers. Rating 9/10

6 Ripper Swarm @ 60 Pts

- If you really dont want to spend any points you can take them base. But to get the same damage output you'll have to add on more rippers. Not a bad deal considering you get 3 wounds per base. This unit works good at tying up enemies. Rating 8/10

[WestRider]

I think you screwed up your math somewhere on Adrenal Glands (+WS) for Hormagaunts. Mine shows a substantial improvement on a per-point basis:

Vs. MEqs, both Units 110 Points
10 Hormagaunts, +WS: 20 Attacks, 13 2/3 Hits, 4 5/9 Wounds, 1 14/27~1.52 Kills
11 Hormagaunts: 22 Attacks, 11 Hits, 3 2/3 Wounds, 1 2/9~1.22 Kills

Almost a 25% improvement in per-Point damage output, pretty much the same increase as Toxin Sacs.

Again vs. MEqs, both Units now 120 Points:
10 Hormagaunts, +S: 20 Attacks, 10 Hits, 5 Wounds, ~1.67 Kills
12 Hormagaunts: 24 Attacks, 12 Hits, 4 Wounds, ~1.33 Kills

Also, your Units once again seem very small to me. I've never gotten much in the way of results from Gaunts of any variety in Units less than 14 strong. 2 MEq Kills per Turn just isn't enough damage to really be useful in my book, I'd go for at least 3.

[akaiyou]

The unit size doesn't really hold weight in my analysis I just put a size there for example most of the time. Or just to compare how many you need to get as much kills as another build.

For example 12 Hormagants with toxin sacs are capable of doing the same amount of damage as 18 basic hormagants. Get it?

And by the way +WS isn't as good as +S on hormagants. Toxin Sacs is definetly the best upgrade for them hands down. Their S3 is their main issue.

[WestRider]

Then you shouldn't be listing them up there as recommended Units. Make a Recommended Unit be something that will actually get the job done.

Oh yeah, +WS is not as good as Toxin Sacs, but it certainly doesn't make them worse than a basic Hormie, as you claimed your analysis.

[akaiyou]

You are correct there dunno how I came to that conclusion there honestly lol I just re-did the math and I definetly made a mistake somewhere.

Thanks for pointing that out.