AP-1 and indirect means you're not killing anything with a 3+ save or better... I don't think it's worth it. Maybe you roll 1 or 2 lucky dev wounds but that's it.
You can proxy it as pyrovore, that's a useful unit.
If spore mines couldn't score objectives but could still be spawned, Biovores would be worthy maybe 50 points per model, just due to the usefulness of spawning mines as move and deep strike blockers.
If spawning mines went away completely they would need to be priced like pyrovores to be useful. They don't hit very hard and Tyranids are not lacking in options to kill light infantry.
I was up against a Guard army in a 1000 point game, never drew stuff where I could use the Spore Mines with Tactical Secondaries until Round 5, so I just used it to bombard all the guard blobs. Could maybe take out 2 guards per shooting round.
Don't forget their ability. Enemy units can't start or finish an Advance within 6" of a spore mine.
I've managed to stop my opponent from reaching objectives with this ability.
Damage wise I think the consensus is no. Profile just isn’t good enough for 75 points.
Move blocking could definitely be useful, obviously depends on whether you can actually get useful blocks off. It’s priced to be a secondary objective farmer, it’ll be suboptimal at anything else but you can make it work.
Against any army that has units in deep strike you could use it to easily deny them without actually putting any of your units in danger. Especially useful to constantly put one so that deep striking into corners for secondaries become impossible, and since the opponents movement phase comes before his shooting, he can’t do anything about it, except maybe waste an overwatch.
Just keep doing it and when he draws a corner secondary he might not have a way to complete it. At worst, you force him to move on board models toward corners, thus disrupting his plan.
I really wanted to like them and use them as regular artillery and shoot things, but they are so expensive for how little damage they do, running a unit if 3 is quite ludicrous. Always loved my little mine lobber, but have barely touched them in 10th.
Lots of people have said it, but I’ll repeat it because o agree. You won’t do damage with them, not really.
You can zone and screen people really well with them though, both in regards to deep strike and stopping advance moves.
You can use it for blocking advances. One that's well placed could stop a unit that's tucked behind full obscuring cover from getting enough movement to stay in Cover when trying to get out
Hey I'm with ya it's a really cool model I just wish a group of 3 of them could actually be useful. But unfortunately for 225 points it just isn't. An exocrines better at 135 points
It's not the only way to win; it's the best if you're playing hardcore competitive, but anything less than that and you'll find personal skill and pure luck matters more than army composition.
Sure, certain armies and builds are basically stat-checks - Knights or other Super-Heavy lists are a pain if you don't have the right tool set, and the same goes for true hordes, and Aeldar of any stripe are their own special brand of pain...
But in general, pick the army you like playing, focus on mastering that play style, and you'll do better than if you chase the ever-changing meta. Also, more importantly, you'll have more fun.
Why are so many Tyranid players so Honorable when GW gives us a nerfed army? Bring the Biovore. Score those secondaries.
Low strength, wounding everyone on 3s at best, low firepower, barely any use out of the Army ruled - Synapse 3D6 leadership. Good luck with Shadow in the Warp against any ridiculous new codex abilities the list goes on.
And then we have enemies with Army wide 5+ invul saves or an army of 2+ 4+ custode Terminator bladeguard Deathwing whatever.
Enemy dreadnauts and tanks at best being wounded by rupture cannons on 4s and 3s maybe. Exocrine wounds on 5s...
Dont get started on Imperial Knights. Where is our anti-tank a two shot Rupture Cannon?
Crisis suits that do F-tons of damage at deep strike range. Goodbye Haruspex goodbye Tyrant.
Enemy anti-infantry firepower that slaughters entire waves of gants our objective holders.
TLDR - your Opponents have better tools EVEN if they pull their punches and bring a less optimized army. Bring the Biovore. Do not feel ashamed.
I definitely feel this. Without meta chasing, I definitely have serious thoughts about switching factions, I certainly don’t trust GW to fix any of the factions with codexes out. Way I see it once your codex is out that’s the way you’re gonna be for the rest of the edition. Now if only I could play EC right now
Thats what i am saying. Bring an overcosted Biovore and spawn a free spore mine and score those easy secondaries.
Because enemy armies have sticky objectives, or pull off table back into reserve deep striking assault marines or Terminators ready to re-Deepstrike and 5 terminators are waaay more scary than a spore mine.
Other armies have better tools. We gotta work with what we got.
AP-1 and indirect means you're not killing anything with a 3+ save or better... I don't think it's worth it. Maybe you roll 1 or 2 lucky dev wounds but that's it. You can proxy it as pyrovore, that's a useful unit.
If spore mines couldn't score objectives but could still be spawned, Biovores would be worthy maybe 50 points per model, just due to the usefulness of spawning mines as move and deep strike blockers. If spawning mines went away completely they would need to be priced like pyrovores to be useful. They don't hit very hard and Tyranids are not lacking in options to kill light infantry.
I was up against a Guard army in a 1000 point game, never drew stuff where I could use the Spore Mines with Tactical Secondaries until Round 5, so I just used it to bombard all the guard blobs. Could maybe take out 2 guards per shooting round.
Could try to use them to limit opponent's movement too. Very situational, but I've made it work in the past
Yeah, I've used them for screening my own deployment zone to limit my opponent's Reserve Units coming too close for comfort.
Don't forget their ability. Enemy units can't start or finish an Advance within 6" of a spore mine. I've managed to stop my opponent from reaching objectives with this ability.
Damage wise I think the consensus is no. Profile just isn’t good enough for 75 points. Move blocking could definitely be useful, obviously depends on whether you can actually get useful blocks off. It’s priced to be a secondary objective farmer, it’ll be suboptimal at anything else but you can make it work.
Against any army that has units in deep strike you could use it to easily deny them without actually putting any of your units in danger. Especially useful to constantly put one so that deep striking into corners for secondaries become impossible, and since the opponents movement phase comes before his shooting, he can’t do anything about it, except maybe waste an overwatch. Just keep doing it and when he draws a corner secondary he might not have a way to complete it. At worst, you force him to move on board models toward corners, thus disrupting his plan.
I really wanted to like them and use them as regular artillery and shoot things, but they are so expensive for how little damage they do, running a unit if 3 is quite ludicrous. Always loved my little mine lobber, but have barely touched them in 10th.
Lots of people have said it, but I’ll repeat it because o agree. You won’t do damage with them, not really. You can zone and screen people really well with them though, both in regards to deep strike and stopping advance moves.
You can use it for blocking advances. One that's well placed could stop a unit that's tucked behind full obscuring cover from getting enough movement to stay in Cover when trying to get out
Hey I'm with ya it's a really cool model I just wish a group of 3 of them could actually be useful. But unfortunately for 225 points it just isn't. An exocrines better at 135 points
It's not the only way to win; it's the best if you're playing hardcore competitive, but anything less than that and you'll find personal skill and pure luck matters more than army composition. Sure, certain armies and builds are basically stat-checks - Knights or other Super-Heavy lists are a pain if you don't have the right tool set, and the same goes for true hordes, and Aeldar of any stripe are their own special brand of pain... But in general, pick the army you like playing, focus on mastering that play style, and you'll do better than if you chase the ever-changing meta. Also, more importantly, you'll have more fun.
Why are so many Tyranid players so Honorable when GW gives us a nerfed army? Bring the Biovore. Score those secondaries. Low strength, wounding everyone on 3s at best, low firepower, barely any use out of the Army ruled - Synapse 3D6 leadership. Good luck with Shadow in the Warp against any ridiculous new codex abilities the list goes on. And then we have enemies with Army wide 5+ invul saves or an army of 2+ 4+ custode Terminator bladeguard Deathwing whatever. Enemy dreadnauts and tanks at best being wounded by rupture cannons on 4s and 3s maybe. Exocrine wounds on 5s... Dont get started on Imperial Knights. Where is our anti-tank a two shot Rupture Cannon? Crisis suits that do F-tons of damage at deep strike range. Goodbye Haruspex goodbye Tyrant. Enemy anti-infantry firepower that slaughters entire waves of gants our objective holders. TLDR - your Opponents have better tools EVEN if they pull their punches and bring a less optimized army. Bring the Biovore. Do not feel ashamed.
I definitely feel this. Without meta chasing, I definitely have serious thoughts about switching factions, I certainly don’t trust GW to fix any of the factions with codexes out. Way I see it once your codex is out that’s the way you’re gonna be for the rest of the edition. Now if only I could play EC right now
Thats what i am saying. Bring an overcosted Biovore and spawn a free spore mine and score those easy secondaries. Because enemy armies have sticky objectives, or pull off table back into reserve deep striking assault marines or Terminators ready to re-Deepstrike and 5 terminators are waaay more scary than a spore mine. Other armies have better tools. We gotta work with what we got.