Alright, It's been a week so I wanted to recap and post the stats that will be going into the next 'nid list. To reiterate, I can't make everyone happy. If you disagree with something then provide some playtests once the list is out.
TermagantsCode:
INF 20cm - 6+ 5+ Brood, Expendable
Fleshborers (15cm) Small Arms -
The gaunt rule is getting dropped here but otherwise these are the 9.2.1 stats. There weren't any contrary opinions and it looks good to Zombo and I so we'll go with it.
HormagauntsCode:
INF 20cm - 4+ - Brood, Expendable, Infiltrators
Scything Talons (base contact) Assault Weapons -
The gaunt rule is getting dropped here, they're pretty much the 9.1 stats. The argument that no one takes them at these stats is butting up against my experience with them in Onachus and 9.1. I've taken them in both lists and felt I've gotten what I needed out of them (basing two high FF low CC enemies in assault).
I've gone back and looked at the old 9.1 threads and haven't found any posts calling for an increase in their CC. Once they were changed in 9.2 people chimed in with the "yes, they needed a bump" posts but I didn't see anyone calling for it before hand. In general I think stat increases garner wider acceptance than decreases so if playtests are showing they're too weak then we can readdress this.
However, 2@5+ is so marginally better than 1@4+ (a 55.56& chance on average to get 1 hit, and a 11.11% change to get two over half a chance for 1 hit) I find it hard to believe that it will be some great equalizer for the Hormagaunt in comparison to the Termagant. More likely, a price decrease is needed for Hormagaunts. I feel they're fine where they are but like I said playtests can change my mind.
GargoylesCode:
INF 30cm - 6+ 5+ Brood, Expendable, Jump Packs
Flamespurts/Fleshborers 15cm AA6+ -
Whether we name their weapons Flamespurts or Fleshborers it is going to make little difference game-wise, it's purely aesthetic. So feel free to call them either. No Flameborers or Fleshspurts (ewwwwww) though. If people aren't a fan of that then we'll just call the attack Swarm Strike again or something similar.
While Flamespurts should grant IC I'd rather not have these guys have separate old/new stats so I've kept it off for that and for the fact that they've got a lot going for them over the two gaunts already.
The AA is staying for the time being, but the note about the unit being removed for it hitting isn't coming back. Ya it's fun but I don't think it adds a whole lot to the game beyond reducing the army's poor AA even further.
RavenersCode:
INF 20cm 5+ 4+ - Brood, Expendable, Infiltrators, Tunnelers
Twin Scything Talons (base contact) Assault Weapons Extra Attack (+1)
While I'd like to keep the number of attacks down for these guys to reduce the variance I don't have much in-game experience with them. Given that, I don't really have much of an argument so 2@4+ it is. Zombo and I both agreed to dropping the FF though so they're not just a super-Hormagaunt rolled up with a Termagant that has a save and that can Tunnel.
I'm naming their weapons Twin Scything Talons however to differentiate them from Scything Talons (which don't provide the EA).
As to the arguments on their numbers within the swarms, I agree that they shouldn't be as common as the two gaunts. However I think that's the realm of army list discussion.
