What's the Verdict on the Swamp Horror?

[StefDa]

So, in a 35 points list with Maelok or Barnabas, with 2x full Gatorman Posse, a Snapper and a Wrastler, what's better - an Ironback Spitter or a Swamp Horror? I can't decide how I like the Horror...

I figure Barnabas would like a Spitter to trigger Warpath and Maelok would prefer a Horror to grant Reach, is this correct? Is there any situation where thetwo guys prefer the other beast as well? I need to justify my purchase

Thanks a lot!

[Fedora]

Barnabas, I feel, has no purpose for taking a swamp horror at all. The ranged weapon that a spitter brings is far more useful to him. And the only thing that reach really matter for to him would be to increase his wrastler's threat range... Except, with warpath, he already has a lot of threat range. If you are actually in a situation where you are needing both reach AND warpath to do something that turn, it is either killing their caster, or you are very likely over-extending yourself.

Maelok has much more to gain from a swamp horror. Without reach on his own personal weapons, despite cull soul and malediction, it improves his ability to nab up souls for himself without gator support (Though I personally manage without reach. I don't use a swamp horror with him till 50pts) And with his brickier style of play, being able to launch things out at increased threat ranges is less important. For him, reach is convenient but not particularly important (also, every reach animus cast by him is one less spiny growth armoring up). Given his bulkiness and resilience vs assassinations (Like Barny I have stormclads ruin themselves trying to assassinate either of them when they start tanking up) the lane-blocking the Swamp Horror brings, again, isn't AS important, but still very very useful.

Calaban, I feel, is the one that makes by far the greatest use out of the swamp horror. Most my 35pt games end up with a Swamp Horror in Calaban's battlegroup.

For starters, his parasite turns that soft hitting weenie of a beast into something that's actually kind of threatening. And without access to a spell that increases his Wrastlers' threat range, nor having a play style that isn't as brick-friendly, being able to get that wrastler reaching out and hitting a couple more targets is useful.

Plus, with Carnivore, bumping up Swamp Horror's mat, or Wrastlers mat plus reach, you are able to bring considerable anti-infantry with your heavies in the event they don't have any heavies they're taking on themselves.

Lastly, one thing that is more important to Calaban than the other two, is that he is considerably squishier and has no means of 'tanking up' to survive some of the most ridiculous of attacks. (Both Barny and Maelok can easily exceed twenty armor) While at the same time having more fury for him to throw out even more spiny growths to protect his heavies (I know most my feat turns involve me using the last few fury swapping other animi to spiny growths on my heavies to clear excess fury). So, the Swamp Horror's lane-blocking is all the more vital to him.

I've had a LOT of games where my opponent's plan is to 'open up the lane free strike from the horror be damned it has a low pow and is unlikely to break a system I'm hitting his caster' when that is the exact thing I'm counting on ruining their entire maneuver, though usually inability to clear out posse late game throw kinks in those plans.

Short version:
Barny - No
Maelok - Maybe
Calaban - Yes

[MMMMK]

Fedora did a really good job of describing the Horror's role in blindwater, but I'll just add a couple things. First, the Horror is quite slow, this means that he has a pretty low threat range. Secondly, he has Impervious Flesh and Steady as well as the Pull ability on his tentacles which means that he is a very defensively oriented beast.

In my mind, everything adds up to indicate that the Horror is a sort of bodyguard beast and really shouldn't be compared to the Spitter because they have 2 very different roles. Barnabus doesn't need the protection that the Horror offers because of his naturally good defensive stats (which become insane when you start stacking on iron flesh and defensive animi) and because his swamp pits make him immune to ranged attacks and also shut down non-pathfinder melee threats.

Maelok might use a Horror, but I'd think it would be at games bigger than 35 points. But Calaban really needs something to block LoS and close down charge lanes so I think that he's really a perfect fit for the beast, and I'll be running one instead of a Wrastler once I pick it up.

[Hoyled]

Ive been enjoying Swampy with both Maelok and Calaban. With Maelok a reach incorporal wrastler is a very nice assasination tool. With Caliban its either a heavy shredder with parasite, or a troop shredder with carnivore.