Utilizing Ophydians

[Frostglaive]

So I may or may not have recently purchased 4 boxes of Ophydian Destroyers (because they're super cool and creepy). And I have not gotten to use them in a game yet, so I'm not entirely sure just how capable they are yet.

 

I've read elsewhere they're compared against the Skorpekh Destroyers, the Skorpekh being favored (of which I also have 6 of them too). Higher toughness and strength, better save, access to Whirling Onslaught... but 2" slower, doesn't get the extra Reap-Blade hit on a 6, less attacks because no ophydian claws, and no natural deep-strike capability.

 

Despite people favoring the Skorpekh, I'm still absolutely going to use my Ophydians. Simply because Rule of Cool trumps all (and I spent a lot of time building those 12 fiddly monstrosities. I'm using them, dang it!). My question is how?

 

I 9 times out of 10 play Nephrekh, because I like the mobility and having that 6++ invul, if that helps. Should I use them as intended and just deep strike them all over the place? Start them on the board and just rush them forwards? I want to know what your guys' strategies have been when using them. 

 

Thanks in advance!

[Atrus]

Hey, I use Nephrekh too! I've got a few- though not as many as you.

I've tried them in several games now and am finding that I'm not deep striking them at the start of games anymore. This is mostly due to my opponents being frustratingly good at spacing out to deny deepstrike- and they can't kill stuff if they're stuck in deepstrike.

 

My last game I had them keep 0ace with my Ctan as a melee wrecking ball. They shredded through a hellbrute 2 units of pox walkers, saved my ctan by finishing off typhus in the combat it was in, took out a chaos Lord and had almost bracketed a plagueburst crawler by the last turn.

They've got the moves to get across the board.

 

For me they are fantastic little blenders that will rip apart the chaff units and not be bogged down by them courtesy of their seer amount of attacks. That reap blade is so juicy that when it lands it's hits, they're felt.

I'm very pleased with their performance. I think I'm going stick to charging them up the field as that worked well last time. I've got another game tonight and shall see how they go again.

[Kaldoth]

I'm also a huge fan of Ophydians. The Skorpekhs are definitely more survivable, but when it absolutely needs to be murdered send in the creepy boys. I've been running a unit of five as Novokh and Deep Striking with a Plasmacyte and let me tell you... The sheer amount of attacks is staggering. Plus with the bonuses to charge distance, strength, and AP from novokh/hungering void/Plasmacyte it honestly gets to ludicrous levels of melee potential.

[Ahzek451]

I would also agree that these guys might be better suited for a later game arrival. After the armies have made their move and you really need to go after that unit in the corner out of reach. And then, use the strat at the end of the game (if needed) to re-deploy to contest an objective or take a table edge. Skorpeks are better, in performance when it comes to defense and damage. But ophydians do better at getting where they need to go as well as have more attacks. 

[Atrus]

Yeah after tonight's game, I'm never leaving home without a unit of 6 of these beauties. I'll also be starting them on the table and using their deepstrike strat if need be later game.

Keeping these with my distraction Ctan, they tore down a couple of bloodletters and hellbrute.