Why are Gryph-hound pack points so expensive?

[Overread]

50 minutes ago, Ben said:

Somewhere on ther internet there is niche

deep in that niche is another, and another, and another. 

 

Until eventually we have the Gryphhound owners club....

?

Hey at least the Gryphound Owners Club and Archibald Appreciation Society are not like the Cult of Skaven you have around here

[ledha]

At 120 pts, they could be reasonnable. No save is bad (note that you can still buff it with lantern and cover), but 18 wounds for 140 pts is quite cool.

Still, they are not resilient, and their warning cry ability is akward to use. They can do a nice screen, especially since your opponent will HAVE to attack them first if he don't want to see them retreat 3" away and block all move in a area,  but why take 140 of them to do this while your 100 pts AND battleline liberators will do the job and your 120 pts sequitors are just incredible for this ?

[rattila]

2 hours ago, ledha said:

At 120 pts, they could be reasonnable. No save is bad (note that you can still buff it with lantern and cover), but 18 wounds for 140 pts is quite cool.

Still, they are not resilient, and their warning cry ability is akward to use. They can do a nice screen, especially since your opponent will HAVE to attack them first if he don't want to see them retreat 3" away and block all move in a area,  but why take 140 of them to do this while your 100 pts AND battleline liberators will do the job and your 120 pts sequitors are just incredible for this ?

There.  That's the problem, when several units fulfill the same role, we take only the strongrest choice. That's why they need a change in the warscroll and not a change in the price. 

Maybe GW should extent the capacite that double the number of attacks to every Order or Stormcast Eternal Hero instead of just lord castellant et lord veritant. Of give them a native possibility of attack that have more rend of 6+, of who can reroll 1's to wound... but something. 

[Overread]

The way I see it they are a fast screening unit that wants to move forward with another unit into close combat. Either ahead, behind or to the side so that there are two threats in the same area to focus on; this plays to their high attack and wounds whilst also gets them stuck into combat fast, they don't want to hang around taking shots and losing models. Furthermore by having two units together/near to each other, the enemy is more pressed to pick between them - so if one target is favoured over the other, the other target can get to the battle unscathed (or at least less harmed). Thing is their warcry ability is more suited to a unit in the back of the army rather than at the forefront; as its more likely to be that the rear or less front-line areas are going to be the spots that an enemy drops surprise attackers into.

Honestly I think their war cry ability plays to when the player has one single hound with a lord instead of as a pack. I'd say GW could consider splitting Gryph Hounds into two distinct warscrolls. One for the hound pack and one for escort hounds, that way instead of trying to straddle two distinct roles, the hounds can perform each role as required. As @rattila says a shift in their warcry ability could be to generate more attacks or other bonuses for the hound pack to represent them charging straight into battle; whilst those that escort mages and the like can have the war cry as it is. 

[ledha]

5 minutes ago, Overread said:

 

Honestly I think their ability plays to when the player has one single hound with a lord instead of as a pack. I'd say GW could consider splitting Gryph Hounds into two distinct warscrolls. One for the hound pack and one for escort hounds, that way instead of trying to straddle two distinct roles, the hounds can perform each role as required. As @rattila says a shift in their warcry ability could be to generate more attacks or other bonuses for the hound pack to represent them charging straight into battle; whilst those that escort mages and the like can have the war cry as it is. 

I played a 1K tournament with a castellant and a veritant, i can confirm, my 2 lone gryph-hound basically won several games by themselves. people don't have many units at 1K pts, as well as few shooting, and can't dedicate two units to keep objectives and chase 2 single models  which will escape half of the time. It's harder to slip between ennemy units with 6 gryph hounds

[Overread]

@ledha a very good point and interesting about their use at 1K points. Note I edited my original reply you quote to confirm that by "ability" I meant warcry not just their general abilities. 

[Carnelian]

Maybe the gryph hound packs should be battleline... I would be pleased!