Daemon allies to support Typhus zombies - advice pls

[nevaenuffbass]

Background:

My local gaming scene seems to be embracing comp (community comp - check out the fb page, but basically harder units cost more "comp credits"), which in turn has had me bring out my death guard (nurgle CSM) from retirement. However a few practice matches in and even with comp, it is clear that the codex is weak, and needs some help (I have a tournament on Saturday, we'll see just how weak it is I guess). Not wanting to step to far out of theme (so no necrons) I have decided that daemon allies with a summoning focus may be a winner. Or at least make it a bit more competitive.

 

Research thus far:

Tournament player as I am, I have perused the forums, and there are mixed opinions on summoning. Short version, daemons do it well, CSM do not, but it is a boring and one dimensional playstyle and it is suggested that people will bore of it. However, no-one seems to be doing it quite the way I have in mind, which may mean it is flawed at outset (hence the post).

 

My Plan:

Normally I like fast reactive armies (eldar and blood angels are my other two armies). CSM can't do that. They are slow, but reasonably tough. Where they lack most is that (aside from being overcosted) they struggle with damage output, particularly shooting output. Daemon summoning will definitely not add any more shooting, but may compliment their resilience, and hopefully provide some close combat punch.

 

Because I took a hobby-focussed army for Saturday's event, I have Typhus and 2 blobs of 27 zombies as the basis of my army, supported by heavy support infantry choices(2 x havocs, 1 x obliterators) and a demon prince. The zombie blob is a tarpit, rarely kills much, but generally survives a game. While slow, it is big, which means that attached characters (i.e. Typhus) end up in combat with anything that comes close. To increase the damage output, I am thinking summoned daemonettes to countercharge things that are tarpitted (lots of attacks and rending). To frustrate the enemy, summoning plaguebearers (shrouded, place them behind zombies for a 3+ cover save, or go to ground in cover for a 2+).

 

To facilitate this - well the demon prince I run already has mastery level 3 so can take the summoning power (being a demon himself he doesn't perils on 'any' double, just 6s) and has a spell familiar which means he re-rolls failed casts. He has wings as well, so can move to someplace where summoning would be more helpful.

 

To build on my CSM army, I am looking at an allied chaos daemon contingent. If I was strictly themey, I'd take only nurgle stuff, but I am taking some creative licence and a mantra of "paint it green" and pretending like they are nurgle with strange other rules. Hence taking some horrors (11 or 12) for the warp charge generation as my compulsory troops, and one of the flavours of herald as my HQ choice.

 

One of the bonuses with this line of thinking is all the painting and modelling with summoned daemons. I have my hobby love on, despite drawing from not one, but two weak codices.

 

I seek your advice on making this concept work, or experiences with the Codex: CD that will help.