Filling out Heavy Support in a 2000pt Death Guard army

[GenerationTerrorist]

Hi guys, hope all is good.

In my limited experience using the DG half of the DI box, and wanting to expand a little bit, I am struggling to come up with how to fill out the Heavy Support slots.

Essentially, I am running Typhus, Plaguecaster, 2*7 Marines with Icon, 2*PG and PF/PG on Champion, 2*Blightbringer, 30 Pox Walkers, Hellbrute with PF/MM from the DV set, plus the Drone. This is a total of 1345pts.

I have played 4 games so far and really struggled with anything T8+ and 10+W. With the 655pts left to make it to 2000pts in total, how should I fill up the Heavy Support slots? I really love the idea of spamming a trio of T-LC/LC/LC Predators. Then again, I also like a T-LC/LC/LC Predator, Defiler with Power Scourge and a Chaos Vindicator for pretty much the same cost.

 

Please note, I am a VERY new player when it comes to anything Chaos in 40K (I used to have a 5000pt Chaos Warriors army for Fantasy!) and am not interested in winning at the cost of making friends. I want to have a chance of winning but, more importantly, make sure that both my opponent and myself have a crapload of fun in a game. Therefore, all kinds of suggestions which promote total carnage of the enemy and potential self-destruction, in equal measure, will be best appreciated.

(Maybe I should play Orks instead!!!!)

[Iron Sage]

Hi guys, hope all is good.

In my limited experience using the DG half of the DI box, and wanting to expand a little bit, I am struggling to come up with how to fill out the Heavy Support slots.

Essentially, I am running Typhus, Plaguecaster, 2*7 Marines with Icon, 2*PG and PF/PG on Champion, 2*Blightbringer, 30 Pox Walkers, Hellbrute with PF/MM from the DV set, plus the Drone. This is a total of 1345pts.

I have played 4 games so far and really struggled with anything T8+ and 10+W. With the 655pts left to make it to 2000pts in total, how should I fill up the Heavy Support slots? I really love the idea of spamming a trio of T-LC/LC/LC Predators. Then again, I also like a T-LC/LC/LC Predator, Defiler with Power Scourge and a Chaos Vindicator for pretty much the same cost.

 

Please note, I am a VERY new player when it comes to anything Chaos in 40K (I used to have a 5000pt Chaos Warriors army for Fantasy!) and am not interested in winning at the cost of making friends. I want to have a chance of winning but, more importantly, make sure that both my opponent and myself have a crapload of fun in a game. Therefore, all kinds of suggestions which promote total carnage of the enemy and potential self-destruction, in equal measure, will be best appreciated.

 

(Maybe I should play Orks instead!!!!)

No, don`t play orks ;)

There are ways of getting some Heavy support in. I just made a 1850 list (fell free to take a look if you want) using mostly the Dark Imperium minis, and I had points to chuck in a Nurgle defiler and a land raider that I owned previous to Dark Imperium while still having solid troops. If I exchange my lord of contaigion to Typhus I even have a bit more points to spare.

Just fiddle around a bit with the math and you`ll be able to chuck something in :)

 

Ps. I am not saying my list is among the strongest, as It likely isn`t. But it is a decent list for friendly play I think.

[micahwc]

Land raiders are nice for a couple of reasons. 1, they are huge targets that will attract a lot of enemy fire. 2, they can put a lot of hurt out with 4 lascannon a and good BS.

 

Havoks seem really good to me.

[Ashe Darke]

I find smite is best for those high T units. I run Typhus and 2 princes so that's 3 a turn with 2 of them being mobile enough to get where I need to. That said I've only played about 8 games with this list so far so it's not like it's faced everything. I imagine backline high T spam would be tricky to handle.

[Iron Sage]

Land raiders are nice for a couple of reasons. 1, they are huge targets that will attract a lot of enemy fire. 2, they can put a lot of hurt out with 4 lascannon a and good BS.

 

Havoks seem really good to me.

Land raiders are costly, but maybe, finally, they are actually worth their points this edition. It takes an immense dedicated effort to bring one down,  and killing it before it has disgorged its troops is highly unlikely. I actually like them in 8 ed.

[Brother Aiwass]

Take a look at the FW index -wink, wink.

[Iron Sage]

Take a look at the FW index -wink, wink.

I sure would if I owned any FW kits :) But yeah, Hellforged...

[Brother Aiwass]

Yeah, hellforged, and you can convert some of them. The laser vindicator for example, or the predator... :)

[Iron Sage]

Yeah, hellforged, and you can convert some of them. The laser vindicator for example, or the predator...

I actually own 2 unassembled vindicators. WIth the nerf on the large blast template they are not currently a priority (I already have two painted ones in Thousand Sons colours). for my Iron Warriors, but as you say, perhaps with some conversion. Not really sure how I should convert the laser vindi though.

 

Question: What is the laser vindi called? I cant seem to find it on the hellforged list. If it is indeed the Fellblade, then the conversion job sounds rather major to say the least. I wouldn`t, quite honestly, know where to start (though it is intriguing) !

Edited July 16, 2017 by Iron Sage

[Brother Aiwass]

For the conversion, a big laser looking cannon should be enough. But if you want a more fancy looking thing, the warpcannons from the skaven wheel thingy works wonders. Brother Plagecaster have a couple of them converted and they're amazing:

Hope you don't mind I shared

For the rules, they aren't in the chaos index book, because they forgot to add in. But it's been FAQ'd that we can hellforge them from the scumbag loyalist FW index.

Weapon is Heavy 2 S9 (10 if overcharge) AP -3 (-5 if OC) D3 (6 if OC). And can fire twice if didn't move on the same turn.

The Fellblade is another kind of beast actually, with a chassis the size of a Baneblade, but if you manage to convert one, by any means, please share.

Edited July 16, 2017 by Brother Aiwass

[Iron Sage]

For the conversion, a big laser looking cannon should be enough. But if you want a more fancy looking thing, the warpcannons from the skaven wheel thingy works wonders. Brother Plagecaster have a couple of them converted and they're amazing:

Hope you don't mind I shared

For the rules, they aren't in the chaos index book, because they forgot to add in. But it's been FAQ'd that we can hellforge them from the scumbag loyalist FW index.

Weapon is Heavy 2 S9 (10 if overcharge) AP -3 (-5 if OC) D3 (6 if OC). And can fire twice if didn't move on the same turn.

The Fellblade is another kind of beast actually, with a chassis the size of a Baneblade, but if you manage to convert one, by any means, please share.

Cheers! I only looked at the weaponry in the forces of chaos book, not seeing anything that soudned like a vindi and the fellblade came closest to waht you spoke of, but it cost heartsblood in points, so I was sceptical if it could indeed be from a mere Vindicator chassis. Thank you very much for those inspirational pictures! And yeah, certain stores sell bitz, so I could indeed buy something like shown above (runs over to find hated loyalist index to see what the hell this actually is).

[Iron Sage]

Hmm, it is basically a twin lascannon with the plasma option to over charge. Is it more cost effective and better than a tri las predator?

Oh, never mind, saw the rule about shooting twice with the laser cannon if it does not move first. Hmm. This might be worth it.

Edit: Also saw the cost of the weapons (cannon is free) with only thr cheap chaff costing points. So approx 190 points. Not bad. Not bad...

Edited July 16, 2017 by Iron Sage

[Brother Aiwass]

If you want cost effectiveness you need to look onto the chaos Xiphon Interceptor, each one packed with basically 4 lascannons plus a D3 S7 missile launcher that on a 5+ to wound deals a mortal wound, only for ~230 points!

 

Didn't mentioned before because they're not HS but fliers.

[Iron Sage]

If you want cost effectiveness you need to look onto the chaos Xiphon Interceptor, each one packed with basically 4 lascannons plus a D3 S7 missile launcher that on a 5+ to wound deals a mortal wound, only for ~230 points!

 

Didn't mentioned before because they're not HS but fliers.

Yeah, but I mostly play friendly games (been years since my last tournament), so there is no need for THAT much cost effective. But cost efficient enough not to gimp me is what I prefer. I tend to try to create fluffy lists that have punch in them. And as for fliers, it is enough for now, with my single heldrake since my usual opponents dont have more than 1 fliers each (while I have kind of several daemons with wings). But if the tank is cool and effective, like the one above, then it is of course very interesting for my Iron Warriors as the Vindicators have so far proved a disapointment in 8ed when I tested them with my Thousand Sons.

[sanityimpaired]

A Nurgle Soul Grinder isn't DG per se, but it fits the fluff really well as a giant biomechanical thing rather than a tank and it gets something equivalent to disgustingly resilient.  If you have a Nurgle Prince nearby, it will benefit from the re-roll 1s aura as well though you can't buff it with CSM psyker powers.

And it's PL11, so you can summon it as a daemon consistently.  Going to do that one of these days, just to see the look on my opponent's face.  :-)

[DominikB]

A stupid question, but am I okay giving forgeworld stuff the DG keyword even though the stuff isn't in the list in the index?

[Iron Sage]

A stupid question, but am I okay giving forgeworld stuff the DG keyword even though the stuff isn't in the list in the index?

Depends. They have their own key words, such as Hell forged etc. You have some special characters that can be DG though, as well as the blight drone. But the answer in general is no as far as I understand.

[Brother Aiwass]

In the FW FAQ, almost any unit can be DG now bar a couple exceptions.

 

https://17890-presscdn-0-51-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/40K_8th_ed_Update_Imperial_Armour_Index_Forces_of_Chaos_ver_1.1.pdf

[DominikB]

In the FW FAQ, almost any unit can be DG now bar a couple exceptions.

 

https://17890-presscdn-0-51-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/40K_8th_ed_Update_Imperial_Armour_Index_Forces_of_Chaos_ver_1.1.pdf

Ah cheers!

[the jeske]

A knight. get a knight. If not him then anything some of the FW stuff, leviathan or a ton of weapon batteries. Best and safest options right now. FW is generally better then indeks stuff, and the chance its rules are going to be rewriten soon is low and a knight is generally good.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

A Nurgle Soul Grinder isn't DG per se, but it fits the fluff really well as a giant biomechanical thing rather than a tank and it gets something equivalent to disgustingly resilient.  If you have a Nurgle Prince nearby, it will benefit from the re-roll 1s aura as well though you can't buff it with CSM psyker powers.

 

And it's PL11, so you can summon it as a daemon consistently.  Going to do that one of these days, just to see the look on my opponent's face.  :-)

Are you saying tanks don't fit the Death Guard fluff? I'm pretty sure DG Vindicators would be very fluffy.. 

 

OP I'd be looking at Land Raiders and Vindicators. A unit of Havocs would be cool too especially with MoN

Edited July 16, 2017 by Bloody Legionnaire

[GenerationTerrorist]

Cheers for all the info, chaps :-)

[sanityimpaired]

 

A Nurgle Soul Grinder isn't DG per se, but it fits the fluff really well as a giant biomechanical thing rather than a tank and it gets something equivalent to disgustingly resilient.  If you have a Nurgle Prince nearby, it will benefit from the re-roll 1s aura as well though you can't buff it with CSM psyker powers.

 

And it's PL11, so you can summon it as a daemon consistently.  Going to do that one of these days, just to see the look on my opponent's face.  :-)

Are you saying tanks don't fit the Death Guard fluff? I'm pretty sure DG Vindicators would be very fluffy.. 

 

OP I'd be looking at Land Raiders and Vindicators. A unit of Havocs would be cool too especially with MoN

 

DG are famous for not taking good care of their toys, so they're described as not having a lot of functioning vehicles because they don't bother to maintain them.  Daemon engines are a lot more appropriate in my mind, and SGs are the only ones which get disgustingly resilient - though forge/mauler fiends and defilers healing injuries is also awfully Nurgle.

[micahwc]

Hard to beat 80 points for an Earthshaker battery. 

[GreaterChickenofTzeentch]

It's not Heavy Support.....but Nurgle Decimator for the win. The fact that it gets buffs from both the Contagion and Nurgle Daemon Disciplines as well as Dark Hereticus is huge, and the thing is a beast that can be configured to shoot rather well via Soulburner Petards, Butcher Cannons, or even Conversion Beamers.

 

Nurgle Contemptor is fluffly (DG had a fair number of those in the novels) and also quite nasty.

 

For strict Heavy Support, I'd second the folks who mentioned Forgefiends and Maulerfiends. They can really get crazy with all of those buffs, just like the Decimator.