Plague Marines

[DuskRaider]

Nurglings in the enemy's deployment zone turn one and harrying Bloat and Plague Drones would help a lot to make up for the slow infantry.

[bozo69pd]

Nurglings in the enemy's deployment zone turn one and harrying Bloat and Plague Drones would help a lot to make up for the slow infantry.

That's how I roll.

[Hathor42]

I think two squads of 20 poxwalkers in front of a squad of 20 plague marines is cool.

 

Spend a CP so you can't target the PMs, then spend a CP to give one of the zombie units the "get a new zombie for every model that dies nearby" stratagem. Then buff the same zombie unit with +1 toughness and -1 to hit.

 

So now your opponent has to choose between shooting a zombie unit that is -1 to hit and toughness 4 or 5, or shooting a normal unit that just adds a new zombie to the buffed unit with each death.

That's 500pts before giving the marines any gear what other units would there be to target to make more poxwalkers?

[ChaosReigns]

On the note of melee weapons have there been any rumours about how many of each are going to be in the Plague Marines box? Hopefully Games Workshop will be as generous with the weapon bits as they were with the Rubric Marines.

[bozo69pd]

They can all be equipped with melee weapon upgrades... so dear lord I hope they kit for that.

[DuskRaider]

I'm willing to bet the Flail and Cleaver will be one to a box. Most likely only 5 Axes, if that as well... it's going to be a free for all and price gouging on bits sites, I guarantee you. Truthfully, GW shot themselves in the foot opting to end their bits service.

[TheMelancholic]

How will you guys be running Plague Marine squads?

 

I think the most competitive way(s) to run them are:

• 2x 5 man squads in a rhino maxing out special weapons (probably Plasma, maybe Melta)
• 7 Man squad kitted for melee in a rhino with a Biologus Putrifier, Tallyman and Foul Blightspawn (lots of deadly close range shooting with Blight Bombardment and nasty assault).

Alternatively I have a couple of other ideas:

• 1x20 Man squad with Plague Surgeon and Putrifier. Death Guard have amazing infantry stratagems and by maxing out squad size you increase their value. The idea here is to march up behind a wall of Poxwalkers (or anything really) using Cloud of Flies to deny shooting. Once your close enough Blight Bombardment can be used to annihilate most targets (yes, including tanks...I took out a land raider in my last game with hyper-blight grenades (my opponent was nice enough to let me proxy)).
• A gunline of several 5-7 man units with attending Surgeons and Haulers covering their advance.

I still like Rhinos, especially for assault squads because it allows them to reach melee range in about 1-2 turns as opposed to 3-4, plus you can do cheeky things like deny overwatch by charging the target unit with the rhino first.

 

A big Footslogger unit could work however, especially with Cloud of Flies, ensuring their number doesn't deplete while they close in to effective grenade range.

[1000 Sons]

A kharybdis packed to the gills with plague marines and characters is starting to make me itch in that nurgly way.

[TheMelancholic]

A kharybdis packed to the gills with plague marines and characters is starting to make me itch in that nurgly way.

 

Throw on VotLW and Blight Bombardment (Mortal wounds on 5+, rerolling ones to wound...that's gotta hurt) With split fire for everyone now, I guess you can nuke several units within range. Make them melee focused for good measure.

 

Geez...that's a pretty cool image. Some huge corroded drop pod slamming down into the ground, opening up to pour out a swarm of Plague Marines lobbing Blight Grenades all around.

Edited September 20, 2017 by TheMelancholic

[bozo69pd]

If I bring them I am definitely going for 20 kitted for melee with a surgeon. I was just so unimpressed with MSU or 7 mans with a couple plasma. I have generally gotten good enough with my army to guarantee combat on turn 3, plus I can warp time that blob if needed. I will definitely have a big axe and flail. But how many bubonic axes? Should I take any Blightguns?

 

I am not sure about the putrifier. I mean mortal wound grenades sound cool, but I am terrible at rolling 6's and also you have to be so close to use that. Maybe I will proxy one for a game.

[Plaguecaster]

 

 

A kharybdis packed to the gills with plague marines and characters is starting to make me itch in that nurgly way.

Throw on VotLW and Blight Bombardment (Mortal wounds on 5+, rerolling ones to wound...that's gotta hurt) With split fire for everyone now, I guess you can nuke several units within range. Make them melee focused for good measure.

 

Geez...that's a pretty cool image. Some huge corroded drop pod slamming down into the ground, opening up to pour out a swarm of Plague Marines lobbing Blight Grenades all around.

When you deploy models after disembarking from a Kharybdis they have to be at least 9 away from an enemy unit so you won't be able to throw the grenades as soon as the pod lands

[ashc]

I'm not convinced on the close combat plague marine squad setup to be honest. I don't think they get enough attacks for it to be a legitimate setup. The terminators look like a better unit to turn to for a close combat role. Anyone else think this?

[MasterDeath]

I like the fluff bit of 20 marines and 1 Chirugeon and will probably use that, but plit them apart. So 2 x 7 Marines, 1 x 6 Marines and the Chirugeon. Makes the most sense, I think. Modelwise thats Dark Imperium, one Box of Quickbuild Plague marines and (I hope so) one Box of Plague marines + Chirugeon.

[Checkmate77]

ashc,

 

I share your concern about a Close Combat PM squad, I love the options they have but PM (as is all of our infantry) is simply too slow to be viable cc unit.  

 

IMHO 20 man blobs supported by a Surgeon sounds really fluffy, but that is a lot of points you are dumping into one slow-moving (albeit hard hitting unit).  Not to mention the additional chars and units you would need to add to make them viable (Poxwalker screen, Noxious Blight bringer, etc).  Honestly for those points I would rather divide into multiple 7-man squads which will give me more flexibility and allow me to take more special weapons.

 

I am interested in more experiences people have gathered with their close combat PM variants.  How much success have you had, what do they work well against, how do you get the most out of them, etc.

 

As of now, I would be more inclined to use a rapid strike unit with Plague Spewers (7 man squad with 2xPS, 2xFlails, support by Purifier and Blightspawn).  Put them in a Rhino and let them go to town. 

[1000 Sons]

It would be even more points but if that 20 man blob in a kharibdyis or spartan is four 5 man squads all kitted out with 2 fails, 2 blight launcher and a fist champ with a surgeon and typhus or a caster sounds really crazy.

 

When it comes to the terminators I am starting to lean towards just having death shroud. You can get 4 shroud for almost the same price as 5 kitted out regular termies and better attacks, plus with the look out sir option.

[Guidebot]

I don't really rate Plague Marines for melee.  They just don't quite have the damage output or maneuverability to be very appealing for that role, compared to Blightlord Terminators or Blight Drones.  I feel like they should plan on shooting, to shine.  That said I do like your "rapid strike unit" @Checkmate77.

 

I'll mostly be trying: 

-7 Plague Marines, 2 Blight Launchers.

 

Simple.  Relatively Cheap.  Versatile.  Responds well to almost any kind of support unit.  They have to kill 5 models to get to your expensive Blight Launchers, but if they do focus fire and wipe out this squad then that seems fine, given the value of other targets in our army.  

Edited September 20, 2017 by Guidebot

[TheMelancholic]

 

 

A kharybdis packed to the gills with plague marines and characters is starting to make me itch in that nurgly way.

Throw on VotLW and Blight Bombardment (Mortal wounds on 5+, rerolling ones to wound...that's gotta hurt) With split fire for everyone now, I guess you can nuke several units within range. Make them melee focused for good measure.

 

Geez...that's a pretty cool image. Some huge corroded drop pod slamming down into the ground, opening up to pour out a swarm of Plague Marines lobbing Blight Grenades all around.

When you deploy models after disembarking from a Kharybdis they have to be at least 9 away from an enemy unit so you won't be able to throw the grenades as soon as the pod lands

 

 

Hmm...maybe take a generic CSM sorcerer for warptime? He would allow the Plagues an easy charge too.

[bozo69pd]

I like the fluff bit of 20 marines and 1 Chirugeon and will probably use that, but plit them apart. So 2 x 7 Marines, 1 x 6 Marines and the Chirugeon. Makes the most sense, I think. Modelwise thats Dark Imperium, one Box of Quickbuild Plague marines and (I hope so) one Box of Plague marines + Chirugeon.

20 man blob so the renegade sorcerer behind them can prescience and warp time them.

[Hathor42]

What about putting 2 plague spewers into a CC unit?

[DuskRaider]

The only way I'd think a 20-man strong unit of Plague Marines would be worth it is if you took a bunch of CC weapons. Otherwise, while the Bolter fire could drag things down eventually, you're just wasting what could be multiple units of 7 or even 2 units of 10 that would have more special weapons.

[Guest]

Another issue with 20 man squad is making your army battle forged. 3x 7 PMs is a battalion vs 1x 20 PMs.

 

To remain fluffy i will stick with either 6+surgeon or 7 man squads.

[Deadnaughty]

The main reason to go with a 20 man squad is so that you can hide them behind poxwalkers with a single stratagem rather then 3.

[Mack]

I'm really thinking that Plague Bearers are the better option than pox walkers. For about 20 more points you get cloud of flies built into the unit without having to spend CP's. I also like their 5+/5++ over Poxwalkers and Plague swords just hit better in melee. They also are faster (5" move) and can add 1" to their advance and charge rolls.

 

The benefits just seem to favor PB's for me over Poxwalkers, but fearless is the PW's greatest asset (unless you run them with Typhus, then the advantage starts to shift to PW's over PB's)

 

The PB cloud of flies for 20 man units is hard to pass up though.

Edited September 21, 2017 by Mack

[SkimaskMohawk]

Their cloud of flies is comparable to miasma, not the stratagem. So psychic power over cp.

 

And I'd only run poxwalkers with typhus

[Arkhanist]

You do need a demon detachment for plague bearers though (assuming you don't want to lose your DG legion benefits) - and that can affect how many CPs you can squeeze in. That goes double if you're trying to squeeze in a CSM or renegades detachment for fire support/warptime. Plus of course it restricts which strats/buffs you can use on what. Sure, you probably don't want to have characters just to buff poxwalkers (bar typhus, obvs) but if you're buffing plague marines say and your poxwalkers can benefit too, so much the better.

 

So when comparing in isolation I'd agree that PB are better for the points, but as part of a mostly-DG force? That's a tougher one and rather depends on what else you're bringing for synergies. And it's not like an immune-to-morale unit with DR that's still pretty cheap doesn't have its uses.

 

Personally I'll take poxwalkers because I've got 40 of them and only a couple of ancient metal PBs :)