The Validity of Mortarion

[Prot]

There’s a lot of good thoughts here but I think it’s a little mixed up. It feels like there is a lot of mixed ideas somewhere between keeping Mortarion alive and not relying too heavily on Mortarion.

 

Blight Haulers are good, solid units. I don’t know if they work with a Mort list though because you are looking at 426 points ( I run them in 3’s for obvious reasons).

 

But on the other hand Blight Haulers are flexible enough that I finding them usable against any opponent. Frankly I’ve been pleasantly surprised how often the MM,s come into play. But again, is this really helping Mort at all?

 

On predators, I am leaning away from them for my Death Guard. Why?... I find the Strategem is where they shine, yes they’re good otherwise but I’m really liking the Plagueburst Crawlers better. Yes BS 4 sucks, but those side cannons can rip stuff pretty good and it’s the sort of stuff that would hunt Mortarion. Also the indirect is great for picking apart Hive Guard and the like of. ( these are plague weapons as well if I recall)

 

Finally at T8 I find you can sucker some people into concentrating on them a lot at never discount DR. When it sucks it sucks but sometimes it can be super frustrating for opponents, and preds don’t have this stuff, or Daemon saves.

 

That’s just my two cents. I’d rather support Mort with 1-2 Plague Crawlers over 3 preds. Maybe I’m married to the theme too much, I dunno.

 

Getting Mort to the dance is the real issue. I’m sure it’s feasible but is it at th3 cost of the rest of my army?

 

Laying down multiple instances of Deathshroud Terminators to escort him, and backing him up with shooty Cataphractii and then a DP or two seems almost like a losing scenario. I’m assuming you’d be escorting multiple Poxwalker squads with Typhus in this case to have any real board presence at all ( which is pretty vital in tournament type scenarios)

[Kilofix]

Prot - you’re saying go with a Horde type list to back up Mortarion instead of Elites / Armor?

[Noeh]

I ran Mortation and only backed him up by a squad of 3 deathshroud and a lord of contagion on the opponent's back line. He lasted two turns but it was my first game, I forgot half my special rules, and didn't use a single stratagem. He still did a lot of damage and took the fire off nearly the rest of my army. A couple poxwalkers died, but he shot nearly everything at Morty.

I've been trying to think of ways to back him up beside the Crawler I had. Would a pair of fleshmower bload drones work well? Maybe the plaguespitters instead..but those mowers look REALLY good.

[Charlo]

I'm really eager to see what sort of synergies Mortarion is going to get out of the Daemon Codex...

 

We currently know the following:

• Nurgle Locus means on a 6+ to wound he will do an additional damage if near a herald or something
• There is a Daemon version of the -1 to hit power where you must target a NURGLE DAEMON, if the psychic power is a different name then we can get Morty to -2 to hit fairly easily!

Not to mention we have the following coming that will no doubt buff NURGLE DAEMONS in some manner:

• Snail-bro
• Plague Tree
• Herald with Screaming face
• Herald with Flesh-pipes
• New rules for GUO (bell option buffs movement in AoS...) including a new Special Character (seemingly a Psyker)

Edited January 2, 2018 by Charlo

[Kilofix]

Slightly off topic but I wonder if the Locus only applies to melee or if ranged too (I.e.PlagueSpitters).

[Charlo]

Should be ranged too! Just says within 6" and a to wound roll.

 

The images they share on community are usually always just the final text from the codex.

[Prot]

Prot - you’re saying go with a Horde type list to back up Mortarion instead of Elites / Armor?

 

Well not necessarily, but the advice seems loaded with super pricey units.... multi threats is one way to do this, but I don't think it's the only way. I think from playing Thousand Sons I have come to believe that tie up units have potential. 

 

For the cost, I think Poxwalkers are the perfect unit for that role. Superior to my goats (Tzaangors) simply because they won't run and can 'grow' with two mechanisms. 

 

I think my cost would come from Mort, plus 1 or 2 squads of Death Shroud body guard (losing first turn, I'd start one squad near him, deep strike the second squad in T2 after his move/advance.)

 

Lots of Poxwalkers with Typhus are going to be very annoying if they reach gunlines. Astra is something that has to be addressed by these lists as the are the top wrung of the game now so you're going to see them. 

 

This might be a bad idea.... I haven't tried it. I don't own Mort, I just started considering him because of some of the more competitive stuff I see sometimes, I thought he might be an option. But my Primarch experience is limited to Guilliman and Magnus.

[DuskRaider]

Poxwalkers are something of a dark horse on the table. Looking at their profile you don't expect much, but crunch time they perform quite well, especially when buffed by Typhus and a Noxious Blightbringer to get them where they want to be ASAP. There's also Necrosius, which is quite good for the price.

 

Remember, you can boost Poxwalkers to Strength / Toughness 5 a turn. I always give Typhus both Miasma of Pestilence and Putrescent Vitality. They become a unit that the enemy cannot ignore, especially when taken en masse.

Edited January 2, 2018 by DuskRaider

[Prot]

My favourite thing about them with Mortbis two fold: they will never break and even in late game a well played Dead Men Walking can re -assert them as a tie up unit which I think he will need.

 

I’d really like to think He is plausible without Daemons. Unlike Magnus, Mort does have one clear Astartes based advantage... a bodyguard of Death Shroud. I just don’t know if that’s enough.

 

I’m very close to ordering him but I’d like to finish a few more models first. I guess in the coming weeks I can proxy Magnus ( he seems about the right size) before deciding to spend all that money.

[DuskRaider]

Daemon allies make Mortarion so much better / more survivable though. Even just using the Index. Remember, he not only contributes to but benefits from Epidemius' Tally and having a Herald follow him around for Fleshy Abundance is potentially game changing. 

[Charlo]

Aye, once the codex drops (as a leak suggests we can deep strike Mortarion for 2CP...) I think Mortarion leading the fetid hordes from the warp might be the best option.

 

At least, I think that's going to be my army theme: "Mortarion's Lab"

• The Big M
• Deathshroud
• Daemons
• Daemon Engines
• Poxwalkers
• ....Maybe some Blightlords because massed TDA is the pure DG Aesthetic.

[Warpmiss]

The few games I've played were against AM and DW and those convinced me that what I needed were more tanks or things that can shoot. I haven't even considered getting Mortarion yet but If he performs so badly against AM I think I'll stick with how I originally intended my list to go with Typhus + Poxwalkers, Plague Marines, Blightlords, Cultists, Daemon Prince and heavy support/tanks (Defiler/Rhinos/Predators/etc). 

 

I just wish the people I play with played other armies as well...

[Prot]

Daemon allies make Mortarion so much better / more survivable though. Even just using the Index. Remember, he not only contributes to but benefits from Epidemius' Tally and having a Herald follow him around for Fleshy Abundance is potentially game changing. 

 

I understand.... I just am a much bigger fan of Death Guard than Daemons.

 

This became even more emphasized when I was trying to make Magnus work in my Thousand Sons yet on the other side of the table I'm facing a Trio of Giant Birds from hell, a zillion Brimstones, and a Changling giving it all -1 to hit.  (really at that point I don't think they could fairly claim they played Thousand Sons).

 

 

 

Aye, once the codex drops (as a leak suggests we can deep strike Mortarion for 2CP...) I think Mortarion leading the fetid hordes from the warp might be the best option.

 

• ....Maybe some Blightlords because massed TDA is the pure DG Aesthetic.

 

 

Deep Striking Mortarion is an immediate game changer. Honestly I can't believe it until I see it.

 

That may make it valid to just keep him as the sole member of a Daemons Detachment just for that Strategem and I could keep the rest of the list pure DG (if I want).

 

The few games I've played were against AM and DW and those convinced me that what I needed were more tanks or things that can shoot. I haven't even considered getting Mortarion yet but If he performs so badly against AM I think I'll stick with how I originally intended my list to go with Typhus + Poxwalkers, Plague Marines, Blightlords, Cultists, Daemon Prince and heavy support/tanks (Defiler/Rhinos/Predators/etc). 

 

I just wish the people I play with played other armies as well...

 

Well AM is a beast this edition. However if it comes to pass that Mort can be Dropped in.... that's going to make anyone squirm a little.

 

I play against a wide range of armies and AM will make you do funny things to your lists. :)

[Kilofix]

Slight digression again but if we get a Strat that allows deep strike of Nurgle Daemons then not just Mortarion but Drones and 3 Hauler squads.

[DuskRaider]

I have a feeling that will be FAQ'd to high hell and back. I'd love for it to remain just to screw IG players, though.

[Prot]

Yea there’s going to be some keyword catch or something. It’s a good way to sell stuff for about 2 weeks after release though!

 

If it goes through, that changes a lot for many gunline armies. And Mortarion will surely benefit, but I bet Magnus with his Uber Smite could be nuts as well.

 

The idea of deep striking Mortarion with his Dark Shroud....wow. That could be a fun two weeks! Lol

[Eire]

The idea of deep striking Mortarion with his Dark Shroud....wow. That could be a fun two weeks! Lol

 

I better get to building Morty up quickly.

 

Also really like the idea of the Morty's Lab list mentioned. Seems like something I could dig. I have four bloat drones, three plagueburst crawlers, bunch of demons, couple heralds, and lots of add-ins.