Blight Haulers and Infantry Lists: Tactica

[BitsHammer]

But PB will cost you being Battleforged unless you summoned them or took them in another detachment. So while they're only slightly more expensive, you're going to end up pay more points to see them on the table, or being forced to risk summoning them in, just to keep your army bonuses.

[Kilofix]

Keep in mind summoning Plaguebearers is super easy.

 

Any character can do it - it doesn’t have to be a Psyker, albeit they need to stand still. It also doesn’t use up any Psyker ‘casts’.

 

Only need to roll a 4+ on 3D6. Unless you roll a triple, it is mostly just a 1 MW risk.

 

If you need to summon a larger group, use Plague Pact at 1CP - which gives 4D6 and no risk of MW.

 

Remember that apart from the MW risk, you cannot “fail” to summon because even if you roll a 3, you can throw a squad of Nurglings or a Beast down.

Edited January 5, 2018 by Kilofix

[BitsHammer]

Good to note and that does make things a little better.

 

That said I haven't really planned on taking any of the Daemons in my list.

[McElMcNinja]

Each 6 rolled from the d3 attacks would generate an extra attack for DttFE, so you could get 6 hits (12 wounds) per attack. With the right spell and strategem your also looking at extra mortal wounds too, they can be very devastating.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Good to note and that does make things a little better.

 

That said I haven't really planned on taking any of the Daemons in my list.

Probably should start reconsidering. The new Daemon book looks like it's going to have extreme combo potential with stratagems, locuses and other buffs. Deepstriking for mortarion or Blight haulers, guo able to res haulers, more psychic powers. Lots of nice things

[BitsHammer]

Honestly, meh. I tend to play pure armies. Pure Sisters, pure Death Guard, ect. Taking stuff just to beat my opponents into submission really isn't my style.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Honestly, meh. I tend to play pure armies. Pure Sisters, pure Death Guard, ect. Taking stuff just to beat my opponents into submission really isn't my style.

 

All depends on opponents. I don't make crazy lists, go to GW/FLGS and ask some kid for a pickup game and "beat my opponents into submission". My opponents are all good at the game and list building, and frankly the reaper spam and 12 hive guard are fair game for separate detachments

[Prot]

Well I had a crazy game last night with this list idea in mind... crazy. I will make a proper batrep of it though. Probably one of the crazier games I've played in a while against a medium strength Tyranids army. Suffice to say this list was based around the Blight Hauler idea presented in this thread. 

 

I think they are worth it now (with the right list) but maybe even stronger with a Daemon Deep Strike strat? 

[Wolf Lord Loki]

Well I had a crazy game last night with this list idea in mind... crazy. I will make a proper batrep of it though. Probably one of the crazier games I've played in a while against a medium strength Tyranids army. Suffice to say this list was based around the Blight Hauler idea presented in this thread.

 

I think they are worth it now (with the right list) but maybe even stronger with a Daemon Deep Strike strat?

Do tell lol

[BitsHammer]

 

Honestly, meh. I tend to play pure armies. Pure Sisters, pure Death Guard, ect. Taking stuff just to beat my opponents into submission really isn't my style.

 

All depends on opponents. I don't make crazy lists, go to GW/FLGS and ask some kid for a pickup game and "beat my opponents into submission". My opponents are all good at the game and list building, and frankly the reaper spam and 12 hive guard are fair game for separate detachments

 

 

And that's fair, but for me I never build armies around "this is really strong and can steamroll armies" and instead build lists around themes and run them that way. I've considered running armies from multiple books in the past (like say, Word Bearers) but I just can't sell myself on it in the end. Basically I just get into an army because it has stuff I like (typically model wise because I will have to build and paint them to play them) and that fuels my interest in the game and my army. It's not that I don't bother to try and build strong armies, but I will gladly ignore who sections of a codex if it doesn't fit whatever vision of what I'm trying to build/play.

 

Of course it can be great fun when a theme list steamrolls some hyper-tooled up list just because it breaks the meta and the opponent is left unprepared for it, but that's just a side perk more than an objective. ;)

[SkimaskMohawk]

I go both ways, I'll buy and paint and try to use cool models, but I also like playing strong lists with strong lists. Cool models to take with alternative detachments that are also strong are a win win for me.

Guo here we come ;)

[McElMcNinja]

I like the idea of running a pure DG army, in fact I don't like using units out of the codex unless they have the Death Guard keyword. Then seeing all the new Nurgle love I was thinking I would run a small detachment of Nurgle daemons with my DG. I didn't see why not, makes sense that Nurgle would show up if DG were around.

I personally won't be deepstriking Morty or any other daemons in, but I can see why in competitive game people would want to.

[Kilofix]

Ok so I tried the following list against various things.

 

1500pt

Typhus

Chaos Lord

14 Cultists

14 Cultists

14 Pox Walkers

7 Plague Marines (Blight Launchers) in a Rhino

Biologus P

2 Spitter Drones

3 Haulers

 

1st Game vs Orks. Stormboyz, Choppaboyz, Tankbusters, Grots with Artillery.

Turn 1 got assaulted by 30 Stormboyz. They killed 4 Plague Marines. I made 26 Pox with Deadman in the retaliation. Then killed the Choppaboyz and made even more Pox. Then it was downhill for Orks

 

2nd Game vs Tau. Quad Fusion Commander, Triple Flamer Crisis, Stealth Suits, Yhavara, Longstrike and Hammerhead, 3 units of Warriors.

Turn 1 Yhavara, Hammerheads and some misc shooting killed all my Pox. Quad Fusion killed Typhus (bad positioning on my part). But Drones and Haulers eventually killed the Commander, Stealths and Yhavara. Longstrike and Hammerhead were relatively untouched but I won on points controlling 3 Eternal War objectives to none.

 

3rd Game vs IG. 2 Basilisks, 2 Wyverns, 2 Thunderbolts, 3 Hellhounds, 2 Chimeras, 20 Infantry. Turn 1 a combo of the Basilisks, Wyverns, Hellhounds and Chimera killed just about all my Cultists and Pox. Thunderbolts took out 1 of my Spitter Drones. Rest of the game was a struggle to just stay alive with my Drones and Haulers. 3 Haulers survived to endgame but with no Troops I lost on Maelstrom objectives 11 to 13.

 

Learnings.

 

A. You need frontline Cultists to take the first hits in order for Dead Man to be effective but you also need a large enough group of Pox so that an opponent who knows to kill the Pox first can’t wipe them all out before you make more

 

B. Even with T4/5 and 5+DR. Pox are not that resilient with, at best, an easily negateable, 6+ armor save. Lots of IG weapons like Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers, Multi Lasers, etc. will tear through them

 

C. While some opposing armies are great to use Dead Man against (e.g. hordes like Orks), some other armies are not (e.g. low unit count Tau suits)

 

D. Plague Marines lasted a long time in some fights against GEQ. Like a unit of 7 will easily survive 30 Stormboyz or 10x4 IG FRFSRF. But when they are hit with med weapons like Plasma equivalent - they also go down quick

 

E. Drones and Haulers are still huge winners with the combo of T7 5++ and DR. They’re also effective against everything. I think if I did more competition, I would take a minimum 3 cheap bare bones Troops for Battalion, a bare Sorc, a bare Lord (for reroll 1s) and everything else would be Drones

 

F. I haven’t fully tested but I think Plaguebearers with their innate T4 (without having to use Typhus nor Psychic), 5++ and DR make better Troops than either Cultists or Pox. Just need to solve the Detachment issue via Summon or separate Detach

 

Anyway, ...more games and thoughts as I work though them.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Kilofix

[Kilofix]

In retrospect, boring as it may be, I thinkmy ideal 2K list would now be:

 

DP

DP

Plaguecaster

 

10 Cultists

10 Cultists

10 Cultists

 

(Enough points to summon 20 Plaguebearers, a Herald for Heal and change)

 

3 Spitter Drones

2 Mower Drones

3 Haulers

 

That may change with the upcoming Daemon Codex.

 

Also, a big caveat is - Cultists, Pox and Marines may be more effective with something like a Helforged Hellfire Veil Deredeo giving a 5+ aura.

[Prot]

Thanks for the feedback Kilofix.

 

On the Astra games, you always have to use cloud of flies if you get first turn on the pox, along with Dead Man Walking. Trust me, this is mandatory. It’s a horrible match up from the get go.

 

10 Cultists is enough for me, put them in front, throw -1 to hit on the Blight Haulers and cross your fingers.

 

Just remember, Astra is top dog, don’t get discouraged. Honestly I just write off those games.

[Kilofix]

Yeah, didn’t get 1st Turn in the IG game, didn’t manage to seize.

 

At move 12”, range 16” the Hellhounds had me in range of their 2D6 Inferno Cannon from Turn 1 (incidentally Baal Pred is move 12”, range 8”, D6 lol - albeit it’s D2). Plus the Artilley on top of it.

 

I’m still convinced Drones and Haulers primarily are the way to go if competitive though.

 

I might get Snail dude in order to drop Trees that will allow Haulers to fall back and shoot if they get tied down in CC. Their CC is ok but even if a Rhino makes it into CC with them, at only WS4+, A3 and only doing 1D, the whole squad of 3 could be tied up for a while.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Kilofix

[Prot]

I guess that’s true but I know my Blight Haulers are usually surrounded by something that will prevent such a tie up, or would beat down a Rhino.

 

Honestly I don’t know what a Nurgle snail does, but the name doesn’t fill me will hope. ;)

[Wolf Lord Loki]

Hi Prot.

 

This is the 'snail dude'! Hes a herald and has some funky extra ablities (and a giant man eating snail- fun times!!)

 

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2018/01/40k-tending-nurgles-gardens.html

[Noeh]

If only the snailman was also a psyker. I would have included him in an instant. I would have replaced the herald I summon in to heal Mort with something much more resilient.

[Charlo]

Nice findings Kilofix, especially liked the game against Tau where it seemed your resilience took you through to the end.

 

I'd stick with your first list, its much cooler than the second ;)