Best Loadout for Blightlords

[DemetriiTZ]

I love the reaper autocannon. It gives you more range and does more work as a result. It thins out hordes better. When you play Necrons with quantum shielding you'll appreciate high STR with low damage with more shots.

The math disagrees though. Launchers are more effective vs Cronshields as well, and 8 S7 shots at 36" is not why we run 10-man BL squads.

[Lagrath]

I have been running 10 Blightlords with 2 flails and 8 bubotic axe + combi-plasma. I hit them with prescience and VOTLW. The damage they do in the shooting phase is devestating, especially if I also hit the target with death hex. They will also destroy anything in combat if they go first and you use VOTLW and Blades. I keep a Terminator chaos Lord with them for reroll 1s.

 

They can easily die to shooting or mass high-damage melee weapons, even if you make them -1 to hit with miasma. You have to work hard to buff and protect them. The secret to surviving shooting is good use of terrain and cloud of flies and the secret to surviving melee is to deep strike and try not to get hit with your opponent's whole army at once.

 

I have battle report on my Facebook blog.

[DemetriiTZ]

I stand corrected -- the Reaper isn't terrible, mathwise, with the point drop.

[ashc]

I'm guessing that the presence of an Arch-contaminator aura would keep the scales tipped in the blight launchers favour though? - that's a buff that the reaper gets no benefit from.

[Bulwyf]

I'm guessing that the presence of an Arch-contaminator aura would keep the scales tipped in the blight launchers favour though? - that's a buff that the reaper gets no benefit from.

 

If you use your BL like I do then that's not weighed in because I never DS them near where the WL is. I DS my BL to do damage in the rear or flank and by the time the WL gets near them the game is usually over. I prefer the Reaper to the launcher.

[DemetriiTZ]

The extra shots actually make the AC a little better at 1W infantry and worse at most vehicles.

[McElMcNinja]

With what I have experienced lately, I'm dropping the combi-meltas and adding 2 more BL's. I'm going with 10 BL's: 2 flails, 2 BL, 6 combi-Bolter's, and all axes. Shooting screening units while holding an objective is right up their alley. I got charged by 20 genestealers and when all said and done, I had 6 left holding an objective. The BL against Guard equivalent units is wounding on a 2+ and rerolling 1's, that's 4 easy kills plus 24 bolter shots.

The axes and flails are a bonus that just increases their survivability. Now only if a LoC gave the reroll of 1's, that would take them over the top.

[DemetriiTZ]

Bingo. As an Anvil, they are extraordinary -- just DS near an enemy objective and aim them at it. They basically cannot be ignored, and all the real killing power is hidden in the flails, so even 4-5 BLs can roll through chaff lategame when everything is in tatters.

[Zombs]

I think you have to take into account that sometimes powers can fail or your opponent can deny them. I would not load them up with anything that isn't bolters.

[Wolf Lord Loki]

I'm sure I've asked this in other places but given we are discussing the 'best' load out I might ask it here as well

 

Would you chance your load out based of if you chose to put them in a transport such as a spartan or land raider?

 

Given the qualifier most people would say neither transport is a wise investment of points (but some people, want to take them anyway)

 

Also what about combi-flamers as a deterrent against being charged?

[DemetriiTZ]

Too much can make a reliable charge from 8"+ out

[DemetriiTZ]

Also, an LR + BLs is also less durable and more expensive than 10 BLs. Lascannons wound both on 3's, but an LR will suffer full damage while a BL will get a 4++ and DR, and will take 2 fatal dmg at most.

[DemetriiTZ]

Reaper Autocannons are definitely interesting, assuming you run them with something that can support them from the backfield. I personally run Plagueburst Crawlers and Deredeos with a Leviathan, as well as Daemon Prince + Sorc. support, so the Reaper's 36'' is interesting -- it synchs up well with Butcher Cannons and Heavy Bolters (36'', -1 AP), so there's a lot of overlapping crossfire and they all have high enough strengths to be versatile as either AT or AI weapons. Diversity and volume of firepower is key.

[Xenith]

So now with the apparent beta bonus to bolt weapons (rapid fire at 24" for terms) I think combi Bolters are solidly better. Combi plasma is awesome with 2 shots at 18" however it makes them so, so expensive.

[BlackTriton]

So now with the apparent beta bonus to bolt weapons (rapid fire at 24" for terms) I think combi Bolters are solidly better. Combi plasma is awesome with 2 shots at 18" however it makes them so, so expensive.

What is this "beta bonus" you're talking about?

 

Edit:

Nvm, saw the white dwarf beta rule.

If it becomes rule, the storm bolter becomes the best option for points by far.

[DemetriiTZ]

Yep, saw it just now. CBs are 4 shots for 2 points at 24'' on Terminators, and even Plague Marines doubletap at 24'' when they stand still. Worth consideration again, for sure -- and even Plagues may be back on the menu.

CBs on Champions are also an interesting proposition.

[Bulwyf]

I think we have to reconsider storm bolters as a valid option with the new bolter beta rules. I still prefer combi plasma, a flail and a reaper but for just chaff cleaning the SB option is more than valid.

[DemetriiTZ]

6x CB + 8x Reaper can threaten a wide variety of targets.

 

Good middleground.

[Zombs]

If bolters double tap at 24" I feel our legion trait should be buffed as well. Right now I love our double tap at 18", but if everybody will get that, we become even more "boring".

[DemetriiTZ]

Remember, ours applies to plasma as well -- other Marines only get it for bolters. Ours is much, much better.

[Closet Skeleton]

If bolters double tap at 24" I feel our legion trait should be buffed as well. Right now I love our double tap at 18", but if everybody will get that, we become even more "boring".

Deathguard double tap is still better because you can move with it. You could even say that its fluffier now that DG Plague marines are more mobile than other bolter units. Objective camping at 18" didn't make much sense as a use of an ability with advance in the name.

 

Blightlords got worse compared to other terminators but blightlords were already the only good terminators so who cares. Scarab Occult now being almost as good is better for the game.

[BlackTriton]

Meh, had this rule been in effect when they wrote the DG codex, inexorable advance would be different no doupt.

 

Its still a net positive for our army.

 

For blightlords, the best loadout is solidly combi-bolters, axes and flails.

 

If you want a larger selection of target, blight launchers are good.

 

Reaper are better heavy bolter, which is good. But in this case they are fonctionally 8 point for +1 to wounds and -1 ap over the combi-Bolter. it dosent offer more target options since its 1 damage.

[General Strike]

Remember, this is just a beta rule at this point, so it might change or get dropped depending on the feedback they get. I still think the bolter needs an upgraded profile, but all this stuff does help. I honestly think Ap-1 with this would be adequate, which is why everyone is so amped about rubrics and scarab occults, inferno bolters are way better than bolters.

[DemetriiTZ]

The Reapers do give a wider range of targets, though, because they have improved strength. Reapers against T5 and T6 do better average damage, and slightly better versus T7, but they lack the reroll to wound so they're weaker against T3 and T4 MW enemies than the Launcher.

I was a big defender of Launchers over Reapers when Reapers were 20 a piece, but now that they're 10, I think building Terminators for a Bachelor's in Anti-Infantry and with a Minor in Light Armor Harassment is perfectly fine, and Reapers do the trick. Launchers synergize better with Arch-Contam and combibolter ranges, but if you use them as backfield shock infantry (like you probably should), your Warlord may be nowhere near 'em. Reapers can reach out and touch people across the map, and gain nothing from ArchContam, so you feel less "leashed".

[BlackTriton]

Actually, launcher have increased average againt anything from t3 to t8 as long as thay have more than one wounds and that their ap-2 is relevant.

It also scale better with VotLW.

 

So unless you fire at 1W target launcher are better.

Just dont roll 1 damage :)

 

The reaper is more reliable though, since it dosent rely on damage roll.