Unit of the week series: Blightlord Terminators

[Plague _Lord]

Welcome to the Unit of the Week Series!

 

Each week a different unit will be highlighted for discussion until we have amalgamated a full list of our available options and their relevant tactics as 9th edition evolves. This will include not only matched play, but free play considerations as well as Crusade, as these methods of play are just as relevant and exciting.

 

Please keep in mind this isn't to lament the status of featured units or compare them to others but to try and find their potential for all types of gameplay.

 

 

This week we will take a look at:

 

Blightlords

 

Let's stick to core units while we are it... Blightlords! They seem like one of the strongest unit in codex, with versatile loadouts and incredible tankiness. Probably most have used them... how do you use yours?

 

Some food for thought:

- how many units would you take?

- is it worth using cp on them?

- what role do they function?

- what are the overall strengths and weaknesses?

- what synergies do they have in the different plague companies?

- what weapon loadouts are best?

 

Feel free to discuss my blighted lords and ladies.

 

Death Guard Unit of the Week Index

Edited April 9, 2021 by Xenith

[Akrim]

Lately I have been using a single unit of 5 - Axes, Blight Launcher, Melta Champ.

Usually they form a wall for my Con Lord & Plaguecaster on the advance. I tend to favor -1 to hit Miasma on them, especially if im using We Stand, We Fight secondary.
Sticking to cover definitely makes them quite difficult to destroy.

Overall it is a great unit; potent shooting, potent melee, incredibly tough. Its also Core so it can make use of the Lords buffs.

 

Your main worry is mortal wound spam, or poor positioning that results in them being isolated.

I tend not to spend a lot of CP on them (maybe if I ran a larger unit), mostly psyker buffs.

I have run Plague Surgeons with them, excellent combo.

[Tokugawa]

One question about Cloud of flies:

 

How big the estimated loss is, that would cause you active Cloud of flies on a full strength(or near full strength) BLord unit?

 

I think i would active that if opponent main firepower units could reliable kill more than 3 BLord in a shooting phase. If I don't pay the 4CP, but pay 1CP for an inv reroll, and still lost 4+ models, then forced pay 2CP for Insane courage, that would be a horrible result.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Tokugawa

[Plague _Lord]

I personally don't use cloud of flies on my unit (though I run 10 so I never have the cp for it :P ) and only think it's worth it if it's you are playing a terminus est list and the enemy antitank has only them or poxwalkers to shoot.

 

So what I have used in 2k games have been 10 blightlords with 2 flails and 2 reapers. So far they haven't done much except bait the whole enemy army into shooting at them and they can take it tbh. I allways footslog them next to a blightspawn for protection against charges and a surgeon for the fnp (this is for me the only time when a surgeon is worth it). I also have a tally man nearby with the exploding 6s relic and arch-contaminator and a LoV with inexorable contagion.

 

A combo I want to try is - +1 to hit strat, +1 to wound strat, bolters are plague weapons and possibly in range of both the inexorable contagion (so flying up a drone or daemon prince next to an enemy I want to delete) and arch-contaminator. While expensive, on average a full squad of these guys do 22dmg to marines and 14dmg to a T8 3+ save vechicle. When I don't have cp and can't really get into range they are still decent screen clearers and will more than likely get the flails in action.

 

I want to try a 5man deep striking unit though.

[Trollbeard]

I just played a game against the new DE last night. And my 10 Blightlords were an absolute brick wall. Their 4++ invulns accompanied by all the supporting characters made them unstoppable.

I had the Blightspawn, Plague surgeon and Tallyman. Those characters coupled with miasma and putrescent vitality made them incredibly tough and Killy.

 

I had my squad fully decked out with 2 of each special weapon, blight launcher, plague spewer,

Combi-plas and 2 flails. I really liked this load out, even if a bit cumbersome, they did great damage in shooting and in melee.

 

I found I didn’t want to spend 4cp to CoF them when I had so many buffs on them and it paid off, I didn’t loose a single model in the game.

 

My opponent didn’t know how to approach them, which made it all the better!

[KingYertle]

Blightlords are an A++ Unit.  I ran a unit of 5 as modelled (2x Axes, Flail, BL & Champion with Melta & Sword) in 2 recent incursion games.  They performed well in both, easilly winning back their points.  I've found they don't need much for buffs to perform well, which allows you to be more offensive with your magic.

 

In the game vs marines they tanked a unit of Bladeguard, the Indominus LT, and Tor Garadon.  All they had for buffs was Miasma.  Blightlords, especially with axes, are the perfect foil for this type of opponent IMO.  They also really fit the fluff as a unit that can take punishment while slowly grinding down their opponent.

 

However they are susceptible to high weight of low AP attacks.  I ran the same unit against the new Cult of Strife Dark Eldar.  While they butchered 2 6xmodel units of Reavers, they were subsequently slaughtered by a succubus and a unit of wytches who forced me to roll a significant amount of -1 or -2 AP saves.  

[Special Officer Doofy]

I'm leaning away from melee plague marines and towards terminators more and more. Short of deathwing knights, I think we currently have the best terminators. That could change once Grey nights and custodes get new codexes, but I'm enjoying them currently.

[KingYertle]

I recently ran my Blightlords with a Plague Surgeon and walked them up the battlefield.  As expected I wasn't impressed with the 6++ FNP but the Surgeon's ability to heal definitely played a roll in keeping the unit alive.  Twice I brought a model from 1W remaining back to 3Ws.  Previously I'd have rather spent the 75 points on more Terminators but given the Dark Elder and their massive output of 1D attacks I wonder if the Surgeon is a better play.   

[Plague _Lord]

The surgeon is trash sadly. I ran him like 5 times next to a 10 man blightlord squad and the fnp was a nonfactor, while the heal never came into play as they were so heavily targetted that I didn't have anything to heal...

 

I'd much rather take nade guy for better melee or bell man for increased movement...

[Special Officer Doofy]

We got ripped off with the Noxious Blightbringer. The Spoilpox Scrivener (the nurgle daemon equivalent) adds 2" to movement ontop of +1 to hit and 7+ to hit scores an additional attack. The Noxious Blightbringer should have added 2" to movement. Then I would be more inclined to take him and run my terminators up the board. A charge strat would have been nice too for our terminators.

[Tokugawa]

Read the rules of a loyalist apothecary, then you will immediately have the answer to "whether surgeon is a trash?" in your heart.

[Wolf Lord Loki]

Special weapons:

Is it really worth taking just one of the combi weapons?

 

Heavy weapons

I only just notice that plague Spewer is now its own entry and can be taken in addition to blight launcher/ reaper autocannon

Does this offer up any new strategies or options? Are their preferred scenarios for using each of these weapons now their stats have changed since 8th edition (which was when I last played)

[Special Officer Doofy]

I'm a blight launcher guy, but if you got 5 extra points laying around I would definately pick up the plague spewer (after the launcher of course). The only combi I see as worth it is maybe a melta on the champion. I think the flamer is a joke for 5 points and plasma is meh, alot of the time when you deep strike you don't have rerolls, and overcharging a 45 point 3W terminator without rerolls just doesn't seem like the right idea.

[Marshal Loss]

If you're deep striking a unit, then a spewer is an excellent choice. Otherwise I'd leave it off. I prefer to march my units up the board with Reapers.

[KingYertle]

Putrid Choir said it best "I'm a Blight Launcher Guy"  I've found the weapon is quite versatile and excellent for taking pot shots at 5 man units of marines and DE Reavers/Hellions.  

 

With the increase in DE I have been rethinking the flamers.  It would be great if you get the opportunity to overwatch.  Unfortunately in practice it hasn't worked out.  DE (Cult of Strife) have a strat to prevent overwatch or they simply charge in a Raider first.  Other than overwatch potential I'd rather have the 4 shot combi bolter with the greater range.  

 

I've also fielded a combi-melta in my past 4 games.  # of times I had a viable target for it... 0!  But I'll still take it every time because I know the first game I don't take it will be the first game I need it! 

[Tokugawa]

If they could bring "combi-plaguespitter" there would be huge potential. But in reality their combi-flamer is just a combi-FLAMER…meh.

[Wolf Lord Loki]

I'd forgotten I can't use flaming overwatch as a thing any more

[Wolf Lord Loki]

So since this topic originally aired there have been a few updates. Points increases, Ap reductions and now they are scoring as well

 

How has this changed use, load outs and tactics that you would use?

[Marshal Mittens]

I like them. Cool models. Not as much as I like deathshroud, but still neat.

 

I wish they could take power fists. I feel they lack the same melee power as loyalist termies. And their expensive. But cool.

 

I'm glad I have some.

[Brother Kraskor]

Tough, shooty, fighty, obsec, can Deep Strike, plenty of combos, what's not to like!

[infyrana]

How are the models themselves, very customisable, or set arm choices for each model? I was wondering if you can switch the torso for the reaper or the flail, as I dont believe they are fully modular?

[Marshal Mittens]

So, they have a handful of options, but not really very customizable in my opinion. You basically have 5 bodies which are pretty distinctive, one is SUPER distinctive, and options on combi weapons and axes/swords.

 

The 5 sculpts have a lot of character, but yeah, that comes at the price of customizing. I want to say there are a few with different chest piece options, like the plague marines, but I might be thinking of deathshroud.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Marshall Mittens

[infyrana]

Thanks for the reply!  I guess having duplicates is the price to pay for such nice models.  I have the Cohort pack (x2) so I can filter in some variety, but for 20 of these things, that's triple repeats.  I'll just have to spread some ichor and gunk a little more liberally to blend out the duplicates :)

[Marshal Mittens]

Yeah, I did a pretty gunky paint job on mine too, mostly to hide the fact that I'm speed painting them and they are like 90% apothecary white.

Striking Grime is my secret weapon!

 

Here are how mine came out, just took some up close pictures! 

 

I do plan to more weathering and make them less bland in the future, but the super detail stuff I just dont have time for if I want to complete my A&A pledge on time. I think they look ok though. But individually the sculpts are pretty unique. 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Marshall Mittens

[infyrana]

Oh they look great, thank you for sharing!  I really like the overall look, the colours blend in nicely based on their pre-nurgle colours.  The bases are very unexpected, like a wide open field on a dry summers day during a bit of a drought - those flowers are look so delicate and effective, who's are they and do they do them in other colours please?

 

I understand not wanting to pick out every detail if you wanted to get them done in good time, thankfully DG are very forgiving once you start applying washes and weathering.