Unit of the Week: Malignant Plaguecaster

[Wolf Lord Loki]

Our unique sorceror

 

Can cause additional mortal wounds through proximity.

What spells, relics and warlord traits might you use with this one?

How does it differ to some of our other spell casters? (Terminator sorceror, Daemon prince, typhus)

[McElMcNinja]

If I only run one, I use Miasma and Gift of Plagues. I usually run Inexorable and like getting enemies within Ferric Blight. Then Miasma is always nice to have.

If I run a second caster, that one I will run more offensively with Curse and then maybe Plague Wind or Gift of Contagion. Those two are situational and more often then not it’s Curse and Smite being cast.

He is decent in combat, but having an invul save would really be nice. One game I had a few extra points so I gave him Acidic Malady and while in Ferric Blight he had 4 S8, -3AP, Dd3 attacks. It was just enough to finish off a unit Necrons thanks to my Blightspawn keeping them from attacking first. It’s no game winning combo and probably a waste of points, it just happened to do something the one time I tried it.

These guys are almost always an auto include due to the fact we can’t run multiple lords in a detachment.

[tychobi]

I run one if I have to but the spells and special rules are kinda meh. I think of him as more of a tax than a tactical piece. Slow and short range is a bad combo

[Wolf Lord Loki]

Spells are one of the things I kinda forget about right up to the game and then I pick the ones I'm most familiar with

 

What uses are there for each of them? And are they generic use or do you have to build the army around a specific spell?

[Plague _Lord]

For me a plague caster is a must have for the defensive spells - miasma and virulent blessing for me. I either cast both on my terminator brick for that sweet T6 (theres a lot of S5 guns in the meta at the moment) and -1 to hit is becoming pretty good vs orks and tau. I also like to cast these on my poxwalkers which can make them a nuisance to remove.

 

I also tend to get good mileage out of the pestilential fallout ability - getting mortals out of defensive spells is pretty nice to have.

 

What I want to try is an army with 2 plaguecasters from the Wretched plaguefleet - 1 for buffing and the other a suped up MW machine with rerolls for psychic tests, D3 mws from pestilential fallout and all the MW spells. In this day and age of 5+++ (or better) vs mortal wounds being in nearly every army, this isn't great but it still could be fun.

[KingYertle]

Overall the Plaguecaster is a good unit because we have good spells.  Looking at just the datsheet you don't get much for 95 points.  He could really benefit from an invul save.  I get that most loyal/chaos marine sorcerers/librarians traditionally do not have an invul, but that is changing.  Loyal Marines have a spell to get one, and Thousand sons get either their innate 5++ or a 4++ depending on the unit.  Because of this, I find they go down easy once the enemy gets close, which is frustrating given that you want your Plaguecaster close to the enemy to maximize his fallout ability.

 

More importantly however is that the model is 1) the 2nd worst model in the entire DG range, and 2) only available as part of online exclusive 3 model with the other 2 models not being worth the $60 price tag.  

[Marshal Mittens]

He's basically mandatory, given Lord of thr Deathguard rules limiting most other HQs, and overall has good enough rules to justify taking him.

 

On the flip side I hate the model. In a range full of awesome models, he is horrid.

[Cleon]

Considering his status in army building due to restrictions and being a psyker, it's crazy to me that they have such a beautiful alternate sculpt as the Heroes series 3 one and haven't released it. But on his performance, I'd agree, he's a bit too vulnerable to use too aggressively and gets more reliable value casting defensive buffs on big powerful units.

[Plaguecaster]

I like running one with a death shroud squad helping to buff them or use gift of plagues with curse of the leper to extend the contagion range so can inflict alot of mortals especially against T3 armies

Always play wretched nore for fluff reasons but paying a cp to be able to reroll a psychic test a turn is extremely helpful.

I like them alot just wish they could have more options or at least some sort of inv save

[Tokugawa]

If you find your opponent has no denying abilities, would you abandon the buff powers casting, to pick the psychic interrogation secondary for possible easy VPs?

[Daemon Prince Marbas]

I think that's something a lot of people miss about Chaos, is that sure while there are many other armies that have psychic powers, there's a lot that don't. The ability to score VPs your opponent can't stop is vital. The Malignant Plaguecaster is a well balanced unit in my opinion for competitive play: he's there to buff your army and score points not leap into the fray like Deathshroud Terminators.

[Cleon]

My issues is if I'm taking the Plaguecaster in the first place, it's because I have a plan for his powers, committing to not using them multiple turns to score enough from the secondary is not a feels good moment. For me those psychic secondaries are only appealing if I have multiple casters and will likely have the spare from redundancy. 

[Derpa Derpa 777]

How would you kit your MPC out if you’re taking Mortarion? I’m thinking he’d be straight mw dealer since Mortarion would be using buffs on himself.