Unit of the Week: Plague Surgeon

[Wolf Lord Loki]

The last of the individual characters that make up the Foetid Virons

 

What do with think of the Surgeon?

 

Of all the elite level characters he is the only one with a decent close combat weapon, suggesting that his place is in the thick of things

 

However no invulnerable saves or major auras.

 

What use is he to people?

[Dragon24]

Giving Terminators or Plaquemarines a 6+ fnp or using him for the secondary spread the sickness

[Marshal Mittens]

He needs to be updated with better defensive roles. Just weak for his cost and abilities in the current meta. Edited February 26, 2022 by Marshall Mittens

[KingYertle]

In the context of our codex, I think he is a phenomenal unit as his 6+++ FNP is our ONLY protection from massed D1 fire power.  Backing up a brick on Blightlords the FNP plus the ability to heal are an asset.   He is a good unit for the relic that increases auras by +3 inches, as it makes both his healing auras a respectable 6 inches.

 

However, in the context of a game, most 9th edition competitive units are so lethal that the 6+++ FNP is unlikely to make much of a difference.  Despite the defensive buff, you could argue that just purchasing 2 additional Blightlords for +14 points is the better play (additional offensive, increases squad size to protect special weapons, objective control, morale etc).  

 

It is salt in the wound that our Surgeon does not have the loyalist option to revive dead models.  With extra salt due to previously having the ability to do this via an 8th edition Stratagem which we lost.  I'm 100% fine with the Surgeon not having that upgrade, but with other armies having access to revival abilities it doesn't feel right that DG lost their ability to revive a dead model.  Had GW kept the old revival stratagem but tied it to the Surgeon, for example having the stratagem state that in stead of the Surgeon healing d3 wounds a dead model is returned to the unit, it would have made the Surgeon a very competitive unit for supporting terminators.

[Jorgend Lupus]

I often play him these days as I tried to field between 47 and 60 plague marines in 2000pts games (spoiler alert, 4x10 PM footslogging and 1x7 in a Rhino supported by 2 PBCs works far better than just a 6x10 full infantry PM list), and he has been saving me a bunch a marines every game ; I usually play him with Fugaris Helm and Arch contaminator and puts him in the middle of my 4 10 men squads, marching forward under our Miasmatic bong thingy magic cover zone.

 

I think he can be worth the cost if he manages to save more than 4 marines during the game, which he usually does easily.

Last time I counted he saved me something like 15 to 20 wounds during a game ; that's between 7 and 10 plague marines, so in this kind of list, he works !

 

He also stays close to my Lord of Contagion and Plaguecaster early game, so he can heal them in case of Peril or sniping attempt.

[Tokugawa]

The deletion of revival ability is unreasonable and unacceptable. Nurgle is about life and rebirth!

 

Reviving a DG terminator is not broken in game balancing, especially when CP required. GK has higher cost on individual model but they keep the 1cp revive.

[Bulwyf]

I find him a friendly game option only. It is a joke that loyal space marines (except my beloved Space Wolves) get a character that can bring dead models back to life but the servants of the GOD OF DEATH AND REBIRTH can't do it. I still can't get over it. It completely violates the fluff of the game. How can loyal apothecaries bring back dead models? You don't see that in any of the books with the exception of the Emperor literally bringing Bobby G back to life after Mortarion killed him. But a regular marine? C'mon.

 

So yes, I am still salty about it. My Wolf Priest in my Space Wolves is supposed to be both a chaplain and apothecary and yet he can't bring models back and can barely heal for a CP. Which no one would do. And my Death Guard apothecary aka the plague surgeon who worships the GOD OF DEATH AND REBIRTH can't bring dead models back when there's examples of Nurgle doing exactly that all the time in the fluff and lore.

 

Anyways. Yes, I agree that the surgeon needs better defense. Why doesn't he have some kind of upgrade option like Chief plague surgeon?

[Relentless]

I have never taken him.  Too expensive for what little he offers.  If he could revive a model I'd find a place for him.  It'd also be cool if he had a relic or something to boost the FNP to 5+++.  With so many armies out there with access to 5+++ (or 4+++), it feels criminal that DG of all armies dont have a way to get it.

[Marshal Mittens]

Really does feel like he should give 5+++ and be able to revive a model. Lots of deathguard lore about deathguard characters coming back from the dead. Also a BT Chaplin can give a whole 20 man crusade squad 5+++ to go with their 5++ from vow, but DG can't get 5+++, which used to be their thing, anyway?

[Plague _Lord]

I'm sorry for the harsh words but he is utter trash. You are paying a lot of points for a 6++ and not much else.

 

I've played him in a lot of games with plague marine and terminator bricks and there hasn't been a single game in which he has saved a model. 6+++ saves are only good when they come for free with the subfaction you take.

 

Either he gives a 5++ to a unit  or has the apothecary revive rule or he is untakeable.

[Relentless]

Really does feel like he should give 5+++ and be able to revive a model. Lots of deathguard lore about deathguard characters coming back from the dead. Also a BT Chaplin can give a whole 20 man crusade squad 5+++ to go with their 5++ from vow, but DG can't get 5+++, which used to be their thing, anyway?

 

Dont forget the baby transhuman, too.  Very annoying for mortars and entropy cannons to not wound on 2s

[Plaguecaster]

Damn annoying he can't revive when loyalists can for cp or actually pay to upgrade and do it as much as they want

Hate playing against primaris managing kill some eradicator or the like only for them to bring those I killed as they always use transhuman as well so never manage to wipe the whole squad

Let me pay heaps either in cp or an actual points upgrade making them a hq but let us be able to do the same

Seriously the zombie undead marines feels less and less like the lore portrays them compared to loyalist who can do all that and are far more resilent