Unit of the week Unit(s) of the week (10th edition index tactica) : Forge and Mauler Fiends

[Cpt.Danjou]

+++Unit of the week+++

 

 

 

Fiends

 

How do you use Fiends?

• Marks
• Armament
• Equipment
• Role

 

This is a discussion about Fiends, both Forgefiends and Maulerfiends in the 10th edition index. Tell us your tactics, fun facts, your experience with them, and other things that are interesting with Fiends.

I combined the both fiends together, even though they have different roles and tactics, as they come in the same box, plus if we are going to manage to get through all the units before the codex drops some units must be combined.

 

Cpt. Danjou

 

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Dr_Ruminahui
Retitled slightly to clearly exclude the demon codex Fiends

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I don't own either and have never used them, but I've heard that Forgefiends in particular are doing good work these days.  I'm curious to see what people say!

[Tallarn Commander]

My Maulerfiend, Mary, has been a workhorse since 7th Edition. She got a bit choppier in 10th. Her Fists lost 1 point of AP and her tendrils became lackluster but her Fists now do a whopping 1d6+1. But the meta has switched to ranged AT-heavy lists in my area. I play melee-heavy CSM so these days she usually dies on the approach and rarely survives to reach the enemy. But against non-meta/more casual armies she does good work.

 

I also don't have any Forgefiends but my Night Lords faced an army with 3 Forgefiends earlier this month. They (and 3 Oblit Squads) easily deleted my army without breaking a sweat. I'd say that if you want to lose friends, bring 3 Forgefiends. If you want to keep friends, limit your lists to 1 or 2 Forgefiends. :)

 

[Kaiju Soze]

The loss of AP and less reliable damage makes the Maulerfiend less tempting in 10th, and in the couple of games I've played its taken longer to kill things with it. Offensively, definitely a downgrade.

 

However, it also lives a bit longer than it used to.

 

Forgefiend with triple ectoplasma cannon and Mark of Nurgle is, as widely discussed, a little bit overpowered. A single round of shooting (with some lucky rolls) wiped out 20 Necron Warriors and a Chronomancer in a single volley last game I played. S10 AP3 D3 and Blast sit at a very nice intersection of things they are good against.

[WatchCaptainNavar]

I’m running 2 forgefiends in my current list, one triple plasma and the other twin canon and plasma, and they will happily chew through targets with a mark of nurgle.

 

That said I don’t think they’re overpowered for their price as they can potentially self destruct in a single round with 3 hazardous tests and a dark pact. My triple plasma fiend died in round one my opponent’s first turn in one game where I failed 2/3 hazardous tests and the dark pact taking another 3 mortals, enabling my opponent to pick off the last 3 wounds with smaller weapons before using his big guns on the other fiend at full health.

 

unless your playing just competitive I’d limit a list to 2 forgefiends and take one of each cannon load out to not be oppressive as there isn’t much they can’t do.

 

I haven’t used my maulerfiends yet, for 155 points I’d rather take the hellbrute for the dark pacts aura buff and if I’m running out of points I’d just take the cheaper venom crawler. 

[LSM]

The Ectoplasma Cannons aren't inherently [Hazardous] - you can choose to juice a Forgefiend's guns to have [Devastating Wounds], which then makes them [Hazardous].

 

But there are plenty of targets where that's not really needed.

[WatchCaptainNavar]

as you say it’s target dependant,
 

but  It is very tempting to go hazardous though when your shooting into 10ths buffed 20 man units, 3d3 blast plasma with MoN should get close without it but turning 6s into 3 mortal wounds against a buffed and lead necron warriors blob is tempting.

 

i tend to not go hazardous into marines as the plasma is enough on its own and never into custodes thanks to there shrug. It might be needed into a vehicle of its wounding on 5s to push damage through but I’d plan to take out the high toughness vehicles with lascannon / oblitorators / vindicators

[LSM]

It always slips my mind that Mortal Wounds are applied one-at-a-time.

[Kaiju Soze]

One thing I've not done yet is try a Maulerfiend with magma cutters. Since they get 2 shots per gun, they might perform better than the tendrils against heavier targets. 

[WatchCaptainNavar]

I think historically the mauler fiends magma cutters have been a let down because of there short range meaning they were pretty much useless as there range was shorter than an easy charge and the tendrils were better.

 

 Now I’m 10th they’re even worse as they suffer from the new melta strength making them wound most vehicles on 5+ and at S9 they aren’t wounding terminators on 2s anymore and with D6 damage the randomness means it might not kill a 3 or 4 wound terminator.

 

 It’s a shame gw haven’t redone the profile especially with 9th bringing in new melta type weapons. If they made the magma cutters somewhere between a melta gun and melta rifle in profile they might be more attractive.

[Prot]

I haven't used the Maulerfiend since 9th with my World Eaters (man I miss that army and they way it used to work). 

 

The Forgefiend is good. Not great, a bit swingy but it can be vital against opponents like Grey Knights, or Custodes. Anything using tough, elite infantry. It's good at mopping up vehicles if you've combined it with a heavy hitter (anything with Las).

 

In the meantime I am working on painting 2 for my Iron Warriors. I haven't used 2 yet, but I wanted to magnetize them. I've never used the autocannons yet, the Ectoplasma has been my go to for a while now.

[MDops]

For those that have gotten a maulerfiend into combat. Have you looked to use the tank shock stratagem on it?

 

Fishing for +5's on 16d6 seems like something you should reliably hit the max of 6 mortals.

[Tallarn Commander]

Good point. I've used tank shock to good effect with my Rhinos and Preds this edition. But I've forgotten about our Daemon Engines using it.

 

I'm an older player who was around when tank shock was a thing that only tanks could do. I'll try and remember that other vehicles, especially our heavy Daemon Engines like Maulerfiends and Defilers are quite good at it now! :)

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Yeah, for us old timers, the new tank shock rules aren't so much weird as inappropriately named.  Since damage output is based off of it highest strength melee weapon, an area where tanks generally don't excel, it means tanks are actually some of the worst things at it.  But I guess "walker shock" just doesn't have the same ring.  

Edited August 24, 2023 by Dr_Ruminahui