Unit of the week CSM 10th edition Unit of the week: Maulerfiend

[Cpt.Danjou]

 

CSM 10th edition Maulerfiend

 

This is a topic about Chaos Space Marine Maulerfiend in the 10th edition.

 

• Do you use them?
• How are you using them?
• Do you think they perform well
• How do you equip them?
• Is there a detachment that they are extra crucial?

 

Other Unit of the Week for Chaos Space Marines can be found in the link below.

 

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[MadEdric]

I have one and it's in most lists.

It has the lasher tendrils.

It's main role is to soak up incoming fire since no one wants a maulerfiend in their ranks.

It's 5+ inv save has let it soak up even more shots, and while this is pretty much anecdotal, it seems to survive the first turn no matter how many shots are thrown at it.

It hits like a truck (with claws and tendrils even!) and usually goes after the biggest threat it can get to.

It's a solid unit in my book.

I love the Soulforged Pact, and he works quite well in it. Though pretty much any detachment it's in it works well.

Edited July 19 by MadEdric

[Dr. Clock]

Again more experience with them in World Eaters, but:

 

18 hours ago, Cpt.Danjou said:

Do you use them?

YES - 2 in most lists... 3 later today

 

18 hours ago, Cpt.Danjou said:

How are you using them?

A classic bully piece and fire magnet. Give them some supporting infantry and let them run up on objectives. They are the bait, and the trap.

 

18 hours ago, Cpt.Danjou said:

Do you think they perform well

Well enough - they play simple, efficient 40k. At like 11 points per W at T10/3+/3++ they don't even need to swing super well... and yet they do.

 

18 hours ago, Cpt.Danjou said:

How do you equip them?

Always lashers. If melta were 9" or S10 it might be a discussion.

 

18 hours ago, Cpt.Danjou said:

Is there a detachment that they are extra crucial?

Haven't done Soulforged Pack yet; I'm still on the WE NonGron train.

 

EDIT: I literally just finished a game with 3 in Soulforged Warpack. Top marks. No Vashtorr, just Bile and Warpsmith w/ Tempting Addendum. Rest of list was 2x Forgefiend, Leviathan, Helbrute, 2x5 Legionaries, 1x10 Legionaries, 2x10 cultists, 2x5 Possessed. Opponent just didn't have the anti-tank tbh. It seemed like only one mauler really connected well in each turn because I failed quite a few Pact checks lol, but yeah... triple Mauler is a thing of beauty. I will consider one melta in the 3 now just for rhino cracking insurance; in Warpack +1 to wound from Pact could be cute there.

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

Edited July 20 by Dr. Clock

[gaurdian31]

I've used the Mauler fiend once and it did good work. Rushed it forward in the Renegade Raiders detachment and he makes a good distraction Carnifex. He soaked a lot of fire that would have been meant for my defiler and flipped a hellhound and munched on some guard infantry. 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I've likewise only used mine a few times, and not yet under the new codex and it did okay - most games it drew fire and died before reaching the enemy, or in the 1 game it managed to survive to charge a unit of necron destroyers, it munched about half of them, then got gunned down.  So, not as big of an impact as I had hoped, but it isn't reasonable to expect it to take out the entire squad on its own in one round.

 

Pre codex, I probably preferred the venomcrawler to the maulerfiend - considerably cheaper (45 points - or close to half the crawler's price), faster, with actual guns.  Now, I think they are about even, as they are very close in points (the fiend came down 20 points, the crawler up 10) and the mauler being slightly tougher and much punchier in melee is a pretty even balance with the crawler's increased speediness and being able to shoot.

 

I think the maulerfiend's main role is a big scary thing that attracts fire as its pretty quick and punches hard - if it makes it in.  So, I think it plays best in lists that benefit from that - personally, I feel my crawler plays much better when I also have the fiend in the list.  So, in that way I see it as more of an enabler that will occasionally do something, but probably be a bit disappointing in its direct impact as the few times it makes it to combat probably it probably won't have the effect to make up (emotionally, at least) for all the times it dies doing nothing more than attract fire.

 

Also, I think its one of those models that performs best if you manage to go first, as that puts the most pressure on the enemy to kill it and the best chance of getting in.

 

I also foresee it being particularly potent in soul forged, where not only does it benefit from the detachment buffs, but their stratagem lets it charge through walls to avoid incoming fire and reach units it might not otherwise.

 

Finally, I still see no reasons to give it anything other than lasher tendrils - its little guns don't really have the range or the firepower to add meaningful to its vehicle munching melee ability, and the lashers at least help it cut through whatever chaff might get in its way.

Edited Tuesday at 11:59 PM by Dr_Ruminahui

[tychobi]

Love me some demon engines and the Mauler is a fun one. Speedy hitty and tough? Yes please! I find his bark is bigger than his bite and only fielding one means he dies turn one more often than not. Good bullet sponge! Fun model too, great for new painters and players. A+ over all would highly recommend