Introduction.
Following hot on the heels of yesterday's Reaping Death Guard Army List, today I wanted to focus on something a little bit different. This is one for the traitor Death Guard players amongst you: a Calas Typhon army list that takes the Orbital Assault rite of war. This is to showcase a different aspect of the Death Guard Legion -- their ability to take a lot of chemicals and plunge toxic death in to the face of their opponents. This plays to one of their key strengths -- the ability to take upgraded flamers, and their willingness to use disreputable weapons.
Army List.
HQ.
Calas Typhon (200 points).
As Master of the Legion and the First Captain, Calas Typhon is a force to be reckoned with and will be placed with his command squad of Deathshroud terminators.
Command Squad: 7 Deathshroud terminators, with melta bombs (325 points).
Typhon's command squad. Seven strong, because, ummm, Nurgle!
Primus Medicae, terminator armour, combi-flamer with chem munitions (127 points).
To also be deployed with Typhon's squad.
Elites:
Contemptor Deadnought with 2 close combat fists with heavy flamers and chem munitions (195 points).
Dreadnought Drop Pod (65 points)
I might be tempted to swap out one fist for something like a Kheres here.
Troops:
Tactical Squad, 10 strong, sergeant with power fist and artificer armour (175 points)
Dedicated Transport: Drop Pod (35 points)
Tactical Squad, 10 strong, sergeant with power fist and artificer armour (175 points)
Dedicated Transport: Drop Pod (35 points)
Fast Attack:
Primaris Lightning Strike Fighter (135 points)
Primaris Lightning Strike Fighter (135 points)
Heavy Support:
Grave Warden Terminator Squad, 5 members all with chain fists (225 points)
How it Works.
What can the Death Guard do that no other legion can do? Bring really nasty chem munition flamers, of course. This army list highlights some of this with the terminators dropping in by deep strike and flaming away everywhere.
Overall, this is a surprisingly balanced army list at first glance. Fundamentally, it is a deep striking army list powered by drop pods and by terminators. Both components combine to deep strike in to play where appropriate. Combining Typhon with the Primus Medicae and the command squad makes a really nasty pseudo-Death Star combination. Double wound terminators with feel no pain are simply nasty to dislodge if played right. On top of this, do not forget that Typhon is a psyker. And one with access to telepathy at that. You are not above using invisibility here folks, if you get that power. It is a really powerful combination and one to be feared. Fundamentally, use it as a character killer combination. Although it lacks power fists, it can usually cope. That said, if you do need to take down an enemy HQ deep inside a power fisted terminator squad, link Typhon and the Medicae up with the Grave Wardens instead.
The grave wardens are to teleport on top of enemy vehicles and use their chain fists to solve that problem. They can function very well against troops as well. Similar statements can be made for the contemptor dreadnought -- it is a terrific threat to play.
When designing this list, one thing that was gapingly obvious was the lack of anti-aircraft fire. This is partially solved by the primaries fighters. In a pair with the lascannons, they can certainly bring some hurt, but I might add in some mortis dreadnoughts if I had the spare points. Plus, despite the extensive deep striking nature of the army list, it is fundamentally a very close combat and in-your-face style list and lacks a lot of ranged firepower. More ranged weapons and fast weapons are needed here.
Hence beware: this army functions as an alpha-striking army. You must do significant damage when you come in from reserves and take care of the enemy. The troops meanwhile capture any objectives and use fury of the legion when appropriate. It could do with a bit more synergy to be perfectly honest, but it can be competitive overall so long as you realise what this list is.
Expansions and Contractions.
I really wanted to include a legion destroyer squad in here with rad missile launchers for ranged rad attacks. Hence, this is where I would think about starting to expand this list. I would also think about including more aircraft to provide superior aerial support and threats. A heavy support squad all armed with heavy flamers with a drop pod would also be very fitting. And more grave wardens or generic terminators would be awesome. To drop it back to 1500 points, ditch the dreadnought and one of the aircraft possibly.
Interesting list thanks for sharing. As a fellow 30K DG player I go more for the traditional foot slogging army with lots of chemical death! Would be interested to try this list though and see how it fares.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Death Guard Legion can do well in a large variety of ways. Footslogging, aerial combat, long range superior fire power, all of which might have chem munitions or not -- they're actually remarkably flexible to my mind and provide a hard counter to Night Lords' fear tactics.
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