WoffBoot XIII: Death Guard vs Space Wolves

So after an ignominious start to the WoffBoot tournament (I usually begin that way), I get to face a brand new general, and an age-old nemesis,

Say hello to General Pootle and the Death Guard!

Mortarion's boys are something of a bogey team for me - I've never managed to beat them in all my games of 40k. Still, that was mostly with the Thousand Sons. Now I've seen the light and ditched their heretical ways, fortune is sure to favour me.

Pootle is an old hand at gaming, but a relative newcomer to 8th Ed 40k - so it's going to be interesting to see what fresh eyes (as fresh as Nurgle can get) will bring to the Death Guard.

The Second Law: Death Guard

This is the first proper game of 40k I’ve played since first edition, apart from a few very small games with a couple of squads with my eight-year-old son. 

I thought that I’d be facing Tyranids, Space Wolves and T’au, so for the majority of those I’d need some close-combat ability, hence the Daemon Prince, the two Spawn, the two flails of corruption and the scourge on the Helbrute. 

In the event, the Death Guard turned out to be the choppiest army fielded as the Tyranids were replaced by Scions, however I was quite taken by all of the options anyway so I don’t think I’d have changed much in retrospect even though the only unit that really did much combat was the Daemon Prince. 

My basic plan was to have a number of credible threats any one of which could cause damage, rather than pinning all hopes on specific units, particularly as I didn’t know what scenarios we would be playing and having to face three different armies.

The Plagueburst Crawler and Foetid Bloat-drone would run forwards and absorb incoming firepower (I picked plaguespitters rather than entropy cannons on the Plagueburst Crawler as I wanted it to move forwards and use the spitters as the main weapon); the Foetid Bloat-drone would shield the Daemon Prince.

The two Spawn would either cover the sides/rear of the Daemon Prince from deep strikers. I was hoping that it wouldn’t be obvious to people that the Foul Blightspawn is so potentially dangerous, and I was also planning to use the Blight Bombardment of Hyper Blight Grenades (buff from the Biologus Putrifier) if I could get one of the two squads of blight launcher marines close enough to something juicy. 

The plasma squad would hang back with the chaos lord and overcharge as a default option (I wasn’t too worried about overcharging the lord repeatedly as I planned to use a CP to reroll a double failure – I only discovered after my first two games that you can’t reroll a reroll so I’d been living a bit more dangerously than I had thought).

I love the fact that, Forest Gump-like, you were able to consistently overcharge in blissful ignorance of the danger.

I plumped for Cultists over Poxwalkers because they are slightly cheaper, can shoot back a reasonable volume of fire (especially given that the Death Guard’s Inexorable Advance increases rapid fire range to 18” and means the heavy stubber can move and shoot with no penalty) and are significantly faster on the board, which is a bit of a limiting factor for the Death Guard. 

I feel that poxwalkers would be good if I had Typhus too but we were not allowed named characters, but I wasn’t keen to go for unbuffed zombies, despite their immunity to morale. The main purpose was early board control to manage deep strike, then to hold back-field objectives or move up and distract the enemy.

Battalion detachment

• Daemon Prince of Nurgle (HQ)
  Double Malefic Talons, Wings
  Relic: The Suppurating Plate
  Powers: Putrescent Vitality
• Malignant Plaguecaster (HQ)
  Relic: The Pandemic Staff
  Powers: Miasma of Pestilence, Blades of Putrifaction
• 11 x Cultists (Troops)
  Autoguns, heavy stubber
• 10 x Cultists (Troops)
  Autoguns, heavy stubber
• 7 x Plague Marines (Troops)
  2 x Flails of Corruption; 1 x Blight Launcher; 4 x  boltguns
• 6 x Plague Marines (Troops)
  2 x Blight Launcher; 4 x boltguns
• 6 x Plague Marines (Troops)
  2 x Plasma guns; 4 x boltguns
• 1 x Chaos Spawn (Fast)
• 1 x Chaos Spawn (Fast)
• Foetid Bloat-drone (Fast)
  Plaguespitters
• Plagueburst Crawler (Heavy)
  Plaguespitters

Vanguard detachment

• Chaos Lord (HQ)
  Combi-plasma, Power fist
• Biologus Putrifier (Elite)
  Warlord: Arch-contaminator
• Foul Blightspawn (Elite)
• Helbrute (Elite)
  Power scourge, Twin lascannon

Points: 1500 | Battalion + Vanguard - Relic: 8 CPs

The Bad Dogs - Space Wolves

I have the same list as before, but with complete tactical abandon, I've changing up how I'm going to deploy it.

This time, everything is going to start on the board (with the exception of the Reivers, who can grav-chute in for late-game surprises).

With the exception of a few daemon engines, both our armies are comprised of power armoured astartes with mid-range assault weapons and small-arms. This could end up as a slugfest in the centre of the board and I need to maximise every bullet.

• Primaris Battle Leader (HQ)
  Power axe and bolt carbine
  Warlord trait: Saga of the Hunter,
  Relic: The Armour of Russ,
• Primaris Wolf Lord (HQ)
  Master-crafted auto bolt rifle and bolt pistol
• Primaris Rune Priest (HQ)
  Psychic hood, Runic sword, Bolt Pistol
  Powers: Tempest's Wrath, Storm Caller
• 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troops)
  Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle. Intercessor Pack Leader, Power fist
• 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troops)
  Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle. Intercessor Pack Leader, Power fist
• 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troops)
  Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle. Intercessor Pack Leader, Chainsword
• 5 x Aggressors (Elite)
  Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets/Fragstorm Grenade Launcher
• 5 x Aggressors (Elite)
  Flamestorm Gauntlets
• 5 x Reivers (Elite)
  Combat knife, Grapnel Launcher, Grav Chutes, Heavy Bolt Pistol
• 3 x Inceptor Squad (Fast)
  Plasma Exterminators
• 3 x Inceptor Squad (Fast)
  Assault Bolters
• 5 x Hellblaster Squad (Heavy)
  Assault Plasma Incinerator

Points: 1500 | Battalion + Vanguard Detachment: 9CP

Game 2: Targets of Opportunity

The randomised game for Turn 2 was Targets of Opportunity (CA17, Maelstrom). An interesting, if somewhat sticky, mission whereby you have to score your objectives right away, or discard them. The benefit (at least in games terms) is that it can force you to run all over the place to score points, and mix things up a bit more.

Same battlefield as my previous game - a ruined shrine in the centre, with a bigger mass of ruins on the hill to the right, and a mechanicus structure to the left. This time I started on the other side and we went with Hammer & Anvil deployment - a great big kill box in the centre of the field.

I had to deploy first, putting one squad of cultists fanned out on each rear wing to prevent deep-strikers landing behind me. The close-combat Plague Marine squad (with two flails of corruption) went in the ruin, ready to run forwards, supported by the Biologus Putrifier, Foul Blightspawn and Malignant Plaguecaster. 

The Foetid Bloat-drone and Daemon Prince also went into the ruin with the intention of heading straight down the middle too. The Plagueburst Crawler and the plasma squad went outside the ruin on the left flank; the Helbrute and the blight launcher Marine squad were outside the ruin on the right. The two Spawn guarded the rear of the Daemon Prince and character block.

Turn 1

Stylus stole the first turn off me and destroyed the Helbrute easily in one round of shooting (I think this was from three lucky rounds from the auxiliary grenade launchers though I suspect something else must have contributed) and a couple of the marines in the blight launcher squad next to it.

I had to use the Hellblasters to kill the Helbrute - I'm never that lucky with grenade launchers - and then plinked off half a dozen Plague Marines with small arms. It's a dangerous unit, but without a daemon save or Disgustingly Resilient, Helbrutes can go down easily. 

It was a very promising round of shooting. I'd knocked out the heavy weapon's platform that I was most afraid of, and shown that the Plague Marines are vulnerable to massed bolt rifle disciple.

The only wrinkle was having to send my squad of Bolter Inceptors back to claim a rear objective (the challenge of this mission - you can't afford to let points slide), but they would be back next turn.

Generally, I was feeling good. I'd scored First Strike, a Secure Objective and Supremacy (which I why I needed to sacrifice a unit to move back off the front line), and I was starting off with four VPs.

The Death Guard wouldn't be able to close up in their turn, so I'd get a whole turn to blast away at them before getting to grips.

In my turn, I walked forwards with everyone (apart from the Foetid Bloat-drone and Daemon Prince who advanced onto the objective in the centre of the board) to try to get within rapid-fire range, however overall my shooting was pretty ineffective, taking down only a couple of marines I think.

Turn 2

My Foetid Bloat-drone and Daemon Prince were now sitting in front of a lot of firepower. First however there was an attempted smite at the Foetid Bloat-dron, which managed to cast with a seven. I just failed to deny the witchiness, rolling a 6 and a 1. 

I decided to spend a Command Point to re-roll the 1 and successfully prevented the smite going off (even though I knew that the Foetid Bloat-drone was in trouble and also knew that it’s a bad idea to spend CPs saving something which will probably die later, I thought that it had a chance against a lot of strength four and five weaponry). 

Stylus had moved his Aggressors and Inceptors forwards out of the building and, along with the Hellblasters and Intercessors, poured about 200 bolter shots and assorted plasma fire into the Foetid Bloat-drone, but it just…wouldn’t…die. It was reduced to 1 wound despite everything that was thrown against it. 

No exaggeration - that bloody Foetid Bloat-drone soaked over 200 shots from small arms fire. Ranging between strength 4 and 7 shots, some of them multi-damage, some armour-piercing, some auto-hitting. The Boltstorm Aggressors stood still and fired twice, I used Keen Senses to avoid the penalties from Miasma of Pestilence, I had most units within the Lord/Battle Leader re-roll bubble.

Basically, my whole army shot it, and it didn't die.

Importantly, there were no other casualties in my army at all that turn, and we realised that my decision to use a Command Point to prevent Smite had been critical. I also realised about three quarters of the way through the fire frenzy that even if the Foetid Bloat-drone did die it would have absorbed so much firepower that I would be able to spring a few surprises of my own.

Yes, if I had gotten off Smite, he would almost certainly have been gone. I knew I was in trouble half-way through the Shooting Phase, but I was committed by then.

I would never have chosen to shoot the Bloat Drone when there were all those Plague Marines to gun down, but it was about to claim 2 VPs for Defending the central objective - and with the mission rules, it would only get once chance to claim it.

I thought it was worth the risk - and the amount of firepower I could level - to remove it and deny Pootle from drawing level in VPs. As it was, I was in serious trouble.

In my turn, I moved the central block of Plague Marines forwards to close the gap with the Aggressors in the centre and both flanking squads moved to get within rapid fire range of the marines in the tower. 

My Plaguecaster cast smite on the Aggressors (killing one) and Blades of Putrefaction on the close combat squad in preparation for a charge into Aggressor guns, but that was really only a back-up plan. I could only get four marines within six inches of the Aggressors but I played the Blight Bombardment and Veterans of the Long War stratagems on the squad and, because my Biologus Putrifier was nearby, threw 4D6 strength 4 (re-rolling all failed wound rolls) D2 grenades which caused additional mortal wounds on a 5 or 6. I don’t remember exactly how many wounds I caused on the squad, but it was far more than I needed to wipe them out. 

I then fired my Foul Blightspawn’s plague sprayer at the Inceptors standing behind and killed that squad too. 

My Plasma-armed Marines (and the Chaos Lord) all over-charged their guns and rapid-fired into the Hellblaster squad, leaving only one alive. My Plagueburst Crawler got within plaguespitter range of some Intercessors on my left flank and killed a few more there.

To add injury to injury the Plagueburst Crawler then charged the remaining Intercessors to eat the Overwatch, followed by the Daemon Prince who killed the remaining marines and consolidated onto the squad next to them, deliberately giving them a chance to fight back. Even though they had a power-fist armed sergeant I was looking forward to this bit. The fist didn’t do anything to me and when most of the other hits were saved by my suppurating plate (2+ save) I did three mortal wounds back onto the Intercessors.

For Victory Points, I had symbol of the fly-lord (claim exactly three objectives for D3 VPs) and claimed the objective in the ruins, in the centre of the table and next to my DP. 

I had a slight lead in VPs this turn, however importantly Stylus had almost no high-strength weaponry left capable of damaging my toughest units.

Turn 3

I'm down to desperate measures already - and drawing Kingslayer gives me a sliver of a chance. The Biologus Putrifier is oped to be charged, but it's a long way to go.

As fate would have it, my Warlord's saga is the ability to advance and charge, so the only option is to send him in alone. We'd basically be exchanging warlord kills, but I'd get Kingslayer too - and it was about time he did something useful.

I also drop in the Reivers on the flank (just to try and ease some pressure from my ragged castle), and pull back from combat with the Daemon Prince.

Shooting is ineffectual - I don't really have many guns left - but I do make the charge into the Death Guard's warlord. At which point, I discover he's only armed with a measly Power Axe that isn't even master-crafted!

The Battle Leader barely chops one wound of the Biologus Putrifier, although his Armour of Russ does suffice to keep him alive from the counter-stroke and I spend my last three Command Points on Honour the Chapter to fight all over again.

This time, I do enough wounds and he's dead! Then Disgustingly Resilaint kicks in and he's not. Bugger.

In my turn I advanced my Daemon Prince to the centre of the remaining castle of marines and, in the shooting phase, played the Nurgle’s Rot stratagem for 3CPs which causes D3 mortal wounds on any units within 7” on a 4+. 

I hadn’t intended to use such an expensive stratagem, but almost all Stylus’s remaining marines (apart from the Reivers) were within 7” of where I managed to get my DP to (I had to advance unfortunately otherwise I’d have loved to have charged later and played the Suppurating Plate game again). 

Following up my lucky dice rolling, I rolled 4+ for most of the units and another load of marines melted. The rest of my army piled more shots into the remaining marines and the Battle Leader was finally cut down. 

By the end of the turn Stylus’ army consisted of the Reivers (shot at by the cultists but unharmed I think) and only a handful of others.

I don’t remember the VP count but suspect that I had accrued a sizeable lead now. I was sitting either on or within reach of every objective (I had moved the PBC to be midway between the two in your backfield in case I needed to reach one of them), plus Slay the Warlord and a guaranteed Linebreaker.

Turn 4

All I had left was a pack or Reivers, who cross the backfield, looking for a face-saving warlord kill. They made the double-charge into the Chaos Lord (who Overwatched one of them with his combi-plasma) and the Biologus Putrifier, but just couldn't kill him. In the end, they were wiped out in the counter-strike and I had been tabled.

Result: 17:7 - major victory to the Death Guard!

Final thoughts

What a game. I can't remember a match that turned around so comprehensively as that second turn of Space Wolves shooting. With the benefit of hindsight, I should have just let Pootle take those two victory points with the Bloat-Drone and concentrated on blasting away all the infantry that could hurt me (although doing the mathhammer - with the same luck, I don't think I'd have done much more harm to the Plague Marines either!)

But poor luck notwithstanding, this was a tough army to crack (I'd love a rematch). General Pootle has put together a solid, mutually-supporting set of units that can throw out some punishment and soak damage like nobody's business. He's also got a handle on the stratagems and buffs - of which the Death Guard have many. If I'd done better, the fight might have gone the distance, but it's a damn good army.

So I go into the final game of the tournament with the trophy relinquished and the Wooden Spoon in my sights. My record of defeats against the Death Guard remains unblemished, but it may have accelerated my plans to acquire my own. If you can't beat 'em...