Bless Me Father For I Have Sneezed: Crypt Saints vs Death Guard

Kasfunatius has challenged me to a rematch after our last couple of games, and I'm only too happy to accept! Tonight, we bring you a thousand points each of the very newest Space Marines from Indomitus vs the slimey old Death Guard. Fight!

The Pox Flock

Kas has selected various armies for me to pick from, and this is what the dice gods give me. It's the 'flu made flesh, an uncomplicated Death Guard battalion with a good selection from all their classics. 

Death Guard love multi-tiered buffing. If the Plaguecaster can get a Blades of Putrifaction off on anyone near the Chaos Lord, the rerolled damage with extra mortal wounds will be very nasty. And the Putrifier and Blightspawn grenade trick is a classic. 

Both these need plenty of working parts in the right place at the right time, though. So while I try to assemble them, I will be distracting with some fast Chaos Spawn to hit the midfield running, and the much-loved (of no non-Death Guard players) Foetid Bloatdrone to back them up and annoy. 

A Rhino for improved mobility, and Poxwalkers to make up the Troops tax, and I reckon this is a solid and resilient blob of nastiness that can see off a lot of damage whilst holding a lot of ground. And repay in kind, if I hit my marks!

Death Guard Battalion, 1000 points

• HQ - Chaos Lord, Warlord with Arch-Contaminator, Fugaris' Helm, Blight Sword, Combi-plasma
• HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster with Blades of Putrifaction and Putrescent Vitality
• Troops - 7 Plague Marines, plasma gun and plague sword for the Champion
• Troops - 7 Plague Marines, plasma pistol and plague sword for the Champion
• Troops - 14 Poxwalkers
• Elites - Biologus Putrifier
• Elites - Foul Blightspawn
• Fast Attack - 2 Chaos Spawn
• Fast Attack - Foetid Bloatdrone with 2 x plaguespitter
• Dedicated Transport - Rhino with combi-bolter and havoc launcher

Crypt Saints

Having just unboxed Indomitus I opted to pick my army this time rather than roll off. All four lists were created for a postponed game against Leofa at 850 pts based on his collection. When we did not play due to the distraction of Star Wars Outer Rim boardgame (a good fun romp); I tweaked the lists a bit and add the extra 150 points and offered out. 

I wanted to try out several units from the new box, so the Outriders, Eradicators and Assault Intecessors were all in (Leofa had an Indomitus too). 

I enjoyed the infiltrators last time with their comm relay and wanted to try them again, coupled with a Phobos Captain Chapter Master (to give rerolls on not just 1 anywhere on the board). Knowing that they would also benefit from a Phobos Lt, they also got added (and apparently have a dodgy French accent).

The list was rounded out by a squad of OG Intecessors; and, although not new models- they were new to me: suppressors and apothecary.

I had spent 3 CPs before the game on chapter master and extra relic (hopefully it won't bite me).

Crypt Saints Battalion Detachment, Duellists and Master Artisans traits, 1000 points

• HQ - Chapter Master (-2CP) in Phobos Armour, Warlord with Iron Resolve, Ghostweave Cloak relic
• HQ - Phobos Lieutenant, Occulus Bolt Carbine and Bolt Pistol, Adamantine Mantle relic (-1CP)
• Troops - 6 Assault Intercessors, Sarge has a plasma pistol
• Troops - 6 Infiltrators, Comms array and Marksman Bolt Carbines
• Troops - 6 Intercessors, Sarge has a Power Sword and Hand Flamer, Auto Bolt Rifles and Aux. Grenade Launcher
• Elites - Primaris Apothecary
• Fast Attack - 3 Outriders
• Fast Attack - 3 Suppressors
• Heavy Support - 3 Eradicators

Mission and Terrain

It's an Incursion again, this time Show Of Force. The secondary on offer here is to not get killed! Standard primary seizing as ever. 

The map is the same as the last game we played, a relatively open field with a few gantries and towers, then lots of armour-improving cover. 

Secondaries for the Death Guard:

• Attrition - kill more of them than they kill of me. Probably relying on my resilience here...
• Engage on All Fronts - split up and be all over the board, which I should have the numbers for
• Minimize Losses - the mission specific one. 15 VPs if you keep more than 75% of your units alive to the end of the game, reducing by 5 for each 25% gone!

Secondaries for Kas:

• Slay the Warlord - tried and true
• Attrition - Primaris are hard to shift and can deal out plenty of pain too
• Minimize Losses - as above. So we may both be playing a cautious game here!

Deployment

Kas plays defender, so picks the edge nearer the tall silos and deploys first. 

I had a reasonable mobile army; but learning from last game: wanted to drop someone on backfield objective from the start. So my tactical intercessors claimed, hiding behind the pipes and spreading on the hill behind them, coupled with the Apothecary in case of deaths.

The outriders wanted to go centre board, but the pipes made that difficulty, so were shifted to one flank. The eradicators had their eye on the platform between the towers and so set up close enough to reach the ladders in their first move.  The captain hit behind them. 

Just in case I lost first turn roll off and there was something that would target I went for deploying the assaultcessors and lieutenant in the ruins. 

The suppressors waited with their gravchutes prepped to arrive later.

Responding to this, I've already gone for a risky move. 3 CPs, half of my total, on putting a fully loaded Rhino into reserves. It's got the Blightspawn, the Putrifier and the plasma gun squad in there, and could be a very nasty slap in the face for whoever it arrives near later on!

The rest form a fairly standard defence blob in the middle (Lord at the back surrounded by zombies, Marines at the front backed by the Sorcerer), with the fast bits pointing straight at the Infiltrators. Who seem tempting, especially when I get first turn!

Death Guard Turn 1

Nothing too fancy to pull here, just slinging the Bloat Drone and the Spawn as far forward as they can. The Plaguecaster puts Putrescent Vitality on the Spawn, but nearly pulls a muscle doing it, and it's down to his disgusting resilience to stop him eating a mortal wound to the miscast! Blades of Putrefaction goes on the Plague Marines in front of him, just in case those bikers manage a long charge. 

Shooting goes fairly well, with Kas falling foul of my elongated rapid fire range from the supporting Marine squad. Then the Spawn make it into combat, although my lord! those Infiltrators pull off some impressive overwatch! Full rerolls from being comm-linked to the Chapter Master is painful, but the hide on the Spawn just about saves one from dying. The Bloatdrone hovers nearby like the fat football it is, it fails a rerolled charge, but made a decent scuff from shooting at least. 

Rolling Razor-Sharp Talons and then five attacks each for the Spawn makes the combat short and sharp. All of the Marines die except the Sarge, who fluffs his retaliation before legging it. Man, I should have taken First Blood!

Ouch!

Objectives scored: nil

Crypt Saints Turn 1

The eradicators follow their plan, and move to the bottom of the ladders; they pause before climbing to introduce the two spawn to their new guns. The assaultcessors regret starting in the ruins, and slowly extract themselves and head towards the centre objective, but fail to reach it. The two ranking officers keep pace. I swing the outriders to the side of the board that the rest of the forces are hugging.  

I am out of range for most other shots, and the ones I do make mostly bounce off army or resilience. I suddenly remember how tough Death Guard are to shift.

Objectives scored: Nope

Death Guard Turn 2

I shuffle my castle forward a bit to get the most out of the shooting phase, then stick the Bloatdrone on the nearby objective and bring the Rhino in behind it. 

My thinking here is to pressure the back line but also have the option of swinging round to support the centre, where the Marines are definitely mustering, so it's a bit of a sat fence as dramatic entrances go. And maybe not as close to the action as it could be? But I will also need to hold the midfield objective there, and those melta rifles already scare me.

My turn is pretty tame as a result. Although I manage three wounds off an Outrider from a Smite and some shooting, that's not enough to kill even one! Everything else patters off marine armour, and I'm not close enough for a charge. At least I can just about pull Engage on All Fronts with a bit of shifting about.

Better stick out your guts, lads, and hope they're as absorbent as folk say...

Objectives scored: 5 on Primaries, 2 on Engage on All Fronts

Crypt Saints Turn 2

The outriders rev their engines, they plan to move forward and slam in to the lord's ablative poxwalker meat shield (hopefully taking some marines out with their guns as they whistle past). The shooting is as impactful as before, nipping a single marine; but their combat is reasonably impressive... until remember disgusting resilience and 4 of the 14 poxwalkers live to fight back.

The eradicators climb the tower and start to blast the bloat drone. Nurgle's blessing keeping it alive, but it is hurt. The suppressors drop in and also lend weight to the fire.

The captain hunkers behind tower claiming the objecting and yelling encouragement to all; and taking pot shots at the sorceror. 






Objectives scored: 5 on Primaries

Death Guard Turn 3

The bikers are just where I want them. Well, no, that's not quite accurate, I wish they'd somehow missed their charge and were sat just in front of me. But pulling figure of eights on a mound of zombie mash in the middle of my castle will do as second best. 

The Rhino pegs it for the back lines, the Bloatdrone is just happy to be alive and stays put. The zombies stagger backwards, then I unload everything I can into the Outriders. 

A decent smite, some overpowered plasma work from the Lord and even a good Krak grenade from the Blightcaster leaves the Outriders on a single wound between the three of them. This is good enough to throw bolter fire at the incoming Intercessors, who haven't charged their armour and lose a man and a half. All to the good!

Then everything charges the Outriders and murders them fully. That'll do, pigs, that'll do.

Objectives scored: 2 on Engage on All Fronts, 10 on Primaries

Crypt Saints Turn 3 

I know what's inside that rhino and so my intecessor retreat from their hill and just hope that they can keep control of objective and make any charges hard to manage. The Eradicators decide to change target and leave the crippled bloat drone and take aim at the Rhino. It blows up, taking three marines with it. Result.

The suppressors jump to a position that if I can take out some of the poxwalkers then the lord becomes the closest and fair game target.

The assaultcessors take 3 of them out, leaving one claiming the objective, but not screening the lord. After a moment of deliberation the lieutenant headshots the last poxwalker. 

The suppressors open fire on the lord. 3 of their 6 hit wound and get through armour for 6 damage, which with six failed disgusting saves means that even a reroll won't save the warlord.

The assaultcessors and lieutenant charge the remaining plague marines, wiping them out before the lieutenant fights. Then slam into the sorceror as a followup.


Objectives scored: 6 on Slay the Warlord, 4 on Attrition, 10 on Primaries

Death Guard Turn 4

Fun fact - although I am happily rolling sixes with normal regularity these days, a 5+ Disgusting Resilience save is my new nemesis. 

Fair enough, the Sorcerer makes some pretty decent inroads into the Intercessors. He also very nearly kills the Lieutenant, who heroically intervenes into him to be met with a solid 6 wounds to the face! But that chap has clearly learned from fighting Death Guard before (maybe he ate one?), and has some resilience of his own. Enough to scotch four of those wounds before they take him down!

Needless to say, the fifteen or so wounds I take in return are a little outside of my rolling ability. 

Not sure if the chapter master was definitely worth 2cp; but that extra relic for 1cp absolutely was.

On the other side of the field, I discover the Guard are just outside grenade range after moving up. I could hose them with Blightspawn filth, but that's going to stretch the charge I need. In the end, I think sod it and let fly! If they're all dead, I don't need to charge. 

Six hits with a low strength, is what I get, he's gone and plugged the pipe with a dead hamster. That still kills three of the Intercessors, three more than the Plague Marines manage. They do make that 9" charge, however! 

But even with Veterans of the Long War, their knives just can't make the purchase I need on the Primaris. They riccochet harmlessly off, then against those awful -2 save bolter buts, I fail all the DR rolls I'm offered and the squad dies to a big fat man.

These ones were only -1, it was the assaultcessors who were -2. I also realised after this fight that the sergeant had forgotten to power up his sword.

Objectives scored: Certainly not Attrition or Minimize Losses! But at least 5 on Primaries

Crypt Saints Turn 4

Playing quickly now. group under the tower just claim objective 3. The eradicators make sure the bloatdrone is dead. The intecessors move up and combined with the long-range fire support from the suppressors take out the blightspawn. 

It's a long bomb charge needing a 10 to fight the only remaining enemy model on the board. I make it. This time I remember to turn on the powersword and after the fight the putrtifier smirks clutching his final wound. With 2CP spent: I fight again for a cleaned board.

Objectives scored: 15 on Primaries, 4 on Attrition. And then 15 more on Minimize Losses!

Result: 74:24 to the Crypt Saints!

Locker Room

Ouch! Aren't Death Guard supposed to be tough to kill?

In round 1/2 it felt like they were; as a large number of attacks took out single marines or a handful of wounds; but the high power shots, and impressive close range shooting made up. 

My hot takes are that the new Primaris options are a very welcome and effective set of additions to the Marine lineup. Those Melta Rifles are extremely nasty, they will need to be a priority target or you will lose materiel to them constantly. 

Not hugely long range (albeit long for a melta); but setting up near centre of the smaller board size gave them always a good target to shoot. 

Outriders have the damage output of more than double their numbers of Intercessors, especially on the charge. Their range, toughness and speed make them a great reaction force, able to plug gaps, apply pressure or take advantage of weakness wherever you want. And Assault Intercessors are just fun! Hard to kill them fast enough to stop them reaching you, too.

I like the, what appear to be contentiously designed, outrider models. They weren't amazing, at least in the way I used; and I think Kraken is right in that using as a mop-up/gap-plug rather than primary attack would probably be better.

My gamble on the Rhino wasn't worth it, really. I could have come out on the north flank, and possibly held them up for a turn as they all turned round and murdered me. But I should have kept numbers (and CPs) on the field, bolstering my presence on the back line and bouncing the Marine advance off with weight of fire and nasty grenades. 

I am scared of the grenade bombardment and of the blightspawn; so I was both pleased and scared when they were put in reserves. I think in this setup, I didn't have to worry about in the first half of the game and that helped.

That and possibly reading up on the newer strategems available to Death Guard! Psychic Awakening gave them the possibility of better bolter fire and longer grenade tosses, and both of those would have helped me no end. Maybe a slightly tame list, too? I'd have left the spawn at home to equip the Marine squads with some of their lovely and lethal weapons. Bolters and knives just don't hack it against Primaris...

Sorry, I think that's my inexperience with DG and also not spotting how the upgrades are listed in Battlescribe properly, so could have given something in place of the spawn. Although the spawn did do their job very well against the infiltrators (which I thought were going to be a key unit for me when paired with chapter master).

Fun and quick game, though. And I'm always learning something from defeat!

And rather impromptu too, so even more the better.