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Ok, so I thought of this a joke to begin with, but then realized its actually pretty powerful:

Epidemius 110
Herald of Nurgle, Aura of Decay 85

(15) Plaguebearers, Chaos Icon 250
(15) Plaguebearers, Chaos Icon 250
(10) Plaguebearers 150
(10) Plaguebearers 150
(7) Plaguebearers 105
(6) Plaguebearers 90

(12) Screamers 192
(12) Screamers 192
(12) Screamers 192

Big Mek, bosspole 40
(30) Grots, 4x Runtherd 120

Aegis Defence line, Comms relay 70

= 1996

Looks like complete gak, right? Lots of Plaguebearers who won't do crap, a pile of Screamers, and some random Grots.

Well, wait for it, it gets better. A lot better

Split your waves like this:
Epi+Herald of Nurgle+1x15 PB, 2x10 PB, 2x Screamers
1x15 PB, 1x7 PB, 1x6 PB, 1x Screamers

Deploy your Grots around the Aegis line for cover saves. Hope for the right wave. If you get the wrong one, oh well, you've got a rerollable 3+ for Epi next turn.

When Epi comes in, proceed as follows:

DS his squad near the Grots. Move the Grots into a clump near him and the Herald, try to get them all within 6" of both of them (they should be on the edge of the PB unit). Activate Aura of Decay on both Epi and the Herald, causing str2 hits on every enemy model within 6". Yes, the Grots count as enemy models

Kill around 25 Grots on average. You now have maximum Tally, so your PB's now wound on 2+ in CC, ignore armor saves, and have a 3+ FnP against EVERYTHING except str10. Charge forward, profit. (Remember to run the surviving Grots out of 6" from Epi's squad, so on a roll of 1 don't stand around doing nothing.)

The Screamers are there to break vehicles. You PB's will murder anything else.

Sure, Flyers are hard to deal with, just camp objectives and roll saves. If you're placing KP's, you can just concede

I'd actually like to try this out, as not many armies can deal with (essentially) 63 THSS running at them. (t5 5++ 3+ FnP is around as effective as t4 2+ against torrent, against high str/low AP the PB's are far better. They wound on 2+ in CC at ap2, but get to strike at i2 ) Don't get me wrong, this isn't the greatest list ever, but it would sure be awesome to play with

So, what do you guys think? Is this "The gak" or just plain old gak? D

I must admire your creativity- and the idea of sacrificing a herd of grots to papa nurgle sounds rather appropriate. Not sure how I'd react if you pulled it on me, given how unexpected it is. I think I'd just have to hope that you'd stay out of range. Or that I'd brought some vindicators that you hadn't already busted.

Definitely style points, the substance doesn't really matter after that does it?

Pretty cool design. I did something similar in a team game w/ a spawn sorc. and a grot mob back in 3.5 with fun results.

I like the screamers as your AT. This list is ridiculous and awesome at the same time. You will destroy assaulty armies, and close-range shooting armies. Your biggest weakness? Epi himself. As an infantry with t5 w3 and 5+/5+ save, he will die to 30 bolter shots (40 if behind the aegis). He can't join squads, which makes him prey for ling range armies (Hello, tau broadsides!). After he's dead, your army kind of collapses. What are your ideas? Hide him behind a juicy piece of terrain?

If that's the case, your biggest weakness would be fast armies, deep-strikers, flyers, or outflankers. Anyone that can angle a shot to hit him. Try to find a way around this weakness and your list will be nasty. How about take double FOC, and add some allied plaguemarine bikers? Or better yet, Plague Terminators! They will be an excellent bodyguard. You can also block LOS using metal bawkses. Just a suggestion. Good luck, and enjoy this army. Seems really good vs Space Pups and the like.

dnptan wrote:Your biggest weakness? Epi himself. As an infantry with t5 w3 and 5+/5+ save, he will die to 30 bolter shots (40 if behind the aegis). He can't join squads, which makes him prey for ling range armies (Hello, tau broadsides!). After he's dead, your army kind of collapses. What are your ideas? Hide him behind a juicy piece of terrain?

If that's the case, your biggest weakness would be fast armies, deep-strikers, flyers, or outflankers. Anyone that can angle a shot to hit him. Try to find a way around this weakness and your list will be nasty. How about take double FOC, and add some allied plaguemarine bikers? Or better yet, Plague Terminators! They will be an excellent bodyguard. You can also block LOS using metal bawkses. Just a suggestion. Good luck, and enjoy this army. Seems really good vs Space Pups and the like.

Epidemus would work much better in a death guard army. Lots of bolters and as you said plague terminators to up the tally. Hell take 3 squads of havocs with autocannons and mark of nurgle and watch the tally fly. As for protecting Epi, easy with a CSM army, just build a rhino wall around him full of plague marines.

Just checked the Codex, Epidemius is an IC, so he'll be joined to one of the big 15 man PB squads.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The problem with Epi in a Chaos army is that you actually have to kill 20 of your opponents models to get the benefits. Against hordes its not that hard, but against marines, 20 guys is usually about half/a third of their whole army. By taking grots you get your tally up as soon as you come on.

Yeah he's an IC, but still if he's in front, he can die pretty fast with the new shooting rules. Consider getting a bastion? For 75 points, you can put him in an AV14 thing with infinite hull points at the backfield.

I'll probably stick him right at the back of the unit, and if a random Ordnance shot or sneaky side shot does manage to hit him, with Look out Sir, Eternal warrior, 3 wounds and a 5++/3+ FnP, he should be pretty hard to kill.

fun list...would be interesting to see this being played and what your opponent could do about it. All I know is that if I was playing this list I would put everything on Epidimius. I good opponent should be able to hunt him down by turn 4, and since he's soft in general....he might die.

But yeah, 10 for style...you'll beat a ton of people who aren't familiar with how you operate. Fun for sure....

Interesting concept. I like it! Might have to give it a try, though I will probably combine it with the Flying Circus:

Fateweaver
Epidemius
Big Mek

4x10 of plaguebearers
9x Nurglings
29x Grots, 2x Runtherds

3x Nurgle Flying DP's - (1 w/Aura)


BTW, you can only get max 3 runtherds. That'll save you 10pts.

This is epic

I'd consider taking a unit of loota's though. Even out the sizes of the PB units and try to get 10 in for additional transport hunting and some much needed ranged support. Seeing as you've already taken (and made brilliant use of) the HQ + Troop allies "tax", you just as well take the oppertunity to cash in another briliant Ork unit. They can provide something Daemons struggle to bring to the table themselves, and aren't too expensive.

Exalted, this is boss!

This is possibly the most interesting list I've seen in my whole time playing 40k hahaha.
Would love to see it in action.

Definitely a 10 for creativity.

i LOVE this idea. Feeding grots to papa nurgle is awesome-sauce.

One idea though...Could you use guardsmen instead of grots? That way, you could take some other stuff in your allied list which might give you some shootiness. Sacrifice a platoon of guardsmen as planned, but add some hydras (for AA) or a second platoon with some plasma or something.

You could even model the guardsmen as chaos cultists! You could use renegades!

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Chaos/CHAOS_RENEGADES/RENEGADE-MILITIA-ICONS-AND-ASSAULT-WEAPONS.html

For the HQ, you could have a primaris psyker and use one of these models..

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Chaos/CHAOS_RENEGADES/RENEGADE_ROGUE_PSYKERS.html

The more I think about it, the more I want to steal your idea.

What about using conscript's with Commander Chenkov's "Send in the Next Wave"? Would that work, too?

The problem with Chenkov is he is not an Ally of Desperation, so AoE effects do not work on him like they do with the Orks. Really any unit with some dirt cheap troops would work.

I might make a slight change and add in some Beasts of Nurgle - which are really good with the tally being up there - and use some Nurgle Princes with Wings (no other abilities really needed - maybe an extra Aura of Decay).

Not just that, but gretchins are T2, meaning they succumb to Aura of Decay much easier.

And if you really want, add a dakkajet or something like that or have the big mek man a quad-gun and the gretchins behind the Aegis defense line for some 3+ G-t-G cover.

Okay, so...now for the obvious question. How do you deal with Manticores?

If you combined it with fate weaver and just chill in his bubble you could deal with them with your re-roll inv deamons all have invs right?

Fateweaver allows you to re-roll all saves (armor, cover, invuln), not just invuln.

This topic has made my day. Allies can be a lot funner when closely examined

1st I would like to say I love this concept but I do not think it is supported by the rules. Aura of decay is a ranged attack so doesn't it need an enemy in range for you to activate it? Allies do not count as enemies for shooting (but they do take damage if they are hit) so I do not see tnis working unless you're within 6" of an opponets modle.

Xanowrath wrote:1st I would like to say I love this concept but I do not think it is supported by the rules. Aura of decay is a ranged attack so doesn't it need an enemy in range for you to activate it? Allies do not count as enemies for shooting (but they do take damage if they are hit) so I do not see tnis working unless you're within 6" of an opponets modle.

Allies of Convenience and Desperate Allies actually count as enemy units. The only thing you can't do to them is assault them, shoot at them and use psychic powers that affect them directly. However, if you use area affect powers, then those powers can affect your allies just as they can affect your enemies. Aura is a ranged attack that affects an area. Thus it can affect your own "allies".

Does Aura of decay as been FAQed regarding the "been in CC both EPIDEMIUS and the TARGET"?

I hope so otherwise the whole setup wouldn't work as you'll can't assault allies.

Not to mention that you'll can't assault at all after deep striking.

Thanks for the replies guys! =)

The Lootas are a good suggestion, I'd probably pick up a Battlewagon for them to cruise around in and shoot Flyers.

Guardsmen wouldn't work as well as the Grots IMO, as Aura wounds them on 5+ and they get their 5+ save as well. Grots I wound on 4's and kill immediately.

I considered Fateweaver, but IMO just taking another 22 Plaguebearers was more efficient. Especially as I'd have to play the army pretty clumped up to get the most out of Weavers bubble.

Its possible that RAW, the PB's always get their FnP, as they are Eternal warriors and ignore ID. Could be wrong though, don't have my rulebook with me to check the exact wording.

Aura is a shooting attack that may be used in CC, which hits EVERY enemy model within 6". You don't have to specify a target for it AFAIK, so RAW it should hit the Grots.

Jabbdo wrote:I considered Fateweaver, but IMO just taking another 22 Plaguebearers was more efficient. Especially as I'd have to play the army pretty clumped up to get the most out of Weavers bubble.

It's a huge investment, no doubth but I would still give it a try. Once opened this 3d I immediately tryed to couple both of the HQ with also a solid CSM detachment of plague marines and Nurgle Terminators. Wow.

However:

Jabbdo wrote:Aura is a shooting attack that may be used in CC, which hits EVERY enemy model within 6". You don't have to specify a target for it AFAIK, so RAW it should hit the Grots.

Well.. no, not properly.

Page 75 Daemons codex, Aura of Decay description, second sentence:
Aura of Decay is a ranged weapon, but the Daemon must be in close combat at the time it use it, as may the target. When used, all enemy models within 6" of the Daemon automatically suffer a Strenght 2 hit at AP-..

If my english comprehension is at least decent it just means that you wouldn't be able to use this power until you'll enter in CC with an enemy.

So you'll can't:
- assault in CC after arrived by deep strike;
- assault an allied detachment, even if considered for all other purpouses as an enemy.

However you'll can:
- popping on a Skyfire platform with the Grots just close and than, the turn after assault a very uncareful adversary with both the Epidemius and the Grots units;
- BE assaulted by a suicidal adversary the turn just after your poppin' in by deep strike and then, accidentally, touch the Grots unit within the 6" round range assuming that they too are going to be assaulted in the same phase.


I honestly don't think this could be considered a viable option.
Unfortunately.

Actually you need a target within 6" to cast aura. You do not have to be in cc. If the grpots are also within 6" they will be affected. I cannot see in my codex where it states that you must be in cc in order to use the aura. It is a shooting attack.

Page 75, Aura of Decay description.

Toban wrote:

Page 75 Daemons codex, Aura of Decay description, second sentence:
Aura of Decay is a ranged weapon, but the Daemon must be in close combat at the time it use it, as may the target. When used, all enemy models within 6" of the Daemon automatically suffer a Strenght 2 hit at AP-..

Its "May be" not "Must be"

or at least my Codex says that

Just played a game with my version of the "Plague Bomb". My list was along the lines of this:

Fateweaver
Epidemius
Big Mek

3x13 Plaguebearers (1 Icon)
9x Nurglings
25x Grots, 2x Runtherds

3x Nurgle Flying DP's - (1 w/Aura, 2 w/Breath)


An unsual list that went up against another unusual list - horde Kroot-orcs! His list?


Shas'el - 2x TL-Missiles, Flamer
Biker Warboss

5x Nob Bikers - 2x PK, Bosspole, Waagh Banner, Painboy

12x Fire Warriors
5x20 Kroots
2x30 Ork Boys - PK Nobs

Bastion w/Quad-guns


Be sure to look out for my battle report, coming soon! (I will link it here).