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Skull taker is pretty fantastic against beefy characters, and he provides a unique way of making Bloodletters scary, by basically letting you forgo having to worry about taking 20+ units, and instead just race up the board with 10 man units buffed by Taker. Karanak , never played it, dont know.

Also, YOU'RE DANG RIGHT I deepstriked all on turn 2! I daisy chained 4 models from each squad towards my Skarbrand (I think I lost 2-3 per unit from overwatch, so I was down to about 83 during combat) and spent the next 10 odd minutes rolling dice.

Thats why i like to mix tzaangors, pinks and bloodletters together. Tzaangors get t1 charge easy enough, then bloodletters and pinks t2 to finish the job. Add a pure demonettes detatchment in and they should also be in range t2 to assault, things get massively nasty real quick and there are 0 good options for your opponents anti tank to shoot at.

skulltaker is a decent choice but i prefer run a normal herald with crimsom crown (when i play a large bunch of letters), cost less +1 str and extra attacks on 6+ to wound

Skulltaker works well when you're taking smaller units of bloodletters that can't reliably stay over 20 models for hitting on 2s. What I've been noticing is bloodletters generally delete everything anyway regardless of buffs. They are glass but you really don't need many of them to demolish most infantry when they come in T2. The buffs help for tougher stuff of course.

barboggo wrote:
Skulltaker works well when you're taking smaller units of bloodletters that can't reliably stay over 20 models for hitting on 2s. What I've been noticing is bloodletters generally delete everything anyway regardless of buffs. They are glass but you really don't need many of them to demolish most infantry when they come in T2. The buffs help for tougher stuff of course.

right btw i need to be 100% sure to obliterate the target i charge, im aware after 1st charge letters will be deleted as well, so i cant waste 235pts without removing at least 1 unit

Do you only play bloodletters at max squad size in 2k pts games? Always with triple daemon battalions?

With a single or double battalion build I think squads of 20 bloodletters are a pretty reasonable option for conserving CP. It still deletes weaker stuff reliably and allows your CSM or whatever allies to have more CP to play with.

Something I just found out. Tson DP is like horrors, they to only have Ephemeral daemon and not ephemeral form.

A note worth mentioning.

I run my letterbombs in squads of 20 because, as noted above, they demolish almost everything they touch anyway and it saves me one CP per squad. 2 squads of 30 costs the same CP as 3 squads of 20, but the 20 squads can cover more positions on the board (for the cost of an extra banner and horn).

 vaklor4 wrote:
Second this issue. Surrounding is a lot easier said than done, you cant just forgo attacks magically, and more often than not even after pile in, the enemy is either dead or able to escape. You make it sound like this is a 100% always tactic, but its a best case scenario.

And id just like to note that im not saying my letter bombs arent effective. They total knights, ruin primarchs and blitz through gunlines. But the scenario of more than 5-8 of my bloodletters in a unit even surviving is rare. Only time that happens is if theyre ignored, usually because my Lord of Skulls is plowing down the middle of the field.

You need enemy to have left unit nearby which a) you can move into without charging them(so just pile in) b) hasn't models covered by other enemy models so that he can't fall back. But key #1 is trap unit that you did NOT declare charge. That unit will get to attack you but you aren't ALLOWED to attack it because you didn't charge it.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
I run my letterbombs in squads of 20 because, as noted above, they demolish almost everything they touch anyway and it saves me one CP per squad. 2 squads of 30 costs the same CP as 3 squads of 20, but the 20 squads can cover more positions on the board (for the cost of an extra banner and horn).

just be careful about what you charge, if just one die in overwatch you hit on 3+ not on 2+ anymore, most cases that wont make a big difference but against thought targets like IK it does. I play a triple battalio with 2x28 and 1x10 letters i keep in AiP the units with 28 models and i use the one with 10 to take some backfield obj, usually they are ignored, i might play 3x20 but again depend what you charge, i think when you drop 56-60 letters in enemy backfield that's enough in most cases

Hello fellow Chaos Worshippers!
I'm popping over here from the Death Gaurd world with the intention of starting some Nurgle Daemons. Where do I start? Rotigus any good? Are DPs much different from the DG ones? Which characters would synergize well with DG daemon vehicles?
And last but not least, is the start collecting box worth it?
Thanks a million!

The SC box is definitely worth it. Plaguebearers are great, you get a character, Nurglings are good for their "scouting" abilities, and the flies are good too. It's a solid box set. Can't comment on the rest, as I haven't played my Nurgle Daemons in 8th yet, but all the daemon SC's are solid purchases.

GD are actually pretty underwhelming but the Great unclean one model is cool, Nurgle Dp's are close to Dg Dp's, a nice character if you play PBC is the poxbringer, it gives them +1 strenght so you have str 8 flamers, must have are plaguebearers and nurglings, if you plan to play a mono nurgle another good model is feculent gnarlmaw

So I picked up a SC box of Daemons on the cheap (25% off). I already own a sizeable tzeentch/Khorne force, how would I bring Nurgle into it? I dont want to go crazy on Nurgle daemons, mind. So telling me to buy 80 more Plaguebearers is pretty out of the question.

Are Plaguebearers good for meat shielding my pink horrors? Additionally, im guessing Plague Drones are good objective stealers and harassment units?

Mmmm some tasty daemonic horde tactics going on here lately. This is the real reason I got back into 40k for 8th.

30 plaguebearers seems like a good number to start off with. I'm waiting on another 20 in the mail before I try out some new nurgle-y tactics for my daemons.

How many plaguebearers/nurglings do I need for a gnarlmaw to be worth it?

So, still looking to expand into Slaanesh from my mono-Khorne Daemons, how bad is the Keeper of Secrets? It's a hundred points cheaper than the other GDs, but my gut reaction says it's just a worse Daemon Prince(ss). That about right?

barboggo wrote:
Mmmm some tasty daemonic horde tactics going on here lately. This is the real reason I got back into 40k for 8th.

30 plaguebearers seems like a good number to start off with. I'm waiting on another 20 in the mail before I try out some new nurgle-y tactics for my daemons.

How many plaguebearers/nurglings do I need for a gnarlmaw to be worth it?

It all depends. In my experience, you always want to put at least double the points into what a support unit is supporting. For example, don't bring a 74 point Dark Apostle to leadership protect 80 points of cultists, or try to bring 140+ points of stuff in a Rhino.

I forget off the top of my head how much the trees cost, but try to bring at least twice the number of points for it. It's not gospel, but it just seems right in my head and has worked well for me thus far.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
So, still looking to expand into Slaanesh from my mono-Khorne Daemons, how bad is the Keeper of Secrets? It's a hundred points cheaper than the other GDs, but my gut reaction says it's just a worse Daemon Prince(ss). That about right?

It's ABOUT the size of a DP, and more expensive. It also doesn't fly, and its 10+ leadership share is not really worth bringing it. IMO, always go Slaanesh Prince. It's rather unfortunate how overpriced all the GDs are. In almost every case, just bringing a couple daemon princes is always better.

Plus the keeper has over 10 wounds, its easy to kill. I mean 5++ isnt hard to get through especially in the age of knights.. definitely take them as deamon princes, they are much better in that role.

I already run a Bloodthirster, so if they'd be shooting the Keeper I'd be laughing. Might be better to just run Skarbrand instead though.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
I already run a Bloodthirster, so if they'd be shooting the Keeper I'd be laughing. Might be better to just run Skarbrand instead though.

Skarbrand is usually worth that 20+ points. He is slower, but his 8" aura is amazing, and he is quite easier to hide behind buildings for cover bonus, or straight up LOS block. 10 morale leadership share is generally not worth it. THe only thirster i've found that is better or at least different enough is the two handed axe thirster, since it's basically a titan buster.

barboggo wrote:
Mmmm some tasty daemonic horde tactics going on here lately. This is the real reason I got back into 40k for 8th.

30 plaguebearers seems like a good number to start off with. I'm waiting on another 20 in the mail before I try out some new nurgle-y tactics for my daemons.

How many plaguebearers/nurglings do I need for a gnarlmaw to be worth it?

 vaklor4 wrote:
So I picked up a SC box of Daemons on the cheap (25% off). I already own a sizeable tzeentch/Khorne force, how would I bring Nurgle into it? I dont want to go crazy on Nurgle daemons, mind. So telling me to buy 80 more Plaguebearers is pretty out of the question.

Are Plaguebearers good for meat shielding my pink horrors? Additionally, im guessing Plague Drones are good objective stealers and harassment units?

I picked up two SC boxes and they’ve done me well. I converted one of the Poxbringers into Epidemius and mustered a few more PBs. Now I’ve got a Battalion with two decent early midfield screen/bait/objective camping units, a solid 20-30 strong horde, a spellcaster with heal and buff available to it, and an army-wide buffer that after a few easy kills boosts my Plague Drones, Defilers, Obliterators, bloat Drones, and blight-haulers. Throw in a Warptimer and a Gnarlmaw and you’ve got T1 charges from really frightening-looking distraction carnifexes.

Nurgle Daemonkin is an approach that’s got lots of different playstyles and units and a strong visual theme, with a really modest troops tax that’s not as expensive or repetitive as doing 60+ of the same model. Easily able to do a CD, a DG, and a CSM Detachment in the same list.

 vaklor4 wrote:
So I picked up a SC box of Daemons on the cheap (25% off). I already own a sizeable tzeentch/Khorne force, how would I bring Nurgle into it? I dont want to go crazy on Nurgle daemons, mind. So telling me to buy 80 more Plaguebearers is pretty out of the question.

Are Plaguebearers good for meat shielding my pink horrors? Additionally, im guessing Plague Drones are good objective stealers and harassment units?

plagubearers are good if you play at least 30 with -1 to hit and decent amount of wounds, if you play just 10 is pointless play them unless you play just casual games against casual army lists.

 blackmage wrote:

 vaklor4 wrote:
So I picked up a SC box of Daemons on the cheap (25% off). I already own a sizeable tzeentch/Khorne force, how would I bring Nurgle into it? I dont want to go crazy on Nurgle daemons, mind. So telling me to buy 80 more Plaguebearers is pretty out of the question.

Are Plaguebearers good for meat shielding my pink horrors? Additionally, im guessing Plague Drones are good objective stealers and harassment units?

plagubearers are good if you play at least 30 with -1 to hit and decent amount of wounds, if you play just 10 is pointless play them unless you play just casual games against casual army lists.

Well, I do play them casually I don't attend tournaments.

Generally speaking this is how deamons of chaos work out.

All our troop choices are terrific in their given rolls. They are cheap, the can be used well to become strong, and if thats all you take that your opponent can shoot at then you have a decent advantage in that. The down side is they are mostly close combat only so there can be overlap and getting there with some options is harder said than done sometimes.

All our hq's with less than 10 wounds generally can find a home in our armies. Heralds and their new named equivalents make our troops better so taking them is easy. Deamon princes can do almost anything a greater deamon can do except they have a better chance of actually pulling it off thanks to targeting rules. All our hq's above 10 wounds have a place if your looking for fun / thematic lists but are seen generally as semi casual use only by the competitive side because deamon princes are more reliable and cheaper.

Everything else is just not very good / situational/ or casual use only.

I use deamons as the main line force with chaos marines and thousand sons as "gap coverage " for areas i need more support in (read : shooting)

 vaklor4 wrote:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
I already run a Bloodthirster, so if they'd be shooting the Keeper I'd be laughing. Might be better to just run Skarbrand instead though.

Skarbrand is usually worth that 20+ points. He is slower, but his 8" aura is amazing, and he is quite easier to hide behind buildings for cover bonus, or straight up LOS block. 10 morale leadership share is generally not worth it. THe only thirster i've found that is better or at least different enough is the two handed axe thirster, since it's basically a titan buster.

I meant running Skarbrand instead of the Keeper, so doubling down on Khorne and bringing both Skarbrand and a Thirster of Insensate Rage. I'm aware it's not competetive, but I picked up Daemons for the big boys.

For what it's worth I'm not so sure that a Prince can actually do what a Thirster can, even with Skullreaver. The Prince gets no sweep attack and is thus either stuck killing multi-model units with a Titan-killing axe or trying to slap big, tough targets to death with claws. A Thirster can just charge first and let Khorne sort them out later. Princes are obviously better, but not because of better combat prowess (even 2 Princes aren't that much better offensively) but because the current Character rules are a bit special, to say the least.

A thirster is also worth a little under two princes with wings. Two princes with claws means 16 attacks that dont degrade, at strength 8 on the charge. Its about the same as a Bloodthirster sweep. DPs also reroll 1s, which DPs do not. They also can hide behind other models. The pros outweigh ANY cons.

Additionally, its -2 AP, 2 D. Which is better than the sweep anyways.

 Brymm wrote:
Hello fellow Chaos Worshippers!
I'm popping over here from the Death Gaurd world with the intention of starting some Nurgle Daemons. Where do I start? Rotigus any good? Are DPs much different from the DG ones? Which characters would synergize well with DG daemon vehicles?
And last but not least, is the start collecting box worth it?
Thanks a million!

Plaguebearers are pretty solid, but compete with Nurglings for troops. Nurglings are possibly the best troops in the game with their scout and durability. Excellent at bait, forcing targets, tarpitting, and dep strike denial. You can easily have board control for 300pt of nurglings.
Heralds are solid synergy, poxbringer for spells+strength, and no slouch in CC. Scriviner buffs PB and drones really well, and bilepiper is decent for moral and good around nurglings, though I rarely take one instead of a poxbringer. +1 strength and the +1 wound spell on nurglings goes a long way in helping them actually hurt things.
Plague drones are good, and with buffs, insanely good. There are not many large durable units in the game with FLY. With a gnarlmaw you can pop off a T1 charge, proper buffs can have them dealing 5dmg a swing with their claws.I've ran a list with 3 units of 7 several times and always done very well. No AP stinks, but mass of attacks is nice, all you need is one failed save to deal decent dmg, drones play the averages game.
GUO, these dudes suffer the same as other greater daemons, too squishy. The GUO is resilient, but only being T7 (while a leman russ is T8, wtf GW?) will have him shot full of lascannons with a quickness, especially if your opponent has mistakenly let one into CC. The flail/sword is an awesome combo for damage.
Rotigus is pretty swell, but suffers like the GUO. They wont make or break games, and you pretty much have to deep strike them.
Beasts of nurgle are still a poor choice, especially when you could grab plague toads from FW.
Daemon princes are good, but DG ones are better as you get to re-roll hits for DG and daemons. Where the daemon ones are only for daemons. Still though, you can have 6 DP in a DG/Daemon list
Epidemius is awesome, and if you run DG/Daemons, you have a ton of great synergy. Bring some bloat drones, daemon princes, ton of nurglings and really whatever you want that has DAEMON and NURGLE. Then just go to town. Epidemius is no longer a wet towel in CC, so just don't let him get shot, your opponent will do their best to kill him.

Soul grinders are bleh, awesome models, but just are not as durable as they need to be. Again, the dreaded T7, as well as being overcosted, as you are forced to take the ranged weapons. This makes defilers start to pull ahead in usability. Bloat drones with fleshmowers blow soul grinders out of the water in every way.
Furies are terrible and you should never take them.


As said, the start collecting box is amazing, one of the better deals out there, as all units are great. You can make 9 or so nurgling bases out of the bits ot make 3 if you are creative, and I highly suggest it. Sadly, you missed the daemons prime in 8th, when deep strike T1 was a thing, it was incredibly awesome to lock an entire opponents army down T1.

So I was thinking of getting some more bloodletters (30) and starting to build a new list. So what can I do to not getting them killed after they charged and killed it’s targets. So I added threats that’s need to die and this is the list I’ve came up with.

2x changecaster
2x 10 brimstone horrors
30 pinks

DP skullreaver
Skarbrand
3x20 Bloodletters icon and instrument

Magnus the red

Letters and Skarbrand deep strikes so Magnus is on thin ice T1 sadly but if he survives to T2 my opponent will have some hard targeting difficulties on what to shoot.

Any suggestions are welcome and so is criticism as well.

Drop Magnus in favor of Ahriman, a sorcerer and some cultists. You'll get way better mileage, guarenteed.

If you wanna stay strictly within Daemons, drop him in favor of Exalted Flamers, Daemon Princes, or more pinks.

Tazberry wrote:
So I was thinking of getting some more bloodletters (30) and starting to build a new list. So what can I do to not getting them killed after they charged and killed it’s targets. So I added threats that’s need to die and this is the list I’ve came up with.

2x changecaster
2x 10 brimstone horrors
30 pinks

DP skullreaver
Skarbrand
3x20 Bloodletters icon and instrument

Magnus the red

Letters and Skarbrand deep strikes so Magnus is on thin ice T1 sadly but if he survives to T2 my opponent will have some hard targeting difficulties on what to shoot.

Any suggestions are welcome and so is criticism as well.

in this list Magnus die turn1, he is the only threat on table turn 1, i would go for a TS battalion to have max cp to deepstrike the korne units and pinks.
maybe a thing like this


++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Chaos - Daemons) [28 PL, 426pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Chaos Allegiance: Tzeentch

+ HQ +

Changecaster [4 PL, 78pts]: Bolt of Change, Treason of Tzeentch

Changecaster [4 PL, 78pts]: Flickering Flames, Gaze of Fate

+ Troops +

Horrors [12 PL, 210pts]: 30x Pink Horror

Horrors [4 PL, 30pts]: 10x Pair of Brimstone Horrors

Horrors [4 PL, 30pts]: 10x Pair of Brimstone Horrors

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Chaos - Daemons) [51 PL, 1035pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Chaos Allegiance: Khorne

Rewards of Chaos (1 Relic)

+ HQ +

Daemon Prince of Chaos [9 PL, 180pts]: Daemonic axe, Khorne, Skullreaver, Wings

Skarbrand [18 PL, 360pts]

+ Troops +

Bloodletters [8 PL, 165pts]: 19x Bloodletter, Bloodreaper, Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos

Bloodletters [8 PL, 165pts]: 19x Bloodletter, Bloodreaper, Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos

Bloodletters [8 PL, 165pts]: 19x Bloodletter, Bloodreaper, Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Chaos - Thousand Sons) [31 PL, 535pts] ++

+ HQ +

Ahriman on Disc of Tzeentch [9 PL, 166pts]: Death Hex, Tzeentch's Firestorm, Warlord, Warptime

Sorcerer [6 PL, 104pts]: Dark Matter Crystal, Force sword, Glamour of Tzeentch, Inferno Bolt Pistol, Weaver of Fates

+ Troops +

Chaos Cultists [3 PL, 40pts]: 9x Chaos Cultist w/ Autogun
. Cultist Champion: Autogun

Chaos Cultists [3 PL, 40pts]: 9x Chaos Cultist w/ Autogun
. Cultist Champion: Autogun

Tzaangors [10 PL, 185pts]: Brayhorn, 24x Tzaangor w/ Tzaangor Blades
. Twistbray: Tzaangor blades

++ Total: [110 PL, 1996pts] ++


i dont like Skarbrand but if you think is fine play it, 18 cp's you can AiP 3x20 letters 30 pinks and skarbrand+changecaster (11cp), or you can keep on the table the pinks +changecaster as you think is better, tzaangors moved with DMC when needed (usually when you drop the letters so you have threat saturation).