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I have a pretty good start on a nurgley army (got a bunch of chaos stuff given to me a while back), but I don't really have much of a focus for the army at this point.  can DG be a viable army, or should I just paint it and ebay them?

tell me what to take/not take.

I'm thinking for 10 pts a base of nurglings for each unit is a must - question (I know this isn't YMDC..) can an IC join nurglings?

are plaguebearers any good?

what is the best combo for a nurgle sorceror?

I have the Typhus model... should I play him as Typhus with a group of chosen termies?  Or would I be better with him as a DP/Lord?  I kind of like Typhus's special rules, but 230 pts is steep...

Any veteran skills worth taking with DG troops (I'm thinking counter attack if any)?  What about special weapons - Plasma or Meltas? give the AC a fist or a plague sword?

is nurgle's rot worth the pts?

I'm thinking of not taking any vehicles - mistake? Y/N?

Thanks!  I look forward to seeing you opinions

I used to play a hybrid MoCU/Nurgle list that worked really well.  Unfortunately, I can't really say much from experiance for a pure DG list, but on paper I'd say you probably can put together a very capable and playable force.

Let's take a look at some of the highlights, and some of the pitfalls that are ahead of you:

T5, fearless, and True Grit all for +5 points/model (+10/character) - this is a huge bargain for what all you get.  Your basic troops are 19 pts each, but they get all the above in exchange.  You lose out on heavy weapons in squads (ouch), and can only have a maximum of 2 units in Rhinos before you begin eating into Fast Attack slots.  This really isn't that big of a deal, since you don't have access to Raptors or Bikes anyway.

So, since you're going to be a smallish, elite force anyway I think it's safe to assume that every squad will be toting around dual special weapons, and those free Aspiring Champs will probably get some nice shiney weapon to swing around in close (I'd mix in PF and PS at around a 2 PF/1 PS ratio max.  You don't really need the PS, but if you want a couple I can understand why).  I wouldn't load out the squads too much more (counter-attack) because your guys already cost a pretty penny.  The one skill I would consider, however, is infiltrate.  A few squads that can infiltrate will help you out immensely when getting into range to start using those short-ranged weapons and shiney toys.  Even nastier when combined with a Nurgle Havok squad toting around 4 special weapons - talk about a nice diversion...  I wouldn't completely 'poo poo' taking the two Rhino squads for a little mobility, otherwise in any Alpha mission you're going to be hurting for objectives.  Yeah, two Rhinos isn't really all that great, but it's better than having to foot-slog it in every game, or getting screwed off the bat in anything Alpha.

But, you will want some heavy weapons in there.  Trust me, that's why I went with a mix instead of going all DG.  To this end, your only real option is some tanks.  So, yeah, I'd say you're going to want some armor in the list.  Most competative DG lists I've seen have run 1-3 Predators, most with triple lascannon, most with the Daemonic Possession/Mutated Hull combo.  It's 195 points a pop, but they're scary anti-big stuff tanks that can really soak up some firepower to shut up.  You can cheapen them up by dropping back to autocannons in the turrets (180 pts/pop), dropping the Mutated Hull (165/pop), or both (150/pop).

My (limited) exposure to Plaguebearers was that they were okay, but not super.  I wouldn't base a list off them, but having a unit or two hanging out is a cheap way to up your numbers in combat and swing things in your favor.  They're also good at holding up big, ugly things (Wraithlords, TMC, etc... ) since they have the 5+ inv and wound anything on 4+.  If you do take them, make sure you've got a couple of Rhino squads that can deliver them.  They aren't as fragile as Daemonettes, but they don't like getting shot up none the less.

Nurgle Termies look exceptional on paper, I think they'd be too good to pass up.  Favored squad sounds a little too expensive for little gain in return, YMMV.

KW

    So has anyone seen any real disadvantages to having the sacred number, 7, vs going all out to 10 man squads? Do these deathguard 7 man squads hold up in cc and shooting? I am looking at a deathguard list that will have two plague marine squads, 1 havoc squad with melta guns, a lord and one or two other heavy choices, probably a predator and either a dread or defiler. I will also have some demons in there.

On another note, are nurglings of any use? they seem a steel at tying up units for their price, but it sucks that they cannot hold objectives. Thoughts?

Just for grins, I tried coming up with a DG army at 1850 points.  Probably not what you're looking for, but figured I'd share.

Leiutenant (MoN, Manreaper, D Str, D Aura, Personal Icon)

x6 Chosen Retinue (MoN, free champ has Plaguesword, D Str, D Mut, Rot; squad has x2 meltaguns; all in Rhino with D Mutation, armor, smoke)

x7 Possessed (MoN, free champ has Rot, all have D Talons, in Rhino with D Mutation, armor, smoke)

x7 Death Guard (MoN, free champ has PF, D Mut, Rot; squad has x2 meltaguns; in Rhino with armor, smoke)

x7 Death Guard (MoN, free champ has PF, D Mut, Rot; squad has x2 meltaguns; in Rhino with armor, smoke)

x7 Death Guard (MoN, free champ has PF, D Mut, Rot; squad has x2 meltaguns; in Rhino with armor, smoke) <-- counts as fast attack choice because of Death Guard rules

x7 Plague Bearers

x7 Plague Bearers

x7 Plague Bearers

x7 Plague Bearers

Gotta run, but I can post thoughts tomorrow if anyone's interested.

Kev

I run (ran, past tense - still have models) a Death Guard army. I guess I fell into it by default as every other chaos flava was taken by local players. I like the lok of the old 'spike head' guys. Anyway, I noticed a few things.

First off, let me say that the reason that I used to play them is that T5 is not all it's cracked up to be. Most armies have many ways of end running T5, including heat weapons of all types (melta, fusion, plasma, etc.) and/or rending weapons. The point is, those shooty things that are good at killing normal marines are just as good at killing Nurgle marines. In HtH they fare a little better, with the only worry being the odd power weapon. So they don't play out as any tougher ont he tabletop. IMO, they should have been given 'Fell No Pain' or 'Daemonic Essence' instead of Khorne or Tzeentch, but that's a subject for another thread.

Plague bearers, IMHO are not worth taking. They really don't 'bring the pain' in HtH like other daemons do (except versus very high T models like Wraithlords or carnifexes) and absolutely get slaughtered by shooting if they are caught outside HtH. Better off saving those points and trying to add some more marines to the list. Add 5 points to each sergeant for the rot, and and you'll always have someone in range of his models.

Nurglings, if you can put up withthe painting, are a good choice as long as they show up in vast numbers. They are cheap, and if you look at the RAW on small targets and shooting targets, the enemy has to make a Ld test to ignore them and fire at you marines behind. Another layer of protection for your marines. Also, their 3 W and 3 Attacks per stand seems to work out better in HtH against most opponents. The only downside here is that they are competing with your marines for troops slots.

Infiltrate seems like a good option, but what I have experienced is that they get closer to either a HtH army like Khorne or Tyrands and get charged, or start close enough to a shooty army to get their full rapid fire effect by turn 1. The best case scenario has the Plaguemarines at 12 inches at game start, and then they get one round of shooting (provided they go first) before the enemy reacts. Remember that Rapid Fire and True Grit basically makes your army into a shooting force at 12 inches (or you are ignoring your armies' special ability and arming them for HtH, which I have seen). Your opponenet will make the decision on his turn as to whether to try to outshoot you, disengage or charge you. Usually this hands the initiative back to him.

Modified rhino rush seems to be the best option for engaging, but that adds 70 more points to each squad, and we know what kinds of problems vehicle wrecks can cause. I would recommend dismounting on the first trun after 12 inch movement behind the rhino and walk behind, if you're going to do this.

The greater daemon ('fat bastid'), is realy hit or miss. He has pwned some armies and not really worked out against others. If you are going to take him, for Nurgle's sake, take some chains with you.

Basically my beef with the current list, is that there's nothing exclusive to nurgle that opponents really dread. Mutated Hull, Daemon Princes with uber weapons, resilient models that defy shooting phase death - all can be had by other chaos variants and with less restrictions. If you are gonna play them, do it because you want to paint nurgle models, not because you're going to win with them. When I see a Death Guard army at a tourney, I know it's someone who made a list from personal choice and not to a powergame advantage.

kwade- Interesting choice to go with that many plaguebearers and no heavies. I would be loathesome to rely on meltaguns to take down the heavies, but this may actually work with the plaguebearers working to tie up other models.

Corum- Yes if you are looking at nurgle to power game, you are in the wrong army. Nurgle is a tough army to play and win, not the level of power gaming that can be achieved with the other chaos lists. I definitely agree with your sentiments about doing the army for the flavor and look, as that is pretty much what nurgle is about.

I am having a hard time with true grit. Its a cool ability that got screwed in 4th. I would realy love to be able to charge with it and fire, but alas that will not happen. I currently have my two plague marine squads with pistols, but I may change this. I am thinking that the shooting at 12" and let the opponent charge, staying in cover when possible, might be a decent way to do it. The extra toughness would help that initial blows and from my limited experience, nurgle can stick it in hth decently with other marines.

Just a few thoughts to keep the ball rolling

That was kind of my thought - use the meltas (or Possessed with all those Rending hits) to take down big stuff, and use the daemons to tie stuff up in hand to hand until help can arrive.  They might not be the best at taking things out, but they should stick around long enough for your other units to get stuck in and then they're just adding numbers to the pile.

The Lord + Chosen and Possessed units are the real winners in the list - get either one into your opponent's d-zone and it'll get ugly; get them both in and you should be doing fine.

Of course, that's relying on at least 2 out of the 5 Rhinos making it across the board in one piece.  Not the best thing to bet on these days...

Still, with all those Rot rolls going on it'd be a fun list to play around with.

KW

Yeah those rot rolls would really do a lot for you. I think that would be a fun list to play around with. Definitely something different. I like your thought process with the lord. God imagine the pain against orcs or tyranids... so many rolls.

Here is the good stuff for DG:

- HEAVY SUPPORT -
Defiler w. indirect fire
Predator w. lascannon loadout
Havocs... 6xHavocs w. 4xPlasma & champion w. plasma pistol & Tank Hunter

- TROOPS -
Plague Bearers... I like to take two squads of seven and one of fourteen. A lot of players don't like PB coz they don't have rending or power weapons... but they are T5, have the Rot and Venom. The trick is to summons them in close so they can charge the same turn. They can really tie up enemy units.

Plague Marines w. Infiltrate
6xPM w. 2xMelta or 2xPlasma + frag grenades
Champion w. powerfist, bolter + The Rot

I use nurglings to form a protective ring around the defiler... to me that is about all they are good for.

- ELITES -
Terminators w. 2xReaper & Tank Hunter... those autocannons are a great way to get some heavy weapons into yer army.

Possessed... I run them with no additional gift. They are S5/T5/5+ INV Sv... they rock. Champion w. powerfist and bolt pistol

- HQ -
Lord w. Manreaper, TDA, and terminator retinue... give the infiltrating PM squads teleport homers and have a ball! If only the termies have icons then you can deamonbomb off of them. It works like a charm.