Switch Theme:

Best Plague Drone loadout?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






So I really want to get a squad of Plague Drones, not only because they look cool as hell, but also because I've heard they're pretty good. What's the best loadout to give them? Also, they are "jet pack cavalry", so how the heck does that change their rules? I assume they get Hammer of Wrath, fleet, 12" jump, and just take DT tests? Can they do the Eldar/Tau Assault shenanigans?

~1.5k
Successful Trades: Ashrog (1), Iron35 (1), Rathryan (3), Leth (1), Eshm (1), Zeke48 (1), Gorkamorka12345 (1),
Melevolence (2), Ascalam (1), Swanny318, (1) ScootyPuffJunior, (1) LValx (1), Jim Solo (1), xSoulgrinderx (1), Reese (1), Pretre (1) 
   
Made in us
Angelic Adepta Sororitas




Los Angeles, CA

Yes they're pretty good and yes as every other jetpack unit they can move 2d6 if they dont charge in the assault phase.
All in all they're freaking fast.

My favorite loadout is to give them the Venom Sting as well as a sarge with a Greater Reward that I swap for the master crafted blade +1S AP2 (or the balesword if its really worth it).
That way they're a threat to everything with wounds and they even got a small chance of winning against a GC (but mos tlikely they will be 6'd by stomps before being able to kill the GC).
   
Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






Connecticut

I would guess they get the benefits of both jet pack units and cavalry units.
This would give them
- 12" Move
- Not slowed by difficult terrain
- Treat difficult terrain as dangerous terrain
- Fall back 3d6"
- Fleet
- Hammer of Wrath
- Can ignore intervening models/terrain when moving
- Can end move on impassible terrain (and it's dangerous)
- Can move 2d6" in assault phase
- Bulky
- Deep Strike (they already have this)
- Relentless


 RabbitMaster wrote:
My favorite loadout is to give them the Venom Sting as well as a sarge with a Greater Reward that I swap for the master crafted blade +1S AP2 (or the balesword if its really worth it).
That way they're a threat to everything with wounds and they even got a small chance of winning against a GC (but mos tlikely they will be 6'd by stomps before being able to kill the GC).
In the rotswarm formation, being able to wound on 3's is pretty keen. This is due to the volume of attacks they can get from the formation bonus - an extra 3 attack per model, or 7 attacks per model on the charge. Otherwise the ID stinger is really good.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/04/06 20:39:10


 
   
Made in us
Tunneling Trygon





NJ

labmouse is correct about their special rules. I tend to give them the ability to pile on the wounds. You can give the champion a greater reward for some AP 2 goodness (the plague drone champion) and you should of course always have a nurgle herald or two in there, so he also should have a greater reward for added AP 2. If you feel that AP 2 is less necessary, the greater reward(s) can instead be swapped for a balesword. Instant death is nice.

Rolling on the actual tables isn't done very much in practice, as the gifts are not bad but nurgle synergizes well with the squad (and it's not like any individual model is lacking in durability, which is primarily what you get out of that table). Just buff them up with endurance or the 6 power from the nurgle tree and profit. Grim them if they have ignores cover. Profit more
   
Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






Does anyone give them the 12" shooty attack? It seems fun, but situational

~1.5k
Successful Trades: Ashrog (1), Iron35 (1), Rathryan (3), Leth (1), Eshm (1), Zeke48 (1), Gorkamorka12345 (1),
Melevolence (2), Ascalam (1), Swanny318, (1) ScootyPuffJunior, (1) LValx (1), Jim Solo (1), xSoulgrinderx (1), Reese (1), Pretre (1) 
   
Made in us
Nurgle Chosen Marine on a Palanquin






 jreilly89 wrote:
Does anyone give them the 12" shooty attack? It seems fun, but situational


Nah, they are BS3 and it is poison 4, so you will cause 1/4 wounds statistically. I generally just toss a defensive grenade and hope they become blind. My general loadout is the +3 poison and character with ap2. The poison applies to the ap2 weapon, if you don't take the poison upgrade, the ap2 weapon isn't poison, and is just S4. With poison, it becomes a huge threat to stuff like riptides.

   
Made in us
Repentia Mistress





The most competitive loadout you'll see is around 6-7 drones barebones with two heralds.

It depends on your list but most people take them as psykers.
Both should have greater reward for the greater etherblade.
One should have the fecundity locus for FnP.

The heralds statlines are excellent so it's worth paying extra for them instead of just giving a drone an g.etherblade.

Gives you a super mobile unit that can attack anything in the game and can take a lot of punishment. Prescience is also really good on them as it's their only real lackluster trait.

Keep in mind the unit as a whole thrusts 2d6 in the assault phase, including the infantry heralds.

hey what time is it?

"Try looking on page 12 of the FAQ."

-Ghaz 
   
Made in us
Storm Trooper with Maglight





Buffalo, NY

 Aijec wrote:

Keep in mind the unit as a whole thrusts 2d6 in the assault phase, including the infantry heralds.


You'll see quite a bit of debate on this point, not everyone agrees that the heralds can make the jump move. In fact, some people will argue that the unit can't jump at all if the heralds are there... I tend to play the middle ground and just conga line the drones with the heralds starting out front and then catching up when I get to combat.
   
Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






Connecticut

 Aijec wrote:
Keep in mind the unit as a whole thrusts 2d6 in the assault phase, including the infantry heralds.
Edit :
Yes, I see there is a looooong thread on YMDC on this.

This is the ITC ruling.
"Models equipped with a Jet Pack may make a Thrust Move in the Assault phase even if some models in the unit are not equipped with jet packs. "

However, it does not indicate that the heralds would be able to benefit form the jet packs.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/04/08 18:14:43


 
   
Made in gb
Water-Caste Negotiator




How do the heralds keep up in the movement phase though? Does the whole unit just move 6", or do you just daisy chain back to the slow moving heralds? Even with the jet moves, if they did have them, they'd still be slowing the unit down.
   
Made in us
Auspicious Daemonic Herald





Asura Varuna wrote:
How do the heralds keep up in the movement phase though? Does the whole unit just move 6", or do you just daisy chain back to the slow moving heralds? Even with the jet moves, if they did have them, they'd still be slowing the unit down.

You conga line the unit which strechs very far with the 9 huge bases from the drones and then charge something which gives the heralds the 2d6" charge move and two 3" pile in moves each player turn they're in combat.
   
Made in us
Tunneling Trygon





NJ

 CrownAxe wrote:
Asura Varuna wrote:
How do the heralds keep up in the movement phase though? Does the whole unit just move 6", or do you just daisy chain back to the slow moving heralds? Even with the jet moves, if they did have them, they'd still be slowing the unit down.

You conga line the unit which strechs very far with the 9 huge bases from the drones and then charge something which gives the heralds the 2d6" charge move and two 3" pile in moves each player turn they're in combat.


Exactly this. They won't prevent the drones from reaching combat on turn 2, or likely turn 3 in hammer and anvil. And once they do get that extra movement from the charge, they just keep piling in, and then consolidate....it helps a lot. The drones basically slingshot them forward.
   
Made in gb
Battleship Captain




Heralds-without-jetpack debates aside, they have two primary uses - they're a pretty decent melee unit able to provide a good shock impact. The Venom Sting making one attack Instant Death makes a champion actually quite scary if he's also got a magic weapon (the Rot Proboscis is a better weapon for other situations)


They also are a fast way to carry an icon with daemon of nurgle up-field. One move phase plus a decent run move puts an icon most of the way across no-man's land; important for when plaguebearer units and great unclean ones drop out of reserve in turn 2 (hopefully!).

Nurglings are cheap and shrouded and work well just infiltrating onto midfield and backfield objectives and farming them for tactical objective cards, but a great unclean one cannot afford to walk across the board....he's so damn tough he has a decent chance of making it, but at 6" move per turn and no run move it'll take all game.


Termagants expended for the Hive Mind: ~2835
 
   
Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






Connecticut

locarno24 wrote:
They also are a fast way to carry an icon with daemon of nurgle up-field. One move phase plus a decent run move puts an icon most of the way across no-man's land; important for when plaguebearer units and great unclean ones drop out of reserve in turn 2 (hopefully!).
That's a really good idea if you wanted to run a thematic nurgle list. Deep strike in a bunch of plaguebearers and use them to soak up the overwatch.
   
 
Forum Index » 40K General Discussion
Go to: