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I really like the concept of these guys but they seem pretty bad in any situation other then guarding a large expensive monster aka Mortarion. I don't run special characters but I really do want Deathshrouds. So they are a bodyguard unit obviously, but they pay a lot of points for their offensive capabilities which seems counter productive. They also pay a lot of points for their guarding special rule which also makes them overcosted in any situation were they would utilize their offensiveness.

I was thinking maybe just to heck with it and run 4 of them together with a lord of contagion in a land raider but that would become hugely expensive and not utilize all their rules.

I'm not a Death guard player (though I like their number and their rules, tbh I hate the aesthetic/look). In regards to the deathshroud, they could be deepstriked in to where ever your Hq moves to, to bubble wrap them. Example: First turn, if you have Morty moves up 12" (If have a separate detachment, with say Belakor and cheap others to warp time, may be closer), the termies DS near him and possible first turn charge (If no warp time, just -1 to hit on morty and they can be a buffer). If don't have it (Morty takes a gak tone of damage but maybe survive and have them DS in to mitigrate latter...).

In any game/army over 2k points you have the leeway to take some fun fluffy units so do it. Under that its usually cut the fat so is personal preference.

Yeah so they are basically useless without Mortarion? It feels like they should have been an upgrade to Mortarion like Tyrant guard used to be.

FudgeDumper wrote:
Yeah so they are basically useless without Mortarion? It feels like they should have been an upgrade to Mortarion like Tyrant guard used to be.

Another more experienced DG player can answer that. However, they do seem rather expensive for what they can do and yes Morty seems like the only viable target etc, though just book looking, I'm sure others will have some better advice/better tactics for them.

I don't like the models but I'm sure a lot of DG players do so I hope they are of value (find their niche)

Good luck.

Outside of adding wounds to Mortarian they have no value. They're massively overcosted for any other role.

Also...isn't that the point of the actual Deathshroud anyway? Guard Mortarion?

 Elbows wrote:
Also...isn't that the point of the actual Deathshroud anyway? Guard Mortarion?

The problem is they slow his movement to a crawl. Being one of the fastest units in the book being bogged down to 4" on what is already a bullet magnet isn't great. Not to mention you're doubling the points to bring them both.

They're just far too kiteable with any opponent who knows what he's doing. For their cost they're outclassed by Blightlords in every way.

I think the general strat is to hold them back until Mortarion jets his butt up the board then warp them in beside him. If your opponent has snipers, they'd be a (costly) way to buff up someone like Typhus as he walks around.

 Elbows wrote:
Also...isn't that the point of the actual Deathshroud anyway? Guard Mortarion?

Exactly, so why do they take up an entire force org slot? They should have been an upgrade on Mortarions profile like old tyrant guard. And they shouldn't have wasted an entire kit on them. Instead just include some manreapers in the blightlord box and now you have an entire kit to dedicate to something truly needed ::cough:: chaos lord, sorcerer ::cough::

In a normal game ill probably only run one squad to go with my warlord. In a more elite game, ill probably run 2 squads with some Lords of Contagion or what not to deep strike in with some Blight Lords

I don't think they are good, even with Mortarion. Why am I going to pay 225 points to add a few wounds to Mortarion? I would be better off bringing additional threats and protect Mortarion better by having more high priority targets.

Imho I think people are too focussed on using them solely as a defensive component. I think people should be aggressive with them.

Throw in some deep striking characters for aura buffs and charge them in. If you don't make the charge turn 1 you're pretty likely to survive a turn of shooting. And if the enemy charges you then problem solved your in combat

 Elbows wrote:
Also...isn't that the point of the actual Deathshroud anyway? Guard Mortarion?

They're also his emissaries on the battlefield, sent to observe/guard other characters

 Kharne the Befriender wrote:
Imho I think people are too focussed on using them solely as a defensive component. I think people should be aggressive with them.

Throw in some deep striking characters for aura buffs and charge them in. If you don't make the charge turn 1 you're pretty likely to survive a turn of shooting. And if the enemy charges you then problem solved your in combat

They are impractically costed to be offensively used. Their only ranged weapons are some 6 inch hand flamers, so if they don't get the charge on the turn they drop down they are in serious danger of being kited for the rest of the game - or simply put in a position where they don't get to choose the combat they want - being a unit with 4 inch movement that halves advance rolls. Compare that to Blightlords, who are just as resilient for far cheaper, and are armed with a selection of lethal ranged weapons that allow them to be a real threat at 18 inches with combi-weapons. I don't think giving a handful of characters +1 attack each is worth their inclusion on that basis.

If I used them, I'd deep strike them down near Mortarion just as he is about to hit enemy lines. With some other fast moving threats they might have a better chance of getting into combat. Were they were 3 wounds each, or a bit cheaper, they might be worth a closer look. Hopefully their points are adjusted slightly later this year.

Models are stunning though so I shouldn't complaint too much, given I've bought some anyway.

I think they would be worth their points if they had an extra wound or two and no additional changes. They move slowly and their only effective weapon is melee so at 3-4 wounds and 75 points they'd still be decently expensive

They are supposed to have 3 wounds, if you take that GW makes all termies with 2 wounds, 3 wounds, then the Deathshroud, having 2 wounds in HH, should have had 3.

I see them as a way to give Morty a kind of defensive bunker / landing pad. You move Morty up and into the open he is going to get shot. It's a garuntee. But if you drop these guys in around him then suddenly you are giving Morty a decent chance to survive the incoming fire power. After that they either become an objective holder (move them towards the nearest one at full speed) or get a sorcerer up there from a chaos detachment and warp time them to keep them moving.

Are there more effective ways to use them? Maybe, but I could not tell you what it would be. But I don't see how without the backup from normal chaos.

You could toss them in a land raider alongside a terminator lord or other HQ. As a three man squad they don't have the issue five man units do.

You can also deepstrike them near morty for some extra defense, as many mentioned.

Honestly though? Display piece.

If I'm playing with Mortarion, they will Teleport near him end of turn 1 and soak up any lascannons that comes his way, then survivors can follow him into combat.

As every other character is protected from fire when near units, they aren't really needed for lesser characters for defence, but offensively they can really dish out the damage. Being S8 they will be wounding most infantry on 2's rerolling 1's and any vehicle on a 3 (sometimes 4) again rerolling 1's they are actually quite good.

Also the hand flamers are pistols, so before they swing that's 4D6 auto hits even in combat (yeah ok only S3, but still a few extra wounds are handy) - with rerolls of a 1 (or all to wound if a Arch Contaminator is nearby.)

The point wasn't that the flamers are necessarily bad, it's that they are short-ranged, which adds to their woes. They need a lot of help making it into combat and with no reasonably ranged weaponry to speak of, you're left hoping for a good charge roll. If that fails...they're just incredibly expensive extra wounds for Mortarion. In games where he is in real danger and you don't have the first turn, they're going to have to deploy on the board at the beginning which just means they'll be useless for the rest of the game.

They are definitely monsters in close combat though, once (if) they get there.