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.

I've been trying to wrap my head around venomcrawlers lately. They suffer from (or enjoy?) the same schizophrenic playstyle as a lot of our other units, in that they seem to want to shoot things AND charge things, and seem dependant on some buffer units that don't have access to jump packs or bikes needed to keep up with 'em. So basically I want to figure out a way I can use these awesome spiderbots. I have a few ideas:

1) Move them slowly, 6-8 inches a turn. This way I can keep a warpsmith, greater posessed and MoP with them. Also possibly a lord, sorcerer and Disco Lord. This is a waste of the venomcrawler's great movement speed but allows me to build a buffed, healing, rerolling death star that waddles forward shooting until it closes in.

2) Full speed ahead with some support. A Lord Disco, jump pack sorcerer and jump pack lord to keep em somewhat buffed, MAYBE a warptimed MoP or greater posessed.

3) Full on distraction. Get 2-3 Crawlers and a single Lord Disco or Jump Pack Lord, or maybe even no HQ with them at all. Keep em cheap and my expectations realistic, spending points on the rest of my army.

Do you guys think it's smart to run Venomcrawlers? How do you use them? Just to be clear my play style is North of superfriendly but south of tournament level competitive. I also prefer to keep with the mark of nurgle (I like the purge) or unmarked.

I've been trying to wrap my head around venomcrawlers lately. They suffer from (or enjoy?) the same schizophrenic playstyle as a lot of our other units, in that they seem to want to shoot things AND charge things, and seem dependant on some buffer units that don't have access to jump packs or bikes needed to keep up with 'em. So basically I want to figure out a way I can use these awesome spiderbots. I have a few ideas:

Like most old schoole daemon engines with their supposed dual role.

1) Move them slowly, 6-8 inches a turn. This way I can keep a warpsmith, greater posessed and MoP with them. Also possibly a lord, sorcerer and Disco Lord. This is a waste of the venomcrawler's great movement speed but allows me to build a buffed, healing, rerolling death star that waddles forward shooting until it closes in.

Run more then one Lord discordant.
MoP is sadly just not good enough most of the time, especially when a normal sorcerer has just the better discipline.
Further for just 6 pts more you get a Defieler that does the hybrid babysitter role just, better, i guess.

2) Full speed ahead with some support. A Lord Disco, jump pack sorcerer and jump pack lord to keep em somewhat buffed, MAYBE a warptimed MoP or greater posessed.

Again, use more then 1 lord discordant. Warp timing an MoP is also a waste of time, imo, due to the fact that you just can warp time the Venomcrawler in the enemies face as a suicide bomb.

3) Full on distraction. Get 2-3 Crawlers and a single Lord Disco or Jump Pack Lord, or maybe even no HQ with them at all. Keep em cheap and my expectations realistic, spending points on the rest of my army.

Or you use them as versatile handman in a list that has Other big stuff. (in my exemple i run 3 Lord discordants, a forgefiend, a helldrake and a venomcrawler. not including various infantry and small HQ
It does work okayish, that way, but personally the venom crawler is a Daemonengine suffering from the daemonengin curse that is found on all Daemonengines.

HOWEVER: If you are willing to look over the pond, some Daemon HQ's DO indeed buff Daemonengines quite decently for a decentish price. (not to mention you get access to nurglings PB or other such goodies) which might make it get some decent milleage out, Remember though that CSM HQ do NOT buff Daemons.

A herald of tzeentch gives them S+1, which boosts their strength to 9. The same herald, when he is a psyker, can cast flickering flames on them. A herald of slaanesh allows them to charge after advancing. The changling has a 6+ FNP bubble for tzeentch daemons.

 p5freak wrote:
A herald of tzeentch gives them S+1, which boosts their strength to 9. The same herald, when he is a psyker, can cast flickering flames on them. A herald of slaanesh allows them to charge after advancing. The changling has a 6+ FNP bubble for tzeentch daemons.

Tzeentch would be the best bet probably.

Deleted


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Not Online!!! wrote:

I've been trying to wrap my head around venomcrawlers lately. They suffer from (or enjoy?) the same schizophrenic playstyle as a lot of our other units, in that they seem to want to shoot things AND charge things, and seem dependant on some buffer units that don't have access to jump packs or bikes needed to keep up with 'em. So basically I want to figure out a way I can use these awesome spiderbots. I have a few ideas:

Like most old schoole daemon engines with their supposed dual role.

1) Move them slowly, 6-8 inches a turn. This way I can keep a warpsmith, greater posessed and MoP with them. Also possibly a lord, sorcerer and Disco Lord. This is a waste of the venomcrawler's great movement speed but allows me to build a buffed, healing, rerolling death star that waddles forward shooting until it closes in.

Run more then one Lord discordant.
MoP is sadly just not good enough most of the time, especially when a normal sorcerer has just the better discipline.
Further for just 6 pts more you get a Defieler that does the hybrid babysitter role just, better, i guess.

2) Full speed ahead with some support. A Lord Disco, jump pack sorcerer and jump pack lord to keep em somewhat buffed, MAYBE a warptimed MoP or greater posessed.

Again, use more then 1 lord discordant. Warp timing an MoP is also a waste of time, imo, due to the fact that you just can warp time the Venomcrawler in the enemies face as a suicide bomb.

3) Full on distraction. Get 2-3 Crawlers and a single Lord Disco or Jump Pack Lord, or maybe even no HQ with them at all. Keep em cheap and my expectations realistic, spending points on the rest of my army.

Or you use them as versatile handman in a list that has Other big stuff. (in my exemple i run 3 Lord discordants, a forgefiend, a helldrake and a venomcrawler. not including various infantry and small HQ
It does work okayish, that way, but personally the venom crawler is a Daemonengine suffering from the daemonengin curse that is found on all Daemonengines.

HOWEVER: If you are willing to look over the pond, some Daemon HQ's DO indeed buff Daemonengines quite decently for a decentish price. (not to mention you get access to nurglings PB or other such goodies) which might make it get some decent milleage out, Remember though that CSM HQ do NOT buff Daemons.

Greatly appreciate the feedback. You've helped me inpliment any of these three strategies. But which works best? The slow moving venomcrawler keeping in range of thewarpsmith/GP/lord/sorc/disco/demon buffs, a faster run and gun approach with some buffs or the suicide bomb VC/Disco rush.

My thoughts: a faster run and gun approach is preferable. Daemon engines tend to be a bit suboptimal without any support, but too much leads to diminishing returns. You'll want your support units to keep up, so jp Sorcerer and/or mounted heralds for strength buffs and daemonic loci (if you've got an aligned Daemon detachment).

You need to be thinking about your Daemon engines as part of a broader strategy of applying pressure across your opponent's line - they'll almost certainly draw a lot of fire away from your shootier units.
However, if you are going Purge, have you considered a Death Guard detachment with Bloat Drones? They're very well suited to the speedy aggressor role, and don't tend to need a lot of support either. Maybe you could mix and match with Venomcrawlers.

Greatly appreciate the feedback. You've helped me inpliment any of these three strategies. But which works best? The slow moving venomcrawler keeping in range of thewarpsmith/GP/lord/sorc/disco/demon buffs, a faster run and gun approach with some buffs or the suicide bomb VC/Disco rush.

Ok slow moving? nope, due to the fact that why not just pick defielers instead, tougher, more dakka.

Suicide bombing on 5+ is a bit bad, however it is a usefull addon for when you want to melee as fast as possible.

Melee as fast as possible is probably the best bet you get.
3 Lord discordants, 3 venomcrawlers, a sorcerer for Warptime, the Vigilus ablaze formation for advance and charge for a daemon engine, aswell as beeing Red Corsairs (free relic is free)
would probably be your best bet.

remember , most things aren't great in melee and those that are (e.g. Smashcaptain) will happen anyways, further having more then one discolord makes the list more redundant which is good so you can take losses.

Overall beeing RC would give you also more CP which YOU WILL NEED: Khorne lord discordant, daemonenigne strat, advance and charge strat from the special formation.

Not Online!!! wrote:

 p5freak wrote:
A herald of tzeentch gives them S+1, which boosts their strength to 9. The same herald, when he is a psyker, can cast flickering flames on them. A herald of slaanesh allows them to charge after advancing. The changling has a 6+ FNP bubble for tzeentch daemons.

Tzeentch would be the best bet probably.

Its possible to buff a venomcrawler to S9, hit on 2s, and get +1 to wound. Which is good enough to wound T8 on 2s. A fluxmaster and a sorcerer can do that.

 Drakeslayer wrote:

However, if you are going Purge, have you considered a Death Guard detachment with Bloat Drones? They're very well suited to the speedy aggressor role, and don't tend to need a lot of support either. Maybe you could mix and match with Venomcrawlers.

Venomcrawlers dont get any legion traits. Only CHARACTER, HELBRUTE, INFANTRY, BIKER get them.

@p5freak - I know that. What I was getting at was that the OP stated their preference for nurgle and for running the Purge, so thematically DG Daemon engines would fit well.

Takes multi disco lords - Takes daemonkin sorceror - takes multiple venos. Profit.

Take a slaanesh daemon detachment for that sweet sweet mass move advance charge. Yay for daemon keyword synergy