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Based on fluff and some early previews, it seems like the Lord of Virulence was meant to be the Death Guard's answer to the Lord Discordant, but this turned out not to be the case. If in fact the rules were changed during production, why do you think this happened? Personally, I think that such a change was a massive mistake as the current rules make the LoV somewhat generic and underwhelming, and making him a truly unique unit might have made him stand out more and thus possibly have better sales.

I am of two minds on this -

Theory 1. They weren't. This is what he was always supposed to be and WarComm just got it wrong. It wouldn't be the first time they made such a mistake. GW being as compartmentalized as they appear to be, it would be easy for someone on the web team to completely misunderstand something via the telephone game of data relay that likely exists there.

Theory 2. GW has a history of releasing models that are supposed to be, for example, CC beat sticks, but can't do F-all because GW also handicapped them in some stupid way (see 6th ed Mutilators with Slow and Purposeful). For whatever reason, they don't appear to see the irony of saying "This guy is made to buff DG's fastest units. The Demon ENgines! He moves half as fast, can't advance, etc etc. When he was previewed there was a massive out-pouring of salt at how silly it was to suggest a unit that moves 4-5" at best before advance rolls, was going to be used to buff units that move 8-10"+ BEFORE advance rolls. One of which also has "fly". Like ... a lot. So much salt. So my second (much less likely) theory is, GW saw all that and said "You know what? They're right. He is kind of a dumb concept ..." and changed him.

That said, he still kind of sucks, but at least he's slightly less dumb of an over-all concept imo.

Tycho wrote:
I am of two minds on this -

Theory 1. They weren't. This is what he was always supposed to be and WarComm just got it wrong. It wouldn't be the first time they made such a mistake. GW being as compartmentalized as they appear to be, it would be easy for someone on the web team to completely misunderstand something via the telephone game of data relay that likely exists there.

His lore on both the website & in the codex explicitly mentions things that didn't make it into the ruleset, e.g.

In their wake, their flensefrond cloaks leave a trail of sickening mucosal slime for hungry Daemon Engines to follow.

I think it's a reasonably safe assumption that the rules we received weren't what they originally envisaged.

No idea why. It is a pity that he & the LoC don't have more to differentiate the pair of them though

He was probably a +1 to advance and charge with the whole slimetrail thing.

 Marshal Loss wrote:

Tycho wrote:
I am of two minds on this -

Theory 1. They weren't. This is what he was always supposed to be and WarComm just got it wrong. It wouldn't be the first time they made such a mistake. GW being as compartmentalized as they appear to be, it would be easy for someone on the web team to completely misunderstand something via the telephone game of data relay that likely exists there.

His lore on both the website & in the codex explicitly mentions things that didn't make it into the ruleset, e.g.

In their wake, their flensefrond cloaks leave a trail of sickening mucosal slime for hungry Daemon Engines to follow.

I think it's a reasonably safe assumption that the rules we received weren't what they originally envisaged.

No idea why. It is a pity that he & the LoC don't have more to differentiate the pair of them though

Also in the Vemonmariners fluff entry-

...They advance alongside numerous Lords of Virulence who direct hails of pinpoint accurate plagueburst mortar fire onto enemy emplacements on the move , ensuring their advance is never slowed...

Except he does nothing of the sort in the rules...

It's a weird case, because Brian over at TTT mentioned during the stream that the LoV didn't do anything for Daemon engines at all, and he was involved with playtesting.

I'm guessing a very early draft had him do it, but it was changed before it even got to the non-gw playtesters.

Everyones already bought daemon engines...

I think it's a reasonably safe assumption that the rules we received weren't what they originally envisaged.

I wonder if this is the first instance of the model first, rules second strategy failed once it hit the new codex design process.

Everyones already bought daemon engines...

Right. Which would have been a potential reason to buy him - because he buffs some units we already have. Now that he doesn't, I see him taking up a lot of warehouse space for a long time. I don't they'll sell many with the current rules.

Tycho wrote:
Right. Which would have been a potential reason to buy him - because he buffs some units we already have. Now that he doesn't, I see him taking up a lot of warehouse space for a long time. I don't they'll sell many with the current rules.

I just hope GW doesn't see that as a sign that DG players hate new units and use it as a reason to give them fewer updates. For as much of a jerk as I can come across as I do want to see every faction get tons of fun options to use.

 Daedalus81 wrote:

I think it's a reasonably safe assumption that the rules we received weren't what they originally envisaged.

I wonder if this is the first instance of the model first, rules second strategy failed once it hit the new codex design process.

Could be, and to be honest I do applaud them if that's why they changed it.

It's just a bummer that it became a really uninspired and minor shooting buff.

 Canadian 5th wrote:

Tycho wrote:
Right. Which would have been a potential reason to buy him - because he buffs some units we already have. Now that he doesn't, I see him taking up a lot of warehouse space for a long time. I don't they'll sell many with the current rules.

I just hope GW doesn't see that as a sign that DG players hate new units and use it as a reason to give them fewer updates. For as much of a jerk as I can come across as I do want to see every faction get tons of fun options to use.

I wouldn't worry too much. DG are still enormously popular & the LoV is going to sell well just because there are no real alternatives - both LoC sculpts are OOP, etc

Honestly, he really just plays like a LoC with a different weapon option. If not for the annoying "Lords of the Death Guard"-rule he would have made a decent second HQ.

 Canadian 5th wrote:

Tycho wrote:
Right. Which would have been a potential reason to buy him - because he buffs some units we already have. Now that he doesn't, I see him taking up a lot of warehouse space for a long time. I don't they'll sell many with the current rules.

I just hope GW doesn't see that as a sign that DG players hate new units and use it as a reason to give them fewer updates. For as much of a jerk as I can come across as I do want to see every faction get tons of fun options to use.

Shhhhh! Don't you know the rules!? We don't say things like that because it gives "them" ideas!

TBH - you have a point. Silly as it may seem to some, we've seen in the past where a line wasn't selling well due to general neglect and GW mistook that for "lack of interest". Hopefully , when he does sell poorly, they look at it and say "Yeah, wasn't the best model we've put out lately, and his rules weren't great".

I wouldn't worry too much. DG are still enormously popular & the LoV is going to sell well just because there are no real alternatives - both LoC sculpts are OOP, etc

The LoC is better made from Death Shroud or a spare Typhus if anyone wanted one and couldn't get him (although he's not great either). You could probably also kitbash a much better LoV from the termi kits, or just use a BL as a "counts-as", so I wouldn't count him selling for those reasons.

Although if someone did like the model (it seems rather polarizing), he could potentially make a decent DG Terminator Lord I suppose.