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Hello
So I am on the verge of buying 2 more Defilers that add to my 1. Are they worth using and what are the pros and cons of them because I've heard mixed reviews

Thanks

Good looking models.

I know that because mine just sits on my shelf


They have a serious case of split-personality. They want to be in close combat, and they want to be shooting ordinance, and they want to be shooting other guns too that they can't when they shoot ordinance. And they have fleet so if they shoot nothing they can run better.

BUT, they have 4 Hull Points and a 5+ Inv. save, which is pretty darn useful, but not worth 50 points less than a Land Raider.

I applaud you for coolness! Running 3 Defilers, nice.

I have one which I use now and then. As long as you have many other vehicles the opponent can shoot, Defilers can be fun. I used to play backfield with mine, but that is just an overpriced Battlecannon. I think it is better to have him walk down midfield, blasting and charging as much as he can, and suck up some fire from you Maulers (or whatever you choose to field for target saturation).

Also, Fleet is worth ALOT fopr any unit who wants to not fail charges. Reroll on charge distance is IMO the most important USR around concerning assault units. And Defilers want to be in assault, as much as possible.

I'd say go cheap, get Dirge Caster only (never leave home without Dirge Caster), and drop the Reaper for additional PF.

I think it'll be fun using 3 Defilers which is my plan, or at least 2. But im usually going against Armour Popping Tau.

So what do you think? should I go through with it? I mean ive never actually used the defiler that I have but I think 2-3 S8 AP3 Large Blast will be good against most troop units and even some elite units

However 2 Defilers are nearly as much as 3 Vindicators and S10 AP 2 Large blast is a thing of beauty if you can get close

I'd say go for 3, since it is too cool not to! Get a sorc or 2, rolling Telepathy. Lots of good spells there against Tau. And if you get SHrouded and Invisibility on the Defilers, they get the support they need.

Also Divination from running CS supplement or Tzeenth Herald, so you can get better Invul saves (maybe even Grim of True Names for 3++), and reroll to-hit.

Though against Tau I find Noise MArines can be nice, as they can kill off Pathfinders and other Marker light units fast and easy.

3 Defilers (Daemons locked in a shell) with a Lv3 Psyker Daemon Prince is what I plan on doing.

I have never used one, but they look absolutely pants on paper for their points. If you didn't have to have a battle cannon and the cost came down by 40pts, I'd take one or two with 4 powerclaws. But at the price they are, a battle cannon shot OR firing your other weapons OR taking advantage of fleet to get closer to the opponent, well you are paying for all three (heavily) but only getting to use 1 at any given time. Usually things are greater than the sum of their parts, the defiler is weaker than the sum of its parts.

195 Points for a S8 Ap3 Ordinance blast is pretty terrible I know, I'd much prefer the cannon be an option not a stock item, maybe something like a Baleflamer or Demolisher Cannon would be something I'd pay 195 point for but hopefully they get a point decrease in the next update and we get to see more Defilers on the table and in people lists because they are one of the nicest models GWS do

I agree, and there are many better choices in the HS slot for CSM. But they are playable, especially if you play with friends, and not in a campaign. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by buddies in a 3 year long ongoing campaign, in which tournament lists are frowned upon. And exra points goes to fun lists.

In a good run, I have had a Defiler who battle cannoned things to pieces, to charge and kill stuff next turn in assult. Those times makes all the instant kills by melta/haywire worth it.

me and my buddies and my brother do 2500 Point battles on my 8x6 Table so its incredible fun

Nice man! That sounds like the perfect playground for 3 belligerent Defilers then!

I think I have to get 2 more Defilers now haha.

An absolute waste of points. But you could make a pseudo Brass Scorpion out of a Defiler and some bits. That's a cool looking beast and even more of a waste of points.

Wishing the Defiler gets an update is a pipe dream. The Battle Cannon will still be Ordnance, they likely aren't going to suddenly decide to change a decade old kit to give it options and they won't offer rules for a model they don't make. Best you can ask for is a points drop and I would STILL rather have Maulerfiends or Obliterators than a weird CCW Dreadnought with bad guns.

I might pick one up for my shelf too, but I can promise that it will never touch the table. CSM is bad enough without purposefully taking inadequate units. I can only take fluff bunny so far...

Well they have worked for me in many friendly games, so I'd say go for it. Though if you take them to a tournament they wont last long I guess.

As we have stated earlier on here in this thread, the Defilers are not the best, not even close. But they are playable.

I wouldnt field them if I did a tournament, I'd use Heldrakes and Nurgle instead but for the giggles, theres nothing funnier than 3 Defilers running towards you blasting things to bits along the way even if its 600+ points

They are sooo painfully worse than soulgrinders it's not even funny. -1 on front-rear armors, no marks, no anti-air AND 60 pts more expensive(30 if the grinder takes a cannon). All to gain range on said cannon. And to imagine that soulgrinders are battle bros so you can simply play them instead. GW knows this and they don't even care. In the Khorne deamonkin codex they actually went shameless enough to add their profiles one next to the other so if you open the book you can compare them straight. And GW wasn't even ashamed that people would actually notice this.

IF it could take Nurgle (like the demon nurgle) and IF it had a front armor of 13 then it would still be worse than a soulgrinder, but at least I could consider it on an all mortals army.

We know this mate, we know.

But inside every CSM player a wee leprechaun of masochism resides. And every now andthen, he wants to bring his 3 Defilers out to play.

Give them super heavy walker rules an AV13 front then they are worth it.

Yeh! Defilers with stomp!

Poly Ranger wrote:
Yeh! Defilers with stomp!

Nay, Defilers with the Brass Scorpion Stomp!

Haha then I would definitely buy one!

I have one. Have my used it since 5th edition.

It makes a good Soul Grinder though, same size and same weapon load out.

I've converted 2defilers and 2 soul grinders and I full on intend to make one more of each. I love them, especially the defilers. I use the torrent flamer on the grinders and all ccw on the defilers. Remember, additional weapons past 2 still add extra attacks for walkers, so that's 3 power fists and a power scourge. The scourge can actually really help with the defilers poor WS, and 7 str 10 attacks on the charge can be epic. Take two, some decent LOS blocking terrain and call me in the morning. Oh, and the daemonkin versions can get rage/+1 attack as well.
60% of the time, they work every time.

combine 2 defiler to make brass scorpion.

Defiler are not bad by any means I run mine with a extra fist and a scourge

 Yarium wrote:

They have a serious case of split-personality. They want to be in close combat, and they want to be shooting ordinance, and they want to be shooting other guns too that they can't when they shoot ordinance. And they have fleet so if they shoot nothing they can run better.

This is a good summary. There's no unit in the game with more rules in direct exclusion with each other.

Granted they are abit wobbly for their points, and to me the ordnance blast is not that good, but the reaper autocannon and and a power scourge, have them fleet until they are close enough to wreck shop in all facilities, shoot to pieces the troops, power fist the heavy armour and scourge the rest