Hello everyone!
Part of the Review Challenge is to Review all of the Data sheets and Detachment Rules of the World Eaters, Thousands Sons and Death Guard. I have now completed all of the Datasheets but now I need to do the Detachment rules. I've done one for World Eaters and now it is time for 1x of the Death Guard Detachments.
A New Season of Reviews - A Challenge accepted!
The nefarious trio of World Eaters, Death Guard and Thousand Sons are set to get their new Codexes next. Actually, the great FOUR are each getting their favourite Legion's new Codexes but Emperor's Children did not have an actual Index before.
Anyway. I was speaking to my friend @nicolaasmuller about how my Review posts might not make a lot of money for me, but that cumulatively and on average some of them do good and overall there is an average that at least means that there is good movement of income into the Hobby Fund and that it would grow from there.
We were throwing around some numbers and looking at the average of my last 10 Review Posts, 20 Review posts and 30 Review Posts and we could come up with a range of how much I should theoretically be making across a large sample size of completing the remainder of the reviews for the nefarious trio mentioned above.
So Nicolaas says to me something along the lines of: That would be pretty cool if you could do it in like, a month. Maybe do like 2 a day.
Alteration So @nicolaasmuller and I worked out that firstly - due to family obligations, I had missed out on some days not being able to blog at all and having no laptop with me and more on the way... and the fact that he had said 2x posts a day from the start would have made it a 40 day challenge. I shall adjust that number below going forward...
So I explained it would be a little bit more than that but sure... it would be cool... is that a challenge? And yeah... here I am... Challenge accepted. 😎
It is now Day 37 of the Challenge.
Totals so far: 70/70 Datasheets done, 3/3 Army Rules done, 2/6 Detachment Rules done. Total 75/79.
Time elapsed: 92.5%
Progress completed: 94.93%
Army Rule Recap
Death Guard Index Army Rule - Nurgle's Gift gives you an ever expanding bubble of Contagion around your models.
When enemy units are within Contagion range, they are -1 to Toughness. There are also some other rules from specific units that switch on when the target it within Contagion Zone.
Now, this is your Army, and you can select the Plague Company Detachment. Let's see what this does!
Detachment Rule - Spread the Sickness
At the Declare Battle Formations step, select one of 3 Sicknesses. Until the end of the battle, all units that spread Contagion for -1T also give an additional effect.
The Sickness options are:
Skullsquirm Blight
Worsen the Ballistic Skill and Weapon Skill of weapons wielded by enemy units by 1.
Rattlejoint Ague
Worsen armor Saves of enemy units by 1.
Scabrous Soulrot
Worsen Leadership and Objective Control by 1.
Additionally, this whole Detachment, Death Guard units get 'sticky objectives' and objectives that are yours give Contagion around them as well!
Thoughts
Having Sticky Objectives (Stinky Objectives in this army) for the whole army is huge, but also makes sense when 80% of the army is extremely slow.
Additionally the different Sicknesses are great, it gives you a tactical advantage in that you choose at the start of the battle, what ability to have for that game.
To be honest Rattlejoing Ague is going to be the number 1 pick while Skullsquirm Blight will usually be a second point.
Your army has Sticky objectives. So using Rattjoint to kill enemies and keep objectives under your control seems a prudent move rather than reducing Ld and OC.
Enhancements
Every Detachment has their own Enhancements to put on Characters. You cannot put 2 Enhancements on 1 hero, Epic Heros cannot take theim either and you are limited to 3 of the 4.
Here are the Enhancements for the Berzerker Warband:
Living Plague - 20pts
Death Guard models only. Add 3" to the Bearer's Aura Abilities, including Nurgle's gift.
This gives you 6", 9" and 12" Nurgle's gift around this model. But there are some other units that can get a benefit of an Aura range buff!
The Droning (Aura) - 10pts
Death Guard model only. While enemy units within Contagion Range of this model fails a Battle-Shock test they roll a D6. On a 2-5 the unit suffers 1 Mortal Wound, on a 6 that unit takes D3 Mortal Wound.
Great for chip damage. Might be better with Scabrous Soulrot and Plagueburst Crawlers
Deadly Pathogen - 15pts
Add +1 Attack and +1 Strength to melee weapons this Character has, when this model is within range of an Infected Objective Marker that you control, then add +2A and +2S instead!
Enhancement for a Daemon Prince or a Lord of Contagion maybe? Ouch!
Shamblerot - 25pts
When the bearer's unit is selected as the target of a Charge, subtracts 2 from the Charge Rolls made by that enemy unit.
Great for a shooting unit holding an objective and possible causing failed charges.
Stratagems
Stratagems are used in the battle as an elective rule that can be employed in crucial moments. All armies have access to Universal Stratagems but each Detachment has their very own Stratagems that they can use.
This is what the Plague Company can do
Ferric Blight - 1CP
Used in the Shooting or Fight phase on a Death Guard unit that is about to strike.
Add +1 to the AP of their weapon attacks.
If the target of the attack is within the Contagion range of an Infected Objective Marker, then on a roll of 6 to Wound, the AP of the attack goes +2 instead!
If the target is heavily armoured, even without Rattlejoint Aura its is good, but with Rattlejoint it is even better as long as the target does not have an Invul save!
Sanguous Flux - 1CP
Used in the Fight Phase on a Death Guard unit about to make an attack.
Give the unit Sustained Hits 1 (Rolls of 6 to Hit get an additional Hit!)
If the unit is within range of an Infected Objective Marker, then give them Sustained Hits 2 instead. (So +2 Hits on a roll of 6 to Hit)
Disgustingly Resilient - 2CP
Used in the Fight Phase right after the enemy selects your unit as the target of its attacks.
Until the end of the Phase, attacks that hit models in this unit are done at a -1 to Damage Characteristic of the attack (to a minimum of 1)
This is amazing when coming across units with Damage 2 weapons trying to Kill Plague Marines, brining them down to 1 Damage each.
Same for Damage 3 trying to kill Terminators down to 2 Damage each.
Gifts of Decay - 1CP
Used in the Command Phase.
The model regains D3 Wounds. If the unit is within range of an Infected Objective Marker, the regain 3 wounds instead.
Great for big things like a Daemon Prince but also for Vehicles parking on an objective. Great way to keep Defilers and Plagueburst Crawlers alive.
Boilblight - 1CP
Used in your Shooting Phase on a Death Guard unit and a enemy within Contagion.
The weapons from that Death Guard unit gain Heavy and Ignores Cover. This means if you stand still +1 to Hit and then Ignores Cover so the target cannot reduce your armour penetration.
Usually really useful against units with no Invul saves.
Cloud of Flies - 1CP
Used in your Opponent's Shooting Phase on a Death Guard unit that was just selected as a target.
Until the end of the phase, that unit has Stealth (A -1 to Hit them with shooting attacks)
Conclusion
Contagion + Sicknesses are strong.
Sticky Objectives are also great. With all the stratagems it looks like Plague Companies really can keep the Objectives that they wish to claim!
A powerful Detachment, I have played them many times.
Thank you for reading this post!
Warhammer Review Library
You can find all my previous links on this post: Warhammer 40k Links Container Post! 13/02/2025
I shall leave Army and Detachment rules here as well as World Eaters, Death Guard and Thousand Sons!
Army Rule and Detachment Rule Reviews
| Faction | Detachment | Review Number |
|---|---|---|
| Agents of the Imperium | Army Rule #2 | |
| Aeldari | Army Rule #4 | |
| Astra Militarum | Army Rule #1 | |
| Astra Militarum | Combined Regiment | Detachment Rule #1 |
| Astra Militarum | Bridgehead Strike | Detachment Rule #2 |
| Death Guard | Army Rule Review #6 | |
| Space Marines | Army Rule #3 | |
| Thousand Sons | Army Rule #7 | |
| World Eaters | Army Rule #5 | |
| World Eaters | Berzerker Warband | Detachment Review #3 |
Datasheet Review list (Alphabetical)
Thank you for reading!
** Images in this post are from the Warhammer app, or Warhammer.com or otherwise referenced.
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Cheers!
@zakludick
