Possessed

Possessed are one of the unique units that have been part of the Chaos list since the days of Rogue Trader (though they were mysteriously omitted from the 2nd Ed codex), and can be considered one of the most fluffy defining units of a Chaos army. Warped individuals who seek power and make daemonic pacts to become twisted fusions of man and monster, what could be more glorious?

Finally there are some excellent models for the Possessed yet in the current codex the unit choice has suffered greatly (or so it seems) and is probably the unit you are least likely to see in any Chaos Marine force.

Why are they so maligned? Two reasons; firstly, the random nature of the ‘daemonkin’ rule (and the time at which you roll for it), and secondly, the lingering obsession many players have with the previous codex.

Let’s put aside the troublesome random powers for a moment and look at what the Possessed are regardless of what you roll.

Being an elites choice and priced between Plaguemarines and Terminators, you’d expect something fairly good and looking at the stat line reveals some nice little bonuses. Strength 5, a base of 2 attacks, Leadership 10 and an invulnerable save.

The best thing here is the Str 5. An increase of one may not seem like much until you realise that you’ve made significant gains against T4, increasing your ‘to wound’ chances from 50% to 66.6%, and against T3 you’re wounding on 2+!

This sets up the Possessed to be serious players in any assault, however it is when you look closer at the Possessed entry you realise some fundamental problems. The base 2 attacks are there to compensate for the lack of two close combat weapons. The Ld of 10 is moot due to Fearlessness, they have no ranged attacks to speak of, but worst of all for an assault unit they do not have access to any form of grenade!

Suddenly the amazing strength 5 seems all for nothing as the Possessed simply don’t have the basic kit to back it up. When you add in the fact that they need a Rhino to get up close and personal you can begin to see why they are so often sited as being the lame duck of the Codex, and an expensive one at that (& that’s before adding the Icon of Nurgle)!

Surely their salvation must lie in the random daemonkin abilities. It is important to note that you roll after deployment. This has been one of the biggest bones of contentions, as players believe it doesn’t allow them to sensibly deploy the possessed to best make use of the rolled ability. I think this is ridiculous. They are assault troops, and can do nothing but assault, so you’re options aren’t gonna change much, if at all.

There is one duff result, rolling ‘scouts’, which gives you an exciting pre game move (not sure if this applies to the Rhino, need to dig out an FAQ). Where the daemonkin roll made prior to set up the ‘scouts’ result would at least give the entertaining option to outflank.

The ‘fleet’ result is also hard to make genuine use out of, given that you can run and will be using a rhino getting around isn’t an issue. You can’t disembark and assault, so you have to prepare a turn in advance. Fleet might help you out here (remember now fleet merely means you can assault after running), but it makes sod all difference to the blood spilling abilities of your warped homicidal daemoniacs.

Furious Charge at first seems like a useful tool adding yet another +1 Str, and more importantly Initiative, until you realise that without assault/frag grenades you’ll be wasting your time assaulting through cover. If you do manage to get a charge out in the open Furious Charge should ensure that you inflict many, many wounds with ease.

We all know what Feel no Pain does, and it’s cool, but it doesn’t make our Possessed any better in assault, not really.

Rending and Power Weapons are the results you really want for obvious reasons. If you’ve the ability to cause a high number of wounds you want to make sure they count.

So the table is a mixed bag with potentially game shattering results, but you can’t and mustn’t count on it. Regardless of what you roll you’re not going to get past the fact that without frag grenades this assault only unit is broken (and not in a good way). This is a big deal, frag/assault grenades are commonplace and are the greatest tool for a unit that wants to assault. Any general knows that cover matters and if your assault unit of death gets held up…[python]with…a shrubbery! Ni![/python] it’s all gone wrong.

So why on earth would anyone, let alone a Deathguard player, choose possessed.
Well let’s not forget that T5 is great, and can help your small elite unit live long enough to get into combat.

The biggest reason to choose them is for modelling and fluff purposes. There’s no denying that the potential for creating Nurgle themed possessed Deathguard is exciting, I’m having trouble resisting the urge to build a unit.

Let’s not forget that the majority of games you play are likely not tournaments and having an oddball unit won’t hurt. In fact having an oddball unit or two could really throw your opponent. Will they get worried and concentrate on killing the scary looking Possessed? Who knows?

Unless you’re building a specific themed army I guess Possessed are at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list for a Deathguard player, after building a Plaguereaper and Plague Tower, some bikers and [python]cutting down the mightiest tree in the forest with… a Herring![/python]

Another good update mab, and I know I'll build a unit of possessed sooner or later. I'm really looking forward to painting them, and I'm thinking of running an army with 7 possessed and 6 spawns someday. Now I just need to finish my terminators, my defiler another unit of plaguemarines and....



Yes you can scout with your rhino, so its a little bit useful now...

Despite my lack of gaming experience, I have studied the latest Codex and came to much the same conclusions - Possessed really do seem like an expensive gamble that any sensible opponent wouldn't be particularly afraid of. They don't even come with decent close combat gear as standard. Definitely the last unit in the Codex I would consider fielding.

Chaos Lords of Nurgle
The mighty Chaos Lord is almost certainly the most fielded of the Chaos HQ choices and is likely to be many people’s first HQ when they enter the service of Father Nurgle.

With a multitude of weapon upgrades available a decent profile and the addition of the Mark of Nurgle it’s pretty obvious that a Chaos Lord belongs in an assault tearing your foe to pieces in the name of the Lord of Decay.

The question is how do you get your Lord into assault? Having lone Independent Characters is not something that you should try unless you can protect him well with clever use of movement, terrain, intervening units etc.

Joining a unit is the usual way to use a Lord, and to optimise the unit for a similar combat role makes a lot of sense. The problem is that I’ve stated time and again that the majority of your army should be made up of Plaguemarines and that they should avoid assault, so the solution lies (most often) in your other units.

Given that movement and who accompanies the Lord is paramount, I’ll go through each of the five variations (Power Armour, Terminator Armour, Jump Pack, Bike & Palanquin)

The Power Armoured Nurgle Lord
Footslogging is the Deathguard’s modus operandi so a Lord in Power Armour should be pretty easy to make use of, but I keep saying that Plaguemarines should steer clear of combat, well, yes they should, but with the addition of a Lord and by choosing your target’s wisely you can create a devastating shock unit that hits hard and sticks in your opponent’s side for a long time.

A Chaos Lord of Nurgle equipped with either twin Lightning Claws or the Plaguebringer Daemon Weapon and accompanied by a unit of Plaguemarines including a tooled up champion and two assault weapon carrying marines (this may be the one and only place to use plasma pistols in your army) all sitting happy in a Land Raider is the way to go here. The sheer brutality and resilience of the Land Raider combined with the all-important ability to disembark and assault makes this ‘Plaguespear’ work. A Rhino simply won’t do (although a Dreadclaw is an interesting alternative).

Incidentally, given that the lord is accompanied by a badass tank and a unit of Plaguemarines negates the need for him to upgrade his bolt pistol.

The only other unit that could work as an escort would be a selection of tooled up Chosen. A cheaper option than the Plaguemarines, and arguably more effective even if you are losing the infiltrate ability, again the Land Raider being by far the best vehicle to quickly enter combat.

Whilst the Chosen retinue offers greater punch with it's plethora of power weapons, it’s the Plaguemarines resilience combined with ‘scoring unit’ ability that makes the real difference. Deathguard are often said to be less a ‘take’ and more ‘hold’ style of army, well, this set up gives you the chance to prove otherwise!

The Terminator Lord
Terminators are cool and likely to be your first choice for an ‘other’ unit in your force. Interesting ranged weapon options aside, Terminators are probably your strongest assault unit, so adding in a Terminator Lord makes a good deal of sense.

Given the Relentless rule, your Terminator Lord can make use of his twin-linked bolter, or if you prefer, upgrade to a combi weapon, and still assault. A combi-flamer is always a welcome choice.

The only real question here is what close combat weapon to take. A bare naked power weapon is a good choice, as demonstrated by your regular Terminators, the Daemon Weapon is of course great when you roll well if a little pricey, and twin Lightning Claws are well known as the Terminator Lord’s best friend.

Without getting into ‘Math hammer’, the Lightning claws with their bonus attack and re-rolls to wound are the best bang for your buck, where as the Daemon weapon is an expensive and random fluff/modelling choice. The humble Power weapon sits in the middle by being a cheap no frills affair that gets the job done.

How you deploy your Terminator Lord and Retinue is really up to your preferred play style. Deep striking has its drawbacks, a Land Raider costs (as does a Dreadclaw). Footslogging is doable, but can make your close combat unit easy to avoid.

Given that it’s one of a Terminator’s defining qualities, Deep strike is the usual method, but do be sure to carefully place your Icons, and have a support unit of Lesser Daemons or Raptors (or even bikes) ready to lend a hand, or merely screen the Lord and his posse as the prepare to strike.

The Winged/Jump Pack Lord
Is there a difference between a Lord with Wings and one with a Jump Pack? (Besides the way it looks of course.)

Yes, although it’s not obvious. A Lord with a Jump Pack becomes jump infantry and moves, assaults, falls back and can deep strike as described in the rules book. A Lord with wings, as stated in the recent Codex: Chaos Space Marines FAQ, does not become jump infantry, but as stated in the Codex moves, assaults, falls back and can deep strike exactly as if it were equipped with a jump pack.

The only discernable difference then, as far as I can tell, is that a Lord with Wings can be transported in a Rhino (or I find you tittilating and mildly arousing).

Now that’s out of the way… why would you take a Jump Lord?

Well, going with the idea that it’s best to have a bodyguard, you’d be using him alongside Raptors. If you look back at my Raptor rant you’ll note that I don’t consider them as decent assault troops, because to be fair, they’re not. They hunt.

A Lord can be ‘hunter’, with a high number of strong attacks he can tackle most vehicles or monsters pretty well, and the support from the Raptors should help.
The poisoned attacks from the Plaguebringer Daemon Weapon gives you the means to take on nasty Tyranid monstrous creatures or Wraith lords and the like, and throwing in a combi-melta makes some sense.

But it doesn’t feel right does it? You want to be slaughtering hordes! Like the footslogging Power armoured Lord, the bodyguard is what counts here and unfortunately the Raptors have neither the resilience of the Plaguemarines nor the specialist kit of a unit of Chosen.

A winged/jump pack lord is an interesting choice, but one better suited for you second HQ (or third in a game of Apocalypse) unless you’re going for a themed highly mobile force.

Aren't you underplaying the +D6 attacks a bit? Granted it could be unspectacular (or even rebel on a 1!), but equally it could be far more spectacular than Lightning Claws could ever be! Coupled with the Poisoned characteristic, it seems a highly sensible choice to me.

Another good read though, thanks!

Possibly. If I'm planning an army or a unit, I want to know what it's going to do - the random nature of the Daemon Weapons although apt, bugs me, especially at such a high points cost.

It is a good weapon, most of the time it'll kick the crap out of I find you tittilating and mildly arousing you point it at, but, with only three wounds, taking a weapon that could possibly harm one of my only siginifacant close combat units seems like a big risk (especially as that 1 wound ignores my toughness and armour, costs me all my attacks that turn and possibly loses me the assault).

That's a worst case scenario though. A scythe Plaguewielder is the defining image of a Nurgle character, and you hould use it when ever you want.

One side note, twin Lightning claws are slightly cheaper for a Terminator Lord, and safer, making them my optimum choice for that particular set up.

The Biker Lord
When people say ‘bikes’ and ‘Nurgle’ together in the same sentence often a barrage of fluff ranting and nay saying occurs. I don’t take the exclusionist view that Nurgle/Deathguard forces eschew anything but foot troops.

Having a bike gives you an outrageous T 4(6) as well as the speed to threaten any and all units over the course of a battle. Although often seen only as part of the now less-effective ‘daemon bomb’ list, the bike is a worthwhile consideration for any Chaos Lord. You need to be in combat and the quicker the better. Plus some added protection? I don’t understand why we don’t see more characters on bikes.

I’ll get to a general Nurgle bikers article soon – which will probably answer why biker Lords are rare.

Given the additional mobility and toughness of this diseased hell’s angel I reckon the Lord of Nurgle on Bike is a good candidate for the ‘go it alone’ combat monster HQ.

Unfortunately the twin-linked bolters on the bike can’t be upgraded, but you’ll likely be zipping to and from combat, and if you’re keeping the Lord with some fellow bikers you’ll have all the firepower you need.

I have an unusual recommendation for the biker Lord’s weapon – a power fist.
What?! Mabrothrax the anti fist guy is suggesting I take one? On an HQ?!
Indeed. So what if you’re striking at initiative 1, you got a toughness of 6! Let your foe just try to scratch you, then, bring the pain with three or more attacks at strength 8 (ignoring saves). Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

If you prefer, any of the other weapons do just the trick, but the power fist and bike combo is too brutal an opportunity to pass up (and if you have a likewise equipped champion in a unit of ‘bodyguard’ bikers you’ll likely be accused of cheating as your opponent watches you systematically defecate on his force through tear-filled eyes).

The Palanquin Lord
What could be cooler than riding into battle on a throne carried by Nurglings? A Lord of Nurgle on Palanquin is essentially an über Power Armoured Lord and most of written there applies for this guy too. Note that he cannot be transported in a Rhino and counts as two models if in a Land Raider.

With an additional attack and wound the best choice of weapon has to be the Plaguebringer, the potential for self harm with the daemon weapon somewhat mitigated by the bonus wound, plus it’ll look great. Again the bonus wound, making him a little more robust, lends itself to the use of a powerfist.

The main difference between the Palanquin Lord and the Power armoured Lord is that his correct base size is 60mm, so he’s both a little harder to hide and presents a larger target. Then again he’s hard as nails, and I’m having a great time fielding mine.

Great tactica! I'm looking forward to reading the section on bikers. I have been wanting to field nurgle bikers for a long time.

Just want to say that my WIP terminator squad is heavily indebted to this thread regarding gear, so cheers!

Bikes
Once again I’d like to point out that just because according to a couple of pieces of writing the Deathguard prefer a footslogger approach to warfare, doesn’t mean they exclude they use of bikes etc. Furthermore bikes were an upgrade option for Plaguemarines in the original LatD list (and HH collected visions clearly shows Deathguard on jetbikes!).

Bikes are a very useful ‘rapid response’ unit. With the relentless rule and access to a few extra special weapons coupled with their speed and toughness benefits, it is easy to see how multi purpose they can be.

It’s a shame that our bikes have reverted to facsimiles of the imperial ones (losing the bonus attack and option to upgrade the weapon on the bike itself), but regardless are still useful.

Out side of Ravenwing armies and Mongolian Plonkers forces (yeah, like you’ve ever seen one), large numbers of bikes, more than three that is, are an uncommon sight. Most of the time they’re a random unit someone bought cos they like the models, or, perhaps a delivery system for a character (remember the daemon bomb?).

Now, from a Deathguard/Nurgle player’s point of view bikes are an expensive choice that doesn’t seem to have much advantage over Plaguemarines, not including the obvious speed. True, they are equipped with bolters (twin-linked though) and have access to two special weapons, a champion and T5, so are very similar.

Adding the Icon of Nurgle, which is what you should be doing, gives you a unit with T6 (most of the time). But what a cost! Four chaos bikes with the Icon of Nurgle are fractionally cheaper than the classic seven Plaguemarines with two plasma guns.

In my opinion the best way to use bikes is in larger units. Obviously this ‘spreads the cost of the Icon of Nurgle, but also makes for an expensive unit. Take a champion with a powerfist. You’ve got a toughness of 6, so what if you strike at initiative 1? If you’re feeling mean, add in a lord on bike with a fist as well.

Special weapons? Meltaguns are a good choice as bikes can do the ‘hunter’ thing pretty well, zooming up behind some armoured vehicle.

One thing to note is that special weapons replace you close combat weapon, reducing you attacks in an assault, and to be fair, assaulting is a good idea with bikes.

Although (besides a champion and other character) bikes lack any significant assault weaponry their obscene toughness will easily tip the balance in your favour, further more being in assault will temporarily protect you from any nasty Str 8+ guns out there that ignore the +2 toughness bonus.

Assuming you use the bike unit to tear up the flank of the table and smash into a unit in assault you may find that you pricey squad are in the thick of enemy territory and facing a lot of retaliatory firepower, or, far from any action at all. In the first case the toughness of the unit should keep them alive or a while giving you time to choose and pounce upon a new victim (and hopefully distract your opponent form the rest of your force), whereas in the second instance your rapid movement (and ability to move and fire at full 24” range) will keep you in the game.

It should be fairly obvious that if you have a fast moving icon, having daemons is a good idea. Whether used as a small ‘speed bump’, a simple annoyance unit or a larger part of an assault strategy, having a unit or two of these relatively cheap troops makes your bikes that little bit more effective.

In summary then, bikes are an expensive choice and should you choose to use them you will be best served by taking more than the minimum three, as such it is best to plan your army around the unit adding in decent character on bike and some supporting daemons. Regardless you’ll have a unit very rarely seen on the table that will hopefully gain a killer rep.

ah, another little piece of tactica added, have a fly mab
I'm thinking more and more about adding some bikes, but I'm thinking more like to flamers, but we'll see. my biggest concern is if I should buy the deathkorps of kreig rough riders and convert them into something funny or just go with normal chaos bikes and go wild with gs and such.

Cheers

I'm thinking about regular bikes plus the Forgeworld Deathguard torsos. A pair of flamers goes nicely with bikes, but with my BBQ terminobliterators I've all the flamers I need!

yeah, I think that could do the trick! but I'm thinking a bike squad with 2 flamers led by a sorcerer with wind of chaos for a fast anti-infantry unit.

its a very interesting tactical idea. they are too expensive to have as a support unit or as simply a tank hunting unit because, as you rightly say, to make the icon pay for itself you really should have more than 3.....7 perhaps . but then if your going to pay for them then you should have them as your main weapon which means unless your play a massive game you should lose the terminators (and likely typhus) and therefore add a lord on a bike to join them. if you give them melta special weapons too then they become very good at dealing with pretty much anything, from tanks to HQ etc.
this is even more interesting to me as i have recently came across something i hadnt thought of before...typhus and my termie retinue.....love to insert badgers into my face sweeping advance after they kill stuff in CC. this isnt the best thing for a unit designed to kill in CC and will likely be left open to some big heavy gun fire. but a nasty lord, on a bike....can...right?
thanks Mab i really like reading your thoughts on tactics

phill