Nervous Speculation: Part 3
Won't lie to you fellow ratkin I actually forgot that the warscrolls get revealed a week before the book itself due to how the retail website works so waking up here in NZ to all these changes was like Christmas. But the kind of Christmas where you're not sure if the gifts are cool or terrible. Without further ado, let us get stuck into the warscrolls and talk about what’s different, what’s better, and what’s worse. As ever, we still don’t have points so a lot of this is potentially subjective.
Verminlord Corruptor
- · Unique Spell changed so that it does more damage, but no longer spreads.
- · Plaguereapers don’t reroll all their hits anymore but inflict mortal wounds on unmodified 6s to hit.
- · Plaguemaster now does AoE mortals around the Verminlord rather than tick off creatures that have already been hurt by it.
- · Received a 5+ ward save.
- · Received a passive bravery debuff to nearby enemies.
- · Command ability now grants rerolls rather than additional attacks.
Big Cheese himself came out looking pretty good. Can’t help but feel that Plaguereaper change will have an FAQ saying he can’t take the Sword of Judgement on top of that ability so goodbye to that. His prior weaknesses (no rend, terrible survivability) have been fixed, and his strengths (two casts, high attack volume) made it through unscathed. Good changes, though I will miss his old unique spell even if it wasn’t exactly good.
Plague Furnace
- · Altar of the Horned Rat now just makes anything wholly within 13 inches ignore Battleshock.
- · The wrecking ball does far more damage but is a single target instead of AoE now.
- · The Plague Monk crew actually have attacks now.
- · It has the same ward save as the Verminlord Corruptor.
- · It has keywords that prevent it from receiving Look Out Sir now.
Good lord GW the Plague Furnace didn’t actually need to be stronger. Yeah it can’t benefit from look out sir anymore, but they give it mini Crown of Conquest and a ward save? Like what? This thing only got better. Thank the Horned Rat I have 4.
Plague Priest (Both Variants)
- · Tumbled into one warscroll.
- · Gained the attack profiles of both original priests.
- · The Plague Tome once per game activation is gone.
- · Pestilent Prayers are all reworked (addressed at the bottom of the post)
This was always going to happen. Plague Tome + Wither was one of the strongest combos in the Chaos grand alliance, and people were starting to wake up to it. A shame that they had to change him, but it makes sense why they did. A small price to pay for the rest of the changes, as Iskandar Khayon said in Black Legion, a sacrifice is only a sacrifice if it diminishes the giver.
Plague Monks
- · All once per game effects removed from command options.
- · Improved Rend on 6s and rats doing damage when they die left untouched.
- · Banner now causes 6s to wound to do double damage.
- · Doom Gong now boosts running and charge rolls.
- · Rerolls for two swords is still here, as is +1 attack for charging.
The meat and bones of the army. This one was always going to get changed due to it being a troop unit with more rules than Kairos Fateweaver. But the changes are for the good… or so it seems. All the changes are really strong and benefit the unit. HOWEVER the warscroll specifies 1 in 20 for it’s command options, which likely means the minimum unit size has been upped to 20. Squashes a few of my tactics and will mean some changes. I will however roll with these changes and no doubt actually be better off with them (ideally).
Plague Censer Bearers
- · Aura of damage effect is slightly better.
- · They receive bonuses for being near monks at a slightly larger range now.
I expected nothing and wasn’t disappointed. I was terrified these guys would be the recipient of random buffing that meant I would need to convert another 20 ****** Stormvermin into these, thanks for actually having my back there GW.
Plagueclaw Catapult
- · Receives artillery bonuses if there is 10 or more models in the unit, instead of more than 10.
- · Does a bravery debuff to victims.
I was afraid this thing would get worse not because I use it (I have 3 fully panted to a high standard and they sit in a drawer somewhere) but because I’ve already ragged on it so hard, I wasn’t sure how I would somehow step that up. Pleased to say… that won’t be necessary. It’s slightly better.
Changes to Pestilent Prayers and Noxious Prayers
The original prayers on the warscrolls of the Plague Priest and Plague Furnace are now gone. They’ve been replaced with new effects that are fundamentally different with bizarre names.
Disease-Disease! (Formerly Wither): So instead of making it easier to wound the victim ala Wither, this is ow the Gaunt Summoner unique spell on a 6. Boo hiss.
Pestilence-Pestilence! (Formerly Plague Breath): It’s the same as before but the bubble is 3” not 2”. It also doesn’t affect Pestilens units, rather than Nurgle units. Neat.
Filth-Filth (Formerly Bless with Filth): Thank Christ it’s still the same. No changes here, and what a boon that is.
Rabid-Rabid! (Formerly Rabid Fever): Add 1 to the attacks of something nearby. So this is where they shoved the Verminlord command ability. I’ll forever miss the old one of this, my monks fighting after death is a MASSIVE part of my army’s reputation in NZ due to me taking 2 Furnaces and making sure it was always active. Pouring one out for you my lad.
The Battalions
Well, the book isn’t out yet so we can’t really say. I can however say that I know all the Pestilens battalions made it through in some form or another, so all I need to see now is what they actually do. Worry not, I will make another one of these posts as leaks emerge.
Well, a lot to take in. Most of it really good news too. Let me know your thoughts and let’s talk pestilence in the Mortal Realms.
- 1
11 Comments
Recommended Comments