Death Guard have had lots of lovin’ the past few months with Games Workshop’s releases. With so many, here is a quick recap of everything we’ve seen so far!
Each set of releases has incredible detail and themes perfectly for Papa Nurgle’s favoured marines. From Infantry to vehicles, elites and character models, Games Workshop has brought models that have pestilence, gore, and nurgling sass that makes any Death Guard army on the table a bit more fun.
Codex Death Guard. Dice & Datacards
Give thanks to Papa Nurgle, Death Guard fans! This codex contains 33 datasheets for every Death Guard unit, 6 Warlord traits, 14 Stratagems, 6 Relics, and the Contagion psychic discipline. There are also many teasers for new units that we will be seeing in the future. Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in this codex. Our Tips and Tactics video will be coming soon as well!
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
The Death Guard Codex retails for $40 and has 104 pages full of datasheets, Stratagems, traits, and more. It may be smaller than the previously released codices but it is certainly not lacking in content. The fluff is great and breaks down famous Death Guard battles and explores the history and purpose of the units in the codex. The Plague Planet is explained as are the Plague Fleets. This may be a teaser for the return of Battlefleet Gothic, which has us crossing our fingers and hoping that it is. One thing you will notice about this codex is all the new graphics. If you are a Nurgle and Death Guard fan, this is the book you have been waiting for.
The Death Guard Chapter tactics really bring out the brutal, methodical, and ‘in-your-face’ style that the Death Guard bring to the table. Inexorable Advance will allow Infantry and Helbrutes to not suffer penalties for firing Heavy weapons after moving.nor firing Assault weapons after Advancing. Units with Rapid Fire can fire twice at a range of 18″ instead of needing to be at half the weapon’s max distance. Plague Host will allow Troop units to control objectives they are in range of, even if there are more enemy models within range.
For Warlord Traits, everyone will probably be taking Mortarion or Typhus as their warlord. So expect to see: Arch-Contaminator: re-roll all failed wound rolls when using plague weapons or a weapon that has the Plague Weapon ability when within 7″ of your Warlord; or Living Plague: roll a dice for each enemy unit within 3″ of your Warlord at the start of any Fight Phase. On a 4+, that unit suffers a mortal wound. One trait that should be seeing more use is Revoltingly Resilient, which adds 1 to any Disgusting Resilient roll your Warlord makes unless the wound being rolled for is a mortal wound.
The Relics and Contagion Discipline have been discussed nearly ad nauseam in the days leading up to the codex release. However, we have to make note that there are many combos you can make with these Relics, powers, strategies, and traits that you can make. One combo that players facing Death Guard players will notice is the dishing out of mortal wounds before combat and during. For example, using Blades of Putrefaction power to add 1 to wound rolls and have that unit do an extra mortal wound with a melee plague weapon/weapon with Plague Weapon ability on a wound roll of 6+. Combo that with with the Living Plague Warlord trait and you have the capability of decimating units and weakening characters.
Mortarion
Mortarion, the Daemon Primarch of Nurgle, has arrived and this kit is quite impressive. He retails for $140 and that price is normal for a special character kit of this size. We saw similar prices for Magnus, Skarbrand, and others. Now, Rob did put this kit together to do a size comparison video with other similar sized and priced models.
Let’s just say that Magnus was not able to match up to Mortarion, nipple horns included.
Mortarion comes with several customization options, including different arms to allow Silence and The Lantern to be posed on either side and various Nurglings to assemble and paint before attaching. Once you get into this kit, you will find the level of detail that this model has is amazing. Some of the detail is also optional as well. Assembling will be a bit of chore but worth it in the end. Rob spent around 2 full hours cleaning and assembling this kit.
As we said before, Silence and The Lantern can be fastened to either arm based on your preference. The wisps of smoke that extend down from the model’s body to the base are, in fact, load bearing supports for the model itself. Several smokey wisps also come as individual parts, which is a good thing.
If you are wanting to do some airbrushing, it is best to paint these bits separately as they can get in the way.
The wings are just like Magnus’, they slot and lock in place with little to no effort needed. Do no be surprised if you bits left over. There are so many detail options to choose from that you will need to take time and figure out which ones you want to take time on assembling and painting.
Deathshroud Bodyguard
Death Guard fans, the vaunted bodyguard of Mortarion have arrived. Although, there appears to be some confusion and consternation as to why they are priced at $60 for just three models. The price tag has led to some commenting that you are better off kitbashing this models to make 2 or 3 Typhus models. We do admit that that is a creative hobby solution. Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see with this kit.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
You will get 3 models from this $60 kit. Some people are not happy with that when the Blightlord Terminators are the same price and come with 5 models. Complaints aside, these Terminators come on 40mm bases and these models look absolutely beautiful. Now, they are static-posed and don’t really have many head options. That being said, you can definitely do some conversion work with these models to take them to the next level.
This kit will assemble differently since they their version of Cataphractii armor differs from the ones that we have seen in the Calth box. They are computer-sliced and build out more from the torso than we see from other more traditional multi-part kits. One of the Terminators will have a special torso option a.k.a Nurgle’s Happy Mouth, to mark it as a Deathshroud Champion if are wanting to have one in your unit. The detail is great with this kit, from the pitting on the armor to the chainmail and adornments that each piece has. One last thing to note: these models are scattered amongst the three sprues, not self-contained like we had been expecting.
Typhus & Foul Blightspawn
The Nurgly-goodness continues to roll in as Typhus and the Foul Blightspawn arrived. Typhus, a $40 kit, and the Foul Blightspawn, a $25 clam pack, have been generating some buzz out there amongst hobbyists for the great design. Our very own Rob Baer unboxed both these kits to see just how good these kits are. Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see with these kits.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below
Typhus has an assembly process that is similar to the Deathshroud Bodyguard miniatures. The kit has several random little pieces that go on separately that you need to be aware of. His head will need to be slotted through the space in the front torso of his armor, for example. The model is computer-sliced which is no surprise since we see this a lot with character models. Rob recommends that you keep the destroyer hive and cloud of flies pieces off and paint those separately.
The detail on Typhus is great and has a great deal of intricacy. This may be the most detailed kit recently released, save for Mortarion. The armor has pitting and rents, little nurglings hold intestines, the hoses and cabling on the destroyer hive have their own detailing, the lone hand bit appears to have intricate armored webbing, etc. At the end of the day, highly detailed model with decent stats that may be an auto-include in lists that are above 2k points.
The Foul Blightspawn comes on one sprue and is relatively easy model to put together. Also computer-sliced, the rear torso bit will have to be connected to his backpack bit before the front torso bit can be attached. After that, everything else connects easily. He even has a little nurgling grenade thrower with him. He will cost you around 77 points and comes with a plague sprayer and the Revolting Stench ability that will protect your front lines from being assaulted first in the Fight Phase. This ability has a 14″ diameter.
Blightlord Terminators
The Blightlord Terminators have more options and will you may get your hobby dollars worth with this kit. Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see with this kit.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
The Blightlord Terminators unit is very robust and pointed well. They look way cooler than anything you can convert using the using the existing Terminator kits out there. They come packed with weapon options, including three special weapons, combi-weapons with all the bits, balesword, and blight launcher. Where this unit is going to fit into some of the more competitive builds, is hard to say.
The kit may be slightly more complicated to put together than other kits we have seen. All components are contained on two sprues and the kit is definitely a multi-part kit. In all cases, you must put the head bit into the socket located on the main torso piece first before looking in the front chest piece. There are eight head options to choose from and it appears that some other head bits from other kits will be able to fit in as well for even more customization options.
The level of detail with this kit is great. We have been saying that lately and it is true. Games Workshop has been surpassing itself lately with the level of detail that has been put into these kits. From pitting and weathering of the armor to the Nurgle icons and crazy, intestinal bits detail, this kit has the detail that you are wanting from a kit. There is even interior detail on the Cataphractii armor above the helms that gives them a even more deathly evil look.
Tallyman & Plague Surgeon
The diseased frolicking of Nurgle lovers continue with the additions of the Tallyman and the Plague Surgeon. These clam packs retail for $25 each, have excellent detail, and have decent stats. Are these choices a must have for your Death Guard forces? Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in this kit.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
The Tallyman is an 8 component kit and is easy to assemble. The head option can be swapped out for whichever option you want. It is statically posed and comes with no customization options included. What this kit does have is great detail on the armor, the abacus on which he keeps count of slain foes, and his sassy nurgling helper.
He clocks in at 60 points base, has Strength 4, Toughness 5, and 4 wounds. His Festering Zealot ability allows friendly Death Guard units within 7″ to re-roll failed hit rolls in the Fight phase. His Seven-fold Chant can refund the Command Points of a used Strata gem with a roll of 7 with 2D6.
The Plague Surgeon is the same sort of kit as the Tallyman. His head bit will slot into the hooded portion of the front torso so don’t expect to swap out that bit. The detail is also something to talk about with this kit. His balesword is textured with disease and filth. His right shoulder pad even has a one-eyed plaguebearer head on it. Again, the lack of options is a drawback but the detail does begin to make up for that.
He clocks in at 59 points at base. His Tainted Narthecium will let friendly Death Guard Infantry units within 3″ re-roll failed Disgustingly Resilient rolls of 1. He can add 1 to all hit and wound rolls when targeting Adeptus Astartes Infantry or Biker units his Gene-seed Thief ability.
Plagueburst Crawler
The blessings of Nurgle have gifted the Death Guard with the Plagueburst Crawler, a 71-component kit that retails for $65. Sadly, this kit contains no other conversion options (besides the point defense ones) and is mostly a “what you see is what you get” kit. Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in this kit.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
This kit will take some time to put together but it is worth it for the level of detail that has been put into it. However, it is severely limited in terms of customization options. The only options being two weapon choices for the sponsons, hull mounted weapon, and main weapon. It is a computer-sliced kit that will remind veteran players of the old Leman Russ kits with the individual wheels needing to be placed first then the treads attached to them.
Aside from that, it is a simple kit to assemble.
This kit comes with two sprues and the level of detail is excellent. The main hull has infestations and tubers growing out of it. The treads have what looks to be teeth embedded in them. There are boils, pitting, scouring everywhere.
GW definitely did not waste the opportunity of using the open spaces on this kit to put it in as much detail as possible.
The Plagueburst Crawler clocks in at 140 points at base. It has Toughness 8, 12 wounds, and a movement value of 9. Equipping the plaguespitter will cost 17 points each. It comes with a 5+ invulnerable and is Disgustingly Resilient. This may not be an include in more competitive lists but it is a fun option to take if you have the points to spare.
Foetid Bload Drone
Praise Papa Nurgle! The Foetid Bloat Drone, that creepy, nasty flyer, is ready to spray sickness and disease all over your enemies. It even has a wicked bladed attachment to run them over GTA-style just to add the extra insult to injury. It is available in its very own standalone kit for $50. Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in this kit.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
This standalone kit includes several customization options, from weapons to front armor plating, and two nose piece options. 44 components make up the Drone and it comes on a 60mm base. It is multi-part and easy to assemble, with the only change from the ETB coming with the new weapon options.
Some pieces should be assembled separately and painted before being attached just to make your hobbying session on this model easier.
The kit comes with two sprues and the detail is just great. The front armor cowling has several options to choose from and each plating has it own unique attachments such as sickly smoke wisps, spikes, and bones horns. The bone horns even have flies that can be attached to them.
The Foetid Bloat Drone clocks in at 49 points at base. The heavy blight launcher will run you 35 points and its dual plaguespitters will run 34 points total to equip. The new fleshmower melee option can equipped for 12 points and has +2 Strength, -2AP, and 2 Damage. It is also a plague weapon and it can make 6 additional attacks with this weapon, which totals to 9 attacks.
Plague Marines
Death Guard fans, prepare to praise Papa Nurgle for the seven model Plague Marine Squad kit . Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in this kit.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
Our very own Rob Baer cannot remember a time when he wasn’t unboxing and reviewing Death Guard. All in all, it has been time well spent since these new Death Guard kits are some the most detailed and dynamic kits that we have seen to date from Games Workshop. The kit retails for $50 and there are options for you to take them up to a 10 man squad by combining this kit with an easy-to-build kit or even the Plague Brethren kit.
This kit comes with all the options for customizing the heads, weapons, which arm holds what, and even an option that will have a marine pulling the pin on a blight grenade.
This kit contains three sprues with of highly detailed bits. We have keep referring back tot he detail since it is has been a great series of releases for the Death Guard. The Plague Marine bits maximize the detail per square inch quota. The only drawback is that their poses are static.
The customizations are limited to head and arm options. They have a wide array of weaponry to choose from and you can field a maximum of 20 per squad. They can be fielded with other units/characters and still be a solid choice. Pair them with the Biologus Putrifier, for example, an their blight grenades will be strong and do more damage. Add to this the Blight Bombardment Stratagem and you can wreak havoc on enemy lines.
Rob pours over the the kit in full detail in the review video included below.
Biologus Putrifer, Plague Marine Champion and Icon Bearer
The Biologus Putrifer, Plague Marine Champion, and Icon Bearer are the latest character releases for the Death Guard. They retail for $25 each and come in a clam pack with a 32mm or a 40mm base.
Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in these kits.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
Each kit is consists of one multi-part plastic sprue and and at least one head variant option. Their poses are static however so if you are looking for more customization options, you will need to bring your hobby skills and any extra bits you have lying around.
These kits do share a high degree of detail and unique elements that make them stand out from the rest. The usual boils and sores are accompanied by globe racks of filth, shoulders and greaves with howling Plaguebearer faces, and a sassy Nurgling strutting around with his Death Guard helmet.
The Biologus Putrifier is essential if you intend to roll out with a Blight Bombardment. He has Strength 4, Toughness 5, 4 wounds, and clocks in at 74 points.
His Blight Racks ability will boost the strength and damage of all blight grenades carried by friendly Death Guard units within 3″ and all 6+ wound rolls made with an attacking blight grenade inflict a mortal wound in addition to any other damage.
To find all these products and more, check out Games Workshop, or visit your local GW or hobby store!
About the Author: Juan Lopez
