Combat Patrol – a low point game, the first building block for your crusade, and a one click purchase for new followers of Nurgle. Let’s touch on all three with the Death Guard Combat Patrol as we begin to corrupt the realm of the false emperor.
Death Guard Combat Patrol Box
For new players the Death Guard Combat Patrol box makes a great starting point towards building your army. This set contains Typhus, a Biologus Putrifier, 7 Plague Marines, and 30 Pox Walkers.
Price-wise, the Death Guard Combat Patrol clocks in at $140.00 MSRP. However, when broken down, the box realizes substantial savings over individual purchases.
$225.00 MSRP
$40.00 Typhus
$30.00 Biologus Putrifier
$50.00 Plague Marines
$105.00 Pox Walkers (3 boxes of 10)
Combat Patrolling your Box
Before you get your Death Guard assembled, you’ll want to look at Combat Patrols and the Patrol Detachment. It turns out that Games Workshop generously gave you a large Power Level as well as a great savings. When you use all the models provided you totals 35 Power. When you’re looking at an average of 25 Power for a Combat Patrol Mission, you’ll see there’s a problem.
Typhus – 9 Power
Biologus Putrifier – 4 Power
7 Plague Marines – 12 Power
30 Pox Walkers – 10 Power
Fortunately, you’re able to trim down the point value by dropping a pair of the Plague Marines and fielding a single mob of 20 Pox Walkers. Make your Plague Marine unit 5 men and the Power drops to 6. Twenty Pox Walker costs 5 Power. You’ll hold back the other 10 for a second unit once you expand your army. Your new Power is 24 Power.
Now, your only remaining decision is how to arm your Plague Marines. The box comes with a huge variety of ranged and close combat weapons. First, decide if you’re fielding them as a ranged combat unit or a melee unit!
If focusing on ranged combat, then assemble the champion with plasma pistol and power fist, a blight launcher, a plague spitter, a plasma gun, and a single bolter marine with the sigil of decay. You’ll have a solid base of fire with a great many powerful weapons. The remaining two models may be assembled as you like. You’ll rotate them into the squad to test the other special weapons
On the other tentacle, if you’re building them out for melee, choose the opposite options permitted by the kit. Your champion will still wield plasma and fist. The sigil bearer will still hold his bolt gun. The rest of the squad will pick every brutal and noxious melee weapon they can! High on that list are the great cleaver, paired mace of contagion and bubonic axe, and flail of corruption. The last two models let you play with paired plague knives and other melee options.
Combat Patrol on Crusade
Narrative Play, aka Crusade, has gained in popularity since 9th edition released. Crusade turns pick-up games into lasting experiences as your forces accrue Battle Honors, Relics, and Battle Scars. Best of all, your Death Guard Combat Patrol is already good to go!
Stick with the Patrol build listed above to start. If you’d like to play an Incursion mission, you can add in your loose Plague Marines and bump the Pox Walkers up to 20. For even more missions, add a copy of Plague Purge to your library.
After a bit of time, you’ll want to start adding to your force. A box of Plague Marines lets you build out a second five marine squad. With two Bubonic Astartes Core Infantry Unit you’ll be able to use your remaining Pox Walkers as a 20 strong unit! Alternately, add a Plague Marine Icon Bearer and your leftovers from the first squad to the new box . You just build your a 10-man strong squad!
Join us later as I add to our Death Guard coverage and recommendations.
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