As a professional (*) and competitive (**) AoS player I like to look at lists before a tournament and spot the eventual winners. Sure, anyone can select the Dragon list or Morathi and Bow Snakes but in this occasional series I’ll be picking an army that should win…! However like Radio 4 picking a horse (***)… this may not be the best omen.
For the first article in this series I’ve gone through the lists attending Purple Sparkly Unicorns – March to War – and picked out my favourite list (and it’s not mine!!).
Aidan Clieve
Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Subfaction: Befouling Host
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Indomitable
Great Unclean One (495)*
– General
– Plague Flail & Massive Bilesword
– Command Trait: Nurgling Infestation
– Artefact: The Witherstave
– Lore of Virulence: Fleshy Abundance
Bloab Rotspawned (300)
– Lore of Malignance: Rancid Visitations
Festus the Leechlord (150)*
– Lore of Malignance: Gift of Disease
Spoilpox Scrivener, Herald of Nurgle (120)*
20 x Plaguebearers (300)*
– Reinforced x 1
20 x Plaguebearers (300)*
– Reinforced x 1
1 x Beasts of Nurgle (110)*
1 x Beasts of Nurgle (110)*
1 x Beasts of Nurgle (110)*
*Battle Regiment
Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 146
Drops: 2
As the newest army book on the block I’m looking forward to seeing them in the flesh, so I was always going to pick one of the three Nurgle lists for this preview.
Aiden has gone for a 2-drop so has a great chance of going when they want. It’ll still struggle against the few 1-drops in the tournament but I’m sure Nurgle can take a punch.
I’ve selected this army because its got a good mix from the Daemon side of the book as well as scratching the horde itch (40 Plaguebearers) in a meta that doesn’t see many hordes and so opponents may struggle against it. It also has 3 Beasts of Nurgle which at 110 points seem to be reasonable value for their versatility. All of these are battleline as well, so Hold the Line should be easy — or at least difficult to prevent.
There are also 2 Monsters – a Great Unclean One which will allow Battle Tactics including Monstrous Takeover, whilst making it difficult to get a +1 point for killing it… they are tough big buggers. And the second Monster is Bloab Rotspawned which is my favourite Maggoth Lord. The Miasma of Pestilence is a great spell and on a 6+ its got a chance to be cast – especially with his +1 casting from Windspeaker Bells.
I hope to catch a few pictures of this at the tournament if my games don’t go the full time!
Which list is your favourite to take out the tournament?
— Declan
(*) – well, I’ve won some best sports and 1 wooden spoon… and a raffle prize!
(**) – I would be… if Gitz were better
(***) A bit of a niche joke here… if it’s galloping over your head that’s fine.