To start, here's the list for the army.
++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Adeptus Astartes - Imperial Fists) [101 PL, 12CP, 1,990pts] ++
**Chapter Selection**: Imperial Fists Successor, Indomitable, Warded
Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)
Captain in Gravis Armour [8 PL, 155pts]: Chapter Command: Chapter Master, Stubborn Heroism, The Armour Indomitus, Warlord
Primaris Chaplain [5 PL, 85pts]: 3. Exhortation of Rage, Litany of Hate
Primaris Librarian [5 PL, 95pts]: 4) Fortify, 5) Aspect of Stone
Heavy Intercessor Squad [7 PL, 140pts]: Heavy bolt rifle
. 4x Heavy Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades
. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant
Heavy Intercessor Squad [7 PL, 140pts]: Heavy bolt rifle
. 4x Heavy Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades
. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant
Heavy Intercessor Squad [7 PL, 140pts]: Heavy bolt rifle
. 4x Heavy Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades
. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant
Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 110pts]: Astartes Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle
. 4x Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades
. Intercessor Sergeant: Power sword
Bladeguard Veteran Squad [5 PL, 105pts]
. 2x Bladeguard Veteran: 2x Frag & Krak grenades, 2x Heavy Bolt Pistol, 2x Master-crafted power sword, 2x Storm Shield
. Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant: Heavy Bolt Pistol
Bladeguard Veteran Squad [5 PL, 105pts]
. 2x Bladeguard Veteran: 2x Frag & Krak grenades, 2x Heavy Bolt Pistol, 2x Master-crafted power sword, 2x Storm Shield
. Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant: Heavy Bolt Pistol
Invictor Tactical Warsuit [8 PL, 160pts]: Incendium cannon
Primaris Apothecary [5 PL, 95pts]: Chapter Command: Chief Apothecary
Redemptor Dreadnought [9 PL, 185pts]: 2x Fragstorm Grenade Launchers, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Icarus Rocket Pod, Onslaught Gatling Cannon
Eradicator Squad [7 PL, 135pts]: Melta rifle
. 2x Eradicator: 2x Bolt pistol
Eradicator Squad [7 PL, 135pts]: Melta rifle
. 2x Eradicator: 2x Bolt pistol
Gladiator Lancer [11 PL, 205pts]: 2x Storm Bolters, Icarus Rocket Pod
++ Total: [101 PL, 12CP, 1,990pts] ++
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So there’s a lot going on, I get that, let’s go over it (quickly) line by line. Starting with the chapter tactics and parent chapter.
I didn’t pick Imperial Fists for any particular reason I just like a few of their warlord traits and relics that I ultimately didn’t end up using much of anyway. The major attribute we wanted was the chapter trait “Warded”. It gives our whole army 5+++ (Whenever a model would lose a wound roll a d6 and on a 5+ that would is instead not lost)! It’s the Death Guard they have to have their feel no pains. Indomitable is just because I’m lazy and don’t want to take morale tests.
The captain was definitely the most difficult to build considering I want him to be the legendary Nathaniel Garro. I went with a Gravis Captain to parallel a lot of Death Guard HQs being Cataphractii armor. Otherwise I just made him as impossibly difficult to kill as I could. 2+/4++/5+++ makes for a nightmare of a Chapter Master. On top of his Warlord trait that halves all damage rounded up, his relic letting him have a 3++, toughness 5 and 8 wounds means he should be sticking around for ever. Not super flavor filled with some of Garro’s actual feeds but I wanted to stay within the rules.
Side note: I really love the implementation of the custom chapter master rules and implementations in 9th edition.
The chaplain is kind of whatever. They’re not bad, I have one from the Indomitus box set, and it was the perfect amount of points. The librarian however was to be the parallel for the all too infamous Malignant Plaguecaster in Death Guard proper. I read at some point that Imperial Fists had a psychic ability that gives a minus one to hit on a unit but when looking back over it I can’t seem to find it. That being said being able to heal a unit from 12” away is still really good and keeps the theme of staying power.
The troops were at first a little difficult but with the introduction of Heavy Intercessors, we have the perfect candidate. Toughness 5, 5” movement and a 5+++ sound familiar to anyone? I grabbed the Killteam box set that had a squad of these guys just to get my hands on them. The squad of standard intercessors is more for points than theme or utility but the sergent has a power sword which I thought was good flavor seeing as its Garro’s Death Guard.
The elites were another cramped and difficult section to go through. Two squads of Bladeguards shores up any glaring weakness I would have in melee and a perfect representation of loyalist Deathshrouds. The Warsuit was another one of those models that I picked because I had one lying around and was super excited to paint it. The Apothecary was a no brainer in so many ways. Being the parallel to the Plague Surgeon and just one of the best models in Space Marines right now made it the fastest inclusion of the whole list. Finally the dreadnought, it was included sort of as an homage to the fact that Death Guard proper can’t take any kind of dreadnoughts aside from the Contemptor variety otherwise just another model I thought would be fun to paint.
Eradicators are an auto include. If I had to give them a parallel maybe Myphitic Blighthaulers but in reality, I had one squad from Indomitus and they’re just too good not to use. Last but not least is the Gladiator Lancer, a model I’m still not wildly sold on. I scoured the entire Space Marine line up for a Plagueburst Crawer type tank and the model that works the most similar, the Whirlwind, looks nothing like the Crawlers and I wanted a more aesthetic comparison that a mechanical one thus leading me to the tank with the biggest barrel. At a whopping 200 points base for a smaller cannon than a Repulsor Executioner its a tough sell when compared to other Gladiator variants. Still though, a tank with a big barrel is the look we’re going for.
Noticeably absent from this list are any form of fast attack or flyers. Death Guard proper lack those things (barring the Foetid Bloat Drones) and I thought it flavorful to keep the army slow and grounded. I doubt I’ll ever add any kind of model that is fast and/or flys but if something comes out that is just a one to one of the Bloat Drones I could be convinced.
I recognize that lists are not as flashy or fun to look at when compared to kitbashing or painting but having direction is important for my completion and ultimately I want to chronicle the whole process.
If you have any ideas, input or feedback on my list please feel free to say something! Otherwise I’ll talk to you next time.