Warhammer 40K: This Week’s Meta Hotness – Plagueburst Crawlers
Let’s take a look at a unit that’s been dropping rounds on the opposition as one of Warhammer 40K’s top units, Plagueburst Crawlers.
In the ever-shifting meta of 40K, armies rise and fall. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about armies that are hot or not, but a lot less time looking at units that are running the show. Today let’s start by taking a look at one of the hottest units currently running around the tabletop.
The Unit
Plagueburst Crawlers are a heavy fire support tank for Death Guard. They mount a large Plagueburst mortar and a number of secondary weapons. They are a slow moving indirect fire artillery tank that can provide back up for any Death Guard Army.
Why They Are Good
Plagueburst Crawlers (or PBCs for those in the know) are a though but slow tank. With 12 wounds, T8, a 5++ and disgustingly resilient they can be a pain to take down. With a move of only 9″ they won’t be winning any races, but can still move around. Thanks to a recent buff from BS 4+ to 3+ they’ve gotten increased accuracy and deadliness.
Of course, the reason you take the PBCs is for its guns. The main weapon mounted on it is the Plagueburst Mortar. With D2 and indirect fire, this is a great weapon for targeting MEQ units. Without the ability to hide from it, a few Mortars working together can chew up both frontline and backline units making it both deadly and a threat to almost any target. For secondary weapons most people the Entropy Cannons, these work both as great anti-vehicle guns or to add a little extra anti-MEQ firepower. With them, the PBC works as a very versatile unit that can target both heavy infantry and tanks. Overall this is a pretty deadly unit that you can’t hide from.
A Sample List
Saying a unit is hot is all well and good, but let’s take a look at how players are using it. Plagueburst Crawler have been a staple of competitive Death Guard lists for a while, and continue to be featured in most lists that do well. One list that highlights them is the list that Nicolas Wenker ran to take 2nd place at the recent Weekend at Salty Alliance GT (via 40kstats.com)
++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Chaos – Death Guard) [102 PL, 8CP, 2,000pts] ++
+ Configuration +
Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)
Detachment Command Cost
Plague Company: The Harbingers
+ Stratagems +
Gifts of Decay [-1CP]: Additional Relics
+ HQ +
Malignant Plaguecaster [5 PL, 95pts]: 3. Plague Wind, 5. Curse of the Leper
Typhus [9 PL, 165pts]: 1. Miasma of Pestilence, 4. Putrescent Vitality
+ Troops +
Poxwalkers [5 PL, 95pts]
. 19x Poxwalker: 19x Improvised weapon
Poxwalkers [5 PL, 95pts]
. 19x Poxwalker: 19x Improvised weapon
Poxwalkers [5 PL, 95pts]
. 19x Poxwalker: 19x Improvised weapon
Poxwalkers [5 PL, 90pts]
. 18x Poxwalker: 18x Improvised weapon
+ Elites +
Blightlord Terminators [20 PL, -1CP, 410pts]
. Blightlord Champion: Bubotic Axe, Champion of Disease, Combi-bolter, Plague Skull of Glothila
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Reaper autocannon
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Reaper autocannon
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
Deathshroud Terminators [7 PL, -1CP, 150pts]
. Deathshroud Champion: Champion of Disease, Plaguespurt gauntlet, Reaper of Glorious Entropy
. 2x Deathshroud Terminator: 2x Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
Deathshroud Terminators [7 PL, 150pts]
. Deathshroud Champion: Plaguespurt gauntlet
. 2x Deathshroud Terminator: 2x Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
Deathshroud Terminators [7 PL, 150pts]
. Deathshroud Champion: Plaguespurt gauntlet
. 2x Deathshroud Terminator: 2x Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
Foul Blightspawn [5 PL, -1CP, 85pts]: 2. Living Plague, Plaguechosen, Revolting Stench-vats, Viscous Death
Tallyman [4 PL, 70pts]: 4. Arch-Contaminator, Tollkeeper, Warlord
+ Heavy Support +
Plagueburst Crawler [9 PL, 175pts]: 2x Entropy cannon, Rothail volley gun
Plagueburst Crawler [9 PL, 175pts]: 2x Entropy cannon, Rothail volley gun
++ Total: [102 PL, 8CP, 2,000pts] ++
Using the Unit
This list makes use of 2 Pluageburst Crawlers. They provide the long-range fire support for the army. While blocks of terminators teleport around, and a mass of Poxwalkers holds objectives and advances slowly down the center the PBC’s roll forward throwing out a hail of fire. There isn’t anything super tricky with this unit, but it gets the job done.
Let us know what units you think are hot right now, down in the comments!
