I got a quick but slightly atypical game in last night against a low-activation Iyanden list:
viewtopic.php?f=84&t=29114I have some slight concerns about Desecrators and Plague Hulks but no direct play experience yet to back that up:
Desecrators - I normally run the EpicUK DG list, so Desecrators feel extremely weak compared to the identically costed EpicUK DG Defiler as they're slower, don't have Infiltrate and have a worse main gun. The sole saving grace in that comparison is that the 15cm move means that you can take more than one of them in a garrisoning formation. Infiltrate would make them much more attractive but would then step on the toes of the Plague Hulk...
Plague Hulks - I'm struggling to see taking them outside of a conversion opportunity. Although they have the Infiltrate that the Desecrators lack, gaining a second MW CC attack in return for losing the majority of the ranged ability of a Desecrator doesn't seem like a good deal, but I'll have to give them some table time and I don't really have a suggestion at the moment.
Now on to units that had an effect in the game.
Plague Towers. I've always struggled with Plague Towers in DG lists. As a transport the crit effect bypasses the DG's biggest strength, the 3+ save and they make already-expensive formations even pricier without any increase in speed. The points drop and speed increase make them a transport that I'd definitely consider taking. However what I'd really been looking forward to was using PTs in a formation of their own.
Unfortunately I think 20cm and 300pt may be too cheap for this use - a pair is (slightly) cheaper than a Repugnant at 600pt to 625pt, 50% better in a firefight and roughly equal in CC, substantially outguns the Repugnant at range and even with the Void Shields of the Repugnant I'd argue that they're more robust with 12DC compared to 7DC + 4VS. Plus they're substantially harder to suppress.
Personally I'd bump them back up to 325pt or maybe even 350pt when in a PT formation. What are other people's experiences of paired Plague Towers?
Fester Titans - losing a shot on the Decay Cannon in return for AT5+ is very welcome! Being used to the Plaguehounds of the EpicUK list, having the Barrage and engages as the sole way to damage AV can be a huge weak point for a Titan. One of the games at Counterattack being a case in point, where a lone Fearless Leman Russ was the last remaining unit from Horatio's Leman Russ Company BTS and being limited to a single barrage hit meant that it just
would not die!
Overall - I really like the list. I never really liked the mixed DG Marine + Plague Marine formations of the main NetEA DG list so have used the EpicUK list pretty much exclusively - this version takes some of the nicer elements of the EpicUK list while being different enough to be distinct with the Blight Drones, Plague Tower formations, Chaos Spawn upgrades and the ability to take garrisoning walker formations. An extra shoutout goes to the Invulnerable Save added to all the AVs in return for their slower speed, and the ability to take whole formations of Vindicators, one of my favourite formations back in the days of 1-2 ed SPace Marine.