X vs Y. Maulerfiend VS Helbrute

Both the Maulerfiend and Helbrute are very similar, even though they have huge differences. In this post i will decide which is better and why. I will either help your decision, or confuse you even more. Lets begin.

 Maulerfiend:
Pros:

• Fast
• Can get alot of attacks (magma-cutters)
• Tough (IWND, daemon)
• Can debuff units (lasher tendrils)

Cons:

• Low WS
• Low initiative
• No shooting attacks
• Competes in a force org. slot for EVERYTHING

Helbrute:
Pros:

• Versitile
• Crazed
• Cheap

Cons:

• Competes in force org. slot for things like terminators and cult marines (even though you should have a lord to make them troops) 

The Maulerfiend has loads of things going for him and for only an extra 25 point. With 4 attacks on a charge with a potential of getting up to 6 (if you are lucky with magma cutters) it destroys tanks and buildings (fortress of redemption anyone?). It is strictly tanks and buildings only since infantry will tarpit it (making lasher tendrils obsolite).

On the other hand the Helbrute can make an excelent firing platform. With a missile launcher and reaper autocannon it can shoot out lots of tank busting shots and potentially fire double in a turn (crazed).

If you take both a Maulerfiend and Helbrute, then kit the Helbrute out to shooting and keep the Maulerfiend simple. If you have to choose, then take the Maulerfiend. It is faster (potential 24'' in a turn!) and killier (but the Helbrute is still damn fun).

What do you think, which model is better and why? Tell me in the comments and they will be read and replied to.

Also, what should i X vs Y next? Choose 2 units from the Chaos daemons/chaos space marines codex that your not sure what to take over what, then post it in the comments.

Until then.

X vs Y. Blight drone VS Storm talon. UPDATED 7TH ED

Both of these units are basicaly the same thing but one loves chaos, the other not so much. In this post i will decide which is better and why. I will either help your decision, or confuse you even more. Lets begin.

Blight drone:
Pros:

• Has a 5+ inun, and ignores shaken and stunned results, and a 2+ shrouded jink cover save!!
• It has 12 front armour
• 3 weapons profiles to chose from (one of which is a battle cannon!)
• Can come in squads of 3

Cons:

• Only BS 2
• Back armour 10

Storm talon:
Pros:

• Can escort units
• Immune to melta
• Has strafing run (addition BS against certain targets)
• Lots of weapon choices
• BS 4
• Cheaper then the blight drone

Cons:

• Can only go solo
• Only armour 11 all round

Its obvious that the blight drone is far tougher then the storm talon (even if it is immune to melta). But storm talon does have a higher choice of weapons to choose from the equip itself for different enemies, and is cheaper. In the end the blight drone has 'more' weapons (3 weapon profiles compared to the talon's 2 max - oh wait it can have a missile launcher, 3 profiles max). The ST is cheaper and better at shooting things while the BD is tougher. It all comes down to their basic weapons.

Blight drone:

• Strength 6 flamer
• Half range Battle cannon
• Twin linked reaper autocannon

Storm talon:

• Twin linked assult cannon
• Twin linked heavy bolter (or lascannon, or typhoon launcher, or skyhammer launcher)

At only BS2 the BD will be missing alot of the time, on the other hand the ST has high balistic skil (especially against ground targets due to strafing run) and is twin linked so it is almost guarantted to hit, but with less area covered (only small blasts or solid dice rolls compared to the drones multitude of templates)

My verdict, the ST is for precision kills, taking out flyers and tanks, while the BD is better against infantry so it can use its flamer up close, don't even bother with flyers. One v One im not so sure who would win, as the talon could is really good at anti air, but the drone is so tough even though it has 2 HP, that 2+ cover save is really what makes it. In the end i am going to be baised and say the drone is better as it is alligned to chao-GLORY TO NURGLE!!!

Cheers
Until then.

X vs Y. Bloodcrushers VS Flamers of tzeentch

Bloodcrushers and Flamers are both elite units. These are probably both the most powerful elite choices in the codex (fiends and beasts of nurgle, meh) and are 2 units that your not sure which to take. In this post, i will either help your decision, or confuse you even more. Lets begin.

Bloodcrushers:
Pros:

• Tough (2 wounds, 5 toughness, 3+ save)
• High attacks and strength mean they hit hard
• Same price as a terminator
• Have power weapons
• Have furious charge (bringing them up to 6 strength) meaning they can pop tanks
• High weapon skill

Cons:

• Slow (only infantry)
• Only 4 initiative so space marine can hit back before they die
• No shooting attack

Flamers:
Pros:

• Awsome breath of chaos that can kill anything
• Fast (jump infantry)
• Cheap
• Tough (2 wounds, 4 toughness)
• Can have a pyrocaster to use look out sir to spread wounds out through the squad

Cons:

• They need to get close to do damage, and will be useless in combat (but can hold out for a while)
• Only a 5+ invun
• Low weapon skill

One is combat alined, one is shooting. Bloodcrushers can be improved if you attatch a skulltaker on juggernaut to the squad to kill characters. But 3 squads of 3 suicide flamers can cause havoc, and make up for their points a few times over (land raiders beware!).

I think flamers are better because they are almost half the cost of bloodcrushers and can take out terminators no problem (unlike most things in the game). They are fast and can get to where they need to be and flame the opponents most precious stuff. Of course some bloodcrushers in your army wouldn't hurt to get some extra combat capability.

What do you think, which model is better and why? Tell me in the comments and they will be read and replied to.

Also, what should i X vs Y next? Choose 2 units from the Chaos daemons codex that your not sure what to take over what, then post it in the comments.

Until then.

X vs Y. Screamers of tzeentch VS Seekers of slaanesh

Screamers (SoT) and Seekers (SoS) are both fast attack units. These are probably both the most powerful fast attack choices in the codex (furies, WHY!, blood hounds are ok, and you can see my decision on the hell flayer in my previous post) and are 2 units that your not sure which to take. In this post, i will either help your decision, or confuse you even more. Lets begin.

Seekers:
Pros:

• Fast
• Hit hard with rending
• High attacks and initiative
• Have assault and defensive grenades
• Cheap for what you get

Cons:

• Soft, low toughness
• Low strength
• No shooting attacks

Screamers:
Pros:

• Fast
• Good anti-tank/elite
• Tough, 2 wounds
• Lots of attacks
• Reasonable cheap

Cons:

• No shooting attacks
• Low weapon skill

Seekers are good at despatching hordes, while screamers are better and tanks and things like terminators. It all comes down to what you face more often.

Seekers can be considerably improved if you give them a herald of slaanesh with soporific mask (hit and run). This means you run in, cripple them, and run away, and do it again, over and over. This quickly becomes a nuisance for you opponent, and will whittle down their forces. Doing this makes seekers better then screamers, but more expensive.

Personally i don't know which to go for, so i will go with both. And if points are tight, like i said, it depends what you play against.

What do you think, which model is better and why? Tell me in the comments and they will be read and replied to.

Also, what should i X vs Y next? Choose 2 units from the Chaos daemons codex that your not sure what to take over what, then post it in the comments.

Until then.

X vs Y. Nurgle Soul grinder VS Plague hulk UPDATED 7TH ED

When i first started my mono-nurgle list i was immediatly drawn to the plague hulk (Imperial armour apoc). At first glance, it seems ok. But when you look into it, is it really better then a nurgle soul grinder? In this post i will weigh up the pros and cons of each model (i will not include stuff that both models have)

Plague hulk:
Pros:

• Has a fancy template weapon which in some ways is better then baleful torrent for the grinder, in addition to a weaker version of plhegm bombardment - so it has more template weapons (at AP3 as well)

Cons:

• Initiative 2 (worse then soul grinder)
• Balistic skill 2 (worse then soul grinder)

Soul grinder
Pros:

• Can have a variety of ranged weapons
• Has a harvester cannon, which is good against flyers and light vehicles

Cons:

•  More expensive then plague hulk with upgrades (by about 20-30 points as you are going to want to take baleful torrent or plhegm bombardment)

The comparision between baleful torrent and rancid vomit are intersting (the flamer weapons on the grinder and hulk respectively). While baleful torrent has torrent so has longer range, rancid vomit has a lower AP and a flat roll of 3+ poisened which is better against a wider range of targets. Rot cannon does not even compare to plhegm bombardment, bombardement is better in everyway. The main thing the grinder has going for it is access to skyfire, giving it more things it can potentially kill.

So while the grinder is more expensive it will be killing a bigger range of things (higher initiative, more range on flamer weapons, higher strength on plhegm bombardment and can harm flyers) over the course of a game, the hulk is a more specialised against hordes and marines with its multitude of AP 3 template weapons, at a cheap price. I would say both have their merits, and i will have to test out the plague hulk (150 points is tempting) to fully see if it is superior to the grinder or not.

Cheers.
Until then