Warhammer 40K: Detachment Breakdown – Mastering the Death Guard ‘Flyblown Host’

Goatboy here to breakdown the 40K Advent Calendar Detachment – the Death Guard ‘Flyblown Host’ with tips, tricks, and a sample army!

With this 2024 Advent Calendar of fun stuff for Warhammer 40K coming out, it’s time to review the detachments as they come out.  We’ll do as usual a Good, Bad, and Ugly little break down for each one then a look at the type of list I would play for this army.  I will begin with one of the detachments and as the weeks go on break down a few in batches as they come out.  I am very excited to see some new rules and maybe some new ways to play an army and create something new and unique.  Right now the game is sorta of locking into “best” of style armies and while we do have some innovation from time to time it feels like the same tricks are what is going to carry “best of” armies to the top.

‘Flyblown Host’ – The Good

The big good out of this is we have a new Detachment to work with on an army that only has one Detachment available.  This is a good thing and gives us some options which is pretty neat.  Of course the Detachment it is fighting with is pretty cobbled together with some data slate love and generous point shifts so that makes using this new one a bit harder.  We’ll have to see whenever the Death Guard Codex comes out if the old Detachment is blown apart and some of the rules sprinkled in new options.  I am all for more options though as it helps this army get a chance to quit feeling so basic.

Overall I think its Detachment Rule Verminous Haze is pretty powerful as getting Stealth and 5″ scout on all your non embarked infantry is a pretty good combo.  This army has always been slow so giving more options for it to “get to the middle” quicker is a good thing.  I also think army massed Stealth – -1 to be hit from a ranged attack – is a good thing on an army.  Yes you lose the “bonus” contagion rule of choice but I wonder if that stays in whenever we get an update.

The four Enhancements all look interesting.  The only one I am not a big fan of is the Rejuvenating Swarm as it is locked to an infantry choice – which is usually in a pile of Death Guard bodies and isn’t taking “damage” till the end – when it usually dies as the rest of the wounds pile on it.  Droning Chorus seems well suited for a Terminator Character riding around in Blight Lords to give all the weapons assault.  This will let that unit move faster and get to where it needs to camp quicker and still be useful.  Plagueveil also seems pretty neat as you can get a unit near an objective and have an interesting Lone Operative style effect for all those stanky bodies.  The Reroll Wound option for Insectile Murmuration (who wins for the most annoying name to type out) seems ok but it is pretty dang expensive.

The Stratagems are pretty powerful too – with some movement tricks thrown in for good measure.  Getting a 6″ Consolidation from the Vermin Cloud will be a useful one to help stage your army – especially if people put scout options in the way of you.  The Eye of the Swarm grants all your non blast weapons Pistol for one of your infantry units which can be a powerful option.  There is even an Engagement range Mortal wound bomb in Enervating Onslaught that lets you roll a  d6 for each model in engagement range and on a 5+ gives a mortal wound to that unit.  You even get a +1 to the roll if you are not a Poxwalker/Cultists so that could be a nice way to pour out some wounds on the enemy.  The Reroll hits stratagem seems good too – as it can give you a chance for all you combi weapons and other bullets the ability to hit more times.  Really all the Stratagems are 1CP which is pretty dang awesome.

‘Flyblown Host’ – The Bad

I really wonder why they didn’t put some kind of Poxwalkers are battle line option in here for this army.  It would probably push it pretty hard but when you compare to the 2 extra rules the normal Death Guard Detachment gets (Sticky Objective and picking a contagion power) it would probably help sell using this. Just having a horde of Zombies rushing forward as you give it some scout juice would be pretty awesome and useful for the army.

I also wish the one Relic could be put on a Daemon Prince as while it helps make it powerful it would be a cool little rule.  This giant turd of a monster that you have to kill all the way as it slinks around.  I know this detachment is trying to push the whole Infantry options for the Death Guard but it feels like they could have let this show up and it wouldn’t break the game.

‘Flyblown Host’ – The Ugly

Overall there isn’t a ton ugly.  It has good Stratagems and a good bespoke rule for the army.  It changes how you would play a bit (even though as you see in my list it is all about tough bodies).  I think losing Sticky objective is the biggest loss when you compare the too as Stealth gives you a kinda locked Contagion when you look at it.

In summary I think it is a pretty neat little 2 pages.  It isn’t breaking the game and while it isn’t A+ tier it does have some uses – especially if you think about what might be coming for Death Guard in the future.  It could be a very good “swarm” style option too which gives you nice extra movement and lets you get your Terminators into position quickly.  Also Flyborn Host is not a terrible name to type out.

Sample Detachment Armylist – Flyblown Host

Death Guard
Flyborn Host
Strike Force

CHARACTERS

Death Guard Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (85 Points)
• 1x Plague combi-bolter
• 1x Plague-encrusted exalted weapon

Death Guard Sorcerer in Terminator Armour (85 Points)
• 1x Curse of the Leper
• 1x Force weapon
• 1x Plague combi-bolter
• 1x Droning Chorus

Lord of Contagion (105 Points)
• 1x Plagueblade
• 1x Plagueveil

Lord of Virulence (80 Points)
• 1x Heavy plague fist
• 1x Twin plague spewer

Mortarion (300 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Rotwind
• 1x Silence
• 1x The Lantern

Typhus (80 Points)
• 1x Master-crafted manreaper

OTHER DATASHEETS

Blightlord Terminators (310 Points)
• 1x Blightlord Champion
◦ 1x Bubotic blade
◦ 1x Combi-weapon
• 9x Blightlord Terminator
◦ 7x Bubotic blade
◦ 3x Combi-weapon
◦ 2x Flail of corruption
◦ 2x Plague spewer
◦ 2x Reaper autocannon

Deathshroud Terminators (220 Points)
• 1x Deathshroud Champion
◦ 1x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
• 5x Deathshroud Terminator
◦ 5x Manreaper
◦ 5x Plaguespurt gauntlet

Deathshroud Terminators (220 Points)
• 1x Deathshroud Champion
◦ 1x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
• 5x Deathshroud Terminator
◦ 5x Manreaper
◦ 5x Plaguespurt gauntlet

Deathshroud Terminators (220 Points)
• 1x Deathshroud Champion
◦ 1x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
• 5x Deathshroud Terminator
◦ 5x Manreaper
◦ 5x Plaguespurt gauntlet

Poxwalkers (100 Points)
• 20x Poxwalker
◦ 20x Improvised weapon

Poxwalkers (100 Points)
• 20x Poxwalker
◦ 20x Improvised weapon

ALLIED UNITS

Nurglings (40 Points)
• 3x Nurgling Swarm
◦ 3x Diseased claws and teeth

Nurglings (40 Points)
• 3x Nurgling Swarm
◦ 3x Diseased claws and teeth

2000 Points

Flyblown Host Tactics

Here you utilize the Nurglings to ensure your Scout Moves work to get towards the middle.  You have the big hunk of Terminators to help keep the space there while 2 of the Deathshrouds hold the edges.  You will probably deep strike one of the DeathShrouds while the Poxwalkers hold the backfield as you no longer have Sticky Objectives.  The Characters are a random mix to help things out and Morty is “leading” the Blightlord Terminators to be the big midfield bully he needs to be.

Download the Deatachment Here (PDF)

All Hail Grandfather Nurgle!

Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.

Read the Comments (0)

Read more at this site