r/deathguard40k • u/spellbreakerstudios • 5h ago

Discussion Tips for playing mortarion

Hi all, I see Morty in all of these lists and as a new DG player, I want to use him. Given that he doesn’t have a typical reroll aura etc, I assume his reactive move aura is the sweet sauce?

Can I get some examples and tips on staging, combos and how to use him to maximize the rest of your army?

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7

u/flubbadil 5h ago

You are right in thinking he is a support piece. He is typically paired with either defilers, or a blightlord brick.

Stage Mortarion behind these units, preferably behind obscuring. The enemy has to really think how they approach and deal with your forward units now.
If they want to get within 8” and charge, the reactive retreat will move you to safety. If they push forward something juicy, reactive moving forward can open up all sorts of counter charges and heroic interventions.

If they commit a shooting unit, but fail to do meaningful damage, use the shoot back ability to get a free activation.

And after all that, if they hurt your main target, they then have to deal with Morty in the turn after, who can often tarpit significant damage profiles on his own.

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u/spellbreakerstudios 5h ago

Oh interesting, I didn’t realize he had that flexibility. I assumed it was a ‘pick an ability at the start of the battle round’ thing.

Looks like he can use an ability as needed?

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u/simonsaysbeans 4h ago

Each ability has its activation condition. The shoot back ability says "when a dg unit is selected as a target of an attack" so you don't get to wait to see if they live to use it.

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u/spellbreakerstudios 3h ago

Makes sense! I’m comfortable doing some quick math and guessing if they will survive in those cases at least

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u/Dry_Calligrapher6341 3h ago

You can oick whichever you want of the 3 but only eacht turn most often they use the shoot with a defiler next to him

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u/rtothezizzle 5h ago

I think his shoot back ability is good when paired with heavy weapons like on a defiler.

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u/infinite_redditor 5h ago

Pair with Defiler or two or 10 BL and between all the aura tricks and his heroic threat it can melt opponents brains.

I can let them make a choice and then have all sorts of defensive / offensive choices to punish them if they don’t threat the needle

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u/spellbreakerstudios 5h ago

Are the blightlords the way to go these days shooting wise moreso than the plague marines?

The plague marines with the reroll stratagem in vivectum seem maybe slightly better? I’m very new to this so still trying to sort it out.

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u/Adventurous_Table_45 5h ago

Plague marines with a putrifier and a plaguecaster are more damage, but blightlords are significantly more durable while still being a pretty good amount of shooting.

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u/infinite_redditor 4h ago

Well said, BL camp in the center, PM try and use where they can nuke enemy and not get nuked in return. PM almost glass cannons in this killy environment.