The Beast of Nurgle is Broken

The beast of nurgle new rules are broken, in particular the grotesque regeneration. This rule is a stark example of a bigger issue in warhammer 40,000 to date . This being a rule that is completely unbalanced and breaks the game. The beast of nurgle has toughness six, seven wounds, and that unmodifiable daemonic save. Which may or may not be used against mortal wounds, I don't know but I have an inkling that it can. If that is the case the beast of nurgle can shrug off knight killing weapons. Even has decent chance against weapons on knights, because the beast of nurgle save cannot be modified.

The first problem is that all wounds are regenerated after each phase, not turn, phase. So if the beast of nurgle isn't killed in the shooting phase, close combat it gets all it's wounds back. Same with psychic phase too. It has to be killed in a single phase, want to know how difficult that is?

Let's take a space marine tactical squad it is nice and basic. Ten models rapid fire is twenty shots with a bolter. Hits in a 3+ that is a 66% chance of hitting, that makes thirteen hits rounding up. Next is wound rols strength of a bolter is four, toughness of a beast of nurgle is six. So the bolter is wounding on 5+ a 33% chance. 33% of 13, five wounds. The daemonic save against range is 4+ a 50% of making a saving roll. The beast of nurgle loses two wounds that shooting phase.

When it comes to shooting heavy weapons anything less than damage 7 is useless, unless it fires more than one shot. Even then its best to be over damage ten. Because damage ten a beast of nurgle has a 50% chance of surviving with a single wound, and that is all it needs. The tau rail gun even with the three mortal mortal wounds, it will still only have to make five saves out of the nine wounds at most. Minimal would three, and that is weapon that can kill knights. Yet it looks like a beast of nurgle could easily survive.

Now when it gets to the close combat it has those two wounds back. So it starts close combat with seven wounds. The space marines have one attack at strength four. That is ten attacks hitting on 3+ again, seven hit, wounding on 5+ again making 3 wound. The daemonic save is 5+ so 33% chance of success. So the beast of nurgle loses two wounds this time. So when it hit back with six attacks hitting on 4+ giving a 50% success rate, so three hits. Wounding on threes, a 66% chance causing two wounds. With the 3+ power armour save of the space marine means they have better chance of making both saves. That beast of nurgle has tied itself up in close combat that will be hard to end.

As with likelihood of the space marines making their saves, combined with beast of nurgle constantly regenerating all their wounds, at the end of every phase. Therein lies the problem, or problems and it is easily fixed. First the regeneration should be a D6 for number of wounds regenerated, and they should regenerate at the end of every turn, not phase. This balances out the high wound count of the beast of nurgle and it's ability to regenerate.

The issue that this rule represents, is games workshop showing off an overtop ability or rule to entice people to change their army. This chasing of the meta can take a lot of the fun out of the game. This gimmick dissuades commitment to a single force, but making all factions fair weather, only being "good" or "fun" as long as they are top of the meta. The second that the newest codex is out, change to that faction, because it is better. The cost of the meta is the passion, building an army that looks cool, an army that has depth and variety. Having so many of the exact same unit, is dull not just to collect and paint, but to play against too. Daemons are meant to be this weird eclectic mix of creatures, a rule like grotesque regeneration just removes that.