Talos Distraction Carnifex

I've noticed an interesting effect the Talos has on my opponents. I run them Prophets of Flesh with an accompanying Haemy, twin splinter cannons, macro-scalpel and chain flails.

I know that the latter falls flat when compared to the scalpels (Which already aren't particuarly great either), but whenever I inform my opponent that this T7 3+/4++/6+++ unit has 10 S6 attacks that reroll wounds, they focus the beast down like it insulted their mother and danced on their grandpa's grave.

I've even had opponents just flat out ignore a unit of Scourges/Reavers/Ravager to attack the, apparently infinitely more dangerous, Talos.

Have any of you all had similar experiences, or is my group still having nightmares about the Corpsethief Claw?

People are firing at my Talos unit, bikers, and 8 man grotesque unit while ignoring my kabalite units.  Its wonderful.  

A few times my opponents would roll a 6 damage then when they find out they have 7 wounds a couple of them flipped out about it. Even after I told them they had 7 wounds in the first place (they are so hard to kill).

Yeah, I find my gunboats are focused far less if I bring the bikes, Talos and/or grots.

If I have a mix of venoms and raiders they find it even harder to prioritize fire correctly. It helps that the grots and Talos are so damn hard to kill and so can soak so much fire.

I've also been trying the heal stratagem to make them even more of a target for the enemy.

I think there is a lot to be said for having a high threat melee unit to take the pressure off your gunboats.

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I love distraction Taloi. Even in the Index people would focus them down just because they're scary models.

Now I run a bunch of them in 2x2 with one squad being Chain Flails and a Gauntlet. Everyone gets scared when you say "yeah this one gets 10 attacks and this one can crush a Land Raider." So they ignore the other two scalpels who just rip through anything they hit.

So my Grotboats advance unperturbed on the flanks, my Ravagers can follow them and start eating tanks, the whole army gets ignored because of two scary looking punching bags.

Talos got the fly keyword in the faq and a few friends texted me yesterday about how annoyed they are about it. Expect a lot more shots to be fired at the Talos in the future.

I've just dusted off and applied some shade to my 5 Talos Pain Engines. Also, waiting for a Haemonculus and a unit of Wracks to arrive so I'll be able to make me some nice "anvil" patrol detachment of Prophets of Flesh.

TheBaconPope wrote:

I've noticed an interesting effect the Talos has on my opponents. I run them Prophets of Flesh with an accompanying Haemy, twin splinter cannons, macro-scalpel and chain flails.

I know that the latter falls flat when compared to the scalpels  (Which already aren't particuarly great either), but whenever I inform my opponent that this T7 3+/4++/6+++ unit has 10 S6 attacks that reroll wounds, they focus the beast down like it insulted their mother and danced on their grandpa's grave.

I've even had opponents just flat out ignore a unit of Scourges/Reavers/Ravager to attack the, apparently infinitely more dangerous, Talos.

Have any of you all had similar experiences, or is my group still having nightmares about the Corpsethief Claw?

Yup!  I have an article coming out very shortly based on Covens and how they are some of the best pressure units we have.

They definitely have Carnifex syndrome like you said, but when you put some Talos next to 10 of those fat Grots, people flip out (as they should).

I'm advocating for fire supremacy, Coven players are throwing Grots and Talos on the table, and there's a thread about Wych hordes.

WHAT
A
TIME
TO
BE
ALIVE

Gorefather wrote:

I love distraction Taloi. Even in the Index people would focus them down just because they're scary models.

Now I run a bunch of them in 2x2 with one squad being Chain Flails and a Gauntlet. Everyone gets scared when you say "yeah this one gets 10 attacks and this one can crush a Land Raider." So they ignore the other two scalpels who just rip through anything they hit.

I don't know if even the psychological schadenfreude can convince me to take a gauntlet, but I can definitely appreciate the sentiment.

Since you run two squads, do you use Fire and Fade to cover more ground? If so, which unit?

I actually kinda like the Gauntlet, it's not good but in the right niche it's very scary.

As for Fire and Fade, my Grot boat is the main priority. Fire a Dark Lance and move the Raider forward if it brings them within Liquefier range. 5d6 hits is nothing to scoff at.

Second priority is the dual scalpel unit, usually. I like to run them slightly to the side behind the main Grot boat and let the whip and claw unit tank hits in the center.

If you can't get the Grotesques into a good position then most people go for the bait Talos, either way you downplay the scalpel unit saying "eh they're just stock loadouts" despite them being the optimal choice.

I played harlies the other night. They put everything they had into my talos accompanied by a cronos and haemy.

It was my first game with the Codex and was a lot of fun. Talos survived, dropped to 1 or 2 wounds remaining. Then it was my turn, my army whooped up and the cronos gave his talos friend back a wound, then the haemy decided to pitch in with the regen stratagem. The look on my opponents face was priceless.

I told him “truly, it will not die. “

I’d rather run two taloi but points have me with talos & cronos in this list.

Sorry check blog again.

HERO wrote:

New list, help me test!
https://lkhero.blogspot.com/2018/04/de-black-meat-spear.html

Your link does not work.

Hero.
This is exactly the direction I was starting to head with my list idea as well. Urien, 10 grots, 3 talos, 3 Ravagers + troops to score. Season to taste.

I'm not sure yet where I sit on the raider vs venom situation, and I do like my scourges + mandrakes. But the core is there.

I try to avoid relying on Distraction Carnifex strategies. I go on the table assuming my enemy is a perfect, game-playing machine with no mercy, ruled only by cold and perfect logic: Stockfish crossed with the Terminator, but for 40k.

That said, when my enemies fail to live up to this lofty goal and starts firing lascannons at my grots, I'm more than happy to abuse their folly. I just don't list-build toward that goal.

The best Distraction Carnifexes I've seen, by far, are Grotesques. Something about a bucket full of T6 4++ wounds apparently smells like catnip to heavy artillery. Talosi just aren't as scary, point-for-point.

hmm i had wanted to ignore the talos, but this thread is really convincing me otherwise....

im still working on my kabal/cult army, but im really seeing some benefits to trying to get some coven meatsacks in there.

Maybe 3 units of grots and 0 talos? 10,5,5 to fill elites requirements? Basically the same points a 10 grots and 3 taloi

Hi guys just running through this post as had my second game with Drukhari yesterday and tried out a unit of talos, but if my reading is correct with macro scalples and rakarth nearby each talos only has 6 attacks at S7 am i correct in thinking this?

Advice welcome

@HERO, I have most of this list and will be testing on Thursday. I'll try to write up a bat rep to see how it goes!

Woozl wrote:

@HERO, I have most of this list and will be testing on Thursday. I'll try to write up a bat rep to see how it goes!

Love it, thanks!

Given the heavy investment in Covens would it beneficial to swap 1 talos for a spirit probe chronos for the reroll to wound?

This thread inspired me to give it a try--here is my first stab at a "distraction carnifex" Talos list. I added a Cronos for good measure mostly because I want to give it a test drive--plus, my thought is that it'll serve as a distraction carnifex for the distraction carnifexes.

I wonder if grots + a Cronos might not make for an interesting distraction too. I feel like players unfamiliar with DE would be even more likely to prioritize the Cronos in this pairing compared to my version with two Talos.

MitchH311 wrote:

Given the heavy investment in Covens would it beneficial to swap 1 talos for a spirit probe chronos for the reroll to wound?

I am deeply hesitant of a Cronos over Talos. Only reason I would take a Cronos would be if I had a lot of other melee units that would benefit from its aura.

But the more I play, the less I feel lots of melee is a good idea. I run 3 melee units right now in my 2k list (Incubi, Wyches, Reavers) and I feel like it is too much. I would very likely be better served just swapping the Incubi for Blaster Scourges or Mandrakes.

I will say, I am impressed by the Talos. It isn't a high damage unit, but they provide a durable unit once they get there to take the heat off the other units.

HERO wrote:

Woozl wrote:

@HERO, I have most of this list and will be testing on Thursday. I'll try to write up a bat rep to see how it goes!

Love it, thanks!

So I played a version of the list in two games with a friend who plays Deathwatch competitively (yes, I know, Deathwatch). His list was not re-optimized post FAQ, so his early game pressure was weaker than normal. He was a good sport about allowing me to take a harsh list.

That major caveat aside, the games weren't even close. I'll post list and details in the bat rep section later today.

[/quote]
Since you run two squads, do you use Fire and Fade to cover more ground?  If so, which unit? [/quote]

Oh god, I never thought about that! I seriously need some wracks now for a patrol just so i can put my 3 talos in one unit.

I took 3 individual units witha haemonculus in a spearhead and by god, they got alot of attention once I said they had an 8 inch move. it took centurions and null zone to kill them but that is stuff not going in to my gunboats! now that they have the fly keyword, they can assault stormraven gunships! GLORIOUS!

Surely spending the same amount of points on more Raiders with Kabs would be just as hard to kill??