DISTRACTION CARNIFEX

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"Remember- SHOOT THE BIG ONES." ― Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer on Tyranids.

DISTRACTION CARNIFEX!

EVERYONE START SHOOTING!!

DISTRACTION CARNIFEX is a psychological wargame tactic which can be used by most Warhammer 40,000 armies, some Warhammer Fantasy Battle armies, and in several other wargames for good measure. The short version is that you plonk a huge, scary-looking model in the middle of the table, which draws a tremendous amount of enemy gunfire, while the real threats make it up the field relatively unmolested.

It's named after the Carnifex, one of the big monsters of the Tyranid faction, because the DISTRACTION CARNIFEX was one of that faction's most popular tactics after their 4th edition codex. Many models other than the Carnifex can be used as a DISTRACTION model; in that case, it might still be called a DISTRACTION CARNIFEX (even if it isn't a Tyranid), a DISTRACTION <WHATEVER> (e.g. "DISTRACTION RIPTIDE"), or simply a DISTRACTION. The use of all caps is not optional.

DISTRACTION TACTICS

First, choose your DISTRACTION model. A DISTRACTION model must have the following properties:

• Physical size. Remember, you want the DISTRACTION to get shot. You still want it to stay alive, so by all means chase after cover saves as best you can, but if there's ever a ranged threat on the table that can't see the DISTRACTION, then you're doing it wrong.
• Toughness. DISTRACTIONS don't necessarily need offensive punch -- they're actually fairly likely to die before they hit melee -- but you need them to grip the table for as long as possible.
• Scariness. Remember that DISTRACTION is a psychological tactic; the bigger and scarier your model looks, the better your chances are of it pulling enemy gunfire.
• Low(ish) points cost. The DISTRACTION is a support model (indirectly) -- it should not be hogging your army points. By all means, give it all the toughness-boosting wargear you can get, and maybe one really scary-looking melee weapon wouldn't go amiss, but you want the rest of your army to be able to compensate for the loss of the DISTRACTION in the early game.

Second, choose the rest of your army. Anything that can boost the DISTRACTION's toughness without being too vulnerable itself is a must. Aside from that, try to build your army with a focus on smaller models and glass cannons -- if the DISTRACTION is taking fire, you don't need to worry so much about the little guys.

When you're deploying your army on the table, put the DISTRACTION down first, and put it right in the middle of the board (unless there's an obstacle in the middle, in which case you should put it in the longest unobstructed lane from front to back). Alternatively, you can deploy the DISTRACTION model through Deep Strike, but only if you have a Drop Pod or some other method for guaranteeing that it'll enter from reserve by Turn 2 at the latest.

During the battle, move the DISTRACTION either first or last in your turn order, and keep it in front of the rest of your force to keep its alleged threat fresh in your opponents' minds.

If the DISTRACTION pays off, the battle will go something like this:

• Guard turn 1: Everything shoots the DISTRACTION CARNIFEX.
• Tyranids turn 1: Tyranids advance.
• Guard turn 2: Everything shoots the DISTRACTION CARNIFEX.
• Tyranids turn 2: Tyranids advance.
• Guard turn 3: Everything shoots the DISTRACTION CARNIFEX. DISTRACTION CARNIFEX finally dies.
• Tyranids turn 3: Remaining Tyranids eat everyone else's face.

How to counter a DISTRACTION

To be honest, if you can recognise a DISTRACTION play, you already know how to counter it; don't dedicate your entire army just to killing the DISTRACTION. If you spread your firepower in a vaguely sensible way, then you can weaken the DISTRACTION and the rest of the opponent's army. For example, if you have some weapon which only hurts the DISTRACTION on a 6+ and doesn't break its armour, maybe don't shoot the DISTRACTION with it.

Some good DISTRACTION models

Warhammer 40,000

Tyranids

• DISTRACTION CARNIFEX: The original, but not really the best any more, because the Carnifex's point cost and access to toughness-boosting abilities have bounced back and forth a bit between editions. It was essential in 4th ed, impossible in 5th ed, and possible but not great in 6th.
• DISTRACTION HARUSPEX: A 6th ed beast that seems to be practically made to fill the DISTRACTION role, especially since it can regain wounds by killing models in melee (if it gets there). So the new unit replaces an old one that can't do its job any more -- JUST AS PLANNED.
• DISTRACTION STONECRUSHER CARNIFEX - Someone in Forge World was pretty sad about how DISTRACTION CARNIFEX doesn't work as well anymore, so they created their own with 2+ armor and 5+ regeneration. It's cheap, durable, intimidating, but a bit slow, meaning it draws a lot of fire. Just as planned. Note that this works even better when it's Deep Struck into the middle of your enemy's tank formation for maximal damage.

Imperium

• DISTRACTION MURDERWINGS: With a monstrously huge 12 attacks on the charge, MURDERWINGS sheer MURDERNESS will turn him into a huge distraction. Unfortunately he doesn't have the raw toughness to endure any shooting without a meaty retinue, so he still requires BLOS cover to survive anything.
• DISTRACTION IMPERIAL KNIGHT: Just fielding one of these guys is going to draw lots of attention from nearly all units that your enemy can afford to throw at it. Also it forces your enemy to rethink where he might deploy his balanced and fair units, lest they get pummeled to death by reaper chainswords. 4+ invulnerable save, AV13 and 6hp are going to guarantee hard times for anyone trying to take this guy down unless they have other Lord of War unit with ranged S:D weapon. Or any Wraith army. Gerantius is the best man for the job.
• DISTRACTION FURIOSO DREADNOUGHT: Drop podding these guys with double frag cannons. Now with the new Blood Angels Codex the Blood Talons no longer have extra attacks that generate extra attacks that generate extra attacks. All they are now are glorified Powerfists without unwieldy. No longer viable just like the tool namer.
• DISTRACTION LEVIATHAN DREADNOUGHT: A brand new Dreadnought from Forgeworld that looks downright terrifying. Even its weapons are incredibly intimidating heavy hitters, and its carapace weapons will make anyone think twice about getting close. It is incredibly tough to kill, and has numerous immunities to basically everything, up to and including psychic powers, which means your opponent will waste a lot of time trying to kill it before it gets close. Bonus points if you put it in a Dreadnought Drop Pod for extra intimidating shennanigans.
• DISTRACTION AXE DREADNOUGHT: Again, drop pod one of these guys face first into the opponent's army and watch your opponents cry as your Dreadnought shrugs off even the strongest of attacks with it's 3++ save on top of its AV12. Be careful though, if they get your back armor you're dead.
• DISTRACTION DEATHWING KNIGHTS: Put Belial with them, deepstrike them right next to all the most dangerous units in your foe's army, and watch them squirm to murder them all. They may all die either by the sheer amounts of firepower or melee directed towards them, but it's worth watching your foe ignore Devastators, Deathwing Terminators, Ravenwing, and other such unit, just for the sheer infamous reputation that the Knights have gained.
• DISTRACTION DREADKNIGHT: Take a T6 W4 Termi with a weapon for ~170 points and see the enemy focus him without really damaging him fast.
• DISTRACTION OGRYN DEATHSTAR: 10 Ogryn with 2 Primaris Psykers (faq stated each get 2 rolls) with biomancy for toughness and allied dark angel psyker for rerolls on everything and 4+ invulnerabilities. Watch it absorb loads upon loads of fire as your tactical units sneak up on the enemy.
• DISTRACTION EVERSOR: Look, he's a full-on nightmare, distraction is far too subtle a concept for him. With the neuro-gauntlet and melta bombs nothing is safe from the Eversor's indiscriminate rape, be it snowflake characters, tanks, or infantry. Because of this, your opponent will most likely focus every damn gun he has into stopping this drug-crazed junkie of pure murder before he gets anywhere near the bulk of his army, which is more time for your heavy hitters to move forward without the fear of getting an instant-death hit to the face (can also work the other way around. A single Eversor is capable of crapping all over your opponent's army should he close the distance). Well, if he will if he does not die to overwatch...
• DISTRACTION LONE WOLF: Give your Lone Wolf 2 Fen Wolves and Terminator Armor and just let him roam. If you feel generous, slap a Chainfist on him. The fact that you gain points by letting this guy die means you can expend him without much consequence.
• DISTRACTION RUSS: Usually done with a Demolisher or Executioner, but can be done with almost any Russ variant. Give it Extra Armor, Recovery Gear and Relic Plating and watch as it slowly crawls it's way up the battlefield dispensing death. As the saying goes - if it hasn't absorbed at least six attempts to destroy it by Turn Two, you're doing it wrong.
• DISTRACTION BANEBLADE: Not so much a distraction as a 'rolling fortress of destruction', since the Guard never does anything subtly. Take a Doomhammer or Stormlord and start it with the following in the troop bay: 3 Techpriest Enginseers attached to a squad of 4 servitors, and as many Heavy Weapons Squads as you can fit (3 for the Doomhammer, 5 and space for some gun servitors in the Stormlord). Kit them out as appropriate; lascannons for more anti-tank, autocannons for more anti-everything. Buy extra sponsons on the tank itself to make it EXTRA distracting. The resulting 9HP super-heavy can put out an enormous amount of pain, and thanks to the enginseers safe in its hold, continuously recovers lost HP at a rate of 3 a turn. The cheapest version of this will run around 950 points, and easily breaks 1100 at its most expensive, but it'll put the fear of the Emperor into your opponent...before crushing them beneath its armored treads.
• DISTRACTION SKITARII VANGUARDS: To be honest, this only really works against someone who hasn't played against your army much, if at all (which, since it still isn't very common, should mean this works quite often). Bare bones vanilla vanguard will run you 100pts for a ten-man squad and with their basic guns can put a serious smackdown on anything with a toughness value; add plasma calivers for extra distraction, though realize that this will make the unit a prohibitively expensive meat shield. That being said, if your opponent is targeting one vanguard squad with plasma calivers while the other three are closing in with a plethora of haywire and rad-weaponry unscathed then you're doing it right.
• DISTRACTION SICARIAN INFILTRATORS: Their debuff aura will make them prime targets, combine with your regular DISTRACTION CARNIFEX for a dire threat.
• DISTRACTION KASTELANS: T7 W3 FNP 3+/(5++ against shooting) robots, take 4+ and a Techpriest Dominus with the Relic Pimp Cane in formation for extra hilarity. Give one of the Datasmiths the Robes of the Technomartyr for the sweet, sweet boon of giving everyone Cognis. Their ability to severely hurt assaulters on Overwatch will perturb your opponent even more
• DISTRACTION CUSTODES: Terminators on Steroids (albeit lacking in anti-tank)

Chaos

• Distraction MURDER SWORD: Chaos Space Marine one. Give a MURDER SWORD to a (random champion (NOT LEGAL)) chaos lord or DAEMON PRINCE(illegal too), stick it in a nest of Cultists, and laugh as the enemy targets it for the rest of the game because they don't want it getting within 400 clicks of their special snowflake character, though you are fucked if the enemy has good snipers, fucking Vindicaires... or artillery... or any decent amount of guns AH FUCK IT! This one doesn't work! Still decent for removing faggots like papa smurf. NOPE! Calgar has Eternal Warrior, making him immune to the Sword's ID. Better have the dice gods at your back. Almost makes us wonder how this thing can be a threat to a Primarch.
  • (clears throat) "Look Out, Sir!" - on a 2+ for special characters. Even against Vindicaires (but with a -2 penalty so ICs get 4+ LoS while everyone else gets a 6+) and Precision Shots. Yes, I checked before posting.
  • (punches previous speaker in the throat) As the power creep goes on, even the Cultist ball gets stomped on (literally) by the new Knights as Stomp results of 6 remove all models from under the Blast. Yes, Removes. No saves, 2++, FNP or Look out Sir. Just pick those models off the table and put them into your bag. Even then, it wasn't that scary as a single turn of decent shooting can wipe your MURDERER before he gets near the corpse.
• DISTRACTION NURGLINGS: Take 6-9 bases of these cute little shits,Infiltrate them as close to the enemy as possible behind ruins, enjoy a tasty 2+ cover save while your army moves up. Just pray they don't have flamers or ignore cover weapons.
• DISTRACTION DAEMON ENGINE: A Forgefiend, Maulerfiend, Defiler or Heldrake will be a guaranteed fire magnet. Fortunately, they all have It Will not Die (tied for best name for a 40k rule ever with He Has A Plan, beaten in the category of best overall rule name by My Will Be Done), and the Drake has the added bonus of being a flyer when Skyfire is still a relative rarity. The reputation of the Defiler and Heldrake in particular will ensure that literally everything the enemy has will be hurled at you, including the models, the table, the dice, the players at the WFB table, and chairs. Lots of chairs.
• DISTRACTION MUTILATOR: Pretty much the only use for Mutilators with the new CSM book, Deep Strike one behind the enemy (bonus points if it's a Tau or Guard gunline) and it will die in style as the enemy wastes a turn of valuable shooting which could have been better spent trying to bring down that Land Raider full of Terminators, or the rampaging Maulerfiend in the corner
• DISTRACTION ANGRON: like this needs explaining.
• DISTRACTION CHAOS VINDICATOR: Throw in a combi-bolter and daemonic possession and then watch your opponent devote retarded amounts of firepower to keep the Khorne-incarnate rape-engine down.
• DISTRACTION DEFILER: With a fat BATTLE CANNON stuck to it's front that can try to destroy anything on the table that you'd shoot a krak missile at (STR8 AP3), no-one can ignore this 12 Front Armour beast ( except for anything with a 2+ or armor above 12). Stick it behind some ruins and watch your enemy fall to the might of the Baneblade Defiler.

Eldar

• DISTRACTION WRAITHLORD: It's big, scary, 3+ save, T8 and capable of fucking shit up.
• DISTRACTION WRAITHKNIGHT: It's bigger, scarier, 3+/5++ (if you want to use it as Distraction Carnifex, you will buy it the option for a 5++) save, Feel No Pain, T8, 6 wounds and WILL be targeted by any weapon big enough hoping to harm it, even by the cannons of the Empire vs Dwarfs game on the WHFB table. Is now a Jump Gargantuan Creature with options to take either a Strength D melee or ranged weapon, meaning, essentially, you're fucked.
• DISTRACTION SOLITAIRE: Since the Mantle of the laughing god is no more, take this guy for his 3+ Invuln and Eternal Warrior. Has potentially 10 rending attacks which can instant-death. He is certainly capable of fucking shit up.

Dark Eldar

• DISTRACTION TALOS PAIN ENGINE: The best part about DISTRACTION TALOS is that nobody plays DEldar. Therefore, the majority of the player population has no idea what to expect. Player: "Wait, Toughness seven?!" You: "Yep." Player: "With 3+ and FnP?!" You: "You betcha. Oh, also, enjoy haywire and Shred." Your enemy then proceeds to unload everything they have at your slow, dead 'ard, floating scorpion beast while your gunboats, Scourges, and Reavers tear them several new assholes. For better results,(aka:something that can also function as a threat) add a cronos with a spirit probe. "4+ FnP!?!?!"

Orks

• DISTRACTION GORKANAUT/MORKANAUT Add the kustom force field (Morkanaut only) and grot riggers, and stow a minimum size squad of lootas inside with three of 'em swapped for meks. Almost too expensive for a real distraction Carnifex, but dangerous enough to work, and almost impossible to kill. For more fun, add a Big Mek with Da Fixer Uppers (on a Gorkanaut, he can grab the KFF) or the Mega Force Field if taking the Ghazkull suppliment. You now have an AV13 gun covered walker with S10 CCW, 5+ invuln against shooting (4+ if Ghazkull and taking the MFF), IWND, Ignore crew shaken and crew stunned results, and any actual damage can be repaired by one 3+ and three 5+ rolls each turn. Points wise though it's bordering on a deathstar rather than an expendable distraction.
• DISTRACTION DEFF DRED Just kit it out with a few scary looking weapons, let it stumble forward with the boys. Make sure you take grot riggers for it to have It Will Not Die, This is really effective when your enemy takes less anti tank because you are playing a mainly infantry army. This is also better used in smaller games, as this thing looks like a scary, choppy hulk of metal.

Tau

• DISTRACTION RIPTIDE: the advent of the new tau codex means you can field 3 T6 MC with a 2+,3++ save combo and 5 wounds. Give them stimulant injectors and they can shrug off anything you can throw at them. Additionally, they are strong enough to be a victory factor in their own right, capable of dropping S9 AP1 large blasts with ignores cover. Remember, regardless of your tricks, the Tau only win through synergy. Combine one tactic with another, and really tear shit to pieces. Bonus points if you kill the opponent's warlord on turn 1 with only 1 shot from these guys.
• DISTRACTION DARKSTRIDER: Enemy has a charging focused army and you only took one Pathfinder squad, stick this guy in there with a Grav-Inhibitor Drone and laugh as your opponents thrashing, snarling wave of hate never comes anywhere close.
• DISTRACTION STEALTH SUITS: With the advent of the new Tau Codex this is arguably far more inferior to the DISTRACTION RIPTIDE above, but a team of 6 Stealthsuits, with 3+ Armour 4+ Cover, one Burst cannon each (24 S5, AP5), 2 markerlights for support, their hardpoints filled with Stim Injectors, and they just started within their 18" range, well bob, I think I just saw a first turn rape happen. (and they're probably gonna stick around for at least 1 or 2 more turns with those saves)

Warhammer Fantasy Battles

• Distraction Hellpit Abomination - a giant scary monster, which can wreck whole hordes of infantry with some luck. Any sensible enemy with focus it down... buuuut, it is so adorable in has a chance to RISE FROM THE GRAVE, making the enemy freak out and focus it again - this time with EVERYTHING is has.
• Distraction Treeman - Being worse than it was in last edition, it is still big and tall, and is a fine monster killer, and its shooting can wreck small elite units, so it is likely to attract much dakka (vs very inexperienced player). Beware of fire, or Treebeard's cousin becomes kindling.
• Distraction Wyvern - just fly behind enemy units the whole game. wrecks chaos so easy, assuming the enemy doesnt realise its a distraction wyvern

Warmachine and Hordes

It can be done here too!

• Distraction Centurion - The Cygnarian Heavy Warjack Centurion is made for this - Though reasonably killy in and of itself, it's main job is absorbing stupid amounts of fire and hits while your shooty army gets into place, and with defensive buffs up the arse, Cygnar can easily make it even tougher.
• Distraction Beserker - Khador is nothing but inventive - Though the Beserker Heavy Warjack is unstable and technologically weak compared to its predecessors, it can still majorly fuck up some unlucky sod with its twin axes. That is not why you use it, though - It is because it have a tendency to explode when given focus. It is fairly cheap too, so send it after whatever you want and watch as it gets blown up by anyone on the field - Your enemy if they manage to bring it down, or you, for the lulz.
• Distraction Ghordson Basher - This might just be the epitome of distraction - A rather fast Heavy Warjack made for one thing, smashing things with its head. Really. That is what it does. Throw it into the enemy and watch as it bounces the enemy about like gravity went on a break.
• Distraction Avatar of Menoth - Arguably the best of the Character Heavy Warjacks (The Cryx Deathjack being the only other real contended for the title), it is big, scary, hits like an a freight train and is hard enough to endure the return fire. Throw the Choir Hymn of Passage, the Vassal of Menoth's Enliven and, if you are playing Grand Scrutator Severius, put Defenders Ward on it for a 12/23 monster that's immune to non-magical shooting, can move after taking damage and can lock enemy units in place/force them to move towards you for your next turn when shit is going to get fucked. This is literally the Sain Distraction Carnifex as it forces the enemy to move towards it instead of doing anything productive, and combined with Harbinger of Menoth's feat you either force the enemy to stay still, or get blasted by instagibbing Fire damage roll.
• Distraction Colossal - Basically every Colossal is a giant distraction tool to draw fire. Especially against inexperienced players who vastly overestimate their threat value.