Epic 40,000: Armies Book (1997), p86 — Nurgle Plague Tower

The massive mortars of the Nurgle Plague Tower blast the foe apart as its ramshackle frame trundles across the battlefield, crushing everything in its path. Inside its protective walls, the demented followers of Nurgle howl their praises to the Lord of Plagues before launching their purulent charge.

Speed	Armour	Power Fields	Damage Capacity	Assault	Transport
10cm	5+	-	8	6	8

Weapon Table

Weapons	Fire Arc	Range	Firepower	Notes
Weapon Battery	Front	45cm	6	-
Mega-Cannon	Front	60cm	(1)	Place Barrage template and roll to hit all units underneath it. Ignore any cover benefits for the target. Each attack places a Blast masrker on the target detachment.
Plague Mortar	Front	30-90cm	Barrage	Firepower=1 in firefights.

Critical Damage Table

2D6 Roll	Result	Damage	Notes
2	Wheel Locked	+0 Points	The Plague Tower is immobilised for the rest of the turn.
3	Hull Ruptured	+0 Points	D6 randomly determined units being transported take a hit.
4	Plague Mortar Damaged	+1 Point	The weapon may not be fired until repaired.
5	Weapon Battery Damaged	+1 Point	The weapon may not be fired until repaired.
6	Mega-Cannon Damaged	+2 Points	The weapon may not be fired until repaired.
7	Fire	+2 Points	The Plague Tower moves at half speed and suffers an additional point of damage at the end of each rally phase until the fire is put out by being repaired.
8	Engine Damaged	+3 Points	The Plague Tower is immobilised until the damage is repaired.
9	Axle Snapped	+4 Points	Halve the war engine's Firepower if it moves in the same turn as it fires (roll a 4+ to lock-on with the Mega-Cannon). It may no longer move in the assault phase. This damage cannot be repaired.
10	Raging Fires	+5 Points	D6 fires break out (See Fire above).
11	Tower Collapse	+6 Points	The Plague Tower is permanently immobilised and D6 randomly transported units take a hit. Survivors must dismount next turn.
12	Catastrophic Damage	See table below.

Catastrophic Damage Table

1D6 Roll		Damage	Notes
1-2	Internal Explosion	Wrecked	A series of internal explosions destroys the Plague Tower.
3-4	Inferno	Burning	The Plague Tower is engulfed in flames, killing the crew. No unit may approach within 5cm due to the heat. Roll again on this table at the end of the next turn, and apply the result rolled, counting a 3 as Internal Explosions and 4 as Magazine Explosions.
5	Magazine Explosion	Destroyed	The Plague Tower's magazine explodes, killing the crew and belching corrosive, noxious gases into the air. Roll a D6 to hit any units within 5cm.
6	Massive Explosion	Destroyed	The Plague Tower is destroyed in a massive explosion. Any unit in base contact takes D6 automatic hits. Roll a D6 to hit any unit within 3D6cm.

The Tome of Decay (2014), p98 — Plague Towers

While many warlords prefer to lay waste to a planet from orbit, some prefer to make an example of their conquests. Disciples of Khorne and Nurgle usually follow this path, and while Khorne usually prefers large-scale battlefields where blood flows freely and skulls are piled, Nurgle's followers have a unique reputation for laying siege to a population where it thinks it is safest. At the height of these sieges, Plague Towers are an all-too common sight; looming, rolling battle-towers from a long-dead age, covered in flayed human skin, and carrying disease and filth. Created from a massive pustule summoned by sorcerers or Warpsmiths upon their arrival, these hulking creations are filled with the gifts of Nurgle, ready to be bestowed upon new hosts.

Armed with two conventional wall-breaching Demolisher Cannons, the plague tower has little difficulty shattering a city's defences. The two unique weapons, the Bile Cannon and Plague Mortar, however, are the key elements to the success of this device. The Plague Mortar lobs shells tainted with contagion as it rolls toward its target, sowing slow death among the population that is not killed outright. The Bile Cannon is designed to rid the initial breach of defenders by blasting them with a foul stream of pus and ichor. Those not instantly killed are covered in oozing rashes and sores as the corrosive liquid works its way through armour. The towers also serve as transports for large numbers of crazed followers. It is no wonder that these hulking engines of war are often seen as harbingers of a grisly end.

Plague Tower (Master)

WS	BS	S	T	Ag	Int	Per	WP	Fel	Inf
25	52	634	1552	34	34	25	34	01	-

Move: 8/16/24/48

Wounds: 56

Armour: Machine (35 All)

Total TB: 15

Skills: Awareness.

Talents: Independent Targeting.

Traits: Assault Ramps†, Cloud of Flies, , Daemon Engine (10) Fear (3), Hideous Visage, Machine (35), Nurgle's Blessing††, Pestilent Fog, Size (9), Unnatural Strength (3).

Weapons: Bile cannon (Heavy; Front Arc; 100m; 2d10+7 I; Pen 7; Devastating [8], Spray, Toxic [3]), two Demolisher Cannons (Heavy; Front Arc; 200m; S/-/-; 3d10+10 X; Pen 8; Blast [8], Devastating [4]), Plague Mortar (Heavy, 750m; 2d10+6 I; Pen 7; Blast [10], Concussive [2], Devastating [5], Inaccurate, Recharge, Toxic [3]).

†Assault Ramps: These ramps allow insane followers of the Great Corruptor or his Daemonic minions to mount an assault on the walls of a fortress or city. When a Plague Tower moves into effective assault range of a fortification, the ramps drop to disgorge its passengers. The Plague Tower is capable of holding up to 50 occupants with a Size Trait of 5 or lower.

††Nurgle's Blessing: A Plague Tower is a Daemon Engine of Nurgle, and is always Aligned to Nurgle.