[4e] Undead combos

[Guinea Anubis]

The game I am running now is up to 9 pcs all level 4 to 5 and they are just about to enter a tomb. I could really use some good combos for undead things toss at them.

[Saintjebus]

Wraiths are awesome against low will defense types. They have a power that makes the person they attack immediately attack the nearest ally. Had a Fighter crit the cleric that way.

[Freylorn]

I'll tell you what NOT to use if you want the group to keep going for that day: wights.

Drain surges like mad, those things do! I made the mistake of putting a few wights as guards to a vampire den one time. Group (theoretically) was going to do the "strike fast, strike hard" method, take out the wights, smash in while there was still daylight, and beat the vamps into oblivion.

What happened instead was they were so out of surges by the end of the first fight that they'd have no healing accessible to them for the rest of the day. Had to fall back and try again tomorrow - and you better believe those vamps were expecting something once they woke up and found all their guards disposed of!

Bottom line is, wights stop adventuring days dead.

[zoobob9]

Wraiths, wights, and forsaken shells. The wights and shells shift after using claw or envelop, so they can go and flank, and both the wraith and forsaken shell do like 2d6 extra damage with combet advantage. When a wraith or a shell kills a "Medium Natural Humanoid" they rise as a free willed wraith or shell, respectively. The wights and shells both drain healing surges, so it should be doubly hard. They all have stealth trained, at +10, +11, and +15, and darkvision, so a room without lights would be ideal(unless there is a wizard then don't bother).Ghost legionares are a bit high level, but if you have 9 PCs, it should be a good challenge. having a bunch of level 1 skeleto troopers at the start will lull them into a sense of security. They will be really easy, like one or two encounter powers a peice, so when they take a quick rest, then send in the stealthy undead.

i am sorry for the length, i got carried away.

[Saintjebus]

Bottom line is, wights stop adventuring days dead.

Are you sure they don't stop them UN-dead?

[FoE]

There was a Creature Incarnations article in Dragon #371 introducing several new kinds of zombies that might be of use to you, specifically a creature called a shambling nexus. It's a Level 8 Controller zombie with an aura of five squares that causes any undead to lose their vulnerability to radiant damage. It also makes undead allies move a bit faster.

If you've got a lot of divine characters in your group, I suggest throwing a shambling nexus at them mixed in with some regular zombies or other undead.

Also, remember that undead are immune to Doomspore, which is listed as a trap in the DMG.

[Freylorn]

Are you sure they don't stop them UN-dead?

*Ba-dum PSHH!*

[Jack_Banzai]

Some of those exploding undead are pretty fun. Corruption Corpses, that kind of thing. "Congratulations, you killed one of 'em! *BOOM*"

[Guinea Anubis]

wights are so making the list.

[DiscipleofBob]

Some guys in Open Grave I particularly liked:

The Brain in a Jar: Spends its entire time dominating PC's. Even better if the Jar itself is hidden behind some books on a bookcase or among other completely benign organs in jars. Can't target what you can't find.

Crawling Claw/Gauntlet: Tiny undead hand minions. Even better if you just have 2 spawn from regular zombie minions or monsters when they die. Very nice creepy undead feel when the parts of the zombie you just killed start attacking you as well.

[Guinea Anubis]

I was thinking of the minion hands with a reaper.

[Asbestos]

Don't forget things that mesh well with undead.

Shadow Slime! (Also drains surges)

Spoiler

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Shadow Slime Level 10 Elite Lurker
Large natural beast (blind, ooze) XP 1,000
Initiative +13 Senses Perception +7;
tremorsense 10
HP 154; Bloodied 77
AC 23; Fortitude 21, Reflex 22, Will 20; see also pool of shadows
Immune gaze
Saving Throws +2
Speed 5
Action Points 1
m Slam (standard; at-will) ✦ Necrotic
+15 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 necrotic damage.
M Drain Life (standard; at-will) ✦ Healing, Necrotic
+13 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 3 necrotic damage, and the slime regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Engulf in Shadows (minor; at-will)
One light source (even magical light) within 10 squares of the shadow slime stops producing light until relit.
Pool of Shadows
The shadow slime is invisible in areas of dim light or darkness.
Shadowed Strike
When the shadow slime hits a creature that cannot see it, the attack deals an extra 2d6 damage and the target loses 1 healing surge.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Athletics + 12, Stealth +14
Str 15 (+7) Dex 18 (+9) Wis 15 (+7)
Con 17 (+8) Int 1 (+0) Cha 1 (+0)

That Shambling Nexus that was mentioned. Think Zombie Warlord.

Spoiler

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Shambling Nexus Level 8 Controller (Leader)
Medium natural animate (undead) XP 350
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +5; darkvision
Tenebrous Aura aura 5; allies that start their turns within the
aura lose vulnerability to radiant damage.
HP 89; Bloodied 44
AC 22; Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 19
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 4
mSlam (standard; at-will)
+13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage.
Speed of the Dead (standard; at-will)
One undead ally within 5 squares makes a basic attack with
a +2 bonus or moves its speed +2 as a free action.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 17 (+7) Dex 10 (+4) Wis 13 (+5)
Con 17 (+7) Int 3 (+0) Cha 2 (+0)

Going to second Forsaken Shells, holy crap are those things rough.