To unlock Max Mahon in Warhammer Survivors, defeat 1,000 Nurglings in a single run on the Warhammer 40,000 side. The count resets every run, so it has to happen in one go, and an Auroch Digital developer says the way to get there is to make the run last longer and find more Nurglings: “there are ways of extending the time limit, different stages with higher enemy density and a few other ways of making it happen.”
It is one of the harder unlocks to plan for, because it needs one enemy type in huge numbers. Below we cover exactly what the goal asks, why it is hard, what Auroch has said, and the build and settings that push the count up.
What the Max Mahon Unlock Asks
Max Mahon is a Warhammer 40,000 champion, and unlike the champions you rescue on a stage, you do not free him anywhere. Our guide on how to rescue champions covers those. Instead, Warhammer Survivors unlocks him from a kill goal:
| Champion | Universe | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Max Mahon | Warhammer 40,000 | Defeat 1,000 Nurglings in one run |
Nurglings are the tiny daemons of Nurgle, the Chaos god the Death Guard serve. Only Nurglings count, so a run full of Tyranids or Orks does nothing for this goal however many enemies you kill.
Why 1,000 Nurglings Feels Impossible
The problem is supply, not damage: 1,000 is a lot of one enemy type to find before a stage’s time limit runs out. Asked on the official Steam forum whether the goal could really be done, an Auroch developer answered on November 11:
“We won’t spoil anything but there are ways of extending the time limit, different stages with higher enemy density and a few other ways of making it happen. You got this!”
So Auroch’s own answer comes down to three things: survive past the normal limit, pick a stage with more enemies, and find the other ways the game lets you raise the numbers.
How to Get 1,000 Nurglings in One Run
- Play a Nurgle stage. Nurglings fight for Nurgle, so look for them where his forces are. Gallowdark is the Death Guard’s stage and hosts a Great Unclean One, Nurgle’s greater daemon, as its boss, per Auroch’s May reveal. Auroch says some stages have higher enemy density than others, so if one stage is not giving you enough, try another 40K stage with Nurgle’s forces.
- Raise the enemy count. The Corruption Enhancement makes enemies faster, tougher and more numerous. More enemies means more Nurglings, but a harder run, so only turn it up once your survival Enhancements are strong. Our guide to the best Enhancements to buy first covers both.
- Make the run last. Auroch confirms there are ways of extending the time limit. Every extra minute is more Nurglings, so build for survival as much as damage: Toughness, Wounds, Save and Redeployment all keep the run alive.
- Bring area damage. Nurglings come in crowds, so weapons that hit around you matter more than a boss killer. Nuln Oil, the Whirlwind Battery and its evolution, Orbital Bombardment, are our picks. Our guide to the best weapons has more.
- Add followers. Every ally adds attacks to yours and, per Auroch, followers “cannot take damage or collect items,” so a bigger squad clears crowds faster at no risk. Our guide on how to get followers covers every source.
Unlocks You Can Chase at the Same Time
A long Nurgle run is a good time to work on other goals:
- Canoness Aurora Veritas unlocks when you inflict Burning on 100 Death Guard enemies, so bring a fire weapon. Auroch’s Status Effects post says Nuln Oil makes enemies “vulnerable to fire damage,” which makes the two a strong pair.
- Captain Tor Garadon unlocks after 10,000 enemies across all your runs, so every Nurgling counts toward him too.
- The Great Unclean One has its own achievement, Clean Up On Aisle #7, for defeating it.
Auroch’s November 11 hotfix, on Steam first, also made the Plague Marine boss variants “not quite as impervious,” which helps on Death Guard stages.
Is Max Mahon Worth Unlocking?
Auroch has not described Max Mahon’s kit in its own posts, so we cannot say how he plays compared with the rest of the roster. What we can say is that the goal teaches you how to build a long, crowded run, which is exactly the skill the harder unlocks need. Our best character guide and best build guide have our picks for each universe, our list of every champion and how to unlock them covers the rest, our guide on how to make Warhammer Survivors easier helps if the run keeps collapsing, and the Warhammer 40,000 guides hub has everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you unlock Max Mahon in Warhammer Survivors? Defeat 1,000 Nurglings in a single run on the Warhammer 40,000 side.
Do Nurgling kills carry over between runs? No. The goal asks for 1,000 in one run, so the count starts again each time.
Where do you find Nurglings? On 40K stages with Nurgle’s forces, such as Gallowdark, home of the Death Guard. Auroch says some stages have higher enemy density than others, so try more than one.
How do you get more Nurglings to spawn? Raise the Corruption Enhancement, which makes enemies more numerous, and make the run last longer. Auroch says there are ways of extending the time limit.
Is the 1,000 Nurglings goal bugged? No. An Auroch developer confirmed it can be done and pointed to extending the time limit and stages with higher enemy density.