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How will you play Word Bearers now?


Brother Gothard

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With the loss of the rules for the non-cult legions, and especially with the loss of the rules for the good daemons, it seems that the Word Bearers - and indeed all the legions, now have an opportunity to make some interesting - albeit difficult, changes.

 

I would like to keep the focus of this thread positive, and focus on the good things about the new codex and the positive changes we can make, instead of grudging about how the new codex has killed a lot of what we loved about the old one (even though we all may want to anyway :) ). So, I'll just post out the way I envision my new Word Bearers force to be.

 

Firstly, the Dark Apostle choice is now gone. So, how do we go about replacing our beloved religious fanatic HQ choice? It doesn't have to be that hard. Of course, we could just take a Lord or Daemon Prince and model on the Crozius and let that be that, but why not get more creative?

 

Since the Dark Apostle is a master orator, it struck me that the Psychic power Lash of Submission fits almost perfectly with his fluff: during battle he would doubtless be not only spurring on his own troops, by striking out with his spiritual influence at his enemies; the fluff I have read states that even prior to their fall from grace, the Word Bearers legion were reknown for the total capitulation they could exact from their victims, and every world they conquered they filled with the best educated and firmest followers of the Imperial cult that ever could be found. It makes sense, then, that the Lash of Submission could be used to reflect the persuasive oratory of a Dark Apostle during battle. Now, the only issue is having to mark him to Slaanesh. But this is easily overcome with a quick appeal to the Word Bearers fickle nature of worship: as I recall, even though they worship the entire pantheon equally, it is not uncommon for them to favour one God over the other at certain times to meet their needs.

 

Bing bang boom? Sounds like it to me.

 

Since troops haven't changed all that much since V3, there's not much else to add here. I do, however, like the idea of the icon confering the mark - this way, it is much easier to take a Word Bearer squad with the icon of Nurgle and explain that they were using the powers of that God for that battle (whereas before, the models had to have the mark of nurgle, and thus be modelled appropriately). So it would make sense now for a word bearer player to have 1 model for each icon, and to change them in and out depending on the list he was playing - and thus your regular troops could still maintain the traditional colour scheme and flavour of the army.

 

I mentioned an Icon of Nurgle because the way I envision my word bearers is to have a 20 man squad with T5 (or maybe a 5+ invulnerable save would be better) getting into a good position and then summoning wave after wave of 130 point daemon squads at the enemy - just like in the fluff. Being T5 or 5+ inv would make your men hard to dislodge.

 

To me, even though the new codex has killed some of the things I do with my Death Guard army, it has left an interesting range of options for the Word Bearers player to explore. Whether you envision the Lash of Submission weilding Evangelist supported by rock hard units of CSM and waves of dispensible daemons, or an all Daemon army with the unpredictable possessed led by 2 winged daemon princes supported by only a handful of Word Bearers, I feel like this has opened some interesting - although potentially difficult to step through, doors.

 

So, how will you play Word Bearers now?

You talk about maintaining the flavor of the army, I think that once you mark your chaos lord slannesh and your troops nurgle you have already lost the flavor and fluff of a word bearer army.

"the word bearers do not follow any one of the chaos gods but are dedicated to them all as a pantheon"

By marking different units and characters so you can be hard to dislodge or take a certain psy power or gain what ever advantage on the table top. You've made your army just like one of the countless "renegade" chapters we will see springing up that take and mark each character and unit to give them the biggest advantage on the table top. " I'll give my bikers IoN so the can be T6 so they will be impossible to kill, then they can summon my IoTz 4+ invul save termi's" the only difference is that your army will be painted like WB's.

This is just IMO, and it's not ment to poo poo your idea, I just hate to see the undivided legions dissappear in every way but paint schemes. This dex has made it hard, you used to be able to run a perfectly solid army as undivided.

You say the lash of submission would sub. as the dark apostle's orator skills, I don't know what it does so...., is there no other way to accurately reproduce him while leaving him unmarked. Maybe that is the best way to represent him. Maybe you could mark the lord in order to get your "demagogue / master orator ability" but then leave the IoN or IoTz off the troops, by you own admittion that was just to give them more staying power. It's easy to justify anything fluff wize when the codex sz "anything goes". If your army is full characters and troops with different marks/icons is it really a WB's army anymore or are you just looking for the biggest game advantage in a codex that allows you to do anything ? Not a criticisim on you just something to think about. From someone who is trying to stay true to the fluff of his undivided arny with this new dex as well.

Chillin:

 

I hear what you're saying, and if I were going to take 2 characters with lash, and 3 vindicators, and raptors with mark of khorne, then yeah, that WOULD be power gaming.

 

But what I'm trying to do is make a competitive list, while maintaining aspects of the Word Bearers fluff. Using large units of 20 marines is hardly "power gaming" by any standard - that unit is extremely vulnerable to terrain, and template weapons. As well, using daemons AT ALL is probably considered by most power gamers to be tournament suicide - or, at least, if I were building the best competitive list for a tournament I wouldn't touch daemons. Not to mention, that squad will cost 400+ points, and if I lose the icon bearer, will become pratically useless.

 

What we used to be able to do was take a couple hard units of marines, and then pump out units of daemonettes or bloodletters, or take CC oriented marines and pump out flamers or horrors. But now we cannot do that anymore. So I'm just trying to see the Word Bearer in the codex.

 

Besides that, what you seem to be saying is that because Lash is potentially abusable, either you don't use it or you get labelled a power gamer. And anyway, check out the mark section for the Chaos Sorcerer - do you see a mark of chaos glory?

I see how you're looking at them Brother G and while I don't think its wrong, it just doesn't feel right to me.

 

I personally am doing to use only Unmarked troops.

I'm also focusing more on the aspect of the Word Bearers being one of the only Legions who are still a unified force and not a bunch of warbands by giving them better equipment and taking from the fluff that they operate from a corrupted forge world by giving them a highly mechanized force.

 

I was torn about the loss of the Dark Apostle until I thought about the fluff more. It mentions every champion in a host seeking to be the next Dark Apostle once the original one dies. That also means that not every Apostle is a pre-heresy chaplain.

Which to me means that there is a chance not every Apostle will have a crozium, it might have been lost by the previous one. So maybe using other weapons would be acceptable.

Word Bearers serve the chaos gods as fanatics of ritual and of service. Would they not deviate from time to time to a certain favour of one god above the others for a short period of time? Perhaps a balance, serve slaanesh for one battle, then khorne the next. Then serve the remaining two for subsequent pair of battles.

 

Icon of glory is also a good way to represent them, and say if they wish to plague a mass of civillians that are stout in their worship of the emperor, using nurgles 'influence' would be a prime way to convert them. In strategy and in fluff. While serving khorne for utmost rage when facing their sworn enemies, marines of the imperium or daemon hunters would be a great way to amplify their rage in their beliefs. A serving to slaanesh in killing eldar of dark and craftworld would please that patron greatly for the whole service of pleasure, and finally a serving to tzeentch to fight or manipulate other xenos to cause havoc against the imperium, like lead a fleet of tyranids away from a defended system to strike a vulnerable system, or to wake millions of necrons near a forge world.

 

There are a great deal of ways Word Bearers could serve and be rewarded if they use their service carefully, pleasing each god in the right kind of service. As they would know how to serve the gods more so then most other legions would. Doing things with icons is entirely fluffy, the temporary dedication to each god is utmost service when they give each god what they want individually. While serving all of them all the time equally would make things bland, dont you think so?

 

My armies fluff is generated around serving the gods, or themselves, each soul corrupted by a daemon in the warp manifested in a human corpse of a dead space marine both melded into the marine. Means anyones soul can be corrupted, even loose eldar souls and ork warboss souls. Such temporary dedication to each god for a 'gift' or protection from their host daemon as the reward.

 

Word bearers have their own sort of similar dedication.

Ive been playing WB since second edition, back when we had very little fluff wise and no rules :P...Ive kinda stuck with them through everything and when they were good great, when they were just normal marines in second ed. great. Point is, if you like WB, play em as such...If you like renegades, play them as such but its not WB, once you take the mark of slannesh on your leader you are no longer WB in my opinion...You can stick a feather up your butt that doesnt make you a chicken :P Not bashing, just my opinion. You are right though, lash seems like a very fluffy power for WB's to have, but taking the mark of slannesh completely negates that and then some.

 

Also, i think the lesser daemons are sorely underrated. The more and more i play with them, the more and more i realize they do well for themselves. Cheap, dont get shot-up, eat through swarm armies, tie up marine armies, soak fire for marines...The uses are endless. Ive used them in 9 or so games already with the new codex, and in everyone they do well for themselves. The greater daemon is just a friggin monster, the summoning rules for him are just insanely good, and well, he costs next to nothing. Its very very possible to have an "undivided" list and still do well for yourself, in the end you will have to make your decision...Play fluffy, or make random excuses and posts on the internet defending why you must take lash and how it fits in with your fluff. An excuse is an excuse and all the arguing in the world isnt gonna make it a WB army :P Be a man and own up with a list that is WB and be proud of being a WB player, there are going to be very very few of us true Apostles now :blush:

 

 

Smurfalypse

Well said Smurfalypse.

Mutt-man, WB don't seek to serve or please the gods one at a time b/c they don't view them that way. They view them as a pantheon of gods, the four powers occupying opposing points on the same compass. They would veiw worshiping one god at one time to the exclusion of the others in order to achieve something as diluted, half assed, qusi-chaos. The WB worship chaos in all its undiluted glory. Read the fluff on WB and the mark of undivided in the old dex and the fluff on WB in that old WD when they did the IA articals.

Gothard I certainly was not trying to imply that you were a power gamer or anything like that. And I totally agree that it seems that with this dex it is going to be hard to make a competitive list while sticking to the fluff of an undivided legion, as I said I'm looking to do it myself, and I don't know yet exactly how I am going to go about it. Like I said maybe for you the "slanny" lord with the lash, then IoG troops, the reroll could certainly be useful, wouldn't want 20 marines running off b/c of some freak roll.Like I said it would be a bad thing if all the undivided legions were that in paint scheme only.

 

SMURFALYPSE, you said you have played several game with the new dex using only undivided and have been sucessful. How have you been using your csm's as 'troops' choices ? Like how have you been gearing them up ? How have you been using them?

SMURFALYPSE, you said you have played several game with the new dex using only undivided and have been sucessful. How have you been using your csm's as 'troops' choices ? Like how have you been gearing them up ? How have you been using them?

 

I'd like to know that too.

Trying to be true to my dark gawds, I want to remain Undivided.

So how are you handling no cult troopers?

SMURFALYPSE, you said you have played several game with the new dex using only undivided and have been sucessful. How have you been using your csm's as 'troops' choices ? Like how have you been gearing them up ? How have you been using them?

 

I'd like to know that too.

Trying to be true to my dark gawds, I want to remain Undivided.

So how are you handling no cult troopers?

 

 

Dont get me wrong, (i personally DO NOT do it) but if a WB took an icon of khorne or something in a base CSM squad, I wouldnt consider that to much of a slight and would seem acceptable to me...Provided they represented each god somehow within the army (icon of slannesh on chosen, icon of nurgle on bikers, icon of tzeentch on havocs). As i said, i personally dont do it, but it wouldnt be to much of a slight.

 

Ive been using CSM (10 man squads) as kinda a versatile vanilla marine, the ability to charge someone and have 30 attacks on the charge is very useful, also count in the 8 or so bolt pistol shots before you run in, or you could stop in front of your enemy and just unload with everything you have. My normal CSM squad is equipped with a heavy weapon (in case i need to fight someone who is gonna whoop me in melee, like orks or nid) and a melta/plasma gun depending on pts, also an aspiring champion with a PF. Thats kinda the meat and potatoes of my lists, i use my lesser daemons as "fire fighters"..."OMG im not gonna win over here, well, thats where i put my daemons" having multiple squads and many options to bring on your daemons/terms(with combi weapons)/Oblit's (omg good, the possibilites of a deep strike that doesnt scatter is endless with their new weapon list)/aspiring champ's for the greater daemon. Also all my CSM squads are usually in rhino's, so to add mobility (most games are won in the movement phase). Its a very simple list, a little bland being its full of CSM's, but they are insane versatility and can be good (though not great) against everyone.

 

Im kinda new to bolter and chainsword, but i will start posting battle reports once the codex is officially released and we can all compare strat's and stuff and figure out the best ways to use everything. Im having good signs though from my undivided, icon of glory CSM's though, they are able to handle dark angels just as well as they can ork's or nid or space wolves.

 

Smurfalypse

wont post again tonight, gotta head to work , will check back in the morning with you bro-hamsters

Well here is my 2 bits on the Word Bearers and changes I plan to do...

 

I may use a unit of Generic Demons...I have yet to play test them. I think they will do well as an average shock trooper. 15 demons, 2 attacks+1 on charge=45 attacks, assume hitting on 4's, then wounding on 4's, they should cause enough armor saves to be able to take down a Marine Squad nicely.

 

I do plan to use the Generic Greater demon, I am working on a possible ideal, need to order bits thouh....I love the stats and how cheap it is.

 

Dark Appostale will either be a Undivided with the 5+ and Demon Weapon or at least a power weapon. I may dabble and try MoT as well to up the save to a 4+....

 

A Sorcerer with the army seems to be possible with any mark as they are undivided the Sorcerer has been won over by one of the 4 major powers or perhaps hard core undivided still....

 

Troops...despite the loss of 8-9 slots, I make infiltration squads anyway, Chosen are a better deal now with the costs and advantages, weapons, etc...so with one or two going there...generic demons no longer count to slots..no issues...

 

I have had some raptors unfinished for some time, this could be a cue to try them....

 

I already had a variety of Oblits, Havoks, etc...which I plan to use and stick with my all infantry format still.....

 

Terminators are also going to come into the light for me to play around with...with the new plastic kit and cheaper costs...

Well, after reading what the lot of you had to say about my Lash idea, I've decided to scrap it for the time being until I can find at least ONE other person who agrees that it would make an awesome "counts as" substitute for Demagogue (which was a great defensive power - I guess)

 

Anyway, I thought I would post here the list I was envisioning.

 

Sorcerer: wings, warptime (145)

 

20 Marines: IoCG, lascannon, plasmagun, champion with powerfist (385)

20 Marines: IoCG, lascannon, plasmagun, champion with powerfist (385)

 

9 lesser daemons (117)

9 lesser daemons (117)

9 lesser daemons (117)

Greater daemon (100)

 

8 Raptors: IoCG, 2x meltagun, champion (205)

3 Bikers: IoCG, 2x meltagun (129)

 

1700 pts

80 models

 

After a 2 hour bout of clipping bits from my GIANT pile of un-used sprues, I've found that I actually have enough spare models/parts to make this list! But I won't start until I get some hints from you lot that it either will or wont work.

 

Basically, the idea is to deploy as far forward as possible (unless against Tyranids) and march into a good position with my 20 man units and unleash the daemons. I figure 20 guys is enough to soak up a couple turns of firepower to get into a good spot. Then, the bikers and raptors hunt tanks. The raptors also have the sole responsibility of dumping the greater daemon into the enemy - something that was much easier when they had hit and run, but I'm sure it will still work. The sorcerer plays rover and responds to my opponents HQ to dish out some yummy yummy force weapon death.

 

If I was going to take it to 2000 I would either add a unit of 10 terminators, or 20 or so more lesser daemons.

I like where you're going but it looks like you're troop choices might be a bit too big to really do their job.

Lets face it, 20 guys firing 1 lascannon is a waste.

I'd say 10 guys is questionable, but still in the realm of doable, but 20 is too many.

I'd cut those squads to 10 and give them a rhino. Even if you choose to stand and shoot your heavy weapon, the rhino can act as a mobile wall blocking LOS or giving cover. And if you want to move, it would help you get your Icon and therefore your daemons closer to the enemy.

 

With all the points saved, I'd add another 3 man melta bike squad, I think they make a pretty tough semi-suicidal anti tank unit.

Switching to the rhino and another bike squad still leaves you with over 100 points extra. So you could bulk up your raptors or add more daemons or maybe skip the rhinos and add some obliterators for heavy weapons.

 

 

But on topic:

I think it would be possible to play Word Bearers as marked troops BUT

and its a big BUTT

I think you'd have to have each god represented on the field.

 

A slanneshi sorcerer

Khornish raptor squad

Nurgle Havocks

Tzneetchian troops

etc etc

 

I personally wouldn't do it this way, but atleast you could argue that each god is represented.

How to represent A Dark Apostle?

 

Mark of Tzeentch and Power Weapon (4+ invurn represented on the model as the Crozuis) You would of course not model him as Tzeentchy. Hope that helps, exact same thing as a Crozius : ) and ya can pack on some power and make him a sorceror apostle

I'll play 'em like I've got a pair!

 

...er, whoops. Wrong game. Moving along...

 

I plan to play the Word Bearers exactly as I always have - lots of Chaos Marines, led by a powerful Lord, his Exalted Champions, and his band of followers. The Icons give a nice way to boost stats and individualize squads, and I'm going to be using a few very different, force-specific Word Bearers squads (Cult Troops using 'counts as' rules) in my army as well, but I don't see any of this as violating the background, particularly. I treat the Icons more like a Veteran Skill. As far as my background's concerned, they're all Word Bearers, worshipping the Dark Pantheon in all its glory, even if the specific rule names say I have Mark of Tzeentch here and Icon of Khorne there.

 

That said, I really don't think that a Sorcerer with Lash of Submission is a very good way to represent a Fallen Chaplain (or 'Dark Apostle,' if you must). These sorts of powers never make much sense to me, as they require the enemy to actually understand what's being said which, in the case of almost everyone (I envision the Word Bearers speaking an ancient, Sumerian-style dialect of their own), isn't going to happen. One of the nice trends of this 'v4.5' revision, for me, is that it gets rid of what I see as the more 'comic book' elements of some of the 40Kv3/4 Codexes, which gave the speech and glare of characters a supernatural power that was completely over the top. No more "I shout some loud exhortations of the Chaos Gods, and thus frighten the Necrons into submission"-type situations. Lord Esarhaddon, Master of the Sicarii is one hell of an orator, but on the field of battle, he's happy to let his Crozius do the talking.

I think that list is much more like a WB's list. I do agree with minigun I think 20 man units are too big. If you want 40 csm's go with 4 units of 10. You would gain 2 more champs, 2 more PF, 2 more laz, 2 more plasmas. Rinos or foot sloogers are up to you. You could send them all to one place like 1 big unit but also give you the option of coming at your opponent from 4 diferent ways (where does he concertrate his defences) then with the bikes and or raptors too you will all over him summoning daemons. I think I would go with all bikes or all raptors, but that is a personal thing. And a 'what kind of models you already have thing to, huh' ;) Not only do I think this is a WB's list, I think it is a much scarier and solid list.

 

Ya, know I think Red Baron might have a point. A Tz sorc with the 4+ save kinda mimics the Crozuis,

Tz might have something else that is dark apostile like. And I might lose Smurfalypse here, but I don't think taking a sorc, even a Tz one pigion holes you like taking the MoS with the lash does. Don't do the sorc up Tz like and Don't consider him a Tz sorc, just your dark apostile. Leave the troops all Undivided.

Either way I think this is a much better list, from a fluff as well as a competitive standpoint,

A little notice on 'SMURFALYPSE' - GW needs an occasional global campaign they host. You know, armageddon and such? Since the date for Apoc is around the ork and chaos codexes (where legion and daemon specific rules are not complete yet or they're unsure) they give us the main codex to work from. Do the campaign, then start on us later. Not as if they dont have 5+ outdated armies to work on after us anyways. (Space Wolves, Imperial Guards, Orks, Dark Eldar, and the other armies needing the points updates like necrons, base space marine dex, templar codex etc etc)

 

Gripe gripe, whine whine. Are we chaos? I think most of the eldar players playing craftworld got more shafted then what you guys think and the Eldar players took it just fine. Just goes to show what difference in sportsmanship and tolerance gap between the two armies players are. I own eldar, so with 30 un-used warp spiders, 30 un-used chaos bikes, many un-used blastmasters and dreadnoughts and ... and... List goes on and on. I accept the new codexes, why cant you guys?

 

(If you want a total number, between eldar and chaos new codexes I'm screwed over 2000 bucks) Live with it guys.... And ebay!

Gripe gripe, whine whine. Are we chaos? I think most of the eldar players playing craftworld got more shafted then what you guys think and the Eldar players took it just fine. Just goes to show what difference in sportsmanship and tolerance gap between the two armies players are. I own eldar, so with 30 un-used warp spiders, 30 un-used chaos bikes, many un-used blastmasters and dreadnoughts and ... and... List goes on and on. I accept the new codexes, why cant you guys?

 

(If you want a total number, between eldar and chaos new codexes I'm screwed over 2000 bucks) Live with it guys.... And ebay!

I don't know man - I don't think it's intolerant to be pissed that all my daemon models lost their special rules (30 plague bearers, great unclean one, 7+ nurgling bases). I don't care what Eldar lost or gained, there's way more chaos players than Eldar (sales and new releases alone show the proof of that); you're going to see more whining from Chaos players, and that doesn't necessarily mean that chaos players are less tolerant or sporting than Eldar.

 

But like I said, I don't want to have this turn into chaos codex gripes - lord knows we have enough of those already.

 

Ive been playing WB since second edition, back when we had very little fluff wise and no rules ...Ive kinda stuck with them through everything and when they were good great, when they were just normal marines in second ed. great. Point is, if you like WB, play em as such...If you like renegades, play them as such but its not WB, once you take the mark of slannesh on your leader you are no longer WB in my opinion...You can stick a feather up your butt that doesnt make you a chicken Not bashing, just my opinion. You are right though, lash seems like a very fluffy power for WB's to have, but taking the mark of slannesh completely negates that and then some.

After re-reading the Word Bearers IA, and the old codex fluff, I have to say I tend to agree with what you're saying. However, all I was trying to accomplish was to show how I thought Lash would make an interesting 'counts as' for a demagogue substitute, and the only way to get it is to take the MoS.

 

That said, I really don't think that a Sorcerer with Lash of Submission is a very good way to represent a Fallen Chaplain (or 'Dark Apostle,' if you must). These sorts of powers never make much sense to me, as they require the enemy to actually understand what's being said which, in the case of almost everyone (I envision the Word Bearers speaking an ancient, Sumerian-style dialect of their own), isn't going to happen. One of the nice trends of this 'v4.5' revision, for me, is that it gets rid of what I see as the more 'comic book' elements of some of the 40Kv3/4 Codexes, which gave the speech and glare of characters a supernatural power that was completely over the top. No more "I shout some loud exhortations of the Chaos Gods, and thus frighten the Necrons into submission"-type situations. Lord Esarhaddon, Master of the Sicarii is one hell of an orator, but on the field of battle, he's happy to let his Crozius do the talking.

Excellent point, and well put! I never really took into account that hardly any of their opponents would be able to understand their preachings.

Ive thought about doing a marked sorcerer as a second HQ choice, but to be honest, im not a huge fan of lash or any of the other marked powers. I would personally run Gift over anything right now, its just to cool to be able to rip off powerfists in peoples units. To each his own, but i stand by my conviction that if your leader has a mark, you are no longer a WB army :sweat:

 

Smurfalypse

To each his own, but i stand by my conviction that if your leader has a mark, you are no longer a WB army :sweat:

Ehhh, I dunno about that. Jeff 'Midwest' Arp's old Tubal-Khan fiction included a Khorne-worshipper as an Exalted Champion, and seeing as Arp wrote the Word Bearers IA article, it doesn't seem that wrong to me. :blush:

Slightly related note, but what do people think about modeling the accursed crozium as something other than your typical mace? Or even using an entirely different weapon all together ?

Or are we thinking that a crozius does a Dark Apostle/fallen chaplain make?

To each his own, but i stand by my conviction that if your leader has a mark, you are no longer a WB army :P

Ehhh, I dunno about that. Jeff 'Midwest' Arp's old Tubal-Khan fiction included a Khorne-worshipper as an Exalted Champion, and seeing as Arp wrote the Word Bearers IA article, it doesn't seem that wrong to me. ;)

 

Then he has lost his way and will be sorely punished if i ever get a hold of him :D

 

 

Smurfalypse

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