Best APO formation for Abaddon

[Sception]

With the new round of Chaos Datasheets on the GW webpage, there are now two contenders for best apocalypse retinue for the big, bad, Abby. The first is the Chaos Annihilation Force, which has been on the webpage for a while. Though Abby cannot be included within the formation itself, having him hang out with the formation doesn't cause any problems. The result is rather spectacular and very cinematic in game, with barrage after barrage smashing the enemy's most important objective, and terminators and eventually abby and his own terminator squad teleporting in to claim the rubble. You even get a precision strike to cripple any nasty war machine hanging out near the objective that might mess up Abby's arrival.

 

The second, newer option is the Chaos Conclave. This formation includes all of the army's characters, and puts Abby at their head. Each character must have their own retinue of chosen or terminators (although they don't have to be attatched to the units). Each of your characters becomes a mobile disrupter beacon (very handy against flank marches and drop pods), and you get a single orbital bombardment with number of shots = the number of characters in the formation. This formation actually includes Abby, marks him difinitively at the head of all your other characters, and gives each of your characters (Abby included) greater strategic importance. However, it isn't as cinematic or objective-oriented as the annihilation force, and doesn't quite convey Abby's single minded, uncompromising focus quite as well.

 

Now, ideally you would just take both formations. After all, Abby wouldn't technically be part of the Annihilation force either way. However, this would require you to have a number of chosen and terminator squads = your total number of characters +3, and in apocalypse that can be an aweful lot of units. If you don't have enough models, this might force your individual unit sizes down to piddly numbers hardly worthy of a big game. (who wants to see ten units of minimum strength chosen and terminator squads in an APO game?)

 

 

So, if you had to choose one or the other of the formations to convey the majesty of Abaddon at the head of a massive Black Legion Apocalypse army, which would you choose?

[Joah from Alberta]

All I gotta say is that I purchased an already painted Tzeetch termie lord, LC and PW for $20. For another $1 I got a barbie sized Alien (for my bitz box, make good 'nids gargant conversion).

 

I eventually plan on building a large base out of wood and placing small magnets on the underside of my termie bases to match the magnets on the top of the wooden base. This by the way is plan #542 on my list to do. Before I do this, I must consider the placement position of the ring (which termies to place where when they deep strike). Maybe you can advise me malisteen. This will be my New World Eaters CA force, composed of 10 Khorne termies 5 of which have already been fitted http://www.worldeaters.net/viewtopic.php?t...sc&start=45 with paired LCs. 5 are my old termie WE termie lord with retinue. And 5 are yet in the box hanging out with another sprue of 5 pairs LC. These I am thinking of either making into Tzeentch or Slaanesh (here again I'm open to suggestions).

[blamb]

I say the conclave. Noe it isn't a strike force so you can scatter the units around the table. with enough characters (it is appocalypse so you should have enough marine amongst your side to make the right amount of chosen) you can severly disrupt their reserves (which from experience plays a big part) and the added bonus of having a decent bombardment.