Chaos Chosen Marines

[KoRny Kenny]

With my battleforce arriving early next week. I was considering converting 5 of the Chaos Space Marines into Chosen Marines. That way I'd have the compulsory two troops in my 8x Berzerkers and my 10x Chaos Space Marines along with two Elite squads in the form of the Possessed Marines and the Chosen.

 

But I was wondering if this was a good idea as opposed to just having two sqauds of 8x and 7x CSM.

 

Anyone had good/bad experiences with Chosen? I know they're not THAT different from CSM but I figured it'd be worth asking since I could really make them stand out with some conversion work.

 

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Paradigm]

Well they have their uses. You could always use them as either or, as well. Generally speaking use them as special weapon squads not as a close combat squad.

[KoRny Kenny]

1 reply and no views? That makes sense, heh. Thanks for the info, I had heard that Chosen were best for range, with Berzerkers on close combat I guess that makes sense anyways.

 

I was thinking a flamer and a couple of plasma guns in the squad of five along with a missile launcher.

[Ammonius]

Unless you have a very specific role in mind, don't mix heavy and assault weapons, you'll be hard pressed to use all of them each turn.

 

I have a squad of chosen with 5 flamers that outflank (part of having infiltrate) in a rhino and go after backline squads on objectives or the like. They don't "work" every time, but the threat adds one more thing for my opponents to think about. When they do work (getting 40-odd hits on a largish group of firewarriors cover-camping an objective) it is very satisfying.

[KoRny Kenny]

That does sound pretty sweet right that. What about their infiltrate rule? Is that handy to take advantage of in a standard "Annihilation" game? Or more useful in objective based ones I'm guessing.

 

I do like the thought of flamers though, burny-burny! A combination of flamers and maybe a melta gun or two in case there's any armour that needs punching?

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

The best use of Chosen I've found: 5-man squad Outflanking in a Rhino with 3 meltaguns and two flamers, maybe a powerfist in there in case you have to tangle with something in CC with a high T that you can't get away from. Don't expect them to survive, but they can provide a useful and almost-impossible-to-ignore nuisance and maybe take something down with them before they go. I've also had partial success with a 5-man Chosen squad Infiltrating and packing all plasmaguns, but I don't use that one very often for all the obvious reasons.

 

If you're not digging the synergy, though, don't bother with them. They're pricier CSMs with one semi-neat trick.

[KoRny Kenny]

Thanks for the tip!

 

My friend who I'll be playing against a lot plays IG and has a number of vehicles including a Basilisk. I'm considering some Oblits to try and deal with that though the rumours of the new codex/new releases makes me wonder if it'd be worth it.

[nurglez]

Chosen and terminators, good as throw away units. Ironic that our veterans are best served as suicide troops...

 

5 chosen with 5 specials (2-3flamers and 3-2 melta my preferred) can damage most things, stick em in a rhino and outflank them, and they can threaten most things.

 

Oblitorators are great heavy support, I seriously doubt (though don't quote me on it) that GW will ruin this. Although I don't like oblit's as they seem to decent for their costs, and they don't really suit my playing style.

[KoRny Kenny]

Argh, but I was thinking of having my Berzerkers in my Rhino as I only have one. Maybe the Chosen could follow them and use them as cover?

[Kristoff]

But I was wondering if this was a good idea as opposed to just having two sqauds of 8x and 7x CSM.

 

I would like to point out that anything other than 5 or 10 for the CSM squads is kind of pointless. You're required to have 5, and so you get a Special Weapon available there, but you don't get the 2nd or a Heavy until 10, with no more unlocks past that. So it is better to have 1x10 and 1x5 for 2 teams from 15 models. And since you already have Berzerkers, if you have the Special Weapons, by all means fit them out as Chosen.

[Brother Nihm]

I'm considering some Oblits to try and deal with that though the rumours of the new codex/new releases makes me wonder if it'd be worth it.

Only time will tell.

In the meantime, why not proxy them?

 

Chosen are a gimmick unit, best fielded as a special weapons (suicide) platform, and it is not like we are in need of those, especially if you are using the standard setup (10 CSM, 2x Melta, champ + fist & optional icon, in a Rhino).

 

 

My 2 Kraks

[totgeboren]

I want to point out that your squad of normal dudes really should be 10-man strong, meaning you have 5 csm left. 5 chosen are probably more useful as chosen than normal dudes. However, both your 10 CSM and 8 Berzerkers need to advance if you are to get the most out of them, meaning you have no one left to hold your home/close objectives.

 

You could actually go with 10 with 2 specials, and 5 with maybe a plasmagun. That way you will be a bit more flexible, and not have to choose between going for the kill and going for the objective. With chosen, you will always need to go for killing, becuase you have no unit that you can leave behind to use to hold objectives.

[the jeske]

well he could make 5 man plague marines from that what would make more sense but anyway.

 

no they can not run behind a rhino [because a single rhino dies to fast , they die ultra fast without transports and melta are short range] . There is no other way then runing them in a rhino . By the way , the only time when your runing csm or zerkers not in a rhino is when they have a land raider .

 

as models goes . possessed are brutaly craptastic so a sensible thing to do would be use their parts and mix them around all squads [so no squad looks like possessed] and get 2x10 +zerker . a better base for an actual army then making 5 possessed and never using them.

[Spacefrisian]

well he could make 5 man plague marines from that what would make more sense but anyway.

 

as models goes . possessed are brutaly craptastic so a sensible thing to do would be use their parts and mix them around all squads [so no squad looks like possessed] and get 2x10 +zerker . a better base for an actual army then making 5 possessed and never using them.

 

 

I thought thats what you should do with those possessed, glue a bolter in their hands and use them a Plague marines.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

If you going to run a squad of 5 Chosen with specials, I recommend all plasma. Infiltrate them to midfield, and plink anything that comes close. You can pop Rhinos & Razorbacks with plasma fairly easily, and with that kind of volume of shots, you can even reliably put down things like Stormravens (I know, I've done it with my quad-plasma command squad). And any infantry near you get ripped up after only one salvo.

[Panda_]

Chosen may not be the best unit, but they have a few tricks on their shelves.

 

This is the loadout I'd recommend too. However as they are few on numbers, I'd prefer to Outflank them in a Rhino :

1/ You won't loose models before their 1st shootings. Their Rhino provides redondancy.

2/ You'll disturb opponents position before they come.

3/ You still have the possibility to infiltrate them. Their Rhino provides additional covers for your other Rhinos.

[KoRny Kenny]

Well then I'd be torn between putting my Berzerkers in the Rhino, or the Chosen as I'm only going to have one for at least a month or so. Surely the Berzerks in the Rhino would be better due to their lack of ranged capability? Least then I can put the Chosen behind the Rhino for cover.

 

Unrelated, but why must Obliterators be so expensive?!

[greatcrusade08]

chosen are a strange unit, thier upgrade options are very misleading as even if you buy the champion option, the unit can still only have 5 upgrades maximum.

IMO its best to ignore the champ and just buy 5 of one weapon type, be it melta, flamer or plasma and outflank the bad boys.

 

i had a doubles game recently, my chaos and a daemon army vs space wolves and blood angels.. we were getting owned but in the space of one turn i turned the game on its head with a flanking squad of chosen with 5 plasmagunners.

i microwaved Mephy with them, and in his next turn he tried to tank shock my one remaining unit of PMs with his land raider, a death or glory shot with a meltgun deprived him of his tank and we went on to pull off a win.

 

and it was all down to those plasmagun armed chosen, ridding the world of mephy.

 

its a bit extreme as an anecdote, but chaos have very little in the way of left field, most of our kidney punches come in the form of termicide, i think chosen fill a niche that we can exploit a little more

[KoRny Kenny]

See, I keep getting everyone telling me how Chosen and PM are bad choices and semi-useless. I think this is why Chaos is good since it's a case of building up your army and use what you like in a way until it starts to work.

 

But yeah, my battleforce arrived this afternoon and my berserkers are already assembled. I might start a WIP thread at some point, we'll see. Thanks all for the suggestions!

 

With my Chosen I'll think about what guns to give them but I think I'll slam some Nurgle/Slaanesh Champion heads on them for extra stand-out value so they don't blend in with the other CSM.

[Warsmith Aznable]

Well then I'd be torn between putting my Berzerkers in the Rhino, or the Chosen as I'm only going to have one for at least a month or so.

 

Berserkers in the Rhino, Chosen Infiltrating, I guess. OR, find something that is 3" wide, 5" long, and a little over 2" tall as a proxy. If you're just starting an army then I doubt anybody would fault you for it.

[KoRny Kenny]

Well then I'd be torn between putting my Berzerkers in the Rhino, or the Chosen as I'm only going to have one for at least a month or so.

 

Berserkers in the Rhino, Chosen Infiltrating, I guess. OR, find something that is 3" wide, 5" long, and a little over 2" tall as a proxy. If you're just starting an army then I doubt anybody would fault you for it.

 

Exactly my thoughts with the Chosen and the Berserkers.

[Muskie]

Chosen are probably my favourite unit in the current codex. The modeling options are great. I'm big on infiltration. I prefer them to 3 man terminator squads and definitely over possessed. I like dreads but their rules make them not worth their points cost. A lot of Chaos army choices are clearly inferior to what the Codex SM, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and Grey Knights get so it can be a bit frustrating. Hopefully in the next Chaos Codex they not only boost or cheapen some staples, but add in new CSM only toys to make the army more appealing and competitive.

 

I built a squad of four combi-melta plus one missile launcher chosen and infiltrated or outflanked with them. The Missile Launcher lets them shoot and scare anything but four melta shots fries most anything they flank near. The problem is mobility once you fry the closest thing and of course the game can be mostly over by the time they show up. But their arrival can win or turn a game. It is an expensive gimmicky unit, but I play for fun.

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3420/3929710279_c7f6d5754b.jpg

Chosen Chaos Space Marine by Muskie McKay, on Flickr

[KoRny Kenny]

Thanks Muskie, good tip. Melta's seem to be a common thing amongst Chosen which makes sense. But where are you getting your Meltas from? I mean, I got one in the battleforce, do you know a good Bitz site that has plenty in stock by any chance?

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

eBay's usually a good place to find them. Even Loyalist ones are easy to convert.

[Blackmonkey0]

The exhaust things on the Manufactorum walls make excellent Chaos melta barrels.

 

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad4/Blackmonkey0/Random/Meltabarrell.jpg