Help versus the vile Chaos Space Marines

[battlebrotherkartzinel]

Hey Guys! Totally brand new here, I just got back into 40k after a 2 year hiatus. I'm pretty much the classic Ultramarines player.

 

So, here's the deal, I've got a great opponent at the local game store, but he's got a brutal chaos list that I'm having a heck of a time beating. I don't have it exact, and he makes changes to it here and there, but the problem components are:

1 x Helldrake with balestorm flamer (I purchased, assembled, and painted up a stormtalon that effectively countered it last game, but not before it vaporized 60% of one of my troop squads)

1 x Forgefiend (pulverizes my heavy support with its autocannons)

1 x Maulerfiend (shreds terminators with ease)

3 squads of zombies

Typhus

1 6 or 7 man squad of plague marines

Chaos lord with some kind of super flamer weapon, can't remember it exactly, but it was ap3, so it just roasted my poor tac squads.

 

My list is

Space Marine Librarian Epistolary; The Avenger; The Gate of Infinity; force weapon; psychic hood; Terminator armour; storm bolter

 

7 Terminators powerfists; storm bolters

 

10 Tactical Marines flamer; lascannon;

 

10 Tactical Marines flamer; plasma cannon;

 

10 Tactical Marines flamer; plasma cannon;

 

Stormtalon Gunship twin-linked assault cannon; Skyhammer missile launcher;

 

Predator twin-linked lascannon; sponson heavy bolters;

5 Devastators 4× missile launcher;

Razorback twin-linked lascannon

 

Really, my biggest issue has been that his vehicles make their 5+ invulnerable save, and I'm not really sure how I can better deal with them. Does my list need work? Or is there some glaring weakness I should know about against the CSM?

[Iron Father Ferrum]

If he's rolling like a boss on his I-saves, then the easiest way to counter that is to swap, say, GoI for Null Zone. Make him roll those 5++s over and over again, and he will start failing them.

 

I'd also recommend a Thunderfire Cannon, actually. It'll make mincemeat out of the zombie hordes while your plasma cannons pummel his Plague Marines. The TFC's surface detonation rounds are S6 AP5, so you're denying the zombies both their armor save and FNP.

 

As for the Maulerfiend, you should not be sending Tactical Terminators at it anyway; they'd do a better job deep striking next to the Plague Marines and mulching them with power fists. You've got three sets of lascannons and four missile launchers; their target priority, right off the bat, must be the Maulerfiend. Kill it before it gets to close combat, and if you have to toss the Razorback in front of it to stop it from ripping your infantry apart, don't be afraid to do it. Sometimes, in war, sacrifices must be made.

[DarkGuard]

If the biggest issue is his invulnerable saves, then why aren't you taking the one psychic power that makes him re-roll them? 5++ is hard enough already, having to re-roll it makes it very, very hard to pass. IMO, it's the best power in the C:SM Codex, and always deserves a spot.

[minigun762]

Consider splurging for 1-2 chainfists for the terminators. Minor point increase for a big boost.

 

Remember that all demon engines are WS3 so you should be hitting on 3's in close combat.