Fear, Soul Blaze, and Champions of Chaos

[L30n1d4s]

I know many think the C:CSM book is underpowered/below expectations, especially compared with the new DA dex, but I personally think it is very decent, definitely an improvement over the last book, fluffy, and offering multiple plausible/competitive builds.

 

If I could change three things to make the book truly on level with other codices, they would be:

 

1 - Fear USR - In addition to reducing Weapon Skill on a failed Ld test, it automatically prevents (i.e. no Ld test required) units being charged by a unit with Fear USR from Overwatching and gives the unit with Fear USR assault grenades. Units with ATSKNF would be immune to the Ld test portion still, but would not be able to overwatch still.

 

2 - Soul Blaze USR - Instead of current rules, any unit hit (not wounded, just hit) with a weapon with Soul Blaze have -1 Toughness for the rest of the turn (would affect ID threshold)

 

3 - Champion of Chaos - Units with this rule automatically get to roll on the Boon Table for "free" before the game starts, just like Gift of Mutation allows currently (re-roll Spawn/DP results). Purchasing the Gift of Mutation upgrade would grant D3 additional rolls on the table.

 

 

What would this do?

Well, for starters, it would make Icon of Despair, Icon of Flame, and the Flames of Spite and Lord of Terror WL traits MUCH more valuable/useable.

 

Second, it would make Tzeentch units (include 1K Sons), much better value, since Soul Blaze would be a great multiplier, both for them and as a "force multiplier" for other units. Inferno Bolts that wound on a 3+ against MEQs are significantly better.

 

Third, it would make any units with the Daemon rule (DP, Warp Talons, Mutilators, Possessed, Daemon Engines) better in CC, since Daemon USR grants Fear to those units and, hence, immunity to Overwatch and access to assault grenades. Since many of the Daemon units are the weaker ones in the codex, this would buff them measurably and make them much more competitive/useable.

 

Fourth, it would make the ICs and Aspiring Champions in each unit stronger, since before the game they would get one roll on the table for free and D3 more rolls on the table if they bought Gifts of Mutation upgrade (Possessed and Warp Talons can buy 2 Gifts of Mutation, so potentially 2D3 rolls on the table... that would be on tricked out Character if he got 6 upgrades!!! ;) ).

 

Overall, I think these three changes would make a big difference and truly cover some of the primary gaps in C: CSM, taking it from very decent right now to excellent in terms of competitiveness.

[the jeske]

and mutation would then cost 45 pts and would not be open for anything else then HQ choices.

[spafe]

I like the other ideas, but the boon champion thing is wrong. I get where your coming from, but its too impractical to have to remember what each one got. It would work if it was a rolling scale, much more simplyfied, so say, each time you qualify for a roll roll a d6, on a 5+ you get another 'token' of attention from the gods, when you have 1 you get etc etc, similar to how pain tokens work for de (but this is prob why it isnt done, too similar).

 

Otherwise for my 1500 point list, before the game starts I have something like 4 D3 + 5 rolls on the table, and then have to try and remember which goes with which.

 

Cant honestly offer a better solution, but I dont think yours helps (although major Kudos for trying, Its much easier to knock down a reason than come up with them)

[kogeninja]

I like your first two suggestions but I think the Champion of Chaos rule and the boon table work just fine as they are now. Regarding Soul Blaze, Warpflame Gargoyles would probably need to be a bit more expensive than they are now though as they'd be a bit cheap. Compared with rad grenades on Grey Knights and the new Ravenwing grenade launchers, they only last for a short while but Soul Blaze is an ongoing (potentially) effect.