Kitting out Terminators

[Brother Heinrich]

Hey guys, 

 

so quick question for the tactically-minded amongst you, what would be the best way to run non-termicide Terminators? Basically I want to have a 5-man squad in a landraider (not optimal I know, but that's what I'm doing so please refrain from saying "don't do that") and I'm trying out to figure out the best way to make them at least semi-successful.

 

Things I've got floating around my brain for them:

 

• Plasma death storm is always fun, giving them all combi-plasma and having them hose another 2+ armor unit down is very rewarding.

 

• Lightning Claws are a potential, I like the idea of having one and getting re-rolled wounds and hitting at initiative. I've tried the axe thing for a while now and never gotten the return I wanted form it, they hit last and half are dead by that time anyways. 

 

• Mark of Slaanesh and the Banner of Excess are appealing as well just to give them the first hit (or at least on par with most Eldar) and FnP for additional survivability. 

 

So what would you guys recommend? How do you run yours? Do you put any heavy weapons with them like Autocannons or a Heavy flamer? I really don't want my Atramentar to collect dust forever, so I'm open to everything from Mark of Tzeentch, to dual-LCs and Mark of Khorne. Thanks in advance.

[Chiv]

I myself have had similar thoughts and I kitted out 5 termies with dual LC's and MoK, haven't been able to test out in any games yet though. Of course I'll be running them in a LR next to another LR full of zerkers for all the CC Khornate goodness. It'll probably fail utterly but blood is blood.

[M@l!ce]

I'd say a good loadout would be power swords and the aforementioned combi-plasma, with Reaper autocannon as the heavy weapon.  Take at least one unwieldy weapon for init step shennanigans.

[Brother Heinrich]

So something like:

 

• Chaos Terminators - 5x Terminators, 4x Combi-Plasma, Reaper Autocannon, 4x Power Swords, Powerfist.

 

Would you give them any marks/icons? Also any reason Auto-cannon over heavy flamer?

[Scribe]

One day...

 

5 Terminator

MoK

All Power Maul

All Combi-Plas

Icon

LR

 

So much hammering.

[Uprising]

Personality I like a squad of Chaos Terminators - 5x Terminators, 4x Combi-Plasma, Reaper Autocannon, 4x maul or ax, chain fist with a mark of nurgle. Then I deep strike them and hopefully get into the flank of the enemy.  I prefer auto cannon over flamer because of the range(we do not have reliable deep strike still), and it strength is similar to the plasma.  I also suggest mark of nurgle because it add survivability to the squad against massive anti troop fire they will attract and prevent instant death.  Use term as a alpha strike and distraction, nothing more, nothing less.  Btw I love those new word bearers terminators! 

[Kilofix]

Currently I have 3 squads and 2 extras:

 

Anti-Armor:

4 with Combi-Melta and Chainfist

1 with Storm-Bolter, Chainfist and Icon of Slaanesh

 

Anti-MEQ:

4 with Combi-Plasma and Power Swords

1 with Reaper AC and Chainfist (just in case armor shows up)

 

Anti-Horde:

1 with Combi-Flamer and Power Axe (just in case an MC shows up)

3 with Combi-Flamer and Power Mauls

1 with Heavy Flamer and Power Maul

 

1 with Lightning Claw and Power Fist (sometimes doubles as my HQ in TDA)

 

1 with Storm-Bolter and Power Sword (sometimes doubles as my HQ in TDA)

 

I mix and match the above.

[Brother Heinrich]

I think the anti MEQ configuration might suit my local group meta the best. Just out of curiosity, do you nominate one fo the sword guys as your champ or use the chainfist guy?

[Lootzer]

I would stay away from the reaper - 25pts is just too much imho.
 

I got my termies magnetized so I can change the loadout how I see it fit but I mostly run 1xChainfist and the rest with axes and combi-plasmas. Sometimes add in HF and change to combi-flamers.

[Clone]

I've had some success with: 4x combi melta, 2x power axes, 2x lightning claws, heavy flamer, chainfist and MoN.

[Brother Ambroz]

I've run mine with 5 plasma (occasionally just 5 bolters) and power mauls. If I mark them I give them MoN. Usually take them as an escort for my ML3 termi sorceror. They took down Ghazgul + huge mob and came out with a few guys left. I did take them in my freshly painted land raider a few times and each time the LR let them loose turn 1 or 2 and then just shot at random things ineffectively but I get why you want to use it.

[RolandTHTG]

I've had some success w/
5 termis

2 axe

2 chainfist

sword on champ (though that is pure wysiwyg. I've had more fun when I proxied him with an axe)
MoK

Icon
occasional adding a Heavy flamer, no other shooting upgrades

 

Just drive forward, dump out turn two, then charge w/ the icon reroll. Laugh at the panic when you roll attacks.
They generally die, but guy the enemy line before they do.
Come Tax refund, I'm getting a set of red butcher's to run these guys properly.
 

[Urauloth]

Don't do that

 

If you're putting them in a land raider there's really no reason to shell out for the autocannon, they're not really going to have much opportunity to use it and it's too expensive to be a one-shot weapon. Stick to combis (possibly a heavy flamer, though)

 

I'd say a chainfist is definitely a good investment. I can never decide on lightning claws - they're great, but expensive, and a pair means dropping a combi-weapon. Mauls are great, though, and you want at least one whatever you're doing imho.

[Mutt-Man!]

I like three kinds of vanilla terminators.

 

Combi-Flamer+Heavy Flamer or more, because I deep strike them and expect them to get charged by a horde. It lets me get gutsy with a distraction to a tyranid army or melee ork army and otherwise daemons and the like. I throw them into a corner to contest/win over an objective and they charge, getting a wall of death. That offsets their inability to deal with hordes very well. If I feel like they might lose I would loosen the units with long range firepower before they teleport in. They just need to eventually show up for that role, since it ends pretty quick either way. Sometimes the later they strike the better. Their melee is usually a fist and axes.

 

Combi-Melta trio termicide that I liked ever since it was available. They're chaos' "melta land speeders" so when making the comparison it would seem chaos gets the better deal. Since 3 terminators is often tougher than 1.5 land speeders which is roughly the cost of 3 termies with axes. Lacking grenades I go with power axes very often. For the initiative step and cover to hurting AV11 rear vehicles&11av walkers/wraithlords.

 

The unit of death out of a land raider. This means claws everywhere, champ upgrades and a mark. Nurgle for horde, khorne for the bonus melee punch. For every extra attack you get half a terminators cost in attacks with that weapon you give them. I've seen my khorne terminators remove half of a complete unit of storm shield terminators and kept the lead ever since.

2 attacks then khornating the model for 1/10th the cost then an icon for just over the cost of a base terminator, then twin claws for 4.2% of the base cost where all three upgrades for attacks for a total of 5 attacks a model, reroll charge range, str5 attacks with rerolls to wound. Total cost of 9.2 points per attack in the charge. On the flipside you get 1 attack for every 10.3 points with a bare bones power axe terminator where you try to get the str5, but get ap2. You get a total of 230 points in terminators in a 5 capacity land raider in attacks worth, lacking a few wounds in the negative.

 

 

My favorite terminator unit I've experimented with but cannot find a good niche for has been just basic terminators on foot and a pair of reapers to harass aircraft with. Walking around in front of some other units that need melee protection and two mace guys to slap around AV12 walkers, or to take the first casualties. The rest carry axes.

[BrainFireBob]

In a LR?

 

1*Heavy flamer

2-3 power mauls

2-3 power axes

Maybe 1 chainfist on the heavy flamer.

 

Run 2 units.

 

My 2 cents.

[Brother Heinrich]

hmmm, definitely some good ideas here. My usual opponents are Eldar, Codex Marines, Chaos, and Necrons. I'm leaning towards power swords on all of them with combi-plasma and mark of Slaanesh for hitting first, maybe a chainfist or two mauls. I face a lot of heavy infantry and Eldar aren't my most frequent opponent (though they are one of the toughest) so I want stuff that'll crack armor and power swords seems like the cheap way to go about it.

[Sception]

My own thoughts on the matter:

 

Consider a spartan or eagle for a larger squad.  5 chaos termies isn't exactly super impressive, nor does it feel like it justifies the cost of the banner to me.

 

Regardless of mark, give at least one a different initiative from the rest.  Either one or two fists & axes in a squad of swords and maces, or vice versa.  Do this to avoid enemy ICs tanking your wounds by getting them in melee with the different init, meaning other models have to take wounds from the bulk of your squad first.

 

If riding a raider, I'd lean towards combimeltas on 2 to 3 guys, and just leaving the combi bolter on the rest.  It's good to have the ability to crack a transport before charging what's inside, but you don't want to be likely to cause enough saves on infantry that you either kill them out of assault range or give them the chance to fall back and leave you high and dry.  Combi-plas I prefer in deep striking squads that can't charge anyway, and I don't presently rate combi or heavy flamers on terminators in any configuration (too short ranged to safely use deep striking, too likely to kill infantry out of your assault range if infiltrating or riding a land raider).

 

 

If you must deploy in a regular land raider, and want to include a character in the squad, then consider nurgle muts as an alternative to terminators.  They aren't that much pricier than four regular terminators, especially with the banner, but have two more wounds.  I've been wanting to try three nurgle muts, abby, and a sorcerer for a while, but the land raider is still in the shop, so I can't exactly vouch for it (note: it would be bad, but chaos termies in a land raider aren't exactly amazing competition so they could still come out ok, comparatively).

 

 

If you do take a larger squad in a spartan or eagle, I recommend the same configuration I mentioned earlier: 2 to 3 combi meltas, the rest combi bolters, and for melee weapons 1-3 at a different init (so, in a squad of 8, maybe one chain fist, 1-2 axes, and the rest split between swords and mauls, or, alternatively, one chain fist, 5 power axes, and a pair of mauls).

 

I don't recommend vets or marks - it's a bit on the pricey end on an already pricy unit.  FNP banner is tempting, but I like more axes with a couple mauls myself, axes just seem the better default weapon for chaos termies to me, and of course the init boost from the pricey MoS isn't worth it then.

 

I'm not saying any of the marks are bad really on termies, just that when the base cost is so high, I really start to look for ways to pinch pennies.

[Scribe]

Good call on that alternate initiative.

 

I just like the banner for pushing out a ton of S7, I dont like Terminators a ton by default anyway, but that much S7 just makes me happy.

[Brother Heinrich]

I can see the draw of axes in many cases, but in practice my terminators have gotten their ass stomped in every game largely because they are hitting at Initiative 1. By the time they get to hit back there's only 3 of them, and one is usually bogged down in a challenge he HAD to make. I think I'll try out the power sword/combi-plasma/MoS combo and see how they do. I may swap in lightning claws as well for re-rolled wounds.

 

I know they aren't the best unit and if I was running competitive I'd just put Plague Marines with double plas in the Landraider, but with my gaming group we try to stay fluffy and fun over competitive. However I've still lost terminators to guardians in that environment. Initiative is freaking key.

[Sception]

I can see the draw of axes in many cases, but in practice my terminators have gotten their ass stomped in every game largely because they are hitting at Initiative 1. By the time they get to hit back there's only 3 of them, and one is usually bogged down in a challenge he HAD to make.

That's why I'm not a fan of 5 man squads. Too large to be expendible, too small to rough it up with the big boys.

 

I think I'll try out the power sword/combi-plasma/MoS combo and see how they do. I may swap in lightning claws as well for re-rolled wounds.

Watch out for 2+ save characters and units that will be able to tank your squad's attacks, nullifying their offensive output entirely - one or two off-init weapons can help if you tag such a character, but you won't always be able to.

[M@l!ce]

So something like:

 

• Chaos Terminators - 5x Terminators, 4x Combi-Plasma, Reaper Autocannon, 4x Power Swords, Powerfist.

 

Would you give them any marks/icons? Also any reason Auto-cannon over heavy flamer?

Sorry for the late response.  I confess I was partially falling into the competitive only trap when rcommending the Reaper, but both weapons have their uses.  Reaper, whether you're going to end up short ranged due to transport, or DS, can still be handy for popping transports, or maybe even threatening enemy airvraft.  Heavy Flamer probides some nice anti infantry when they get close to someone, which seems to be your intent.  I guess it boild down to your meta, and how versatile you want the unit to be.

 

The Reaper has the same strength as a Plasmagun, but the difference is you will be getting these shots all the time, not once only.

 

As for marks, I must confess that I am not the best person to ask there, given I am a snowflake Chaos player. >.>  However, Icon of Flame and Mark of Tzeentch can make their bolt weapons threatening, while also upping their invulnerable save for survivability.  Meanwhile, Mark of Nurgle again helps with survivability, but the Icon they'd have is situational, so might be better to take the Undivided Icon (which I think you can do with marked units?) to make them fearless.  But their already considerable leadership might make the Icon of Vengeance unnecessary.

[Sception]

I do not recommend either the reaper or the icon of flame. Both just seem too pricey for what they do. MoT is ok, though, imo.

[Brother Heinrich]

Yeah I've toyed with either Mark of Tzeentch for the better invul or the MoS for a better chance at thinning enemy numbers. Not sure where I'll go with them. Dammit why do our terminators have to suck so much lol.

[Urauloth]

It's not really our terminators, it's our shockingly awful land raider and complete lack of drop pods. The termies themselves are pretty great.

[Clone]

It's not really our terminators, it's our shockingly awful land raider and complete lack of drop pods. The termies themselves are pretty great.

+1

 

Terminators assaulting from a Spartan are great. Typhus makes a great addition to terminators, given that he essentially has a power axe that gives him an additional d6 attacks and can cause instant death. Give the terminators lightning claws or power weapons for I4 attacks and let typhus deal with terminators. His psychic powers can also reduce the strength and toughness of the enemy unit too.