Okay, so how am I supposed to use Chaos Sorcerers?

[Trevak Dal]

I've been told before I use Chaos Sorcerer's "wrong", in that I try to get them into combat and that they're 'support characters'.  How exactly do I use them to "support" my army?  I only ever seem to roll the Biomancy stuff that buff Him only.

 

I typically go for an assault style list (since my tau are obviously shooting oriented).

[Dam13n]

Well Telepathy also has a number of useful buff powers, as do pretty much all the lores (bar the Chaos ones):

 

Ideally you want powers like:

- Biomancy - Enfeeble, Endurance

- Pyromancy - Fire Shield

- Telekinesis - Telekine Dome

- Telepathy - Puppet Master, Invisibility, Hallucination

- Divination (Crimson Slaughter only) - Prescience, Foreboding, Forewarning, Misfortune, Perfect Timing

Because they either strengthen your squad or weaken the enemy you intend to target.

 

In fact, pretty much all the Telepathy and Divination powers are good (I'm not a fan of Dominate and Scrier's Gaze personally).

 

The way I look at it, Biomancy is better for a Daemon Prince as pretty much everything but Haemorrhage is useful.

 

Now with Crimson Slaughter it is possible to make a half-decent combat Sorcerer, but I'd rather use the items required on a Lord as he'll be more effective for the points.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

There is no right and wrong way to run a Sorcerer, period.  With Biomancy, as you've experienced, he can be an assault character.  If you roll on Telepathy, he's going to be a support character.  It all depends on the powers you want and how your army is built.

[Captain Idaho]

The term "Support" confuses players. It doesn't just mean applying blessing and curses to units but can also be support through the presence of the character. Squad of Possessed in a Land Raider? Add a Terminater Sorcerer with Biomancy and force axe and you have a great support character with the squad. By being a solid centre model in the squad he is supporting them, but in turn protected by them.

 

Basically any character who increases the performance of a unit without being the focus of the unit's purpose is a support character. Chaos Lord on Juggernaut is an example of a character who is used as a melee character like the Sorcerer but not a support character because his killing potential is the purpose of the unit.

[Fibonacci]

There is no right and wrong way to run a Sorcerer, period. 

If he dies without contributing anything to the game he is "used wrong."  If he kills double his worth in enemy points he was "used correctly."  It's just that he can do both of those no matter how you use him :)

 

Trevak, if he is working for you as is, when people say you are using him wrong just smile and tell them to tell it to the chainsword.

 

If he is not working for you, try an unmarked sorcerer and roll Telepathy powers only.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

There is no right and wrong way to run a Sorcerer, period.

If he dies without contributing anything to the game he is "used wrong." If he kills double his worth in enemy points he was "used correctly." It's just that he can do both of those no matter how you use him

Trevak, if he is working for you as is, when people say you are using him wrong just smile and tell them to tell it to the chainsword.

If he is not working for you, try an unmarked sorcerer and roll Telepathy powers only.

Really? So let's say a CS sorcerer with Divination is placed with a unit of MoT autocannon Havoks on a Skyshield. Not a horrible combination. Now I drop my Ironclad Dreadnought in a pod onto the empty space behind them on the pad and lay down two heavy flamer templates. Or a Wave Serpent throw eleven wounds at the squad. Or a Riptide puts down a charged pie-plate on the squad. The cause doesn't matter. . .

. . . all that matters is that the CSM player rolls crappy on his dice, and the sorcerer dies without contributing to the fight. This has zero to do with how the sorcerer was equipped, what powers he rolled up, what discipline he rolled on, or how he was employed. We're not talking about battlefield tactics at the moment, Fib, we're talking about list-building strategy (and yes, knowing what chart you're going to roll on most certainly should be part of your list-building strategy), so comments like that have no bearing on the topic.

[Fibonacci]

Wow.  Chill, dude.  Smile and look at the post as if I was agreeing with you (which I was) and not attacking your post.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I know and I'm not attacking you or anything, I just took issue with something in your last post.

[SyNidus]

Might I suggest upgrading your sorcerer to a daemon prince? You get all the psychic goodness, but with FMC cheese :D

[Schultzhoffen]

What about a Nurgle Sorceror on a bike with other Nurgle Bikers?

[King Jackal]

What else is in the army? I love a Div sorcerer in a horde of cultists with autoguns and flamers. 4++ yep, ignores cover yep, twinlinked yep, vs reroll successful saves yep.

 

Unmarked telepathy is always handy too

[Trevak Dal]

King Jackal this is what I typically take:

 

Lord MoK, AoBF/Bp, Bike Sigil

 

Sorcerer, Stave, Famiiar Sigil, 3 ML-sometimes I take the Murder Sword or a power sword.

 

 

Troops:

 

10 CSMs, Champ (CP/BP/Power sword, Melta Bomb) 2x Plasma Guns, ubergrit Rhino (havok Launcher, Dirge caster)

 

10 CSMs, Champ (CP/BP/Power Fist) 2x Plasma Guns, Ubergrit.  Rhino (Havok Launcher, Dirge Caster)

 

8 Khorne Beserkers Champ (Power Axe, Bolt pistol) 2 chain axes

 

8 Khorne Beserkers Champ (Lightning Claw, Combi-Flamer) 2 Chain axes

 

 

Fast Attack:

 

5-8 raptors, Champion (2x Lightning Claws, Melta bomb), 2x Meltaguns

 

3-5 Bikes, Champion (Powerfist), 2x Plasma or Melta guns

 

Heldrake (Baleflamer typically)

 

Elites:

 

3-5 Terminators, Combi Meltas x 4, Chainfist x1, Axe x 2, Lightning claw x 1, maul x 1  Sometimes a Landraider.

 

Heavy:

 

2-3 Obliterators with MoN

 

5 x Havoks, Champ (Bolter/BP/CCW) 4x Autocannons

 

Sometimes a Landraider (same as the Terminator's dedicated transport)

 

 

I also have in my Arsenal:

3 Terminators, Combi Plasma x3, 2x Lightning Claws, 1x Powerfist.

 

MeltaBrute with Heavy Flamer (DV Brute)

 

RACbrute with PF/HF also (made form loyalist Dred)

 

5-6 Possessed (haven't used them in a while...IDK if they're assembled, I used them as a base for Warp Talons, and then stripped them after a bad prime session and disassembled them)

 

5 Havoks, Champ (B/BP/CCW) 3 x Missile Launcher, 1x Lascannon.

 

Defiler, + Powerfist, dirge caster

 

Predator AC, HB Sponsons havok launcher.

 

10 CSMs/Chosen Champion (Combi Melta, BP/ Lightning Claw), 2x melta guns, Ubergrit Mark of Khorne

 

10 CSMs/Chosen champion (Combi Melta, BP/ Power axe) 2x Melta, Flamers, or Plasma guns, Ubergrit.

 

16 BP/CCW CSMs/Khorne Beserkers, with a few plasma pistol guys mixed in.

 

Terminator Lord, Claw + Chainfist.

 

Terminator Sorcerer.

 

Huron

 

Khârn

 

MacePrince

 

DV Chosen

 

DV Cultists

[minigun762]

Might I suggest upgrading your sorcerer to a daemon prince? You get all the psychic goodness, but with FMC cheese :D

Lower LD and being forced to burn a power on the God-specific options make the DP less appealing.

 

On topic, telepathy unmarked Sorcerers can be really potent.

[Axagoras]

hes not a beatstick who can go up vs units on his own but he can buff a squad, a squad of csm with a sorcerer can be a problem especially if the sgt jumps on the sword while the sorcerer butchers the squad

[jaspiongitburna]

Quite, i have a couple of cheap secondary sorcerors - One is a Slaaneshi chap with a jump pack - he joins a unit of Raptors. He is only level one, so he can only take one of three powers (including the primaris) - but most of those powers will give me a squad-wide buff to initiative, attacks or strength. Between the two characters they should do reasonably well in close combat. Just don't bite off more than they can chew. 

[Shuggnuggath]

I have had a lot of success with a unmarked lvl 3 Telepathy sorcerer on a bike with a force axe. Especially good if you roll invisibility.

 

He rides with a Nurgle bike lord and 5 other Nurgle bikes, champ has power axe, squad has 2 melta guns.

I also run a unit of 5 Nurgle spawn to help build early pressure and several rhino plasma squads in the second wave to take objectives.

[minigun762]

I have had a lot of success with a unmarked lvl 3 Telepathy sorcerer on a bike with a force axe. Especially good if you roll invisibility.

 

He rides with a Nurgle bike lord and 5 other Nurgle bikes, champ has power axe, squad has 2 melta guns.

I also run a unit of 5 Nurgle spawn to help build early pressure and several rhino plasma squads in the second wave to take objectives.

 

Any reason for a Force Axe vs a Maul/Staff?

Seems like your squad has enough AP1/2 weapons and your champion is always going @ I1, might be useful to have more swings @ I4. 

[King Jackal]

I'd almost consider chucking a div sorcerer into the autocannon havocs for the same-ish reasons I mentioned previously with the cultists .

Personally I find it almost necessary to field 2 sorcerers if I don't have a Daemons ally, roll all on telepathy and if you are lucky you might get 2 x Invisibility or 2 x Puppet Master which is really cool. Normally I would leave Biomancy for the big guys and have almost never had a good game if I use Pyromancy.