Possessed: Making them work

[Sheesh Mode]

As far as I can see Crimson slaughter possessed are more durable and potentially faster than Codex Chaos Marine possessed. However, Chaos Marine Possessed are far more killy, consider: you have a 33% chance with regular possessed to be exactly what you need for that assault phase. If you are fighting a riptide, you want rerolls, if you are fighting marines, you want AP3, and if you are fighting guard you want higher initiative and more attacks. Meanwhile, Crimson Slaughter Possessed are given abilities to boost their survival and speed. 

 

What is the difference? 

 

One is a reliable close combat unit that can potentially eliminate an enemy unit no matter your die roll, the other is a troop choice that tarpits enemy models and holds objectives. I personally will not rely on crimson slaughter possessed to carry the assault because non of their attacks ignore armor which is huge in assault. If you aren't trashing their saves you are probably losing because your opponent will do everything they can to exploit that advantage. 

 

Having Objective Secured is extremely useful but the unit needs to be able to clear the objective as well not just hold it. 

[Dallas Drake]

Actually I find not having AP3 to be beneficial. Most of the time CS Possessed (against MEQs or large GEQ units) win the combat in the opponents phase and therefore don't spend a turn getting shot up.

[Lord Asvaldir]

What I'm wondering though, rhinoes or just on foot? Rhino means they'll get some protection against small arms fire and move faster, but on the other hand it means they can't assault until the turn after they disembark which I see as being a problem. I'm thinking I might try 5-8 on foot, throw them on a flank and see how they do. At least with fleet they'll probably be moving 10"-11" a turn.

Why be so stringent about it? Instead be flexible.

What I do is take the rhino, see what my opponent is playing, then make the decision to get in, or stay out of the Rhino. The additional consideration is Crimson Slaughter make them troops so the Rhino is an automatic (if not in Landraider) to get Super Scoring, cheap vehicle which I find nearly mandatory in an expensive, elite style list.

Just because you buy the Rhino doesn't mean you're handcuffed to the steering wheel.

Against... let's say IG, or Necrons, there's no way in heck you are going to stroll up to them. In fact the Rhino won't make it either, but at least you might get a turn of a Shrouded ride, or perhaps make it there with one turn of protection. Against assaultier armies? You can run behind, you can split the ride and possessed up, etc.

I play a Word Bearers army and I'm trying to stick to my theme so crimson slaughter is out, but you do raise a good point as I could see a use for the rhino in being a back up for other squads who have lost their rhinos if I'm not going to deploy my possessed in the rhino.

Someone also brought up the point earlier that the rhino can give them a 6" move turn one boost, since the squad can move normally and run after disembarking when the rhino moves 6".

Even if not having ap3 is beneficial in the first phase, it will be in the second. You can't really rely on the buffs since they are random, but I'd rather have a 100% chance of getting a combat buff even though some buffs are not that useful in some situations.

[Sheesh Mode]

Actually I find not having AP3 to be beneficial. Most of the time CS Possessed (against MEQs or large GEQ units) win the combat in the opponents phase and therefore don't spend a turn getting shot up.

True, though I don't expect a squad - even possessed - to actually annihilate the enemy squad in one phase. Power weapons or no. Either the target is too big or numerous, or it's too difficult to wound them. But that is only my experience.

[incinerator950]

I like the rhino idea.

[incinerator950]

So my package has landed (thank you kilo) of 20 vanilla chaos marines. With the combined portion of possessed bits and the old mutation sprue, I can make some very uninspiring Possessed. Around ten I suppose.

 

I have the odd idea of using a prophet lord on a steed to give them outflank, any takers on to beef the rest of the list?

 

I already have a mayhem pack, could always use Nurgle spawn too.

[totgeboren]

That aside, using the possessed sorcerer along with a unit of horrors was nasty and fun for summoning lesser daemons onto the tau player. I practically dictated his shots by using the summoned daemons, a bloodthirster with the grimoire,  and possessed.

 

Was the Sorcerer running with a unit of Possessed? Your sentence could be read as having the Sorcerer joining a unit of Horrors, which is a nono since the Sorcerer will have the Mark of Tzeentch, not be a Daemon of Tzeentch even if he is a Daemon.

 

But yeah, I was thinking of a lvl 3 Prophet Sorcerer with no mark (or maybe MoS because of the Icon) in a unit of Possessed (same here about marks, maybe MoS and icon to give the Sorcerer FnP against Perils). Three rolls and the Primaris for free with no mark gives a pretty good chance of getting Cursed Earth and/or Sacrifice, but especially if your Possessed get their 3++ save when you got Cursed Earth in play, you are looking at a 2++ save, pretty nice.

 

Their speed and resilience means you could summon stuff really into the thick of it. Summoning Flamers in the right spot can be a game-changer I have noticed, and just spamming Heralds is brutal.

 

Anyway, Possessed. The only thing I see 7th do is make CS Possessed even worse compared to basic Possessed, as scoring isn't as important. Normal Possessed can at least clear an objective of enemies without having a babysitter, something the CS Possessed struggle with. As I see it, the only thing CS Possessed do well is be bodyguards for a Malefic Prophet Sorcerer with Familiar (which is nothing to scoff at, one of the best summoners in the game hands down), but the only reason they do that well is because the Sorcerer is not allowed to join any other unit, and on his own he will be dead at the end of turn one.

 

When taking about Possessed as a combat unit instead of a tax, I think basic codex Possessed is much better. I have used mine (MoS, Icon, Rhino) many times and they do pretty well. I have had mine steamroll through even a GK army (rolled AP3 all the time and between 5++ and FnP, they are pretty resilient even to power weapons).

They are overcosted, but if you have other fast stuff like Spawn and/or Bikes the Possessed tend to reach combat with little losses, and while there they are pretty killy. Fleet makes a big difference, and if you can get even a single spawn to tie up the enemy front lines, your Possessed can assault without suffering through overwatch or getting I1 because of terrain.

[Slave to Darkness]

Crimson Slaughter as primary, take 20 Possessed, mark of the Fat Lazy and put them out in front of your army and march them up the table.

People have hard times killing hordes of t3 guys. What about t5 guys with an invulnerable save?

thats what i did in my last game, oh the look on the guys face when he had 20 possessed, 20 Csm's and 35 cultists running straight at him. for once my vindicator's actually made it to the end of the game.

[the jeske]

Considering that most games have 2+ objectives why people didn't just ignore the slow 20 man unit of possessed.

[Slave to Darkness]

What I'm wondering though, rhinoes or just on foot? Rhino means they'll get some protection against small arms fire and move faster, but on the other hand it means they can't assault until the turn after they disembark which I see as being a problem. I'm thinking I might try 5-8 on foot, throw them on a flank and see how they do. At least with fleet they'll probably be moving 10"-11" a turn.

Why be so stringent about it? Instead be flexible.

What I do is take the rhino, see what my opponent is playing, then make the decision to get in, or stay out of the Rhino. The additional consideration is Crimson Slaughter make them troops so the Rhino is an automatic (if not in Landraider) to get Super Scoring, cheap vehicle which I find nearly mandatory in an expensive, elite style list.

Just because you buy the Rhino doesn't mean you're handcuffed to the steering wheel.

Against... let's say IG, or Necrons, there's no way in heck you are going to stroll up to them. In fact the Rhino won't make it either, but at least you might get a turn of a Shrouded ride, or perhaps make it there with one turn of protection. Against assaultier armies? You can run behind, you can split the ride and possessed up, etc.

i buy rhinos and deploy behind them, use the rhino as moving cover, sometimes people ignore the transport and try and line up shots to the unit behind it, comes in handy as all my rhinos have dirge casters. classic when they cant overwatch because of a sneaky rhino they ignored

[Total0]

I'd actually like to use possessed, but im not sure how they'd fare against a tau gunline or greyknights :/

[incinerator950]

Just to show how much I don't read, can I take a attached rhino if I'm outflanking?

[Hiskrtapps]

Stick 10 it in a land raider with marl of Khorne and icon of wrath and they will provide 4 attacks S6 each.

They are expensive so I think CS version is the only viable so they can use a troop choice. (you don't need to buy another troop).

 

Another idea is to join a unit of 10 with prophet sorcerer summoning daemons in an assault list.

to reduce chance sorcerer is killed by perils give possessed and sorcerer mark of slaaneh with icon of excess.

They all will gain feel no pain (sorcerer can use FNP against perils)

[KingBlanco1994]

I ran a unit of 5 last week with the tzeench mark and used them from the crimson slaughter book they killed

A fire blade a ethereal what remained of a fire warrior unit and a hammer head