Outfitting the Chaos Terminators

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail brethern!

 

I have ages ago put together my Chaos Terminators....in that long-past era, I kitted them out with lightning claws, which I thought would rock on such a unit, and surely they look cool.

 

HOWEVER, times have changed, and no longer is it so hot, to have five terminators running about with pairs of claws, and especially the Aspiring Champion becomes horribly expensive with them, costning almost two terminators by himself.

 

So, I have managed to tear of the lightning claw which would have replaced his gun, and instead I am thinking of adding a combi-melta...or just a combi-weapon of any sort. 

 

Do you have a suggestion, on what his gun should be? 

 

My thanks in advance - mind, though, the rest of his buddies, still have lightning claws, and there is no heavy weapon...

 

Regards,

Master Ciaphas

 

PS - if this topic has already been dealt with, I apologize, but my search-fu is weak...

[Sception]

It's a topic that shows up every once in a while, but not so frequently as to be annoying.

 

I don't really run chaos terminators anymore, mostly due to a lack of reliable delivery methods for larger squads, and a lack of points in my lists for chaff units like termicide.  However, were I to run terminators, I'd go for one of the following three options, as they're what worked least poorly for me in test games in 6th, and I really don't think much has changed for them in 7th:

 

 

Termicide: 2+ units of 3 terminators each, all armed with combi-melters, maybe one with a power fist, no vets, no marks, deep striking to threaten backfield vehicles and serve as a distraction unit.

 

Retinue:  one unit of 6+ terminators, primarily armed with combi bolters and power axes, maybe a pair of combi meltas, maybe a pair of power fists or a single chain fist, riding in a spartan or storm eagle with one or more terminator armored characters or special characters.  No vets, no marks.  more bodies is better in a retinue, imo.  Sadly, spartans and storm eagles are expensive FW options.  If we had homing beacons, I'd run such a unit all the time and just deep strike them, like I did through all of 3rd, 4th, and 5th editions, despite chaos termie retinues never really being the most efficient choices.  But we don't have homing beacons any more, so I don't deep strike termie retinues anymore, and regular chaos land raiders don't carry enough models for such a squad.  Also I play Black Legion, and Black Legion terminators are significantly worse than parent book terminators, particularly in larger squads, because of the hideously overpriced vets requirement.

 

Infiltrate: one unit of 6+ terminators, primarily armed with combi plasmas and power axes, maybe a pair of power fists or a single chain fist, infiltrating thanks to Huron or Ahriman.  No vets or marks (with the possible exception of MoT w/ Ahriman, as a fluff concession).  No more than one unit, since you can't guarantee more than one infiltrating squad, and such squads are too expensive to deep strike and too slow/short ranged to walk.  Works pretty well, provided your opponents don't run a bunch of servo skulls.  Doesn't work as a retinue, due to needing to declare the unit and IC as separate infiltration targets.  Bad for black legion, because, again, vets is just hideously overpriced on terminators.

 

 

The general rule for terminators under the 6e book is that the base cost for a terminator with combi bolter and power ax isn't too bad, but the delivery options are pretty garbage, and nearly all of the upgrade options (barring combi melta or plas and maybe a couple fists) are all painfully overpriced.  So you'll do best if you try to keep them as cheap as possible (both per model and in terms of the overall unit), and have in mind a delivery method from the start.  If that method is 'unaided deep strike', then be doubly sure to keep that unit as cheap as possible, because you'll be mishapping in more games than you'd like, especially if you try to aim to arrive in rapid fire or melta range.

 

 

 

The ideal, of course, is to order some extra terminator arms and shoulder pads from the secondary market, and magnetize them up to run as whatever option works best in a given list.  Then you don't have to worry about having to hack them apart again the next time their rules change; at most you'd just have to get some new arms to swap in.  Just use relatively large magnets if you do this.

[Lord Xcapobl]

As of late I have outfitted them all, and will forevermore outfit them, with magnets in their shoulders. That way I don't have to buy 23 boxes to have each and every option available (guesstimate, of course), and it allows me to just switch between battles a little, so as to see what options fare well against what armies.

 

Some things also tend to be basic. With Slaanesh terminators wasting that extra Initiative from the Mark of Slaanesh seems a waste, so their unit champions get lightning claws, and the others either power swords and combi-bolters, or lightning claws as well. Perhaps a combi -melta for a little tank hunting. A one-shot, I know. But as was stated, terminator delivery isn't all what it was suppopsed to be, and usually you only get one chance anyways.

 

Power axes always seem to be a waste. They may be cheaper than powerfists, but they strike at the same low initiative due to being unwieldy, with lower total strength. And terminators don't tend to get other close combat weapons often, so it is rare for them to acquire the extra attack. If only those combat blades on all those combibolters actually counted as an additional close combat weapon...

[minionboy]

As of late I have outfitted them all, and will forevermore outfit them, with magnets in their shoulders. That way I don't have to buy 23 boxes to have each and every option available (guesstimate, of course), and it allows me to just switch between battles a little, so as to see what options fare well against what armies.

 

Some things also tend to be basic. With Slaanesh terminators wasting that extra Initiative from the Mark of Slaanesh seems a waste, so their unit champions get lightning claws, and the others either power swords and combi-bolters, or lightning claws as well. Perhaps a combi -melta for a little tank hunting. A one-shot, I know. But as was stated, terminator delivery isn't all what it was suppopsed to be, and usually you only get one chance anyways.

 

Power axes always seem to be a waste. They may be cheaper than powerfists, but they strike at the same low initiative due to being unwieldy, with lower total strength. And terminators don't tend to get other close combat weapons often, so it is rare for them to acquire the extra attack. If only those combat blades on all those combibolters actually counted as an additional close combat weapon...

 

I'd really shy away from Lightning Claws for terminator champions, regular terminators pay 7 points for a pair, while champions have to pay the character price of 22 points, and you gain absolutely nothing for that 15 points.

 

I actually love power axes, they're quite cheap, and hit almost as hard against most things as a power fist.  I've had moderate luck with power mauls, but usually I'd rather get an axe or spend the points on a fist, and across the board, combi-weapons are awesome.

[Iron-Daemon Forge]

I general take my Terminators with Combi Plasma & Power Axe, if I had the points I'd add in a chainfist to deal against Lord of War chose.  I use them to deep strike along with my Chaos Lord & just take down other elite units, heavy armour units that a Chaos Marine squad about to charge  - Assault Centruion, Assault Terminators, Mega Armour Orks or light armour tanks.

 

With the power axe, while I am strike that I1.  It more just to help slaughter anyone I'm against in close combat & so I am not bog down.  Just longer I am in combat, more save I'll be taken, more unit my oppent could send in & I'll loss the squad in a war of attrition.  I want my Terminators to win there combat & be on the move to support my other units & going into new combats.

 

I going to try out a unbound terminator army in the future & my list has given me everthing I want for my 1500pts force, well apart from Autocannon.  I think I got four or five units.  I'm hope to start this soon & just see how other things work out for the Terminators.  Also just for looking cool.

 

Overall I'd just look that there role in your army list & what you want them to achieve.  Also what you will enjoy useing.

 

IP

[Dallas Drake]

As above really, Malisteen et al cover this.

 

I've only ever used them as Lord retinues or blobs (7-10 Terminators). I always go Combi-plasma & power axe, maybe a few maces for aesthetics. They're still cheaper than loyalists & pack plenty of AP2 (which is the whole reason for taking them IMO).

 

For every 4 or 5 add in a Heavy Flamer and Chainfist.

 

No frills is best. Keeping them as cheap as possible seems to be a good rule.

 

Dallas

[hopkins]

I like to use a Lord and retinue in Terminator armour because they look cool!

Still wish they could have a vanilla drop pod to steam in on turn 1 though, and some of the thunder hammer/shield combo

[minigun762]

I like to use a Lord and retinue in Terminator armour because they look cool!

Still wish they could have a vanilla drop pod to steam in on turn 1 though, and some of the thunder hammer/shield combo

It's not like T5 Terminator are trash.

 

It is a bonus getting half priced combi weapon upgrades.

[brother_contagion]

I have a unit of Terminators with Power Fists and Combi-Meltas that I DS, and I'm planning on getting three more units of 5: 1 with Lightning Claws, 1 with Combi-Flamers, Heavy Flamer, and Lightning Claws, and the last with probably Power Swords or Mauls and Combi-Plasmas. I would want to have Land Raiders for them, and possibly increase both Lightning Claw units to 10 and put them each in a Spartan.

[daboarder]

I run my terminator squads in 3 ways

 

All with the MoN, its a personal preference but the defence against small arms fire helps minimize the dreaded torrents of fire that lead to 1s

 

First unit, MoN, Heavy flamer, Axes, Combi-bolter, 6 terminators. My lord runs with these, they are ablaitive wounds that hit back and go down even harder

 

second unit

MoN, Reaper, Axes, Combi-plasma, 5 terminators. These are the building blocks of my terminator army. they shoot their way up the board and snip the nose off of anything likely to threaten them.

 

Third unit

MoN, Combi-plasma, Axes, 3 Terminators. Good ol termicide. Plasma is almost always the best choice because it is more likely to do HP damage to rear armour and does more wounds to MCs and valuable units. Its effective range is 12 wwhereas meltas are only effective at 6 and flamers at 8

 

the changes to this edition mean that I am running more terminators lists, either as unbound, or battle forged with a pair of minimal cultist squads.

 

Im going to be looking at actually running an Abbaddon centered black legion force with the bringers of despair, in my first configuration, two squads of the second, then multiple oblit squads heldrakes and a defiler

 

Edit: I forgot. I also like a khorne termicide squad. Give them flamers, axes and an icon. Then run them all over the enemy back line murdering support units from miles away

[Urauloth]

You've had success with footslogging TDA? I've always wanted to try it, but it never seems like something that would work out very well. T5 2+/5++ is a dead squad as soon as a grav cannon/amp gets pointed at it, but I guess that's true no matter where you start off, and footslogging potentially gives you more control of where your unit is than deep striking?

 

How do you deal with ordnance, etc?

[brother_contagion]

I'd put some in Land Raiders/Spartans and others DS. I'd ideally DS with a Mayhem Pack, and have Maulerfiends move up with the Land Raiders.

[King Jackal]

I've played a few times with 4 x Terminators, MoK, Power Lances, Icon of Wrath + a Crimson Slaughter Lord with the Blade of the Relentless inside a Land Raider.

[Kilofix]

And btw, for shooty Termis, Deep Striking really isn't THAT bad.

[Sception]

And btw, for shooty Termis, Deep Striking really isn't THAT bad.

 

IME it is.  Actually, IME it's worse for shooty than for assaulty, since for shooty you want to land within 12" (for plasma) or 6" (for melta), and the risk of scattering out of that ideal distance means you want to risk a much closer arrival.  For assault, you get a d6" run the turn you arrive, plus 6" move and 2d6" assault the next turn, which is generally going to be a longer range.

 

Maybe for loyalists shooting is easier, but with their storm bolters and assault cannons, their target range is a vastly more forgiving 24".

 

Of course, shooty terminators can actually do something the turn they arrive.

 

All in all, it's not a fun situation regardless, at least not in my experience.  Without homing beacons or similar functionality, I wouldn't deep strike any unit that I would mind mishapping off the table without doing anything, because far more often then you'd like, that's exactly what will happen.

[brother_contagion]

 

And btw, for shooty Termis, Deep Striking really isn't THAT bad.

 

IME it is.  Actually, IME it's worse for shooty than for assaulty, since for shooty you want to land within 12" (for plasma) or 6" (for melta), and the risk of scattering out of that ideal distance means you want to risk a much closer arrival.  For assault, you get a d6" run the turn you arrive, plus 6" move and 2d6" assault the next turn, which is generally going to be a longer range.

 

Maybe for loyalists shooting is easier, but with their storm bolters and assault cannons, their target range is a vastly more forgiving 24".

 

Of course, shooty terminators can actually do something the turn they arrive.

 

All in all, it's not a fun situation regardless, at least not in my experience.  Without homing beacons or similar functionality, I wouldn't deep strike any unit that I would mind mishapping off the table without doing anything, because far more often then you'd like, that's exactly what will happen.

 

 

Some people have worse luck than others, but I've had a fair amount of luck with them, usually doing what you want. But everyone has an opinion.

[HJL]

I just had another game with my terminators and lord. They deepstruck in, shot some guardsmen then got killed in assault by a 11" charge from a 30 man blob squad :( Id say that this was unlucky but they seem to die ignobly every game :/

[Kilofix]

Maybe its a luck thing but I've never ever had a Deep Strike - Terrible Accident. I've had some Misplaced and some Delayed but they aren't the worst thing.

 

Conversely, when it works, its been hugely successful for me - e.g. like a squad of all Combi-Flamers wiping out a whole Platoon behind a barricade, etc.

[daboarder]

You've had success with footslogging TDA? I've always wanted to try it, but it never seems like something that would work out very well. T5 2+/5++ is a dead squad as soon as a grav cannon/amp gets pointed at it, but I guess that's true no matter where you start off, and footslogging potentially gives you more control of where your unit is than deep striking?

 

How do you deal with ordnance, etc?

 Not really, but I find its more about supporting your units properly and target saturation.

 

People aren't going to easily choose what to shoot at when all they get to choose from is terminators, Obliterators, Heldrakes and various other daemon engines.

 

Throw in the occasional swarm of cultists or zombies as you desire and they really dont have any good targets.