New to Chaos and have questions about what works.

[Teutonicorder]

Hi all,

 

Hoping to build up a CSM army after a break from the game playing fantasy. I'm keen to play the army for various reasons and would like to ask about what works and what doesn't in the general consensus.

 

Iv been reading various Tacticas and other things and watching what I can and have a few specific things id like to ask about.

 

1) Heldrakes. They look good, I read the arc of fire faq part and see the limitations but it seems it could still be used to effectively kill flyers etc with a bit more care with positioning. Are they great at that specific role and if anyone wants to give some experiences with them id appreciate that.

 

2) Basic CSM. Can they work? so far iv been writing some configurations  of 10 with 2 plas or meltas and a asp champ with claw and melta bombs in a rhino. Or striped down to 8. But also 9 with mok, ccw, icon etc to back up a character in a land raider. Are these viable? What about 5 man squads, one gun in a rhino, does that kind of thing still work?

 

3) Psykers. Can going magic heavy work? Sorcerers seem to not cost that much in basic set ups and offer access to some helpful stuff, so is it worth it in comparison to building a killer lord or taking a special character.

 

4) Lists. Are there any general things you'd recommend for competing in today's meta? Iv been on break for some time and the game seems to of changed for the better and become a little more like fantasy,which iv always liked, but im trying to get up to speed with what works for my new army.

 

1k List.

 

Sorcerer - Lvl 2, Vet, Aura, MoT

 

8 CSM, plasma, Rhino + EA +Sorc

8 CSM, Melta, Rhino + EA

7 CSM, Melta, Lightning claw, melta bomb, MoK, Rhino + EA

 

Heldrake

Forgefiend.

 

Any thoughts are welcomed and thanks for reading that mass of text.

[Forté]

Welcome.

 

Just one area to define before people get going..

What is the meta in your area?

The reason I ask this is because meta varies from club to club but also country.

[Teutonicorder]

bump

 

still seeking any insights people might have about what works.

[incinerator950]

Welcome.

 

Just one area to define before people get going..

 

 

What is the meta in your area?

The reason I ask this is because meta varies from club to club but also country.

[Forté]

bump

 

still seeking any insights people might have about what works.

Please resist bumping a topic if you can.

 

What I can recommend is a look through the Chaos Army List sub forum as you'll find lots of lists other members are trying but also other members responses.

 

What you do have to bare in mind too is that you are basically asking to be told what list to run but have given no indication of anything you would like to do with the army too. For example:

-Is the army for tournament play?

-Is there any meta for your gaming area (will you be facing lots of power creep codex jumpers for example).

-Do you plan on a mono God chaos army?

-Is money an option?

-Battleforged or Unbound?

You see, the more information you give readers the more suitable your replies will be ;)

 

As for basics:

Unmarked Sorcerer for summoning.

Cultist blobs for cheap troops.

Heldrake with Baleflamer.

Multiple Maulerfiends or Nurgle Marked Oblits.

Plague Marines.

[Emperors Immortals]

I heartily endorse mailer fiends, they've smashed raiders and are fast enough to ignore the contents.

 

Are you planningonusing supplements? What God/legion/warband would you like to model?

[Krakasus]

I heartily endorse mailer fiends...

 

Indeed!

 

They often wear red uniforms, drive around in Vauxhall combos and occasionally drop of little packages of plastic crack goodness!

[Henderson85]

If you want to run psykers, they can be quite viable but remember those spell familiars. Chaos is literally the BEST faction at successfully casting spells because of them.

[Kilofix]

Maybe we should sticky the following (rest feel free to revise / adjust my comments):

 

Summary of 6th Ed Codex Units

 

Good Chaos Units:

 

HQ:

• The unique characters
• Chaos Lord
• Sorceror
• Daemon Prince

 

Troops:

• Marines (various configurations - e.g. MoK and additional Close Combat weapons)
• Cultists (cheap Objective Secured)

 

Elites:

• Chosen (with 4+ Special Weapons)
• Terminators (esp. with Combi-Weapons for all and cheap Power Axes)
• Plague Marines (very tough)
• Noise Marines (high initiative / Ignores Cover sith Sonic)
• Helbrute (even better as Mayhem Pack or Helcult)

 

Fast Attack:

• Raptors (especially with 2 Special Weapons but in general Bikes could do better with higher Tough and Jink)
• Bikes (especially with 2 Special Weapons - like if you need to get Melta up front quickly - also hard to kill with higher Tough and Jink)
• Heldrake (still the MEQ killer)
• Spawn (cheap, fast, tough)

 

Heavy:

• Havocs (put them in a Fort)
• Obliterators (they have a weapon for everything)
• Predators (cheapest way to get 3 Las Cannons)
• Maulerfiend (not that tough but very fast and will destroy single vehicles, MCs and Forts very quickly)
• Land Raider (still the toughest Assault vehicle)

 

 

Situational Units:

 

HQ:

• Dark Apostle (expensive - unless you are running a large close combat blob)
• Warpsmith (if you are running lots of armor that could use repairing)

 

Elites:

• Beserkers (expensive when you can equip regular Marines with CC & MoK)
• Thousand Sons (expensive and slow - but can be good MEQ killers)
• Possessed (expensive and no grenades, but if you have a way of delivering them into close combat - could be effective)
• Mutilators (very expensive and there are already other better CC units)

 

Fast:

• Warp Talons (very expensive and no grenades)

 

Heavy:

• Defiler (expensive and has to snap fire other weapons if it fires its cannon; but cannon's range may make it a good artillery piece if board is big)
• Vindicator (short range cannon and weak side armor - but if you can get it in range somehow could be destructive; Siege Shield helps it ignore terrain)
• Forgefiend (expensive and not that tough but can bring alot of firepower with either Hades or Ecto)

[Forté]

@Kilofix.

 

I know Tenebris is working on a Tactica using the DV box as a base. Be worth working that in with him. I'll make sure it's added to the Resources thread too.

 

Though when I'm at home I'll see if I can add something along the lines of what you have here ;) :tu:

[Strazhakov]

@Kilofix.

I know Tenebris is working on a Tactica using the DV box as a base. Be worth working that in with him. I'll make sure it's added to the Resources thread too.

Though when I'm at home I'll see if I can add something along the lines of what you have here

I especially like that Raptors = Fast Attack

[Kilofix]

@Kilofix.

I know Tenebris is working on a Tactica using the DV box as a base. Be worth working that in with him. I'll make sure it's added to the Resources thread too.

Though when I'm at home I'll see if I can add something along the lines of what you have here

I especially like that Raptors = Fast Attack

Eh what? I didn't see anything ....

Thanks!

[Teutonicorder]

Hi all and thank you for the replies.

 

I'm new to this area but so far it looks like a mixed bag, haven't met all the potential opponents yet either and as I travel between a few countries these days, I'm hoping to have a chance to battle all over and meet all kinds.

 

I tend to make lists based on an all comers approach, so I can grab my stuff and turn up anywhere and have at least a shot of making do.

 

I didn't mean to imply I wanted a list written for me, merely to hear experiences from people, perhaps more at the "competitive" end of the spectrum.

 

the army will be battle forged, perhaps with some added formations if they work, money is a reasonably flexible resource, although i wont be making giant orders from forge world any time soon and would like to not let it get out of hand, if you know what i mean.

 

so far my lists have been unmarked with occasional MoK and MoT units. 

 

I like the idea of short range fire power with some long range back up and a dedicated assault unit. I did post a 2k list, http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/295809-returning-players-2k-list/.

 

I'm keen on mech or lots of marines backed by armour.

 

I guess its easier to say what I'm not keen on.

 

I'm not keen on the plague marine thing, i see its great and 2 specials in a rhino and these are solid but i just don't like em.....yet. similar to noise marines although I'm warming to them. Bikes as well haven't sold me yet, I see their effectiveness but don't like em.

 

I'm not out to simply grab the power units and string em together basically.

 

at 1k I was thinking

 

Sorc, term armour, familiar, mot, lvl 2, vet

 

19 csm, icon of vengence, 2 plasma, lightning claw

5 csm, melta, rhino

 

Predator, Lascannons

Predator, Heavy bolters

 

Helcult

Helbrute, power scourge, lascannon

10 cultists

10 cultists.

 

I do not own the Helbrute dataslate yet but I do like the sound of this formation, especially in small games. 

 

 

So I appreciate the replies, especially those details already given, the more to take in the better :)