Returning Player - 500-750 point Slaanesh advice

[Rob_Everyone]

Hi one an all,

I haven't played chaos (or 40k for that matter) since the 3rd Edition codex, so feel a bit like a fish out of water trying to get back into the hobby. I want to start playing small point games 500-750 ish to get familiar with the rules again and start learning the new ones and consequently could really do with some advice with getting started.

 

I'd like to play Slaanesh as a change from playing Nurgle previously, so suggestions geared in that direction would much appreciated. I've tried to read as much as I could on this forum before posting, but my questions are:

 

1) Troop choices: I gather Noise marines with a blastmaster possibly in a rhino are a good option? Are squads kitted out with sonic blasters that effective? Or alternatively CCW and a doom siren champion with a power weapon?

2) Lucius the Eternal: I have the model and love the character but gather he's not very competitive. I'd like to take him but wasn't sure the best way of including him?

3) Are bikes a must in a Slaanesh army? I only ask as I've never been particularly fond of the models.

4) Fliers: Weren't around when I played previously, so I literally know nothing. Do I need to gear a list to have aspects that can readily deal with them? I will mainly end up playing in a store to begin with so will have no idea what I'll be facing.

5) Any other major does or don'ts I need to be aware of since I last played either chaos or 40k in general?

 

Apologies for the barrage of questions and I am by no means asking you to build a list for me, but any advice would be gratefully received. I don't want to win at all costs (hence considering Lucius) would just like a list I can challenge with and ease back into the hobby (and maybe cover in a blog as it's built).
Thanks in advance.

Rob

[Aspiringchaoschampion]

6 noise marines with a blast master in a rhimo is a very good unit. Lucius works best in a raider with some slaanesh TLC terminators just avoid units with a 2+ save. Bikes are one of our best fast attack chooces but all of them are workable with the exception of warp talons

Fliers no you dont need to take them personally i field no dedicated aa and usually let my oblits and auto cannon havocs deal with them

[Teetengee]

Apparently there are a few ways to use warp talons, but we just have way better options for anything they might do.
In any case, at 500-700 points, I wouldn't worry too much about flyers, most people won't be using very many if any at all.
Bikes are good, but not necessary.
 

Sonic blasters aren't terribly effective these days unfortunately.

 

Blastmasters are solid though.

The small blastmaster unit in rhino is definitely a functional unit for non-waacers.

At 700 points, I would probably try to grab 2 of those as troop choices (so you need that slaanesh lord).

Obliterators (unmarked or with nurgle or tzeentch) are still quite effective, and you may want to consider a helldrake when flyers come around ifyou aren't going to get IA13 from forgeworld. (at which point vastly different options open up).

 

Cultsts also make for good objective holders, and larger units can be a threat due to weight of fire.

[Rob_Everyone]

Thanks for all the advice so far. I can't really justify dipping into IA13 so will be limited to codex options for the moment. And here are inevitably more questions:

Sounds like the blastmaster with 5/6 marines (6 if we're doing it properly fluff wise ) is a good shout. What about CCW and a doom siren champion with a power sword and Lucius in the same unit?

Is the icon of excess worth adding to a noise marine squad?

This is probably opening a can of worms, but what's the best way to run cultists (I managed to snare some autogun cultsists off ebay) is it ever worth giving them a stubber or flamer (obviously not if they've got autoguns)?

I have an Obliterator which I was looking at possibly including, is there anything else which would complement the noise marine element nicely? I was leaning maybe towards some spawn...

I definitely need to sit down with the codex and start penning some lists for criticism, it's just knowing where to start...

[Teetengee]

Icon of excess isn't worth it in a small squad as far as I am concerned. Also, I wouldn't mix in powerswords with your blasmaster units, although the doom siren could potentially be useful as an assault deterrent (as it does pretty well in overwatch). I would probably want Lucius in a different unit than blastmaster noisemarines as he is more of an assault character. Maybe with a few assault oriented chosen.

[Castigator]

At 500-700pts I think Lucius is too expensive. I'd go with a cheaper Lord at around the 100pts mark. Two 5 man units of Noise Marines each with a Blastmaster is a solid choice. As you aren't keen on Bikes, I think you need to look more to shooting rather than combat at such low points. Something like:

 

Lord, MoS, Termie armour.

5 Noise Marines, Blastmaster (put Lord with these to tank wounds)

5 Noise Marines, Blastmaster, Rhino

Predator, Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons or 5 Autocannon Havocs

5 Spawn, MoS

 

Obviously I've stayed true to Slaanesh, but if you aren't bothered you could drop the mark on the Spawn or give them the mark of Nurgle.

[Lucio]

My go-to skirmish list is the following. It's been successful in taking down a Death Company force, narrowly losing to Harlequins, and trouncing a Nurgle force

 

General tactics is to have the cultists head straight towards the enemy, whilst the rest of the force lays down covering fire. The Rhino is used as a light anti-infantry tank and shields the Predator on one side.

 

The Cultist's job is to sieze the objectives and if they get within 12" intact, rolling 40 dice tends to put most opponents off!

 

Noise Marines can move up or stay back depending on the game flow, if they move up using the Rhino helps but isn't essential since Salvo weapons get 2 shots on the move anyway.

 

Sonic Blasters are worth the points for the Ignore Cover and extra shots

 

+++ The Quintos - Strike Force (600pts) +++

 

 

+ HQ (85pts) +

 

Chaos Lord (85pts) [bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Mark of Slaanesh, Melta bombs, Power Armour, Warlord]

+ Troops (295pts) +

Chaos Cultists (110pts) [19x Autogun upgrade, 19x Cultists in unit]

····Cultist Champion [Autogun]

Noise Marines (Troops) (185pts) [4x Extra CCW, Noise Marine w/ Blastmaster, 3x Noise Marine w/ Sonic Blaster]

····Chaos Rhino [Havoc Launcher]

····Noise Champion [bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon]

+ Heavy Support (220pts) +

Chaos Predator (95pts) [Autocannon, Heavy Bolters]

 

Havocs (125pts) [2x Autocannon, 4x Havoc, 2x Missile Launcher]

····Aspiring Champion [bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon]

[RolandTHTG]

At 500-700pts I think Lucius is too expensive. I'd go with a cheaper Lord at around the 100pts mark. Two 5 man units of Noise Marines each with a Blastmaster is a solid choice. As you aren't keen on Bikes, I think you need to look more to shooting rather than combat at such low points. Something like:

 

Lord, MoS, Termie armour.

5 Noise Marines, Blastmaster (put Lord with these to tank wounds)

5 Noise Marines, Blastmaster, Rhino

Predator, Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons or 5 Autocannon Havocs

5 Spawn, MoS

 

Obviously I've stayed true to Slaanesh, but if you aren't bothered you could drop the mark on the Spawn or give them the mark of Nurgle.

If you're running that, why not use the lord as lord on steed with sword& aura to run with the spawn? I think it'd be better than lascannon bait lord.

[Kierdale]

I would consider Bonzi's thread "Making Noise Marines Scream":

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/271966-making-noise-marines-scream/?hl=%20making%20%20noise%20%20marines%20%20scream

...the bible for Noise Marines/Slaanesh.

 

It's a long thread but invaluable :tu:

 

My own 500 point list is:

5NM w/Blast master 125pts x2 = 250pts

5 bikers w/melta bombs, 2x melta gun 135pts

Chaos lord w/bike, Mark of S, lightning claw 115pts

At such low points you can't afford many toys.

 

At higher points I intend to add maulerfiends to add to the assault, one more NM squad and rhinos for each squad (to be used as bunkers, quick objective grabbers and mobile cover).

[Rob_Everyone]

Wow, thanks for all the advice.

I would consider Bonzi's thread "Making Noise Marines Scream":
http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/271966-making-noise-marines-scream/?hl=%20making%20%20noise%20%20marines%20%20scream
...the bible for Noise Marines/Slaanesh.

It's a long thread but invaluable

You weren't kidding, that thread is amazing!

As much as Daemons appeal to me (trust me it's very tempting), I can't justify them financially at the moment so will have to stick to CSM.

Having had a play with some ideas, as a 750 point list I was debating:

HQ

Lucius the Eternal 165

Troops

1) Noise Marines x5, 125

- Blastmaster

2) Noise Marines x5, 195

- Champion with Doom Siren + Power Sword

- Icon of Excess

- Rhino

3) Cultists x10 60

- Autoguns

Fast Attack

- Spawn x 2 60

Heavy Support

- Obliterator, MON x2 152

Should be 757 (although my maths is terrible)

My thinking being that Bonzi used a Doom Siren squad before switching to the daemonettes, so hopefully they'll cover a similar role for me. I know it's an expensive unit, but I think the icon might be necessary to keep them going.

Essentially I'm trying to build an escalation list where as I slowly get back into the hobby I can build the army around a core smaller list without things becoming redundant.

Comments + criticism gratefully received.
Thanks in advance.