Chaos spawn tactics?

[Brother Clavero]

 I would like to start using some chaos spawn in my army but really don't know if they would be useful or not! Does anyone have some tactics or good ideas on just how to maximize their use? Thanks!!

[Brother Dallo]

Mark of Nurgle is considered pretty useful, as it stops you being instakilled by krak missiles or lascannons. As for tactics, I don't have much for you apart from get stuck in. Spawn are pretty squishy outside of combat, and have no shooting, so combat is where you want them. At t5, they can tank powerfist hits reasonably well, so can make a good bodyguard for a nurgle biker lord.

 

Hope this is of use.

 

Dallo

[Trevak Dal]

I like using Spawn packs as a means to grab on and hold down troublesome enemy units.

 

Spawn are fast, moving 12 inches a turn and ignoring the penalties for difficult terrain, they can zip up the board, they are strength and toughness 5, and have as many wounds as a lord (though no save).

 

Most importantly, they are Fearless, which means you are going to have to take every single wound, (or take them out with s10 or instant death dealing attacks).  Their lack of armor save sort of tea-bags low ap weapons as they make your opponent waste game turns.

Before the Wraith Knight was a Gargantuan creature, I'd send small packs (2-3 nurgle marked spawn-to prevent smash from instant deathing them) to nullify my friends' wraith knight and Wraith Lords.

 

They were also good for pinning down a fast moving threat-I'd hit Sanguinary guard or Bikers with Spawn, and it stops them dead for a turn or two.

[Brother Mayhem]

Who is going with the Spawn, if anyone at all? Nurgle is the best mark for them as others have pointed out, but Khorne can be handy if you want a Juggerlord with them.

[Targetlock]

distraction, cannon fodder, meat shield, throw into melee as soon as you can :) ive found them useful in my daemonkin force.

[Trevak Dal]

Who is going with the Spawn, if anyone at all? Nurgle is the best mark for them as others have pointed out, but Khorne can be handy if you want a Juggerlord with them.

 

Khorne is a points sink-Spawn have Rage to begin with, and don't really benefit from Counter attack.  You can take them without a mark to have a Juggerlord with them.

 

Now if it added an additional 2 attacks to the 2 you already get on the charge from rage...

[Kaldoth]

Spawn are awesome as tarpits and for screening. A good strategy is to use them in conjunction with a Maulerfiend.  Mark of Nurgle, 5 Spawn, Maulerfiend with Lasher Tendrils.  The Mauler can move just as fast as the spawn, so keep him shielded by them.  The Spawn have enough wounds to soak up anything that will take an HP off of a Mauler, T6 to avoid instadeath with MoN, and if your opponent still aims for the Mauler it gets a cover save.  On the turn you charge with both, position the spawn off to the side and let the Mauler get stuck in first.  The tendrils will reduce the enemy base attacks by D3 to a minimum of one, then throw the spawn at them to deal some serious combat damage :D  If you're running a Mauler with Magma Cutters, the Spawn do the exact same thing, except the break off before the charge and go tarpit something else while the Mauler gets stuck in to blow up a vehicle.  The big thing is to hug cover with them.  Even with T6, these guys have no save unless they roll a 1-2 on a D6 in close combat.  No combat = no mutation roll, so keep that in mind!

Cheers,

-Kal
 

[Brother Clavero]

Thanks for all the replies! You all have great ideas!!!!

[Teetengee]

Yeah I usually run an unmarked unit of 5 as a retinue for my juggerlord. It is a ton of extra wounds to chew through if you want him dead.

[RolandTHTG]

I run a Slaanesh lord on steed(blade & demonheart), and like the juggerlord, either unmarked or MoS they provide an excellent escort for the lord.

[TheDevourer]

I think the most common build is 5 nurgle spawn with a crimson slaughter fisticlaw lord and a sorc to buff them up with invis.

[Aspiringchaoschampion]

Il be running min size spawn in my Daemonkin army