Servants of Abyss into Functional Lost & Damned

[Schlitzaf]

Any DIY, gonna be at end of post. First and foremost I want to mention. All things considered Servants of Abyss are a surprisingly coherent (not good) army. You have as of now;

HQ

Mallax (Up to 1)

Traitor Commissar** (Unlimited)

 

Elite

Negavolt (up to 1)

Rogue Pysker* (Up to 2)

Chaos Ogryns** (‘Unlimited’)

Firebrand (‘Unlimited’)

 

Troop

Black Legionaires* (Up to 1/Slot only Into Mallax)

Beastman* (Up to 1)

Chaos Cultists (Unlimited)

Chaos Gaurdsman (up to 2)

 

Legally speaking you can only have up to 4 HQ’s so Battlelion + Battlelion or Battlelion + 2 Vangaurd. Battlelion + 1 Vangaurd is honestly most reasonable (or Black Legion Detachment + Servant Battlelion). So most of what I’ll be writing be under the concept of that. Now here is another thing that is important even at best your not gonna go reasonably speaking even 1000 points well let alone 2000.

 

But here what you do have alot of cheap Chaos characters. And just want to say this, your a Chaos Cult going vive la Revolution. Chaos Cults are known for Summoning. Demonic Ritual anyone? But more on that later.

 

Servant Vanguard/Legion (or Servant) Battalion

Servant Battalion

 

I’m writing this thread under the idea your doing Servant Vanguard + Servant Battalion

 

If going full soup

Legion Battalion

Servant Battalion

Daemon Battalion

 

Meaning looking at

HQ

Mallax

1-3 Chaos Commissars

 

Mallax and 1 Commissar is mandatory for a Battalion. If doing 2 Detachments, Mallax and 2 Commissars is needed. If 4 Detachments/Dbl Battalion Mallax and 3 Commissars are needed.

 

Mallax due point changes in Thunder Hammer, is now a super cheap HammerLord. His primary issue is Servants of Mallax. Which more on that later. Always take him.

 

Commissars are bad. Easily 15-20 points overpriced but everything else in the army is dirt cheap so its okay. You need 1-3 of these guys for anything beyond a Vangaurd. So 1 of them is what you should take. But really 2. But you’d have to take another medicore unit to make full use of there abilities.

 

For Troops

2 Traitor Gaurdsman

0-1 Chaos Beastman

1-4 Servant Cultists

 

Cultists vs Gaurdsman:

There are several points here, the first is that statwise Gaurdsman > Cultists. Its not even a question. But here an important but, cultists equipment are coherent. They all have Lasguns, and multishot weaponry. Chaos Gaurdsman have buff support in form of Commissars.

 

Here is why I like this and shows good army design. In terms of your premier troop choice, Gaurdsman vs Cultists is actually a choice that has to be made. Each one has legitimate advantages over the other instead of one being autopick.

 

In general I’d do 2 Gaurdsman and 3 Cultists. Maybe drop a Gaurdsman or Cultist for Beastman. Regardless of running 2 Commissars there are arguments for only running 1 Gaurdsman Squad because the Gaurdsman mandatory equipment is just that poor compared to Cultists. However a 5+ save is nothing to sneeze at. If you do take 1 despite 2 Commissars. The other commissar on ritual duty.

 

Chaos Beastman would be downright easily your best troop choice if could be larger than 4 man and/or more than one squad. Will discuss Chaos Beastman more later.

 

The 2 Man Chaos Marine Squad is just bad and should never in my opinion be taken.

 

These troops are what makes up the “Lost” in Lost&Damned. Normal People led astray by false and deceitful prophets. And in that regard their main troop unit are not really that different from regular gaurdsman style units.

 

Elites

The truly damned half of a modern Lost and Damned. Here where we get what makes this army functional not just playable. We have 3 Characters here in this slot

Rogue Pyskers

ChaoGryns

Firebrand

 

Rogue Pyskers only source of reliable mortal wounds. At same price of company commanders. Remember MaliLords. While sadly explosion doesn’t result in MonsterMurderers. Part of MaliLords strength was just being cheap smiters. And easilt get 2 Smites off with these two. Almost always would take both. Also because Smite is good distance you can smite + Ritual. Generally turn 2 onwards. Also will perils on any doubles not just dbl1 or dbl6.

 

ChaosGryns. The first truly unique unit without good equivalents. While Ogryns Bodygaurds are similar. These guys are whole lot difference. While expensive, cost same as Space Marine Liutanents or Greater Possessed. They hit like a truck. And potentially move very quickly. With 4-5 attacks and mostly likely rerolling hit rolls on all but 1.

 

1 attack they might at strength 5, -2 and 2 Damage. Then rest at strength 7, -1 AP and 2 damage, rerolling all hit rolls if first noted attack hits. I’d generally take 1 or maybe 2.

 

Firebrand, the final of our 3 characters. Firebrand is a no non-sense flamer bro. Same points as Rogue, and 2 Damage, Heavy Flamer but not actually Heavy (so advance and shootable). He also has a vehicle style explosion. So eventually can charhe him in after flaming and watch him explode.

 

So these three make up the “Damned” of Lost&Damned. The leaders of the poor souls or their leaders most devoted followers. Also being the ways chaos insanity. Properly biggest thing is two of these three want you to explode them against the enemy. Which forms a playstyle of suicidal fanatical cannon fodder style units.

 

This is different than other cannon fodder which are generally screens. These are units you want to get into position to make them explode. But its a consistent one too. But what I like is these three units are what Servants both reasonable and many ways disctinctive. Largely speaking Chaos should be about the characters more than faceless dudebros. The big honchos who fell and what they can show and tell us.

 

NegaVolt Cultists: For what they are very well pointed. Except for how do you have 4 identically equipped models = 45? Like Beastman a very solid unit.

 

All together: You have a coherent army which wanrs to be danger close, has an non-insiginficant portion of the army wants to be killed. Several reasonably priced characters whom are dirt cheap.

 

Now this means even max loadout take like 6 troops all the Firebrands and Pyskers. You have only around 700-800 points. In a 2k game that alot of summoning. Or more realistically 1k. But all said even adding a BLegion Detachment Battlelion or Vangaurd. Adding 400-700 depending. Leaves plenty of summoning and plenty of cheap characters to summon.

 

Ultimately this would give a very good appearance of a chaos cult. And main thing Commissar and Gaurdsman aside, the units themselves aren’t really actively mediocre either. Sense Chaos Commissar and Escalation, filling mandatory slots for Servants aren’t hard anymore. Which solves that issue from a mechanical problem. From original Blackstone release.

 

Issue 1: Mallax Servants. You have to either congo of doom, super scrunched up army. Or otherwise. Its main struggle with a Servant List. My personal solution would be. Is allow Chaos Commissars to stand in for Mallax in Servants of Mallax. Given you 2-4 6” bubble of deployment. Keeping the focus this is a chaos warband under a singular leader. But allowing some flexibility.

 

Issue 2: NegaVolts and Beastman. Two of the most frankly interesting units that Servants have are so small to be frankly unplayable. In each case I’d remove 0-1 restriction.

 

For Beastman I’d change it to to 4-21 Models at 6ppm. I’d be keeping Slaves to Mallax (and potentially have its Servant/Slave rules match Legionaires). If concern about alot of tiny 4 man squads. I’d add the rule “Herd Mentality” meaning the amount of beastman models you have must be in fewest amount of squads possible. Or just change unit from 7-14.

 

NegaVolts, I’d change them so can them as Unit of 4, 8 or 12. And change them to 0-2 to match the Rogue Pyskers.

 

Those two things aside; R&H vs Servants. R&H is a far more complete and strictly speaking in straight comparison better army than Servants. But here my opanion why I like Servant more. Less gimmicky (ironic I know). But no random ld rolls. Additionally not atrocious ballistic skill. And finally Mallax.

 

One of the things I like alot about OG R&H from Vraks was Akros/Chaos Lord option. It made the army feel more chaosy. And one of the things about Imperium vs Chaos is how regimented Imperium is. While chaos is freeform, with normies and astartes “intermingling”. And due to cheaper squads and HQ options, Servants are easier to soup in

 

Full DIY Mode

Do as notes above, remove Legionaires and Mallax. Any reference to Mallax change to (Chaos Lord). I’d have the new “Legionaire” Unjt be a a Chaos Chosen of 2-10). And turn two FW Dark Mechanicum Units (Abeyants) into Servant. Or keeping the flavor, if keeping Mallax. Allow 0-1 Master of Possession (whom gain Servent/abilitt count as Mallax), and both types of possessed. And Chaos Spawn, Russes and Maul/Forge Fiends.

 

All said and done the Servants espacially in casual play make a fine L&D list that has its own playstyle. Anyone have a critique on what I wrote?

 

 

 

*If in Detachment w/ Obdi not Taken Slot

**Don’t have Servants of Mallax

Edited March 14, 2020 by Schlitzaf

[PeteySödes]

I wish I could like this twice, an excellent read!