Unit of the week Unit of the week: Chosen

[WatchCaptainNavar]

It may come down to that we’re operating them differently.

 

For me they start embarked in a rhino so they won’t get to shoot turn 1, turn 2 disembark and what I try to do is cripple an opponent’s weakest unit with other fire so the chosen just have to take the last wound triggering all the stages of wanton in time for a turn 2 charge and exploding 6s in combat. From that point they’ll hopefully spend the rest of the game in combat until they’re killed or grab an objective in the opponents board half and keep it. As such for me maxing out on combis and plasma pistols is an extra 30 or 60 points that I don’t think they make best use of. 

I definitely agree terminators are a better use of combi weapons and the current black runed and character supported max size unit stomping up the centre is a good threat.
But chosen can fit in a rhino giving CSM some much needed mobility and they can also take an icon which with slanesh and khorne improves there melee threat further.

 

maybe if combi weapons were 5pts like marine sternguard I’d be more tempted but if we max out on weapons, icon & mark it takes a 10 man chosen unit to 330pts. While 10 possessed are 280 and 10 rubrics with warpflamers are 252 and my usual black runed 10 terminators are 380. So I can’t help but feel that over investment in combi weapons and pistols is trap, as they’ve now got to do a lot to earn there points back / trade up while only having a 3+ save and 3 wounds compared to some of the competing elite options we have. 
 

how do you normally play your chosen and what are there frequent targets? 

 

 

[Khornestar]

And terminators with combis are better too. That rule doesn’t feel worth dedicating points to IMO.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

11 hours ago, Snazzy said:

I have to disagree about the combi-weapons.  The whole point of Chosen is to trigger and exploit their Chosen rule.  They may not have enough to take out an equal number of MEQs, but the combi weapons and plasma pistols give them more of a chance of finishing off a unit and making use of Chosen in every phase.  If you are taking them for Accursed Weapons, Terminators are just better. 

 

If you want just Accursed Weapons, Chosen are actually better because they can take an Icon.  Khorne & Slaanesh Icons increase CC lethality.

[Snazzy]

On 12/23/2022 at 11:37 AM, Iron Father Ferrum said:

 

If you want just Accursed Weapons, Chosen are actually better because they can take an Icon.  Khorne & Slaanesh Icons increase CC lethality.

 

Fair enough.  I was thinking of Warp Strike when i wrote it.

 

 

One of the strange things about the Chosen datasheet is the use of the term model, instead of Chosen.  The one restriction is that the Power Fist can't go on the Champion, who also has no separate options.

[Kaiju Soze]

3 hours ago, Snazzy said:

One of the strange things about the Chosen datasheet is the use of the term model, instead of Chosen.  The one restriction is that the Power Fist can't go on the Champion, who also has no separate options.

That crops up in a few places (I believe the Icon upgrade for must units says Model rather than [Unit], and means that the Champion is eligible for those upgrades.

[Verbal Underbelly]

The more I come back to this topic the less I can imagine ever fielding them. Their special ability doesn't seem to be that relevant. 

[WatchCaptainNavar]

I still think cheap chosen squads have a place thanks to being 3 wound models now the game is so Killy with lots of d2 weapons, the accursed weapons can be situationally brilliant as they’re a power sword with the extra attack of a chainsword that can be buffed by marks and icons. Plus they fit in a rhino.

 

but….

 

if AoC goes then I see them being a lot less resilient due to the base save and lack of an invun, we’ve had a nice time of ignoring ap1 weapons and if there back a lot of our saves go to being 50/50 on a 4+
 

The merging of all the weapon options into accursed weapons, although great for speeding up play means they don’t have much flexibility especially against high houghness and wound count. It’s a brilliant new kit with so many weapon options and they mean nothing, I feel like they should have given the chosen some options I.e. make the kits chain axes the equivalent of a chain fist against tanks and monsters or if they take chain swords make the unit cheaper ect.

 

finally they don’t compare well to there loyalist equivalents, sternguard get combi weapons for 5pts as an upgrade on there special issue bolters and can take more of them. While vanguard have a lot of weapon flexibility, can take jump packs and have access to storm shields for an invun and improved save. 
I know a lot of this is the modern gw approach that if it’s not in the kit it’s not an option so sternguard and vanguard may change in the next codex, but if chosen had  access to the same equipment as vanguard veterans can’t help but think with a jump pack and storm shield they’d be a a strong default pic for csm of most legions.

 

 

[Plague _Lord]

I've played 10 man MoS chosen with black rune in my IW in a few RTTs and in each game they have been my best unit. I support them with the usual priest and MoP. Let me tell you... 30 wounds that have AoC, no rerolls to wound against them, 5++ FNP, Tran:cuss:/norerolls, -1 to wound them and they hit 1st in CC is VERY hard to shift.

Stuff they have survived:

1. Morvhen Vahl, Celestene and 10 sacresants and around 10 repentia - they won this fight, slaughtering all and holding the midfield objective

2.  Around 20 leviathan warriors when that was the hot stuff - they eventually all fell but they held the midfield for a few turns

3. Tau crisis suit shooting and more

 

Their offensive output is decent due to hitting on 2s, high AP and a lot of attacks but I tend to support them with a MOE for some hard hitting attacks.

 

I like them more than termies due to the cost. I'd rather have 10 chosen and 2 venomcrawlers than 10 termies tbh.

I've also used 2x5 Khorne chosen and they were really nice blitz units that could take on harder targets and would blend anything without an invul.

 

Now with the rumours of AOC going away they will be a bit more squishy (we'll see if IW trait stays the same) but the same rumours are saying that terminators will go up in points and I think I will stay with chosen for the time being. 

[TAL0IV]

I usually take a squad of 5 with 2 combi-meltas, all accursed weapons and pair them with a squad of legionaries with a balefire tomb to get that 4+ invuln with mark of tzeentch and extra AP

 

I've actually had pretty good success with them in every game and always find a spot for a squad in my list..they're pretty flexible which I like

[Karhedron]

So, now the dust has started to settle with the big changes that heralded the end of Nephilim and the start of Arks of Omen. Has the calculus changed on these guys? Granted they have not become objectively better but Terminators have had a significant price hike. Does this open a niche for Chosen or are they still outperformed by things like Possessed?

[Prot]

On 1/1/2023 at 8:26 PM, TAL0IV said:

I usually take a squad of 5 with 2 combi-meltas, all accursed weapons and pair them with a squad of legionaries with a balefire tomb to get that 4+ invuln with mark of tzeentch and extra AP

 

I've actually had pretty good success with them in every game and always find a spot for a squad in my list..they're pretty flexible which I like

 

52 minutes ago, Karhedron said:

So, now the dust has started to settle with the big changes that heralded the end of Nephilim and the start of Arks of Omen. Has the calculus changed on these guys? Granted they have not become objectively better but Terminators have had a significant price hike. Does this open a niche for Chosen or are they still outperformed by things like Possessed?

 

 I think GW effectively killed Termies now so yea, they aren't a great choice, but I don't know if this still helps people pick up that box of chosen and say "Now's your chance!" Abaddon knows, I've tried... a lot.

 

The Combimelta Load out with 8-10 is what I'm looking at now because if you want to take them vanilla, just take Possessed. They're still just faster, stronger, tougher, and fairly cheap. The squad of Chosen with melta that I've been pondering would use MoT. I have been using a basic squad of Chosen with MoT and I'm doing exactly what's suggested above: Get a Balefire Tome squad nearby and see how far you can live off the 4++, and why not get those bolters to AP1? 

 

I don't think it'll work, but it's my last kick at them, and that's the only loud out I haven't tried. 

[BrainFireBob]

Prot, have you tried 5x5 in a rhino- 5 man Legionaire squad, 5 man Chosen squad, for objectives?

[Prot]

1 hour ago, BrainFireBob said:

Prot, have you tried 5x5 in a rhino- 5 man Legionaire squad, 5 man Chosen squad, for objectives?

 

I'm not 100% sure I understand what you're saying, but yes I've tried Chosen combined with Legionaire squads. Actually, that's probably  my most common use case so far.