Unit of the week CSM 10th edition Unit of the week: Chaos Terminator Squad

[Cpt.Danjou]

 

CSM 10th edition Chaos Terminator Squad

 

This is a topic about Chaos Terminator Squad in the 10th edition.

 

• Do you use them?
• How are you using them?
• Do you think they perform well?
• How do you equip them?
• Do you attach them to any specific unit?
• Is there a detachment that they are extra crucial?

 

Other Unit of the Week for Chaos Space Marines can be found in the link below.

 

Chaos Space Marine Unit of the Week Links

[Tallarn Commander]

I've used squads of 5 Chaos Termies in Renegade Raiders and Dreadtalon detachments. Termies are solid melee units that work well in conjunction with other units. Like most other folks I include 3 powerfists and a chainfist and then add other weapons according to my preferences--it's the powerfists and chainfists that do most of the heavy lifting anyway. Sometimes they deepstrike and sometimes they walk up the board.

 

Their shooting is meh compared to previous editions. But their re-rolls are really nice when I remember to use them.

Edited August 23, 2024 by Tallarn Commander

[gaurdian31]

This edition they are definitely meant to be fighting infantry instead of vehicles I feel, they just don't have the strength to damage most things at least that's been my luck with them. I still try to include them as I love the unit, but man I wish they got something to help with popping tanks.

[Gree]

Pactbound Zealots runs them well. 5+ crits synergize well with the re-rolls of the unit's Despoilers ability. Losing D3 wounds due to a failed Dark Pact test does hurt alot, but you can get some good damage with them. Terminators benefit well from the Tzeentch stratagem to revive models and the Slaanesh stratagem to give them advance and charge. I like to run them with a Terminator Sorcerer.

 

That said, they're still not a top-tier competitive unit. There is a reason you don't see them often in tournament lists.

Edited August 24, 2024 by Gree

[MadEdric]

I love my Terminators.

They are in most lists, either 5 or 10 man. I find both numbers have a place, depending on the rest of the army. 

A 10 man will usually start on the board and push to the center to contest it. Five man squads are almost always in deep strike  so they can drop down where I need to apply pressure.

Right now most are armed with Accursed weapons and combibolters/weapons, with the champion using a chainfist. I really need to get some with power fists built and painted soon.

I run them as either Khorne or Undivided as their melee output is usually stronger than their shooting. Getting lethals on 5's for combat is nice, it helps them punch up into vehicles and high T targets.

Most often they have a Terminator Lord with them to boost their combat output. His chainfist, along with the rerolls from dark pacting really lets him cut down a lot of opponents. Plus his reduced cost for strats is a nice bonus.

I've not tried a Sorceror yet, but someday I'd like to have one.

So far I've tried them in most detachments and they have worked nicely. Though I find they are not needed in the Soulforge detachment as the monsters fill most of the rolls I usually have for them.

[Verbal Underbelly]

Apologies for the threadomancy but I've just acquired some chaos terminators via combat patrol magazine. Just starting to build them and was wondering if the reaper autocannon is worth having? I'm intending to use them in melee (and from deep strike), so do I just stick with combi bolters? 

I know in this edition weapon upgrades are "free" but this might not always be the case and I don't fancy ripping an arm off because of an edition change... hope that makes sense?

Edited June 14 by Verbal Underbelly

[Tallarn Commander]

Yup, the Reaper can be kept. Termie shooting doesn’t do much this edition so it does not matter whether you take a heavy flamer or Reaper Autocannon. In contrast, Chaos Terminators in melee do some real work.

[Brother Nathan]

Its fairly moot. I cant overly say any ranged option is better than any other. Heavy flamer combi bolter combi weapon reaper... this edition none of whivh really is better. Odd chance the extra damage helps but itll often be wasted. Incontrast melee options are important. The dual melee weapons with rerolls can really help as can fists and chainfists really help against tanks. In my games my termys have tanked damage and only managed it back in cc

[Verbal Underbelly]

Thanks both, I suppose because you want them in melee the guns are almost not worth thinking about. I was definitely going to go for three power fists. Is the chain fist worth bothering with when there's only one? Vehicles aren't the best target for terminators, on paper at least. Similarly, are the paired weapons [lightning claws] worth giving up a shooting attack for? 

 

20 shots with combi bolters with a dark pacts [LETHAL] could be good? Or is it actually underwhelming? 

[Brother Nathan]

Underwhelming. Whatever termys can kill with their shooting  you could more efficiently kill for the point investment. 

Dont get me wrong the dark pact geiving them rerolls to hit is bigger than the pact anyway but the quality of bolters is still not good enough vs anything sv4+. Combis have lost their quality and are fairly even due to number of shots and reduction in hit chance. So shooting for these guys is a side dish

[MadEdric]

I'll agree, but I do think a weapon choice is kind of important. I have 1 autocannon terminator and am working on a 2nd as I usually run 10 terminators most games. The way I see it, the Reaper Autocannon is better than the combibolter and combiweapon. I prefer it over the heavy flamer as well. Only for two reasons, flamers don't mix with pacts, and if I'm in combat with a monster/vehicle, the Autocannon has a better chance to do some damage. Plus I just think the weapon looks cool on a Terminator.

Even with the possibility of getting only one round of shooting before you are most likely stuck in. That one round of shooting might matter, and the autocannons let me have the opportunity to take a longer shot. I guess I remember when combiweapons were just one shot weapons, but when they were leveraged at the right time, could really help. I was really sad when my terminators lost their combimeltas.

 

[Tallarn Commander]

Verbal Underbelly, I do like to go with 3 powerfists, a pair of Accursed Weapons, and a chainfist. The pair of Accursed Weapons gives 'em a bit more oomph in melee. An the chainfist helps when I am up against a vehicle or monster, a situation which, as you note, is not ideal for Termies. But vehicles and monsters are common in my meta and the chainfist helps me adapt to the situation.

[Verbal Underbelly]

That's the exact load out I've decided on Tallarn Commander! Just one thing though; I don't think anti vehicle 3+ from the chain fist works on 'monster' units does it? 

 

As for guns I'm going with three combi bolters and a reaper autocannon. 

[Tallarn Commander]

Nope. But in my head cannon its fun to chop into a bug Tyranid beastie with a chainfist. :)

 

Edited June 16 by Tallarn Commander

[HeadlessCross]

On 6/15/2025 at 11:30 AM, Verbal Underbelly said:

Thanks both, I suppose because you want them in melee the guns are almost not worth thinking about. I was definitely going to go for three power fists. Is the chain fist worth bothering with when there's only one? Vehicles aren't the best target for terminators, on paper at least. Similarly, are the paired weapons [lightning claws] worth giving up a shooting attack for? 

 

20 shots with combi bolters with a dark pacts [LETHAL] could be good? Or is it actually underwhelming? 

I actually hate the Chainfist. The moment you run into a hit modifier, even with Pacts, you're only hitting half the time. I do the 3 Power Fists, Power Weapon to catch wounds, and of course the Claws.