Unit of the week CSM 10th edition Unit of the week: Abaddon the Despoiler

[Cpt.Danjou]

 

CSM 10th edition Abaddon the Despoiler

 

This is a topic about Abaddon the Despoiler in the 10th edition.

 

• Do you use him?
• How are you using him?
• Do you think he performs well?
• Do you attach him to any specific unit?
• Is there a detachment that he is extra crucial?

 

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

 

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[darkseren1ty]

Since the codex release, Abaddon has been hit hard. Firstly, there's his exhorbitant cost. Do his force multiplication aura abilities justify that expense?

not in my opinion.

The 4++ aura to infantry/mounted units is decent, but at just shy of 300 points, thats a bit obscene, if it granted it to vehicles, then there could be a case of taking Abaddon in the Vashtorr detachment.

His other ability, rerolls to hit is great, its quite strong, but do you really want to keep a melee beatstick like abaddon in the backfield giving rerolls to your gunline? Then if you choose to move him up with infantry, you've gotta choose between rerolls vs your 4++ aura. Not ideal. At his cost, i think they shouldve kept both auras simultaneously active.

His third aura ability isn't worth talking about, being so situational.

His melee ability is incredibly powerful, provided he makes it into combat with appropriate targets. I've had minor success using him with chosen and a master of executions. Give the 4++ inv aura and the MoE provides rerolls against damaged targets. I dont feel like the cost was justified though.

Defensively, Abaddon is not great. Anything with precision will run the risk of you losing an expensive centerpiece model. I've had an enemy MoE single him out in a massive melee over the midtable objective and wipe him out before he could even react. He has no defensive abilities greater than a terminator lord besides 3 extra wounds. Thats just a travesty.

His biggest downgrade was the loss of all his marks of chaos (besides undivided), and I know thats only relevant in PBZ now, but that was the biggest reason to take abaddon. To convey all marks to a unit of termies or chosen, which made for a resilient, fast and hard hitting unit that could hold midfield or plough into enemy lines with appropriate support (strategems and otherwise).

Overall, theres no competitive reason to take abaddon over a lord or other HQ unit. Hes just not worth the points any longer.