New Chaos Knights detachment - knights + Damned units

[Dr_Ruminahui]

This December, GW has been releasing new detachments for all the factions.  One of the ones so far is Chaos knights - https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/9sn7qfxn/grotmas-calendar-day-9-silent-knights-unholy-knights/

Its "thing" is that it allows a knights army to take DAMNED units from the CSM codex and then buff the knights by sacrificing their mortal minions to them.  Which to me seems really cool and thematic.

 

Haven't played my knights enough to know how good it is compaired to the current Index detacment, but it does seem to give us some extra tools such as numbers and sticky objectivers,  Also nice is that since it gives you the chaff, you can focus more on the big knights over the wardogs, which I know is attractive to many.  Also, the image of all this little guys running around the legs of the knights worshiping them is awesome.  On the other side, I don't know how many knight players were looking for an excuse to collect cultists (though sticky objectives is really good) and the traitor guard units in the CSM codex really aren't that great - though accursed cultists seem pretty good and are a regular tourney staple in CSM lists.

 

Anyway, let me know your thoughts and if this tempts you to add some mortals to your knights.

Edited December 11 by Dr_Ruminahui

[PeteySödes]

I have to say i was pretty excited to see it, i had been gone a while and the new detachment def is more in line with what i was working on and would like to pick up again. More work though for sure haha.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I would be really interested in what you had in mind - what knights do you think you would use, what mortals and in what proportion?

 

Interestingly, for example, in 1000 points you could have an an abominant, a rampager, 50 cultists and the wargear that lets you sacrifice from any cultist unit within LOS.  Seems like a decent little list.  One could also cut 30 cultists and field a wardog instead... though that doesn't give you much leeway for casualties if you want to use them to buff your knights.

 

Or, at 1500 you could take an abominant, a rampager and a despoiler and 60 cultists... looks like a fun list, especially if your opponent is okay with legends and you can take the autogun armed cultist units.  Think I may try this one out the next time I game with my friends.

 

The biggest problem with the list is that there is always a danger in giving your opponent a good target for their weapons that they wouldn't have otherwise - so interesting to see if the value of the mortals outweighs giving a prime target for you opponent's anti-chaff weapons.  Still, even if it doesn't, the concept of the detachment is so cool I'm really happy GW made it.

Edited December 12 by Dr_Ruminahui

[PeteySödes]

Yea i hear you on the competitive side. My main vision previously was a solo undivided Castigator probably 4 or so wardogs repping a god each and then just chaff for days. I feel like i did the compy tourney thing real hard pre-covid and am not looking to really return i guess, mostly just want fun games and TBH i never thought playing AGAINST knights was terribly fun, at least in last edition.

 

Currently, i think doing something like the castigator, 40-50 traitor guardsmen, a few nurglings then filling in the rest with wardogs seems like a really fun and thematic army. I'm likely to be able to get my first 10th game in this sat so we'll see. Im trying to pace myself though so just trying to finish the big girl atm (i should update my thread if its not too dust covered) :D

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Wow, that's a very different list than what I'll be doing (well, except for the number and type of mortals) - does sound like a lot of fun, though. I look forward to hearing how that goes!  

 

Also look forward to seeing your work on your castigator - given your previous knights, I'm sure its gorgeous.  And don't feel apprehensive about restarting your old thread - any thread necromancy taboos don't really apply to showing all of your own stuff in one place and are more directed at restarting topics that no longer have any relevance (plus, I don't think B&C frowns on threadomancy in the way other forums do).

Edited December 12 by Dr_Ruminahui

[PeteySödes]

What had you been doing, more larger knights?

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Haven't done anything yet, but the list I'm most likely to field at 1500 points is 3 larger knights (an abominant, a ravager and a despoiler) plus 50 cultists.  I think that is both more evocative (huge robots + little guys being cooler, in my mind, than medium robots + little guys) and synergizes better with the detachment rules.  Now, there is no right or wrong way to do it, that's just more attractive to me.  Anyway, I will report back if I ever get a game in with that list.

 

Up until now, I haven't played any games with my knights in 10e, but my 9e games were the same big 3 + 4 assorted wardogs.  Which was fun, but I've been enjoying painting and playing my CSM in 10e so haven't tried out my knights in it yet.  For me, the new detachment gives me an excuse to - the detachment rules just seem a lot more interesting and fun than the battleshock one in the index detachment.

Edited December 13 by Dr_Ruminahui