So You Want to Play Chaos (6th Ed) - Part 2

So, here begins the second part of my 6th Edition Chaos Marine tactica. This article will be focussing on the last part of the army list, the Heavy Support section, as well as the Armoury, and different playstyles such as Monogod lists, Daemon Engines, etc.

Heavy Support

Havoc Squad

The Traitor equivalent of Devestators has an important role in a competitive Chaos list. 75 points before upgrades gives you 5 simple CSM, with heavy weapons ranging from 5pts for a Flamer, to 20pts for Lascannons. Taking Lascannons will prove effective, but it'll add up, pretty damm quickly, and Lascannons can be taken for cheaper elsewhere. I think for 10pts, the humble Autocannon is pretty much the best weapon in the Havocs armoury. Despite the fact that these are one of the first units in the entire game with access to Flakk Missiles, frankly these are a bit of a waste of points. Yes, you get a S7 Skyfire shot, but it's one shot for 25pts/model. Taking Flakks on the whole squad costs 60pts more than 4x Autocannons, with only half the shots of exactly the same stats. Is Skyfire really worth an extra 15pts and a 50% decrease in damage output? I'll let you decide that for yourself but personally I'm going with Autocannons every time. If you come up against a Horde-dominated environment, the Heavy Bolters and Flamers could prove to be effective against the likes of Orks and Tyranids, and can provide some scary Overwatch damage too if you go down the Flamer route.

If like me you're going with the 4x Autocannon route, there's very little that this squad can't take on, namely the heaviest armour, such as Land Raiders and Monoliths, and the toughest Monstrous Creatures such as Wraithlords and Riptides. The latter however, can still be dropped through the sheer number of shots, but those particular targets warrant some lower-Ap firepower such as Plasma and Melta. However, one area in which the squad excels is in anti-Flyer support. For around 200 points, you can take a squad of Havocs sitting on an Aegis Line with a Quad Gun. This unit pumps out 12 S7 shots with a 48" threat radius, 4 of which are Skyfire and Twin-Linked, enough to make any Flyer short of a Manta think twice about getting too close.

As for other upgrades, it can't hurt to add a couple of extra guys to the unit. Sure, only 4 guys can take heavy weapons, but for each guy lost, that's a significant amount of firepower you're using. Take a couple of extra guys, no more than 2 to be honest, as ablative wounds. When considering Marks, probably best to avoid all but Nurgle. Taking MoN in the example I presented above makes the unit hunkering behind the Aegis even harder to shift, but the other Marks and Icons aren't really worth it to be honest.

Conclusion: Very good unit with a large variety of possible targets. Autocannon squads are probably the best Flyer deterrent in the Codex with the possible exception of the Heldrake. Highly Competitive

Obliterators

Obliterators have remained just as strong as they were before. 70 points gives you a 2-wound Terminator with access to a multitude of heavy weapons. With 6th, Obliterators have been given exclusive access to Assault Cannons to go with the rest of their morphing weapons: you have access to Lascannons, Multi-Meltas, Heavy Flamers, Plasma Cannons, as well as the smaller version of each weapon (Plasma Gun etc) which are Twin Linked. While they're costly at 70 points each, even one can provide a significant threat to pretty much anything in your opponent's army. Personally, I take a full squad of three Obliterators, represented by these beauties (cheaper too!), and they're never failed me to date. Being a bit unconventional however, I rarely Deep Strike these guys: I prefer them to be unloading damage from Turn 1, rather than waiting for them to arrive, with a possible scatter and Mishap. That said, I have Deep Struck them before with success, but usually I prefer to keep them in heavy cover, as high as possible and just go for the heaviest targets available.

However, while these guys are frankly amazing, they have two considerable downsides besides their cost:
- 1. They cannot fire Overwatch: Keep this in mind if they're a bit too close to the enemy. This is another reason why I tend not to Deep Strike them, as a 70pt model that can't Overwatch isn't going to survive long against dedicated CC units, even with a 2+ save. If your Obliterators are getting assaulted full-stop, you're doing something wrong.
- 2. Not as much as a downside but they cannot fire the same weapon in two consecutive Shooting Phases. This is a minor issue, and I can see why they've put it in to stop people just spamming Plasma Cannons etc, but you'll have to remember this when choosing what weapon to fire. In some circumstances it might be better to fire the Assault Cannons rather than the Lascannons against heavy armour, keeping your Lascannons free to engage a Monstrous Creature next turn for example.

Upgrades, you're stuck with Marks and Veterans of the Long War. I'd avoid VotLW, as you don't want them in assault anyway, and of the Marks, only Tzeench and Nurgle are of any real use, giving you a 4++ and T5 respectively. Tzeench is a bit expensive at 8ppm, and if you deploy them in cover you shouldn't really need a 4++ save. Mark of Nurgle is a bit cheaper at 6ppm, and gives +1 Toughness. While this means Boltguns and Lasguns are wounding on 5+/6+, more importantly it prevents you being Instant Deathed by Missile Launchers and Lascannons, which is a huge boost on models which cost 70pts each.

Conclusion: Very effective choice. Keep them out of assault and you'll find that there's nothing that these guys can't take on. Highly Competitive

Forgefiends

This thing's pretty sweet to say the least. It's not the cheapest vehicle in the book, coming out at 175 points basic, but what you get for the points isn't to be sniffed at. You get an AV12/12/10 Walker with a 5++ Invuln, It Will Not Die, and which ignores Crew Shaken/Stunned on 2+! Even your basic loadout is impressive: 2 Hades Autocannons giving you 8 S8 Ap4 shots in total, compared to Rifledreads which can only pump out half that, albeit TL, but let's have a look at the maths:

- 4 Twin-Linked shots at BS4 results in approx 3.5 hits after re-rolls
- 8 Shots at BS3 results in approx 4 hits

It's basic maths I know, but the fact is that the small BS reduction has little consequence on the overall damage output. Also remember that these shots are at S8 compared to the Loyalists' pitiful S7, so that's another bonus there. Despite the average Ap4, you're causing Instant Death on anything MEQ/TEQ, so good against Paladins, Commanders etc.

In general, this is a pretty good choice if you keep the Autocannons. Sure, you're BS3 but the fact that you have 8 shots makes this less of a drawback, a tiny disadvantage when compared to the bonuses of IWND, a 5++ as well as Daemonforge, which is an interesting rule in itself: you must declare Daemonforge before you fire, and you can re-roll failed penetration rolls. Not bad when firing S8 in large amounts, you can even take a couple of Hull Points from Land Raiders and Leman Russes, but remember it's declared before you shoot, so you could end up only hitting 2 of those shots for example, meaning that Daemonforge would be wasted in that scenario. It's all down to luck really with Daemonforge.

Now, considering weapon loadouts, both the Autocannons and the Ectoplasma have their own niches. Autocannon is a good all-rounder, and can even go for Flyers due to the number of shots, where your BS3 won't matter, and the Ectoplasma is useful against TEQs and Monstrous Creatures. I'd avoid taking the additional Ectoplasma unless you've already taken the other 2: both are good weapons but in the end, a single Plasma blast is good nonetheless, but they work best in clusters (just ask my two Leman Russ Executioners!)

Conclusion: Very high damage output, good against all targets and can even scratch AV14 and Flyers. Just keep it out of combat. Competitive

Maulerfiend

I couldn't find an impressive piece of art of a Maulerfiend on Google, so I present "Los Maulerfiend De Los Muertos"

Maulerfiends...well I'm struggling to like these to be honest. It's 50 points cheaper than the Forgefiend, but you replace all ranged capacity with 2 Power Fists, and a pair of Magma Cutters. Same stats and rules as the Forgefiend, except with the addition of Move Through Cover and Siege Crawler, which lets you move 12", and gives +1 penetration against buildings.

There really isn't much more to say on this I'm afraid except that I'm not a fan. You're fast, you can move through obstacles with ease, and hoping you don't die whilst charging into their ranks, you can tear up a couple of unit in assault, at least that's what I imagined. You are only WS3. You only have 2 attacks basic, 4 on the charge. Anything with a suitable CCW is going to tear you a new one. Even an Ork with a Power Klaw's hitting you on 3's, you won't last long against any CC-orientated units. I mean, people will say "but Valk, you get extra attacks with the Melta Cutters", but that's only if it hits with all of it's attacks. Going up against WS4, you have a 1/8 chance of all three of your attacks hitting. Really not worth it.

I wouldn't bother with the Lash Whips as well. Removing attacks on models is nice, but most basic Infantry only have 1 attack anyway, so that's useless. They also affect friendly models, which isn't that much of a pain in the arse as it can be avoided via placement, but can be a nusience. The only thing that this will actually be beneficial towards would be multi-attack squads such as Terminators or Nobs, which are exactly the sort of units you need to avoid period.

Conclusion: Meh, the low number of attacks really hurts this thing. It's good against vehicles, and that's pretty much it. Semi-Competitive

Defiler

I've always liked Defilers. The idea of a giant mechanical crab/spider/scorpion is a perfect personification of a Daemon Engine, even more so if it's upgraded to a Brass Scorpion in Apocalypse games. The Defiler has received a pretty hefty 45 points increase from the previous Codex, yet it's gained a good number of rules, namely a 5++ Invulnerable save, It Will Not Die, and the ability to ignore Shaken/Stunned on 2+, like the Mauler/Forgefiends. You also get a pretty impressive loadout of a Battle Cannon, Reaper Autocannon, TL-Heavy Flamer and 2 Power Fists. Frankly, if you like the Maulerfiend, it'd be best to free up some more points to get a Defiler instead, as you have better CC potential as well as the multitude of ranged weapons at your disposal. This thing is monstrously resilient: AV12 is just average, but when combined with a 5+ Invulnerable, IWND and 4 Hull Points, it'll take a fair portion of the enemy anti-tank firepower to take it down.

You have plenty of options as to upgrade the Defiler's weapons, with the option to replace the TL Heavy Flamer with either a Havoc Launcher or Power Scourge, and the Reaper wih another Power Fist, TL Heavy Bolter or TL Lascannon. Seeing as this thing is quite expensive to begin with I'd avoid the Lascannon and Power Scourge. The Heavy Bolters are a bit naff considering you're giving up a TL Autocannon just for an additional shot, albeit at -2 Strength, and the Havoc Launcher is nice, but you give up the best part of your Overwatch power by removing the D3 S5 hits. With this in mind, I'd limit the upgrades to possibly the Havoc Launcher and maybe the additional Power Fist.
The Power Scourge is an interesting option in itself: S8 Ap2 is unnecessary when you have 2 Power Fists, but the Scourge's Flail rule reduces enemy WS by D3. Seeing as you're already WS3 this may be a wise investment as reducing Tactical Marines, Terminators etc to possibly WS1 is a great bonus. Again, it's expensive at 25pts on an already expensive model but it's a wise choice if you have points to spare.

In terms of targets, there's not much that it can't take on. Battle Cannons are good against anything short of TEQ, and a possible 3 Power Fists resulting in 6 attacks on the charge is bound to damage anything but the biggest and hardiest of units. Best to keep this thing clear of hordes though: apart from the risk of hidden Power Fists/Klaws etc, you don't want this thing bogged down in combat against very squishy enemies. Let your Chaos Marines go after them while you take on the bigger stuff.

Conclusion: Very versatile, good loadouts and damage output, although the high points cost is stopping me from rating this as "Competitive", I'd definitely consider taking one in higher point level games. Semi-Competitive/Competitive

Chaos Land Raider

After all the discussions about how Chaos players were excited with a possible new variant of the Land Raider, or even just an improvement, they've listened to our heathen prayers, and in true Games Workshop style, have delivered absolute jack...

Seriously though, nothing has changed about the Land Raider apart from a weird 10 points increase in cost, and yet every aspect remains the same, even the crappy transport capacity. Whereas Loyalist Raiders can fit 12 models, we're stuck with 10. Perhaps the Dark Mechanicum haven't worked out that the seats fold back to fit more people, we'll never know. This means that you can't even fit a squad of CSM with an Independent Character in with the unit. The tactic of a CC-orientated squad with your Commander/Lord attached is useless in this situation. Even if it was bumped up to 250 points but could take 12 models it'd be a far better choice as then you could actually get a decent squad inside, maybe even a squad of Terminators.

Conclusion: Since there's no change from the previous Codex, there's not much more I can say on the matter apart from that it's far from a Competitive choice. It's very tough, and the firepower is modest, but at the end of the day, there are many things out there that have similar firepower for much cheaper; the Land Raider is a big let-down in it's main role which is as a transport. Casual

Chaos Vindicators

The Vindicator has always been a powerful and effective unit. You really can't go wrong with a S10 Ap2 Large Blast, even if it's limited somewhat by a 24" range. Such a weapon will set you back 120 points, but the damage this thing can do should get back the initial points investment pretty quickly. As for targets, there's very little that this thing isn't good at: large area of effect for catching hordes and Deep-Striking units, and the S10 Ap2 is brilliant against any armour; since you're rolling 2D6 for armour penetration, you're pretty much guaranteed to penetrate even a Land Raider, even if you only take the highest of those two rolls, you only need a 5+ on one of them to potentially wreck it.
Personally, I'd park it somewhere in cover, or at least move it into cover as soon as possible in the game (which is where the 10pt Siege Shield investment pays off), and just hunker down, bombarding anything which comes too close, while taking little damage due to Av13 at the front with a 4+ cover save if you use it as described above.

However, this apparently brilliant unit does have it's own drawbacks, the first being that if you're attacked from the sides or rear, it's no more difficult to destroy than a Rhino. While Front Armour 13 is not to be sniffed at, exposing the sides and rear could result in it getting destroyed pretty quickly. This makes you very vulnerable to Deep Striking units: I myself have destroyed Loyalist Vindicators using dual-Melta Raptors.
The second drawback is the Demolisher Cannon's short range. The fact is that you have to get within range of most anti-tank weaponry in order to fire the cannon, leaving you exposed to all kinds of nasty weapons such as Dark Lances, Lascannons, and even Meltaguns can easily get too close in such circumstances. Therefore, cover is your friend in this circumstance: you have to maintain the balance of getting close enough to bombard them with the Demolisher, and staying hidden enough to improve your chances against the survivors. In the example I presented above, the guy had placed his Vindi slap-bang in the middle of his front-line, right in the open. While I had destroyed it with no effort with the Raptors, had he placed it in ruins or even bubble-wrapped it with his Tac Marines, it could have ended up completely different.

Conclusion: A real sledgehammer unit, offset by it's weaker armour and short range. While it's powerful, it requires skill to ensure it's not destroyed early in the game. Semi-Competitive /Competitive

Chaos Predators

Until now, I've never had any interest in Predators. They had weak-ish armour when compared to similarly-costed units, and were monstrously expensive for the weapons you got. Now however, thanks to some point-cuts by GW, I've taken much more of a shine to them.

The basic Predator is a bit of a joke: 75pts for a single Autocannon. Never take it with the stock loadout; you can add a pair of Heavy Bolters for a mere 20pts, giving you pretty good power against hordes and elite infantry for less than 100pts. I think the best loadout for such a vehicle though is Lascannon sponsons which will cost you 105pts, or 130 if you choose to take the TL Las instead of the Autocannon, which is debatable.

To be fair, you have anti-infantry pretty much covered in the other FOC choices. If you want a Predator, taking the Lascannon sponsons is the best way to go about it. Such a combination gives you 2 S9 and 2TL S7 shots, good against armour and Monstrous Creatures. I think with the recent introduction of the much larger critters in 40K, such as the XV104 Riptide and Wraithknight, it might be wise to just take the additional TL Lascannon. Against such models you can cause a possible 3 wounds per turn, severely weakening even the Wraithknight, and AV13 on the front just like the Vindicator means that you should be able to deal with some of the return fire.

However, this thing suffers from the same problem as the Vindicator, in that the improved armour still leaves it vulnerable to attacks from the side and rear. This is less of a problem with the Predator however, as the 48" range of it's weapons means it can hang back, exposing itself to much fewer anti-tank weapons, although it might still be worth parking it in cover just for those weapons you can't avoid.

Conclusion: Much better than in the previous book, best taken with Las/Auto or Triple/Las for hunting Monstrous Creatures and vehicles. Competitive

The Armoury

Melee Weapons

Chainaxe
Back in 4th Ed these weapons were the absolute bane of TEQ. Being able to reduce a Terminator's armour save to 4+ was simply fantastic, and while they got nerfed in 5th, they've been given their own profile with the new Codex as an AP4 CCW. Not that bad at only 8pts; you can give this to 2 Champions for about the price of a single Power Weapon. You have to consider however how often you find yourself struggling against 4+ Infantry in CC. Guard, Eldar, Tau are rocking majority 4+/5+ saves and we have plenty of things to deal with them at ranged. Basically, I'd just go the extra mile and upgrade to a Power Weapon. Semi-Competitive

Plague Knife
Comes standard on every Plague Marine, not available to any other unit in the book. No Ap value but Poisoned (4+) allows you to take on even the hardiest things out there such as Carnifexes and Wraithknights. Combined with the T5 and FNP of the Plague Marine, you can very easily bog down any Monstrous Creature short of the Swarmlord and force enough saves in return to reliably inflict a few wounds.Competitive

Power Scourge
Available on Hellbrutes for 10pts and Defilers for 25pts, you do lose your S10 attacks from the DCCW in favour of S8 Ap2, but the Flail rule is what makes this weapon interesting. Being able to reduce enemy WS by D3 makes your WS3 less of a downside in CC, allowing you to hit on 3+ and vice versa on 5+ can easily tip the balance in close-combat. While the Hellbrute isn't worth taking anyway, the 25pts tag on the already expensive Defiler leaves me questioning its value.Semi-Competitive

Power Weapon
You can't really go wrong with the standard Power Weapon. With your choice of Sword, Mace or Axe for 15pts, it's really down to your local meta on what would be most efficient. Sword for MEQ, Mace for GEQ/Tau/Eldar and Axe for tougher opponents such as TEQ, although in such situations the S6 Mace might also be effective via wounding on 2's. I generally tend to always give my Champions at least a Power Weapon as they must issue and accept Challenges. Highly Competitive

Lightning Claw
Same price as the Power Weapon, but you trade your extra attack for Shred. If you find yourself in many situations where number of attacks is more important than Strength values, then it might be worth avoiding this. In general though, I think it's a decent weapon, you do have fewer attack than the Power Weapon but this can easily be mitigated through bonuses such as Rage or Hammer of Wrath, and the Shred increases the likelihood of those attacks getting through. Competitive

Power Fist
As with most Codexes the Power Fist comes in at 25pts for S8 Ap2 attacks at I1. I think in most circumstances I'd just avoid it and go for a standard Power Weapon, as the Initiative penalty really hurts in challenges where you're likely to go up against enemy Power Weapons. Probably the only units I'd consider taking it on would be Terminators, where the 2+ save reduces the previous issue, and multi-wound models such as Lords, where you have a much smaller chance of being killed before you can strike. If taken on a Lord, best to take a Lightning Claw in conjunction for when you just don't need Ap2, and you also get the Specialist Weapon bonus. Competitive

Daemon Weapon
You're stuck with taking Chaos Artefacts if you want to include a Daemon Weapon in your army, unlike last edition where you can take a basic version for your Lord or Sorceror. However, the new DW is far better than before; while you still have a chance of wounding yourself, you can still attack should such an event occur, albeit at WS1. Still, you're only hitting on 5's so you can still get one or two attacks through, in my eyes it's only a small drawback when considering the advantages. Competitive

Ranged Weapons

Bolter/Bolt Pistol
You really can't go wrong with the humble Bolter. It's not the greatest basic infantry weapon, outclassed by Pulse and Gauss weapons, but it's still a considerable threat when used en-mass. Best to get as close as possible to double-tap, or just let off a single shot with your Bolt Pistol before charging.

Combi-Weapons
I like the Combi-Weapon. It's a small upgrade that can be invaluable in the right circumstances such as coming up against the occasional Walker or Monstrous Creature where a couple of Plasma Shots would be handy. Likewise, a Combi-Flamer is perfect for softening up a swarm or horde before charging, or to provide a bit of extra Overwatch firepower. It's worth considering though how the rest of the squad is equipped before choosing your Combi. Personally, I try to match the Combi to the rest of the Special Weapons in the unit, such as a Combi-Plasma with 2x Plasma Guns, etc. To be honest, there's little harm in having a different Combi to the Specials, but the only Combi I can see that would work with any Special Weapon unit would be a Combi-Flamer, due to the reasons given above.
However, it's a bit pricey at 10pts for a single use weapon. You have to consider how many times that this will actually come in handy. Taking it on a squad of Havocs for example, would be a waste, whereas a Combi-Plasma on a unit already with 2x Plasma Guns would be a choice worth considering. Competitive

Flamer/Heavy Flamer
Flamers have had a huge boost with 6th Edition with the new Overwatch rules, and the reduced dependence on Melta allowing you to add more variety to your squads. They're really not a bad choice considering it's 5 points for a S4 Ap5 Template. If you take them in multiples such as squads of Chosen Marines they can make for a pretty solid objective holder: even hardier units don't want 4 or 5D3 Overwatch hits. Semi-Competitive

Plasma Guns/Cannons/Pistols
With the reduced dependence on Melta, many players have turned to Plasma for their main choice in heavier weapons. You lose a point of Strength and Ap, but the extra shot within 12" makes it a more viable choice against light/medium armour and Monstrous Creatures. Sure you have the risk of overheating, but it's not the worst thing in the world with your 3+ save (and FNP if taking Plague Marines).
Sadly, our access to Plasma Cannons is restricted to Obliterators and Hellbrutes. The former are excellent choices anyway, and access to Plasma doesn't make the Hellbrute any more of an attractive choice, since we get the better Ectoplasma Cannon anyway. Competitive

Melta/Multi-Melta
Meltas have been less common in 6th, with Plasma taking the role of hunting armour and Monstrous Creatures. Despite this they're still viable weapons. I'd avoid the Multi-Melta since again, they're restricted to Obliterators and Hellbrutes, but taking a couple of Meltaguns on a unit would be useful if expecting AV14 or the toughest creatures such as Wraithknights or Riptides. Raptors are best for this role; take 2x Meltaguns, a Combi-Melta and drop behind enemy lines. Semi-Competitive

Autocannon
The Autocannon still remains one of the best all-rounder weapon in this edition. In 6th Edition however it has a new type of target: Flyers. Even when using Snap-Shots, when taking Autocannons in larger numbers such as in Havocs, you're bound to do some sort of damage to enemy Flyers, or even just to act as a deterrent. This is pretty much the best use for the Autocannon, as it has a decent strength and long range to threaten a significant area of the battlefield. Other targets such as medium armour and Monstrous Creatures can be dealt with more easily with Plasma and Melta. Competitive

Baleflamer
Probably the best weapon in the Codex, the Baleflamer makes anything short of Terminator equivalents whimper. You have a Strength 6, Ap3 template which ignores cover, and can be placed within 12", and can inflict additional hits due to Soul Blaze. The fact that it's mounted on an AV12 Flyer with a 360 degree arc, great for taking squads of pretty much anything out of even the heaviest cover. Even Wraithguard and Centurions are wounded on 4's and 5's, making this the ideal weapon to deal with the newest and toughest units. Shame you can only get it on the Helldrake, but I suppose Games Workshop would just be taking the piss if they made it available to more units. Highly Competitive

Blastmaster
Only available to Noise Marines, the Blastmaster has two profiles, Varied and Single. Varied consists of 2 S5 Ap4 shots, whereas a Single frequency shot is a S8 Ap3 Blast with 12" of extra range. Quite frankly, unless you need to move your Noise Marines or to charge, there's no reason why you'd use the Varied frequency over the Single. Being able to Instant Death on Marine characters, is gold when considering the recent new Marine releases, and cover is of no help to them either, forcing them to rely on Invulnerable saves unless they're Terminator characters. While it's an expensive upgrade for a Noise Marine squad, I think it's a pretty valueble weapon when taken in small units of 5 with Sonic Blasters. Competitive

Sonic Blaster
For 3 points, you can upgrade your Noise Marine's Boltgun to a Sonic Blaster. For this, you have absolutely no changes to the range, S or Ap of the weapon. You do however become a Salvo 2/3 Boltgun which ignores Cover saves. Against weaker armies that are dependent on cover this is huge: a squad of 5 Noise Marines would cost 110 points in this manner, and can put out 15 shots at 24". Even against the tougher armies like Draigo/Deathwing, you're putting out more shots than normal Boltguns, meaning more forced saves are failed. Less effective obviously, but better than your Boltgun at the job.

However, they can get expensive pretty quickly. Taking 10 on a unit is an extra 30pts. If you ran a Slannesh army with multiple squads in this manner you could easily spend well over 100 points just on Sonic Blasters. Because this all adds up quickly, even more so when you add other upgrades such as CCWs and Special Weapons, I'd rate this as Competitive

Doom Siren
DOOOOOMMMMM!!!! 15pts gets you a S5 Ap3 Flamer. That's it. Out of all the Sonic weapons available this is probably my favourite. It's not as powerful as the Baleflamer, but still wounding MEQ on 3's and ignoring anything that's not in Terminator Armour, it's a very powerful weapon when used in CCW units. Can also be used for Overwatch fire, which is bound to put some units off assaulting you. Highly Competitive

Demolisher Cannon
The Demolisher Cannon is a giant "feth you" to anything with multiple wounds and a Toughness of 5 or less. While it's only available on the Vindicator, you have a S10 Ap2 Large Blast, and despite the pretty short 24" range, the heavier armour of the Vindicator means you're less vulnerable to Melta when closing the gap between you and the enemy. Consider all the powerful Marine units that have been devised with the new release: Centurions, Bikes etc. The Demolisher Cannon is capable of wiping out whole units of such units with ease, with noting in the Marine Codex barring Eternal Warriors that can't be ID'ed by such a weapon.

Quite frankly, take one of these and watch whole units disappear. I'd rate this weapon as "Competitive" but the short 24" range makes the Vindicator much more vulnerable, so considering that, I'd rate it as Semi-Competitive /Competitive

Hades Autocannon
Available on Heldrakes and Forgefiends, you gain 2 extra shots and S8 over the standard Autocannon, at the cost of 12" of range. Compared to the other units which can take the standard Autocannon, you aren't actually getting many more shots from the Hades, since the only units which can take it are BS3 compared to your BS4 Havocs, etc. Still, it's not a bad weapon at all; taking 2 on a Forgefiend makes for a very efficient anti-transport unit, and can even threaten Flyers due to the number of shots, even more so when taken on a Heldrake.

The S8 of the Hades also presents a new target: Multi-wound MEQ characters or units such as Captains and Paladins. While you're only Ap4 the number of shots will force enough saves to ensure you take down a few Instant Death wounds. Competitive

Reaper Autocannon
The Reaper is just as it's been since 3rd Edition, a Twin-Linked Autocannon with 36" range. Not much else to say about it really, since it's rather overpriced on Terminators, the only units which can take it. While the S7 is good at light armour and Toughness 6/7 units, there's plenty of other weapons available to Terminators, namely Combi-Weapons, which can do the job better. Semi-Competitive

Ectoplasma Cannon
You have a S8 Ap2 Blast with the ability to take up to three on a Forgefiend. Good for inflicting Instant Death, and with Ap2, targets will only be relying on Invulnerable or Cover saves. While I'd say this is a pretty good weapon, the abundance of cover and the possibility of self-inflicted damage from Gets Hot would have me rating this as Semi-Competitive

Special Issue Wargear and Artefacts

Allies

Playstyles

Sample Army Lists

1000 points

2000 points

Tactics

Categories: Chaos Space Marines Tactica