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Im considering trying to run a few smaller squads of Terminators in about a 750pt list.
I know this isnt the best size to run terminators as effectively as even a 1000pt or anything higher than that game, but I figured it might be something to consider, being that for some reason GW set their min. squad size at 3(to 10)

I was thinking of themeing this force heavily around terminator HQs and terminator squads in Elites.
I wouldnt really bother with Possessed (especially in smaller games) with their predictability, and Chosen are good, but I think if I roll Terminators in this list, they wont be very necessary.

So, the question at hand is: Are 3-4 man Terminator squads worthwhile? This will end up being a starting force (750pts.) for an ongoing campaign, so Im not looking to fill up everything on the FOC.

2x Four man Terminator squads would be around 240pts, and another 25-30pts for any icons or hvy. flamer/autocannon upgrades...
A Terminator Sorcerer would be around 115pts base, and then any powers from there. That'd be around half the pts. spent on about 9 models. Sure they can do a lot of damage, and withstand a lot of incoming fire, but is it worth it? It's not quite min/maxing, but I cant help but wonder what they were thinking by putting the squad at 3-10.

Any thoughts/comments are appreciated, anyone running a likeminded list is encouraged to post!

Thanks!

Ah, c'mon.... I cant be the only one who's eyebrow went up at the 3-10 squad setting......

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well the best way to equip Termies is with combi-weapons and heavy flamers.

Keep them cheap at 35pts each.

As said.. depending on what you meet, combi-plasma is usually your best bang for the bux. 5 for 175 is very good.. 185 if you want a p-fist.

At those limits a demonprince will really shine as HQ.

Fear not friend! I've had plenty of experience running list like the one you spoke of (well, I didn't have a Terminator HQ...).

If you are set about having 2 squads of Terminators, then I would suggest that you make your Troop choices 90pt CSM squads (5 guys, Plasmagun) as that way you can compensate for the high costs.

I would suggest that you include a Reaper AC in one or both of the Squads instead of just HF. I never liked the HF for Chaos Terminators - combi-flamers can do a comparable job, but nothing can replace the range or punch of the RAC - also the RAC will give you the ability to punch Land Speeders and the like out of the air. At least one PF is recomended for each squad.

I would also consider replacing the Sorcerer with a Lord - he is a lot cheaper.

And lastly, Deepstrike Deepstrike Deepstrike - that is what you will want to do!

If you want more info I suggest posting on the B&C Chaos Forums.

-The Lady

So, I didnt really have a preference of using 2 sorcerer's to totally exploit the Lash power, though it is nice anyways. I was leaning more towards doombolt/warptime or somethin of the sort.

I do like daemon princes to be sure....they're still decent to run without wings, right? I mean, the stats and powers still rock, even if they're not flying into.....actually, as I was typing it dawned on me that it'd be pretty silly not to take the wings, haha.

Anyways! so maybe a Termie Sorc and a Termie Lord/Daemon Prince....that could be pretty rockin'....!

2 squads of termies would be awesome, those new figures (while similar in head choices to the old ones) are really slick, and Id like to get some of them.

I like Terminators and Dreadnaughts, even though Traitor Dreads arent as reliable as their less insane brethren, I just like 'em anyways...heh.

So, combi-plasmas and autocannons seem to be the way to go eh? What about equipping one squad with say....3 lit. claws, an autocannon and a combi plasma? is that worth anything?
I figured Icon of Khorne, upgrade the lit claws to Champs and get like 6 attacks each on the charge.....worthwhile?

Im going to be fighting mostly Black Templars and Sisters o' Battle, so higher Init isnt bad either.....any other advice?

Thanks for your time!

i would say at your point cost one squad of terminator's with AC and combi flamers maybe a chain fist ? but may be a lord in term. Armour with a demon weapon and in stead of a 2nd term squad get a predator twin linked las cannon, HB and give it DP . thats just my 2 cents later good luck on the campaign

I just played a game yesterday in which I used 2 dreads (one with 2 CCWs, the other with a Plasma Cannon and CCW) and a 495pt 10 Terminator Squad with a Terminator Lord (135pts). Coupled with 2 Oblits, 8 Berzerkers, 8 Thousand Sons, a Land Raider, and a pred with only a turret Las-cannon... in 1850pts against Blood Angels who outnumbered me massively... and I won a pretty solid victory.

Moral of the story is: it doesn't matter what you take, so long as you know how to use it.

Ok, so....
Im hearing some good stuff.....combi-plasmas and autocannons sound good....
I dont HAVE to have 2 Terminator HQs, I just thought it'd be a little different from the norm which seems to be dual Daemon Princes (wings, lash ect...).

So, perhaps for a smaller game like 750pts., I could run 1 Terminator HQ (sorc or lord w/ daemon weapon)
1x squad of 5 Terminators w/ Combi-plasmas, 1x autocannon, and 1x powerfist and maybe an Icon of Khorne.

a smaller squad of Marines w/ plasmagun, maybe squeeze in like 6-7 Thousand Sons and maybe a cheap Pred Destructor or Obliterators.

Another question I had was: Would running a 5 man Terminator squad w/ 2-3x Pairs Lightning Claws, 1x Autocannon/Hvy. Flamer, and 1x CombiPlasma be worth it? Slap an Icon of Khorne on there and kick those Lit Claw armed Termies up to Champions for about 6 attacks on the charge ea., not bad right? heh. Costly no doubt, but would it be worth it if you ran a Term. HQ in the squad?

For some reason I guess Im just having a hard time trying to squeeze a chaos list together with this new codex, I actually feel the older one was better to work with comparatively.
I think also that after making 3 or 4 new Ork lists, it's going to be hard to do ANYTHING else, because of the sheer number of models you can get in an Ork force...

Is this the case or am I missing something about this new Chaos Codex....??

Thanks!

Your idea for Khornate Terminators would be doubtlessly very effective, but also very expensive. For a squad like that, a Land Raider transport would be a MUST. Peronally I always go for the 4+ inv. save over anything else, it just makes sense that since most people go after Terminators with big honking AP2 guns, it makes sense to get added protection.

As for Lightning Claws and Combi-Plamsa, I don't use them on my Terminators, so I can't comment.

Honestly I think the best combo is the cheapest one. Termies with combi-plasma. No reapers and no land raiders. Reapers aren't worth it as they cost too much and if you're shooting with the reaper for most of the game then the Termies aren't really being used right. The best way to use Termies is to deep-strike them to support a squad like Rhinos, Raptors or Chosen. This way they are able to get into enemy lines reliably without needing a dedicated transport. It's a bit like the old daemon bomb armies where you use a fast or infiltrating unit as a summoning point for your footsloggers.

In larger squads I might be tempted to give them an icon of slaanesh to make them marine killers.

agree with zaqzaq here, with those cheap new termies it's all about the old min/max game, so for me it's either

-min squad size (k, maybe 4 if you bother about scoring) with minimum upgrades (thats one combiplas for the deepstrike turn and a single fist to pose a high str thread ~ 150 to 160 pts (IoCG, no others since you don't have numbers to protect you from leadership tests) or

-max suqad size, Khornate or Tzeentch icon, maybe 2 reapers (either 2 or none) and a couple specialist like your proposed khorne champs if you like. As chaos termies are pretty cheap you can actually afford some 30 points ablative wounds, I for one wouldn't dare to field expensive specialist w/o those ablatives.

I actually like a cheap termie sorc HQ instead of the other choices from time to time. A General isn't worth it imho, cause he ends up actually MORE expensive than a sorc and is somewhat limited in his abilities:

- General + termie armour = 120 pts,

- Sorc + termie armour = 115 pts gaining a force weapon over a power weapon, too. Has the exact same profile + can have a power

In general, when fielding large numbers of termies, it's not that you lack power weapons or fist attacks but shootie power, so I'd take a cheap sorc with doombolt rather than a General w/ tl LCs or a daemon weapon anytime.

Case you need extra utility and want to go expensive you can stock up on lash, bolt of change or nurgles rot.
Of course you can do the exact same thing with a daemon prince.

So since the General is out from the start the question for chaos HQs is a question of wether you want to have a killy but fragile HQ or prefer to hide and protect your psi powers (sorc) trading your cc prowess in for it...

Little sidenote: Always remember that purchasing a termie armour further reduces (!) your number of cc attacks (for losing the second cc weapon) rather than up it like the old dex did. So termie armour is only worth it if you like

a) the small protection it offers (dangerous, for AP 2 weapons tend to have high str and taking hits with your HQ generally isn't much of a good idea),

b) want to walk with a squad of termies rather than relying on your IC status to protect you (dangerous, cause the IC status works better most of the time)

c) deepstrike (nurgles rot again!)

d) fluff (dangerous in itself )

-Khorneflakes

It was easier with the old list because it was a GOOD book.

As opposed to SM with marks and more expensive yet worse equipment.

Compare Warp Time with the Imperial equivalent for a real wth feeling.

I like the new 'imagination not included' Chaos Space Marine book. It's why I started my Space Marine/Chaos Marine army. It's also why my Chaos Terminators have Powerfists, and Twin-linked Bolters, backed up by a Terminator Champion and a Heavy Flamethrower, so I can use them as Imperial Terminators in the Blood Angels version of my army.

/signed

anybody got some a**cannons to spare? :-)

3man squad with 2x combi-melta, and 1x fist/flamer works good as a suicide DSer, and 4man w/3x combi-plas and 1x flamer/fist is good vs. MEQs. Both are deadly enough in CC they can't be ignored once their combi-weapons are empty.

Nurglitch-
Am I correct in assuming you'd say the Space Marine Codex would be better to go with than the Chaos book in most cases, or at least, in this case?
If you'd like to Contribute I have another post on the "Army List" section called "Space Marine Army Build Request" or somethin close to it. Id be interested to see what you can come up with if that's the case. I was almost leaning towards a Chapter that's been messing around with the ruinous powers in the form of an Inquisitor w/ retinue, maybe an assassin, and some daemonhosts just for fun.
I dont have a Chapter in mind, so am open to suggestion, and I do have quite a few models pertaining to vanilla and space wolves (so the corrupted part is out in their case) Anyways, Id like to see what you would put together out of the mini's listed (+ the Inquis mentioned above if possible). Id be looking at around 750Pts to start and probably adding up from there in 750pt blocks.

Thanks all!
/

Trogdor the Burninator: No, that would not be correct. If you want a list of Terminators go with the Dark Angels Deathwing. Chaos Space Marines would need to take non-Terminators as Troops, and that would fill up the points that the short squads would save. I'm of the opinion that you take whatever the heck you want and learn how to use them, rather than try to shoe-horn an army into a particular strategy.

I think Deathwing is, the way things currently stand, really the worst way to field a Termie-heavy army. Lysanderwing and Chaos can both fit in much more for the points, even with non-Termies. After all, it is not as if points spent on min tac squads (in the case of Lysanderwing) or cult troops (in the case of Chaos) are wasted points. They are fine troops in their own right.

Just to add that Plague Marines are very close to Termies in terms of resilience. In fact they are more resilient vs Plasma but are worse against S8.

A bunch of Plagues in Rhinos with DSing Termies will be a good list in 5e if Rhinos no longer entangle.