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Ok, so we played another game yesterday - I think I finally got the hang of how a Slaaneshi Daemon army is meant to work. We played over Gary's lovely Eldar terrian, which I don't think we see enough of in these Battle Reports. It was 1500pts, Annihilation, Table Quarters deployment, with Nurgle CSM taking first turn.

PaniC's Nurgle CSM - 1499pts



* Daemon Prince (Wings, Mark of Nurgle, Warptime)

* Dreadnought (Plasma Cannon, Extra Armour)
* Dreadnought (Plasma Cannon, Extra Armour)
* Dreadnought (Extra Close Combat Weapon, Extra Armour)

* 7 Plague Marines (Icon, inc Champion with Powerfist)
* 7 Plague Marines (Icon, inc Champion with Power Sword)
* 7 Plague Marines (Icon, inc Champion)
* 7 Lesser Daemons

* Vindicator (Daemonic Possession)
* Vindicator (Daemonic Possession)


ArbitorIan's Slaaneshi Daemons - 1498pts



* Keeper of Secrets (Aura of Acquiescence, Soporific Musk, Pavane of Slaanesh)
* Herald of Slaanesh (Aura of Acquiescence, Rending Claws, Transfixing Gaze, Pavane of Slaanesh, Chaos Icon)

* 6 Fiends of Slaanesh
* 20 Daemonettes of Slaanesh
* 15 Daemonettes of Slaanesh
* 12 Daemonettes of Slaanesh

* Daemon Prince (Mark of Slaanesh, Iron Hide, Aura of Acquiescence, Soporific Musk, Transfixing Gaze)
* Soulgrinder (Vomit, Tongue)


Deployment

Nurgle deployed in the northwest corner of the board, keeping their Lesser Daemons and Daemon Prince in reserve. Slaanesh split their forces and got the chosen half - the Fiends, Herald, Keeper of Secrets and Soulgrinder. The three Daemonette squads and the Daemon Prince stay in reserve.




Turn 1

Nurgle get first turn and their Dreadnoughts advance out over the terrain. One goes crazy, but there's nothing he can attack yet. In the Slaanesh turn, the first wave shows up, the fiends staying back out of Vindicator range and the Herald narrowly avoiding the edge of the board. The Soulgrinder fires his tounge attack at the Dreadnought but misses.

Dreadnoughts fan out


Herald just about arrives to the south!


Fiends stay out of range


End of Turn 1



Turn 2

On the Nurgle side, the Nurgle Daemon Prince arrives, backing up the southernmost Dreadnought. The CC Dreadnough goes crazy, and shoots it's guns at the fiends, but does no damage. Once Plasma Dread fires at the Soulgrinder but the shot scatters off, and the other fires at the Keeper of Secrets, but is saved.

In the Slaanesh turn, the Slaanesh Daemon Prince arrives metres away from the Nurgle DP. The Soulgrinder fires it's tongue at the closest Plasma Dread, exploding it. The Fiends then use their incredible assault range (6" move, 12" charge + fleet) to charge the CC Dread, destroying one of it's CC weapons, Immobilising it, and shaking it (which it ignores). The Keeper of Secrets then charges the final Plasma Dread in the south, Immobilising it and destroying it's CC Weapon.

Nurgle DP shows up


Fiends assault across the board


Keeper of Secrets duels with Plasma Dread


End of Turn 2



Turn 3

Nurgle's Vindicators are finally in range and move down from their hill to get a clearer shot. One opens fire on the Soulgrinder, but only shakes it (which it ignores) and the other opens fire on the Herald (the only model not in combat) causing one wound. The Nurgle DP then charges the Slaanesh DP, but loses two attacks from the Slaanesh DP's Transfixing Gaze and Aura of Acquiescence, and fails to cause any wounds. The Slaanesh DP manages to inflict one in return, and then uses Soporific Musk to withdraw. In other combats, the Fiends finish off the CC Dread, and the Keeper of Secrets explodes the final Plasma Dread.

In Slaanesh's turn, the 20 Daemonette and 15 Daemonette squads turn up and spread out to avoid Vindicator fire. The Soulgrinder immobilises the northern Vindicator, before the Fiends charge into it with a total of 36 Attacks, destroying the Demolisher cannon and shaking it. The Keeper of Secrets fleets into the southern Vindicator, immobilising it, and the Slaanesh DP and the Herald charge the Nurgle DP. This time, the Nurgle DP uses his Warptime and kills the Herald, but the Slaanesh DP causes one further wound.

Vindicators move into firing positions


Daemonettes arrive en masse


Daemon Princes and Herald in combat


The Vindicators are charged


End of Turn 3



Turn 4

The Lesser Daemons arrive at the start of the Nurgle turn, but attempt their deep strike a bit too close and scatter into a building! They get misdirected and are placed far, far away behind the Plague Marine gunline. The Plague Marines on the hill fire at the Fiends assaulting the northern Vindicator, causing two wounds and killing one model. In assault, the Nurgle DP casts his Warptime again and inflicts 3 wounds on the Slaanesh DP, killing it! He takes another wound in return, though.

In the Slaanesh turn, the final 12 Daemonette squad arrives in the south. The Keeper of Secrets disengages the southrn Vindicator and charges the Nurgle DP, taking it's final wound before it can strike back and killing it. The 20 Daemonette squad then charge the disengaged southern Vindicator. Only 10 of them can reach, but that's still 40 attacks, and they manage to wreck it. The Fiends also wreck the northern Vindicator.

Nurgle reinforcements are misplaced in Deep Strike!


Daemonettes wreck a Vindicator


End of Turn 4



Turn 5

In turn 5, all the Plague Marines can do is open fire on the Fiends, causing four wounds and killing a further two models. The Slaanesh forces realise that they've scored enough Kill Points to force a win, and that the Plague Marines will never catch up with them, and so start the retreat. We don't roll for any extra turns, as there is no way the remaining Nurgle forces could catch the retreating (and fleeting) Slaanesh.

The final score is Slaaneshi Daemons 6 - Nurgle Marines 2

Plague Marines open fire


End of Turn 5

Good game. Those plauge mariens were placed waaay to far away from the action. Did they get to fire even one shot?

Nice batrep. It's always cool seeing nice terrain and two fully painted armies going at it.

How did the lesser daemons scatter? I thought they had to come in off of an icon in the new dex?

Are you liking the large daemonette units? they didn't do much in this game just curious what your overall impression of them is, I never got much use out of them myself, but I can understand taking them for fluff reasons.

Demons do not require an Icon to come in, your thinking CSM. The icons provide a 6" radius of or area they can DS in and not worry about scattering.

Nice baprep, I do agree that the marines were placed a lil to far away to be effective.

Clay Williams wrote:Demons do not require an Icon to come in, your thinking CSM. The icons provide a 6" radius of or area they can DS in and not worry about scattering.

Nice baprep, I do agree that the marines were placed a lil to far away to be effective.

Sorry I should have been clearer, there is this line in there:

"The Lesser Daemons arrive at the start of the Nurgle turn, but attempt their deep strike a bit too close and scatter into a building! They get misdirected and are placed far, far away behind the Plague Marine gunline."

Which seems to say that the lesser daemons the plague marines took scattered??

Warmaster wrote:Nice batrep. It's always cool seeing nice terrain and two fully painted armies going at it.

How did the lesser daemons scatter? I thought they had to come in off of an icon in the new dex?

Are you liking the large daemonette units? they didn't do much in this game just curious what your overall impression of them is, I never got much use out of them myself, but I can understand taking them for fluff reasons.

AAARGH just checked my CSM codex and it seems you're right - looks like we missed that one - PaniC would have got his Daemon unit after all. However, they would have ended up in the same place as the only Icons in his army were in the Plague Marine squads.

For clarification, Daemon units taken from Codexaemons scatter as normal (so all my Slaaneshi units) but Lesser Daemon units taken from Codex:Chaos Space Marines may ONLY enter play using a Chaos Icon, which of course means that they don't scatter.

Agreed, the Daemonettes didn't do much in this game, but I'm generally finding that, especially against high-toughness enemies, large Daemonette units are the only way to go. Th only way you're really doing damage is through rending, and the more dice you can roll at once the better really. The smaller units were only really for holding objectives (had we rolled a different Mission). Of course, the story is probably very different against armies like IG or Tyranid, who often only have T3.

Yeah it wouldn't have mattered for you game just thought I would point it out.

I'm a little jealous you have the original fiends, mine are the second printing that look a lot like smaller versions of the newer ones. I'm surprised you don't have any of the old steed models, or do you just not field them?

A number of interesting things were revealed by this game.

First, I'm finding that you really have to take advantage of the Fleet rule when taking Slaaneshi Daemon units. A lot of people have criticised them for being a 'glass hammer' - that they can be good in large numbers but are really fragile. This is kinda true, as I learned to my disadvantage in previous games. Because of the nature of Daemon armies, you're tempted to DS within assault range of your enemies, last out a turn of shooting, and then assault. Nurgle and Khorne units have high toughness and armour saves to protect them for a turn but Slaanesh units don't, making them vulnerable to massed small arms fire (hence those big squads).

However, the Fleet rule means you really can afford to deep strike way out of small arms fire, and rely on your extended assault ranges to get into combat. Seekers and Fiends can assault up to 24" in one turn, and Daemonettes up to 18". If you time the arrival of your units right, you can bring in the fast things first, tie up all the nearby units, and then bring the slower models in later when there's less chance of getting shot. I guess this tactic works particularly well when your opponent splits his forces (like in this) or you attack down a single flank. Also, because of all those units with Hit & Run, you can pick your combats much easier than many other armies.

Secondly, CSM Daemon Princes are S6 while Codexaemons ones are only S5. Strange...

Warmaster wrote:Yeah it wouldn't have mattered for you game just thought I would point it out.

I'm a little jealous you have the original fiends, mine are the second printing that look a lot like smaller versions of the newer ones. I'm surprised you don't have any of the old steed models, or do you just not field them?

Thanks - I like the models too - I do have three of the old steeds, but i think the newer Seekers look much cooler - the old Daemonettes on Steeds look kinda awkward. I've converted one to use as a herald, as they're much bigger than the Seekers, and maybe the other two will find a place as a Slaanesh CSM mount, or pulling a chariot or something...

i suggest putting your herald on a chariot it would boost her effectiveness and speed by a ton. and its cheap for points.


Great report.

nice report gota love slannesh

yeah,
I learned a few things in this game.
I should have put the vindicators in the PM gun line. Although I'm still not sure how to play chaos Dreads in Kill points... I want to send them out so they don't shoot my army, but this allows them to be picked off...

I did place the Marines far back, but I didn't want deamons DSing behind me pulling me in two directions... next time I'd place the gun line forward a bit and put more of the army in the gun line.

I've also learned that CSM daemons DS to Icons.... ....Which makes them seem a bit limited.
While this actually might make sense, but it reduces them to being CSM squad upgrades! you'll always summoning them next to the squad in the most trouble, to increase their numbers.

I've had a few defeats in a row now... Time to bounce back!
Panic.

sweet report......AGAIN!
your getting good at this

Yeah,
Arbitor Ian Wrote this one up.
I agree it's a good report.
It's always fun reading a report that you played in! even if you lost horribly.

Panic...

Good report, and very interesting to see such a sucessful use of Slaaneshi daemons. I had nearly written off daemonettes as useless units with cool models, but I think you have raised some very good points on their use.

Panic, you might find that deploying in a castle towards a corner will help you a lot against chaos daemons. A nice loose formation of infantry behind your tanks to keep the daemons from attacking the rear armor with shooting seems to help a good bit, plus you can bring all your fire to bear when they are stationary and vulnerable.

I've been playing a few games with all-slaanesh daemons of late (and similar vintage models, though I own about 24 of the crab-women-on-dinosaurs, and remain a fan). My lessons to date are very similar to yours:

1) The Keeper is solid gold. I'm going to try 2, instead of any Heralds.
2) Fiends are as sturdy a unit as we get.
3) Rending nerf means even decent-sized units of Daemonettes have no business fighting AV 12 vehicles.
4) Seekers are just fast-moving daemonettes; too fragile!
5) Pavane belongs on BS 5 Daemon Princes only. Everything else should be fleeting.

Thanks for sharing!

Nice report and I love the 'vintage' models!

I've wanted to do an all Slaanesh Daemon army since the book first came out. Good to know that there is still some power in the codex even if I avoid bloodcrushers. I may convert some Daemonettes to be shooting flames for some "counts as" flamers.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

Janthkin wrote:I've been playing a few games with all-slaanesh daemons of late (and similar vintage models, though I own about 24 of the crab-women-on-dinosaurs, and remain a fan). My lessons to date are very similar to yours:

1) The Keeper is solid gold. I'm going to try 2, instead of any Heralds.
2) Fiends are as sturdy a unit as we get.
3) Rending nerf means even decent-sized units of Daemonettes have no business fighting AV 12 vehicles.
4) Seekers are just fast-moving daemonettes; too fragile!
5) Pavane belongs on BS 5 Daemon Princes only. Everything else should be fleeting.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! - yup similar results all round then. I've also got a second Keeper I've yet to paint up, and I agree on Fiends and Seekers. I have some seekers ready to try out, but I'm not expecting much from them....:/

Daemonettes can still be useful against vehicles, though, since nowadays they always attack the rear armour value. Any armour penetration rolls of a 6 will give you a further d3, giving you a score at least 10 and possibly 12 on the rear armour...

ArbitorIan wrote:Daemonettes can still be useful against vehicles, though, since nowadays they always attack the rear armour value. Any armour penetration rolls of a 6 will give you a further d3, giving you a score at least 10 and possibly 12 on the rear armour...

Which sounds great, until you get charged by a Walker. No rear armor against them. :(

I had 12 Daemonettes (with Transfixing Gaze) get charged by a defiler. Over 6 rounds of close combat later, the ladies had lost 2 models, destroyed the CCW & Maw cannon, and Immobilized it. That was with pretty good rolling (3+ to hit, 6 to start rending, 5-6 to actually damage it, 5-6 to achieve any useful result). I only lost 2 Daemonettes, but the Daemon Prince who came in off their icon to try and help got ambushed by a Warp Time CSM Daemon, who was better equipped.

Great report, seemed like a fun game. not sure that this game reflects the effectiveness of slaanesh though...the Nurgle player really split up his forces and hurt his shooting effectiveness, to say the least.

Not sure what to do about the dreads (if you really want to have shooty chaos dreads) in a game like this...but I probably would have just built a castle somewhere with the PMs and vindicators, and put the dreads either a) in front of the vindicators so vindi front armor was what they would shoot, or b) leave the dreads in reserve and let them come in in a position off the board edge where crazy results only result in dead slaanesh

Good report, nice battle too.

One thing you may want to fix however is the blurryness in some of the pics.
I do my battle reports with pics too and inspect every pic for things like that, because it kinda hurts the eyes (at least my eyes) and it kills the vibe a bit. Some times the blurry ones will turn out to be the best shots you had taken, but for the chemistry of the whole thing it's always best to just get rid of 'em if it comes out blurry.