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For my chaos space marine army i was thinking of getting a squad or two of noise marines; I want to know what the community thinks of em! (Im not too concerned with winning with my chaos list, its more for show but I do plan to use it in battle) Is there anything that noise marines can do that a regular CSM cant? What special tactics are there for them?

Blastmaster with single frequency is a strength 8 ap 3 that causes pinning. Varied frequency that is strength 5 ap 4 fires 2 shots and also causes pinning. If you want equip each squad with 1 blastmaster and the rest with sonic blasters then put them in rhinos and watch your opp. try to deal with all the pinning tests.


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Also the sonic blaster is like a bolter with the same stats as a bolter except it can fire an assault 2 or heavy 3.

Vindicator#9 wrote:Blastmaster with single frequency is a strength 8 ap 3 that causes pinning.

So you could even do light tank busting with a blastmaster if you wanted?

Yes, Noise Marines are a very expensive multipurpose unit that does neither role really particularly well. I think they can be OK to build around, but they're not the most efficient unit by a long shot.

Like said above you can. With a really lucky roll you could even glance a LR. I wouldnt depend on that but for a fluff army it is fun.

NM Troops can take a pretty decent Heavy weapon, despite being only 5 models strong.

I don't like NMs.
There is a good build with them, but it's not top tier.
If the whole army isn't NMs, I don't find them worth it.

I've built lists around noise marines. I'd run a couple squads with sonic weapons and blastmasters and give them rhinos. I also ran one or two noise mairne squads in land raiders. The land raider squads were kitted out with sonic blasters and a champion with a doom siren and powerweapon. These guys could move up in their raiders and jump out, unload their assault weapons and then assault at I5. They made for great shock troops.

Noises Marines are the less expensive and most flexible of the Cult Marines.

You can build about four different squads:

1. Close combat
2. Close support
3. Fire support
4. The Works

The close combat version has a Noise Champion with a Power Sword, and Noise Marines with Sonic Blasters.

The close support version has a Noise Champion with a template, and the rest with bolters.

The fire support has Noise Marines with Sonic Blasters and a Blast Master.

The works isn't too bad because it has all the close combat potential, can move and fire all its weapon, increases its fire effect by 50% by standing still, and it's only downside is expensive and no more survivable than Chaos Space Marines to incoming fire.

Noise Marines don't have Melta Guns, but like all Cult Troops they're kind of specialist despite their flexibility in configuration - their specialty being anti-infantry firepower. I think if you want to make them work, you'll need to up your anti-tank fire elsewhere, and avoid the all-in configuration for a squad that can move up the board and provide its own integral support.

Remember, Noise Marines are cheap and fearless, and I5 and have bolters and BP/CC weapons like all Chaos Marines. 5 of them in a Rhino or even on foot make nice "Fearless" objective grabbers. Plus, I5 all the time ain't never bad.

Except when facing I3 or less troops in combat. Presumably why they're so inexpensive.

Noise marines are nice because they're the cheapest fearless unit, don't have to worry about getting their bonus sniped, and even though their heavy weapon is a bit expensive it's very flexible.

Then again, I like putting havoc launchers on rhinos, and so my opinion may not count.

thank you for all the input! im most likely going to pick up a box of them! another question: doesnt the box set come with 1 blastmaster, 1 sonic blaster, and a champ with doom siren? how would i go about getting more sonic blasters or blastmasters?

GW's currently doing something really silly: The boxed set has the assortment that you describe. The Emperors Children Sonic Weapons pack has five sonic blasters and a blast master in it for US $20.

Yeah, just scavange extra bodies or buy a CSM "attack squad" or whatever and smash the boxes together.

I use Noise Marines as my main stay objective holders at 1500 and lower. They are the base of my anti-infantry, geared 6 men strong with Sonic Blasters, a Blastmaster and a Rhino with a Havoc Launcher. At the begining of the game I use them to help crack transports before moving on to the objective and setting up shop. While they aren't any more durable than regular Marines, Fearless means they are going to hold on to the objective atleast as long.

I like them 5 man sqauds 4 with sonic blasters and 1 blast master is just 100 point's.

12 shots if you stand still and a small blast the strength of a battlecannon. Yes sir. I tabled Deathwing angel's tonight. :3

Shadowbrand wrote:I like them 5 man sqauds 4 with sonic blasters and 1 blast master is just 100 point's.

12 shots if you stand still and a small blast the strength of a battlecannon. Yes sir. I tabled Deathwing angel's tonight. :3

huh? 5x20 = 100 base + 40 for the blastmaster & 4x 5 for blasters = 160 total.

160 still isn't too bad though for what they do.

Despite shadowbrand's poor maths I think NMs are a solid choice. And you will get bonus points if you model them holding guitars!

Meh I was more of a Social studies and Art kinda guy.


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solkan wrote:GW's currently doing something really silly: The boxed set has the assortment that you describe. The Emperors Children Sonic Weapons pack has five sonic blasters and a blast master in it for US $20.

Oh! i didnt see the sonic weapons kit, thanks! i guess i gotta scavenge some marines and get that pack... it'd probably be easier to get 2 packs of sonic weapons, and a 10 man squad, actually

NM Do have a lot of strengths. Against almost everything, they will hit first and kill heaps. And in shooting with Sonic Blasters they can outshoot anything you care to name. They can be very good against Orks, doing huge damage shooting and then receiving a charge and still hitting first. In fact there isn't a lot that NM cant beat in CC short of some Elite CC troops like Zerkers or GK. MEQs do tend to lose to them in most areas. Their cost with Sonic Blasters is the only downside really (making them cost the same as the over priced PAGK).

And we love Blastmaster Squads with 5 men putting out 12 bolter shots and a small blast battlecannon with pinning, or 10 shots, 2 Heavy bolter shots, pinning and then charging. Those SB's give 'em great versatility even compared to the super versatile CSM.

they are great against enemies that you need number of shots to kill. I play against someone who runs daemons and since I can't negate his invuln saves I kill him by number of shots and noise marines rock him hard.

I love Noise marines, Their profiles and guns are sweet and I5 mosr codex's can't pull that much firepower and a unit that hits first against MEQ's.

Although my opinion is swayed because i want to start a full Slannesh army.

I find that giving them everything tends to make the jack of all trade, master of none. I ether run them as...

6 NM, 1 blastmaster, 5 bolters - fearless, sit on objectives, shoot heavy infantry, light tanks...

6 NM, 5 sonic blasters, doom siren, power weapon, rhino - drive up, unload 10 blaster shots and a AP3 template, then charge at I5

I find that sonic blasters and blastmasters are for different things, and putting them both in the same unit can be a waste of points...

Meh.

If you want to go for a combatty squad Doomsiren, power weapon, I'd much rather go for normal CSM with 2 flamers, champ power weapon. If you have to have I5...which is meh in itself, then Icon of Slaanesh.

But drop back down to IoCG and it's decent for what you get there.

Sonics are a unique kit to them, a small squad has a decent output, but (as Slaanesh's favored number goes) small squad sizes are 'soft' kill points.

Blast master: it's nice when lash is around.
If lash is not around, it's a sort of disappointing weapon. Quadrupled in cost, more cover saves around, and simple spacing reduces the effectivness.

Summary:
They are flexible, but you pay for it.
They don't hurt the points limit when you go for small squads, but that in itself has cons.
They are generally geared towards anti-infantry
Their bonus initiative is cool, but best vs. I4, meh vs. I5, then not a bonus vs. I3 and I6.

Yeah, they are pretty mediocre largely due to being overcosted. Sonic Blasters *should* be free for NMs and the Blastmaster is laughably overpriced.

But, as pointed out, they can do choppy, anti- infantry, or fire support. Just pick the role and don't try to buy them everything.

Definitely field Lash, though, and no one can complain since you're are going Slaanesh/NM.

The Blastmaster is overpriced because it's on a 5-man team, not a 10-man team.

Sonics should be included in the price, but add a point per model, not 5.

I HATE noise marines

Because they are always killing my marines.

my opponent always lashes my troops into the open nice and tight and then Doomsiren and blastmasters them with no save.

They are death to MEQs

Take em if you can afford them, Dey is dead killy

thank you everyone for your input! maybe i will include a lash somewhere down the road, im still debating it... it seems to me that ill have one squad be a melee shock squad in a rhino, and another squad sit back and snipe with the blastmaster maybe in a rhino too

The Rhino with a Havoc Launcher is a great investment for team that is just going to hang out. It might even be worth Daemonic Possession, given that the launcher is TL, but I rarely have the points to spare. Just remember (and this is more of a general rule), tank shock a blast's best friend. I don't have Lash, but that doesn't I can't get 4+ MEQs under that template. Be smart with your Rhinos and that Blastmaster is a wonderful weapon. I've usually got 2 other Rhinos running about (at 1500), so I can set up blasts for the Havoc Launcher and Blastmaster.